0148 157 After the crowd dispersed, a pale crescent moon hung in the sky, as clear as water.

A few seconds later, Ling Xingzhi came to his senses.

He turned his head, picked up the water glass, and strategically took a sip. Zhou Xiye was amused by him and moved back, wanting to lie down. Ling Xingzhi noticed and immediately put down the water glass, stood up, and bent slightly to help Zhou Xiye put on the pillow and cover him with the blanket.

Ling Xingzhi's reaction was not unexpected. Ling Xingzhi had been busy taking care of her these past few days, and she also knew that Ling Xingzhi had personally gone into the sea after she was in danger. With such a deep friendship, Zhou Xiye wanted to give it a try.

I didn't have much hope to begin with.

Zhou Xiye looked up at the ceiling and sighed slightly, still feeling a little disappointed. But compared to her political future, which was more important? If it were Zhou Xiye herself, she wouldn't have gone with outsiders. Although Ling Qingyun wasn't a good official, he had protected Ling Xingzhi's career. From that perspective, he was indeed a good father.

Ling Xingzhi stared blankly at Zhou Xiye, thinking that his rejection had upset her. Looking at her, Ling Xingzhi felt as if something was stuck in his throat, and he couldn't swallow it down no matter how hard he tried.

"Um... I'm going to have a smoke," he said, getting up and walking out of the ward, disappearing from Zhou Xiye's side like the wind.

Zhou Xiye stared at his retreating figure, lost in thought. Had she ever considered what it would be like if she also had a father who could support her through thick and thin?

Then there would be no Zhou Xiye as we know him today.

She couldn't help but smile bitterly. Of course, she had the confidence to rely on herself, but she could also rely on her father. Not to mention those far away, just look at Ling Xingzhi—he could ride the wind to the clouds. Ling Xingzhi was not lacking in skills and abilities, but he was held back by so-called love and was a man of strong emotions.

Zhou Xiye couldn't really comment, after all, she had once been indebted to this kind of person. She couldn't bring herself to betray him, but this time she couldn't repay Ling Xingzhi in any way, so she silently remembered this debt of gratitude.

The clouds in the distance were thick, layer upon layer, and blue waves surged onto the shore one after another, like white sleeves beating against the beach.

On the rooftop, Ling Xingzhi, a cigarette dangling from his lips and hands in his pockets, calmly gazed at the sea.

He...chooses his own father, isn't that a matter of course?

Before he took action, he had countless thoughts of rebellion, but after leaving Beijing, far from the center of power, and free from his father's oppression, he actually appreciated the benefits his family had brought him. He was fully aware of Zhou Xiye's situation; he was being targeted and criticized at the provincial meeting.

If Zhou Xiye hadn't been so sharp and outspoken, and if his father hadn't been Ling Qingyun, he wouldn't have had a good time in Kunming.

Everyone knows he's just here to make a brief appearance.

Zhou Xiye is different; she wants to get things done and must use Kunming as a springboard to move up the ladder.

A flash of light suddenly appeared on the distant sea, and a golden line was inlaid on the edge of the clouds. A few seconds later, thunder rumbled into our ears.

"I'm also curious, why must I choose you? Why can't you choose me?"

These words echoed in Ling Xingzhi's ears again.

He had already smoked most of the cigarette, then raised his hand to take it down and examined it closely. A gust of wind blew, and large drops of rain fell, extinguishing the cigarette.

I put my hand down, and my arm swayed slightly due to inertia.

Ling Xingzhi chuckled self-deprecatingly, then turned and walked downstairs. He admitted that he was not a hero; he had succumbed to the protection afforded by his ancestors' power, and he was someone who would seek shelter from the rain.

There's nothing wrong with admitting your cowardice, and it doesn't matter if Zhou Xiye laughs at you; he knows what's important.

Ling Xingzhi quickly stepped into the elevator before the rain intensified.

As soon as he returned to his room, Ling Xingzhi heard Zhou Xiye talking. He closed the door and took a few steps. He saw that Zhou Xiye was holding a mobile phone and discussing politics with Qiao Senxi. He turned around and took off his slightly damp clothes.

