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

The group's afternoon visit to Qiulin to view apartments went surprisingly smoothly.

Secretary Zhou opened the wooden door of the small auditorium and pushed open the window to let in some fresh air, and sunlight rushed in.

Ding Jiahe and Ye Wenxi both exclaimed "Wow!" at the same time.

Ye Wenxi pulled out the blueprints from her bag, checking the location, quantity, and dimensions of the doors and windows, muttering to herself, "Five windows facing east, four facing west, and the doors are double... Yes, that's right."

Zhou, the clerk, followed along, occasionally lending a hand to take measurements.

Ye Wenxi showed him the general design plan, which included terrazzo flooring, track lighting, wooden railings, a high-ceilinged display area, and murals on the exterior walls.

After reviewing it, Officer Zhou's eyes widened in disbelief: "This... is incredibly innovative. The decoration itself seems feasible, and so far, there don't appear to be any violations. However, the paintings on the facade require further approval for both the design and content before construction can begin."

"No problem, I'll submit it before we start work," Ye Wenxi replied readily.

"The modifications inside shouldn't be a big problem, right?"

"No problem," Officer Zhou waved his hand. "Your plan is complicated, but it's all within a reasonable range."

Ye Wenxi and Ding Jiahe exchanged a glance and breathed a sigh of relief: "Alright, let's go to the Housing and Real Estate Bureau."

Several people rushed to the real estate bureau and signed the contract in one go before closing time.

Ye Wenxi paid 228 yuan, which was a year's rent.

The rent was a preferential price for the joint venture unit of the military region. Because Ye Wenxi had the endorsement of the military region, he got the lowest price, which was almost one-third of the original price.

After signing the contract, I filled out a "House Renovation and Remodeling Approval Form" and submitted the renovation plan and relevant qualifications together.

Ye Wenxi held a receipt stamped with a red seal in her hand—"Housing Lease Certificate of Nangang District Management Office of Harbin Housing and Land Bureau," which stated the lessee, address, area, lease term, and amount.

Below is a line of smaller print: "The renovation approval is pending joint review by the municipal administration department. The results will be notified within seven to ten days."

She carefully folded it, put it in her bag, and turned to Officer Zhou, saying, "Officer Zhou, thank you so much for your hard work today. Thanks to your company the whole time, we were able to get things done so efficiently in just one day."

Zhou waved his hand: "You're too kind, it's what we should do."

"Director Zhou, how long will it take for the approval process to be completed?" Ding Jiahe asked.

"Because your project involves exterior facade decoration and window/door renovation, it requires joint approval from the city's landscaping department, which will likely take seven to ten days." Officer Zhou paused for a moment. "Here's what we'll do: leave your phone number, and I'll let you know if there's any progress."

After he finished speaking, his eyes unconsciously turned to Wang Yingxue.

Ye Wenxi and Ding Jiahe keenly noticed this subtle movement.

Ye Wenxi took out a small notebook from her bag, quickly wrote down a phone number, tore it off, and handed it to Secretary Zhou: "This is our clothing company's phone number. You can call this to find us."

Zhou took the note, his fingertips lingered on the paper for a moment, then he folded it and put it in his breast pocket: "Okay, then I'll see you off."

"No need, no need, you're busy." Ye Wenxi waved her hand and took Wang Yingxue's arm as they walked out.

As they exited the Housing Bureau, she turned to look at her and lowered her voice, "Xiaoxue, are you... very familiar with Officer Zhou?"

"We're not exactly close, but he was with me the whole time when I came to see the apartment last time, so we had a lot of conversation."

Ding Jiahe turned her head and exchanged a glance with Ye Wenxi. They both simultaneously drawled out, "Oh—"

Upon hearing the "Oh," Wang Yingxue felt a chill run down her spine: "What...what do you two mean?"

"It's not that we meant anything by it," Ding Jiahe said with a smirk, "we were just curious about what that Zhou cadre meant."

She turned her head, and Chong Dingye Wenxi blinked: "Our Comrade Xiaoxue seems to have found love again. But I still vote for Fang Ruijun."

"I'll also vote for Fang Ruijun," Ye Wenxi immediately followed.

"Oh...you guys..." Wang Yingxue was so angry that she couldn't speak, her face turned red, and she couldn't get the rest of her words out no matter what she said.

"It's true! I've verified it!" Ye Wenxi quickly added.

"How did you verify it?" Ding Jiahe tilted her head.

"I noticed it when we were having lunch together. Whenever we smiled, Zhou would look at Xiaoxue. There's a scientific basis for this in psychology!" Ye Wenxi analyzed seriously.

Ye Wenxi and Ding Jiahe each took one arm of Wang Yingxue's, sandwiching her between them.

Ye Wenxi straightened her expression slightly and asked softly, "Xiaoxue, I want to ask you something..."

"Huh? What is it?"

"How long have you known Sun Chenglin before you got married?" Ye Wenxi asked.

Wang Yingxue paused for a moment: "We were introduced by someone... We met three times, and after the approval process was completed, we got our marriage certificate. It took... about a month in total."

"Tell me the truth," Ye Wenxi looked directly into her eyes, "Is it because you haven't let go of Sun Chenglin? Or because of what others are saying? Or... is there no one you find acceptable?"

Ding Jiahe stared wide-eyed at Ye Wenxi.

In the morning, she said she was straightforward, but unexpectedly, in this matter, she simply asked three questions that cornered Wang Yingxue.

But Ding Jiahe pricked up her ears, very curious about the answer.

Wang Yingxue slowed her pace, keeping her eyes fixed on the ground.

She let out a long sigh, then looked up at the sun, which was already beginning to set.

"Both..." She paused for a moment, her voice as soft as a breeze, "and neither..."

"Huh?" Ding Jiahe couldn't help but ask, "What do you mean?"

Wang Yingxue came to a complete stop.

She didn't look at them; her gaze was fixed on the sunset in the distance, the orange-red light reflecting off her profile and outlining a faint contour.

Ye Wenxi didn't press the matter. She gave Wang Yingxue time to process the situation.

But that "none of them" was already a bombshell for her.

It was a more complex and deeper entanglement, one that even she herself couldn't unravel or explain.

This answer baffled Ding Jiahe, but Ye Wenxi was savoring the details.

"They all exist."...

This shows that Sun Chenglin holds a certain place in her heart, and it is a way of remembering the deceased;

This indicates that Wang Yingxue is a relatively conservative person who cherishes the past and values ​​relationships.

This also indicates that she doesn't currently have any particular admiration for anyone, at least not to that extent.

As for her additional statement, "none of them"...

Ye Wenxi interpreted this as Wang Yingxue's underlying desire to break free from these shackles and embrace a new life.

Yes and no, it's possible and impossible, these questions wove a web in Wang Yingxue's mind, trapping her within it, from which she could not escape.

Ding Jiahe could tell from Ye Wenxi's eyes that her mind was probably in a complete mess right now.

Compared to his own simple astonishment, Ye Wenxi was probably already working at high speed, trying to unravel the intricate details behind Wang Yingxue's words.

Ding Jiahe raised an eyebrow at Ye Wenxi, her eyes conveying a silent question—"What do you mean? Did you understand?"

Ye Wenxi frowned, indicating that he couldn't explain.

Ding Jiahe clicked her tongue and said, "Tsk."

The three of them strolled in the sunset, and no one spoke again.

A breeze blew in from the street corner, carrying a hint of evening coolness.

Wang Yingxue was still looking up at the sunset, her eyes slightly red, but no tears fell.