0169 178 Though seemingly insignificant, they have become a beacon of light.
Beijing, sunny weather.
Dark green branches swayed in the wind, and sunlight filtered through the fine mesh.
Zhou Pei squinted; he hadn't seen sunlight in a long time. Looking at the patch of sunlight shining through the small square grid, he could even see dust particles dancing in the sunlight.
"Zhou Pei, the death row inmate!" someone called out to him.
Zhou Pei turned his head, slowly stood up, and the iron chains on his ankles came loose and jingled on the ground.
"Your method of execution is lethal injection. Is there a problem with that?"
Zhou Pei shook his head, his eyes filled with only loneliness.
"Okay, you choose a song."
Zhou Pei randomly chose a song, then followed the executioners into a room filled with medical equipment. His shackles were removed, he was laid on the bed, his feet were secured, and the executioners even considerately asked, "Is it tight?"
He shook his head, lying flat on his back staring at the ceiling. Then, his handcuffs were briefly unlocked and then locked again, and the tentacles of medical equipment soothed his forehead and chest.
An absurd song began to play in his ears, and Zhou Pei slowly closed his eyes.
The man wearing white gloves opened his work box, took out the prepared medicine, and slowly walked to Zhou Pei's side.
The cool liquid was slowly pushed out and entered his body.
If I had known it would be the last time we saw each other, I should have been gentler, not so resolute, Zhou Pei thought.
His consciousness became blurred.
Every moment he spent with Zhou Xiye flashed through his mind. He thought their story would last a long time, but it ended so quickly. Zhou Pei felt it was worth dying for her; his life should have belonged to Zhou Xiye.
He didn't understand why she loved power more than him, but he did whatever she liked.
Zhou Pei's heartbeat slowed down, and each breath was extremely difficult to exhale.
Unfortunately, there's no one left in this world willing to risk their life for her. Her own brother is a good-for-nothing, and her parents wouldn't support her... What about Ling Xingzhi? Zhou Pei doesn't know; he doesn't understand this man. If Ye Rouxin were alive, he could have protected Zhou Xiye well.
It's a pity he's gone too.
Zhou Pei was exhausted; he had no energy left to think.
Zhou Pei was born in a chaotic world, growing wildly like a weed. Later, he met Zhou Xiye, who brought him to a civilized and peaceful world, gave him a surname and a name, taught him to read and write, to recognize people and understand the world. The weed grew into a big tree, with its own roots and flesh and blood, and had a contract and a bond with this world.
When Zhou Xiye was in danger, he risked his own life and, though unharmed, aroused suspicion.
He died for her, wandering through life, only to return to his roots like fallen leaves.
A gentle summer breeze blows, and willows sway in the breeze.
Several angry shouts rang out from the office of the Kunming Municipal Party Committee Secretary: "So what if he's the son of a provincial department head?! Raping a minor is a crime... Besides, how is this person connected to Fuxianlou? The investors gave him a lot of money... Arrest him! If you can't arrest him and sentence him, I'll take away your official positions!"
A few minutes later, the office door opened, and Meng Qinggong and Qiao Senxi walked out with grim faces.
"Didn't they say Zhou Xiye was getting married? Why is he still so temperamental?"
"Zhou Xiye is getting married?! To whom? How come I didn't know?" Qiao Senxi stopped in her tracks, her face full of surprise. Meng Qinggong was taken aback and let slip the secret. That day, when he went out to dinner with Ling Xingzhi, he implied that he wanted Qiao Senxi to stay in the Public Security Bureau as deputy director and not go back to Zhou Xiye's side.
That was the topic, but later, after the two had drunk too much, Ling Xingzhi told the truth, "Zhou Xiye and I are getting married. Get Qiao Senxi out of here. I'm not happy with him working for Zhou Xiye."
"Right? I also think this kid is definitely having an affair with the Party Secretary..."
The two, their faces flushed, stared at each other for a few seconds. Then Ling Xingzhi turned his head, and the wind blew, causing his hair to dance in the breeze.
"I'm not trying to be mean, Mayor Ling, what's your family background? What are your abilities? Why are you so fixated on Zhou Xiye?"
Ling Xingzhi chuckled and turned to look at him. "And what about you? Don't you dislike her? Why do you support her continuing as the municipal party secretary?"
Meng Qinggong stroked his chin and thought for a moment, "I can't quite put my finger on it, but she just has that kind of energy, especially when she's cursing, she goes all out, but it makes people feel inexplicably at ease."
"Ha, what a fool," Ling Xingzhi poured himself a glass of wine, downed it in one gulp, put down the glass, and sighed. "...Maybe I am too, rejecting all those refined ladies and insisting on a woman who's capable of anything..."
He looked at Meng Qinggong, "The love I used to think about is different from the love I think about now. I used to like a younger girl. I would feel soft-hearted when she cried, and I would feel bad when she was sad. I thought love was about causing pain and experiencing pain. But when I met Zhou Xiye, it wasn't that the pain stopped. The pain turned into hatred, and that feeling was no different from being roasted on a fire. You're not convinced, you want to conquer her, but when you see her fall, you can't help but want to help her up and ask if she's in pain... Humans are just perverse. After a couple of encounters, the feeling changes."
