Guide to Rising to Power as a Wife in Beijing's Elite Circle

The corridor on the sixteenth floor of the National Development and Reform Commission building.

At 6:40 p.m., three and a half hours had passed since the meeting ended.

Fang Jingxiu walked at the front, his steps slightly heavier than usual. His dark gray executive jacket was still crisp, but the weariness between his brows was so deep it seemed impossible to conceal, as if it were forcibly locked under his skin by willpower. Only the bloodshot veins deep in his eyes betrayed the exhaustion from his continuous high-intensity work.

As he walked, he unconsciously raised his hand and rubbed his throbbing temples with his thumb and forefinger, trying to temporarily dispel the industry data, resource allocation plans, and the power struggles and considerations that were still colliding in his mind.

A few steps behind, Secretary Qin, carrying heavy meeting materials and document bags, walked slightly faster but maintained a respectful distance.

His face showed fatigue, but more than that, it held a tense, solemn air, as if he were waiting for a report.

Within the system, rules are strict. When a leader has just finished an important meeting and is still in a daze, unless it is an emergency that could cause the sky to fall, subordinates will never rashly approach and disturb the leader before he has stepped into the office and taken a moment to catch his breath.

This is basic workplace etiquette and also shows respect for the leader's authority and feelings.

The two walked silently down the empty, quiet corridor, one after the other, with only the soft sound of their leather shoes echoing on the polished marble floor.

At the end of the corridor is Fang Jingxiu's private office.

Fang Jingxiu swiped his card and pushed open the door to enter.

The room was kept at a constant temperature and humidity. The air was filled with his usual faint sandalwood scent mixed with the smell of old books and paper. This familiar environment allowed his tense nerves to relax a little.

He didn't turn on the overhead light, but instead switched on the antique desk lamp on his desk. The warm yellow light immediately dispelled the gloom in the hallway, outlining his tall but slightly tired figure.

He casually draped his suit jacket over the coat rack next to him, unbuttoned the top two buttons of his shirt, revealing his well-defined collarbone and a small patch of firm chest skin.

Then, he sat down in the large leather chair, leaned back heavily, closed his eyes to rest for a few seconds, and then reached into the drawer to take out a cigarette case and a lighter.

"Click".

The pale blue flame illuminated his sharp jawline. He lit a cigarette, took a deep drag, and let the pungent nicotine fill his lungs, stimulating his almost numb nerves.

Smoke rose in the dim light, blurring his closed eyes and furrowed brows.

Secretary Qin then tiptoed in, closed the door behind her, and placed the documents she was carrying on the small table next to her desk, categorizing them as they were.

He didn't speak immediately, but stood quietly to the side with his hands at his sides, waiting patiently.

Only when Fang Jingxiu slowly exhaled a long puff of smoke, opened his eyes, and his gaze regained some clarity as he looked at him, did Secretary Qin step forward half a step, her voice steady and clear: "Director."

"Hmm," Fang Jingxiu responded, his voice hoarse from the meeting and slightly tense. "How's it going now? Has the hype died down?"

Secretary Qin's face showed a complex expression, a mixture of relief, undisguised surprise, and even a hint of... indescribable admiration.

He adjusted his tone slightly and replied, "Director, regarding public opinion, President Shen, as you instructed, released three substantial celebrity scandals three hours ago. These scandals have now completely dominated the top five trending topics, and the discussion surrounding them is rapidly escalating. While discussions about the Yongzhou incident still exist, they have been significantly overshadowed and have temporarily moved out of the public spotlight."

Fang Jingxiu nodded, not surprised by the result. Shen Rongchuan was always efficient and knew how to leverage the greatest media and public attention with minimal cost, money, and personal connections.

The public opinion arena manipulated by capital is just that realistic.

He flicked his cigarette ash, preparing to inquire about the progress of the investigation into the "traces" in Yongzhou and the contingency plan. But Secretary Qin didn't continue the report; instead, his tone shifted subtly:

"There's one more thing... Director, Ms. Chen Nuo... was surrounded by reporters at the entrance of the Broadcasting Building this afternoon."

Fang Jingxiu's fingers, holding the cigarette, paused almost imperceptibly in mid-air. Ashes fell in a flurry, leaving a few gray spots on the dark tabletop.

He abruptly looked up at Secretary Qin, his gaze behind his glasses instantly sharpening like a knife. His previous weariness vanished, replaced by an icy coldness…

A barely suppressed tension, bordering on panic.

"What did you say?" His voice turned cold, each word seeming to be pulled from an ice cellar. "Didn't I tell you to arrange for her to leave through the back door and to send extra people to ensure her safety?"

Secretary Qin's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly explained, "Director, our people did make arrangements and tried to persuade Miss Chen. But... Miss Chen did not choose to leave."

He paused, seemingly choosing his words carefully, "She... gave an interview to reporters alone."

"Nonsense!" Fang Jingxiu scolded in a low voice, suddenly standing up, unconsciously squeezing the cigarette in his hand until it was deformed.

Countless worst-case scenarios flashed through his mind: her panicking in front of the camera, being rendered speechless by tricky questions, saying the wrong thing and being caught red-handed, even losing control of her emotions...

Those reporters, especially those led by people with ulterior motives, will be like sharks that smell blood, tearing her apart and splashing dirty water all over her, which will then affect him and even the Fang family!

