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

Chapter 81 Girlfriend

Chen Nuo's gaze lingered on the pinky ring for a long time.

Then, she heard herself ask, "Brother Xiu, have you been wearing that pinky ring... for a long time?"

Fang Jingxiu opened his eyes, his gaze clearing somewhat. He raised his left hand, looking at the pinky ring, his fingers unconsciously twirling.

"Yes," he said in a low voice, "It's been five years."

Five years.

From the age of twenty-four to twenty-nine.

Chen Nuo's heart clenched painfully.

"Chen Nuo." Fang Jingxiu suddenly called her by her full name, his tone unusually serious.

She looked up and met his eyes.

"Some roads," he said, each word distinct, his voice particularly clear in the quiet suite, "are not easy to walk."

Chen Nuo held his breath.

"Dating me might not work out." Fang Jingxiu looked at her with a complicated expression. "It might be a secret relationship for a long time, it might be something that can't be made public, it might... in the end, we'll still break up."

He paused, then lowered his voice even further: "My marriage is not about love, it's about my political life. This path is difficult."

He spoke slowly, each word carefully chosen, as if giving her one last chance to choose.

Chen Nuo looked at him, at his deep eyes, at the struggle and restraint churning within them.

Then, she stood up, leaned down, and snuggled into his arms.

Fang Jingxiu froze.

Chen Nuo wrapped her arms around his neck, tilted her head back, and gently pressed her lips to the corner of his mouth.

The kiss was light and brief, like the flutter of a butterfly's wings.

But Fang Jingxiu's psychological defenses completely collapsed in that instant.

He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and when he opened them again, the last trace of restraint in his eyes had vanished.

He raised his hand, cupped the back of her head, and kissed her again.

This kiss was completely different from the previous fleeting kiss; it was an adult kiss.

It carried the burning heat of alcohol, the long-suppressed desire, and the resolute determination to burn one's bridges.

Chen Nuo was breathless from his kisses, her whole body going limp in his arms. She could feel his hands tightening on her back, the sound of his heart pounding, and... the changes in his body.

"Chen Nuo," he breathed in her ear, "have you thought this through?"

"Yes." She nodded, her voice trembling but firm. "I've thought it through."

Looking at her flushed cheeks and moist eyes, Fang Jingxiu's last thread of reason snapped.

He stood up, picked her up, and walked into the bedroom.

The suite was dimly lit, with only the distant night view of the Ningbo Three Rivers Estuary outside the floor-to-ceiling windows casting a hazy glow.

Fang Jingxiu placed her on the bed and leaned over to look at her. His eyes were deep, like a bottomless pool.

"Don't be afraid," he said, his voice hoarse.

Chen Nuo shook his head: "I'm not afraid."

She reached out and unbuttoned the first button of his shirt.

Fang Jingxiu closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, all that remained in his eyes was a surging desire.

The night view of Ningbo flows outside the window like a river of light.

Chen Nuo closed her eyes, feeling every mark he left on her body. His fingers, calloused, sent shivers down her spine as they traced her skin.

She could sense his restraint.

This is Fang Jingxiu.

Even when things get out of control, they're still kept within limits.

……

"Just bear with it." His voice was incredibly gentle. "It'll be over soon."

……

"Brother Xiu..."

"I am here"

"I am here."

Winter fell to the ground.

The air was very cold on this winter night, but the two of them felt as if they were burning up.

Afterwards, he held her, buried his head in the crook of her neck, and breathed heavily.

After a long time, he finally rolled over and lay down on his side, but his arms were still wrapped around her.

Chen Nuo leaned against him, listening to his gradually calming heartbeat.

Unconsciously, her fingertips caressed the pinky ring on his left hand. The silver band had been warmed by her body heat and felt slightly hot on her fingertips.

"Brother Xiu," she asked softly, her voice still hoarse from their lovemaking, "will you still wear it tomorrow?"

Fang Jingxiu remained silent for a few seconds.

Then he chuckled softly, a laugh that resonated deep within his chest, carrying both weariness and a sense of relief.

He raised his left hand and, in the dim light streaming in from the window, looked at the pinky ring he had worn for five years.

A faint mark has been left at the base of the finger, the skin of which is whiter than the surrounding skin, like a silent declaration.

"I've been wearing it for five years." He said softly, as if talking to himself.

Chen Nuo's heart tightened slightly.

But the next second, Fang Jingxiu made a move that she never expected.

He pinched the ring, slowly turned it, and then took the pinky ring off his left little finger.

The metal makes a very faint friction sound the moment it leaves the skin.

He held up the small silver ring and looked at it for a long time in the dim light, his eyes filled with a complex mix of emotions, as if he were saying goodbye to something, or welcoming something.

