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

2:17 a.m.

Fang Jingxiu closed the last document, the cold light from the computer screen casting a tired shadow on his face.

He rubbed his temples, his cervical spine making a slight clicking sound. After working continuously for fourteen hours, his body was already sending warning signals.

I got up, turned off the living room light, and went into the bedroom.

The bedroom still carried the scent of the daytime sunshine, mixed with... a very faint scent that didn't belong to him.

Fang Jingxiu paused for a moment.

It tastes like Chen Nuo.

That clean scent, with hints of sweet orange and cedar, is the perfume she's been wearing these past few days.

It's not strong, but it's very special, just like her. She looks gentle and obedient, but deep down she has a stubborn streak.

He walked to the bedside and lifted the blanket.

An even stronger aroma wafted over.

The blankets, pillows, sheets... all smelled of her. It was as if she had just been lying there, her body still warm.

Fang Jingxiu stood still, his fingers tightening slightly as he gripped the corner of the blanket.

Images flashed uncontrollably through my mind...

Three days ago, she came out of the bathroom after taking a shower, her hair wet and draped over her shoulders. She was wearing a light gray loungewear set, and she looked as soft and gentle as a small animal.

Two days ago, she was sitting on the sofa watching the news when she noticed him come home and frantically turn off the TV, his cheeks as red as ripe peaches.

Yesterday evening, as she turned around and smiled at him from behind while cooking in the kitchen wearing an apron, her eyes curved into crescent moons.

And... tonight.

Under the streetlights, she looked up at him, her eyes shining as if they were filled with starlight.

As he adjusted her scarf, his fingers inadvertently brushed against her chin. The touch was so delicate and soft, like the finest silk.

Then there's the moment their fingertips touch as they exchange keys.

It's a very light touch, almost negligible.

But Fang Jingxiu can still clearly recall that feeling. Her fingertips were slightly cool, her skin delicate, and the moment they touched him, it felt like a faint electric current surged through his arm and reached his heart.

"..."

Fang Jingxiu took a deep breath, trying to suppress the inexplicable restlessness in his heart.

He lay down on the bed and turned off the bedside lamp.

Darkness instantly engulfed everything.

But the sense of smell becomes exceptionally acute in the dark.

Her scent permeated the blankets and pillows.

The sweetness of the orange blended with the coolness of the cedar, along with the girl's unique, clean scent, gently lingering around his nose, making him inexplicably irritated.

He adjusted his posture, closed his eyes, and silently recited the work report he needed to handle tomorrow, trying to distract himself.

But physiological reactions are far more direct than rational ones, and are completely beyond his control.

get up.

He tiptoed to his feet, poured himself a glass of cold water, and gulped it down. His Adam's apple bobbed, but he couldn't suppress the strange feeling in his heart.

"Nonsense."

Having worked his way up in the system for so long, he had long since learned to keep his emotions hidden.

He could handle arranged marriages and people who showed him kindness at work with ease, but there was never a woman who could arouse his desire just by smelling her.

Not to mention, the other party was a 22-year-old female student.

He treated her like a younger sister, a junior, and someone who needed protection.

But now...

Fang Jingxiu raised his hand to cover his face; his palm was burning hot.

Chen Nuo's image flashed through my mind again.

The soft, sweet voice she used to call him "Brother Xiu," the adoring look in her eyes when she looked at him, the focused profile when she cooked, and the shyness in her eyes when she told him to rest early tonight.

Every scene was like adding fuel to the fire.

Fang Jingxiu took a deep breath, threw off the covers, and got out of bed.

He went into the bathroom, turned on the cold water tap, and splashed a handful of water on his face.

The cold water stimulated my skin, slightly reducing the heat.

He looked up at the mirror.

The man in the mirror had slightly disheveled hair, a bluish stubble on his chin, and bloodshot eyes, but more than anything, he exuded a kind of repressed, undercurrent of emotion.

Fang Jingxiu looked at himself and suddenly felt like a stranger.

He was used to being in control of everything.

Work, life, interpersonal relationships. Every step is meticulously calculated, and every decision is weighed against its pros and cons.

But Chen Nuo was an exception.

It has been from the very beginning.

He originally just wanted to lend a helping hand, like many other people he had helped before.

Give her a chance, point her in the right direction, and whether she succeeds or not is up to her.

But she was so different.

Not greedy, not obsequious, and not arrogant because of favor. Strive, be sensible, and have a sense of propriety.

More importantly, it was the way she looked at him.

Clean, pure, and with a touch of admiration and worship.

Fang Jingxiu had seen too many people approach him with ulterior motives.

Chen Nuo also had her own motives, he knew it. But she made her motives clear: I want to climb the social ladder, can you help me?

So open and honest that it's impossible not to like him.

On the contrary...it makes people want to protect her.

The steam in the bathroom gradually dissipated, and the mirror became clear again.

Fang Jingxiu looked at himself in the mirror, his gaze gradually calming down.

He knows what he's thinking.

I know I shouldn't.

Chen Nuo was too young, too innocent, and didn't fit into his world. She should find a boy her own age and have a simple romance, instead of getting entangled with someone like him who had been immersed in officialdom for many years and was full of scheming.

More importantly, he still has a long way to go.

Marriage and family are political bargaining chips, not things that can be decided by personal feelings.

He cannot, and should not, drag her into this vortex.

Fang Jingxiu turned off the tap and dried his face with a towel.

Back in his bedroom, he didn't lie down again, but went to the window.

At 3 a.m., most of Jingjing was already asleep. But the skyscrapers in the distant CBD were still lit up, like lighthouses that never went out.

He lit a cigarette and slowly smoked it.

Smoke swirled in the night, blurring the view outside the window.

It also blurred the emotions in his eyes.

After finishing his cigarette, Fang Jingxiu stubbed it out and went back to bed.

This time he didn't turn off the lights.

I just leaned against the headboard and picked up my phone.

The WeChat screen was still showing his conversation with Chen Nuo. The last message was from her: "You should go to bed early too, don't stay up late looking at documents," to which he replied, "Okay."

Fang Jingxiu stared at the word "good" for a long time.

Then he opened the input box and typed:

"Are you asleep?"

send.

I waited for five minutes, but there was no reply.

They must be asleep.

Fang Jingxiu put down his phone and lay back down.

This time, he forced himself not to smell the blanket, not to think about her, and not to recall those scenes.

I just closed my eyes and counted my breaths.

one two Three……

I don't know how many times I counted, but finally, sleepiness came over me.

Before consciousness completely sank into darkness, the last thought was...

Tomorrow, we should keep our distance.

This can't go on.

It's good for everyone.