0082 91 Never lose sight of what you desire; everything is possible.
Two flowers bloom, each representing a different branch.
Zhou Pei was "abducted" back to Fujian by Generals Hu and Jiang on the way, and was detained and punished that very night. In addition to the restriction of his personal freedom, Zhou Pei also had to write a self-criticism report. Jiang Yunpeng did not come forward, but General Hu spoke with him.
"You knew about Zhou Xiye's upcoming marriage a long time ago. Who said what to you? Who helped you escape from here?"
General Hu looked at Zhou Pei, who was huddled in his seat opposite him, like a trapped wild beast.
Zhou Pei shook his head, insisting that it was his own doing, "I acted impulsively at the time. No one came to find me, and no one helped me. I was all alone."
General Hu didn't believe it. Discipline was strict here. "I'm asking you this question not only because the relevant personnel are responsible, but also because I want to know who has eyes and ears here, and who is monitoring the area." General Hu smiled slightly. "If you tell me, perhaps your punishment will be lighter."
"No one really escaped or left this place; it was all my own decision."
“You know your sister. You couldn’t stop her from getting married, and you know exactly why she got married…” General Hu paused, “Besides, she didn’t tell you when she got married, but you know it. I don’t believe it if no one told you.”
Zhou Pei looked down at his hands, where there was a red mark on his palm, from where a broken pen had been drawn.
“Zhou Pei, if you don’t tell the truth, then… all your previous efforts will be in vain. Why did your sister marry into the Pei family?” General Hu smiled. “Judging from your affection for her, I can guess a thing or two. You two have had a tough time.”
Zhou Pei looked up at her, pursing her lips, as if she were struggling with herself.
General Hu looked at him calmly, yet exuded immense pressure.
“Think about her situation.”
This is not a good thing, Zhou Pei suddenly realized.
He slowly straightened up and chuckled softly, "She's already married. She didn't send me a single message after I left. General Hu, with a sister like that who doesn't consider my situation, do I still need to consider her?"
General Hu frowned, unable to understand Zhou Pei's thoughts at this moment.
Zhou Pei shook his head. "No one really told me that I found a note in the cafeteria during lunch that mentioned Zhou Xiye's marriage. The note was for me, but I don't know who put it there."
General Hu relaxed slightly and smiled, "I hope you are telling the truth."
Zhou Pei raised his hand, the handcuffs rattling. "I'm already like this, there's no need for me to lie."
General Hu didn't linger. She stood up and had her guards take her away, then walked out alone. Zhou Pei watched her retreating figure and suddenly said, "General, who do you think would benefit from letting me out?"
Hu Jing paused in his steps.
"That person told me this simply so I would go out and ruin Zhou Xiye's marriage, or make her unhappy, or make the Pei family unhappy. Do you think it's more likely that I slept with her?"
Hu Jing turned to look at him, "What exactly did he say to you that made you run back to Beijing without hesitation?"
Zhou Pei smiled and said, "General Hu, I think this person may be related to the Suzhou Military Region. Since he can infiltrate the troops, he can naturally also provide information."
"That's all in the past, why are you bringing it up?"
"Now, besides the Ling family, who else can do whatever they want? Who else dares to do this?"
As soon as Zhou Pei finished speaking, Hu Jing's face darkened.
“My sister offended them. You must know what the Ling family did to my sister before. They just wanted her dead.”
"The Ling family wanted her dead?" Hu Jing composed himself. "They wanted your sister dead, but she wouldn't have survived this long ago."
Zhou Pei smiled sinisterly, lowered his eyes, and looked at the handcuffs on his wrists. "I have nothing more to say."
Back in the cell, Zhou Pei sat leaning against the wall. Ling Xingzhi had used Zhou Xiye to coerce him into going to Beijing, but Zhou Pei himself couldn't understand why.
It was quiet all around. Several large red characters were on the white wall, and the green blankets on the military-style beds were neat and tidy. Zhou Pei raised his hand to wipe his face and sighed softly. He could no longer remain passive. For his own sake and for Zhou Xiye's, he had to become stronger.
Soon, two or three days later, Jiang Yunpeng personally interrogated him.