"Where is she now? How is she feeling? Is she injured?" He bombarded him with a series of questions, speaking at an astonishing speed, completely losing his usual composure.

"Director, please don't panic," Secretary Qin quickly reassured him, while simultaneously taking out her own phone, unlocking it, and pulling up a pre-prepared news video page, which she then handed over with both hands.

"Miss Chen... she's alright, she's already left safely. And... she handled it... exceptionally well, incredibly, super impressively. Take a look at this."

Fang Jingxiu glanced at Secretary Qin suspiciously, then took the phone. On the screen was a picture of Chen Nuo standing at the entrance of the broadcasting building, surrounded by numerous reporters and cameras.

His heart felt as if it were being squeezed tightly by an invisible hand.

He clicked play.

In the video, Chen Nuo's slightly thin figure stands in the center of the crowd, wearing the beige suit he had seen when he left home that morning.

At first, her face was a little pale, but her back was ramrod straight. He saw her gesture to the noisy reporters for quiet, and then clearly state that she wanted them to come one at a time.

Fang Jingxiu frowned, but his eyes remained focused.

He watched her calmly respond to the questions about Li Yiran's death and the film's authenticity, then watched her suddenly raise her hand, revealing the pale pink scar on her neck, and ask in a calm yet powerful voice, "If it was all something I orchestrated myself, why would I hurt myself and almost die in Yongzhou?"

Upon seeing this, Fang Jingxiu's fingers, gripping the edge of his phone, turned slightly white.

That scar... is a pain and guilt that will forever remain in his heart.

Now that she was using it as a weapon to calmly retaliate, his heart felt as if it had been stabbed, and a complex emotion, a mixture of heartache and pride, welled up within him.

Next, we come to the most sensitive and dangerous question.

Regarding the financial backers and benefactors behind it.

Fang Jingxiu's heart was in his throat, and he unconsciously held his breath.

He heard her say, "They are my friends, my benefactors, and indispensable guides and supporters on my artistic path. They gave me the ladder to climb higher and also provided buffers for any setbacks I might encounter. This friendship, which is about trust, appreciation, and shared values, is far more precious and solid than any narrow personal relationship."

Every word was clear, firm, logically rigorous, and progressively layered. It perfectly expressed his significance to her while cleverly avoiding any words that might evoke romantic associations or accusations of power abuse, elevating their relationship to a level that was aboveboard and beyond reproach.

The video ends, the image freezing on her tall, straight back as she bows slightly and turns away.

The office was silent except for the faint hum of the desk lamp.

Fang Jingxiu remained motionless, staring at his phone screen. The cigarette had long since extinguished between his fingers, but he was completely unaware.

Secretary Qin stood to the side, not daring to breathe, but her mind was racing: Is the director angry?

still……?

Looking at the director's profile, which was so focused it was almost frozen, he was even a little worried that the director might, on a whim, slip his phone—which he had secretly bought with his own money in installments over twenty-four months, and lied to his wife that it was a prize from a lottery—into his pocket and take it away.

After a long while, Fang Jingxiu slowly put down his phone and handed it back to Secretary Qin.

He sat back down in the leather chair, his movements somewhat slow.

"Cough," he cleared his throat, picked up the cigarette pack again, lit another cigarette, took a deep drag, and slowly exhaled.

His expression was somewhat blurred by the swirling smoke, but Secretary Qin seemed to see that the director's lips curved upwards in an almost imperceptible, extremely subtle arc.

"It's not as amazing as you say." Fang Jingxiu said, his voice returning to its usual calm, even carrying a hint of... indescribable, almost relaxed tone?

He flicked his cigarette ash, his gaze fixed on a point in the void, as if recalling something, or perhaps talking to himself, "It's just... he learned a few superficial things by following me."

Secretary Qin: "..."

A thousand mythical beasts suddenly raced through his mind.

Director, could your double standards be any more blatant?!

Who was it that was so anxious they almost flipped the table just now?

What's with this arrogant, Versailles-esque tone now, as if to say, "My child is just averagely good"?

However, Secretary Qin immediately put on the most standard professional smile and sincerely echoed, "Yes, it's mainly because you, Director, taught her so well. Miss Chen has a strong ability to understand and applies what she has learned."

Fang Jingxiu didn't respond, but instead took another deep drag of his cigarette. Behind the smoke, his eyes no longer held the previous coldness or weariness, but a complex, gentle light that Secretary Qin rarely saw.

There was undisguised admiration, a sense of relief, a pride in watching the rough gem he had carved finally blossom into dazzling brilliance, and even...

There was also a very subtle, faint sense of melancholy, similar to the feeling of "my daughter has grown up."

She seems to be growing up very quickly and needs him to protect her in every little detail less and less.

This contradictory feeling left him with both warmth and bitterness in his heart.

He remembered her straddling his lap last night, wearing that daring leotard, teasing him slyly and boldly;

I recall how she calmly and logically countered all the malice today, facing the barrage of cameras alone;

Thinking of the scar on her neck, left because of him, it has now become her weapon to protect herself, and indirectly to protect him...

This girl is becoming powerful and dazzling at a speed he expected, and even beyond his expectations.

"Alright," Fang Jingxiu stubbed out his second cigarette, waved his hand, and quickly suppressed his personal emotions. "Then let's release our investigation and make the Bai family get covered in mud too."

His voice regained its calm and steady tone, filled with an air of complete control.

It was as if that moment of tenderness and pride was just Secretary Qin's illusion.