Wearing nothing underneath his clothes, Zhou Xiye's previously serious face suddenly broke into a smile that held a hint of something unreadable. "Okay, I'll be back soon. We'll talk about this when I get back..."

Qiao Senxi paused, then said, "Secretary Zhou, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection has arrived. The person in charge said... she is an old friend of yours."

"An old friend?" Zhou Xiye suddenly paused. "Li Ling?"

Ling Xingzhi took a piece of clothing out of the closet and put it on. Hearing this name, he turned around to look at her.

"Yes, it's Director Li. She... she said she's on vacation and came to visit you..."

Zhou Xiye chuckled, "Okay, I understand. We'll talk about it when I get back." She hung up the phone and looked at Ling Xingzhi. "Is it raining outside?"

Ling Xingzhi nodded, looking at Zhou Xiye, wanting to explain, but Zhou Xiye didn't seem to care, as if the suggestion just now was a joke.

"I just asked the doctor, and I can go back to China next week."

Ling Xingzhi nodded, "Then I'll go back next week too."

After saying this, the two fell silent again. Zhou Xiye smiled, raised her arm, and put it on Ling Xingzhi's shoulder. He thought Zhou Xiye was going to tell him something important, and Shen Qing suddenly tensed up, licking his lips, wanting to make his position clear.

But Zhou Xiye smiled and asked, "Could I borrow your dad's plane?"

As soon as the plane landed, a cold wind swept in, carrying the unique smell of Kunming.

Zhou Xiye took a deep breath, feeling refreshed.

She's back.

Upon arriving at the long-missed office, Qiao Senxi saw that the plants she had recently cultivated were growing very well. With a smile, she followed behind Zhou Xiye.

"Secretary Zhou, why did it take you so long to go to Panama this time? What new achievements did you bring back?"

Zhou Xiye sat down in her chair and looked around. It seemed that her experience in Panama had been blocked. No wonder Pei Zhiyu hadn't called her. It seemed that there were quite a few people watching Ye Rouxin's things. Those who could do this must be very powerful.

"Consider it a publicly funded trip. Look, even Mayor Ling is having so much fun he doesn't want to leave," Zhou Xiye chuckled, opened a drawer, took out his own camera, and placed it on the table. "Is there anything else?"

Qiao Senxi hesitated for a moment, then sat down. "It's like this, Secretary Zhou, the agritainment project was suspended because of Hu Rui's matter. When do you think we can resume it?"

"Resume it?" Zhou Xiye shook his head. "Since the agritainment project has been stopped, there's no need to restart it. I have other uses for this land."

Qiao Senxi was taken aback. "Really not going to open it? I feel that agritainment has helped our tourism industry recover quite a bit... Secretary, this land is just sitting idle anyway, so why not open it for a few months first? Even if this land has other uses, it can't be put into operation immediately. Agritourism projects are simple. It's just a piece of paper and a document. The things are all owned by the local people. They live off the land and the water. It doesn't require too much time."

Zhou Xiye nodded; Qiao Senxi's words made some sense. Zhou Xiye had two ideas for the land used for the agritourism business: one was to attract foreign investment to build a large amusement park; the other was to sell the land to real estate developers through local government financing vehicle (LGFV) bonds to create a high-end residential community.

However, in Kunming, and indeed throughout the country, the total amount of local government financing vehicle (LGFV) bonds has reached over 60 trillion yuan, far exceeding the sum of national and local government bonds.

Will selling more land stimulate the real estate market?

Zhou Xiye hesitated; she still wanted to hear the expert's advice on this matter.

“Alright then, let’s keep the agritourism project open for another six months, using more seasonal features to attract tourists, and at the same time, invite some international artists to perform,” Zhou Xiye decided. “In these few months, let’s discuss how to handle the land issue. Go find the director of urban construction, and also notify the members of the Standing Committee of the Municipal Party Committee to have a meeting when they have time.”

