Names: Uncle Zhao Mengsheng, Father-in-law Pei Yihong

Wu Xinyi: "You could also say that there was a case that came up unexpectedly, and they made her work overtime overnight."

Wu Huifen frowned and said firmly, "Sister, call Yike and tell her to come home immediately."

Wu Xinyi sensed something was wrong. Wu Huifen rarely got angry; something must have happened.

"Huifen, should we let her go home? I think she should prioritize her work. It wouldn't be right for us to interfere."

Huifen, is something wrong?

Wu Huifen snorted coldly, "Sister, this concerns Yike's lifelong happiness, it cannot be delayed."

It's extremely urgent! Yu Liang and I are on our way.

"I'll be there in a bit."

"Okay, I'll start right away." Wu Xinyi had no choice but to take it seriously.

Working overtime, working overtime, wasting my daughter's precious youth.

Hey!

He's so old, and he's in such good shape, yet he's still unmarried.

The phone hangs up.

Wu Huifen took Gao Yuliang's arm and said, "Teacher Gao, Chen Yanshi has gone too far."

We can be an innocent girl, yet he criticizes and speculates wildly behind our backs.

This is simply bullying.

If he weren't so old, I would have definitely argued with him.

Gao Yuliang leaned back in his chair and sighed softly, "Teacher Wu, Chen Yanshi has always been this way."

On the surface, they appear selfless, but in their hearts, they are more calculating than anyone else.

We'll get used to it; there's no need for us to be angry.

We can also stay away from Chen Hai's crooked tree; who knows, we might just find a whole forest.

Like father, like son.

I think we're both currently single and unmarried, which is also a form of moral blackmail by Chen Hai.

The night was dark.

The living room in Wu Xinyi's home was brightly lit.

Wu Xinyi poured water for Gao Yuliang and his wife.

She had already learned of Chen Yanshi's scheming remarks from her younger sister, and she harbored a deep resentment.

After Gao Yuliang and Wu Huifen entered the room and exchanged brief greetings, Wu Huifen casually placed her bag on the sofa and said, "Sister, I brought a recording."

Let's get straight to the point.

Wu Xinyi frowned.

"Huifen, let it go. I want to hear what that old stone is saying about us behind our backs."

Every daughter is the apple of one's eye.

Nobody wants an outsider talking about their daughter.

Wu Huifen opened the audio file, and Chen Yanshi's hoarse yet shrewd voice slowly came out.

Every sentence is piercing, every word is cutting.

What do you mean by being unmarried at an advanced age? What do you mean by delaying Lu Yike?

It sounds very high-sounding.

He's a hypocrite.

With a snap.

Wu Xinyi slammed her hand hard on the sofa armrest; the force was so great that it hurt a little.

"Old Stone, ptooey! What nonsense! I, Wu Xinyi, am at least a military family member, a descendant of soldiers."

"That despicable old stone."

A furious curse, direct and jarring.

This is the highly respected head of the Second Procuratorate?

Pooh!

Gossiping behind people's backs is even more despicable than that of ordinary people in the city.

Wu Xinyi was furious.

At this time.

A slight sound came from the doorway as it opened.

Lu Yike hurriedly entered the room, still in her prosecutor's uniform, her expression aloof.

As soon as I entered the living room, I sensed that something was wrong with the atmosphere inside.

"Mom, Auntie, Uncle, what are you all doing here?"

Lu Yike is afraid of being pressured to get married.

Every holiday season, there's a test of their resilience to being pressured into marriage.

Wu Xinyi looked up at her daughter, "Yike, from today onwards, you are not allowed to have any contact with Chen Hai. Don't pay any attention to that old stone Chen Yanshi."

Lu Yike stood there, stunned. "Mom, Chen Yanshi is just an old stone, a bit stubborn, that's all. Is it really necessary to take it so seriously? Chen Hai is a really nice person!"

Wu Xinyi was completely enraged by her daughter's protective words.

"What a load of bull! I've wasted my time raising you, and you're siding with outsiders."

Who is Chen Hai?

She was remarried, had a son, and was getting on in years.

You're a perfectly eligible bachelor, with such excellent qualities, and a military spouse at that. Are you planning to become someone's stepmother and take over their burden?

Straightforward and raw, without any concealment.

I just wanted to scold Lu Yike to wake her up.

Lu Yike bit her lip, refusing to back down. "Mom, what era are we living in? We value freedom in love. I don't care about these things."

Wu Huifen sighed repeatedly, feeling utterly disappointed. "Yike, are you stupid?"

Lu Yike stuck out her neck, her attitude stubborn, "Auntie, I'm not stupid."

Gao Yuliang was very angry. "Yike, I think you're not stupid?"

That's fine too, you're stupid.

"Hopeless, clearly brainwashed by Chen Hai."

Despite his high position, Gao Yuliang rarely spoke like this.

They'll say anything for their loved ones.

Lu Yike's eyes reddened, and she whispered in defense, "Uncle, Chen Hai didn't. He's very good to me."

Gao Yuliang raised an eyebrow slightly and asked, "What's so good about that?"

If he truly cared for you, why did he marry someone else instead of you?

In short, it hits the nail on the head.

Lu Yike was speechless for a few seconds before replying in a low voice, "Uncle, I met Chen Hai a little late. I met the right person at the wrong time."

