Pretending to be serious

When the clock struck nine, Gao Junxiao knocked on Qingcheng's door.

As a man who keeps his promises, he arrives at the exact time his wife says so, so he stood at the door for six minutes and seven seconds as punishment, thinking every second about how to start the conversation.

With a creak, a delicate floral fragrance wafted through the gentle breeze as the door opened and closed. Behind the door stood He Qingcheng, enveloped in the sweet scent. A towel covered her damp hair, and white steam rose from all around, giving Qingcheng, who was without makeup, a unique beauty.

A few drops of water traced along her temples, gliding across her fair skin, and then, drawn by the earth's gravity, landed on her delicate collarbone...

Her soul instantly floated to a height of ten thousand meters, was smashed to pieces by the meteorite, and then fell back to the ground. Gao Junxiao forced himself to concentrate and used his reason to tell his brain that she had just taken a shower and there was no need to make a fuss!

As he handed over the gift, Gao Junxiao tried to avoid looking at Qingcheng's fair neck, but once his gaze shifted away, his other senses were amplified. The scent of her post-bath fragrance felt like soft little hands teasing the tip of his nose, both tingling and itchy.

Kiyosumi took the gift and asked why she arrived so close to the time. "After nine o'clock" meant either 9:15 or 9:30.

He had no idea about the difference, so he cleared his throat and said in a serious tone, "Ahem, if I'm too early, I'll go downstairs and wait a bit."

"Since you're already here, do you think we'd kick you out? What would you like to drink?" Qingcheng opened the door wider to welcome the guest inside.

Of course, it should be water, preferably cool water. Compared to the clear and generous demeanor, Gao Junxiao felt that the dryness in his throat was a sign of ulterior motives. He kept reminding himself that he was here on business and should not act like a frivolous playboy.

Unfortunately, his hands and feet wouldn't obey him, and he followed Qingcheng clumsily, his eyes unconsciously glancing towards the bathroom. What did she use to smell so good?

Shampoo, soap, or something else? Damn curiosity drew Gao Junxiao's nose deeper into the sniff, so much so that he didn't hear Qingcheng calling him several times.

"Does it smell good? Do you want to take a shower too?" He's soft voice came from beside me, with a hint of teasing and laziness.

Gao Junxiao suddenly snapped back to his senses, and in a flash, his hand and face were pressed together. He opened his palm to Qingcheng, but there was nothing there. He pretended to be disappointed that he hadn't caught any mosquitoes and said he would catch them for her later.

Under Qingcheng's bewildered gaze, Gao Junxiao darted onto the sofa in three quick steps. He pretended to swat a mosquito, but actually wanted to slap himself twice. What was he doing? What was he doing? He couldn't be foolish; they needed to talk about serious business later.

The distance between them increased, giving Gao Junxiao some breathing space. He gradually calmed down and looked around. The curtains were already drawn, and the clear room was almost unchanged, except for a brand new cloth bag on the sofa. It was soft and probably contained her new clothes.

Another difference caught Gao Junxiao's attention: a file folder on the coffee table, made of kraft paper, with a number written on it, looked quite professional.

As expected, the bag contained the information he wanted. He twisted the lock on the bag, wrapped it around a few times, and successfully pulled out the information.

A standard 2-inch photo of the file revealed that its owner was indeed Dai Yunong. The file was slightly thicker than the one they had found in Nanjing, which surprised him. He thought to himself that Qingcheng's information channels had some substance.

Before Gao Junxiao could thank her, Qingcheng put her water glass on the coffee table. When she bent over, her loose-fitting collared pajamas couldn't hide her beautiful hillside scenery at all. Gao Junxiao choked and almost dropped the file in his hand.

Afraid that Qingcheng would notice his unusual behavior, he quickly propped his chin up, using his fingers to cover his flushed face, his gaze drifting towards Meimei almost imperceptibly...

"Hey, I'm seeing things. It's just a flesh-colored thermal shirt," Gao Junxiao sighed, unsure whether it was helplessness or regret.

"Never mind, let's just look at the files." Gao Junxiao focused his attention back on the paper. The first four pages were almost identical to what he had found in Nanjing, so there was no need to look at them in detail.