Then, he took Chen Nuo's right hand and slipped the pinky ring onto her index finger.

The ring was a bit big, hanging loosely on her slender finger, but just right so it wouldn't slip off.

"From now on," Fang Jingxiu looked at her, his eyes shining brightly in the darkness, "I'll ask my girlfriend to keep this safe for me."

Chen Nuo froze.

She looked down at the pinky ring on her index finger, his pinky ring.

That symbol of his commitment to remaining single, his independence, and the unresolved issue he had carried for five years, is now on her wrist.

"Brother Xiu..." Her voice trembled, "Is...is this appropriate?"

"What's inappropriate about it?" Fang Jingxiu's fingers covered her hand, closing her palm and holding the ring in his hand as well. "It's only natural for my girlfriend to keep my things."

When he said the word "girlfriend," his tone was as natural as if he were talking about the weather.

But Chen Nuo knew the weight behind it, and he accepted it.

It wasn't ambiguous, it wasn't push-pull; it was a clear and explicit acknowledgment of the relationship.

Fang Jingxiu laughed, a very soft laugh. He pulled her into his arms and let her lean against his chest.

"It's not a dream," he said, resting his chin on the top of her head. "Chen Nuo, listen to me, from today onwards, I'm your boyfriend. I accept it."

He spoke slowly, each word like a stamp:

"But there are some things I need to say upfront."

Chen Nuo nodded in his arms.

"First, our relationship cannot be made public for the time being." Fang Jingxiu's voice was calm. "I'm aiming for a promotion to director next year, and at this crucial juncture, we can't afford any mishaps. Do you understand?"

"Yes," Chen Nuo said softly.

"Secondly," he paused, "my family situation... is complicated. You may have to endure some hardship."

"I'm not afraid."

"Third," Fang Jingxiu lifted her face, looking into her eyes, "this road won't be easy. It might be long, it might be difficult, it might... lead nowhere."

Chen Nuo met his gaze: "It doesn't matter if it's difficult to walk, because I want to walk with you."

She raised her hand, looked at the loose pinky ring on her index finger, and suddenly felt that the most precious thing in the world was right there in her hand.

It wasn't the ring itself, but the trust he placed in the ring, the defenses he lowered, and the key to unlocking his five-year-long inner conflict.

"Brother Xiu," she whispered, "I'll take good care of this ring."

"Mm." Fang Jingxiu took her hand. "Later..."

He didn't finish speaking, but Chen Nuo understood.

Later, when he can be open about it, when they can be honest and open about it, when this ring can be moved from her index finger to another finger.

Outside the window, the night in Ningbo is deep and dark. The lights at the confluence of the three rivers in the distance gradually thin out, and the city is slowly falling asleep.

Fang Jingxiu held Chen Nuo in his arms, and neither of them spoke again. A wave of exhaustion washed over them after their intimacy, and Chen Nuo gradually drifted off to sleep in his embrace.

Half-asleep, she felt Fang Jingxiu gently pull his arm away from her and get out of bed.

She groggily opened her eyes: "Brother Xiu?"

"I'm going to take a shower," Fang Jingxiu said softly. "You go to sleep."

She watched his retreating figure as he walked into the bathroom; his shoulders were broad, his waist slender, and there were red marks on his back from her unconscious scratching. Warm yellow light shone through the crack in the door, and soon the sound of water could be heard.

Chen Nuo closed his eyes again, his right hand unconsciously stroking the ring on his index finger.

The coolness of the metal was gradually warmed by his body temperature, just like him—cold on the outside, warm on the inside.

She suddenly remembered the first time she saw him. In the Waldorf banquet hall, he was wearing a black suit and this pinky ring, his eyes distant as if separated by thousands of miles.

At that time, she never dreamed that one day this ring would be on her hand.

She never imagined that he would become her man.

The sound of water stopped. Fang Jingxiu came out wrapped in a bath towel, his hair still wet, water droplets dripping from the ends. He walked to the bedside, lifted the covers and lay down, his body smelling of refreshing shower gel.

Chen Nuo naturally rolled into his arms.

Fang Jingxiu hugged her and kissed her forehead: "Sleep."

"Brother Xiu," Chen Nuo whispered in his arms, "you're going back to Jingjing tomorrow."

"Um."

I will miss you.

Fang Jingxiu remained silent for a few seconds.

Then he said, "I'll come see you after the New Year."

"real?"

"Hmm." He paused for a moment. "Director Li's support plan will be launched after the New Year. I need to check on your work."

These words sounded very official, but Chen Nuo understood the deeper meaning behind them; he was creating a reason for her to meet.

"Okay." She nodded in his arms.

"Go to sleep." Fang Jingxiu kissed her forehead again. "I'll take you home tomorrow."