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

Saturday afternoon at 3 pm,

Fang Jingxiu sat behind his desk, with several documents in front of him bearing the words "Internal Documents - Do Not Distribute" in red on their covers.

His expression was focused, and he occasionally wrote a few lines of annotations in the margins with a fountain pen, his movements calm and composed.

But his gaze wasn't on the documents; he was staring at the computer screen.

The screen displays a video sent back by Zhu Anqiang.

...[See plq]

The video was muted; Zhu Anqiang said it made him feel better.

But Fang Jingxiu knew that even if there were sounds, he wouldn't be able to hear them.

He could only see the images.

When I saw the child lower his head, I noticed a birthmark on the back of his neck.

Looking through the one-way glass, another man was holding a tablet and nodding in satisfaction.

Screen switch.

...[See plq]

The scene then switches again.

A group of children were locked in cages, treated like animals.

They were all very young; some were huddled up, while others stared blankly in a certain direction.

The scene then switches again.

……

Fang Jingxiu watched all the videos.

He didn't fast-forward, skip ahead, or look away. He forced himself to watch every scene, every scar, and every child's face.

Because he felt that if he didn't even dare to look, then he had no right to say he was powerless.

After the video finished playing, the screen turned black.

Fang Jingxiu sat there, motionless.

The sunlight was still warm, shining on him, but it couldn't penetrate his heart.

He didn't know how to describe his feelings at that moment.

It's not anger.

Anger has an object and can be vented.

But the objects here are too vast, too vague, too distant, and the anger has nowhere to go.

It's not sadness.

Sadness is concrete; it can be expressed through tears.

But he didn't recognize any of those children, and he couldn't cry.

It's not guilt.

The premise of feeling guilty is that he could have done it but chose not to.

But he knew he couldn't do it, because if he did, he would be exposed, and exposure would implicate too many people.

What is that?

It is a powerlessness deeper than anger, a bewilderment emptier than sorrow, and a soberness colder than guilt.

I understand the suffering in the world, but I cannot alleviate this pain.

He recalled a time when he went to conduct research at the grassroots level a few years ago.

It was winter, and the temperature was below zero. He went with a research team to visit a poor county.

At the entrance of a village, he saw several children, the oldest being seven or eight years old and the youngest four or five years old, dressed in only a shirt and trousers, rummaging through trash cans and picking up bottles in the cold wind.

His hands were red from the cold, but he had a smile on his face. He had found a bottle and could sell it for a dime.

He was standing in the research team's car, which had the heater on, and he was wearing a thick down jacket.

Looking at the children, he suddenly felt that the down jacket he was wearing was as heavy as a mountain.

Later, he had his secretary donate a sum of money to the county's education bureau in his personal capacity, specifically for supporting impoverished students.

The money arrived, the accounts were settled, and the report was written.

and then?

Those children were still wearing only a thin shirt and pants, and they were still rummaging through the trash cans.

Because after the children get their share of the money, there are only a few dollars left. That's not enough to buy the next item, the next meal, or even the next winter.

Meanwhile, in New York, in Paris, and in Tokyo.

Those children with similar backgrounds to Shen Rongchuan traveled the world in private jets at the age of three or four, shouted "freedom is everything" in the streets at the age of five or six, and started learning horseback riding, skiing, and everything else that ordinary people would never have the opportunity to experience in their entire lives at the age of seven or eight.

This is the difference.

From the moment of birth, some people are destined to become addicts, and some are destined to become addicts.

It's not something that can be changed by effort, nor can it be overcome by struggle.

It's predetermined at the moment of reincarnation.

If an ordinary person's child is born, they inherit the ordinariness of that ordinary person and are destined to be at the mercy of others.

It would have been better not to have children at all.

Therefore, the birth rate is getting lower and lower.

It's not that we can't afford to raise them, it's that we see no hope.

They don't want their children to become the next angels locked in cages.

Fang Jingxiu stood up and walked to the French windows.

The skyline of Jingjing is visible outside the window.

Skyscrapers stand side by side, gleaming in the sunlight.

This city has more than 30 million people, and countless families live in every building.

Some people are crammed into a ten-square-meter partitioned room, while others live in a mansion of several hundred square meters.

Those children who can stand firm in these high-rise buildings, those children who can get into prestigious schools, enter famous companies, and live a decent life.

Will they become guests on Angel Island at some point?

he does not know.

But he knew that the real guests, those who could afford to pay a $100,000 membership fee, would certainly stand higher than these children.

Their children, from birth, are shouting "freedom is everything" on the streets of New York.

Their blood has to be exchanged for other people's children.

Looking at the city outside the window, Fang Jingxiu suddenly remembered a sentence:

"There is only one true heroism in the world: to see the world as it is, and to love it."

But he doesn't want to love it now.

All he wants right now is...

I don't know what to think.

The sunlight outside the window stung his eyes.

He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and then opened them again.

Fang Jingxiu turned around and his gaze fell on Chen Nuo.

She sat at a small desk by the window, her back to him, with a thick stack of documents spread out in front of her.

The sunlight shone from the side, outlining a soft golden edge on her body.

Her hair wasn't tied up today, but rather left loose, with slightly curled ends that occasionally slipped down to her face as she lowered her head.

There was a signboard on the desk.

It was a small wooden photo frame with a piece of paper tucked inside. On the paper were four words he had written himself: "Director Chen."

That happened last week.

When she saw it, her eyes crinkled with laughter: "Fang Jingxiu, how childish are you?"

He countered, "Don't all directors need a label?"