Meng Qinggong burst into laughter after hearing this, slamming his hand on the table and saying, "So you've fallen for someone else? What will you do when you're old and you miss your cousin? Will you divorce Zhou Xiye?"
Hearing this, Ling Xingzhi laughed. "Divorce? I'm afraid I won't even have a chance to think about anyone else. If you stay with Zhou Xiye, you'll be left behind as soon as you take a break. Although I'm a few years older than her, look how quickly she's progressed, scheming against me..."
The voice grew softer and softer, while the cicadas' chirping grew louder.
Right now, Meng Qinggong knows he's said too much. He doesn't plan to make Ling Xingzhi and Zhou Xiye's marriage public; they'll just get their marriage certificate and that's it. Otherwise, if the Kunming Municipal Party Secretary and Mayor are the same person, wouldn't Kunming belong to the Zhou family?
So he had to change the subject, "I don't know either? I heard it from someone, haven't you heard? The cleaning lady..." After saying a few words, the elevator arrived, and he hurriedly slipped inside, "I have to go out for a meeting in a bit, you go back to the station first!"
As Qiao Senxi watched the elevator doors slowly close, his emotions were on the verge of exploding. He turned around and walked back to Zhou Xiye's office. He pushed open the door and saw Zhou Xiye sitting at the table drinking tea. Hearing the sound, he turned his head to look.
"What's wrong?" Zhou Xiye frowned and turned to put down his teacup.
After closing the door, Qiao Senxi took a few steps and asked, "Are you getting married? To whom?"
Zhou Xi crossed his arms over his chest, looked Qiao Senxi up and down, and said, "Yes, but what does that have to do with you?"
Qiao Senxi was furious. He clenched his fist and took another step forward. "What do you mean? What's our relationship...?"
Zhou Xiye raised her hand to interrupt him, almost laughing out loud, "You don't think that just because I've slept with you a few times, I have to be bound to you for life, do you?"
“That’s not what I meant. I just think you should give me an explanation.”
"What explanation?" Zhou Xiye stood up and walked behind the desk. "Did I make any promises to you?"
Qiao Senxi took a deep breath. He knew that he had to be completely calm when negotiating with Zhou Xiye, as acting impulsively would only make things worse.
"Yes, we didn't make any promises... So, you slept with me, were you just using me?"
"Using you?"
"Yes, you're using me to cover for you, I've been so good to you..."
Before Qiao Senxi could speak, Zhou Xiye tossed out a manila document, saying, "Take a good look at your situation. I think you're trying to sleep with me or you want me to cover for you!"
He paused for a moment, then opened the folder and read the beginning of the document. He then knew what the document was about.
"This was given to me by comrades from the Discipline Inspection Commission. They originally thought that I was too involved with you and that this kind of confidential work should not be told to me, but they also thought that since we were superiors and subordinates, they were afraid that there might be some misunderstandings. So they showed me the documents about your embezzlement and corruption first. Qiao Senxi, is there anything you want to say to me?"
Qiao Senxi stood motionless. This woman was truly terrifying; she didn't want to leave anyone with even the slightest weakness. His hand fell to his sides, and he lowered his head. The situation was a mystery; he was also a pawn.
"I promoted you back then because I thought you were capable and ambitious, and that talent shouldn't be wasted. But look at you now, have you forgotten your original aspirations?!"
Zhou Xiye walked out from behind his desk and stood in front of Qiao Senxi. Suddenly, his tone became very gentle, and he patted Qiao Senxi's shoulder. "It's good that you can admit your mistakes and correct them. Qiao Senxi, we still have a long way to go."
Qiao Senxi looked at Zhou Xiye.
"When I went to northern Myanmar, what did I say at the gambling table? Have you forgotten? Money is the cheapest thing. If you're going to gamble, gamble on their lives, gamble on whether they can walk out of the casino alive. Have you forgotten?" Zhou Xiye smiled. To Qiao Senxi, this was like a fleeting shadow.
Qiao Senxi shook his head, "I haven't forgotten."
That night was bloody. Zhou Xiye's negotiations and confrontations with the four major families in northern Myanmar were like swords flashing. In the end, she rescued more than 2,000 Chinese and took all their weapons and equipment with her. There are too many conflicts and disputes in northern Myanmar. Kunming is the closest Chinese city to it, so it is her responsibility.
"So, don't embezzle these things. On a small scale, you can come to Beijing with me and become a high-ranking official. On a larger scale, keep the people's affairs in mind and don't take advantage of petty gains. Whether in public or private matters, you will have no handle or stain on your record."
Josen nodded.
Zhou Xiye took the documents from his hand and said, "Alright, you can go back to work."
Qiao Senxi glanced at the document, and Zhou Xiye smiled, "I'll burn it," he said, waving the folder in his hand. Only then did he leave, relieved.
As soon as the door closed, Zhou Xiye's smile vanished. Instead of burning the folder, she put it in the safe.
Lock it up tightly.