The difference begins to emerge from page five, which details his acquaintance with Commander Hu. It turns out they knew each other before taking the entrance exam for the Whampoa Military Academy. However, Commander Hu was more outstanding and passed the exam in the first class, while Dai Yunong managed to get into the second batch of the sixth class after many twists and turns, but ended up deserting and dropping out before finishing his studies.

After serving as an unofficial intelligence officer for several years, Dai Yunong decided to start his own business. Commander Hu contributed the most to this effort, and even the office space in Ji'e Lane was a gift from Commander Hu.

The two, one in white and one in black, one in the light and one in the dark, flattered each other in front of Principal Jiang and tried their best to give each other a platform. Their relationship was extraordinary, which was within Gao Junxiao's expectations and he was not too surprised.

Turning to the next page, a familiar name jumped into view—Tang Jizu. "Damn it," Gao Junxiao cursed under his breath. "What good can those two scoundrels do together?"

Since the power in the headquarters completely shifted to Commander Xiong, Tang Jizu became practically invisible in the headquarters. His position as chief of staff was merely a formality, and his talents had nowhere to be displayed. He must have been very unwilling to accept this.

The detailed accounts clearly revealed Tang and Dai's recent arms and gasoline transactions. Although he had destroyed the workshop he worked with the bandits, the channels for selling stolen goods were still firmly controlled by the man surnamed Tang. He could still make money by changing suppliers.

In business, Tang Jizu was truly unparalleled, willing to accept goods from anyone. However, Dai Yunong himself was dirt poor; where would he get supplies? He was probably just a middleman, making a profit from the difference.

The most likely new supplier is Commander Hu. Tang Jizu, Dai Yunong, and Commander Hu are all from Zhejiang. If they directly try to curry favor with Commander Hu, who is a big shot, it would inevitably be suspected of forming cliques for personal gain. It is not impossible for them to ask Dai Yunong to pass on the message.

Dai Yunong was essentially Principal Jiang's henchman; no one dared to investigate his accounts. If some fool were to investigate and eventually find the old man, he'd be caught in the middle, like Pigsy looking in a mirror—unpleasant to both sides.

Furthermore, with Commander Xiong about to be transferred, and based on what I've heard in Nanjing, Commander Xiong is very likely to retire and enter politics. People with resources might try their luck and pull strings, and who knows, they might end up like Commander Tang.

The interests of these three were inextricably linked, which made Gao Junxiao uneasy. Who knew if the man surnamed Tang would plant new spies? Commander Xiong was about to be promoted, and the Communist Party didn't care anymore, so he probably wouldn't bother with the spies either.

Gao Junxiao downed the water in his glass without expression, and only then did he hear the soothing piano music. The gramophone in the room had been turned on for some reason.

Under the warm light, Qingcheng stood on a footstool, sinking into the single sofa as if she had no bones. Her long legs were together, and she was writing something, using her legs as a table.

He has no posture at all; where did he learn such bad habits? His eyes are going to be ruined from looking at them. Gao Junxiao wanted to discipline him, but he stopped himself from speaking. He didn't want to disturb this rare moment of peace.

At this moment, Qingcheng rubbed her eyes, her eyelids drooping as if she were very uncomfortable. See? He knew this would happen. Gao Junxiao completely understood Mrs. Li's feelings. Indulging her would only harm his beloved. After all, in fifty years, he would be the one helping a blind old lady cross the street. No, he couldn't let her become a blind old lady.

Gao Junxiao couldn't stand it any longer. He stood next to the single sofa and tapped Qingcheng's knee with a piece of paper. She didn't look up and lazily asked, "What's up?"

"Well, I have a few questions I'd like to ask. Please sit down first." Gao Junxiao suppressed his inner turmoil, and even he felt his tone was a bit stiff.

"I'm busy right now. Look at the documents for a bit more." Kiyosumi, like a paralyzed patient, refused to move an inch and continued to do things her own way.

Since he wouldn't listen to reason, he decided to take action. Gao Junxiao rolled up the manuscript, quietly circled around behind him, and soft piano music came from the corner, covering the sound of clothes rubbing together. The flames burning in his chest rose higher and higher with his raised arm.

