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

On the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month, at Wenyuan Pavilion and Jude Tower.

The wrap party is scheduled for 7 p.m.

Chen Nuo arrived at 6:30.

She went back to her dorm to change her clothes.

She wore a dark green velvet dress with a simple cut, which made her skin look extremely fair. Her long hair was tied in a low bun, and small pearl stud earrings dangled from her earlobes.

She sat by the window in the banquet hall, holding a cup of hot tea, but her gaze kept drifting towards the door.

The twenty-third day of the twelfth lunar month.

This date had been lingering in her mind for many days.

Will he come?

This question lingered in my mind all night.

He didn't say he would come when he took her home last night, and he hasn't contacted her all day today. She knows he's busy; it's common for him to work overtime until the early hours of the morning at the National Development and Reform Commission at the end of the year.

But deep down, she still held a sliver of hope.

I wonder if I'm enough to make him remember this promise?

Perhaps not enough.

She said to herself.

He just returned to Beijing, so he must have a ton of documents to process, reports to listen to, and meetings to attend. The National Development and Reform Commission is at its busiest at the end of the lunar year.

Year-end summary, beginning-of-year plan, and various indicators need to be checked.

She understands these things.

My father once said, "The officialdom at the end of the year is busier than a battlefield. Especially in departments with real power, so many people are watching the allocation of resources, and not a single mistake can be made."

So she actually...didn't have much hope.

But I still couldn't help but look forward to it.

I hope that figure in the black executive jacket will suddenly appear at the door, and find her in the crowd with that calm, all-knowing gaze.

A woman's expectations in a relationship often begin with whether or not he will come.

Chen Nuo was well aware of this.

The way a man responds determines the temperature of a relationship.

At seven o'clock sharp, everyone gradually arrived. Liu Qingsong stood up with his wine glass, said some words of thanks, and the atmosphere quickly became lively. Glasses were clinked and laughter filled the air.

Chen Nuo smiled and raised his glass, but his eyes never left the doorway.

7:30, didn't come.

It was eight o'clock, and he still hadn't arrived.

At 8:30, the banquet was in its latter half. Some people started leaving to go to the restroom, while others gathered together to smoke and chat. Chen Nuo's food remained almost untouched, and his tea was repeatedly cooled and replaced.

She finally let out a soft sigh.

Perhaps he really has forgotten.

Or perhaps they remember, but feel there's no need to come.

After all, a wrap party is too ordinary an occasion for him.

He is Director Fang, a powerful figure in the National Development and Reform Commission. It would be inappropriate for him to attend such a dinner party.

She tried to comfort herself with that thought, but she still felt empty inside.

It's 9:10.

After several rounds of drinks, the dishes on the table had gone cold.

Someone suggested moving to a karaoke bar, and several young actors immediately agreed.

"Director Liu, are you going?" someone asked.

Liu Qingsong waved his hand: "My old bones can't handle this anymore, you young people go ahead."

As the crowd gradually dispersed, only Chen Nuo and Liu Qingsong remained in the private room.

The waiter came in to clean up the mess. Liu Qingsong ordered a pot of Pu'er tea and said to Chen Nuo, "Chen Nuo, I'll finish this cup of tea and take you home. Wait a bit."

"No rush, take your time drinking," Chen Nuo said, glancing at his phone again.

No new information.

Fang Jingxiu's chat window was still showing the message from last night: "Get some rest."

She pursed her lips and placed her phone face down on the table.

"Where are we waiting for?" Liu Qingsong took a sip of tea, lowered his voice, and a mischievous smile appeared in his eyes. "Waiting for Director Fang?"

Chen Nuo's face flushed: "No..."

"No?" Liu Qingsong laughed. "You checked the doorway eight hundred times last night, do you think my eyesight is failing?"

Chen Nuo smiled sheepishly: "I was just... wondering if there would be a surprise."

"What a pleasant surprise..." Liu Qingsong sipped his tea leisurely. "Director Fang is always a man of principle. Everything he says and does is carefully considered."

He paused, then lowered his voice even further: "There might be other dinner parties. It's the end of the year, and these kinds of social engagements are unavoidable."

The words were phrased tactfully, but Chen Nuo understood them.

He was implying that Fang Jingxiu might have a more important, more official occasion to attend.

Official banquets are divided into different levels.

Wrap-up parties, being informal gatherings, have the lowest priority.

