0149 158 Searching for spring amidst the snow, lighting lamps to prolong the day

The melodious sound of a violin drifted out from the restaurant, and the diners, dressed in elegant clothes, chatted quietly with polite smiles on their faces.

The lighting created an ambiguous atmosphere, concealing the diners' privacy in the darkness, yet allowing them to still see each other's smiles.

Ling Xingzhi didn't have much of an appetite. After eating a few bites of steak, he picked up his wine glass, swirled it, and looked around aimlessly.

Jiang Yule secretly observed Ling Xingzhi. Facing this elegant but absent-minded man, she was curious, but not particularly curious.

"How long do you plan to stay in Kunming?" Jiang Yule asked with a smile.

Ling Xingzhi paused, and the red wine spun around in the glass again due to inertia.

"I don't know either," he smiled, still showing his hospitality. "And you? I heard from my uncle that you're a researcher at the Forbidden City?"

Jiang Yule nodded, "Yes, I want to be the director of the Palace Museum."

"So you probably won't be staying in Kunming for long, right?" Ling Xingzhi took a sip of his drink. In the distance, a waiter was leading two guests inside. He narrowed his eyes and turned to look at Jiang Yule. "My wife just died, so I don't plan to find someone new so soon."

Jiang Yule smiled, put down her knife and fork, and draped a GUCCI jacket over her shoulders. The tiger and snake on the jacket were intertwined, giving it a unique vitality in the darkness.

"Actually, I'm not interested in men whose wives have died. I came to Kunming to see you only because it was my father's wish."

This straightforwardness contrasted with Jiang Yule's gentle appearance, making Xingzhi smile and become more interested in Jiang Yule. "You are still young. If you have someone you like, don't go down the wrong path."

“Feelings will always fade, but power and money will last forever.” Jiang Yule picked up her wine glass and took a sip. Her high heels bounced up, the sharp heels sticking out on the ground, the red soles reflected on the stone bricks. “The person I love is dead. In my heart, we are both widowed… So it doesn’t matter who I marry. Since marrying you will benefit my family, why not?”

Ling Xingzhi looked down at the glass of red wine, its rich aroma wafting out. "I've just gone through a political marriage, and my wife and I are both in great pain. So I'm wondering whether I should continue the marriage with you."

"Your pain lies in your inability to be faithful. If you marry me... you cannot cheat. Although I don't have any good solutions, I think I would be very angry if I found out my partner was cheating."

Ling Xingzhi chuckled lightly, "It's still far from certain. Yes, she loves me, but I don't love her. Relationships between men and women are just a few complicated things, love or not. Only those involved truly know the feeling."

Jiang Yule tilted her head back and finished her red wine, swirling the empty glass. "So, do you still love her now? I'm talking about the person you loved before, not your wife."

Ling Xingzhi hadn't thought about Kong Lingqi for a long time; the name now seemed somewhat unfamiliar.

Do you still love me?

Ling Xingzhi frowned slightly. He wanted to say the word "love" frankly, but he felt that love was not what he had always thought it was.

Jiang Yule looked at the person opposite her, a sneer playing on her lips. "Don't you know if you still love her? A better woman has appeared in your life, so you've suddenly forgotten what it feels like to love her?"

"No, it's just that I feel like the love I had before was like a castle in the air. The things that are down-to-earth and real in front of me are more important than that."

She spoke politely and indirectly, but Jiang Yule understood immediately. "You've fallen in love with someone else, but you don't dare admit it. Otherwise, all the things you did before would have been ridiculous." She shook her head with a smile and poured herself another glass of wine.

“People in this circle usually say they like their girlfriends when they get one, but very few say they love them. We all know that love is too heavy,” Jiang Yule said slowly as she poured herself a drink and leaned back in her chair. “But sometimes you think it’s love, but once you let go, it all disappears. People always like to find meaning, and they always think that you can only love one person in your life. I don’t think so.”

