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

At six o'clock in the morning, it was still dark.

Chen Nuo woke up to a low murmur of voices. She opened her eyes and saw Fang Jingxiu sitting on the edge of the bed with his back to her, wearing only a bath towel, talking on the phone in a low voice.

Morning light filtered through the gaps in the curtains, casting hazy shadows on his bare back.

His shoulders and back were broad, the muscles sculpted through years of training—not exaggerated, but every inch exuded power. His spinal groove was deep, his waistline taut, and the edge of the towel nestled at his hip bone; below that...

Water droplets slid slowly down his back and disappeared at the edge of the towel.

Chen Nuo's face flushed, and she looked away.

My gaze fell on his hand holding the phone; his fingers were clearly defined, and the knuckles were faintly pink.

She remembered Wu Qinyi saying that men with pink and tender knuckles were the best, and now she realized that was true.

Fang Jingxiu's voice was low, but every word was clear: "This matter was all thanks to your mediation. In Yongzhou, both Secretary Li and Political Commissar Luo gave us face."

A hearty laugh came from the other end of the phone, and Fang Jingxiu laughed too: "Yes, I owe you a favor. After the New Year, I'll bring my girlfriend to your home to thank you in person."

girlfriend.

He spoke those three words so frankly and naturally, yet they made Chen Nuo's heart skip a beat.

After a few more words on the phone, Fang Jingxiu replied, "Okay, I'll have Qin Mi schedule a time for you after the New Year. Okay, you go ahead with your work."

After hanging up the phone, he was about to get up when a soft, warm body pressed against his back.

Chen Nuo hugged him from behind, her cheek pressed against his bare back, feeling the warmth of his skin and the texture of his muscles. The refreshing scent of the shower gel mixed with his unique cedarwood fragrance smelled wonderful.

Fang Jingxiu paused slightly, then relaxed. He turned his head and nuzzled her hair with his cheek: "Did I wake you?"

"No," Chen Nuo said softly, "I woke up on my own."

She paused, then said, "Brother Xiu, this is another favor I owe... because of my family's situation..."

Fang Jingxiu turned around to face her.

The towel had come loose, revealing his well-defined chest and abdominal muscles. In the morning light, his body resembled a meticulously sculpted marble statue—ascetic, yet brimming with tension.

He looked into her eyes, his voice low and clear: "Personal connections are a valuable asset. Use them wisely, and they become a resource."

He paused, then gently stroked her cheek. "But I don't think it's a waste to let you use it. It's a man's duty to back up his girlfriend. What kind of man can't even do that?"

He spoke casually, but every word seemed to carry weight; he was teaching her.

He taught her the rules of power, and he also taught her her importance in his heart.

"Yes." Chen Nuo nodded vigorously. "I've got it."

"Good girl." Fang Jingxiu ruffled her hair. "Get up quickly. There are new clothes in the bathroom; I just had them delivered."

Chen Nuo then noticed the women's clothing on the bench at the foot of the bed: a beige cashmere sweater, light gray wide-leg pants, a lotus root pink down jacket, and a full set of underwear, all in the exact same size.

Her face flushed: "When did you...?"

"While you were asleep," Fang Jingxiu said, getting up and walking towards the dressing room, his long legs, outlined smoothly beneath the towel, "had someone buy it for you at the mall. Your clothes from yesterday smelled of alcohol, so you can't wear them."

This man even thought of such a detail.

When she finished washing up and changing her clothes, Fang Jingxiu was already dressed.

He wore a dark gray cashmere sweater with black casual pants, and over that iconic black trench coat.

Her hair was combed back, revealing her deep-set eyes and brows.

He transformed back into the calm and composed Director Fang.

But Chen Nuo knew that things were different; after last night, some things had changed forever.

She walked over and naturally took his hand, their fingers intertwined.

Fang Jingxiu glanced down at their clasped hands, a faint smile playing on his lips: "Let's go, I'll take you home. Your father is still waiting for you."

"And what about you?" Chen Nuo asked. "Are you going back to Jingjing today?"

"Okay." Fang Jingxiu nodded. "The flight is at 3 PM. Political Commissar Luo has arranged a car to take us to the airport."

Chen Nuo couldn't hide the disappointment on her face: "So...we're going to break up again?"

Fang Jingxiu looked at her drooping face and gently pinched her cheek: "We'll meet soon. On the fourth day of the Lunar New Year, after I've taken care of things at home, I'll fly over to see you."

"Really?" Chen Nuo's eyes lit up.

"Really," Fang Jingxiu said, offering a plausible reason: "Director Li's support plan will start on the eighth day of the Lunar New Year, and I have to go and see it."

The two understood each other without saying a word; he had come to see her.

Chen Nuo was overjoyed and threw herself into his arms: "Then promise me you'll come on the fourth day of the Lunar New Year."

"I promise you." Fang Jingxiu hugged her, his voice tinged with laughter. "Can we go now, girlfriend?"

