Chapter 5 of 10

Chapter 5

14 min read3,574 words

Although Cheng Bin was quite a playboy, the one thing that could still be forgiven was that he was genuinely in love with Qin Yuming. They had been married for many years, and although Cheng Bin had cheated many times, he had never cheated emotionally. Every time Qin Yuming discovered his infidelity, he would unhesitatingly end the relationship with the third party. Even when Lord Ding issued a public warrant for him, he still thought of Qin Yuming and asked Fang Zhicheng to protect her, which showed that she held a significant place in his heart.

Cheng Bin had made Lord Ding wear a green hat, and now Lord Ding wanted to get even by making Cheng Bin wear a green hat. So Qin Yuming was indeed in great danger!

Fang Zhicheng hurriedly washed up and, about ten minutes later, stood at the door of the neighboring apartment, smoothing out the wrinkles in his shirt collar and pressing the doorbell.

Qin Yuming only opened the door halfway and hid behind it. She had been insomnia-ridden the previous night and only fell into a drowsy sleep in the early hours of the morning. She was still half-asleep when she saw Fang Zhicheng standing outside, knocking on the door. She was initially stunned, then, recalling the events of the previous night, her face turned uneasy, and she quickly smiled, saying, "It's you. Let me go change my clothes."

Two minutes later, Qin Yuming came out in a new outfit, wearing a pair of denim shorts and a loose T-shirt. At twenty-eight, although she had been married for many years, she maintained a good figure as a physical education teacher at Yinzhou University's Dance College and had not had children.

Fang Zhicheng sat on the sofa while Qin Yuming prepared breakfast in the kitchen. Soon, she brought out a bowl of egg noodles and asked with a smile, "Since you started working, you've been leaving early and coming back late, and I rarely see you. Why did you come to see your sister-in-law today?"

Despite Qin Yuming's good efforts to hide it, her eyes instinctively avoided Fang Zhicheng's when they met. She had thought about what happened last night all night and had decided to keep it buried in her heart forever.

Fang Zhicheng hesitated, thinking it wasn't a good idea to be too straightforward. As he ate the noodles, he responded, "I've always wanted to come over, but with Brother Cheng at home, I was afraid of disturbing your rest." As soon as he said this, he realized it sounded a bit off and his ears turned red.

"Does that mean we can only meet alone now? When did our relationship become so distant?" Qin Yuming raised an eyebrow and giggled, "By the way, how did you know Cheng Bin wasn't at home?"

Fang Zhicheng cleared his throat and lied, "Brother Cheng just called me, saying he had to go on a charity tour in the countryside and left in a hurry. He might not be back for a month or two."

Qin Yuming sensed something was off and frowned, "Why didn't he tell me about the charity tour, but he told you?"

Fang Zhicheng continued to cover up, "He said he couldn't get through to your phone..."

He felt this excuse was unconvincing and his voice trailed off.

Qin Yuming picked up her phone from the coffee table, checked it, and found no missed calls. She then called Cheng Bin, but heard, "Sorry, the number you dialed is out of service..."

She then stared at Fang Zhicheng, scanning him up and down, and asked sternly, "Zhicheng, are you hiding something from your sister-in-law?"

Fang Zhicheng, seeing Qin Yuming's piercing gaze, felt that the truth couldn't be hidden any longer. After a long silence, he put down his bowl and chopsticks and frankly said, "Brother Cheng is in trouble and has to go into hiding for a while. He asked me to tell you... If you need any help in the future, you can come to me directly."

Fang Zhicheng sighed after speaking, unsure if Qin Yuming could accept this. Although she was strong, she was still a woman.

Qin Yuming's delicate face froze for a moment, then she covered her face and burst into tears, just like "a jade face with tears streaming down, a branch of pear blossoms in the spring rain."

Fang Zhicheng, sitting there, was in a dilemma. After a while, he walked over to Qin Yuming and, emboldened, wrapped half of her delicate body in his arms.

Qin Yuming, taken aback, smelled the strong masculine scent on Fang Zhicheng and felt her heart flutter. Recalling the diary she had peeked at last night, she felt incredibly embarrassed and pushed Fang Zhicheng away.

But Fang Zhicheng was very strong, and she couldn't break free.

Fang Zhicheng, not noticing Qin Yuming's resistance, caressed her smooth back and said softly, "Sister-in-law, if you're feeling uncomfortable, just cry it out. If you feel frustrated, hit me a few times..."

Qin Yuming realized that Fang Zhicheng wasn't being malicious but was trying to comfort her, so she leaned into his embrace and cried.

Fang Zhicheng, holding Qin Yuming's fragrant shoulders, remained still, feeling a lot of emotions. He thought to himself that Qin Yuming marrying Cheng Bin was truly like a fresh flower being stuck on cow dung.

Finally, Qin Yuming stopped sobbing, took a tissue from the table to wipe her eyes, and said softly, "I understand. Don't worry, your sister-in-law is fine. You still have to go to work, so go back and rest!"

Seeing Qin Yuming's polite dismissal, Fang Zhicheng didn't get up but said softly, "Brother Cheng, this time, he's messed with someone powerful... I'm afraid they might come after you. From today on, I'll stay in the guest room at your place... Having a man around will be a good support."

