0083 92 Sword Qi Across Autumn
The doorbell shattered their intimate moment. Zhou Xiye gently pushed Pei Zhiyu away and got up to open the door.
"Is this Zhou Xiye? There's an international express delivery for you."
“It’s me,” Zhou Xiye said, taking the package, signing for it, and closing the door. The red square box had a card tucked under the strap that read, “Happy Wedding.” Zhou Xiye immediately recognized it as a gift from Ye Rouxin.
"A wedding gift?" Pei Zhiyu asked, leaning back on the sofa, his Adam's apple bobbing, unable to contain his emotions. Zhou Xiye turned to look at him; his lower body was bulging, lacking some of his usual aloofness, but she had no desire to continue their intimacy. Holding the box, she said, "I'm going to the study."
Upon entering the study, she placed the red box on the table, slumped back in her chair, and let out a long sigh.
Although the study was small, Zhou Xiye felt that even in the most cramped space, she could find a place to stay without Pei Zhiyu. She stared blankly at the ceiling light for a while, then suddenly remembered something. She opened a drawer and took out her notes on the Hangzhou city network of relationships. If the transfer order hadn't come down, she might have still tried to fight for it. Now that the transfer order had come down, everything was settled. Looking at her notes, Zhou Xiye felt particularly ironic.
It wasn't just irony, it was mockery; every word on the paper ridiculed her efforts and wild ideas.
Picking up a lighter from the side, Zhou Xiye lit the paper. The flame flickered on her face, and the ashes fell to the ground, turning into powder.
Just as the paper was about to burn her hand, Zhou Xiye threw it into the ashtray, watching it emit its last rays of light.
As the last ray of light disappeared from her sight, Zhou Xiye suddenly laughed out loud. She looked out the window; spring had arrived. The trees were adorned with a hazy green, as if draped in a green veil. She hadn't realized that spring had become so vibrant. She picked up her phone and walked to the window. Downstairs, children were playing hide-and-seek.
The phone rang twice before being answered. "Thank you for the gift, I received it."
Ye Rouxin seemed dissatisfied with Zhou Xiye's reaction, "You didn't open it to look?"
Zhou Xiye didn't respond to his question. "I didn't get the location in Hangzhou."
Ye Rouxin's eyes narrowed, and the icy atmosphere traveled thousands of miles through the phone. He licked his lips and asked, "And then what position did the old man arrange for you?"
Zhou Xiye chuckled, "Be a good Mrs. Pei, have a child to tie him down, and solidify your position in the Pei family."
"That's utter bullshit!" Ye Rouxin cursed. "You've done so many things for the old man, and now that he's met someone more useful, he's just going to throw this pawn away like that?"
"You said it yourself, I am a pawn."
Ye Rouxin was silent for a few seconds, "What do you plan to do?"
Zhou Xiye took a deep breath. "Let's take it one step at a time. These old guys are hard to deal with."
Hearing this, Ye Rouxin's tone relaxed. "I think there are two ways now. One is to use their weaknesses to force them to give you a position, but the downside is that you never know when you might be taken down. The second is to find new partners and, through them..."
Ye Rouxin couldn't continue. He raised his hand and rubbed his face. He had seen every step Zhou Xiye had taken. Her stubborn and unyielding gaze was deeply imprinted in his heart. It was a belief that could ignite his passion even in the dead of night.
"Ye Rouxin, none of this will work. Where am I supposed to find a partner in such a short time?"
"Then we can only wait!?" Ye Rouxin asked anxiously, pausing before saying, "I'm sorry, I just... I just don't want to see you like this." He picked up his water bottle, took a sip, and calmed down before saying, "What about Ling Xingzhi? He's always wanted to recruit you. Why don't you try his approach?"
Zhou Xiye shook his head. "Ye Lifeng doesn't need me right now. If I cooperate with the Ling family, I will become his enemy... I can't make enemies now. I'm too fragile."
Ye Rouxin's breathing came through the phone. "Take a look at the gift I gave you. You'll really like it."
"good."
Zhou Xiye hung up the phone, pondering Ye Rouxin's words. Neither of the two methods seemed feasible. Could she make a comeback with the backing of the Pei family? Zhou Xiye didn't think it was possible. The Pei family had an outstanding woman like Pei Weian, but thinking of that thick ancestral precept, she felt the hope was slim.
She's taking it one step at a time; she hasn't decided what to do yet.
Thinking about it, she picked up the red box, opened it with a knife, and a bottle of red wine appeared in front of her. Zhou Xiye picked it up and took a closer look; it showed her birth time.