He raised the scroll of paper and aimed it at Qingcheng's head, but in a flash, his hand jerked, deflecting the force slightly to the left, and the paper struck her shoulder. Startled, Qingcheng turned her head, her half-dry curly hair bouncing like a spring, a hint of annoyance in her eyes.

Adhering to the principle of "I'm not embarrassed, it's others who are embarrassed," Gao Junxiao tapped a few more times, smiling and speaking gently: "Are your shoulders sore? Let me tap them for you. Sitting like this is bad for your cervical spine, lumbar spine, and eyes. You should write at a table from now on."

"Thank you for reminding me." Glancing at his "good intentions," the annoyance in Miss He's eyes turned into pity. Qingcheng raised an eyebrow and pushed the scroll away, but her fingertips unintentionally brushed against the back of his hand.

He recoiled as if electrocuted. Gao Junxiao, who had only meant to joke around, was already in a frenzy of excitement. He tried to control his trembling lips and said, "Um~ I'll head back now, um~ I won't disturb your sleep~ I have to go to work tomorrow."

"What kind of work? I'll help you get a day off tomorrow, so you don't have to get up early." Qingcheng smiled and winked at him meaningfully.

The music in the room sounded different to Gao Junxiao. The heat traveled down his spine, and his ears turned from pink to deep red. He didn't need to look in a mirror to know that he looked absolutely ridiculous.

"If you're tired, go wash up first. Your mind will be clearer after a shower," Qingcheng said softly, as if casually telling him to go get himself a glass of water.

Something felt increasingly off. Gao Junxiao focused his mind, thinking that he should go back and take a shower first, and then come back up to continue looking at the information. Qingcheng must mean the same thing.

"Hey, where are you going?" Qingcheng suddenly stood up from the sofa and blocked his way. "I've prepared everything for you, wrapped up on the sofa."

A package? His mind went blank. He walked around to the original spot, bent down and opened the cloth package. With a snap, the string broke. Towel, toothbrush, soap, a set of men's pajamas, and even men's underwear!

Haha, a test! She must be testing me! Qingcheng is still angry, how could she let me stay overnight? However, the atmosphere at the moment was too intimate, how could he not have wild thoughts? Gao Junxiao held his forehead and felt dizzy. He felt like he was being torn in two by desire and morality.

Suddenly, a bad feeling popped into his head. He straightened up and stared intently at Qingcheng with burning eyes: "Are you... playing me? Are you happy to see me make things difficult for you?"

"Happy? Do I look happy to you?" Kiyosumi asked with a forced smile.

These words deflated Gao Junxiao. Qingcheng clearly didn't mean that, and she wasn't that kind of person.

"This file is highly classified. You are not allowed to take it away. You must read it inside the house." Seeing that he did not speak, Qingcheng explained to herself.

So that's what it means. Holding the pile of clothes, Gao Junxiao made a mental calculation: "I'm slow at looking at things, so I definitely won't be able to finish looking at them all in a short time. How about I come to your place tomorrow night to continue looking at them?"

"Trying to bargain, is that it?" Kiyosumi smiled dismissively. "You don't think that looking at Dai Yunong's information will increase your chances of winning, do you? While you were looking at his file, he had already taken yours to the World's Fair."

Under the overwhelming pressure of Qingcheng's invincible aura, Gao Junxiao felt very aggrieved and raised his voice slightly: "They've already gained the upper hand, there's nothing I can do. Aren't you supposed to be a capable progressive woman? If you have a good solution, don't keep it to yourself."

Without any apparent reason, Qingcheng sneered twice: "Gao Junxiao, you're really shameless. You take it for granted that I'll revolve around you, have your children and be your nanny, while also maintaining my confidence and independence, achieving career success, earning enough money to support myself, and giving you something to brag about."

"I have to keep smiling at all times, I can't show any emotion, and I have to provide you with a gentle haven, be your confidante, and even when your mind is a mess, I have to give you advice and do the work of an advisor. If I do anything wrong, you can easily belittle me. Is this all there is to progressive women? The pressure is still greater for us men."

She finished speaking in one breath, and Gao Junxiao couldn't get a single word in. When she needed to catch her breath, he weakly replied, "I didn't."

"You're just saying one thing and meaning another. When all the blood in your body is flowing down to your lower body, you don't even have enough brainpower left to sit at the kids' table." Kiyosumi rolled her eyes at him.