"Zhicheng, your kindness is appreciated. Cheng Bin is just hiding out, not 'dead.' If you come into this house, it will be a mess. You haven't even married yet, so don't worry too much, or it will tarnish your reputation," Qin Yuming smiled sadly and waved, "Starting tomorrow, I'll stay in the school dormitory. I don't think they'll dare to come to the school."

Qin Yuming was right. Although their families were close, they were still neighbors, and it would be unwise to cause any gossip. Staying at the school was indeed safer than staying in the neighborhood.

From Qin Yuming's tone, it was clear that she was thoroughly disappointed with Cheng Bin, otherwise, she wouldn't have used the word "dead." But Fang Zhicheng didn't know that Qin Yuming's firm refusal was also to cut off his hopes.

Since Qin Yuming knew that Fang Zhicheng had a crush on her, she naturally had to keep a certain distance, otherwise, it might lead to a dangerous situation.

Fang Zhicheng sighed and had to leave, returning home with a heavy heart. He took water from the fridge, drank two big gulps, and suddenly noticed a wet patch on his chest. He remembered that Qin Yuming had been leaning there crying, leaving her tears on him. He subconsciously touched it and could still smell the scent of perfume.

...

Back at the municipal party committee compound, Fang Zhicheng started to get busy. Although Song Wendu hadn't given him any specific tasks, Fang Zhicheng still tried to do something, like organizing the work schedule, cleaning, and sorting files. The workload of the party secretary was heavy, so ensuring a clear and reasonable plan was crucial, which was the secretary's duty.

Song Wendu came out once and, seeing Fang Zhicheng numbering recent documents, nodded in satisfaction and instructed, "Go to the organizational department meeting this afternoon."

Fang Zhicheng then called the driver, Master Liu, and informed him that Secretary Song had changed the schedule.

Master Liu had been with Song Wendu for seven or eight years. He was a seasoned driver, while secretaries came and went. For leaders, drivers were more important than secretaries, and some confidential tasks were assigned to drivers. Therefore, Fang Zhicheng was exceptionally polite when he called Master Liu.

In the afternoon, at the municipal organizational department, a meeting was held, chaired by the head of the organizational department, Cao Hongzhang. After listening to everyone's reports with his eyes half-closed, Song Wendu raised several points of criticism, causing Cao Hongzhang's bald forehead to be covered in sweat.

It turned out that recently, the county magistrate of Zhenghe County, Hong Guangran, had told a journalist that "the county magistrate's phone is a number that ordinary people cannot call." This statement, after being exposed by the media, caused a huge uproar and severely damaged the image of Yinzhou officials. The provincial party secretary even called Song Wendu specifically to criticize the matter.

Song Wendu, a scholar-official who looked harmless, but sitting in the center, exuded an official's authority. He slowly said:

"First, the organizational department must firmly manage the 'loose tongues' of some Yinzhou officials! I have already arranged for the organizational department to handle Hong Guangran's drunken remarks at the standing committee meeting, but the organizational department just told me they can't do anything! So what can the organizational department manage? If it only manages the promotion of officials and leaves the problems to the officials themselves, then it might as well be renamed the Yinzhou Municipal Promotion Department, right?"

"Second, the organizational department must strictly screen the quality of officials. We are already in the 21st century, and we are past the era of bandits becoming officials. If the quality of officials does not improve, how can they represent the state's functional departments? Therefore, the organizational department must remove officials who do not meet the quality standards from our ranks."

"Third, the organizational department must come up with specific punishment measures and issue them in the form of documents to all levels of departments to prevent officials from speaking recklessly. Don't always play drunk boxing. This incident has sparked nationwide debate, and the punishment must be reasonable and publicized to show that we in Yinzhou are taking the initiative to handle this matter."

After the meeting, Cao Hongzhang looked depressed, hanging his head and walking at the back. Qiu Hengde, standing beside Song Wendu, actually led Song Wendu to his office. Everyone saw this and knew that in Song Wendu's heart, Qiu Hengde was more important than Cao Hongzhang. Qiu Hengde's popularity in the organizational department would naturally rise, gradually surpassing Cao Hongzhang.

Fang Zhicheng sat outside the office, chatting idly with Qiu Hengde's secretary, Song Jinshu, while pondering the key points of today's meeting.

Song Wendu's actions were undoubtedly putting pressure on Cao Hongzhang while firmly supporting Qiu Hengde. For a party secretary, it was essential to control the organizational department to truly have power. Since Cao Hongzhang was too close to Mayor Xia Xiang, Song Wendu had to remove him from his position. Qiu Hengde was the key person Song Wendu used to balance Cao Hongzhang.

The office door suddenly opened, and Qiu Hengde escorted Song Wendu out, shaking hands with Fang Zhicheng and saying gratefully, "Little Fang, I haven't had the chance to thank you for saving my life!"

Fang Zhicheng humbly replied, "Minister Qiu, you're too kind. It was my duty."

"At that time, so many people were on the shore, but only you dared to jump into the water. This fully shows your chivalrous spirit and courage!" Qiu Hengde patted Fang Zhicheng's shoulder and humorously invited him, "When you have time, come to my house for a meal. My wife has been saying she wants to meet you. Otherwise, she will cry every day, guarding an empty house!"

Fang Zhicheng nodded and smiled, "When you have time, I'll personally visit your home, Minister Qiu..."

Many people wanted to enter Qiu Hengde's home, but most were turned away. Now that Qiu Hengde was inviting him, why wouldn't he accept?

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