0086 95 No effort is wasted; success is achieved through perseverance.

After finishing his meal, Ling Qingyun pulled out a few sheets of paper from a nearby cardboard box, roughly yet carefully wiped his fingers clean, crumpled the paper into a ball, and threw it into the trash can.

Zhou Xiye glanced at Ling Qingyun, but didn't stop what he was doing with his hands and mouth.

He waved his hand, "You continue eating, I'll have some tea," and poured himself a cup of tea, which he gulped down.

In situations like this, it's crucial to remain calm. The pressure from those in power is ever-present, and the most important thing when facing a strong person is to be neither arrogant nor servile. Otherwise, they'll feel you're not qualified or capable of sitting at the same table with them. Zhou Xiye focused on finishing her steamed bun, carefully wiping her hands with a tissue. The person opposite her didn't seem to be in a hurry either, finishing a cup of tea and sitting quietly.

"Congratulations, Committee Member Ling." Zhou Xiye noticed that Ling's teacup was empty, picked up the teapot, and quietly poured him a cup before pouring one for himself as well.

Ling Qingyun observed Zhou Xiye's every move, and when the teacup was pushed in front of him, he glanced at it lightly, "Do you know why I came to see you?"

Zhou Xiye put down the teapot, looked at the face that resembled Ling Xingzhi's, and shook his head sincerely. It would be inappropriate to try to be clever at this time.

Ling Qingyun revealed a smile that was both ambiguous and enigmatic, and tapped his finger on the table. "They handed the mayoral position to Pei Zhiyu. What are your thoughts on that?"

She never expected Ling Qingyun to ask such a question. The scene of their last meeting was still vivid in her mind, after all, it was she who reported Ling Xingzhi, indirectly causing the death of the Kong family matriarch. The conversation twisted and turned, and in the next second, Zhou Xiye suddenly realized that this would be a crucial conversation.

“I didn’t expect Pei Zhiyu to become the mayor of Hangzhou. As his wife, I’m disappointed because he didn’t tell me. But from the perspective of the bigger picture, as one of them, their choice of Pei Zhiyu as mayor was the wisest one. I have nothing to say,” Zhou Xiye met Ling Qingyun’s eyes.

Hearing Zhou Xiye's answer, Qingyun smiled knowingly, "I'd like to know more about what you, as yourself, think."

“I’m more suitable than him,” Zhou Xiye smiled slightly, “because I never lose.”

It's not because they always win, but because they never lose.

These words were like a thousand sharp arrows soaring into the air behind Zhou Xiye, hovering there, poised to be unleashed.

Ling Qingyun lowered his head slightly, ignoring Zhou Xiye's aggressive approach, and deftly deflected the attack. He picked up the tea in front of him and took a slow sip. "Ye Lifeng treated you like this, don't you resent him? I'm giving you a chance. Are you willing to cooperate with me?"

Zhou Xiye looked at Ling Qingyun without saying a word; her attitude was very clear.

Ling Qingyun laughed, clearing the awkwardness from the air. “No effort is wasted, and success is achieved through perseverance,” he said, putting down his teacup and sighing slightly. “When the Two Sessions ended, the Party Secretary of Kunming was investigated for corruption. It happened suddenly, and this thorny position became vacant. Ye Lifeng nominated you to take the position.”

He paused, looking at Zhou Xiye, "Nobody had high hopes for you. Your resume wasn't impressive enough. I think when he mentioned your name, he already anticipated this situation." Ling Qingyun crossed his fingers, his expression heavy and steady, "But I thought you were capable, so with my and General Manager Ye's strong recommendation, you got the position of Secretary of the Kunming Municipal Party Committee."

Zhou Xiye straightened his back, and although his face remained expressionless, Qingyun still caught a glimpse of his subtle body language over those few seconds. His ability to change a person's life with just a few words made Qingyun adore this feeling of control.

"You mean a transfer order?"

Ling Qingyun nodded and raised his hand. A moment later, someone came in and handed him a manila document. Ling Qingyun placed the document next to the steamed bun plate.

"They've come down, but it hasn't been announced to the public yet."

Zhou Xiye stared at the document, motionless. After a few seconds, she asked, "Why would the Party Secretary of Kunming suddenly step down at this time?"

“He’s in the way,” Ling Qingyun said calmly, “I have to make room for you.”

Zhou Xiye looked at him, and power revealed its full face before her, magnificent and moving.