A weight lifted from Qiao Senxi's heart. He nodded and said, "Okay." He looked at Zhou Xiye and thought of the beautiful young woman from Fuxian Tower.

He didn't say anything.

"Is there anything else?" Zhou Xiye asked.

Qiao Senxi shook his head. "That's all. These are the documents that have been accumulating recently."

“Okay, I understand,” Zhou Xiye said, taking the documents and looking down at them. Qiao Senxi watched Zhou Xiye get busy, then turned and left. For a moment, the room was silent, save for the occasional sound of turning pages and signing.

After a while, Zhou Xiye put down the documents and pen, picked up the phone, and made a call.

"Pan Yun, come to my office when Secretary Qiao is not here."

Two flowers bloom, each representing a different branch.

As soon as Ling Xingzhi returned to Kunming, he saw the new wife that Ling Qingyun had arranged for him.

Zhou Xiye glanced at Ling Xingzhi with disdain in his eyes—this is the path you chose yourself. Look, how long has Wei Luochen been dead, and your father is already in a hurry to find someone to take over for you.

Anyway, Ling Xingzhi felt quite disgusted at the time.

He didn't know who he was disgusted by, and his emotions had nowhere to go, so he wasn't in a good mood. Facing his soon-to-be new wife, he couldn't smile, so he leaned back in his seat and dozed off the whole way. The woman's perfume wafted into his nose, and he frowned, lowering the car window slightly.

To be honest, it had nothing to do with the newcomer; it was Ling Xingzhi's own incompetence. His fiancée was gentle and generous, completely different from Wei Luochen. However, she came from an outstanding family; both her parents had patronage from the Communist Party, and she had an older brother who held a high-ranking position in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and China Tobacco.

In short, she was a woman who was a good match for him in terms of social status, but as for her personality... Ling Xingzhi was too lazy to observe her, since none of them were suitable for him to marry anyway.

"See you tonight?"

The woman smiled as she spoke to Ling Xingzhi, who nodded and got out of the car expressionlessly.

"Mayor, this is a document sent by the Party Secretary. Please take a look."

As soon as he arrived at the office, Li Qingshan came over to deliver the documents.

"Okay, put it there."

He ordered Xingzhi to sit down and open the document.

Having spent a long time in Panama, with a lot of documents and materials to read, Ling Xingzhi listlessly looked through them for a while, then took out his phone. Just then, a message came from his new wife: "I've made a reservation at the Regent Hotel. See you tonight."

Ling Xingzhi read the messages sent by his new wife, Jiang Yule, several times, but ultimately did not reply.

He felt awkward about finding someone new so quickly. On one hand, he felt he had let Wei Luochen down, and on the other hand, he really didn't want to use marriage as a tool to maintain a relationship anymore. But faced with Ling Qingyun's arrangements, did he have any room to resist?

Ling Xingzhi put down his phone, thought about it, and realized there probably was such a thing, but compared to that, enduring a boring marriage was much easier. Thinking this, his shoulders slumped.

Is it powerful? Is it powerful? Is it powerful?

This is so fucking boring. What's the point of living like this?

Ling Xingzhi slammed his hand on the table, stood up, and stormed out, rushing into Zhou Xiye's office with a menacing air.

In Zhou Xiye's office, a wealthy woman sat on the sofa, sipping tea. Hearing the sound, the two turned to look. Ling Xingzhi, seeing the extra person in the office, instinctively paused.

The lady stood up, frowning. "And this is...?"

Zhou Xiye also stood up and began to introduce, "This is Mayor Ling, Ling Xingzhi, and this is Ms. Yu Huanling. She is from Taiwan and is one of the investors of Fuxianlou."

Ling Xingzhi nodded, walked to the sofa and sat down, picked up the kettle on the coffee table and poured a glass of water.

Yu Huanling looked at Zhou Xiye, who was also puzzled.