Gao Yuliang shook his head slightly, "Sigh! You can never wake someone who is pretending to be asleep."

"Fine, you're incredibly stupid."

Aside from working overtime on cases, Lu Yike has little contact with the outside world, dealing with interpersonal relationships, love, and marriage.

Even in my thirties, I'm still too naive.

Wu Xinyi cried and said, "Yike, why do you trust an outsider instead of your own family?"

Your aunt's husband is the third-in-command in Handong; his status speaks for itself.

If it were anyone else, who would come to you late at night to earnestly advise you?

Your aunt has been extremely worried about your marriage.

Lu Yike lowered her head and stubbornly said, "Mom, I just think Chen Hai is a good person."

If there's nothing else, I'm going back to the prosecutor's office. Director Chen is waiting for me to discuss the case.

Wu Huifen sighed, picked up her phone, and said, "Yike, listen to this recording."

After hearing this, if you still want to be Little Ball's stepmother, no one will stop you.

Lu Yike hesitated for a moment before nodding, "Yes, Auntie."

The recording was played again.

Chen Yanshi's dark, utilitarian, and harsh words pierced Lu Yike's ears, one by one.

They disliked her because she was too old.

They suspected she was ill.

Every word and phrase was like a cold needle, piercing Lu Yike's heart.

Her original obsession collapsed and shattered in an instant.

A few seconds later.

Tears welled up in my eyes.

Lu Yike bit her lip and cried loudly.

“Wuwu!”

Tears streamed down my face uncontrollably.

There is no greater example of the coldness and indifference of people's hearts than this.

After a long while, Lu Yike wiped away her tears, her voice choked with emotion.

"The Chen family... are despicable."

"They look down on me, so I'm not going to step foot in the Chen family's house anymore."

The pride remains, but the heart has been broken.

Gao Yuliang slowly stood up, his hands behind his back. "Yike, you should think it through carefully. Marriage is never a trivial matter."

Wu Huifen quickly got up and followed, saying, "Sister, I'm leaving."

Inside the house, only the mother and daughter remained.

Chen Yanshi's words.

This directly severed the last ties between Lu Yike and Chen Hai.

Lu Yike knelt before Wu Xinyi, "Mom, I was wrong!"

Meanwhile, at the Handong Provincial Procuratorate.

Chen Hai was still engrossed in reviewing the case files.

How do I catch a big corrupt official? He's about to become a full-fledged department head; I need to start thinking about becoming a vice-minister.

Chen Hai thought it was a good thing that Chen Shan didn't get promoted to vice-ministerial level.

The Chen family's resources, as well as the fact that he is a top student in the province, are all assets for his advancement.

He had his own plans in mind.

When I called Lu Yike again, the line was busy.

The No. 6 compound of the Provincial Party Committee.

After taking a shower, Qi Tongwei, wrapped in a bath towel, leaned back on the sofa.

now.

Only then could I finally relax.

Ding!

A text message popped up on my phone.

[Governor Qi, Chen Yanshi fainted from anger, aren't you happy!]

Qi Tongwei slightly raised his eyelids, the corners of his mouth turned up, and his finger tapped the input box, typing out a few words.

After a two-second pause, I deleted everything.

These things are best left unsaid; just keep them to yourself.

Footsteps slowly began to sound.

Pei Xiaotong walked out of the bedroom in her slippers.

He handed Qi Tongwei his phone, saying, "Tongwei, Dad wants to see you."

"Okay, wife." Qi Tongwei took the phone, and Pei Yihong's steady voice came through the receiver.

"Tongwei".

Qi Tongwei said respectfully, "Dad, hello. I just went to take a shower."

"Tongwei, I heard from Xiaotong that she had discussed the matter of reporting Liang Lu with me beforehand." Pei Yihong's tone was flat, revealing neither praise nor criticism.

"Thank you, Dad," Qi Tongwei said, his tone perfectly measured.

"Well, don't worry about the specifics of how to handle it; let the investigation team handle it. I think you did a great job opposing Xiao Jinzi's decision to freeze the cadres. Otherwise, Xiao Jinzi would be the one controlling everything in Handong. You're going to Xuanwu Island tomorrow, and I look forward to seeing what you've got in store for me."

And one more thing I want to remind you: don't blindly charge into battle. In a high position, you must learn to cultivate your own strikers.

This simple sentence reveals the survival rules for advancement in officialdom.

Qi Tongwei's eyes flickered slightly. "Thank you for the advice, Dad."

I asked Xiaofei to send you some local specialties from Handong, a small token of our appreciation from Xiaotong and me.

"Hmm, filial piety." Pei Yihong was very satisfied. "You and Xiaotong should go to bed early; getting to the island must have been tiring."

"Understood, Dad." Qi Tongwei put down his phone and hugged Pei Xiaotong.

Pei Xiaotong leaned against Qi Tongwei, "Tongwei, Dad isn't blaming you, is he?"

"No," Qi Tongwei shook his head. "Xiaotong, Dad is teaching me how to plan the layout."

"Plan? What plan?" Pei Xiaotong touched the man's face.

Qi Tongwei blurted out instinctively, "The Heavenly Bureau."

"What Heavenly Bureau?" Pei Xiaotong asked, intrigued.

Qi Tongwei picked up the woman. "Oh, no, the Ascension Bureau."