0037 43 "Father, you are right."
As the autumn wind rises, leaves fall and pedestrians hurry along.
Ling Xingzhi had Chen Ran park the car at the entrance of Xichang'an Street alley, and then walked towards Ling Qingyun's residence.
It had just rained in the afternoon, and the temperature had dropped a bit. He held an umbrella but didn't open it. Various vendors called out from the roadside, "Old Beijing candied hawthorns! Old Beijing fried dough twists!" Many pedestrians carried souvenirs from the Palace Museum; the rain didn't dampen their enjoyment of the visit.
"This is the Beijing I imagined. Look at the environment of our hotel, it's not even as good as our home."
Hearing this, Ling Xingzhi couldn't help but smile. After walking for a short while, light raindrops appeared on the tips of his leather shoes, but they were not far from where Ling Qingyun lived, and the soldiers at the gate were changing guard.
Ling Xingzhi stepped forward and greeted them. The soldiers smiled at him and said, "Secretary Ling, you've arrived!"
“It just rained, and it’s cold. You should wear more clothes so you don’t catch a cold,” Ling Xingzhi said, glancing inside the door. “I’ll have my secretary bring you two coats.”
The soldier standing in the guard post grinned, "No need, Secretary, we've been in the army, we're strong and healthy, no problem!"
Ling Xingzhi smiled faintly, "This autumn rain came suddenly, so you should take care of yourself." After saying that, he picked up his phone and sent a message, "I told my secretary, he will bring it over in a bit, so I'll go in first."
"Okay! Take care!"
Upon entering the house, the housekeeper and nanny stepped forward to take the things from Ling Xingzhi's hands, saying, "The minister is waiting for you in the dining room."
Ling Xingzhi nodded and followed the butler to the restaurant. The sound of his leather shoes echoed with a hint of reminiscence. The antique scenery outside the window was chilled by the autumn rain, which seemed to have washed away its colors.
After turning a corner, they arrived at a round-table restaurant. Ling Qingyun sat at the head of the table, with Ling Xingzhi to her left and her stepmother Guo Huaisheng to her right. Interestingly, Ling Xingxi was also there today. She and Ling Xingzhi looked at each other and nodded.
"Sit down, you're the only one left."
Ling Qingyun spoke, and Ling Xingzhi took his seat.
The food was served quickly, but Ling Qingyun didn't rush to eat. He looked around, and the nasolabial folds at the corners of his mouth twitched. "It's been a long time since the whole family has eaten together. Although today isn't a special day, I'm in a good mood..."
Ling Xingzhi smiled faintly, looking down at the food on the table.
"Dad, Mom has been gone for a long time, have you forgotten?"
Ling Xingxi suddenly spoke, her eyes filled with some confusion, but everyone present knew that she was neither stupid nor foolish, she was simply looking for trouble.
Guo Huaisheng maintained his smile, "Today, the three of you are having a meal together. Your father is happy, and I am happy for you."
Ling Xingxi snorted, lowered her head, picked up her chopsticks, held them in her hand, and didn't touch the food.
The Ling family's rule is that younger generations can only pick up food after the elders have started eating. Although the Ling family is not a wealthy or powerful clan with a history spanning hundreds of years, they still have their own rules.
Ling Qingyun glanced at Ling Xingxi with displeasure, picked up her chopsticks and took a bite of the food in front of her, and only then did the other three dare to start eating.
"Are your injuries much better?"
After eating a few bites, Ling Qingyun suddenly asked Ling Xingzhi.
"I'm much better now. I've been back at work for a week."
Ling Qingyun nodded upon hearing Ling Xingzhi's reply, "I know that, my secretary told me everything..."
Ling Xingzhi nodded, and just as he was about to add more food to his meal, Ling Qingyun asked again, "Why did Wei Luochen cause a scene at the hospital? What happened? Do you have another woman outside?"
“…No,” Ling Xingzhi thought of the scene in the hospital and frowned. “It wasn’t a woman, but a female subordinate was visiting me and Wei Luochen bumped into her. She thought something had happened.”
Ling Qingyun hummed in agreement, took a bite of food, put down her chopsticks, and turned to look at Ling Xingzhi. "Why did Kong Lingqi go too? Didn't she go abroad with that Yi family boy?"
Ling Xingzhi looked at Ling Qingyun's cheeks rising and falling as she chewed, and his fingers twitched slightly. "It's normal for my cousin to care about me and come to see me."
“Normal…?” Ling Qingyun picked up a napkin and wiped her mouth. “I know you two got along well when you were little, but now that you’re grown up, things are different… Besides, the old lady from the Kong family isn’t in good health, and she’s just waiting for Kong Lingqi to have a child for her to see.”
Ling Xingzhi paused for a moment, and after a few seconds, he said with a bit of a laugh, "Dad, what's the use of you telling me this? Kong Lingqi, who is getting married and having children, should be the one to talk to."