Ling Xingzhi held the cup, wanting to drink some water, but glanced at them, put it down, and held the cup between his fingers. The cup was a little hot. "What, does Ms. Yu have some secret to tell Secretary Zhou? Can't I listen?" He said with his usual frank smile.

This made it difficult for Yu Huanling to say anything awkward.

“No, Ms. Yu is discussing the investment in Fuxian Tower with me. It just so happens that Mayor Ling is in charge of the economy. The city construction must have gone through the municipal government. You can ask him for more information, Ms. Yu,” Zhou Xiye said, sitting down to smooth things over and relax his posture.

Seeing this, Yu Huanling also sat down, looking at Zhou Xiye's face and hesitating, not knowing what to say.

Zhou Xiye smiled knowingly, "Ms. Yu, you may not know, but Mayor Ling's father is currently a member of the cabinet. With this connection, Mayor Ling has even more influence and connections than I do. He can definitely help you get justice!"

Ling Xingzhi was drinking tea when he heard Zhou Xiye say this. His hand trembled, and he burned his tongue because he wasn't prepared. He quickly put down the cup.

What's going on?

These are two different things.

The two ladies looked at him. Yu Huanling's eyes were filled with doubt, while Zhou Xiye looked on with anticipation. "Ms. Yu, we just heard that you are an investor in Fuxianlou. But Fuxianlou was already built when we arrived. Do you have any further questions?"

Yu Huanling shook her head, then turned to Zhou Xiye. "Secretary Zhou, I came to see you because I witnessed your courage and strategy. The matter behind Fuxianlou involves many forces. I know you don't want to get involved, but I still came to see you. I trust you; you're the only one here with the guts." Yu Huanling stood up. "As for Mayor Ling..." She glanced at Ling Xingzhi. "I don't trust him. Even if he were the emperor, I wouldn't trust him... This matter is quite difficult. I'm not in a hurry to force you to make a choice. I'll be leaving now."

After saying that, Yu Huanling put on her clothes and left Zhou Xiye's office. Zhou Xiye stood up and watched her departing figure, letting out a soft sigh.

"Another mission?"

The order was carried out and the question was stopped.

Zhou Xiye looked down at him. "What are you doing here? Have you read through all the information and documents I gave you?"

Ling Xingzhi straightened his back. "I haven't finished reading it yet."

Zhou Xiye looked at Ling Xingzhi, lost in thought. Ling Xingzhi's earlier sullenness vanished completely. He didn't know what he'd done to deserve coming to Zhou Xiye's office, so he smiled and stood up, "Then, Secretary Zhou, I'll go look at the documents first..."

"Is your fixed monthly salary enough to buy a Bentley?"

Zhou Xiye suddenly asked.

Ling Xingzhi turned to look at Zhou Xiye, "Why are you interested in this?"

"No, I just want to know how much you embezzled."

"..."

Zhou Xiye laughed heartily at the helpless expression on Ling Xingzhi's face, took a few steps to stand in front of him, and said, "You're not in a good mood today... Relax. Right now, your father and those people are targeting me, it has nothing to do with you. You just need to be a good young master in peace."

"You know they're watching you, and you can still laugh?" Ling Xingzhi became serious. "You need to be careful about your personal safety now. Have someone taste your food before you eat it, check your car, and be aware of the surroundings when you arrive at your destination..."

Zhou Xiye was getting a little impatient with what he was saying.

Ling Xingzhi keenly caught Zhou Xiye's micro-expression and immediately stopped the topic, "Don't be impatient, this is a matter of life and death. Yes, I know you're just relying on the fact that you got Ye Rouxin's things, and others also want to know what those things are. Killing you won't do you any good, but you also need to know how Ye Rouxin died. I don't want you to end up like him."

Mentioning Ye Rouxin, Zhou Xiye couldn't stand Ling Xingzhi's evaluation of him, "Ling Xingzhi, since you didn't choose me, we are enemies in this matter. Since we can't be on the same side, then stand by and do nothing. Don't come out and make sarcastic remarks, I don't like to hear them."