This is a euphemistic way of putting it, but the meaning is clear: don't have too high hopes.

Chen Nuo certainly understood.

She picked up her teacup, looked at the amber-colored tea, and said softly, "I know. He's very busy at the end of the year, and it was already very kind of him to take time out of his busy schedule to drive me home yesterday."

This is me building up my mental strength.

Psychology suggests that lowering expectations can effectively reduce disappointment.

She told herself: It would be a surprise if he came, and it would be normal if he didn't.

But in some corner of my heart, there's still an emptiness.

Suddenly the banquet hall door was pushed open.

A man walked in.

A black down jacket, a dark gray scarf, a face mask, and a hat pulled low, almost completely obscuring her face. But that figure, that gait…

Chen Nuo's heart skipped a beat.

The man walked to their table and stopped.

Then he took off his mask.

It was Fang Jingxiu.

Chen Nuo opened his eyes wide, speechless for a moment.

Fang Jingxiu looked at her with a clear smile in his eyes. Although his face still showed signs of fatigue from the long journey, his eyes were bright.

"No expectations?" he asked, his voice slightly hoarse, carrying the weariness of a long journey, but his tone was relaxed. "Weren't you waiting for me?"

Chen Nuo's face flushed red.

Liu Qingsong laughed heartily and stood up: "Director Fang, you've finally arrived! My act is over, and I'm returning the person to you!"

As he spoke, he patted Chen Nuo on the shoulder, winked at Fang Jingxiu, grabbed his coat, and left, saying, "You guys chat, I'm heading out!"

He left quickly, making sure to close the banquet hall door behind him.

In the vast space, only the two of them remained.

Chen Nuo remained standing there, staring blankly at Fang Jingxiu.

He looked...very tired.

There were faint dark circles under his eyes, and new stubble on his chin. He was wrapped in a scarf tightly, but you could still see that his cheeks were red from the cold wind.

"You..." she finally found her voice, "Why are you here?"

Fang Jingxiu took off his down jacket and draped it over the back of the chair, then sat down in the spot where Liu Qingsong had just been. He picked up the now-cold tea, took a sip, and said, "Didn't I say? The twenty-third of the twelfth lunar month, Wenyuan Pavilion."

He spoke as if it were a matter of course, as if it were not a question that needed explanation.

Chen Nuo's heart started beating even faster.

"I thought..." she said softly, "I thought you were very busy..."

"I'm busy." Fang Jingxiu took another sip of tea. "I had a four-hour meeting this afternoon, and I have a reception tonight. I asked Secretary Qin to go in my place."

He spoke casually, but Chen Nuo knew.

Having his secretary handle the reception meant that the person receiving the message was of a high rank, yet he still chose to come here.

This is a statement.

A statement that is more powerful than any sweet words.

"Well..." Chen Nuo sat down opposite him, her hands nervously twisting together under the table, "Have you eaten?"

Fang Jingxiu shook his head: "I ate some bread to fill my stomach, I'm not hungry."

As he spoke, his gaze lingered on her for a few seconds, then he chuckled softly, "You're dressed quite beautifully."

Chen Nuo's face turned even redder.

"Well..." Fang Jingxiu paused, "Aren't you cold wearing so little?"

He noticed that she was only wearing a dress, and although the room was heated, it was seven or eight degrees below zero outside when she came in.

"There's a coat over there," Chen Nuo pointed to the white down jacket on the coat rack in the corner.

Fang Jingxiu hummed in agreement and said nothing more.

A sudden silence fell between the two.

But this quiet was different from the anxiety of waiting earlier.

It's a kind of...warm, cozy, and tacitly quiet atmosphere.

Chen Nuo secretly glanced at him.

He leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes, and pressed his fingers to his temples.

They look really tired.

"Brother Xiu," she said softly, "if you're tired, go home and rest early..."

"I'm not tired." Fang Jingxiu opened his eyes and looked at her. "It's just that sitting for too long gives me a headache."

As he spoke, he naturally extended his hand: "Come here."

Chen Nuo was taken aback.

"Come here," he said again, his tone leaving no room for refusal.

Chen Nuo got up and walked to his side.

Fang Jingxiu raised his hand and gently patted her shoulder, gesturing for her to sit down in the chair next to him.

"Sit with me for a while," he said.

That's it. There was no hugging, no holding hands, he just had her sit next to him and keep him company for a while.

