A whirlwind marriage with a high-ranking official: Lights out, don't force me to take the initi

In the simple rest area by the window on the first floor of Qiulin, there are several rows of long wooden benches and low tables, with enamel mugs and thermos flasks on the tables.

Zhou, the clerk, walked over from the counter, holding two bottles of Arctic Ocean soda in his hand, the caps still steaming, and placed them in front of Wang Yingxue.

"Comrade Wang, have something cold to drink. Don't get heatstroke in this hot weather."

Wang Yingxue quickly stood up: "Oh dear, Officer Zhou, how could I let you spend so much money..."

"It's alright, it's alright," Officer Zhou waved his hand and sat down opposite her. "Just sit and wait. Comrade Ye and the others should be here soon."

Zhou's gaze lingered on Wang Yingxue's face for a moment before he asked gently, "By the way, are you feeling better? I saw you were quite ill those few days when we were looking at apartments last time, and I even advised you not to push yourself."

"Everything's all set, no problems at all." Wang Yingxue smiled. "Work has to be finished."

Officer Zhou nodded, didn't press further, and then got down to business: "Are you planning to sign it after you've finished reading it this afternoon?"

"Yes, all the materials are ready." Wang Yingxue took out a stack of papers from her bag. "To be honest, after signing the lease today, we plan to attach the renovation approval documents as well."

"So...would it be convenient for you to come with us again this afternoon? We'd like to confirm some details about the renovation and see if we can proceed."

"You've even finalized the renovation plan?" Zhou, the clerk, was a little surprised, then realized, "Oh...no wonder. You took so many photos last time, measured dimensions, and made drawings. Based on your records, the renovation design should be pretty much finalized."

Wang Yingxue smiled shyly and didn't reply.

"Normally, the signing process takes 1-3 days, but your unit can go through priority approval and you can get the keys on the same day." Officer Zhou flipped through the folder in his hand. "If there is enough time, the renovation documents can be submitted for approval after the lease is signed."

"That's great."

Officer Zhou glanced at his watch, then looked up at her. "Comrade Wang, you haven't had lunch yet, have you? How about I take you to get something to eat nearby? There's a small restaurant around here that has pretty good dumplings..."

"No need, no need," Wang Yingxue quickly waved her hand, "Let's wait for Wenxi and the others. What if we miss them if we leave now? It's okay, we can eat together when they come."

Zhou, the clerk, let out an "Ah," his expression darkening for a moment before quickly returning to normal: "...Alright then."

He unscrewed his bottle of soda, took a sip, and casually changed the subject: "You made the right choice in selecting that place."

Wang Yingxue looked up at the sound and listened to Officer Zhou explain the reason behind it.

"According to the policies we at the Housing and Real Estate Bureau understand, the Qiulin area is being planned and transformed into a commercial district. It will be one of the largest commercial districts in Harbin in the future, but it's not fully developed yet. By going in now, you've gained a head start."

"In another year or two, it will be quite difficult to rent a physical store there. You'll have to make an appointment well in advance and wait in line."

Wang Yingxue's eyes lit up: "Then we're pretty lucky... By the way, what's the longest the lease can be?"

"The current policy has a five-year limit."

"Five years..." Wang Yingxue hesitated for a moment, "If I want to renew the lease when it expires, do I have to wait in line with everyone else?"

"No need. If you intend to renew your lease, you can apply six months to a year in advance and have priority for renewal." Officer Zhou looked at her seriously. "However, things will change a lot in five years. Your decision now is ahead of the curve."

Wang Yingxue nodded and lowered her head to take notes in her notebook.

Zhou's gaze fell on her hand holding the pen, then quickly moved away.

"Recently... there have indeed been a lot of changes in the market." He changed the subject, as if chatting casually, "More and more people are coming to our housing bureau to inquire about policies. Some want to open their own restaurants, and some want to partner with the neighborhood to open shops. Your clothing company was one of the early adopters, and there are quite a few others following suit."

Wang Yingxue listened with a smile: "I can really feel the changes in society from what you've said. I didn't even know that so many people were already taking action."

"Yes," Zhou replied, his fingers unconsciously squeezing the soda bottle, as if he had been considering it for a long time before speaking.

"Um... are you specifically in charge of field sales at the clothing company?"

"We're not the ones who do fieldwork; we have colleagues who do it. Last time was my first business trip," Wang Yingxue said with a smile.

Officer Zhou hesitated for a moment, as if gathering his courage, before continuing the sentence. He spoke cautiously, his gaze fixed on the table, avoiding direct eye contact with her.

"Oh...that's true. It's probably not convenient for military dependents to travel frequently. After all, they have families to take care of."

Wang Yingxue smiled faintly: "It's just my mom and me at home. When I go on business trips... I'll probably be traveling a lot more often, especially for this physical store thing, I guess I'll have to come here frequently."

"Comrade Wang, you're too kind."

The corners of Zhou's mouth turned up very slightly, then he quickly suppressed it and pretended to look out the window at the street.

About ten minutes later, Ye Wenxi and Ding Jiahe arrived at the entrance of Qiulin.

Ding Jiahe took out a handkerchief to wipe the sweat from her face and neck, and looked around: "Where's the little snowman?"

"It should be inside. Let's go in and take a look."

The two walked into the lobby on the first floor, looked around, and sure enough, they saw Wang Yingxue in the rest area.

She was sitting with a young man, and there were two bottles of soda on the table, with water droplets still clinging to them.

Ding Jiahe nudged Ye Wenxi with her elbow and whispered, "Hey, why is Xiaoxue drinking soda with this clerk?"

When Wang Yingxue saw them, she quickly stood up: "You've come!"

She turned and introduced them: "This is Ye Wenxi, the head of our garment company. This is Ding Jiahe. This is Officer Zhou from the Housing and Land Bureau."

Zhou, the clerk, stood up. He was about twenty-five or twenty-six years old, wearing a light gray short-sleeved shirt with a badge of a great man pinned to his left chest, dark blue work pants, and black cloth shoes.

Her hair was neatly combed, she had thick eyebrows and big eyes, and when she smiled, she showed a row of white teeth, looking quite energetic.

"Hello, Officer Zhou." Ye Wenxi extended his hand.

"Hello, Comrade Ye, hello, Comrade Ding." Officer Zhou's palms were a little sweaty; he quickly wiped them on his trouser leg, shook hands with the two, and then turned to Wang Yingxue, "Comrade Wang, what's our next step?"

Wang Yingxue turned to look at Ye Wenxi.

Ye Wenxi's gaze darted back and forth between Secretary Zhou and Wang Yingxue, a smirk playing on her lips: "Secretary Zhou, have you eaten?"

"Not yet," Officer Zhou smiled.

"Then let's have a meal first," Ye Wenxi said with a wave of her hand, taking on the responsibility. "Thank you for running around with us. I'll treat you."

Zhou waved his hand, "No need, no need, it's what I should do..."

Wang Yingxue looked at Secretary Zhou with a smile: "Let's have a meal together, Secretary Zhou. We haven't eaten yet, so let's chat while we eat. We'll need your help with the rest of the matters."

Zhou, the clerk, glanced at Wang Yingxue, then smiled, revealing his white teeth: "Then... I'll gladly accept your offer, thank you."