She said, "That should be Director Chen, not the great Director Chen."

He said, "To me, you're like a great director."

She paused for a moment, then blushed.

Now, the sign stands quietly on her desk, the sunlight shining on it, the four characters "Director Chen" gleaming faintly.

Fang Jingxiu looked at her, at her profile as she looked down at the documents, at the occasional movement of her pen tip, and at her earlobes that appeared somewhat translucent in the sunlight.

The suffocating feeling in my heart suddenly found an outlet.

He walked over.

Her footsteps were so light that she didn't notice.

He walked up behind her and stopped.

She was still oblivious, engrossed in reading a document, occasionally jotting something down with a pen.

Fang Jingxiu bent down and hugged her from behind.

His arms encircled her waist, his chin rested on her shoulder, and his face was buried in the crook of her neck.

She smelled nice, a combination of the fresh scent of shower gel and her own subtle natural fragrance.

The skin was warm, and the pulse was gently throbbing on the side of the neck.

He closed his eyes and buried his face even deeper.

Let's stay here for a while.

I don't want to think about anything.

I'll just stay for a little while.

Chen Nuo was startled by his sudden action, and almost dropped the pen in her hand.

She paused for a moment, then realized what she meant, and couldn't help but smile.

"Fang Jingxiu."

She suddenly called his name, her tone very serious.

"Hmm?" His chin was still resting on her shoulder, without moving.

"Abstain from lust and desire."

Fang Jingxiu was taken aback.

"Stop messing with me," Chen Nuo said seriously, tapping the documents in front of him with his fingers. "Work is more important. Can't you see I'm studying? I have documents due on Monday. If you have that kind of free time, go finish approving your documents and don't hinder my progress."

Fang Jingxiu was stunned.

He looked down at her.

Her profile was serious, her brows slightly furrowed, and her eyes were fixed on the documents, giving off a serious look that said, "I'm busy, don't bother me."

But the tips of her ears turned slightly red.

Fang Jingxiu stared at the bright red ear tip for three seconds.

Then, he suddenly laughed.

The laugh came out of his chest in a muffled tone, sending shivers down Chen Nuo's spine.

He buried his face back in the crook of her neck, laughing even harder, his whole shoulder shaking.

"Chen Nuo," he said with a muffled chuckle, "say it again?"

"I said," Chen Nuo forced a serious expression, "abstain from sex and desire. Work is more important. Don't..."

"Abstain from lust and desire." Fang Jingxiu repeated these four words, his voice laced with barely suppressed laughter. "Isn't that my line?"

Chen Nuo's ear tips turned even redder.

"I remember," Fang Jingxiu said slowly, "when some people tried to pounce on me before, I think I said something similar. Chen Nuo, work is important. Chen Nuo, stop fooling around. Chen Nuo, be more reserved."

"..."

"Now," he looked up at her flushed ears and her forced composure, his voice laced with amusement, "has the apprentice turned the tables? Starting to lecture her master?"

Chen Nuo finally couldn't hold back anymore, turning to glare at him: "No way! I was really studying!"

"I didn't say you weren't studying," Fang Jingxiu raised an eyebrow. "But what you just said, wasn't it a direct return of that to me?"

"No!" Chen Nuo firmly denied. "I just asked you not to bother me! That's a legitimate request!"

"Yes, that's a legitimate request." Fang Jingxiu nodded, looking serious. "Then may I ask Director Chen, what were you thinking when you said you wanted to abstain from sex and desire?"

Chen Nuo's face flushed red.

She opened her mouth, wanting to refute, but found herself unable to refute.

Fang Jingxiu looked at her flushed face, and the smile in his eyes deepened.

He released his grip on her, straightened up, and wore a meaningful expression on his face.

"Okay," he said casually, "You're abstaining from sex and desire, right? I won't bother you anymore."

He turned around, as if to leave.

Chen Nuo was taken aback, not expecting him to agree so readily. She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but didn't know what to say.

Fang Jingxiu took two steps, then suddenly stopped and looked back at her.

"Oh, right," he added casually, "I was thinking that since I just learned something new about sex, I could try it out with you."

After saying that, he continued walking towards the study door.

Before Chen Nuo's brain could react, his hand had already moved.

She grabbed his sleeve.

Fang Jingxiu turned around and raised an eyebrow at her.

Chen Nuo tilted her head back, her eyes sparkling. Her earlier serious expression of "I'm busy, don't bother me" had vanished.

She clung to his sleeve, her voice soft:

"Come on, give it a try."

Fang Jingxiu looked into her incredibly bright eyes, and the corners of his mouth slowly curved up.

"Aren't we supposed to be studying?" he asked. "It's due on Monday."

"Let him wait," Chen Nuo replied confidently.

"Isn't it about abstaining from sex and desire?"

"I've quit," Chen Nuo said. "Three seconds of abstinence is long enough."

Fang Jingxiu finally couldn't help but laugh out loud.

He bent down, put one hand under her knees and the other around her waist, and lifted her up from the chair.

Chen Nuo gasped softly, instinctively wrapping her arms around his neck, burying her face in his chest, her ear tips turning as red as if they were about to bleed.

"Chen Nuo," he looked down at her, his voice low, "do you know how easy it is to coax you?"

She mumbled in his arms, "Do you even know that you did that on purpose?"

He didn't deny it, he just smiled.

【Easter Eggs】

This new pose is too intense!

Go back to work on Monday.

Chen Nuo drank Qin Yang's kidney-tonifying soup vigorously.

Qin Yang: Without me, your family would fall apart sooner or later.