Ling Xingzhi nodded at this moment. "Yes, people grow up and their experiences change, so it's normal for love to disappear. But love must be unique. It seems inappropriate to dislike your lover just because you've grown up."

“Hypocrisy,” Jiang Yule shrugged. “When I love someone, I want to become them. Once I’m better than them, I stop loving them.”

Ling Xingzhi shook his head, calmly looking at the cold food on the table, as laughter drifted over to his ears.

Familiar yet arrogant.

Jiang Yule turned her head to look at the two women beside her, her gaze settling on the long-haired woman, who exuded a casual and carefree air. Ling Xingzhi also noticed her and turned his head to look. "This is Secretary Zhou, I..."

"I know, she's your boss."

He nodded in response.

Both of their gazes fell on Zhou Xiye. She couldn't possibly be oblivious. She turned her head and smiled at them. Li Ling across from her also looked over. After exchanging greetings, they went back to their own conversations.

"The reason I came to Kunming this time was because Premier Ye asked me to deliver a message: You got Ye Rouxin's things. Should we tell Ye Lifeng?" Li Ling finished her noodles with truffles, put down her fork, and took a sip of red wine.

Zhou Xiye looked at Li Ling and said, "The inspection team just left, and now your Discipline Inspection Commission is here again. Li Ling, are you spying on me, or are you here to pick up something?"

"If you put it that way, you should understand the importance of what you have. I brought so many people here for your safety."

"If I hand over the stuff, will I live?" Zhou Xiye scoffed. "Li Ling, we're not children anymore. Having something is better than having nothing."

Li Ling raised an eyebrow, "You're the same as when you were a child, you haven't changed at all."

"What hasn't changed?"

"Still clinging to those self-righteous ideas, stubbornly sticking to your own opinions. Zhou Xiye, I've been in this industry longer than you. There are no absolutely good people here, nor are there absolutely bad people. Ye Rouxin just couldn't outmaneuver others. Losing means death. Now that he's dead, do you want to follow in his footsteps?"

These words immediately piqued Zhou Xiye's curiosity. She propped her face up with her hand and rested her elbow on the table, leaning forward to get even closer to Li Ling. "You're not like this. You weren't like this before."

Li Ling was taken aback, then smiled knowingly. "What kind of person was I before?"

“Back in high school, the fact that you could be my friend shows that you’re different from the people in our circle,” Zhou Xiye paused, “Back in high school, you came from a prominent family, while I was just someone who didn’t have much say in my own family. The fact that you could be my friend shows that you don’t care about those privileged backgrounds.”

“The only constant in this world is change. You said it yourself, my family was very powerful when I was in high school, but what about now? Even power isn’t static, so why do you expect me to stay the same?” Li Ling found it amusing. “Zhou Xiye, you’ve never fallen from a great height before. You know…” Her expression became complicated. “It’s like overnight, your friends are avoiding you like the plague. When you call them begging for a place to stay, all you get is a cold dial tone. It feels like the whole world has abandoned you.”

Zhou Xiye wanted to say something to comfort her, but Li Ling didn't give her the chance.

"At that moment, I understood that a person must rely on themselves to become strong, not on others. So, ignoring the strange looks from others, I returned to my official career. My cousins ​​had long lost their fighting spirit and stayed at home cursing the heavens and the earth. But now that they see me succeeding, they come to curry favor with me."

Zhou Xiye nodded, her eyes full of admiration. She straightened up and leaned back in her chair, speaking frankly, "Li Ling, emotional appeals work, but they don't work on me. I've always felt sorry for you because of your family's situation, but you yourself said that losing means death, and not dying means winning. I'm still alive now, and I will try my best to keep living."

Li Ling had already anticipated the outcome of the negotiations with Zhou Xiye, so she could only nod and say, "Then the Discipline Inspection Commission might be stationed in Kunming for a longer period of time."

