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

After hanging up Liu Qingsong's call, Chen Nuo tossed and turned in bed in the dormitory, unable to fall asleep.

Outside the window, the wind howled like ghosts wailing over the Museli Basin. She stared at the crack in the ceiling for a long time before finally taking out her phone and dialing her father's number.

It rang seven times before being answered.

"Dad." Chen Nuo's voice was exceptionally clear in the quiet room.

The sound of a lighter came from the other end of the phone, followed by Chen Jianguo's slow exhale: "What happened so late?"

"Tomorrow... I need to see Fang Jingxiu."

A brief silence followed. Chen Nuo could picture her father smoking on the other end of the phone. His brows furrowed, his eyes deep, smoke swirling around his face.

She didn't dare to urge them.

Her father taught her from a young age: When men are thinking, they hate it when women nag and urge them on; it makes them seem brainless and unreliable. They need to wait, be quiet, and give each other enough space.

About a minute later, Chen Jianguo's voice rang out again: "He asked you out first?"

"No. It's Director Liu Qingsong. He has an approval document stuck at the National Development and Reform Commission and wants me to help pass on a message."

"So it's the work bureau?"

"Okay. Director Liu, please take me with you."

There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone.

Chen Nuo could hear the sound of his father's fingers tapping on the table.

That was his habit when he was thinking deeply.

"Nono," Chen Jianguo finally spoke, his tone heavy, "you need to change your strategy this time."

"What strategy?"

"We were chasing him too much before," Chen Jianguo's voice came through the radio, carrying the confidence of someone with experience. "You sent messages, you showed your affection, you acted like you were worshipping him. That's all chasing. Men, especially men like Fang Jingxiu, are used to being chased. The more you chase, the more he feels you're within reach, and the less he cherishes you."

Chen Nuo's heart skipped a beat: "Then... what should I do?"

Treat him like a stranger.

"What?"

"Yes, strangers," Chen Jianguo said. "When you meet them, be polite and courteous, but distant. Don't initiate conversation, don't follow them with your eyes, and don't show any sign that you still care about them."

He paused for a moment: "Men are inherently possessive and have a desire to conquer. The more indifferent you are, the more curious he becomes; the less you take him seriously, the more he wants to prove his charm."

Chen Nuo gripped her phone, her fingertips turning white: "But Dad, what if... what if he no longer cares about me?"

"That's even more true." Chen Jianguo's voice was firm and resolute. "If he cares, your indifference will only fuel his desire to conquer. If he doesn't care, your enthusiasm will only demean you."

He took a drag of his cigarette and continued his analysis: "Liu Qingsong also wants you to put in a good word for him and open a back door. Don't agree. Fang Jingxiu is the kind of person who is straightforward and hates backdoors. He's been able to stay in that position because of his principles. If you plead for him, it's like telling him that you're also the kind of person who tries to get things done through connections. He'll immediately cut you out of his life."

Chen Nuo recalled his days in the ministry compound. The documents on Fang Jingxiu's bookshelves, the instructions on the walls, and his meticulousness and focus when working.

Father is right. Fang Jingxiu is the kind of person who has principles ingrained in his very being.

"Then I..."

"Let me finish," Chen Jianguo interrupted her. "And there's the crucial perfume, the one you used when you stayed at his house. He definitely remembers the sheets you slept in. Scent is the deepest memory; it can instantly evoke feelings."

Chen Nuo's heart started racing.

"When you meet him," Chen Jianguo continued, "if he offers to drive you back, don't rush to agree. Find a suitable reason to politely decline. Say that Director Liu has arranged a car, or that it's too much trouble for you. You need to make him feel that you're not always available, and that you don't depend on him."

"But Dad," Chen Nuo bit her lip, "I'm afraid... I won't act well."

"Then don't act," Chen Jianguo said. "Just think: he hasn't spoken to you for over ten days. Why should you be enthusiastic towards someone who hasn't spoken to you for more than ten days?"

These words were like a bucket of cold water, waking Chen Nuo up.

Yes.

It's been fourteen days.

For two whole weeks, there was no word from them.

Why should she still cling to him so desperately?

"Remember," Chen Jianguo's voice turned serious, "Men's psychology is very simple. What they can't have always stirs their hearts, and those who are favored are always fearless. Before, you were the one who favored him; now, you need to make him feel that he might lose you."

He paused for a moment: "Of course, you have to be careful not to be too cold, or you'll seem petty and vindictive. You need that subtle, polite distance, like you would with an ordinary elder or a leader you don't know well."

Chen Nuo closed his eyes and rehearsed in his mind.

When you meet, smile, nod, and say hello.

Then...keep your distance.

Silence, inaction, and expectation.

"There's one more thing," Chen Jianguo said. "If he asks you at the dinner party how your trip to Donghai has been these past few days, just casually say it's been great, and you've learned a lot. Then mention something like..."

He paused deliberately.

"Say something?" Chen Nuo asked.

"Let me mention Jiang Wen," Chen Jianguo said. "Just say that there's a scientific advisor in our group who taught me a lot about geology; he's a very nice person."

Chen Nuo was taken aback: "Why bring him up?"

"Create a sense of crisis." Chen Jianguo laughed, a calculated laugh in his voice. "Let Fang Jingxiu know that you don't only have him by your side. There are outstanding peers who are paying attention to you and admiring you. This will stimulate his possessiveness."

Chen Nuo's heart started beating even faster.

She felt that her father was like a master chess player, calculating every move with precision.

"But Dad," she hesitated, "wouldn't this be too..."

"Too scheming?" Chen Jianguo spoke up for her. "Nono, relationships are a game of strategy. If you don't scheme, others will scheme against you. How many women would want to be in Fang Jingxiu's position? If you don't fight for it, someone else will."

His tone turned serious: "I'm not teaching you to harm others, I'm teaching you to fight for what you want, including feelings."

Chen Nuo remained silent.

The wind outside the window still whistles.

"Alright," Chen Jianguo said, "Go to sleep. Do as I say tomorrow. Remember! Don't be proactive, don't be enthusiastic, don't have expectations. Treat him like a stranger."

"Um."

"And one more thing," Chen Jianguo added at the end, "if he still doesn't contact you after this meeting, then we'll change our targets. There are so many high-ranking officials in Jingjing; I refuse to believe we can't take down one of them."

These words were harsh, but Chen Nuo knew that her father meant well.

Long-term pain is worse than short-term pain.

"I understand, Dad."

After hanging up the phone, Chen Nuo lay on the bed, staring into the darkness.

My father's words kept replaying in my mind.

Treat him like a stranger.

keep distance.

Create a sense of crisis.

And... use that perfume.

She got up and pulled a small bottle from a hidden compartment in her suitcase. Bitter orange and cedar, the same kind she used when she stayed at his house.

I opened the cap and sprayed a little on my wrist.

A cool, refreshing fragrance filled the air.

For a fleeting moment, she felt as if she were back in that dormitory room in the ministry compound. She was cooking in the kitchen, and he was reading documents in the living room. The air was filled with the aroma of food, the scent of cedar, and a certain indescribable warmth.

Chen Nuo gripped the bottle tightly and closed his eyes.

tomorrow.

I'll see him tomorrow.

After not seeing her for half a month, will he miss her even a little?

Or... have you completely forgotten her?

she does not know.

All she knew was that she couldn't afford to lose this time.

Whether it's feelings or dignity.