Chapter 4

Around three in the afternoon, Liu Qiangdong, the Secretary-General of the Municipal Committee, called Fang Zhicheng into his office. After entering, Fang Zhicheng noticed that Ding Nengren was also there. Although Ding Nengren smiled at him, it was a very forced one.

Fang Zhicheng had once again disrupted Ding Nengren's plans, which made him hate him to the core. If Shao Lingfeng could smoothly become the Secretary of the Municipal Committee, it would undoubtedly be a significant move in a key position.

Although the position of the Secretary of the Municipal Committee was not high in rank, it was backed by the top leader of the Municipal Committee. A good word from him at a critical moment could be worth more than a thousand troops.

However, Ding Nengren was very shrewd. He knew he had to change his attitude and put on a facade. If Fang Zhicheng were to speak ill of him to Song Wendong behind his back, the consequences would be unimaginable.

In the political arena, one must be adept at adapting to the situation. Ding Nengren had reached his current position precisely because he understood this well.

Liu Qiangdong finished reviewing two documents, took off his black-rimmed glasses, and smiled, "Fang, first of all, congratulations. Secretary Song has personally instructed that you will be his secretary from now on. This is both an honor and a responsibility for you. Secondly, I must remind you that being the Secretary of the Municipal Committee is not an easy job. In the future, you must be cautious in everything you do. If you have any questions, you can ask me or Comrade Ding Nengren."

Fang Zhicheng humbly replied, "Thank you, Secretary Liu, for your guidance. I will certainly fulfill my duties and not let you down..."

He deliberately avoided mentioning Ding Nengren.

Ding Nengren, with a thick skin, smiled and said, "Don't worry, Secretary. Fang was originally from the Municipal Committee Office. In the future, we will get along well, and I will do my best to help him..."

"I'm relieved to hear that," Liu Qiangdong nodded and smiled. "Although I haven't worked with Secretary Song for long, I can see that he is a very diligent leader who often works late into the night. Fang, you must become his capable assistant as soon as possible and help him shoulder some of the pressure."

Fang Zhicheng patted his chest and promised, "Please rest assured, I will get up to speed quickly and complete all tasks assigned by the organization."

After that, Liu Qiangdong casually asked about some aspects of Fang Zhicheng's life. About twenty minutes later, he glanced at his watch and said he had to attend a meeting. Ding Nengren and Fang Zhicheng stood up one after the other, took their leave, and walked out of the office.

Ding Nengren walked in front, and Fang Zhicheng followed behind. Ding Nengren deliberately slowed down a few steps, preparing to chat with Fang Zhicheng, but Fang Zhicheng quickened his pace and left Ding Nengren behind.

Left behind, Ding Nengren's face turned red and white with anger, silently vowing to make this arrogant young man suffer.

Back in his office, Fang Zhicheng found a large cardboard box and began to pack up some items on his desk. Wang Ke walked over and said with a smile, "Fang, you've been promoted. Aren't you going to celebrate?"

Wang Ke, though eccentric, had always been good to Fang Zhicheng and could be considered his mentor in official writing and a guide in his career.

Fang Zhicheng laughed heartily, "If it's convenient, let's have dinner together tonight?" He wasn't very familiar with the people in his department and usually only nodded to them.

There were seven people in the first secretarial department. Seeing that Fang Zhicheng was treating them, they all agreed happily.

In the political arena, now that Fang Zhicheng had become the Secretary of the Municipal Committee, his colleagues in the first secretarial department all wanted to curry favor with him. How could they refuse his offer to treat them?

They chose a wild game restaurant near the Municipal Committee compound. Fang Zhicheng couldn't resist the drinking and ended up drunk. Wang Ke and a colleague accompanied him all the way to his doorstep before leaving.

After Wang Ke left, Fang Zhicheng, with blurred vision, fumbled with his keys at the security door for a while but couldn't find the keyhole. He eventually leaned against the door frame, sat down, and fell asleep.

In his deep sleep, he entered a dream. He saw a beautiful woman walking towards him. She was wearing light clothing, with a slender figure, and spoke softly. She squatted down, said something to him, then took the key from his pocket, opened the door, and beckoned him with her finger...

Fang Zhicheng felt as if he were under a spell, stood up, and followed the woman into the house. She led him to a large bed, smiled sweetly, and helped him undress.

Fang Zhicheng greedily inhaled the fragrance from her body and sighed, "It's so hot..."

The woman sighed and brought a fan from the living room to blow on him. Then she fetched a glass of cold water and made him drink it.

The cold water refreshed him, and he slowly lay down and fell into a deep sleep.

The woman tucked him in, then turned and saw his computer was still on. She walked over to turn it off. As she touched the mouse, the screen lit up, and she saw a document titled "Secret Love Diary." After hesitating, her curiosity overcame her sense of morality, and she clicked on it.

"Preface: Secret love is a painful thing, especially when it's for a woman who already has a partner. The feeling is even more heart-wrenching. I like her, but I can't tell her. I can only express my feelings through words... If she is happy, I am content..."

