0108 117 Agree in principle, object specifically.

After Ling Xingzhi finished speaking, he smiled slightly and his gaze fell on Zhou Xiye.

He was genuinely surprised when he learned that Zhou Xiye had come to see Wei Luochen, instinctively assuming that Zhou Xiye wanted to confront Wei Luochen. How could Wei Luochen be a match for Zhou Xiye? He would surely be devoured and left with only bones.

Just as Ling Xingzhi picked up his clothes from the chair and was about to leave, the phone rang.

Inside the hospital room, Wei Luochen composed herself. Her intuition told her that Ling Xingzhi might not necessarily speak up for her. Since that was the case, and she had no initiative, it was better not to talk about it.

Wei Luochen glanced at Zhou Xiye, then at Ling Xingzhi. "Honey, Secretary Zhou came to see me. He heard I had some health problems, but it's nothing serious," she said, trying to maintain appearances between them. Even if Zhou Xiye knew their relationship wasn't good, she had to put on an act for him.

He lowered his head and placed his hands, fingers interlaced, on his lap.

Zhou Xiye smiled, not taking Wei Luochen's words to heart, and simply said, "Since everyone is here, let's get straight to the point today."

Wei Luochen's face, which had just been crying, suddenly turned angry. "What do you mean?"

"Madam, it's not very smart of you to ask a question you already know the answer to."

Wei Luochen turned to look at Ling Xingzhi, "You caused this mess, so you should resolve it. Don't do it in front of me; it disgusts me."

Ling Xingzhi raised his head, gave a wry smile, and said, "Let's see what Secretary Zhou has to say." He turned to look at Zhou Xiye.

Zhou Xiye didn't hesitate and said directly, "I have no feelings for Ling Xingzhi. We are enemies, colleagues, and acquaintances."

Ling Xingzhi raised an eyebrow, waiting for what was to come. Wei Luochen also frowned. The three of them knew the truth about their affair, but Zhou Xiye's words only confused them. "What do you mean?" Zhou Xiye sleeping with her husband was as if nothing had happened?

Zhou Xiye smiled and shook her head. "Madam Ling, Wei Luochen, I'm married now and I understand the meaning of marriage. It hasn't been easy for the two of you to get to where you are. As for Ling Xingzhi and me," she turned to look at Ling Xingzhi, "we've had some entanglements, but those were just unavoidable interactions due to work. If that's bothered you, I apologize."

Upon hearing this, Wei Luochen understood Zhou Xiye's meaning. What, he slept with someone and then expected to get away with it without taking any responsibility? Instead, he's acting like a hypocrite, trying to distance himself from the situation? Zhou Xiye's actions left Wei Luochen somewhat puzzled.

“Oh, what I mean is, Mayor Ling was once the Party Secretary of Beijing, and I am the Mayor of Kunming. There are some things we should care about, and some things we should let go of. If it doesn't affect the overall situation, let it pass…”

The meaning was clear: if you still don't understand, you can't stay in this circle. Ling Xingzhi still had a faint smile on his lips. He stared at Zhou Xiye for a few seconds, then turned to Wei Luochen, "Madam, since Secretary Zhou has said so, let's turn the page and let bygones be bygones."

What do you mean? Wei Luochen was even angrier. "Zhou Xiye, you slept with my husband, and then you just let it go because you're the Party Secretary and have the upper hand over us? How can you be so manipulative? You don't want to pay any price, and you don't want to bear the stigma of being a mistress, and you just let it go like that?"

The smiles on Zhou Xiye's and Ling Xingzhi's faces disappeared at the same time.

Wei Luochen didn't feel afraid or unable to speak at this moment, after all, she was in the right. Yes, even if it wasn't Zhou Xiye, someone else would have slept with her husband, but the person sleeping with Ling Xingzhi at this moment was Zhou Xiye. She stood on the moral high ground and could arbitrarily launch a devastating attack on the CEO.

But if Wei Luochen thinks she's right and that Zhou Xiye can be manipulated by her, then she's seriously underestimating the basic qualities of a politician.

"So, what do you think we should do to handle this?" Zhou Xiye asked patiently with a smile.

She said she didn't want to hear it and found it disgusting, but then she brazenly brought up her husband's extramarital affair. Zhou Xiye didn't know if she was genuinely stupid, or if she loved Ling Xingzhi too much. Or perhaps, no one had ever told her what it meant to be "a higher-ranking official can crush you."

Zhou Xiye is no good person; she's ruthless when it comes to power. Therefore, Wei Luochen's conditions must be within her acceptable range; otherwise… she doesn't know what she might do.

After thinking for a moment, Wei Luochen realized that a public apology was definitely not an option. On the one hand, it would give Ling Xingzhi political leverage; on the other hand, it would make her a laughingstock. Regardless of how her husband cheated on her, they would only shift the blame onto Wei Luochen herself.

It's not worth it.

For a moment, Wei Luochen couldn't think of anything.

After a brief silence, Zhou Xiye sighed. "Madam, please take your time to think it over. Don't rush. Tell me when you have an idea." She then stood up. "By the way, I assure you that in Kunming, Mayor Ling and I will not have any private contact other than our work-related interactions. There are many people watching me here, and I won't make such a small mistake to cause myself trouble."

She paused, then added, "More importantly, I'm married now, so I can understand you."

After saying that, Zhou Xiye stood up and walked out.

A minor error?

Ling Xingzhi narrowed his eyes, repeatedly pondering those three words. Hearing the door close, he realized things couldn't end there, immediately stood up and followed, like a gust of wind. He ignored Wei Luochen, closed the door, and strode forward.

She thinks she can just dump him so easily? No way.

