I was so amused by her that I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. I quickly changed the subject and pointed to the brightly lit new city area in the distance, and said with emotion: "Look at this new city area. It changes every day. Don't you feel very happy? It's like watching a child you raised grow up healthily?"
She raised her head slightly, looked at the prosperity tenderly, nodded gently, her eyes twinkling with a different light: "Who says no? This is like planting willows unintentionally and getting shade from them. At the beginning, we were just chatting casually, who would have thought that it would create such a hopeful city full of hope."
I said with emotion: "The term 'City of Hope' is very appropriate. I just passed by and took a special look. Now the shops in the new city have basically attracted merchants. People are coming and going. It is very lively. It feels more prosperous than the old city. Look, even such a luxurious beauty salon has opened, decorated with gold and jade, shining at night."
She took over the conversation, smiling, and said, "All the county offices have moved here, so the atmosphere has naturally snowballed. This month alone, we have paid more than 20 stores for rent and sales. The beauty salon you mentioned is the one run by Director Zhang's wife. That salon is amazing, with luxurious decoration like a palace, and a wide variety of services. Of course, the membership fee is not low. I went there to apply for a membership card a few days ago, and it cost me more than 20,000 yuan."
I was slightly startled, my eyes full of curiosity, and asked, "Which Director Zhang?"
The corners of her mouth curled up, revealing a meaningful smile: "Which Director Zhang are you talking about? Of course it's Zhang Weiguo, the deputy director of the Development Zone Management Committee."
My eyes widened, my mouth opened slightly uncontrollably, my face full of disbelief, and I blurted out: "Zhang Weiguo has this ability?"
Lin Xun lowered his voice and said, "Don't be fooled by his usual smiling and good-natured appearance. He doesn't show off, but he has many tricks in secret. I heard others privately say that when he was in Tongxiang Town, he made a lot of money. His wallet is probably much thicker than we imagined. So, others are working hard to make money and are obsessed with money, but you are still intoxicated by the gentleness of the country all day long."
I lowered my head slightly, a blush of shame appeared on my face, and said in a firm tone with a bit of self-mockery: "I, Guan Hongjun, would never touch that kind of ill-gotten gains even if I were to die of poverty and starvation. A gentleman loves money, but he gets it in a proper way. It's better not to take ill-gotten gains." After a pause, I raised my head, looked at her sincerely, and said a little embarrassedly: "Over the years, thanks to your help time and time again, you helped me when I was in the most difficult time, so that I didn't let the pressure of life force me to have those crooked thoughts."
She stared at me quietly, her eyes full of tenderness and concern. She reached out her hand and gently patted my shoulder, saying seriously: "What's mine is yours. There's no need to separate us. I don't want you to reach out and take the dirty money. Living a clean life is the most important thing."
I was filled with gratitude, looking back at her with burning eyes, my lips trembling slightly, wanting to say something but feeling that words were too pale, so I could only whisper, "I don't need to express my gratitude for your kindness. I, Guan Hongjun, will remember this kindness in my heart. I hope that one day, I will be able to repay this heavy debt of gratitude."
In the dim and hazy light of the street lamp, I could clearly see her eyes gradually turning red, as if covered by a thin layer of mist. She slowly reached out her hand, gently but firmly covered my mouth, her voice choking with sobs: "Guan Hongjun, you are not allowed to say such mean things again. I, Lin Xun, have what I have today and what I have built up in my career, all thanks to you. You saved me, and there is no such thing as repayment or non-repayment between us."
An irresistible impulse surged in my heart, and I couldn't help but move forward and gently kissed her hand on my lips. She quickly retracted her hand as if she had been electrocuted, her cheeks instantly turned red, she glared at me coquettishly, and pretended to be angry and said, "Guan Hongjun, you are not allowed to let your imagination run wild."
I scratched my head awkwardly, trying to hide my inner panic, my eyes drifted into the distance, and I murmured, "My diligence is like the wind chasing away catkins, leaving only shadows; my loneliness is like the rain destroying flowers, and I sob alone in panic."
She pouted her lips slightly, gave me a reproachful look, and said, "I'm afraid that you'll start talking about poetry and lyrics, those flowery sentences that are confusing. But the strange thing is that although I don't understand the deep meaning of those words, I can feel the sadness hidden between the lines."
A bitter smile appeared on the corner of my mouth, and I slowly said: "I have no time to be sad, and I am not qualified to be sad. After going through so much, I finally understand one truth: if you have never had it, you will never lose it; only greed will make you worry about gains and losses."
She tilted her head slightly, staring at me intently, her eyes full of thought, biting her lip lightly, and asked, "Are you thinking about Xiao Shen again?"
My body stiffened slightly, my eyes dodged for a moment, and I didn't respond to her immediately. I just looked further away, as if there were the answers deep in my heart, but I didn't want to be easily peeped.
Seeing that I didn't say anything, she sighed softly and said slowly: "A few days ago, I went to Xiao Shen's wedding. At the wedding, I had a very strange feeling. The scene seemed lively and festive, but the newlyweds seemed to be completing a routine task. There was almost no communication throughout the whole process, and there was no sweetness and love that a newlywed couple should have. It stands to reason that Xiao Shen has always been unable to let go of you, so it is reasonable that he was unhappy at the wedding. But the groom also looked depressed and worried. What do you think is the reason?"
As I listened to her words, my heart was like a pot of mixed feelings. All kinds of feelings surged in my heart, sourness, bitterness, and helplessness intertwined together, making it a little hard to breathe for a moment.
I really don't want to continue this suffocatingly heavy topic, as if if I say one more word, I'll be drowned in the endless memories and pain. Yu 놆, I forced a smile, tried to change the subject, and asked, "By the way, is Liu Yun's resort project going smoothly?"
She raised her eyebrows slightly, and a confident and somewhat nonchalant smile appeared on the corner of her mouth: "The county leaders are all supportive, and the project has been green-lit all the way, and it's smooth sailing. The design drawings are out, and the project will start soon."
I frowned slightly, a trace of worry appeared on my face, and I couldn't help asking, "Honestly, are you really so optimistic about the resort project?"
She waved her hand disapprovingly, as if she had heard something insignificant. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and said calmly, "You know, I'm so busy with the Daxun Company's business in Beijing that I don't have the time to think about it. In the past, no matter what decision I made, no matter how risky or bold it was, Sister Yun stood by me without hesitation, supporting and trusting me unconditionally. This time she finally took the initiative to propose to invest in a project, so why shouldn't I support her with all my strength? It doesn't matter whether the project has prospects or not, as long as she is happy."
I was slightly startled, shook my head gently, and said slowly: "You sisters have a deep friendship. But what you just said is really not something that a profit-seeking businessman should say."
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