0162 171 This Heart is Bright (Part 2)
Zhou Xiye sat atop the mountain, gazing out at the Buddhist wilderness.
Tourists passed by, all noticing a strange woman sitting motionless in what wasn't exactly light clothing. If an enthusiastic tourist asked her to take a picture, she would stand up and do so, but without exception, she would return to her seat afterward.
In the afternoon, a monk from the temple approached her and asked if she wanted to have a meal.
Zhou Xiye shook his head with a gentle smile. "No need, thank you. Let me be alone for a while."
Without eating, drinking, or sleeping, letting the wind blow, he sat alone on the mountaintop watching the winter mountains stretch out like giant pythons.
As the sun sets, birds return to their nests. The sun rises and the stars fall, and the night wind blows.
The area below the mountain was brightly lit, with thousands of homes filled with joy and harmony.
The mountain night wind was chilling, the trees swayed, and all things seemed to emerge. Zhou Xiye lay down, staring blankly at the night sky. She had long since lost all feeling of cold, but she wasn't numb. She could hear the rustling of branches and the distant sound of chanting.
All of this seemed to have nothing to do with her anymore, but she was immersed in it and couldn't escape.
Zhou Xiye whispered with his dry, cracked lips, "To establish a heart for heaven and earth, to establish a destiny for the people, to continue the lost learning of the past sages, and to usher in an era of peace for all generations..." The next second, his voice was drowned out by the howling wind.
She slowly closed her eyes. She was tired. She had said it many times and thought about it many times, but she had never felt so tired as she did now. She knew everything, but she was powerless to change it, and she still had to move forward. It was heartbreaking.
Let it go, let it go... Perhaps letting go will make things much easier.
Zhou Xiye swallowed, a bitter taste rising in her dry throat. How could she let go? Zhou Xiye took a deep breath, opened her eyes, and reflected on her journey, from a naive idealist to a cunning and seasoned official, weathering many storms along the way. She firmly believed that some things must be experienced to make one stronger.
But now, she doesn't want to care about anything anymore.
"Should we just leave it like this?" Tears streamed from her eyes, drying quickly in the wind, but she was unwilling to accept it. Zhou Xiye showed no dramatic emotional fluctuations; tears flowed down her cheeks, hotter than her body temperature.
She was unwilling to accept it.
At this moment, she knew perfectly well what the best course of action was, but she was powerless to change it. She wanted to change everything, but she was afraid that even if she put in the effort, she would still gain nothing. Zhou Xiye sat up, moved her stiff neck, and looked at the lights below the mountain, with silvery water flowing along the edge of the city.
Beneath her feet lay her hometown, the place that nurtured her. Zhou Xiye wondered, if she didn't become an official, what should she do? She didn't know if she would succeed, but the only thing she was certain of was that in the dead of night, she would definitely think, "Why didn't you persevere a little longer?"
Zhou Xiye looked up at the starry sky.
Perhaps in one universe, there is already one of her who has chosen to give up.
The wind tousled her hair, but her resolve only grew stronger.
The fundamental principles of morality endure forever, and integrity lasts a thousand years.
People should have some principles, just a little bit, even just a tiny bit.
Zhou Xiye supported herself with her hands on the ground and slowly stood up. Just this once, the very last time… she told herself in her heart…
Although the world is vast, as long as one has a thought of doing good and a conscience, one can achieve great things.
I am content with my own heart and do not need anything from outside!
As dawn broke, the sweeping monk watched as the woman who had come at this time yesterday entered. He nodded to them and walked straight into the temple.
The Buddha remained as aloof as ever, looking down upon all living beings. Zhou Xiye held three incense sticks in her hand, looking up at the Buddha. The temple bell rang outside, and she bowed to the Buddha with the incense sticks before putting them away.
He left without looking back.
The monks in the temple watched the three incense sticks, their smoke rising straight up before curling and swirling in the air. Then they turned to look at the resolute figure's back. This man was strange; he had a request of the gods but didn't kneel in worship. Was he truly devout?
Zhou Xiye didn't know how to be devout; she only believed in herself. The journey down the mountain was long, and her heart was filled with heavy things, yet also light.
Since it was the last time, she wasn't afraid of anything anymore.
Ling Xingzhi received a call from Zhou Xiye that morning. "I'm going to cooperate with you. We haven't figured out the terms yet, but I've made up my mind. I need money, fifty million. You know my bank account."
After saying that, he hung up. Ling Xingzhi held his phone, still not fully awake, not understanding what Zhou Xiye was trying to do. He put down his phone, turned over, and went back to sleep. A few seconds later, he suddenly woke up and sat up in bed.
What?! Zhou Xiye wants money?! Fifty million?! ???
Ling Xingzhi hurriedly got up, grabbed his phone, and went to the bathroom. He found Wu Qiong's number and dialed it without hesitation. The call was answered in time, but the person on the other end was very angry. "What's wrong?"
"Secretary Wu, I'm so sorry to bother you so early... Where is Zhou Xiye? Is she still with you?"
Wu Qiong said she didn't know either, but she could try to ask. Ling Xingzhi hurriedly thanked her, hoping she would let him know if she got any information. Wu Qiong agreed, saying she would ask the monk, and then hung up the phone.
Ling Xingzhi used this time to wash up and get dressed. Soon, Wu Qiong called, "Zhou Xiye has come down the mountain."
"when?"
"This morning."
