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

The news of Chen Nuo's suspension was like a pebble thrown into a cesspool. It didn't splash up water, but rather a swarm of flies.

The next morning, the articles were published. Not just one, but dozens. The headlines were more sensational than the last: "Female official, in order to get promoted, actually had an orphan frame an innocent person," "Shocking reversal in the Baizhou student aid case: the victim is fake, the perpetrator is real," and "Wang Longjie: I was framed, but I don't hate that girl; she was forced into it."

The accompanying photo shows Wang Longjie being interviewed. He is wearing a clean white shirt, his hair is neatly combed, his eyes are slightly red, and his lips are trembling slightly. "I don't blame that child. She was also taken advantage of. I just hope she can have a better life in the future."

The comments section was flooded with insults directed at Chen Nuo. Some were doxxing him, some were cursing his entire family to die, and some were eager to come to Baizhou to seek justice for Wang Longjie. No one knew the truth, but everyone felt they were the embodiment of justice.

Chen Nuo locked himself in his hotel room. His phone was on silent, the screen flashing intermittently with text messages from unknown numbers. "Why don't you just die?" "Slandering good people will get you punished." "You're not welcome in Baizhou, get out."

She remembered many things. In officialdom, it's not about who wins, but about who stays put. She thought she had learned that. She thought she could win. She thought she could stay put. But she was suspended from her post, subjected to online abuse, and treated as a wicked woman who used orphans to frame good people. Her photo, name, workplace, ID information, and home address were posted on various platforms, like an exhibit for everyone to see.

But she didn't cry, because the battle wasn't over yet. She still had that card in her hand. That card she'd held tightly in her hand since day one, a card she'd never told anyone.

The phone lit up. The screen displayed only one name: Xiu Ge.

Chen Nuo turned over, buried her face in the pillow, reached out a hand, fumbled for her phone, and pressed the answer button.

His voice remained as calm and steady as ever, "Are you scared?"

"I'm scared." She said she was scared, but there was no fear in her voice; instead, it carried a soft, coquettish tone. "If you're scared, will brother come?"

"meeting."

Chen Nuo rolled over, hugged the pillow to her chest, and lowered her voice into the microphone, her tone trembling slightly, just like when she usually begged him for mercy in bed. "Brother, I'm so scared. The room is so dark, the bed is so big, I'm so scared."

Fang Jingxiu's voice lowered, tinged with a hint of amusement. "Chen Nuo, I'm bigger."

Chen Nuo was stunned for a moment. "What?"

He didn't explain, he just smiled; he was teasing her. Even when everyone else was cursing her and wishing her dead, he was still teasing her.

"I'll come over tonight after work. I'll help cure your fear of the dark."

"Brother Xiu, tell Secretary Qin not to handle this."

"What do you mean?"

"Let the public opinion burn. The more it burns, the better; the more people criticize me, the better."

Fang Jingxiu's voice turned serious. "No. Chen Nuo, do you have a 100% chance of a comeback? If something goes wrong and the public sees it as financial fraud, you'll be even less likely to recover."

"Yes. One hundred percent. We'll make sure he dies without ever causing a ripple."

There was silence again on the other end of the phone. This time it was even longer, so long that Chen Nuo thought he had hung up. "Okay."

He didn't ask her what she wanted to do, what her plan was, or what other cards she had up her sleeve. All she wanted was a simple "yes," and if she said she had, he would believe her.

No, he'll find a way. Evidence only becomes evidence when it's presented by someone with power and influence. Who can tell what's real and what's fake?

Chen Nuo hung up the phone and held it to her chest. She could feel her heart beating, steady and strong. It wasn't that she wasn't afraid; it was that with him there, she wasn't afraid.