Jiang Yunpeng, who went in with a stern face, came out with a smile, saying, "Everyone makes mistakes. Give Xiao Zhou a chance to complete the task and make amends for his mistakes."
Zhou Pei was released by Jiang Yunpeng. Outside the army canteen, he looked up at the gray sky. The humidity was high, and he couldn't see the blue sky.
He went into the cafeteria, got a meal, sat down in front of the television, and watched the news anchor read the announcement: "Following the departure of the former mayor of Hangzhou, Pei Zhiyu, the head of Haidian District, has taken office as the new mayor of Hangzhou. Pei Zhiyu's resume is as follows..."
Zhou Pei was stunned and slowly put down his chopsticks.
In that instant, Zhou Xiye's breath caught in her throat, as if a deep crack had opened up in the wide road in front of her, an abyss, and she could see no way forward.
As she listened to Pei Zhiyu's resume, she almost forgot how to breathe.
Why?
Zhou Xiye was suddenly in a state of confusion.
Pei Zhiyu? Why him? Was the result of their negotiations to put Pei Zhiyu in power? Zhou Xiye came up with two reasons at random. At this moment, she couldn't think rationally. She put her hand on her forehead. The basic information of Hangzhou City on the table, the black and white words forming a vortex, made her feel like the world was shaking.
"Xiao Zhou? Xiao Zhou... are you alright?"
Ai Jianshe's voice came through, as if it were coming from behind a glass dome. Zhou Xiye suddenly stood up, grabbed her car keys, and ran outside. She had to get to the bottom of this. Once in the car, she sped off, honking the horn incessantly whenever she encountered a roadblock.
She rolled down the car window, and the wind seeped in through the gaps in the car, feeling its sharp force brush against her face.
Her hair was flying everywhere. She couldn't think too much. She didn't understand, she didn't comprehend, and she didn't know where to vent her anger.
Memories flashed through my mind.
Why? Why, despite all her efforts, is she still unable to get what she wants?
Why? She really wanted to know why.
What did she do wrong? Yes, there is no absolute fairness in this world, but she was angry.
If the world is a mirror, she must be the iron fist that shatters it.
The car sped off and stopped outside Ye Lifeng's office.
Her fingers were stiff from the cold wind, and the grip on the steering wheel ached. She rolled up the window, exhaled, the panic in her eyes vanished, replaced by a cold, resolute expression. She pulled out a cigarette, the bluish smoke enveloping her.
"Minister Ye, Zhou Xiye is outside..."
Ye Lifeng had just finished a meeting and came out of the conference room when Secretary Xue rushed up to him to report the matter. Ye Lifeng was taken aback, and Secretary Xue took the teacup from his hand. "How long has she been waiting?"
"He was smoking in the car for about half an hour."
Upon hearing the time, Ye Lifeng chuckled, and the two walked towards the office. "That's good," he said, "they won't impulsively do anything with unpredictable consequences."
The two entered the office, and Secretary Xue placed a teacup on Ye Lifeng's desk before cautiously asking, "Should we let her in?"
Ye Lifeng sat down and asked in return, "Does she want to come in?"
Zhou Xiye stubbed out his cigarette, sighed, and finally calmed down. No wonder the approval hadn't come through on time, no wonder Pei Zhiyu had been so quiet at home these past two days, no wonder he had hugged and kissed her after making love—it all made sense now.
However, Pei Zhiyu's suspicion about her relationship with Ye Lifeng that day really infuriated her.
Leaning her head back in the seat, Zhou Xiye sighed deeply, closed her eyes, and tapped her fingers on the steering wheel. What should she do next? At this moment, Zhou Xiye realized that she had been foolish. She should have been prepared for everything. Ye Lifeng had promised her that she would become the mayor of Hangzhou, but there was no signed agreement or legal guarantee.
Honesty is a virtue of the strong.
Anger only complicates things and does nothing to help.
Although Ye Lifeng treated her well, he couldn't offer her any useful official position. From Shenyang to the Beijing Liaison Office, she had climbed her way up step by step on her own; no one could question her resume. Ye Lifeng used her as a pawn, and she accepted that, but he couldn't treat her like a fool.