"Zhicheng actually has someone he likes," the woman muttered to herself, her tone strange and indescribable.

Who could this person be?

The woman knew she was invading someone's privacy, but a strange feeling arose in her heart, a mix of jealousy and concern. She glanced at Fang Zhicheng, who was sound asleep, and continued reading.

"June 3rd: My sister-in-law invited me to dinner to celebrate my top score in the civil service exam. She wore a pink blazer, which looked very pretty. She prepared a sumptuous meal, including my favorite braised pig's trotters. I said, 'If I could eat braised pig's trotters for the rest of my life, I would be happy.' She replied, 'If you want, I'll cook them for you for the rest of your life.' What a beautiful lie...?"

"May 28th: My dear sister-in-law, do you know I'm thinking of you? Today, Brother Cheng argued with you again. You were crying by the flower bed in the neighborhood. I saw you but didn't have the courage to comfort you. I could only stand on the balcony and watch over you. The balcony is my favorite place because it has a wide view, just one wall away... Every time you cry, my soul trembles. I want to protect you, but I don't have the right..."

Tears welled up in the woman's eyes and fell onto the keyboard.

She covered her mouth, her body trembling uncontrollably. The deep affection in the words made her realize the truth. The woman in the diary could only be herself. It turned out that Zhicheng had been secretly in love with her all along.

She continued scrolling down, reading the detailed records of their daily interactions. These stories were so trivial that she had never paid attention to them.

"April 9th: On my mother's memorial day, I held a guitar and sang a song she loved at her grave. Actually, my mother didn't know that I started learning the guitar because my sister-in-law likes it. I try to be multi-talented so that she will notice me more and praise me. If one day she is willing to listen to me sing a song, how happy would that be? Mother, if you can hear me in heaven, please help me fulfill this wish!"

"March 15th: I have a deep sense of guilt because last night, I dreamed about my sister-in-law. In the dream, you were lying next to me, whispering in my ear. I couldn't resist hugging you and kissing you, and even... In the dream, we were entangled, and the dream felt like reality. Your beauty made me drunk, and I couldn't control my emotions, holding you tightly while you kept calling my name... This is a vulgar act, a despicable thought, a dirty dream... Please forgive me, I couldn't resist, loving you deeply made me desecrate you..."

The woman couldn't bear to read any further. She closed the file, forgot to turn off the computer, and rushed out of the bedroom. Fang Zhicheng, lying in bed, snoring, seemed to sense something and turned over to continue sleeping.

The next morning at around five, Fang Zhicheng was woken by a series of urgent phone rings. It was Cheng Bin calling. He propped himself up, realizing he was in bed, and tried to recall what had happened the night before. He vaguely remembered that his sister-in-law, Cheng Bin's wife, had helped him get home. He was startled, wondering if something had happened, and if Cheng Bin was here to confront him.

Cheng Bin's laugh was strange, "Little Cheng, can you do me a small favor?"

Cheng Bin was three years older than Fang Zhicheng, and they had been neighbors for over a decade. Fang Zhicheng knew Cheng Bin well and could tell from his tone that he was in trouble again.

Fang Zhicheng frowned, "What have you done this time?"

Cheng Bin sighed and laughed bitterly, "This time, I've gotten into real trouble. I might not be back for a while. For the sake of your mother, who I treated well when she was alive, can you take care of Yuming for me?"

"Take care of your wife? Are you serious?" Fang Zhicheng found Cheng Bin's request absurd and almost dropped his phone.

Cheng Bin hesitated for a moment before finally revealing the truth, "I've offended Ding Guangyi. He's issued a bounty for my hand..."

Fang Zhicheng's eyes widened in shock, "Ding Guangyi? How did you offend him?"

Ding Guangyi was well-known in Yinzhou, known as "Ding Ye," with immense power.

Cheng Bin waved his hand, regretful, "What else could it be? Who knew that the gossipy woman was actually Ding Guangyi's concubine..."

"How could you be so irresponsible? How can you treat Yuming like this?" Fang Zhicheng protested.

Cheng Bin was a popular actor in the city's theater troupe, handsome and charismatic, which made him a magnet for women. He often boasted about his charm, but now he had run into a love scandal.

After all, they were long-time neighbors. Fang Zhicheng said calmly, "You can rest assured about Yuming. I'll keep an eye on her. Be careful out there and don't get into any trouble. Wait until the heat dies down before coming back."

"There's one more thing..." Cheng Bin hesitated.

Fang Zhicheng said sarcastically, "Do you need money?"

Cheng Bin nodded, "Could you lend me another five thousand? I need it to run away. I've borrowed a total of ten thousand from you, and I'll pay it all back when I return."

"Send me your bank account, and I'll transfer the money to you tomorrow morning," Fang Zhicheng said helplessly.

It's easy to add flowers to a brocade, but hard to give coal in the snow.

Fang Zhicheng was willing to help Cheng Bin mainly for Qin Yuming's sake. During his college years, his mother was often unwell, and Qin Yuming often helped take care of her. When his mother passed away, Qin Yuming was there to help.

Fang Zhicheng had long considered Qin Yuming a family member.