"It's not that difficult. Kunming is a place where local bullies suppress powerful ones. Going there usually only leads to two outcomes: either you cooperate with them to make things easier for yourself and get through those years, or you are sidelined, with no connections and no solutions. In short, they're guaranteed to catch you."

"How did you know I would choose Kunming?" Zhou Xiye asked. She hadn't been imprisoned for long, so how could Ling Qingyun have already figured out her intentions in such a short time? Ye Lifeng wouldn't tell him these things either; she hadn't told Ling Xingzhi.

Since that's the case, it must be Qingyun's own idea.

Ling Qingyun smiled but didn't say anything. He looked around and changed the subject, "Are you getting used to living here? You should see quite a few familiar faces."

"At first, I was worried that I had made some mistake and couldn't sleep, tossing and turning. Later I realized that you were testing me."

Ling Qingyun smiled and tapped the document with his finger. "The people from the Military Commission said that since you're going to Kunming on a business trip, it's time to prepare for your new post." Ling Qingyun stood up and walked out.

Zhou Xiye also stood up. She opened her mouth, looked at Ling Qingyun's disappearing figure, and then shook her head.

Before she left, Bao Ren gave her the book. The guard read through the contents of the book and, after confirming that it was safe, handed it to Zhou Xiye.

I thought Bao Ren would say a few more words to Zhou Xiye before leaving, but he just waved his hand.

The scenery along the way was desolate, and the earth seemed not yet to have awakened from the depths of winter. After walking for an unknown amount of time, Zhou Xiye opened his eyes and saw the Beijing license plate. The willow trees were green, and pedestrians hurried along the road.

Beijing, she's back.

The car stopped in front of her house, Zhou Xiye got out, the guard put her personal belongings in her hands, and the car roared away as it drove off.

In a daze, as if in a dream, she met a legendary person and got what she wanted.

Back home, Zhou Xiye carefully pulled out the transfer order from the brown paper bag. It was a red-headed document with her name prominently displayed, and a red seal was stamped beside it. She looked at it several times, her fingertips lightly touching her name on the paper. She sighed softly and put the document aside.

She took a pack of cigarettes from the drawer, lit it, and the nicotine stimulated her nerves. She closed her eyes and lay down on the sofa.

A cigarette "afterwards" feels great.

What does power taste like? Zhou Xiye took a deep drag on her cigarette. She opened her eyes, rested her head on her arm, and stared intently at the cigarette butt. The burnt cigarette looked like a desolate, dry well. With a light touch of her finger, the ash scattered.

Nothing can be held firmly in one's hand.

As the smoke dissipated, Zhou Xiye turned over and slowly closed his eyes.

After some time, the doorbell rang. Zhou Xiye sat up, saw the documents on the coffee table, put them away, and then got up to open the door. Pei Zhiyu was outside. He saw her, tilted his chin up, and curled the corners of his lips into a smile.

The two entered the house, but before they could take a step, Pei Zhiyu hugged her from behind.

"Why didn't you tell me you were going to Kunming?" He buried his head in Zhou Xiye's neck and took a deep breath. "Is work going well?"

Zhou Xiye gently patted Pei Zhiyu's arm, "Sit down and talk."

Hearing this, Pei Zhiyu nodded, placed a kiss on the top of her head, then put his arm around her shoulder and walked to the sofa. The two sat down, and Pei Zhiyu gently hugged her. "What do you want to do about the wedding?"

Zhou Xiye looked at him calmly, "What do you want to do?"

Pei Zhiyu held her hand. "Should we hold it in Beijing before going to Hangzhou? It doesn't need to be too grand. I've been looking at restaurants, wedding rings, and wedding dresses. I'm just waiting for you to come back and decide."

"It's up to you," Zhou Xiye said indifferently. The two had agreed before their marriage that they wouldn't have a wedding and didn't want to be too extravagant. But Pei Zhiyu kept bringing up this idea, intentionally or unintentionally, in Zhou Xiye's ear. After hearing it so many times, Zhou Xiye found it annoying, but this was Pei Zhiyu's scheme.

As the two were talking, Pei Zhiyu inadvertently noticed the cigarette butt in the ashtray and frowned. "Why are you smoking again? Something on your mind?"

Zhou Xiye shook his head. "Is there anything else you need my cooperation on?"

Pei Zhiyu lowered her eyes and said after two or three seconds, "I told my college classmates about my wedding, and they said we should get together this Friday."

Zhou Xiye paused, "You said that in the group chat?"

"Yes, how long has it been since you last checked your phone? By the way, do you remember Shang Heming? He happened to be in Beijing during this period, and he also attended the Two Sessions."