Ling Qingyun sighed and stood up. "That's true... Could you please pass on this message for me when you have time?"
After saying that, he waved his hand, looked at Guo Huaisheng, and said, "I'm finished eating, you guys eat."
He turned and took two steps, then turned back again, saying, "Come to my study after you finish eating."
He nodded in response.
Once Ling Qingyun's footsteps were completely out of reach, Ling Xingxi threw down her chopsticks, glanced at Ling Xingzhi, and turned to leave the restaurant.
The remaining two glanced at each other, said nothing, and finished their meal in silence.
Entering Ling Qingyun's study, he was looking at his phone through his reading glasses, chuckling. Noticing Ling Xingzhi at the door, he put down his phone, took off his glasses, and said, "Come in, and close the door."
He did as instructed, then walked to the sofa opposite the desk and sat down.
"The World Cup is going to be held, you know that, right?"
Ling Xingzhi nodded. "I've heard about it."
"Just do as instructed. I'm sure not many people will object to this, since it's a good opportunity to make money... Yi Shuyuan is a tough nut to crack, but we don't need to pay him any attention. One word from each of us will keep him busy."
Ling Qingyun analyzed the situation, "I'm not sure about Ye Lifeng. He probably wouldn't risk his immediate interests just to oppose me, would he?"
Ling Xingzhi thought for a moment, "Not necessarily. Actually, from an economic point of view, hosting the World Cup is not a good thing. If it really helps stimulate the economy..."
"You're the Party Secretary of Beijing, not someone in charge of the economy. Just focus on understanding your own little corner of the world and don't worry about the decisions made above!"
Ling Qingyun interrupted, stood up, and put his hands behind his back. “I told you from the moment you entered officialdom that your position determines your perspective. You should do what you are supposed to do. You don’t care about the national economy or the people. You just need to make sure the people of Beijing live a good life and that Beijing’s economy improves.”
"Don't even think about governing the world and benefiting the people. You can't do it, and nobody can."
Ling Xingzhi lowered his head and remained silent, just like a well-behaved child listening to a lesson.
Ling Qingyun stood in front of the desk, still with his hands behind his back. "So, you know what to do, right? The other thing is the marriage between Ling Xingxi and Song Yunchu. I've discussed it with the Song family, and we've decided to hold it after the New Year. I've already told her that."
Ling Xingzhi looked up at her father, who was tall and imposing, but whose temples were already streaked with gray. "Father, are you sure you want my little sister to marry him? Does my little sister like him?"
Ling Qingyun snorted, "Can liking someone make a living? Aren't you and Wei Luochen doing quite well now?"
“Dad, you know how Wei Luochen and I are living. I’ve already used marriage as a bargaining chip to secure my political future. My younger sister isn’t in the system either, so you…”
Ling Xingzhi was interrupted before he could finish speaking.
"Yes, she thinks being happy is important. But when she's being bullied and humiliated, she hates that her husband isn't the emperor!"
Ling Xingzhi straightened his back, his Adam's apple bobbed, and after a long while, he said, "Father, you are right."
Before he left, Ling Qingyun gave him a few instructions, which were simply to keep track of who his own people were, who didn't get along with whom, and whose businesses were expanding into Beijing, and to ask Ling Xingzhi to take care of them.
When I came out, it was already dark, and the autumn rain was still drizzling.
Chen Ran walked over from the side, holding an umbrella. "Secretary, shall we go home?"
Ling Xingzhi dodged the umbrella's protection, craned his neck to look at the pitch-black sky where the blue was barely discernible, stretched out his palms, and rainwater fell into them, forming puddles.
After a long while, he finally lowered his head and said, "Go home."
Two flowers bloom, each representing a different branch.
Although Wei Luochen and Ling Xingzhi have reconciled on the surface, their relationship remains cold and shows no signs of thawing.
That evening, the magazine next door sent an invitation to a charity gala, inviting celebrities and magazine editors. Wei Luochen hadn't planned to go; she still felt guilty about the deceased child, but the recent estrangement between her and Ling Xingzhi was making her feel uneasy.
Going to see handsome men and beautiful women is good, and you can also see the drama between celebrities, which is the same as watching a play.
The banquet started with a red carpet walk at 5 p.m. and a live broadcast at 8 p.m.
Wei Luochen didn't walk the red carpet either, wearing a Givenchy haute couture dress and going straight backstage. The editor from the neighboring magazine was also there; her name was Cindy, a fancy name, but she was short and chubby, wore glasses, and had the same hairstyle as the editor-in-chief of American Vogue, but she didn't have Cindy's temperament, only a bit of her competence. Most importantly, she always had to have her haute couture clothes altered.
Wei Luochen ridiculed this for a long time. In Wei Luochen's mind, fashion had nothing to do with fat people or short people.
