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

Fang Jingxiu looked into Chen Nuo's bright eyes and saw her use the very words he had just used to lecture her to turn the tables on him.

"You've given me favors, treated me to meals, and taken me home," her voice was clear, with a girlish naiveté, but the meaning behind her words went straight to the point, "Are you trying to gradually make me get used to your presence?"

In the front row, Secretary Qin tightened his grip on the steering wheel slightly, his eyes fixed intently on the road ahead, as if he hadn't heard anything.

Fang Jingxiu fell silent.

I wasn't stumped by the question; I was thinking.

Think about how to answer.

This question may seem like a test of feelings between a man and a woman, but for him, it's much more than that.

He is Fang Jingxiu.

Every decision he makes, every relationship he enters, is likely to be scrutinized under a magnifying glass. What is an emotional matter for ordinary people, he views as a matter of political conduct.

A problem with one's conduct can ruin an official.

So over the years, he has been surrounded by clean and tidy people.

It's not that there aren't women, it's that there can't be.

At the very least, we must not give anyone any leverage over us.

He kept his distance from all those who wanted to curry favor with him or use him to climb the social ladder.

A one-night stand offered to you?

Less likely.

Who knows if it's genuine affection or a trap?

Who knows if someone will take a picture and use it as leverage against me in the future?

He understands the rules of this industry all too well.

But Chen Nuo...

Fang Jingxiu looked at the young, clean-cut face in front of him, with a hint of slyness in its smile.

She is different.

She was open and honest from the very beginning.

I want to climb up, can you help me?

She made her intentions clear, which actually put him at ease.

Even so, their relationship must be kept within a safe boundary.

We can't break through that thin veil.

Not at least not now.

"You little rascal." Fang Jingxiu finally uttered these three words, his voice carrying a sense of helplessness and indulgence.

He did not answer her question.

But he didn't deny it either.

Chen Nuo understood.

She smiled, a smile that hinted at a shrewdness in her knowing something but choosing not to say it.

"Brother Xiu," she said, her joking expression fading as she looked at him seriously, "I know your position is special. I won't cause you any trouble."

She spoke softly, but every word was clear.

Fang Jingxiu's heart trembled slightly.

She understands.

She understood his concerns and his situation.

This realization stirred up a complex mix of emotions within him.

It was a feeling of relief, a feeling of being moved, and also... a touch of guilt.

What's there to feel guilty about?

He felt guilty for not being able to give her a clear relationship, for not being able to pursue her openly, pamper her, and declare to everyone that she was his, like an ordinary man.

"Chen Nuo," he began, his voice low, "there are some things..."

"I understand," Chen Nuo interrupted him, her eyes curving into crescents. "We're fine as we are now."

As she spoke, she leaned back on his shoulder, the movement as natural as if she had done it countless times before.

"I listen to your teachings. I remember your care for me. I'm happy when you treat me to a meal."

She paused, then lowered her voice even further: "The rest... we'll talk about it when you feel it's appropriate."

Fang Jingxiu's heart was completely soothed by these words.

He looked down at her.

Her eyes were closed, her eyelashes casting soft shadows beneath her eyelids, and a faint smile lingered at the corners of her lips. She was as gentle as a kitten with its claws retracted, obedient, sensible, and knowing her place.

This kind of girl is too smart, and also too...heartbreaking.

He reached out and gently put his arm around her shoulder.

"That milk tea," Chen Nuo said with her eyes closed, "I'll throw it away when I get off the bus."

"Um."

"If Dr. Jiang gives me anything again in the future, I'll say..." She opened her eyes, looking at him slyly, "...that you don't allow it."

Fang Jingxiu was amused by her smug expression.

"Okay," he said.

Chen Nuo smiled and closed his eyes again.

The carriage fell silent again.

But the atmosphere had completely changed.

The subtle hesitation and tentative exchange from before had transformed into a tacit understanding. The unspoken barrier between them remained unbroken, yet they both understood.

Something has changed.

Fang Jingxiu put his arm around her shoulder, feeling the warmth and weight in his arms, and the tension in his heart slowly eased.

He knew he was taking a risk.

Letting Chen Nuo ride in his car, taking her out to eat, making public appearances on set... all of these could become ammunition for gossip.

But he just couldn't help it.

I can't help but want to see her, protect her, and... keep her within my protective sphere.

Is this male chauvinism?

maybe.

But that's just the kind of person he is.

Once you've decided something is yours, you must protect it to the end.

As for the future...

Fang Jingxiu looked down at Chen Nuo's peaceful sleeping face, his gaze deepening.

We'll talk about the future later.

At least for now, he doesn't want to let go.

The car drove smoothly through the night, with the vast wilderness stretching out outside the window.

Secretary Qin glanced at the back seat in the rearview mirror and saw Fang Jingxiu embracing Chen Nuo with an unprecedentedly relaxed and tender expression.

He smiled and looked away.

It seems the leader has really messed up this time.

But it was a good fall...

At least, someone can help him relax.

Someone made him like someone like an ordinary person.