The words "unworthy" stung his vulnerability, and Gao Junxiao couldn't help but argue: "Then I'll sit on the roof, so I won't get in your way, okay!"

"You still dare to sit here? You have so much time, why don't you ascend to immortality? Others ascend through their own cultivation, but you have to rely on the bullets Dai Yunong gave you. Before you leave, you'll splatter everyone in the main hall with your blood. Please open your eyes before you die and see that the people stained with blood in the main hall are all your closest relatives and friends." Qingcheng's words were righteous and awe-inspiring.

In an instant, an overwhelming sense of shame overwhelmed Gao Junxiao. Thinking of his promise to Chen Yao to come up with a strategy within seven days, he felt a mix of emotions: "I will definitely finish reading the file today and memorize it well."

"When the wind rises, it's time to set sail, but before you set sail, have you planned your route?" Kiyosumi asked, his hands behind his back, like a teacher asking a question in a classroom.

To prove himself, Gao Junxiao hurriedly nodded: "Yes, yes, Dai Yunong and Xu Qiao have a conflict, right? Then we can offer them a benefit to make them suspicious of each other."

After circling around and turning off the gramophone, Kiyosumi sat back down on the single sofa, put her feet on the footstool, and asked, "What benefits?"

“They all like to arrest Communist Party members, so I’ll give them a high-ranking cadre,” Gao Junxiao explained. “Of course, not alive, and I don’t have one. I plan to buy a fresh corpse on the black market to forge an identity. The main purpose is to create a diversion, distract them from their investigation, and reduce the pressure on Chen Yao’s side.”

"Oh, a very risky plan. The tactics are good, but your strategic goals are too outdated. This can only solve the immediate problem, not the long-term one," Kiyosumi replied casually, looking at her fingers.

"Hey, this little girl dares to show off her limited skills in front of me?" Gao Junxiao thought to himself, feeling unconvinced, but he asked politely, "May I ask what insightful opinion Miss He has?"

Qingcheng didn't rush to answer. She pushed the manuscript she had been writing on her lap from the coffee table to Gao Junxiao, indicating that he should take a look first. Gao Junxiao took the manuscript and his eyes stopped moving. He stared intently at her train of thought, reading line by line.

When he reached the last page, he flipped to the other side with lingering interest, only to find it blank. He instinctively leaned out and asked Qingcheng, "What's next?"

"You interrupted me, I hadn't even had a chance to write yet," Qingcheng said lightly, blowing on her fingers. She had somehow gotten a nail file and was manicuring her nails.

What a tragedy! The heart-wrenching pain made Gao Junxiao gasp for breath. It felt like he was engrossed in reading "Dream of the Red Chamber," but then it ended after the 80th chapter, and he had nowhere to vent his resentment.

Ouch! Gao Junxiao's head sank. It turned out that Qingcheng had thrown a pillow at him. He hugged the pillow and looked at Qingcheng with a mournful expression. It hurt!

Qingcheng seemed not to have noticed, pointing out that Gao Junxiao's strategy was outdated because he stayed in China and had never seen how real industrialized countries fought wars. Modern warfare is no longer two-dimensional, but three-dimensional.

From a micro perspective, the three dimensions of land, sea, and air must work together to suppress the enemy. From a macro perspective, diplomatic influence, an industrialized military-industrial complex, and a stable domestic economic environment are all essential to demonstrating the comprehensive strength of a great power. If any one of these is missing, the others will be weak. A weak country is not qualified to sit at the table and can only be bullied by international powers.

After Qingcheng and Gao Junxiao digested the information, they continued to explain that during the European wars, there were conflicts between the major powers, such as trade frictions or geopolitical disputes. Several major powers would start fighting, and the smaller countries would either side with one of the powerful nations to become war allies or remain neutral and profit from the war.

The principle is the same: applying the three-dimensional warfare theory to the court. Dai Yunong has his own three-nation alliance. A larger allied territory can indeed increase the cycle of interests, but a larger territory will also have more neighboring countries, making geopolitical conflicts inevitable.