Wei Luochen sat on the sofa with her arms crossed. When she saw Cindy walking towards her, she let go of her arms, puffed out her chest, and said, "Long time no see. You've become even more beautiful."
Cindy gave a sheepish smile, and the two of them exchanged insincere pleasantries. "No way, Editor-in-Chief Wei is the one who's getting more and more beautiful. I know my own situation."
After exchanging a few words, Cindy suddenly changed the subject, "By the way, I don't know if you've noticed, but the male lead in that currently popular fantasy drama is so handsome, and a really nice guy too..."
As Wei Luochen listened to Cindy praising the popular young actor with a smile, she had already rolled her eyes several times in her heart. Cindy must have slept with this young actor to help him get on top of the five major magazines, or she was acting as a pimp for Wei Luochen.
People in her circle know she has a high-ranking official husband, so how could anyone still dare to act as a pimp for her?
Cindy stared at Wei Luochen for a few seconds, and Wei Luochen suddenly realized that she was done talking. "Okay, then introduce me to her. She sounds so nice to me, I really want to meet her."
"Haha, what a coincidence!" Cindy slapped her thigh. "He's coming tonight. I'll arrange for him to work next to you. What do you think?"
There's no question of whether it will work out or not. Wei Luochen isn't interested in young, pretty boys; she prefers mature men like Ling Xingzhi.
After the celebrities finished walking the red carpet, the banquet began. Sure enough, the young man Cindy had arranged sat next to her, and upon closer inspection, he was quite handsome. However, he wasn't Wei Luochen's type. The young man poured her wine, helped her with her dress, and provided all sorts of attentive and considerate service, but Wei Luochen didn't even glance at him.
There were interesting moments at the dinner party, such as when a male celebrity ran into his ex, who was currently very popular. Or, when rivals met, although they were friendly, Wei Luochen still managed to capture the moment when they rolled their eyes at each other.
Near the end, Wei Luochen went to the restroom, partly to touch up her makeup, as she knew she would be photographed by the media later. Since she hadn't brought a makeup artist, she could only apply loose powder and heavy highlighter, and adjust her dress.
She adjusted the necklace around her neck and casually touched her chest.
They were big enough; she liked it when Ling Xingzhi bit her breasts. But… Ling Xingzhi might have some psychological issues. Why did he like breasts? Was he a mother fixator?
Wei Luochen took out lipstick and applied it in front of the mirror.
It's hard to say. It's normal that Ling Xingzhi's mother passed away when he was very young and he didn't experience maternal love.
Thinking about it, Wei Luochen stopped what she was doing, suddenly realizing something, and her mood improved. She put the cap back on her lipstick and was about to leave when suddenly someone entered through the door—it was the young man from before.
Wei Luochen frowned. "Get out."
The young man didn't think much of it, squatted down, and helped Wei Luochen tie her strappy high heels.
Then, he placed a kiss on Wei Luochen's instep.
What am I not good enough about?
Wei Luochen shook his head. "He's just asking for trouble. I don't like ducks."
After saying that, she was about to leave when the young man grabbed her arm. "Aren't you going to ask my name?"
Wei Luochen squinted at him, "If my husband finds out your name, you definitely won't have a good time."
She shook off the young man's arm and scurried out of the banquet hall in her high heels.
It was already dark, and the roads were flooded. A female celebrity waiting for her car next to her told her assistant to watch her skirt so it wouldn't get wet, as the borrowed dress was expensive. Wei Luochen found it amusing. She walked to the car in her long dress, the hem dragging on the ground and getting wet. No problem, she could just throw it away.
As soon as the car stopped, Wei Luochen saw that none of the lights in the house were on, and her heart shattered into several pieces.
The two moved out of their old home, and she had hoped for a good outcome.
Feeling agitated, Wei Luochen lit a cigarette, took a few puffs, and only got off the bus after feeling better.
Upon entering the room, before the lights were on, Wei Luochen turned and bent down to change his shoes, when he inadvertently noticed scattered red lights next to the sofa.
"who!"
She straightened up and asked warily.
"Smack—"
The lights came on, and Wei Luochen subconsciously squinted.
It was Ling Xingzhi. He had a cigarette between his fingers, the smoke drifting thinly in the air. There were party and government documents on his lap, and a pen on the sofa.
"Are you having fun?"
Command to stop speaking and ask questions.
Wei Luochen finally snapped out of his emotional turmoil, nodded, and seemed somewhat at a loss for words, "It's alright... I donated five million at the charity gala..."
Ling Xingzhi turned to the side, stubbed out his cigarette, and placed the materials on his lap on the sofa. "Okay, then you should get some rest."
Before Wei Luochen could say anything, Ling Xingzhi returned to his room.
Ling Xingzhi didn't turn on the main light, but only the bedside lamp. Opposite the bed was a huge painting, which was to be given to Kong Lingqi.
He sat on the bed, looking at the painting opposite him for a long time.
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