After finishing two more meetings, at 11:30 a.m., during the lunch break, Zhou Xiye received a notification from his superiors that a new commander named Ye Dongdong had arrived at the military region, and a meeting would be held that afternoon. After confirming the time, Zhou Xiye called Ling Xingzhi, and the two went to get their marriage certificate during the lunch break.
Ling Xingzhi didn't say much along the way, but Zhou Xiye talked to him about the new commander, "Ye Dongdong, Ling Xingzhi, you know him, what's his background?"
Ling Xingzhi laughed, his eyes still focused on the road ahead. "It might be related to the Ye family..." He turned to look at Zhou Xiye. "But you'll know what kind of background he is once you meet him."
The car stopped in front of the Civil Affairs Bureau. The staff already knew they were coming, so they didn't take a break.
The red booklet was stamped with a "snap, snap."
Zhou Xiye took it and glanced at it, and Ling Xingzhi put it away contentedly. A couple walked out hand in hand; it was midday, the sun was shining brightly, and a hot breeze was blowing.
Ling Xingzhi stopped and didn't rush downstairs. Zhou Xiye turned to look at him, "Why aren't you going?"
Ling Xingzhi smiled smugly, "I thought I was already old enough to not feel anything about a second marriage, but now I feel really happy."
The sunlight was dazzling, and Zhou Xiye squinted as he looked up at Ling Xingzhi.
"...Zhou Xiye, I'm really happy, really, really happy."
For their wedding banquet, the two went to that authentic Shanxi knife-cut noodle restaurant. The owner recognized Zhou Xiye, a regular customer, and asked with a smile, "The usual?"
"Yes, knife-cut noodles with an egg."
Ling Xingzhi then added, "I'm the same as her; I'm her husband."
The meeting place at the military region was quite far away. After finishing their meal, Ling Xingzhi escorted Zhou Xiye to the meeting place. "I'll pick you up after the meeting?"
"good."
The military building has four floors and no elevator. Every time Zhou Xiye comes, she complains that the meeting is on the fourth floor. Although it's not high, it's still a bit inconvenient for someone like her who is used to taking elevators.
The last floor. Zhou Xiye walked up with her head down, muttering to herself that next time she must get them to set up a conference room on the first floor... Just then, a group of soldiers passing by greeted her, "Minister Zhou, hello!"
Zhou Xiye nodded, and a group of people greeted him, causing the stairwell to become crowded and the sounds to echo. So, Zhou Xiye stopped at the corner on the fourth floor to make room for them, and then walked down one more flight of stairs to reach the fourth floor.
"Commander Ye, good!" someone suddenly called out.
A tall, upright figure stood at the top of the stairs.
Zhou Xiye also looked over, but there were too many people, so he couldn't see Commander Ye's appearance clearly.
The scene repeats itself: a group of people greet each other, their voices echoing.
As the sound faded, Zhou Xiye could see the person's appearance clearly.
She remained motionless.
My blood felt like it had frozen.
Like a sculpture.
Ye Dongdong walked down the stairs, his face expressionless. "You are... Zhou Xiye, Minister Zhou?"
Zhou Xiye's eyes scanned him up and down, afraid of missing any detail.
Ye Dongdong frowned and asked again, "Minister Zhou Xiye?"
Zhou Xiye then came to her senses and quickly smiled, "Yes, it is me, hello, Ye... Dongdong? Commander Ye, hello..." She extended her hand, somewhat nervously.
Ye Dongdong reached out and shook hands, saying, "Hello."
The warmth of his palm was very familiar to her. Zhou Xiye withdrew her hand, but she still couldn't take her eyes off his face.
Ye Dongdong was very puzzled, "What...is wrong?"
Zhou Xiye shook his head, smiled, and said, "I'm sorry... You look remarkably like an old friend of mine, I'm a little confused..."
Ye Dongdong understood, "Then Minister Zhou, please go up quickly, the meeting is about to start."
"Um, okay... then what are you doing here..." Zhou Xiye didn't understand why he had come down.
"I'm going to get that manuscript."
Zhou Xiye nodded, "Okay... then I'll go up first."
Ye Dongdong watched her hurry upstairs, her hand inadvertently brushing against her face, her back view lonely.
Only after the figures disappeared did Ye Dongdong let out a soft sigh.
After the meeting, Zhou Xiye walked out of the military compound. Ling Xingzhi's car was outside, with a cigarette between his fingers. When he saw Zhou Xiye come out, he smiled at her and waved.
Zhou Xiye walked over slowly.
"How about it?"
"What do you mean, how about it?"
"The new commander."
Ling Xingzhi looked at Zhou Xiye, and Zhou Xiye looked at him; silence echoed between the two.
"...He's handsome and young."
Ling Xingzhi grinned and stubbed out his cigarette. "Invite him over for dinner sometime."
In summer, the sun is scorching, and the rows of still green poplar branches sway in the wind, making a rustling sound.
Soldiers in green uniforms stood under the tree, beads of sweat glistening under their hats, the ground beneath their feet dappled with the shadows of the trees.
A black car broke the order, speeding out of the military building, and a gust of wind made the hem of the soldiers' clothes flutter.
The previously noisy chirping of cicadas seemed to have been paused, and the area in front of the military building fell silent.
The full text ended on November 14, 2023.
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