“Zhou Xiye, if you want me to choose you, you need to have something to offer, right? What benefits would I get from following you?” Ling Xingzhi suddenly wanted to be meticulous, and he asked Zhou Xiye seriously.

"At least I won't have to be arranged to marry someone by others."

"Marriage isn't that important to me."

"So that's why they have affairs during marriage to find true love?"

"Zhou Xiye, what are you getting married for this time? Why are you talking about me like this?" Ling Xingzhi almost burst out laughing.

"Yes, I married for power, but I chose my own spouse. Can you do that?"

Ling Xingzhi seemed to have heard the most absurd joke in the world. He laughed, put his hands in his pockets, and took a few steps back. "Did you choose this yourself? Zhou Xiye, did you choose Pei Zhiyu, or did Pei Zhiyu arrange for you to become his wife? Didn't you think about that? What did Lu Daiyuan promise you? Why did he change his mind? Why don't you think about it carefully!"

Zhou Xiye raised his eyes and stared intently at Ling Xingzhi.

Ling Xingzhi suddenly realized that he had said the wrong thing.

Their argument seemed to have been paused, and they remained deadlocked.

"Ling Xingzhi, what did you just say? Say it again."

Ling Xingzhi stood there with a sullen face, looking down at the ground.

"My marriage to Pei Zhiyu was arranged by him?" Zhou Xiye asked softly, his eyes seemingly flashing with fire as he stared at Ling Xingzhi. "Is that what you mean?"

Ling Xingzhi shook his head. "I think it's possible. The Pei family is large and powerful. He would choose you..." Ling Xingzhi chuckled. "I know the standards for choosing a marriage partner in this circle. Unless it's the individual's insistence, they have to follow their family's arrangements. Pei Zhiyu is no exception."

Ling Xingzhi tried to change the subject, but Zhou Xiye wasn't interested in his explanation and asked bluntly, "Someone from the Pei family went to Lu Daiyuan to make a deal, is that right? You know about this?"

"I've heard of it, but I'm not sure."

"What else is related to him?" Zhou Xiye asked.

Ling Xingzhi raised his hand and rubbed the tip of his nose. "No, these are all my speculations. His mother is the chairperson of the Women's Federation, so it's only natural that she would urge him to get married. You and he are old classmates... He loves you, you should know that."

Zhou Xiye nodded. "Anything else?"

“That’s all,” Ling Xingzhi sighed. Looking at Zhou Xiye, he felt a pang of heartache. He took two steps to Zhou Xiye, slowly raised his hand, and patted her shoulder. “I was just guessing. Don’t overthink it. If there’s a problem, you should ask him. After all, this is a matter between you and your husband.”

Zhou Xiye nodded, "Okay, you can go now, I still have things to take care of here."

Ling Xingzhi looked at Zhou Xiye's face, and after confirming that she was really thinking about it, he turned and left the office. He never thought that he would be so foolish as to tell Zhou Xiye what he had been suspecting at this moment, and after saying it, he felt sorry for her.

She always thought that her choices were all pre-arranged by someone.

In matters of marriage, they were kindred spirits. But Zhou Xiye had a backup plan; her biggest support was herself. One second he felt they were from the same world, the next, Ling Xingzhi felt pathetic and ashamed.

He wanted to drag Zhou Xiye into the same quagmire as him, but Ling Xingzhi himself knew that Zhou Xiye could climb out. If he didn't make a choice, he could only watch helplessly as Zhou Xiye left.

No matter how hard or tiring it is, no matter how much blood she bleeds, she will never give up.

It's strange, how come she doesn't get tired?

Ling Xingzhi sighed, slowly walked down the stairs, leaned against the windowsill, took out a cigarette, and put it in his mouth without lighting it. A person who was going upstairs for a meeting passed by him and called out twice. Ling Xingzhi nodded, and only after everyone had left did he take out his lighter.

"Mayor, you've been smoking quite heavily lately?"

Ling Xingzhi took the cigarette out of his mouth and looked at Li Qingshan, "Pack up the materials, let's go back to the municipal government office."