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

The snow stopped on the first day of the Lunar New Year.

Before dawn, Fang Jingxiu was awakened by the sound of firecrackers.

He rolled over, wanting to doze off a little longer. Then he felt something beneath him...

He suddenly opened his eyes and sat up. He threw back the covers, stared at that spot, then closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

Chen Nuo.

It's Chen Nuo again.

Fang Jingxiu sat on the edge of the bed, looking down at himself. His upper body was bare, and the morning light shone brightly on his abs through the gaps in the curtains.

He reached up and touched his face; it was a little hot. He immediately stood up, removed the bed sheet, took a clean pair of underwear from the closet, and went into the bathroom.

Fang Jingxiu put the soiled underwear and blanket into the sink, turned on the tap, and squeezed out some laundry detergent. The cold water felt cool on his hands, but his face was still burning.

He lit a cigarette, took a deep drag, and the smoke filled the bathroom.

As he rubbed the phone, he took out his phone, opened Chen Nuo's WeChat, and pressed the video call button.

She answered after a few rings. On the screen, she was lying in bed, her hair messy, her eyes not fully open, and her voice hoarse with morning grumpiness.

"Fang Jingxiu...do you even know what time it is...?"

"7:40." Fang Jingxiu leaned his phone against the mirror by the sink, continuing to rub his hands together. "It's 7:40 there, and it's 7:40 here too."

"What are you doing?"

Fang Jingxiu didn't answer, but simply took the cloth out of the sink and held it up in front of the camera.

"Fang Jingxiu! Why are you washing your underwear on the morning of the first day of the Lunar New Year?!"

Fang Jingxiu put his hand back and continued rubbing. He had a cigarette in his mouth, his voice slurred, "I'm asking you. Did you drug me? I couldn't help myself when I dreamed about you."

"What...what did you dream about?"

Fang Jingxiu glanced at her, a slight smile playing on his lips. "I'm not telling you."

"Fang Jingxiu!"

"What are you yelling about? I'm washing your sheets."

"It wasn't me who did it!"

"It's because of you that I did it."

Chen Nuo was speechless. She buried her face in the blanket, leaving only the top of her head showing.

Fang Jingxiu looked at the fluffy head on the screen and laughed. Smoke drifted from the corner of his mouth, swirling in the bathroom.

Just as Fang Jingxiu was about to say something, there was a knock on the door.

"Brother Xiu? Secretary Qin is here, waiting for you downstairs."

Fang Jingxiu called out towards the door, "Okay, I'll be right down."

He turned back and looked at Chen Nuo on the screen. "I'm going down."

When Fang Jingxiu came downstairs, Qin Yang was already sitting in the living room.

He was wearing a dark blue overcoat over a white shirt, with a red tie, and his hair was neatly combed. Next to him sat a woman wearing a loose red sweater, with a large belly, one hand supporting her waist, the other being supported by Qin Yang.

Seeing Fang Jingxiu come down the stairs, Qin Yang stood up, stood at attention, and greeted, "Good morning, Director Fang! Good morning, Political Commissar Fang! Good morning, Aunt Fang! Happy New Year!"

"Happy New Year." Fang Jingxiu looked at him, a slight smile playing on his lips. "Wishing you prosperity and good fortune, give me a red envelope."

Qin Yang was stunned. He opened his mouth, then closed it again, his expression as if he had heard something unbelievable. "Fang Si, what...what did you just say?"

Fang Jingxiu looked completely innocent. "I said 'Wishing you prosperity,' so give me a red envelope. Isn't that normal? I'm not married yet; logically, you should be giving me a red envelope."

He reached into his pocket, then into another pocket, and pulled a thin red envelope from the inside of his suit jacket pocket. It probably contained only one bill.

He held the red envelope by one corner, handing it over, his fingers clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

Fang Jingxiu reached out to take it, but Qin Yang refused to let go. Qin Yang's expression was like a final struggle, his eyes clearly saying, "Fang Si, you're not serious, are you?"

Fang Jingxiu looked at him and clicked his tongue.

Qin Yang recoiled as if struck by lightning, jerking his hand back. Fang Jingxiu deftly slipped the red envelope into his coat pocket with a fluid, effortless motion.

"Fang Si, you...you really want to take it?"

Fang Jingxiu patted his pocket, a smile curving his lips. "Hmm."

Qin Yang wanted to cry but had no tears.

My money, my money.

Don't go!

Money, don't go!

Fang Jingxiu walked to the sofa and sat down, patting the seat next to him. "Sit."

Qin Yang lowered his voice, "The disciplinary committee hasn't made any moves yet. But I know they won't let this go."

Fang Jingxiu picked up his teacup and slowly took a sip. "What do you think?"

"They're after you; I'm just a trigger. They want to use me to dig up dirt on you. If they can't find anything, they'll keep you locked up. They'll keep you locked up until they do."

"So do you think they can dig it up?"

"Perhaps. I've been with you for so long, I know everything—which documents I've handled, which people I've met, what I've said at which dinners. It's not that I want to know, but sitting in that position, I have to know whether I want to or not."

"So, can you say it?"

"No. If I tell, I'll die. If I don't, you'll protect me."

That was a beautifully said sentence. So beautifully written, it looked like it had been prepared in advance.

"That's good."

"So, what are your plans to do about this?"

Fang Jingxiu did not answer immediately. He put down his teacup and tapped his fingers lightly on the armrest twice. Once, twice, three times.

"I don't know, but I know there are mice in my room."

In officialdom, leaders won't give you the answer directly; they'll only give you a direction. Whether you understand it or not is up to you.

"It's the Lunar New Year, and the mice are running around the house, which is very annoying. But if they don't come out, you can't catch them. You have to leave them a way out so they think it's safe."

He picked up his teacup and took a sip. "We can only deal with it when it comes out and steps on the sticky mouse trap. It'll be a piece of cake."

"What if there are too many rats? Even if you kill one, what about the others?"

"If one mouse goes into its hole, will the other mice run away?" Fang Jingxiu put down his teacup. "When they run, will they step on other sticky traps? If they do, will they squeal? And if they squeal, will they lure the whole nest of mice out?"

He paused. "You don't need to know how many are in the nest. You just need to know that they'll come out sooner or later."

"I understand." Qin Yang's heart skipped a beat. "You mean...we deliberately revealed a flaw?"

Fang Jingxiu did not answer directly. He picked up an orange from the fruit plate on the coffee table and weighed it in his hand.

"I don't know, I just think this orange looks fresh because the peel is yellow. But if you peel it open, the inside might be rotten."

"That was a ruthless move of yours."

"Alright, it's Chinese New Year today, go back and be with your wife."

"Okay! I also wish you a Happy New Year, Fang Si!"

Fang Jingxiu nodded. "Go ahead. Be careful on the road."

I've always had the heart of a spectator, but alas, I am a character in this drama.