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

After an unknown amount of time, there was a knock on the door.

Chen Nuo was startled and hurriedly wiped away her tears, leaning against the wall to stand up. She walked to the sink and looked at her disheveled reflection in the mirror. Her eyes were red and swollen, her makeup was ruined, and her lips were bitten until they bled.

"Who?" she asked, trying to keep her voice steady.

"it's me."

Fang Jingxiu's voice.

Chen Nuo's heart clenched painfully.

She took a deep breath and opened the door.

Fang Jingxiu stood outside the door, holding a dark gray handkerchief in his hand. The dim light in the corridor illuminated his face, making his expression somewhat indistinct.

"Wipe it off." He handed over the handkerchief.

Chen Nuo did not answer.

She looked at him, at this man who hadn't replied to her messages for ten days, who had just stood by coldly at the dinner table, and who had dismissed her with just the words "cousin."

"No need," she said, her voice soft but clear. "Thank you, Director Fang."

After saying that, she turned to walk past him.

My wrist was grabbed.

Fang Jingxiu's hand was warm, and although it wasn't very strong, it wasn't easy to break free.

Chen Nuo stiffened and turned to look at him: "What's wrong, Director Fang?"

She called him Director Fang, not Brother Xiu.

Deliberately distancing oneself.

Fang Jingxiu's brows furrowed almost imperceptibly. He looked at her, at her eyes still glistening with tears, at her deliberately composed expression.

"Men and women should not touch each other," Chen Nuo said again, his voice carrying a deliberate coldness. "Director Fang, please let go."

Fang Jingxiu did not release it.

He looked into her eyes, at the lingering grievance and stubbornness in them, and felt a strange pang of sadness in his heart.

He never knew that the word "cousin" would make her so sad.

"Regarding the approval document," he began, his voice low, "have Liu Qingsong send over the materials."

Chen Nuo was taken aback.

"Don't come to these kinds of gatherings again," he continued, his fingers tightening slightly around her wrist.

Chen Nuo's heart skipped a beat.

She looked at him, at the complex emotions in his eyes that she couldn't understand.

"Director Liu sent me," she said, her voice a little hoarse.

"Then tell him," Fang Jingxiu released his grip, took out a cigarette case from his pocket, "that it was me who wouldn't allow it."

He took out a cigarette, put it between his lips, and lit it with a "snap." The flame illuminated his deep-set eyes and brows before dimming again.

Smoke swirled between the two men.

"I said," he exhaled a puff of smoke, looking at her, and said each word clearly, "I said it."

Chen Nuo's tears fell without warning.

It wasn't resentment, nor sadness; it was an emotion I couldn't quite define. It felt like I'd finally heard those words, yet also like they'd come too late.

She looked at him, her eyes blurry with tears, Fang Jingxiu's face appearing somewhat indistinct.

He looked at her tears, his expression inscrutable.

The corridor was quiet, with only the faint sounds of laughter and the soft crackling of burning cigarettes coming from afar.

The two stood there, neither of them saying a word.

After a long while, Fang Jingxiu stubbed out the cigarette he had just taken two puffs of and threw it into the trash can next to him.

He took the handkerchief out of his pocket, but this time he didn't hand it to her. Instead, he raised his hand and gently wiped away the tears on her face.

The movements were very light and natural, as if they had been done countless times.

Chen Nuo's body stiffened.

She could smell the tobacco on his fingertips, feel the warmth of his fingertips, and see his eyes so close to hers. In those usually calm and unwavering eyes, there was now an emotion she had never seen before surging.

"Don't cry," he said in a low voice. "Your makeup is ruined."

Chen Nuo's tears fell even harder.

Fang Jingxiu sighed and continued to wipe away her tears, his movements unusually gentle.

"I..." Chen Nuo began, her voice choked with emotion, "I thought you didn't want me anymore."

These words sound like those of a child, tinged with grievance and dependence.

Fang Jingxiu paused for a moment.

He looked into her eyes for a long time.

Then he said, "No."

It has only two words, but they are very important.

Chen Nuo's tears welled up again.

"Then why..." she bit her lip, "...didn't speak to me for ten days?"

Fang Jingxiu fell silent.

The window at the end of the corridor wasn't closed properly, and a cold wind blew in, dispersing the smoke and ruffling Chen Nuo's hair.

He reached out and tucked her hair behind her ear.

The movements were so natural, as if they had been done countless times.

"Because," he began, his voice very soft, almost like a sigh, "I'm thinking about something."

"What are you thinking about?"

Fang Jingxiu did not answer.

He just looked at her, his eyes deep, as if trying to see into her heart.

"Chen Nuo," he suddenly called her by her full name, not Xiao Chen, not cousin, "some roads are not easy to walk."

He spoke vaguely, but Chen Nuo understood.

He wasn't talking about the road back to Jingjing, but the road he was on with him.

That road is full of thorns and scheming, and may lead to nothing.

The corridor was dimly lit, and the motion-activated lights went out due to the long silence, leaving only the faint moonlight filtering in from the window to outline the blurry silhouettes of the two people.

Fang Jingxiu's words, "Some roads are not easy to walk," drifted in the air like a slow, deep sigh, settling on Chen Nuo's heart.

She looked at his profile hidden in the shadows, and the scheming, restraint, and strategic retreat that her father had repeatedly taught her suddenly seemed light and airy, like smoke blown away by the wind.

Only one thought remained in my mind...

I can't lose him.

"I don't care, Brother Xiu."

Chen Nuo's voice was soft, yet it carried a resolute determination. She took a step forward and, before Fang Jingxiu could react, threw herself into his arms.