"Director Li, I will cooperate fully with your work," Zhou Xiye said with a distant, official smile.

Li Ling sighed, "Okay, let's go then."

Zhou Xiye glanced at his watch, "Okay, let's go." He stood up, took a few steps, then stopped, turned around and handed the car keys to Li Ling, "You go to the garage first, I'll say hello to Mayor Ling."

"good."

Ling Xingzhi was discussing the historical stories of the cultural relics in the Forbidden City with Jiang Yule when suddenly someone moved a chair over and sat down between them. Ling Xingzhi turned his head and saw that it was Zhou Xiye.

Zhou Xiye tucked her hair behind her ears and placed her hands, fingers interlaced, on her lap. "Mayor Ling, is this your new girlfriend?" she asked Jiang Yule with a smile.

Jiang Yule shook her head, "No, Secretary Zhou, Mayor Ling and I are just friends. My father asked me to come and see him, there's no other meaning."

It seems that Jiang Yule is not interested in the marriage between the two families. Zhou Xiye smiled slightly, "It just so happens that it is a good time to visit Kunming recently. I will grant the mayor's leave and let him accompany you to go sightseeing."

Ling Xingzhi turned to look at Zhou Xiye, his mind racing. It didn't seem like she was jealous; she was probably just trying to get rid of him because the disciplinary inspection team was here. He changed the subject, pouring Zhou Xiye a glass of red wine. "It's almost the end of the year, and there are still many projects in the city. Secretary Zhou can manage on his own, but as mayor, he can't be too willful. Besides, Secretary Zhou has just recovered from a serious illness, so it's important for him to take care of his health."

Zhou Xiye waved his hand, "I won't drink, I have to drive later."

Jiang Yule noticed something about Zhou Xiye and Ling Xingzhi, and asked thoughtfully, "Secretary Zhou, is your husband Mayor Pei?"

"Yes, Pei Zhiyu, we didn't have a wedding ceremony, we just registered our marriage."

Jiang Yule nodded. "Did you get married because of love? That's really rare. In this industry, there aren't many people who can get married because of love."

Zhou Xiye smiled and said, "Yes, I also hope that you can get married because of love."

The three of them remained silent for a while, and the atmosphere became somewhat awkward.

Zhou Xiye felt that was enough, stood up, and said, "Then I'll be going now. See you when you have time."

Jiang Yule watched Zhou Xiye's departing figure and then looked at Ling Xingzhi, "You like her now?"

Is it obvious?

"You're right next to her, both in your eyes and your body. How much more obvious do you need to be?"

Ling Xingzhi chuckled and had nothing to say.

Once in the car, Li Ling scrolled through her phone in the passenger seat, while Zhou Xiye sat in the driver's seat. "I haven't been drinking, so don't worry, I'll drive carefully."

"good."

The car started and drove out of the underground garage; the lights flowed like a silver snake in the night.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve had a relaxing moment like this. After get off work in Beijing, it’s all about social engagements,” Li Ling said, leaning against the window.

“Isn’t having dinner with me just a business dinner?” Zhou Xiye said as he drove. “Even though we’ve known each other for a long time, you haven’t contacted me at all since your family had that incident.”

"Hmph, I don't need your pity."

Zhou Xiye sighed, "See? When you were in a high position, you could be my friend, but after things went wrong, you felt that my friendship with you was just me pitying you. You can't stand me being in a position of power in our relationship... People are always imprisoned by such absurd and boring thoughts."

Li Ling yawned but didn't say anything; the alcohol was taking effect, and she felt drowsy.

Sudden!

Zhou Xiye's car spun around, leaving black marks between the tires and the ground.

"The brakes have failed—"

Li Ling instantly regained her senses.

The red light came on, and the cars on both sides started moving, but Zhou Xiye's car just sped off.

"Hold on tight, I'm going to crash into that car—"

Before Li Ling could react, she tightly closed her eyes.

"Bang--"