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

Zhongzhou Film and Television Building.

It was well past closing time. Half the lights in the corridor were off, with only a few emergency lights still on, casting a dim yellow glow.

Chen Nuo sat in her office, the document she had read countless times lying in front of her: "Verification Report on the Funding Flow of the Digital Transformation Project in Zhongzhou Province." She no longer needed to look at it; every number was etched into her mind, every clue was intimately familiar.

But she didn't want to leave. If she left, she would have to go back to that apartment without Fang Jingxiu. Back to that empty living room, back to that bed where she was all alone, back to those sleepless nights.

She preferred to stay here. At least here she could pretend that he was still waiting for her to come home.

The sky outside the window gradually darkened. The setting sun slanted in from the west, bathing the entire office in an orange-red hue. The light moved slowly, from her desk to the wall, from the wall to the ceiling, and finally disappeared.

Everyone in the office had left. The lights in the next department were off, and there was no more footsteps in the corridor. She was the only one left on the entire floor.

She recalled how she had felt these past few days, like a headless fly. No news, no phone calls, no one to tell her how Fang Jingxiu was doing.

She asked Wan Baoguo, who only said that the investigation was still ongoing and not to worry. She asked Qin Yang, who said he really didn't know. She asked Huang Jinwen, who said that the public security system couldn't get involved in matters concerning the Discipline Inspection Commission.

She later realized that it wasn't that they didn't want to tell her, but that they didn't know either. In this circle, information flows according to rank.

Your access to information is directly proportional to your rank. How could a deputy section chief, someone who wouldn't even get a front-row seat at a meeting in the information dissemination system, possibly know anything about the disciplinary committee's affairs?

Those messages are only passed around among the director, chief of staff, and division chief. At her level, she doesn't even have the right to hear about them.

Did Wan Baoguo know? Yes, he did. But he couldn't tell. If he did, it would be a leak of classified information. If he did, he would lose his position. And if he lost his position, no one would be able to help her.

So all she could do was wait. Wait for news that might never come, wait for someone who might never return.

"Come on, Chen Nuo," she whispered. "You can definitely get him out."

Then she heard a voice.

"Whom do we need to rescue?"

That voice was all too familiar to her. Deep, steady, with a hint of lazy laughter, as if he were waiting for her to wake up sleepily on a weekend morning.

She dared not turn her head. Afraid that if she did, there would be nothing there. Afraid that if she did, it would just be another illusion. These days, in the apartment, in the hallway, in the crowds. Every time, she thought he had returned; every time, it was just someone else's voice, someone else's back, someone else's footsteps.

She's been scammed too many times and doesn't dare to trust anymore.

She sat there, motionless, even her breathing was soft. She was waiting, waiting for that voice to sound again. Waiting for it to truly tell her that it wasn't a hallucination, not a dream, not that she had lost her mind.

Footsteps approached from behind. Light, steady, leather shoes clicking on the floor, one step at a time, drawing ever closer.

He leaned closer. His chest pressed against her back, and through the fabric, she could feel his heartbeat. Steady, strong, each beat like some ancient rhythm.

Then a hand reached out from behind and covered her eyes with its palm. His hand was large and warm, with thin calluses on his fingertips.

"Chen Nuo." His voice was right next to her ear, his breath brushing against her earlobe, carrying a familiar scent of tobacco. "I'm back."

Chen Nuo's tears fell silently, one drop at a time, onto his palm. He felt it, moved his hand away, and gently turned her chair around.

Fang Jingxiu stood before her. He wore a navy blue suit, a white shirt, and no tie. The shirt was slightly wrinkled, but he stood there, still upright and dignified.

He took a pack of tissues from his suit pocket, pulled one out, and gently wiped away her tears. The movement was light and slow, a slight smile playing on his lips. "Alright, still such a crybaby."

Chen Nuo stared at him, tears streaming down her face. Then she reached out and slapped the tissue out of his hand. Fang Jingxiu's hand froze in mid-air.

"Get out." Her voice was choked with sobs, but every word was like a nail.

Fang Jingxiu was stunned. "What's wrong, Miss Chen Nuo?"

She looked at him, her eyes red and her lips trembling. "Since you can act, scheme, and set up such a grand scheme that you even fooled me, what genuine feelings do you have for me? Get out of here, Fang Jingxiu."

Fang Jingxiu took a step forward and reached out to pull her. She stepped back and dodged him.

"You dare to include me in your plans," her voice trembled, but her eyes shone brightly, "you'll have to pay the price. Didn't you say you'd introduce me to a better rich kid? Didn't you say you'd bribe him to give me a better life? Then go ahead. Go find someone more handsome, richer, and more powerful than you. I'm waiting."

He took a step forward, this time giving her no chance to dodge. He reached out and pulled her into his arms, tightening his grip and holding her tightly against his chest.

"I was wrong." His voice was muffled, coming down from above her head. "Chen Nuo, you can't find another me anywhere."

Chen Nuo was still struggling, but his strength was waning. He buried his face in the crook of her neck and nuzzled against her like a large dog.

"Girlfriend, I miss you so much. So much." His voice lowered, becoming slightly hoarse. "At least you succeeded in this scheme. My parents have softened their stance. There's hope for our future."

Chen Nuo's hand slowly stopped. She remembered what Wan Baoguo had said to her during their conversation.

Chen Nuo slowly wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her face in his shoulder. "Fang Jingxiu, I miss you too. So much."

Fang Jingxiu lowered his head and whispered something in her ear. "Where are you thinking?"

Chen Nuo froze for a moment, then reached out and punched him hard in the chest. "Bastard!"

Fang Jingxiu smiled. He pulled her to sit down in the office chair and placed her on his lap. He leaned against the chair, and she leaned against him; the two of them fit together perfectly like two puzzle pieces.

"Mrs. Fang," he looked down at her, "you're so amazing, do you still even look at me?"

Chen Nuo wrapped her arms around his neck. "That depends on Mr. Fang's performance."

Fang Jingxiu needs to keep his head down and work diligently...

The door opened.

"Director Chen—"

Feng Jia stood at the door, holding a thermal bag, frozen in place. She saw Chen Nuo sitting on Fang Jingxiu's lap, Fang Jingxiu's arms around her waist, the two of them pressed tightly together.

Chen Nuo's face also turned red. She sprang up from Fang Jingxiu's lap as if she had been electrocuted, stood up straight, and hurriedly straightened her clothes.

Fang Jingxiu remained calm, merely turning slightly to the side and using the hem of his suit jacket to lightly cover a certain area. But the tips of his ears were bright red.

Feng Jia lowered her head, not daring to look at them. "Director Chen, I noticed you haven't eaten anything... I brought you some food."

Chen Nuo took a deep breath, trying to make his voice sound normal. "Feng Jia, you can go back first. I have something to discuss with... um... I have something to talk to Fang, the director of the Central Economic Audit Office."

【Easter Eggs】

"Chen Nuo, cooperate a little... and finish all of these sixty-one days' worth..."