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

Chen Nuo stood at the exit of the arrival hall, wearing a beige cashmere dress with a light pink short down jacket over it.

Her hair was carefully styled into a bun, revealing her slender neck and full forehead. She wore light makeup, with a soft mauve lipstick that made her skin appear fair and radiant.

She would occasionally tiptoe to look at the flight information screen and the surging crowds, her eyes sparkling as if they held stars.

Pretty.

This word, when applied to Chen Nuo, doesn't describe an aggressive, glamorous beauty, but rather a clear, gentle, and comfortable kind of beauty. Like pear blossoms in early spring, clean, soft, and possessing an unconscious allure.

When Fang Jingxiu came out with his travel bag, he saw her at a glance.

She stood out in the crowd, not because of her fancy clothes, but because of her clean and tidy demeanor. People came and went around her, travelers with their luggage hurrying by, but she stood there quietly, like a serene painting.

Fang Jingxiu paused in his steps.

heart.

This feeling was both unfamiliar and very clear.

It felt like something gently bumped into my heart, and then a warm feeling spread outwards.

He recalled what his friend had said at his wedding: "Men, no matter how many reasons they give, in the end, they marry the one they find pleasing to the eye and comfortable to be with."

He didn't understand then, but he does now.

Being pretty is certainly important.

It's not superficial; it's just human nature.

Who wouldn't want to wake up every day and see the face of the person next to them in bed, and feel good about themselves?

Therefore, he understands why celebrities in the entertainment industry end up marrying young and beautiful female students, even if they are more than ten years younger than themselves.

At first glance, I was definitely drawn to their faces.

And Chen Nuo just happens to fit his aesthetic preferences.

Fang Jingxiu did not walk over directly.

He took his luggage bag and went around to Chen Nuo's back.

She was still looking around, completely unaware that he had already arrived. He stood half a step behind her, able to smell the faint scent of gardenias in her hair and see her fair nape and delicate earlobes.

He reached out and gently covered her eyes.

Chen Nuo was startled, and his body tensed up instantly.

Then she heard a deep voice beside her, tinged with amusement: "Guess who I am?"

A warm breath brushed against her ear, and Chen Nuo's heart skipped a beat. She laughed, her lips curving upwards involuntarily: "You naughty Xiu-ge! Don't tease me anymore!"

Her voice was full of coquettishness.

Fang Jingxiu released his grip. Chen Nuo turned around, and her eyes lit up the moment she saw him.

He wore a dark gray cashmere coat today, with a black suit and a shirt in the same color scheme underneath. He wasn't wearing a tie, but he looked neat and tidy.

Her hair was styled in her usual slicked-back look, revealing her full forehead and deep-set eyes. Even though she was wearing a mask, the air of nobility she had cultivated over the years was impossible to hide.

Handsome.

Chen Nuo silently evaluated him in his heart. He wasn't the kind of handsome young idol; he possessed the charm of a mature man—calm, composed, and with an air of absolute certainty that allowed him to control everything.

"What are you looking at?" Fang Jingxiu raised an eyebrow.

"Because you're handsome," Chen Nuo said honestly.

Then she noticed that the hand he had been holding behind his back slowly moved to the front, and he was holding a bouquet of flowers.

It wasn't roses or lilies, but a bunch of pale purple tulips, with a few white lisianthus stems, wrapped in light gray frosted paper and tied with a ribbon of the same color.

Very elegant, very... Fang Jingxiu's style.

"Happy New Year," he said, handing her the flowers. His voice, muffled but clear, came through his mask. "Girlfriend."

Chen Nuo was stunned.

She looked down at the bouquet of flowers, then looked up at him. Although he was wearing a mask, she could see that the tips of his ears were slightly red.

This man... has finally figured it out.

The Director Fang who was so shrewd in officialdom and so meticulous at the negotiating table, and the Xiu Ge who always had a serious face and spoke in a very formal manner, were now standing at the airport, giving her flowers, calling her his girlfriend, and... his ears turned red.

Chen Nuo's heart felt as if it had been gently bumped by something, and it went completely limp.

She took the flowers, held them in her arms, and took a deep breath. The delicate fragrance was very similar to the pine scent on him.

"Thank you, Brother Xiu." She looked up, her eyes curving into crescents. "The flowers are beautiful."

"Okay." Fang Jingxiu responded, taking her hand. "Let's go, the car is waiting."

His movements were as natural as if he had done it countless times. Chen Nuo followed beside him, holding flowers in her arms, her heart bubbling with sweetness.

The two walked out of the airport side by side.

Fang Jingxiu was tall and had long strides, but he deliberately slowed his pace to wait for her. Chen Nuo noticed this small detail, and the corners of her mouth turned up even more.

Once the car was on the road, Chen Nuo finally couldn't help but ask, "Brother Xiu, what made you think of... buying flowers?"

Fang Jingxiu looked straight ahead: "Secretary Qin said that you should bring flowers when you meet your girlfriend."

Chen Nuo was taken aback, then burst out laughing: "You're asking Secretary Qin?"

"Yes." Fang Jingxiu admitted frankly, "If you have no experience, just ask someone with experience."

He spoke calmly, but Chen Nuo could hear the seriousness in his voice. He was genuinely trying to learn how to be a good boyfriend.

"What did Secretary Qin say?" she asked curiously.

"He said that you shouldn't send roses for the first time, as it's too straightforward. Tulips or lisianthus would show better taste." Fang Jingxiu paused. "He also said that you shouldn't choose bright reds or purples, but rather something more elegant."

Chen Nuo smiled so much his eyes narrowed: "Secretary Qin knows so much."

"He's been married for seven years," Fang Jingxiu said. "He should understand."

Chen Nuo turned her head to look at his profile. Sunlight streamed through the car window, casting flickering shadows on his face.

This man...

she thinks.

So capable in officialdom, yet so...naive in matters of the heart.

But this simplicity is not naivety, it is sincerity.

It's because he really doesn't understand love, so he's willing to learn from scratch;

It's because he's committed to her that he's willing to do these little things for her.

The car drove into Chen Nuo's residential area.