But Chen Nuo felt that this was more exciting than any intimate contact.

When a man is willing to let you get close when he's tired, it's the highest level of trust.

Especially for a man like Fang Jingxiu, who is used to being in control and never showing any signs of fatigue, the fact that he can relax in front of you means that he has already reserved a place for you in his heart.

She sat quietly without saying a word.

Fang Jingxiu closed his eyes again, but lowered the fingers that had been pressing on his temples. He leaned back in his chair, his breathing gradually becoming steady.

The night outside the window was deep, while the banquet hall was bathed in warm yellow light.

Chen Nuo looked at his closed-eye profile, at the dark circles under his eyes, and at his slightly furrowed brows, and a strong urge to soothe his weariness welled up inside him.

But she held back.

Now is not the time.

She would wait, wait for him to take the initiative. Wait for him to be willing to completely open that door.

Time passed by, second by second.

After an unknown amount of time, Fang Jingxiu suddenly spoke, his eyes still closed: "Filming's wrapped up. What are your plans now?"

Chen Nuo said softly, "Edit the footage and prepare the application materials for the Young Directors Program."

"Okay," Fang Jingxiu responded. "If you need anything, just tell me."

"Okay." Chen Nuo paused, then said softly, "You... don't overwork yourself."

Fang Jingxiu laughed, opened his eyes and looked at her: "Who's nagging now?"

Chen Nuo smiled too.

Fang Jingxiu sat up straight and glanced at his watch: "It's ten o'clock. Shall I take you home?"

"You don't need to see me off, I can manage on my own..."

"Let's go." Fang Jingxiu had already stood up, picked up his coat and put it on. "It's so late, it's not safe."

He didn't give her a chance to refuse.

Chen Nuo had no choice but to put on a down jacket and follow him out of the banquet hall.

Outside Juedelou, in the parking lot, there was that familiar black Hongqi H7.

Old Zhao got out of the car, opened the door, saw Chen Nuo, and nodded with a smile: "Miss Chen."

"Master Zhao," Chen Nuo replied politely.

After getting in the car, Fang Jingxiu said to Lao Zhao, "Take her home first."

The car drove into the night.

Fang Jingxiu leaned back in his chair and suddenly said, "Liu Qingsong arranged this meal quite well."

Chen Nuo was taken aback: "You mean...?"

"Everyone who was supposed to come has come, and no one who wasn't supposed to come has shown up," Fang Jingxiu said calmly. "He knows the rules."

Chen Nuo suddenly understood.

Choosing who to invite to the wrap party is an art in itself.

Liu Qingsong must have screened the list in advance to ensure that there were no people who couldn't keep their mouths shut and liked to talk nonsense.

This is also an extension of the unspoken rules of officialdom; what you see in what situation, who you meet, and what you say are all calculated.

"Director Liu is indeed very meticulous," she said.

"Hmm." Fang Jingxiu turned to look at her. "You've learned a lot from him?"

"I've learned a bit," Chen Nuo answered honestly, "how to deal with people, how to handle emergencies, and... how to survive in this industry."

Fang Jingxiu nodded: "That's good."

He didn't say anything more and closed his eyes again.

When the car arrived at the Beijing Film Academy dormitory building, Chen Nuo said softly, "Brother Xiu, I'm here."

Fang Jingxiu opened his eyes: "Hmm."

Chen Nuo pushed open the car door, about to get out, when he suddenly turned back: "Brother Xiu..."

"What's wrong?"

"Thank you for coming today," she said, her eyes sparkling in the night.

Fang Jingxiu looked at her for a few seconds, then smiled slightly: "Let's go inside, it's cold outside."

"Okay." Chen Nuo got out of the car and closed the door.

She stood by the roadside, watching the car slowly drive away, its taillights drawing red arcs in the night.

Then she laughed.

She has a particularly sweet smile.

he came.

He really came.

---

On the bus, Fang Jingxiu watched the figure in the rearview mirror grow smaller and smaller until she turned and walked into the dormitory building, then he looked away.

Old Zhao glanced in the rearview mirror and said with a smile, "Boss, Miss Chen seems to be in a very good mood today."

Fang Jingxiu hummed in agreement and said nothing more.

But the corners of her lips were turned up.

He took out his phone, glanced at the time, and saw it was 10:30.

Then he typed: "Send a message when you arrive."

send.