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

Late at night, in the Western Hills.

The Fang family's old residence is nestled deep within a tranquil garden. The night swallows up the majesty of the day, leaving only a few dim yellow porch lights illuminating the blue bricks and gray tiles, exuding a heavy, weathered solemnity.

Fang Jingxiu's car slid silently into the garage. He took off the executive jacket that symbolized power he had worn during the day, and wore only a dark cashmere sweater with a black overcoat over it.

His face was expressionless, but deep in his eyes, the usual sharpness was replaced by an almost frozen calm.

Secretary Qin did not come along.

Tonight's matter is a family affair, or more precisely, an internal political meeting concerning the future of the family; outsiders are not allowed to hear about it.

Fang Jingxiu pushed open the door and entered.

The air in the study felt ten degrees colder than outside.

The heavy velvet curtains were completely drawn, blocking out all outside light.

Only an old-fashioned green-shaded desk lamp on the desk and the faint glow reflected from a few antique porcelain pieces on the display cabinet against the wall barely illuminated the room.

Fang Zhenguo did not sit behind his desk as usual.

He was dressed in a dark gray Zhongshan suit without any markings. He stood with his back to the door, hands behind his back, in front of a wall with a huge military map hanging on it. His figure was as upright as a pine tree, yet he exuded a heavy pressure that seemed to be brewing a storm.

Fang Jingxiu walked to the center of the study, stopped about three steps behind his father, and bowed his head slightly: "Dad, I'm back."

Fang Zhenguo did not turn around immediately.

Silence permeated the air, each second stretching like a rubber band, so taut it was suffocating.

Finally, Fang Zhenguo slowly turned around.

Under the lights, the army general's face did not show the expected rage, but rather an extreme coldness and calmness, as calm as the sky before a blizzard.

His gaze fell on his son, devoid of any warmth, filled only with scrutiny and a deep, almost despairing heaviness.

"You're back." Fang Zhenguo spoke, his voice not loud, but it sounded like it carried shards of ice, each word hitting the ground. "You're quite good at starting fires, Fang Jingxiu."

Without any pleasantries, they got straight to the point.

"You flatter me." Fang Jingxiu raised his eyes to meet his father's gaze without flinching. "Besides, some things can't be covered up anymore. The Bai family has crossed the line."

"Bottom line?" Fang Zhenguo's lips curled into a completely devoid of a smile. "What bottom line? The bottom line of the law? The bottom line of morality? Or the bottom line of the rules of the game that you, Fang Jingxiu, have drawn?"

He took a step forward, his voice still steady, yet incredibly oppressive. "Do you know that what you've ignited isn't just the Bai family's powder keg? You've ignited the public's most primal and uncontrollable fear of capital devouring people and rent-seeking by power! You've unleashed this force, using it as a knife to cut down the Bai family. Have you ever considered that this knife is double-edged?"

He asked questions one by one, with clear logic, getting straight to the point:

"Once public opinion is dominated by such extreme emotions, it ceases to be a tool and becomes a raging flood. What the higher-ups want is stability, controllable reform and development, not a volcanic eruption of public sentiment! You've mixed together the most provocative issues like surrogacy, trafficking of disabled women, and celebrity surrogacy scandals, which is like throwing an unstable bomb into the crowd. If the shockwaves from the explosion exceed expectations and harm the interests of many people, who will be responsible? Can you, Fang Jingxiu, bear that blame? In that case, the first person to be dealt with will be you, a minor director who has touched upon vested interests."

The truth doesn't matter, justice doesn't matter, human lives don't matter, and who is right and who is wrong doesn't matter.

The key is a balance of power and stability of interests.

"And then there's Li Yiran's death, those traces pointing to Jingjing—no matter how crude, they're now just a handful of filth in the Bai family's hands. You're charging ahead on the front lines, and the Bai family's throwing mud at you from behind. You're riding high now, a righteous messenger swayed by public opinion, but the people are easily swayed. Once the winds shift, or if the higher-ups need to maintain a balance, this filth will become ready-made charges! Abuse of power, retaliation, even hiring assassins to silence witnesses… In the face of a real political storm, you and the Fang family could be dragged into it!"

Fang Zhenguo walked behind the large rosewood desk, but didn't sit down. He tapped his finger heavily on an internal public opinion briefing spread out on the desk: "Most importantly, Fang Jingxiu, you've lost sight of the bigger picture for the sake of small things, failing to distinguish between public and private matters!"

His voice suddenly rose an octave, filled with barely suppressed anger at his son's incompetence, "For a woman, for a project, you've dragged the entire Fang family into a life-or-death struggle with the Bai family, potentially even triggering higher-level upheavals. Fang Jingxiu, where is your vision? Where is your sense of propriety?"

Fang Zhenguo stepped closer, his gaze as sharp as a hawk's as he locked onto his son: "Jingxiu, I understand you value her. She's young, beautiful, and you share common interests. But you must understand that in your position, marriage and partners are never just matters of personal feelings; they are matters of political inclination, resource complementarity, and risk mitigation! The political and business network the Liu family can provide can offer the Fang family a buffer and support in critical moments! And what about your little girlfriend? What can she bring you? Besides endless trouble and a vulnerability that requires constant financial support, what else does she have? Once your position becomes unstable, she will be the first to be affected and used against you! At that time, will you protect her or the Fang family?"

These words were cold and realistic, stripping away all the veil of warmth and revealing the most naked unspoken rules of officialdom and the survival rules of families to Fang Jingxiu. The value of a partner lies in stability and assistance, not in love and affection.

Fang Zhenguo viewed Chen Nuo's instability and lack of political acumen as a huge source of risk that could drag his son down.

The study fell silent once again.

Fang Zhenguo stood up, walked to the altar in the study where the Fang family precepts were displayed, and said in a deep voice, "The Fang family precepts are: uphold integrity, serve the country with loyalty, act with caution in all matters, and govern subordinates with wisdom. Which one of these precepts have you fulfilled today?"

Fang Zhenguo's voice became low again, but heavier than his previous question, like a boulder pressing on his heart. "You only want to pave this road to success for her, but Fang Jingxiu, have you ever thought that you are my son, the core of the next generation of the Fang family, the one who carries the future of the Fang family on your shoulders?"

"You want to protect that girl, fine. You can deal with the Bai family in your own way, fine too. But you need to understand what the storm you've stirred up will ultimately bring. If the storm gets out of control and burns down the reputation and foundation built up by the Fang family over generations... can you bear the consequences?"

Fang Zhenguo spoke slowly and deliberately, each word carrying immense weight: "Are you not worthy of the Fang family blood flowing in your veins, of those clansmen and former subordinates who, in places you cannot see, rely on the Fang family banner to live and work in peace?"

Fang Jingxiu listened in silence. He stood ramrod straight, his face expressionless.

A few seconds later, Fang Jingxiu spoke.

The voice was not loud, even a little hoarse, but exceptionally clear and calm, carrying a kind of resolute determination born of deep thought:

"Dad, Mom. I chose this path, I orchestrated this whole scheme. I've considered all the consequences. The Bai family's actions have crossed the line. If they aren't eliminated today, they will become an even greater scourge in the future, and the impact will likely extend beyond just the Fang family. As for Chen Nuo... she is the one I've chosen to walk alongside me in the future. Protecting her and protecting the Fang family are not contradictory for me."

"I brought this storm on, and I will take responsibility for keeping it under control. If... if it really affects my family..."

His gaze fell on the paperweight, his voice low but clear, "I will give myself an explanation."

The storm is brewing.