There was another hidden compartment below. Zhou Xiye slowly pulled out the compartment, and in the center was a red USB flash drive.
The main hall of the Great Hall of the People.
People in suits walked back and forth, carrying documents in their hands and wearing name tags around their necks.
Several people were sitting on the stage, some of whom were bodyguards.
Ling Qingyun, wearing glasses, looked at the documents in his hand. When he came to the section on Hangzhou, the three printed characters "Zhou Xiye" were crossed out, replaced by handwritten "Pei Zhiyu." He tapped his finger on the paper, took off his glasses, and turned to the person beside him. "Old Ye, Zhou Xiye is a good kid. Why was he replaced?"
Ye Lifeng's face immediately showed a faint smile, and his tone was as if he were talking about his own child: "Zhou Xiye is still too young. Her resume is not good. Look at her work. She doesn't have many positions with real power. I'm afraid that when she goes to Hangzhou, she will not have the experience to do so."
Ling Qingyun leaned back and opened his clothes. "Old Ye, you can't say that. Pei Zhiyu is about the same age as Zhou Xiye. Age has never been a problem. Look at me when I was young, didn't I entrust her with important responsibilities? She has no experience. You have to give young people a chance."
Ye Lifeng smiled but remained silent.
He mentioned his age as an excuse, but unexpectedly, it gave Ling Qingyun something to say—Ling Qingyun is the youngest minister since the founding of the company. Although young, he is cunning and ruthless. Therefore, Ling Qingyun used Zhou Xiye's age as an excuse to once again demonstrate his sense of superiority.
Ye Lifeng didn't want to argue with him about this issue.
As the two were talking, Ling Xingzhi walked onto the stage and sat down in a corner. Ling Qingyun leaned back in his chair, glanced at Ling Xingzhi across the crowd, and Ling Xingzhi, having received the message, shook his head.
Ling Qingyun turned back and leaned closer to Ye Lifeng. "She's a talented person, we need to make use of her. Minister Ye, we're all feeling our way across the river, we need young, backbone forces, we can't be timid. Pei Zhiyu is qualified, more suitable for appointments in economically strong provinces and cities than Zhou Xiye, but what you did, at the very least, hurt Xiao Zhou's feelings, and at worst..." Ling Qingyun drawled out his words, the two of them laughing, both understanding each other's meaning.
Ye Lifeng nodded. "Then, in your opinion, Minister Ling, what position do you think Xiao Zhou would be suitable for?"
Ling Qingyun withdrew his gaze, turned to look at the huge crowd below the stage, shook his head, and sighed, "Minister Ye, this is your business, it's not my place to interfere."
Ye Lifeng responded with a smile, "Xiao Zhou's youth is certainly not an excuse, but she has too little experience... Sometimes when you get close to power, some people will always think they have gained power. Once you take back the initiative, they are nothing."
Ling Qingyun smiled and shook his head.
Ye Lifeng picked up the paper in his hand and drew a circle on the black characters. When Qingyun saw this, he suppressed his smile and simply nodded.
Ling Xingzhi took in the conversation and exchange between the two men. In the midst of their banter, Zhou Xiye's future was decided. He himself sighed, realizing how alluring power truly was. He looked up at the red star in the hall, at the enormous dome, and occasionally heard the sound of airplanes patrolling overhead.
After the meeting, Ling Qingyun slipped a note to Ling Xingzhi. Ling Xingzhi glanced at it and paused, while Ling Qingyun continued walking. The head butler, Yang Yitong, bumped into Ling Qingyun, and the two left the venue chatting and laughing.
Ling Xingzhi turned around and walked out through another door, standing on the steps waiting for the car to arrive.
Inadvertently, I caught sight of Pei Zhiyu, who had come to attend the Two Sessions. He was talking to someone next to him. The two exchanged a glance, nodded, and smiled. The person in front of Pei Zhiyu turned to look at Ling Xingzhi, his face both fierce and unfamiliar. However, that person didn't seem to have any intention of getting to know Secretary Ling. After exchanging greetings, he turned back to continue talking to Pei Zhiyu.
The car arrived, and Li Qingshan opened the door at the bottom of the steps, ordering Ling Xingzhi to walk down. Once inside, the car started moving. "Secretary, where to?" he asked.
"go home."
Li Qingshan nodded. The next second, Ling Xingzhi's phone rang. He glanced at the caller ID and a smile appeared on his lips. He had originally wanted to go look for her, but it seemed she couldn't wait any longer.
"Let's go to that teahouse we visited last time."
