Chapter 211: Could It Be That You Like Him?

Tang Ye and Du Xi escorted Jiang Rou back to her residence.

Stepping through the front door, Jiang Rou saw Jiang Jing.

The previous chatter and laughter vanished, replaced suddenly by cold indifference.

She shouldered her schoolbag and walked straight toward her own room.

Because Tang Ye and Du Xi were present, even though Jiang Jing felt a great deal of displeasure, she could not lash out on the spot.

Seeing this, the nanny, Aunt Chen, hurriedly brewed some fragrant tea and carefully sliced fresh fruit, placing them on the living room coffee table in an attempt to ease the slightly awkward atmosphere.

After Tang Ye sat down on the sofa, he wore a serious expression and described in detail, point by point, everything that had happened at school to Jiang Jing.

"Jiang Rou was wronged. Faced with bullying, so many students in the class could only choose to suffer in silence, angry but afraid to speak out. Jiang Rou is different; she bravely stood up and faced the evil head-on. Her courage is truly commendable. Principal Zhou handled the matter with lightning speed, quickly transferring the bullying students and also making adjustments to the Class Teacher."

Jiang Jing nodded slightly, "It was handled very well."

Du Xi added, "I took the liberty of signing Jiang Rou up for a few tutoring classes, and I also talked her through it; she is willing to try."

A flash of surprise crossed Jiang Jing's eyes, and she couldn't help but exclaim, "This really is a huge transformation."

In the past, whenever Jiang Jing suggested tutoring classes to her daughter, Jiang Rou had resolutely refused every time.

The corners of Du Xi's mouth lifted, revealing a warm smile as she said, "Jiang Rou is kind-hearted and has a lively personality. Besides, her foundation isn't bad; as long as she is willing to work hard, she will be able to catch up very soon."

Seeing that it was getting late, Tang Ye took the initiative to stand up and take his leave.

The two stepped onto the road home; the night was like water, and the streetlights on both sides of the street lit up one after another.

As they walked, Du Xi suddenly stopped, turned her head to look at Tang Ye, and asked with a hint of inquiry in her expression, "Do you have other plans for asking me to look after Jiang Rou?"

Tang Ye waved his hands hurriedly, saying with an innocent face, "How could that be? I simply saw that she is a young girl, new to this unfamiliar city, with no one to rely on, and she must feel quite lonely. Finding her a big sister can help her settle down as quickly as possible and integrate into the new environment."

Du Xi shook her head gently, staring intently at Tang Ye, and said firmly, "That's not right, you are definitely plotting something."

Tang Ye was both annoyed and amused, saying helplessly, "In your eyes, am I that deep and dark-minded?"

Du Xi reached out, gently touched her chin, and after thinking for a long time, said slowly, "You know in your heart that his daughter is the most cherished and softest spot for Mayor Jiang. You want me to have more contact with Jiang Rou to gain Mayor Jiang's favor and pave the way for the future, right?"

Tang Ye looked disdainful and retorted, "Do I need to rely on such underhanded methods?"

Du Xi hooked her arm through Tang Ye's and said with a playful smile, "That's true too. But I discovered that the way Jiang Rou looks at you is a bit special."

"How is it special?" Tang Ye asked with a puzzled look.

"She has a crush on you." As Du Xi said this, she carefully observed the changes in Tang Ye's expression.

Tang Ye couldn't help but laugh out loud and explained, "After all, she is still a young girl whose mind hasn't fully matured. The men she usually comes into contact with are mostly classmates; compared to those green boys, I naturally have a bit more mature charm. It's perfectly normal for her to have a crush on me."

Du Xi feigned anger, pouted, and said, "You're fine, making me stay with a 'love rival' every day—don't you think that's too cruel to me?"

Tang Ye dotingly flicked Du Xi's high-bridged nose and teased, "You, actually getting jealous of a high school girl; aren't you being a bit too narrow-minded?"

Du Xi's eyes turned slightly red, and she said with a tone of coquetry and firmness, "I just love to be jealous; you are mine, and no one is allowed to snatch you away."

Tang Ye affectionately held Du Xi tightly in his arms.

"Don't worry, I will never lose you."

The next morning.

Tang Ye had not been sitting at his desk for long.

Wen Rong hurried over, clutching several files.

"Section Chief Tang, here are some materials. Please take a look and see if they need to be submitted to Mayor Jiang."

In the Secretariat, screening materials every day was an important duty; after all, the Mayor was busy with official business, and if all materials were reviewed by the Mayor personally, he would be overwhelmed. Precisely because of this, the Secretariat actually held considerable power; whether a project approval or a complaint report could reach the leadership's attention depended on the Secretary's judgment.

Tang Ye nodded slightly and replied, "I'll take a look first."

Not long after Wen Rong left, Zhan Shiqi walked in with a leave request and reported, "Section Chief Tang, I have some private matters next week and need to take leave. I have already handed over my current work to Wen Rong."

Tang Ye frowned slightly and said, "Zhan, you are an old comrade in the section; you must have a sense of proportion in your work. Wen Rong already has a heavy workload. Not only are you not helping to share the burden, but you're also shirking your responsibilities!"

Zhan Shiqi, however, acted like a rogue, grinning and saying, "The capable do more work, right? Otherwise, how could Wen Rong have become a Deputy Section Chief so smoothly? Don't look at her young age; her ambition is quite high. She has outstanding conditions and is recognized as the 'flower' of the Municipal Party Committee. There are a bunch of people pursuing her, but she rejects them all and focuses entirely on her career to make progress."

Tang Ye rolled his eyes at Zhan Shiqi helplessly and said, "I've approved this leave, but don't let it happen again. Go call Wen Rong over."

Zhan Shiqi, having been criticized, felt unhappy and thought it was Wen Rong complaining behind his back, so he spoke with sarcasm when calling Wen Rong: "Little Wen, if you don't want to take over the work, you could have just told me directly; why talk about me behind my back?"

Wen Rong looked blank, stared at Zhan Shiqi innocently, and said, "Heaven and earth are my witness, I really haven't said anything bad about you."

Zhan Shiqi snorted coldly and urged, "Section Chief Tang is calling for you; hurry up and go!"

Wen Rong walked into the office.

Tang Ye looked serious and asked in a cold tone, "Why does Zhan Shiqi ask for leave every month? Is our section very idle?"

Wen Rong frowned slightly and explained, "His health isn't very good."

Tang Ye remained cold as he said, "If his health isn't good, he should go to a less busy position to recuperate. You are too indulgent toward him; your management style must change in the future."

Wen Rong felt deeply aggrieved, feeling as if she were caught in the middle.

Returning to her seat, the more she thought about it, the sadder she felt, and tears welled up in her eyes.

She couldn't help but send a message to her best friend to vent:

"This leader is too unreasonable! Zhan Shiqi asked for leave, and he actually blamed it on me. I seriously suspect he's on his period!"

Her best friend replied to the message quickly:

"My dear Rongrong, I don't know when it started, but you often mention your boss.

Even though you are full of resentment, there is a hint of admiration between the lines.

You wouldn't happen to have fallen for him, would you?"