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

Chapter 167 It's better for you to win once than for me to help you win once.

When Chen Nuo walked out of the office building, it was already completely dark.

The early winter wind was chilly, making her shiver. She wrapped her coat tighter and mechanically walked towards the parking lot, Shi Anping's words still replaying in her mind.

"Li Shu isn't stupid."

People who walk fast are more likely to fall.

"If you want to win the whole game, you need to accumulate enough cards first."

She thought she had won.

She thought she was on the third floor, and Shi Anping was on the first floor.

It turns out they were on the fifth floor.

Who does she think she is?

A newcomer who thought himself clever mistakenly believed he had won half the game for the whole one, and was completely unaware that he had been defeated.

If Shi Anping hadn't tried to recruit her, she might still be in the dark.

Chen Nuo took a deep breath and opened the car door.

In the back seat, Fang Jingxiu leaned back with a document on his lap. The car lights were on, casting a warm yellow glow that softened his appearance.

He looked up and saw her face, which was clearly not right, but didn't ask anything.

He simply opened his arms.

Chen Nuo's eyes instantly welled up with tears.

She got into the car, closed the door, and then threw herself into his arms.

Fang Jingxiu caught her, tightened his arms, and held her firmly in his arms.

He was wearing a cashmere coat, but the two layers of fabric couldn't keep out her slightly trembling body.

She buried her face in the crook of his neck and nuzzled against his chest, like a wronged little animal seeking comfort.

Fang Jingxiu lowered his head and kissed the top of her head.

"Director Chen," he said softly, his voice low and gentle, "did you fail?"

The name "Director Chen" felt like a needle, gently pricking her heart.

That was the name he used on the standee he made for her.

Director Chen.

Constantly remind her that she has another identity; she is not just a junior staff member within the system, but also has her own dreams.

But now, she can't even be a good junior clerk.

Chen Nuo didn't speak, but buried her face even deeper.

Fang Jingxiu felt that his chest area was a little wet.

It's warm, spreading little by little.

He looked down and saw her head buried in his chest, her shoulders trembling slightly.

He reached out and gently stroked the back of her head.

"How old are you?" he said, with a hint of helpless laughter in his voice. "You're Chen Ke now, and you still wipe your snot on my clothes."

Chen Nuo froze for a moment.

"Aren't you ashamed, Section Chief Chen?"

He deliberately pronounced the words "Section Chief Chen" slowly, with a clear hint of mockery.

Chen Nuo burst out laughing, tears still on her face, but she couldn't hold back her laughter any longer.

She lifted her head from his embrace, her eyes red-rimmed, and glared at him: "You're the dirty one! Who wiped your clothes!"

Fang Jingxiu looked down at his chest, where a dark, damp stain stood out starkly against the cashmere.

"Isn't it obvious?" He raised an eyebrow.

Chen Nuo's face flushed red, and she reached out to cover that spot: "Don't look!"

Fang Jingxiu held her hand, and with his other hand pulled out a few tissues from the side.

He raised his hand, and very gently and slowly, wiped away the tears on her face.

The tissue brushed against the corner of her eye, her cheek, and her chin. Each touch was as gentle as if handling some fragile treasure.

Chen Nuo stopped moving and just stared at him.

The warm lighting inside the car made his features appear exceptionally gentle.

He wiped it very carefully, as if he were reviewing some important document.

After wiping, he folded the tissue and put it aside.

Then he reached out and gently brushed the tip of her nose.

"Crybaby".

Chen Nuo felt a lump in her throat, wanting to both cry and laugh.

She leaned back into his arms and said sullenly, "Brother Xiu, I lost. Today."

Fang Jingxiu wrapped his arms around her again, resting his chin on the top of her head.

"Hmm," he said.

Just one word.

Chen Nuo waited for a while, but received no further response.

She looked up at him: "You know?"

Fang Jingxiu looked down at her, his eyes as calm as a deep pool of water.

"I know."

Chen Nuo was stunned.

"When...did you find out?"

"From the very beginning."

Chen Nuo's heart clenched suddenly.

From the very beginning?

Did he know from the moment she started plotting to substitute one person for another?

"Then why didn't you tell me?"

Fang Jingxiu did not answer immediately.

He simply reached out and gently brushed away the stray hairs on her forehead that were damp with tears.

His movements were gentle, but there was something deeper in his eyes.

"Chen Nuo," he said, his voice low and steady, "I have a question for you."

Chen Nuo looked at him.

"If I helped you win today, what did you learn?"

Chen Nuo opened his mouth, but couldn't say a word.

"Will you learn how to win?" Fang Jingxiu asked. "It's better for you to win once by yourself than for me to help you win a hundred times."

Chen Nuo remained silent.

"Growth is never smooth sailing," Fang Jingxiu said. "If you can't even accept falling down, how can you learn to walk on your own?"

He paused.

"I don't want my involvement to prevent you from learning anything."

Chen Nuo's eyes reddened again.

But this time she held back and didn't let the tears fall.

"But..." her voice was a little hoarse, "But Shi Anping, he..."

"What happened to Shi Anping?"

"He's on the fifth floor. I thought I was on the third floor, he..."

"He's on the fifth floor, now you know," Fang Jingxiu said. "And next time?"

Chen Nuo was stunned for a moment.

"Which floor will you be on next?"

She thought for a moment, then slowly said, "...The sixth floor?"

Fang Jingxiu's lips curved slightly; the smile was faint, but it was indeed a smile.

"Maybe," he said. "Maybe not. But at least you'll start to wonder if what you thought was the fifth level might actually be a sixth or seventh level."

He looked at her, his gaze deep.

"Chen Nuo, the reason I'm not interfering today isn't because I don't care about you. It's because I know that the most harmless person is the one who hurts the most when they stab you in the back."

"You have to learn this lesson about Shi Anping yourself. Learn to judge people, learn to make judgments, learn not to panic when you lose, and learn not to get carried away when you win."

He reached out and pulled her back into his arms.

"If you win today, you may never learn these things."

Chen Nuo buried her face in his chest; the spot where she had cried was still a little cold.

But something inside her slowly warmed up.

"Brother Xiu," she asked sullenly, "have you been watching me the whole time?"

"Um."

"Watch me fall?"

"Um."

"Watching me get killed?"

"Um."

"Aren't you afraid I really won't be able to get up?"

Fang Jingxiu remained silent for a few seconds.

Then he lowered his head and whispered in her ear:

"I'm scared."

Chen Nuo was stunned.

"But what I fear more is that after you get up, you find that you haven't learned anything."

His voice was low, with a rare softness.

"Chen Nuo, I can protect you for the rest of my life. I'll put you in a safe place and protect you from any harm. That way, you'll be happy, and I'll be at peace."

He paused.

"But is that what you want?"

Chen Nuo remained silent.

"What you want is to stand beside me, not to hide behind me," he said.

"If you want to stand by my side, you have to learn to walk, learn to run, and learn to get up on your own after you fall."

He looked down into her eyes.

"You fell today. Does it hurt?"

Chen Nuo nodded.

"Did you learn it?"

She thought for a moment and slowly nodded.

"That's enough."

Fang Jingxiu reached out and wiped away the last trace of tears from the corner of her eye.