Zhou Xiye walked out of the hospital and down the steps. Li Wei got out of the driver's seat, opened the car door for Zhou Xiye, and just as she was about to get in, he placed his hands on the door and closed it.

Li Wei turned his head and saw Ling Xingzhi's calm face. Zhou Xiye didn't turn around to look at Ling Xingzhi, but his expression was also not good. He was in a dilemma for a moment, but then he remembered Zhou Xiye's words. He was driving for Zhou Xiye, not Ling Xingzhi's driver, so he opened the door forcefully.

Unexpectedly, Ling Xingzhi was stronger than him. As he pressed hard on the door, Ling Xingzhi said to Li Wei, "The secretary forgot something. Go back and get it for her." After saying this to Li Wei, Ling Xingzhi leaned against the car door, crossed his arms, and looked at Zhou Xiye.

The two looked at each other.

A breeze swept between the two of them, carrying the scent of fresh summer grass.

After Li Wei had walked a distance, Ling Xingzhi spoke, leaning slightly forward and getting closer to Zhou Xiye, "What do you mean by 'small mistake'? Wasn't it you who deliberately plotted to make me sleep with you?"

Before Zhou Xiye could speak, he straightened up and said, "You've slept with me so many times, and it's all for nothing? Haven't you seen what my dick looks like, or tasted it? Now you want to dump me like this, so brazenly treating me like a toy in front of my wife? Zhou Xiye, I never realized you were such a heartless woman."

Every word Ling Xingzhi said was accusatory, but Zhou Xiye thought it was a bit childish. She leaned on the side of the car, tilted her head, and asked him, "Ling Xingzhi, are we that close?"

"How much more familiar do you want us to be?" Ling Xingzhi laughed, tilting his head back and laughing loudly twice. Then he lowered his head, staring intently at Zhou Xiye, and took a few steps closer, almost touching her cheek, and asked softly, "Zhou Xiye, don't you feel guilty when you say that? How do you mean we're familiar? Have you forgotten what happened in Beijing, or have you forgotten what my penis tastes like because you haven't had it in a long time? I don't mind showing it to you now. Or do you want me to give you oral sex? I really haven't had sex in a long time."

He was genuinely angry, and his words were irrational and utterly illogical, driven solely by instinct and devoid of any negotiation skills. Zhou Xiye found Ling Xingzhi's behavior amusing, but also deeply offensive.

So when Zhou Xiye asked her in return, she wasn't angry. Like a teacher, she asked softly, "Do you understand me?"

Ling Xingzhi didn't know how to define understanding. He pursed his lips and looked at Zhou Xiye without saying a word, waiting for her to give him an answer.

"What do you know about me?" Zhou Xiye almost burst out laughing.

"You only know whether my breasts are big or soft; whether my vagina is wet or not; whether I'm easy to sleep with. Have you ever really understood me? You understand me only because my strength forces you to understand me; you understand me only because I am an insurmountable obstacle on your path forward. From beginning to end, you have always been my enemy, or more precisely, we are nothing more than enemies who have slept together."

Zhou Xiye was not afraid and took a step forward, his nose touching Zhou Xiye's chin.

“Ling Xingzhi, ask yourself honestly, how much of your sincerity is there? How much of your understanding of Zhou Xiye is genuine? Not all feelings that arouse curiosity are sincere. There is a word to describe your feelings: ‘curiosity’.”

Ling Xingzhi was utterly ashamed by her questioning. He felt that Zhou Xiye's words were wrong, but he couldn't quite put his finger on what was wrong. He felt completely powerless, and as Zhou Xiye pushed him away, he took a few steps back, as if he were floating in the clouds.

Zhou Xiye got into the car, and Li Wei appeared out of nowhere, opened the driver's side door, got in, and the car with the license plate ending in 01 disappeared from his sight.

Everything happened very quickly, as smoothly as a movie plot, leaving Ling Xingzhi no room for explanation.

There wasn't even time to ask questions.

Wei Luochen watched as Ling Xingzhi returned to the ward, his face pale and somewhat dejected. Her heart ached, but she didn't want him to feel better. "What's wrong? Zhou Xiye doesn't plan to have anything to do with you, and you're so angry?"

Ling Xingzhi seemed not to hear her teasing. He took out a cigarette from the pack, walked to the window, picked up a lighter, and lit it.

The smoke enveloped him.

Wei Luochen watched his retreating figure and smiled, but for some reason, the smile turned into tears. With a nasal tone, she cautiously asked, "Ling Xingzhi, do you like her? How could you like someone other than me?"

Ling Xingzhi quickly finished his cigarette.

He didn't answer Wei Luochen's question, and lit another cigarette.

Wei Luochen heard no reply. Subconsciously, she knew that this time they seemed to have drifted quite far apart, as if they could never go back. So she lifted the sheet, got out of bed, and hugged Ling Xingzhi from behind. She hadn't hugged him in a long time.

He seems to have lost weight again.

“Ling Xingzhi, let’s stop arguing and fighting. I’ll listen to you, whatever you say goes… Don’t go looking for Zhou Xiye anymore, I’m tired too… Let’s live a good life together.”

The sound was very soft. Ling Xingzhi took a deep drag of his cigarette and stubbed it out. His hand landed on Wei Luochen's arm, trying to pry it open, but Wei Luochen wouldn't let go. After several attempts, Ling Xingzhi gave up, letting his hands hang limply at his sides.

Wei Luochen lay on his back, so thick and reliable.

She shouldn't be so willful.

“Luo Chen…” His voice was a little hoarse, perhaps because he had smoked two cigarettes. Wei Luo Chen nodded and responded to his call.

"...I'm so tired..."

Wei Luochen shook his head, closed his eyes tightly, pressed his face against his back, and his tears soaked his shirt.

"Let's get a divorce."