The intellectuals are aloof and superior. They can toy with someone and that's it; they don't care about Zhou Xiye's thoughts.
It's also her fault for being so foolish. Zhou Xiye is a highly educated person, that's a given. After she married Pei Zhiyu, she sent Pei Zhiyu from the Pei family to Hangzhou, which would not only help them build connections, but also allow the Pei family to help them in the central government.
It's a win-win situation, and Zhou Xiye is the link between them.
But the position of mayor of Hangzhou—this is what she deserves, it doesn't require legal permission, the position of mayor is what she deserves.
Zhou Xiye's face was deathly pale. She opened her eyes and looked at herself in the rearview mirror. Another voice rose in her heart: Maybe it's best to just give up. Zhou Xiye looked at herself with disdain. She had been exhausted all this way; was she really going to give up like this?
The phone rang at that moment; it was Ye Lifeng's office number.
"Xiao Zhou, why aren't you coming in?"
Zhou Xiye smiled and said, "Minister Ye, I was being presumptuous."
"This is Teacher Hua's idea, and they are all very satisfied with the result. Xiao Pei is qualified enough, and his achievements in Haidian District are obvious to all."
Zhou Xiye smiled and nodded, "That's right," as she looked into the cold eyes in the rearview mirror.
"Besides, Pei Zhiyu is your husband now. If he goes, the organization will arrange for you to go there as well."
Zhou Xiye hummed in agreement and squinted at his reflection in the rearview mirror.
"Don't be too sad. I've seen your abilities... It's time to prepare for having a child, right? Take advantage of this time to have a baby, and we'll talk about your other matters later."
Zhou Xiye fully understood Ye Lifeng's meaning.
She was not convinced.
Zhou Xiye's gaze hardened. "I understand, thank you. Then I won't bother you any longer. I'll discuss it with Pei Zhiyu when I get home."
"Hmm..." Ye Lifeng gestured with his lips. "Xiao Zhou, I've always thought you're incredibly capable, but... it's not good for a girl to be too ambitious. I'm willing to give you important responsibilities, but what about the others? Won't they think you're a woman and disrespect you in some ways?"
Zhou Xiye lowered his head and chuckled softly, "Minister, I understand all of this. Thank you for your care."
After hanging up the phone, Zhou Xiye turned her car around and drove home. As soon as she got home, she saw Pei Zhiyu sitting on the sofa.
He turned to look at her. Zhou Xiye's face was expressionless. She placed her car keys on the cabinet by the door, changed her shoes, and walked towards him. Pei Zhiyu handed her a glass of water, which was warm. Zhou Xiye took the glass with one hand, unbuttoned her shirt with the other, tilted her head back, and took a sip, her neck gracefully raised.
Pei Zhiyu looked at her without saying a word.
Zhou Xiye finished his water, leaned back lazily on the sofa, and smiled gently, "Congratulations."
Pei Zhiyu grasped Zhou Xiye's hand. "Let's go to Hangzhou together."
Zhou Xiye smiled, pulled his hand out, grabbed his bag, and took out a stack of documents. "This is some information I did before, about the leadership team of Hangzhou. Since I don't need it anymore, take a look and see if it's useful to you."
Pei Zhiyu frowned slightly, while Zhou Xiye remained calm, the smile on his lips suggesting genuine happiness for him. Pei Zhiyu placed the documents aside, "Xiye..."
Zhou Xiye raised her hand to touch his cheek, interrupting him, her tone gentle, "Don't overthink it, I really want to congratulate you. We're one, it's the same whether you're the mayor or I'm the mayor. If you go, I'll naturally go too, right?" She even smiled after saying that.
Pei Zhiyu nodded and reached out to hug her. He was happy that Zhou Xiye said that, but Pei Zhiyu felt something was wrong. Zhou Xiye seemed calm, but something was churning beneath the surface, something he couldn't see through. Pei Zhiyu closed his eyes and held her tightly; nothing was more important than her embrace at that moment.
Zhou Xiye held him, her eyes gradually losing their warmth, and the smile on her lips turning sarcastic.
In this world, there is no one you can rely on or trust.
Everything she wants, she has to achieve on her own.
Only yourself can be your most loyal comrade-in-arms throughout your life.
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