Chapter 24 Honest Man

Before leaving, Ling Wei glanced at Qu Mingyuan one last time.

The other party continued to talk to the Party Secretary as if nothing had happened, as if the secret attack under the table had never occurred.

It was also a matter of fate, and Ling Wei was somewhat relieved that the other party didn't seem to intend to hold it against her.

Once her figure disappeared from the private room, Qu Mingyuan, who had been sitting upright, let out a barely audible sigh of relief. He unconsciously rubbed his fingertips, and a faint warmth crept up to his earlobe.

Ling Wei was rinsing the chopsticks under the outdoor tap, while the system sighed in her mind.

Ling Wei asked irritably, "What are you doing?"

The system hesitated, then said, "It's nothing."

It was just a bad feeling; Weiwei was paying way too much attention to Qu Mingyuan.

Looking back now, it's amazing how a girl who lost both parents and lived with her grandmother met a high-ranking, stable, and reassuring man who seemed like a father figure.

It has an irresistible, magnetic attraction!

Could it be that Vivi has already fallen for...?

Before the system could reach a conclusion, Ling Wei muttered to herself, "This person keeps appearing in front of me, which is affecting my performance in the competition. I need to be constantly wary of him."

When he looked up again, his eyes were filled with determination to join the Party.

system:"......"

Ling Wei asked the system again, "Why did you sigh just now? You clearly had something to do."

So you're secretly having feelings for her, huh?

System: "Everything is really alright now."

In other words, she nipped the problem in the bud.

Ling Wei picked up the tableware and found that there was still water at the bottom of the bowl. She casually stretched the bowl forward and swung it up and down with her wrist. Her other hand was not idle either. She held the chopsticks and shook them vigorously, causing water droplets to scatter and splash everywhere.

The system was still rambling on: "I really wasn't lying to you just now, I just suddenly felt a little stuffy..."

Ling Wei responded perfunctorily, "Oh, oh, oh."

Suddenly, the system gasped, its tone instantly becoming obsequious: "Um...we'll always be the best partners, right?"

That familiar opening line... he must have missed reporting something again.

Ling Wei was too lazy to argue with this useless statistician. When she looked up, she saw Qu Mingyuan standing not far away, with glistening water droplets sliding down his handsome profile.

"I'm so sorry, boss! I didn't notice you were here!" Ling Wei bowed deeply at a ninety-degree angle and then tried to slip away.

“Miss Ling.” Qu Mingyuan’s voice rang out calmly, revealing no emotion.

"Do you have time to chat?"

Ling Wei stood frozen in place, turning around with a look of utter despair. What was bound to happen would happen eventually; this was a matter of settling scores later.

They walked to the old locust tree next to the activity center. The view was wide and people could be seen from afar, but their voices could be heard by others.

Dan Huai craned his neck to look around, nudging the person next to him with his elbow: "Hey? The boss wants to have a private talk with Sister Wei?"

Your companion teased, "So curious? Why don't you come closer and listen?"

Dan Huai shook his head vigorously: "No, no! They must be asking about the competition. Sister Wei and the others are professional idols. The leader is seeking their professional opinions!"

The more he thought about it, the more reasonable it seemed. After all, the leader was upright and righteous, and Sister Wei was standing straight and proper. It looked like a proper work exchange.

Dan Huai guessed wrong this time.

Under the locust tree, Qu Mingyuan looked at the well-behaved girl in front of him, his tone tinged with helplessness: "What were you doing under the table just now?"

Ling Wei blinked, looking completely innocent: "I was picking up chopsticks. It's just that your leg was blocking my way, and I couldn't help but pinch it." Her voice trailed off as she spoke.

Meeting Qu Mingyuan's disapproving gaze, she lowered her head guiltily: "I'm sorry, I won't do it again next time."

Qu Mingyuan looked at the girl who had suddenly become listless, sighed almost imperceptibly, and naturally changed the subject: "How has Grandma been feeling lately?"

These words seemed to have flipped a switch, and Ling Wei suddenly looked up, her eyes lighting up: "You're about to be discharged! The old lady is still talking about how she'll miss the old friends she met in the ward!"

When she talks about her grandmother, she comes alive with joy, her eyebrows dancing with excitement.

Her vivid expression caught Qu Mingyuan's eye, and a gentle smile unconsciously spread across his eyes: "That's good."

That smile jolted Ling Wei back to reality. Wait a minute! How did she get so easily led into the other person's territory with just a few words?!

As expected of a leader, he has a clear grasp of the pace of the conversation.

She quickly straightened her back, trying her best to adopt the most upright expression, but then heard Qu Mingyuan say again, "Don't put too much pressure on yourself during training and competitions. If you encounter any difficulties..."

He paused, the name hovering between his lips for a moment, a struggle flashing across his face, "...You can ask Sun Hai."

Ling Wei nodded readily, "Okay, thank you, leader!"

After finishing their business, the two fell silent for a moment, as the wind rustled through the locust tree leaves.

Ling Wei tentatively asked, "Then... I'll head back now?"

Qu Mingyuan: "Hmm."

This lunch, full of twists and turns, has finally come to an end.

In the afternoon, it seemed that the city had gotten wind of the situation, and several more people rushed to the village. Qu Mingyuan was surrounded by a group of people. He listened to the report calmly and occasionally gave concise and clear instructions. His calm demeanor contrasted sharply with the surrounding fields, showing his demeanor.

Ling Wei glanced at it from afar, then continued her live stream.

These days, thanks to their solid talent performances, their group has maintained second place in blueberry sales, with Bai Wanqing's group in first place. In addition, their strong physical fitness and teamwork demonstrated in the early stages of farm work have earned them a lot of key tips for the upcoming competition.

Qu Mingyuan declined the dinner invitation and left by car in the evening.

As the car traveled along the country road on the return journey, the afterglow of the setting sun bathed the car in a warm golden light. Qu Mingyuan leaned back in his seat, his slender fingers unconsciously stroking his knees.

Looking at Secretary Sun, who was focused on driving, he suddenly spoke, his voice particularly clear in the quiet car: "Has she... contacted you privately during this time?"

Secretary Sun was taken aback for a moment, then chuckled: "Miss Ling? How could that be? We haven't exchanged contact information yet."

It's just that he can only monitor her information unilaterally.

Qu Mingyuan was clearly stunned.

So when he told Ling Wei to contact Secretary Sun if she needed anything, her calm response... did she think he was just being polite?

This realization made him feel as if something was blocking his heart.

He gazed out the window at the fields rushing past, the fields in the twilight resembling a blurred watercolor painting.

“Sun Hai,” Qu Mingyuan’s voice lowered unconsciously, with a hesitation that even he himself could not understand, “Please… turn back again.”

"Okay," Secretary Sun replied, deftly turning on the turn signal and smoothly turning around at the next intersection.

Tsk tsk, I knew his intuition was right.