There are certainly more than just Chen Yao's family with geopolitical conflicts. Gao and Chen need to explore the other "countries" carefully. They should befriend distant countries and avoid attacking nearby ones. Neutral countries can sometimes be a good buffer zone. Only allies that have clearly switched sides can be suppressed.

Of course, Qingcheng told Gao Junxiao with great certainty that Xuqiao is the "country" with the largest border area with Dai Yunong so far. The products they "manufacture" are basically the same, and sooner or later they will fight fiercely over foreign trade share.

Besides the tangible benefits, public opinion guidance is also very important.

Everyone has a tendency to prioritize things. If Chen Yao wanted to become a general, he had to build up his image in advance, create a positive and healthy image, increase his prestige, and interact amicably with several senior political figures. He couldn't skimp on any favors he needed to make.

If you have the resources, you might as well take advantage of the current trend of worshipping foreign things and find a few foreign reporters to conduct exclusive interviews with Chen Yao's divisions, so as to showcase the excellent style of your National Revolutionary Army.

With his heart pounding, Gao Junxiao's thoughts became clearer after listening to Qingcheng's public relations strategy. He could think of a strategy of alliances and counter-alliances, but he hadn't thought of a high-level strategy of boosting reputation.

"I've just given a few examples. Broaden your horizons and don't just focus on your own little corner of the world. It's best to design your strategic goals from a macro perspective," Qingcheng concluded.

After sorting things out, his fighting spirit was fully restored, his gaze became even more intense, and Gao Junxiao eagerly wanted to pull Qingcheng into his arms and proudly declare to the world: This is my wife!

"Don't reveal your true colors before the day is even over. Your credibility is already on the verge of bankruptcy, so don't get any improper ideas." Qingcheng met his eyes, her tone friendly but with a hint of distance.

With his secret exposed, Gao Junxiao hurriedly avoided eye contact. To save face, he could only say against his will, "I wouldn't dare. I'm going to take a shower."

"Go ahead and try it on. Don't worry about the size; my estimation is very accurate." Kiyosumi's tone was quite smug, without the slightest bit of shyness, as if she were casually offering him a drink.

"Is this a matter of size?!" Gao Junxiao struggled to suppress his surging emotions, a pang of sorrow gripping his heart.

"How can it not be a size issue? I've had clothes made with you before, I know your size. Don't be so naive." Kiyosumi nestled on the sofa, her double chin peeking out, looking rather cute.

Gao Junxiao was amused: "Are you sure?"

“Anyway, I bought enough fabric to cover every inch of privacy.” Qingcheng’s eyes sparkled as she twirled a strand of hair and smiled. “But if you have a special way of wearing it, I can’t stop you.”

"Hmph, you win." Gao Junxiao withdrew his gaze from her and asked before leaving, "There wouldn't have been much difference if I had come earlier, so why did you insist that I come at 9 o'clock?"

"Don't you like General Songpo? Well then, I'll play the role of Xiao Fengxian for a while. The blanket is in the footstool, get it yourself. I'm going to sleep now." Qingcheng yawned, ignoring Gao Junxiao's bright red face, and went back to her room to rest.

As soon as she heard the door close outside, Qingcheng immediately relaxed, clutching her stomach and laughing silently. "You bastard, you'll see me but never get me!"

Qingcheng knew Gao Junxiao had arrived early through the peephole as soon as he was made to stand as punishment at the door. On a whim, she changed into a flesh-colored undershirt and went to the bathroom to wet her hair.

Hahaha, I'm just trying to seduce you, so bite me!

I just want to see him suffer. The more upset he is, the happier I am. Pshaw, he thinks he can get forgiveness with just a joint bank account? The criminal has already apologized, so what's the point of having the police?

Qingcheng breathed a sigh of relief. He almost saw through her act just now. How could she fool him if she didn't make a big deal out of it? Hehe, as long as she was serious enough, no matter how much trouble he caused, he would just be a lecher.

The decision to let him stay overnight was made from the beginning. She wanted Dai Yunong to think that he was too busy with his relationship to focus on his career, so that she could buy him more time to retaliate. However, she had just secretly sprayed her usual perfume into the footstool, making sure that the stinky man would be too excited to sleep.

Ah, what a wonderful feeling! Qingcheng lay down on the bed, rolled around a few times, and then drifted off to sleep.