She wrapped her arms around his waist, buried her face in his chest, and her nose was instantly filled with the familiar scent of cedar and a faint smell of tobacco. Through the fabric of his shirt, she could hear his steady, strong heartbeat.

What I fear most is that you will leave me.

When he said those words, he was filled with the grievances and panic that he had suppressed for ten days, and his voice was trembling at the end.

Fang Jingxiu's body visibly stiffened.

His hands remained at his sides, his fingertips twitching slightly, but he didn't lift them. The corridor was so quiet that you could hear each other's breathing and Chen Nuo's suppressed, soft sobs.

After a long while, he finally raised a hand and gently, tentatively placed it on her back.

Chen Nuo felt the hand's presence and cried even harder. His tears quickly soaked the fabric of his shirt, the warmth seeping through the thin fabric.

Fang Jingxiu patted her back gently, his movements a little clumsy but very tender, like comforting a frightened little animal.

"Chen Nuo," his voice sounded above her head, deep and slow, "I'll hold you back."

"I'm not afraid." Chen Nuo immediately shook her head, rubbing her cheek against his chest like a little animal seeking protection. "Brother Xiu, I'm really not afraid."

She looked up at him, her eyes blurry with tears. Moonlight streamed in from the side window, casting a soft glow on her face, making her tear tracks glisten, yet her gaze remained unusually resolute.

Fang Jingxiu looked down at her, his eyes churning with emotions like undercurrents rising from a deep pool. His Adam's apple bobbed, as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he only sighed softly.

"You're still young," he said, his hand pausing on her back. "You have many choices."

"I choose you." Chen Nuo said without hesitation.

Fang Jingxiu remained silent for a few seconds.

Then he raised his hand and gently wiped away a tear from her cheek with his fingertips, as if touching a fragile treasure.

"Let's talk about it when we get back to Jingjing, okay?" His voice was very gentle, with a coaxing tone. "This isn't the place to discuss these things."

This is a procrastination tactic.

Chen Nuo knew.

When a man doesn't want to give a direct answer, he'll use excuses like "we'll talk about it later" or "we'll discuss it another day."

But when she saw that rare tenderness in his eyes, her heart melted completely.

"Okay." She nodded, obediently.

Fang Jingxiu looked at her like this, and the corners of his lips curved almost imperceptibly. He withdrew his hand, took out the dark gray handkerchief from his pocket again, and deliberately used that mature man's tone, tinged with helplessness and doting, to say:

"Wipe your tears, don't wipe your snot and tears all over me."

He paused, then added, "It will be difficult to explain when we get back to the banquet."

Chen Nuo was amused by his words and burst into laughter through her tears.

She wriggled out of his arms, looked up at him, her eyes still red, but already sparkling and curving upwards: "I'm not that dirty!"

Her tone was coquettish, with a touch of girlish charm.

Seeing her laughing and crying at the same time, Fang Jingxiu's eyes also softened with a smile. He picked up a handkerchief and naturally wiped her face, carefully and meticulously wiping from the corners of her eyes to her cheeks and then to the tip of her nose.

The handkerchief was soft and carried his unique, refreshing scent.

"Your makeup is all ruined," he said calmly, but Chen Nuo could hear the tenderness in his voice.

"Anyway, it didn't take much," Chen Nuo muttered softly, letting him wipe her face.

The corridor was quiet, save for the faint sounds of laughter and conversation in the distance, and the soft rustling of fabric between the two figures. Fang Jingxiu was wiping very carefully, as if he were completing an important task.

His fingers occasionally brushed against her skin, warm and dry. Chen Nuo's heart raced, but she forced herself to remain calm and simply watched him quietly.

In the moonlight, his features were exceptionally clear. Thick eyebrows, deep-set eyes, a high, straight nose, and tightly pressed thin lips. She was already very familiar with this face, but every time she saw it up close like this, her heart still raced.

Especially at this moment, the focused and gentle look in his eyes was something she had never seen before.

"Alright." Fang Jingxiu withdrew his hand, folded the handkerchief, and put it back in his pocket. "That's about enough."

Chen Nuo touched his face and felt much refreshed.

"Thank you, Brother Xiu."

Fang Jingxiu hummed in agreement, his gaze lingering on her face for a few seconds before turning around: "Let's go, it's time to go back."

He strode toward the private room, and Chen Nuo quickly followed.

After taking two steps, Fang Jingxiu suddenly stopped and turned back to look at her.

Chen Nuo also stopped and looked at him with a puzzled expression.

"Chen Nuo," he said, his voice exceptionally clear in the quiet corridor.

"Um?"

He looked at her, his eyes calm and firm. "From now on, with me here, no one can force you to do anything you don't want to do."

He spoke slowly, each word carrying weight.

"Including me."

Chen Nuo's heart was filled with those words in that instant.

She nodded vigorously, her eyes getting a little wet again: "Mmm!"

Fang Jingxiu looked at her, and the corners of his lips curved up again, this time with a more pronounced smile.

Then he turned around and continued walking forward.

Chen Nuo followed behind him, looking at his tall and straight back, and felt a sense of security she had never felt before.

She knew that this road might really be difficult to travel.

It may be full of thorns, and it may yield no results.

But with him around, she wasn't afraid.

The two returned to the entrance of the private room one after the other.

Fang Jingxiu raised his hand to push the door open. The moment the door opened, he glanced at Chen Nuo with a knowing look in his eyes.

Chen Nuo took a deep breath and put on a polite smile again.

The door opened, and the sounds of laughter and conversation poured out.

They stepped back into that calculating world that belonged to adults.

But this time, Chen Nuo knew she wasn't alone.