Chapter 298: Tempering One's Own Dao Heart!

Zhu Junting and Ding Xiang gently hung their snow-white bath towels on the carved copper rack by the pool.

Amidst the gazes of others—some burning, some subtle—they slid into the hot spring with elegant postures.

Thick steam billowed upward.

The two were like a pair of lotus flowers fallen into the Jade Pool.

Gauzy mist swirled over the surface of the pool, blurring the indistinct figures of Zhu Junting and Ding Xiang into a scene of enchanting beauty.

Even though Tang Ye had always possessed a composed state of mind, he could not help but feel a bit stimulated at this moment.

No wonder many officials could not withstand this kind of test!

Tang Ye thought to himself that this was the perfect opportunity to temper his own Dao Heart; he must absolutely not be seduced by beauty!

The hot spring pool was not large, and the group sat on both sides.

The male guests gathered on one side, with Tang Ye, Boss He, and others chatting casually.

On the opposite bank, Zhu Junting and Ding Xiang snuggled together, their silver-bell-like laughter mixing with the hazy steam and drifting through the warm, cozy air.

Without knowing when it happened, the group began to change positions.

By the time Tang Ye regained his senses, he found himself flanked by Zhu Junting and Ding Xiang on either side.

The warm steam, carrying a faint, elusive scent of perfume, made his throat tighten slightly.

His gaze remained fixed on the ripples dancing on the water's surface, and he behaved very properly.

Seeing that the time was ripe, Zhu Junting suddenly leaned in sideways, her warm breath brushing against Tang Ye's ear: "Section Chief Tang, I heard that a new hospital is to be built in the West District? I am very interested in the latent business opportunities brought by the new hospital and would like to develop a large-scale commercial plaza. I wonder if you could provide some guidance?"

As she spoke, her red lips were almost pressed against Tang Ye's ear.

The water waves stirred by her smooth arms struck Tang Ye's waist muscles, and the air was instantly filled with a temperature that stirred the heart and confused the mind.

Tang Ye recited to himself, Dao Heart steady!

Ding Xiang knew the two were going to discuss important matters.

She moved aside in a well-behaved manner.

Her slender hands gently scooped up a handful of hot spring water.

A thin line of fine water droplets splashed into the pool, creating clusters of silver blossoms.

Tang Ye sighed inwardly; Zhu Junting was indeed well-informed, not only having sniffed out the rumors but also having precisely located him.

"Sister-in-law, this matter has not yet been finalized, so it is truly inconvenient for me to say more." Tang Ye politely declined.

Zhu Junting, however, refused to give up, her tone becoming increasingly earnest: "I know this project was initiated and pushed by you. That piece of land has long since become a hot commodity; if we don't lay the groundwork early, the costs will double later. Section Chief Tang, can't you just help your sister out?"

Tang Ye smiled bitterly and shook his head: "Policy matters change in an instant; the slightest mistake would be a grave error. I cannot break the rules."

Seeing this, Zhu Junting changed her tack: "I heard you met with Qin Xue some days ago? Her company specializes in land flipping to reap profits; we are different from them, as we genuinely want to build something. Can you just watch us get skinned by those shell companies of theirs..."

"Sister-in-law, I only met Qin Xue once; how could I possibly provide her with key information? Please rest assured on this point!" Tang Ye immediately clarified.

Zhu Junting squinted at him with a look that was not quite a smile: "Section Chief Tang, we have known each other for a long time; is there really no sentiment between us?"

Zhu Junting did things very meticulously!

From the dinner party to the hot spring, it was a layered progression, and now she was even playing the emotional card.

"If there is a suitable opportunity, I would naturally be willing to join hands with you, sister-in-law, to contribute to Hanzhou. But as for the location of the new hospital, I am afraid I truly cannot help." Having said this, he slowly stood up, "It is getting late, I shall take my leave first."

As he stood up, Tang Ye's arm inadvertently brushed against Ding Xiang's fragrant shoulder.

In that instant, Ding Xiang felt a current surge through her entire body, and she curled up slightly like a mimosa plant being touched.

Seeing Tang Ye insist on leaving, Zhu Junting's interest immediately dissipated.