After hanging up the phone, Ling Xingzhi said to the driver, Lao Du, and Li Qingshan, "Drop me off at the next intersection. I'll drive out myself. You two can find a car to pick you up."
Old Du and Li Qingshan exchanged a glance. "Okay."
Ling Xingzhi got into the car and called out to Lao Du, "You said last time that someone wanted to see me. You can ask about the time. I'm free recently and can arrange it."
Old Du bowed deeply, "Thank you so much..."
Ling Xingzhi shook his head. "It's nothing. You drove me for so long, it's only right."
Li Qingshan didn't understand. He frowned and watched the car drive away before asking Lao Du, "What does that mean?"
Old Du waved his hand, "A few people want to lease some land in Beijing and asked me to talk to the Party Secretary."
Li Qingshan nodded, understanding everything in his heart, but... Old Du has been with Ling Xingzhi for so long, how come he doesn't understand anything?
Ling Xingzhi parked the car behind the teahouse. With half an hour to spare before their meeting time, he arrived early, booked the room where they had previously met, ordered the best Da Hong Pao tea in the teahouse, brewed the tea, and waited for Zhou Xiye to arrive.
The reason he arrived so early was because Ling Xingzhi didn't want to miss any of Zhou Xiye's expressions. Ling Xingzhi placed his fingers interlaced on the table; he couldn't wait to see her.
The footsteps stopped, the door opened, and the wind stirred.
Zhou Xiye walked in, and Ling Xingzhi stared at her like a cheetah observing its prey.
That shouldn't be the case.
The hand that had been moving paused as the command was given.
Zhou Xiye's face was expressionless, seemingly truly unmoved by external gains or losses.
She walked over and sat down opposite him, and the two looked at each other. Zhou Xiye tilted his head and frowned. "What?"
Ling Xingzhi shook his head. "You're not surprised."
"You're not surprised either."
"Because you have no other choice."
Zhou Xiye nodded, crossed his legs, leaned back in his chair, and placed his hands on his lap. "Is that you?"
Ling Xingzhi lowered his eyes, a faint smile playing on his lips. "Don't you know whether it's me or not?"
"Why didn't you act sooner?"
"Zhou Xiye, did you feel fear?" Ling Xingzhi lifted his eyelids and suddenly asked, his tone light and casual, like the interrogation of Satan.
Zhou Xiye looked at him, as if time and space had disappeared. They sat on opposite sides of the chessboard, black and white pieces intertwined, black in the corners and white on the edges.
She understood what he meant.
"The power of fear is always greater than that of respect."
Ling Xingzhi closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and when he opened them again, they were back in the teahouse. Laughter and chatter filled the air downstairs, and the street was bustling with people. He also gave a genuine smile, "Aren't you going to fight back? This isn't the Zhou Xiye I know."
Zhou Xiye smiled faintly, "This is only the beginning of the game, how could I bear to?"
Ling Xingzhi raised his hand and touched his chin, scrutinized her for a few seconds, and said with regret, "Unfortunately, it's not me." He smiled and said, "This is a brilliant move to cut off the fuel supply from under the cauldron. By letting the wolf into the house, I can simply sit back and reap the benefits."
Zhou Xiye raised his hand, picked up the teacup, took a sip, and the aroma of the tea spread in his mouth.
"They want to protect you, right?"
Zhou Xiye noticed the slight change in Ling Xingzhi's lips. She smiled and said, "Secretary Ling, you can count how many legitimate heirs have successfully ascended to the throne." She picked up the teapot and poured herself another cup. "I called you here because I want to have a good talk with you."
What should we talk about?
"That depends on what you want to talk about."
Ling Xingzhi lowered his head and straightened his expression. He stopped beating around the bush and said, "The Ling family can help you. Pei Zhiyu went to Hangzhou, and the position of district head of Haidian District has become vacant." After saying this, he looked at her intently, waiting for Zhou Xiye's answer. He even felt a little nervous, both expectant and afraid of her answer.
Zhou Xiye found it amusing; to expect her to believe in the party's promises now would be to treat her like a fool.
"What are the conditions?"
Ling Xingzhi opened his mouth, "Come over here."
"dream."
Ling Xingzhi looked at her, a strange emotion flowing in his eyes. After a moment, he suddenly threw his head back and laughed. Zhou Xiye was not in a hurry and drank her second cup of tea amidst his laughter.
After the laughter subsided, Ling Xingzhi's face was devoid of any smile. He placed his hands on the armrests of the chair and patted them lightly twice. "It's time for you to make your move."
After saying that, he stood up and left the teahouse.
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