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

During his last two days in Yanning, the Provincial Development and Reform Commission hosted a banquet for Fang Jingxiu in the banquet hall of the Oriental Hotel.

Fang Jingxiu arrived at 7 o'clock sharp.

Secretary Qin followed half a step behind, carrying his briefcase and black executive jacket. A line of people was already waiting at the entrance of the banquet hall.

The delegation included two deputy directors of the Provincial Development and Reform Commission, the deputy mayors of the three cities in the new energy base, and the heads of several large local enterprises.

"Director Fang is here!" Someone with sharp eyes immediately came forward to greet him.

A handshake, pleasantries, and a smile.

Fang Jingxiu responded to each question with a perfectly appropriate official smile. He was wearing a dark blue suit today, without a tie, and the top button of his white shirt was undone, making him appear more approachable than usual.

This is a signal of parting.

Work is finished, everyone can relax now.

But nobody really dares to relax.

"Director Fang gave us a lot of valuable advice this time!" said Deputy Director Wang from the Provincial Development and Reform Commission, raising his glass. "Especially regarding the grid integration quota..."

"Director Wang, you're too kind." Fang Jingxiu raised his glass to clink with his, took a small sip, and said, "It's all part of my job."

In official circles, the first toast is for courtesy, the second for building relationships, and only the third gets down to business. Deputy Director Wang clearly understood this custom, and without saying anything more, smiled and led him to a seat.

The seating arrangement at the main table was carefully planned.

Fang Jingxiu sat in the main seat, with Deputy Director Wang to his left and the seat to his right empty.

That was reserved for another important guest tonight.

"This is..." Fang Jingxiu looked at the empty seat.

"Oh, it's General Manager An from our provincial cultural tourism investment group," Deputy Director Wang explained with a smile. "General Manager An just finished negotiating a cultural tourism project and came here especially after hearing that Director Fang was here."

Fang Jingxiu nodded and didn't ask any further questions.

Halfway through the banquet, that figure appeared at the entrance of the banquet hall.

Fang Jingzheng was listening to a vice mayor talk about the local financial difficulties when he caught a glimpse of the changing light and shadows at the doorway and looked up.

Then, he paused for half a second.

is her.

An Qi.

I haven't seen her for five years, and she has changed quite a bit.

She used to have shoulder-length black hair, but now it's permed into big waves and dyed dark brown. She used to love wearing plain-colored dresses, but now she wears a well-tailored white suit with three-quarter sleeves, revealing her slender wrists, and a women's watch on her wrist.

But his face didn't change much.

Or rather, it has become more refined.

Her makeup was very light, but the lines of her eyebrows and eyes were carefully defined. Her lips were a soft dusty rose color. When she smiled, there were fine lines at the corners of her eyes, but she didn't look old. Instead, it added to her charm.

She paused at the doorway, her gaze sweeping across the banquet hall before quickly settling on the head table.

Then, she walked over in her high heels, her steps unhurried, the sound of her heels tapping the marble floor crisp and rhythmic.

This is a practiced stance.

Fang Jingxiu thought.

Female executives in government must project an air of authority with every step they take, but they must not be too flamboyant.

"Sorry everyone, I'm late." An Qi stopped next to an empty seat, her voice gentle yet carrying just the right amount of apology. "There was traffic on the way."

"Mr. An, you're too kind. Please have a seat!" Deputy Director Wang stood up to greet him.

An Qi sat down and naturally turned to Fang Jingxiu, extending her hand: "Director Fang, I've heard so much about you."

Fang Jingxiu took her hand. Her hand was cold, with thin calluses on her fingertips—the result of years of holding a pen. The watch face on her wrist reflected a cold light under the lamp.

"Mr. An." He nodded, his voice steady. "Nice to meet you."

The two hands quickly separated.

As An Qi withdrew her hand, her little finger lightly brushed across his palm.

It's so light, almost like an illusion.

But Fang Jingxiu knew that wasn't the case.

"Director Fang may not know, but President An is a leading figure in Qinghai's cultural tourism industry," Deputy Director Wang introduced from the side. "The Sky Mirror cultural tourism complex that we're currently discussing is spearheaded by President An."

"Director Wang, you flatter me." An Qi smiled, raised her glass, and said, "I'd like to toast Director Fang to thank you for your support of Donghai's development."

Fang Jingxiu raised his glass.

Two wine glasses clinked gently together, producing a crisp sound. An Qi tilted her head back and took a small sip, the lines of her neck graceful and delicate.

As she put down her wine glass, she looked at Fang Jingxiu, something flashing in her eyes.

Is it nostalgia?

Is it a regret?

Or... a scheme?

Fang Jingxiu looked away.

At the ensuing banquet, An Qi behaved with propriety and restraint. She didn't say much, only interjecting a word or two at appropriate times, mostly discussing the possibilities of combining the cultural tourism industry with new energy.