She left the hot spring pool with Ding Xiang and walked toward the changing room together.

While changing clothes, Ding Xiang suddenly leaned in and whispered:

"Just now when taking the locker key, Section Chief Tang insisted on number 58. When he didn't get it, he even jokingly asked me if there was a number 58 in the women's area..."

Zhu Junting gripped her wrist tightly, a light of pleasant surprise erupting in her eyes: "Teacher Ding, thank you for the reminder! Please do not tell anyone else about this detail!"

Tang Ye appeared to be refusing, but in reality, he was hiding a mystery.

The location of the new hospital must be closely related to the number "58".

Having obtained this key clue, a sense of inevitable success surged in Zhu Junting's heart.

……

The next day.

Approaching lunchtime.

Chen Ping tapped lightly on the door of Tang Ye's office and then poked half his body inside.

Tang Ye was holding the landline phone.

The key information about the "new hospital location" drifted vaguely into Chen Ping's ears.

Sensing that someone was visiting.

Tang Ye quickly hung up the phone, a smile piling up on his face:

"Old Chen, sit for a moment. I have to go report some urgent matters to Mayor Jiang; I'll be back in five minutes."

"You go ahead and get busy!" Chen Ping grinned and waved his hand.

Once Tang Ye's footsteps disappeared at the end of the corridor.

He paced around the office with his hands behind his back.

His seemingly casual gaze was constantly alert to the movement outside the door.

Suddenly, his footsteps paused, and he walked straight to the desk.

With a "click," he pulled open the drawer and flipped through a stack of documents quickly.

As a result, he did not see that document.

Just at this moment, the paper shredder in the corner of the wall came into view.

He strode forward, nimbly pulled out the paper bin from beneath the shredder, and stuffed the shredded paper inside into his pockets all at once.

After handling it properly, he shoved a few sheets of blank paper into the shredder and pressed the start button.

Once everything was finished, he sat back on the sofa as if nothing had happened, casually picking up a newspaper from the side to flip through as a cover.

Not long after.

Familiar footsteps came from the hallway.

Tang Ye pushed the door open and entered, seeing Chen Ping reading the newspaper, and handed him a cup of hot tea he had just brewed: "Old Chen, how do you have time to come over today? Is there something you need?"

A bitter smile surfaced on Chen Ping's face: "When I took Qin Xue out to dinner last time, she was very interested in you and wants to invite you to dinner alone."

Tang Ye shook his head helplessly: "Old Chen, don't make things difficult for me. Does Qin Xue really just want to have dinner? Isn't she just after the news about the new hospital's site selection? Even Secretary Zhou hasn't made a decision on this yet; how could I just leak it? I can't help with this, and I wouldn't be able to eat that meal with peace of mind."

Chen Ping still wouldn't give up, tentatively persuading him: "Even if you don't talk about business, it's good to make another friend!"

Tang Ye sighed softly, his expression revealing a bit of helplessness: "Old Chen, the wind is blowing too hard lately; it's really not convenient. Let's talk about it after this sensitive period passes. If the leaders see me getting too close to certain people, even if I haven't done anything, it's hard to avoid inviting criticism."

The smile on Chen Ping's face faded a little: "Alright, I understand. I will explain it clearly to Qin Xue."

After saying goodbye to Tang Ye, Chen Ping hurried to Qin Xue's office without stopping.

The moment he pushed the door open, he threw the bag containing the shredded paper onto Qin Xue's desk.

"That kid Tang Ye is tight-lipped and refuses to reveal a single thing. However, I dug these out of the shredder in his office; they might contain confidential documents about the new hospital's site selection."

Qin Xue, who had been somewhat dejected, suddenly raised her head, a smug smile curling at the corners of her mouth: "Well done! I'll find someone to restore them immediately!"

The excited gleam in Qin Xue's eyes.

Chen Ping's Adam's apple bobbed involuntarily.

How could he not know that stealing materials from a shredder was an act bordering on illegality?

But ever since he accepted the "benefits" handed to him by Qin Xue for the first time, he was like a fish hooked on a line,

step by step becoming a puppet controlled by her...