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

Chen Nuo saw in the rearview mirror that Lin Ming was still standing there, maintaining a slightly bowed posture, until their car disappeared around the corner.

As the car drove onto the main road, the night view of Jingjing flowed past the window.

Chen Nuo, wearing Fang Jingxiu's coat, secretly watched him.

He leaned back in his seat, eyes closed, fingers rubbing his temples, looking very tired.

But that kind of fatigue is not listlessness, but a kind of weariness that comes after high-intensity work, a weariness that carries a sense of power.

"Brother Xiu," she said softly.

"Hmm?" Fang Jingxiu didn't open his eyes.

"What did you mean by patting him on the shoulder just now?"

Fang Jingxiu opened his eyes, turned his head to look at her, a faint smile in his eyes: "You figured it out?"

"Hmm." Chen Nuo nodded, "It feels... substantial."

"That's to tell him," Fang Jingxiu closed his eyes again, "that this matter ends here. I accept the Lin family's apology and have given them another chance at the project. But if they do it again..."

He didn't finish speaking, but Chen Nuo understood.

That slap was both an application of pressure and a gesture of reassurance.

It serves as both a warning and an opportunity for embarrassment.

Slap me, then give me a treat.

A combination of kindness and severity is the way to manage subordinates.

"Did you learn anything?" Fang Jingxiu suddenly asked.

Chen Nuo was taken aback: "What?"

"How should we handle this kind of situation?" Fang Jingxiu said. "We need to make the other party pay the price, but we can't push them too hard. We need to maintain our own dignity while leaving room for the other party."

He paused for a moment: "That's the rule of the game for adults."

Chen Nuo was silent for a moment, then said softly, "Thank you for teaching me."

Fang Jingxiu laughed, this time out loud: "My little apprentice learns very quickly."

The car drove into the ministry compound.

After Secretary Qin parked the car, Fang Jingxiu asked Chen Nuo to go upstairs first.

"Aren't you going up?" Chen Nuo asked.

"I need to go back to the office," Fang Jingxiu glanced at his watch. "There's an important document that needs approval."

Chen Nuo nodded and got out of the car. After taking a few steps, she turned back and called out, "Brother Xiu."

"Um?"

"The coat..." She wanted to take it off and return it to him.

"Wear it," Fang Jingxiu said. "I'll wear it again when I get back tomorrow."

"...Okay. Goodnight, Xiu-ge."

"Okay, let's go up."

Chen Nuo turned and went upstairs.

When she reached the third floor, she heard the sound of a car starting up downstairs.

She walked to the window and watched the black Hongqi car drive out of the compound and re-enter the night in Jingjing.

My phone vibrated; it was a WeChat message from my father: "How did the dinner go?"

Chen Nuo replied, "The Lin family has apologized. Fang Jingxiu has asked their son to take a year off from school and leave Jingjing."

The father quickly replied, "Well handled. They taught him a lesson without creating a deadly feud. Fang Jingxiu is a very capable man."

Chen Nuo felt a mix of emotions as he read those words.

Of course she knew how formidable Fang Jingxiu was.

But witnessing firsthand how he strategizes and manages the situation is a completely different experience.

It was a kind of...power that inspired awe.

She took off her coat and carefully hung it on the hanger. His warmth and scent still lingered on it.

Chen Nuo reached out and gently stroked the fabric of the coat. It was high-quality wool, with a delicate feel.

She suddenly remembered the scene in the parking lot where Fang Jingxiu patted Lin Ming on the shoulder.

That gesture, that look, that effortless aura...

That is power.

It inspires awe, and it also...fascinates.

Chen Nuo lay on the bed and closed his eyes.

My mind is filled with images from tonight.

Fang Jingxiu's profile as he smoked, his composure when making demands of the Lin family, and the force with which he patted Lin Ming's shoulder.

And the tenderness with which he draped his coat over her.

These images intertwine to form a complex and fascinating portrait of Fang Jingxiu.

And she was getting closer to him little by little.

Get to know him little by little.

Little by little, I got trapped.