---

The car was a black Audi A6 provided by the Yongzhou Municipal Party Committee, the official vehicle of the full-time deputy secretary of the Yongzhou Municipal Party Committee.

Luo Jianjun sending a special car to take Fang Jingxiu was both a gesture and a statement.

The driver was a middle-aged man in his forties, wearing a dark jacket. When he saw Fang Jingxiu leading Chen Nuo out, he immediately got out of the car and opened the door, his movements respectful but not obsequious.

"Director Fang, Ms. Chen, please."

The car drove out of the hotel and headed towards Chen Nuo's home.

We encountered several red lights on the road. Every time we stopped, the drivers of the cars next to us would subconsciously glance at this car with license plate number three. In Yongzhou, those who know, know what this license plate represents.

Chen Nuo leaned on Fang Jingxiu's shoulder and suddenly whispered, "Brother Xiu, I want to take you to the airport."

"No need," Fang Jingxiu said. "I'll take you home, and then I'll leave directly."

"But..." Chen Nuo looked up, her eyes sparkling, "It's been so long since we've seen each other. Please, let me take you to the airport?"

It was rare for her to act coquettishly, and seeing the expectant look in her eyes, Fang Jingxiu finally relented: "Okay."

On the highway, Chen Nuo held Fang Jingxiu's hand tightly the whole time. She could feel his fingers gripping hers in return, not tightly, but very steadily, just like him, giving her a sense of security.

"Brother Xiu," she suddenly asked, "you're back in Jingjing... is there a lot going on at home?"

Fang Jingxiu was silent for two seconds: "Yes. During the Chinese New Year, there are always some social obligations that can't be refused."

He spoke subtly, but Chen Nuo understood: it was a social engagement arranged by his family. Those dinners that might involve arranged marriages, those choices he had to face.

She squeezed his hand: "You must come on the fourth day of the Lunar New Year."

"Definitely." Fang Jingxiu looked at her. "I will do whatever I promise you."

When the car arrived at the airport, Fang Jingxiu did not let the driver drive into the departure level, but stopped at the entrance.

"I'll leave you here," he said. "There are too many people and suspicious eyes inside, so don't go in."

Chen Nuo bit her lip and remained silent.

Fang Jingxiu released her hand, took a brown paper document bag from his luggage, and handed it to her: "Keep this safe for me."

Chen Nuo took it; it felt heavy. "What's this?"

"Some documents," Fang Jingxiu said simply. "I'll need them after the New Year. I feel at ease leaving them with you."

He didn't say it explicitly, but Chen Nuo understood. He was using this method to involve her in his world.

These might be classified documents or important materials. His entrusting them to her for safekeeping is an act of trust and a connection.

"Okay." She nodded vigorously. "I'll keep it safe."

Fang Jingxiu smiled as he looked at her earnest expression. He reached out and ruffled her hair. "See you after the New Year."

Then he opened the car door and got out.

Chen Nuo quickly got out of the car and stood by the car watching him.

The winter wind was biting, and the hem of Fang Jingxiu's black trench coat billowed in the wind. He turned and glanced at her, then waved him off: "Go back."

Then he turned around, picked up his luggage bag, and strode into the terminal.

His back was straight and his steps were steady, like a pine tree that could withstand all the wind and snow.

Chen Nuo stood there, watching him disappear behind the automatic door, and remained motionless for a long time.

The driver got out of the car and said softly, "Ms. Chen, Secretary Luo instructed me to take you home."

Chen Nuo snapped out of his daze, nodded, and got back into the car.

The car drove away from the airport.

She looked down at the brown paper document bag in her hand, then at the loose pinky ring on her index finger.

Perhaps in the future, it can be placed in a different position and have a different meaning.

The car merged into the traffic on the highway.

Chen Nuo leaned back in the back seat and closed his eyes.

My mind is filled with him: his profile when he drinks, his eyes when he negotiates, the passion in his kisses, and the certainty in his voice this morning when he said that it's a man's duty to cover for his girlfriend.

My phone vibrated; it was a message from Fang Jingxiu: "Boarding the plane. My salary card is on top of the folder; the password is your birthday. Buy me something you like for the New Year."

Chen Nuo quickly opened the file bag. Sure enough, there was a card on top, followed by a stack of materials: "Implementation Rules of the Young Director Support Program (Internal Discussion Draft)," "Application Guidelines for Special Funds for Cultural Industry Development," and another document... "Suggestions on Follow-up Work of the Rectification of Yongzhou Building Materials Market."

The last one was clearly written by Fang Jingxiu himself.

The handwriting is vigorous and powerful, and the logic is clear. It provides a long-term mechanism for solving Chen Jianguo's problem from a policy perspective.

He was paving the way for her, a long road ahead.

Holding the card and the documents, Chen Nuo finally burst into tears.

But this time, it's warm.