Ling Xingzhi immediately jumped up, grabbed his car keys, and said, "Thank you!" After leaving, he called Li Qingshan again, asking him to book a flight to Beijing. When Li Qingshan arrived at the airport, he was puzzled by Ling Xingzhi's anxious and serious expression. However, when Ling Xingzhi mentioned Zhou Xiye's demand for money, he asked Li Qingshan to tell Chen Ran and Committee Member Ling about it.
Upon hearing this, Li Qingshan felt relieved. Zhou Xiye's choice to cooperate with Ling Xingzhi was the best thing that could have happened. However, Ling Xingzhi's expression was not good at all, so Li Qingshan advised, "Mayor Ling, don't worry. Secretary Zhou wants money, and she's willing to take the money, which means she's determined to cooperate with us."
Ling Xingzhi turned his head and cursed, "Is Zhou Xiye the kind of person who asks for money? When the hell have you ever seen her ask for money?!"
"She's stalling for time; she already has a choice!"
"So you know she has a choice... why did you still send her money?"
"To keep her calm," Ling Xingzhi said, looking out the window as the plane slowly taxied to its final position for Beijing. Li Qingshan glanced at Ling Xingzhi's profile and suddenly realized that when the mayor had said "she has already made her choice," his expression had darkened, his arrogance masking a deep sense of desolation.
She had a choice, but she didn't choose him.
Yes, when Zhou Xiye landed in Beijing, she received a text message from the bank informing her that 50 million yuan had been deposited into her account. She deleted the message, put her phone in her pocket, walked out of the airport, hailed a taxi, and said, "Excuse me, could you please take me to Tiananmen Square?"
The taxi driver, noticing Zhou Xiye's accent didn't sound like he was from Beijing, joked, "Want to go watch the flag-raising ceremony? Look at the time, the flag has already been raised."
Zhou Xiye smiled nonchalantly, "No, it's just that I want to go see Tiananmen Square."
"From out of town?" the driver continued, "You have to go to Tiananmen Square, that's the center of our country! A red heart hangs in the center."
Zhou Xiye nodded. She hadn't slept all night, but she wasn't sleepy at all.
The driver continued talking to himself, and Zhou Xiye did not interrupt. The streetlights were still on, and Beijing in the early morning had a unique vitality.
Upon arriving at Tiananmen Square, the crowd grew even larger, with many people there to watch the flag-raising ceremony. Zhou Xiye stood before the Forbidden City gate, gazing at the massive, imposing gate, and recalled her feelings upon first arriving here, the red national flag fluttering in the breeze—a moment when she felt incredibly proud and excited.
This is her country, and the place where she stands is the heart of this country. At that moment, a sense of national pride welled up in her heart.
Tears welled up in my eyes.
The crowd dispersed, and Zhou Xiye strolled along West Chang'an Street. As she drew closer to her destination, her emotions calmed down.
Once you've embarked on this path, there's no turning back.
Standing outside Zhonghai South, in an inconspicuous place, yet a place of great importance.
Zhou Xiye stopped and looked inside. She didn't know if she would ever have the chance to work there again. But it didn't matter; she stepped inside.
Suddenly, a strong force pulled her back.
"Zhou Xiye, are you fucking insane?!"
Ling Xingzhi got out of the car, panting heavily, his hand gripping her wrist tightly, veins bulging.
Zhou Xiye looked at him and said, "You have two choices now. First, leave here. Second, come inside with me."
Ling Xingzhi was speechless. Zhou Xiye calmly stared at him, the power emanating from him both frightening and captivating. After a few seconds, he released Zhou Xiye's hand. "Is this your choice?"
Zhou Xiye nodded.
A few seconds later, the sun shone on the red wall opposite. Zhou Xiye didn't wait for Ling Xingzhi's reply and walked forward step by step.
Seven or eight guards in military uniforms emerged from the door, watching Zhou Xiye warily.
“I’m looking for the chairman; I want to file a report,” Zhou Xiye said calmly.
Keep your mind still, yet act according to circumstances.
The order was met with a sudden shock.
Why did you come to find me?
“Only you can do this,” Zhou Xiye paused, “Party struggles should be resolved internally and should not involve innocent people.”
"You were Ye Lifeng's man before. Now, is this list your pledge of allegiance?"
Zhou Xiye shook his head, "I'm just being true to my own choice."
"Hahaha, you know I tormented him for so long, and he still didn't reveal the names of the people on this list. As his good friend, you betrayed him so easily?"
"If he were alive, he wouldn't want to see so many people die for this list. Besides, the reformers have let him down, using him as a pawn to lure out the enemy."
What do you want?
"Peace and stability."
"I thought you wanted to ask for an official position."
"I dare not ask for more."
"Fine... Zhou Xiye, do you know that your brother, for your sake—no, to be precise, when you were in danger, he secretly mobilized fighter jets and military tanks, almost causing a riot?"
Zhou Xiye was taken aback; she didn't know.
"We're facing both external and internal troubles right now, and I don't want to create any more problems... I can pretend I've never seen this list of yours. However, the partisan strife all stems from this list, and I need a scapegoat."
Zhou Xiye looked at the person in front of him, who did not seem at all like the suspicious and crazy person they described. Perhaps that was just a tactic.
"...But thank you for letting me know who's on the list. They want to create hype to make a comeback, but I won't give them that chance. However...Zhou Xiye, you have to make a choice: your brother, or you?"
Zhou Xiye said calmly and confidently, "Me."
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