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

On the 23rd day of the first lunar month, downstairs at Qin Yang's house.

Chen Nuo stood at the entrance of the building, wrapped in a black down jacket, with her hat pulled low and a mask covering most of her face.

When Qin Yang came out of the building, he saw her immediately. He continued walking, as if he hadn't seen her. Chen Nuo didn't call out to him, but simply followed behind him. The two of them walked one after the other across two streets.

Reaching a corner, Qin Yang stopped and turned to look at her. "Director Chen, what can I do for you?"

"Secretary Qin, I'd like to see Brother Xiu."

Qin Yang looked at her, remained silent for a few seconds, and then shook his head. "I'm sorry, Director Chen. It's beyond my capabilities." After he finished speaking, he turned to leave.

Chen Nuo didn't move. She stared at Qin Yang. Before, he always had a smile on his face, respectful but not humble, intelligent but not ostentatious. But now, his eyes dared not look at her.

"Secretary Qin, when the accident happened, I never expected it to be you."

Qin Yang stopped walking and didn't turn around.

"Tell me, why did you betray Brother Xiu?"

Qin Yang stood there, his back to her, without moving for a long time. "I'm sorry."

He was about to leave again. Chen Nuo grew anxious, her voice rising slightly. "Qin Yang! Don't you know how good Brother Xiu is to you?"

Qin Yang stopped again.

"When you first went in, I asked Brother Xiu, 'Will Qin Yang betray you?' Do you know what his answer was?"

Qin Yang did not turn around, but his shoulders tensed slightly.

"He said that even if the sky were to fall, Qin Yang would not do such a thing." Chen Nuo's voice echoed in the empty corner, like some kind of ancient incantation.

"He said, 'You've been with me for six years, I know who you are.' He said, 'Even if everyone else betrays me, you won't.'"

Qin Yang's hands slowly tightened, his knuckles turning white, his nails digging into his palms. He remembered that day in the disciplinary committee room, when Fang Jingxiu said, "Two days, at most two days, and you'll be out."

Fang Jingxiu trusted him. He believed he wouldn't betray him, wouldn't sell out, and wouldn't stab him in the back.

But then? The sky really did collapse.

Qin Yang turned around and looked at Chen Nuo. "Director Chen, I have no choice." His voice was very low, almost like he was talking to himself. "Everyone has to live for themselves. I'm not exactly a saint either."

Less than half an hour after Fang Jingxiu left the detention room that day, the door opened again. Qin Yang thought Fang Jingxiu had forgotten something, so he looked up and saw not Fang Jingxiu, but Chief of Staff Meng.

Behind him followed a man in his early thirties, wearing glasses, a dark blue suit, and gleaming leather shoes. Qin Yang recognized him; it was Meng Yan, the son of Chief of Staff Meng, and a section chief at the Central Economic Audit Office.

Chief of Staff Meng looked at him and smiled. "Secretary Qin, are you settling in well here?"

Qin Yang remained silent.

"Secretary Qin, I remember you've been working at the Central Economic Audit Office for ten years, three years longer than Jingxiu."

Chief Meng paused for a moment, then said, "Ten years, it wasn't easy. From clerk to deputy director, from deputy director to director, it was a step-by-step process. Every step was difficult."

Qin Yang remained silent.

"But do you know that Fang Jingxiu's chances of survival are slim this time?"

Qin Yang's hands clenched slightly.

"With all four sides joining forces, do you think he can break free from this inescapable trap?" Chief Meng's voice was neither loud nor soft. "And you've been with Jingxiu for six years. If he falls, can you remain unscathed?"

Fang Jingxiu has fallen, and he's next. Not because he made a mistake, but because he knew too much. Those who know too much either shut up forever or disappear forever.

"Secretary Qin, I don't like beating around the bush. If you help me get this done, I guarantee you a smooth career path."

"What is it?"

"You don't need to get involved in Fang Jingxiu's affairs. You just need to... do nothing."

"Do absolutely nothing?"

"Yes. Just answer whatever the disciplinary committee asks. Say what you know, and say you don't know what you don't know. There's no need to cover for Fang Jingxiu or deliberately harm him. Just tell the truth, that's enough."

That's enough.

These words sound simple, but in practice, they constitute betrayal. Not betraying Fang Jingxiu, but betraying himself. He had followed Fang Jingxiu for six years, and he knew perfectly well how Fang Jingxiu had treated him.

When he worked overtime until the early hours of the morning, Fang Jingxiu would order takeout for him. When he returned from a business trip, Fang Jingxiu would tell him to go home and rest first, and not to rush back to the office. When his wife was in her late pregnancy, Fang Jingxiu approved a week's leave and asked Qin Yang to tell his wife to take good care of herself and not to overwork herself.

Chief of Staff Meng seemed to read his mind. "Secretary Qin, I know what you're thinking. Friendship, gratitude, loyalty—these are all heavy words. But you need to think clearly: are these things more important, or is the power you hold more important?"

Qin Yang remained silent.

"You've been at the Central Economic Audit Bureau for ten years. From clerk to director, every step was hard-won. How many people have you seen who, after more than a decade, are still stuck in the clerk position? How many people have you seen who work diligently their whole lives, only to retire without even reaching the deputy director level? What did you rely on to get to where you are today? Was it Fang Jingxiu? Yes, he promoted you. But you also did six years of unseen underhanded work for him. In those six years, you handled all his documents, you saw all his connections, and you knew all his secrets. You don't owe him anything."

Qin Yang lowered his head, looking at his hands. Those hands had held pens, documents, and steering wheels. They had also held the benefits and power that Fang Jingxiu had offered.

"Secretary Qin, let me ask you one more question: can you guarantee that everyone around you is completely innocent? Your wife, your parents, your in-laws—can you guarantee that they have never used your power to do anything in their lives?"

It's impossible that it doesn't exist, but he wouldn't dare guarantee it.

Chief of Staff Meng, seeing his expression, knew he was wavering. He stood up and patted Qin Yang on the shoulder. "Secretary Qin, think it over carefully. If you've made up your mind, come to me anytime."

He dared not gamble. He dared not gamble that Fang Jingxiu could win, dared not gamble his own future, dared not gamble his family's lives.

So he chose it.

"Director Chen," he began, his voice slightly hoarse, "what do you want me to do?"

"Take me to see Brother Xiu."

I will try my best.

No one was wrong in this matter; Qin Yang chose self-interest. She chose Fang Jingxiu. There's no right or wrong, only winners and losers.