Zhou Xiye put down his cup. "Why is he back?"

"His father's case has been resolved. After the case was classified, it did not implicate Shang Heming, and he still has connections. He is currently in Shanghai, working as the CFO of Kelly Company, but he is not using his real name."

Zhou Xiye calmly put down her water glass. "Will he go to the party too?"

Pei Zhiyu noticed that Zhou Xiye's expression wasn't good, so she comforted her, "Shang Heming does have a bad reputation, but he's a good person, so you don't need to worry too much."

Zhou Xiye hummed in agreement and didn't continue. "Are you hungry? Let's go eat."

Pei Zhiyu nodded. Zhou Xiye took out his phone from his bag, turned it on, and a flood of messages and calls appeared. Zhou Xiye saw many missed calls.

There was only one message, from Ling Xingzhi: "Congratulations, Secretary Zhou."

Upon seeing this message, Zhou Xiye couldn't help but chuckle. This chuckle caught the eye of Pei Zhiyu, who picked up Zhou Xiye's water glass and took a sip.

"Shall we go? What would you like to eat?"

Zhou Xiye put away his phone. "It's been a long time since I've had hot pot. Shall we go?"

Pei Zhiyu stood up. "Okay, I'll eat with you."

The night was still. After a passionate and satisfying lovemaking session, Zhou Xiye fell asleep, exhausted. Pei Zhiyu lay on his side beside her, stroking her cheek and twirling her hair with his fingers. Once Zhou Xiye's breathing had calmed down, he turned over, closed his eyes, and drowsiness washed over him.

But suddenly, Zhou Xiye's smile flashed through his mind. How to put it? Pei Zhiyu rarely saw that kind of smile on her face; it was jarring.

Pei Zhiyu opened her eyes, her gaze bright in the night. What news had brought her to such a smile?

He turned his head to look at Zhou Xiye; she was snoring softly, clearly exhausted. Gently lifting the covers, he got out of bed barefoot, picked up Zhou Xiye's phone, turned it on, walked to the bedside, and used her fingerprint to unlock it.

As cars drove by in the neighborhood, their lights flashed by. Pei Zhiyu looked up at the curtains.

After the lights went out, in the pitch-black room, a bluish-green light shone on Pei Zhiyu's face, making her features sharp and distinct, as did her shadowy features.

His fingers swiped rapidly across Zhou Xiye's phone, casting his shadow on the ceiling and projecting the lines of his profile onto the wall.

Behind him, Zhou Xiye slept peacefully.

After a long while, Pei Zhiyu turned off her phone.

Suddenly everything went dark, and he couldn't see anything. After a few seconds, he regained his senses, turned off his phone, and put it back in its original place.

A cold wind blew by, and the black car window rolled up.

The stray cat's figure flashed by.

Shang Heming stepped out of the car, the cold air bringing him back to his senses. He exuded a wild, blood-red aura, untamed and domineering, his tall frame and muscular build seemingly about to leap from his clothes. He leaned against the car, lit a cigarette, tossed aside the lighter, looked up, counted the floors, and locked his gaze.

His gaze was more dazzling than flames.

"What if I'm not your groom?"

The woman lay on the bed, laughing, her voice still tinged with the afterglow of sex, "Wedding snatching."

His wildness still lingered within her. Shang Heming gently sipped his liquor on her cheek, "It's like I want to fuck you to death right in front of him."

The collision was like a raging storm.

The woman's moans gradually faded into the distance.

Shang Heming stubbed out his cigarette, got into the car, and the headlights remained bright.

Since that's the case, I'll just steal the bride.

Zhou Xiye, are you ready?

Pei Zhiyu woke up early, got up and kissed Zhou Xiye on the cheek, a faint smile on her lips. When Zhou Xiye woke up, Pei Zhiyu had just returned from her run, wiping her sweat with a towel. "What breakfast did you prepare?"

Zhou Xiye came out of the bathroom and was taken aback when she heard this. "Um... I want to go out for tofu pudding. Want to come along?"

Pei Zhiyu put down the towel. "Tofu pudding isn't hygienic. The hot pot you ate last night wasn't clean to begin with, and then you ate tofu pudding this morning. It's not good for your health."

Hearing Pei Zhiyu's words behind her, Zhou Xiye sighed, picked up her phone, and turned it on.

But as soon as she turned on the computer, she felt something was wrong. She looked left and right, as if trying to confirm something.

After the dust settled, she turned to look at the man changing clothes beside her.