Very professional, knowledgeable, and cleverly avoided personal topics.

But Fang Jingxiu could sense that she was constantly glancing at him out of the corner of her eye.

After a few rounds of drinks, the atmosphere gradually became lively.

Some people started offering a second round of toasts, some left their seats to go to the restroom, and others huddled together to talk in hushed tones.

Taking advantage of a moment of silence, An Qi turned to the side and said in a voice only the two of them could hear, "You've lost weight."

Fang Jingxiu paused for a moment while picking up food with his chopsticks.

"I'm busy with work," he replied casually.

"Still the same as always." An Qi chuckled, a familiar sigh in her voice. "It was the same before; when I got busy, I forgot to eat."

That statement has crossed the line.

Fang Jingxiu put down his chopsticks and looked at her: "President An has a very good memory."

"There are some things I can't forget." An Qi met his gaze, her eyes deep. "For example, you have a bad stomach, and you feel uncomfortable if you drink too much."

Fang Jingxiu did not respond.

At this moment, Deputy Director Wang got up to offer a toast at another table, while the other leaders were also engaged in their own conversations. For the time being, only the two of them remained at the main table.

An Qi picked up the wine bottle and poured a little wine into Fang Jingxiu's empty glass.

Not much, just enough to cover the bottom of the cup.

"This toast is just for you," she said, lowering her voice even further, "not for work, but for...the reunion with an old friend."

Fang Jingxiu looked at the glass of wine for a few seconds, then picked it up and drank it all in one gulp.

An Qi smiled and finished the wine in her glass.

"Are you still blaming me?" she asked, very directly.

"No," Fang Jingxiu said truthfully. "The breakup back then was a choice made by both of us."

It was indeed a choice made by both of them.

Five years ago, he was just an insignificant section chief in a ministry. His family deliberately concealed his background so that he could gain experience at the grassroots level.

At that time, An Qi was working as a secretary in a state-owned enterprise. She was ambitious, capable, and unwilling to accept the status quo.

He was busy, and she was busy too.

He couldn't give her the resources she wanted, and she couldn't wait for him to slowly climb the ladder.

Later, she met a leader in the province, and then she was transferred to the cultural tourism group, where she rose to the position of vice president.

On the day they parted, she said a lot. Fang Jingxiu only remembered one sentence: "Fang Jingxiu, you're too slow. I can't wait."

He doesn't blame her.

People strive for higher positions, just as water flows downhill; this is human nature.

But he never dated again after that.

"You're very capable now." An Qi looked at him with a complicated expression. "The youngest division chief with real power in the National Development and Reform Commission. Everyone says you're a top candidate for the next director-general."

"I was lucky." Fang Jingxiu didn't want to talk about it anymore.

"It's not luck," An Qi shook her head. "It's what you deserve. I've always known you're destined for greatness."

She paused, then said, "If I had waited a little longer back then..."

"There are no 'ifs'," Fang Jingxiu interrupted her. "President An is doing well now, and that's enough."

He called her President An, deliberately keeping his distance.

An Qi understood, and her smile faded slightly: "Yes, I'm doing well. I'm married, and my career is going smoothly."

Fang Jingxiu knew who she had married.

A vice chairman of the provincial political consultative conference, twenty years her senior, attended the event three years ago. He had received an invitation but didn't attend; instead, he sent a gift through a third party.

Marriages in officialdom are rarely just marriages.

"I heard you've been single?" An Qi suddenly asked.

Fang Jingxiu looked up.

"Everyone in the industry says that Director Fang is a womanizer and a well-known workaholic," An Qi laughed, but the smile didn't reach her eyes. "But the Fang Jingxiu I know isn't like that."

"People change," Fang Jingxiu said.

"Yes." An Qi looked at him, her eyes becoming deep. "For example, you wear a pinky ring now. You didn't wear these before."

The pinky ring on Fang Jingxiu's left hand gleamed with a cold, hard silver light under the lamp.

"I wear it for fun," he said.

"A symbol of non-marriage," An Qi pointed out incisively. "It seems that what happened back then had a great impact on you."

Fang Jingxiu neither denied nor admitted it.

At this moment, Deputy Director Wang returned.

An Qi immediately put on a polite smile, raised her glass, and said, "Director Wang, I'd like to toast you to thank you for your continued care."

The topic then returned to the realm of official social interactions.

But for the rest of the time, Fang Jingxiu was clearly distracted. He would glance at his phone every now and then.

My personal cell phone lay quietly in the inside pocket of my suit, without vibrating.

Chen Nuo didn't text him tonight.

Yesterday she said she had to film a night scene with the crew today, which might be very late. He told her not to wait and to get some rest.

He now regrets saying that.