Chapter 98: The Exhausted Du Xi!

The third day of the Lunar New Year.

Tang Ye got up early and rushed to Pinghu for his duty shift!

Stopping by the security room, Tang Ye tossed a pack of cigarettes onto the table.

The security guard took the cigarettes with a smile, "Thank you, Town Mayor Tang."

"Has there been any news in town these past few days?"

The security guard slapped his thigh hard.

"On New Year's Eve, Master Wang was setting off fireworks at home. After lighting the fuse, there was no movement for a long while, so he leaned his head over to look...

Good heavens, it serves him right for being unlucky; he blew his right eye blind!"

"My god!"

Tang Ye could hear the intake of cold breath.

He had had contact with Master Wang from the motorcade; he used to be Xu Yiping's driver, and later, when Xu Yiping was investigated, he played a key role in the case as an important witness.

Although he was not affected by Xu Yiping's disciplinary violations, his reputation among everyone was poor; after all, no one likes a turncoat who trims his sails with the wind.

"We repeatedly issued orders to pay attention to safety when setting off fireworks and firecrackers, but I didn't expect an accident to happen anyway." Tang Ye felt somewhat relieved that there were no casualties and no major property damage, and it didn't have much to do with the Government.

However, Master Wang was the pillar of his family, and his household would inevitably suffer a heavy blow.

The security guard sighed with emotion, "The doctor told him clearly that the eye was already useless, but on the operating table, he still emphasized to the doctor that the bad eye could not be removed. Sigh, what's the use of regret..."

If a person has no long-term worries, they will have immediate sorrows; one must still be cautious and careful in life.

Tang Ye sighed along with him, "A driver needs to keep an eye on all directions; if he loses a healthy eye, he won't be able to drive... When he returns from the hospital, remember to remind me; I will go visit him."

The security guard was stunned for a moment, secretly thinking that although Town Mayor Tang was young, he was quite righteous.

Tang Ye arrived at his office and picked up the thermos to shake it.

It felt surprisingly heavy in his hand, and when he pulled out the wooden stopper, it was actually emitting steam!

While he was stunned, the "snail girl" Xu Qiao knocked and entered, saying with a smile, "Master, Happy New Year!"

Xu Qiao had changed into new clothes: a short padded jacket, tight jeans, and brown long boots. Her hair had been meticulously groomed and tied into a bun at the back of her head, and she wore a pink headband encrusted with tiny diamonds. Her eyebrows were like dark green hills, her eyes like clear ripples, her lips red and teeth white, and her face wore a faint smile.

"Happy New Year!" Tang Ye was quite surprised, "Didn't you go out to visit relatives? Why did you come in to work overtime?"

Xu Qiao's cheeks flushed, "My brother-in-law reminded me last night that you were on duty today and asked me to come over to clean up." She paused, finally gathering the courage to invite him, "The cafeteria isn't cooking; why don't you come to my house for lunch at noon?"

Tang Ye waved his hand, "You tell Guo; I won't go and disturb you! I bought a bucket of instant noodles; I'll just soak them in boiling water later and make do with that."

Xu Qiao frowned and said anxiously, "Eating instant noodles on New Year's, how awful!"

"I ate plenty of instant noodles when I was a student; special circumstances call for special treatment." Tang Ye said in an unquestionable tone, "You've finished your task, hurry back."

Xu Qiao failed to persuade Tang Ye; she bit her lip lightly and left in disappointment.

Her personality was not introverted, but every time she encountered Tang Ye, she became cautious.

The hierarchy between superior and subordinate made Xu Qiao instinctively awe Tang Ye, to the point where she would consider every sentence for a long time before saying it.

Tang Ye brewed a pot of tea, opened his laptop, sorted out his thoughts, and immediately began preparing some materials needed for investment promotion.

During the City Investment Promotion Conference last year, Tang Ye had already sorted out the outline of Pinghu's development while preparing materials. The next step was to cram, think through the details, and then use super-strong execution to ensure every aspect was in place.

Tang Ye was immersed in his work and forgot the time.

It wasn't until the door was knocked on that Tang Ye looked toward the sound.

It was actually Xu Qiao, who had returned.

Xu Qiao was carrying an insulated container, and she said in a low voice, "Master, I've brought you lunch."

Seeing that she couldn't persuade Tang Ye, Xu Qiao had gone back and prepared lunch to bring over.

Tang Ye secretly thought that Xu Qiao was indeed thoughtful, and immediately said with a smile, "Thank you, then I won't stand on ceremony."

Xu Qiao opened the insulated container; on top was clear-colored chicken soup, and underneath were neatly placed steaming dumplings.

Tang Ye suddenly had an appetite; he sat on the sofa and finished the dumplings and chicken soup in no time.

Xu Qiao watched Tang Ye eat patiently, a faint smile appearing at the corners of her mouth.

"Master, I'll bring you dinner as well."

Tang Ye hurriedly waved his hand, "No need to trouble yourself with dinner," then he told a lie, "Chen asked me to go to his house for dinner."

Xu Qiao was stunned for a moment, then said with a smile, "Alright, then you go ahead and get busy."

Watching Xu Qiao's departing back, Tang Ye sighed softly.

Yesterday, Tang Ye had called Wu Jie, and Wu Jie said that Han Bin's recovery was not ideal and he still did not recognize her.

As for how he treated Xu Qiao, it was even more like a stranger.

He didn't know how long Xu Qiao could persist in this affection!

A gust of cold wind entered the room from the window; Tang Ye shivered and walked over to close the window.

At this moment, a cool sensation came from the tip of his nose, and Tang Ye looked toward the overcast sky.

He muttered, "It's snowing!"

Suddenly, the snow fell harder and harder, like goose feathers, falling one after another.

Tang Ye composed himself, sat back down, and continued to revise the materials.

Until the ringing of a phone interrupted Tang Ye's train of thought.

Liu Fang's urgent voice came through the phone.

"Tang Ye, has Du Xi contacted you?"

Tang Ye was startled, "No, what happened?"

Liu Fang was extremely anxious, "She knew you were on duty in Pinghu today, so she took the bus to find you. The snow is falling so heavily, I'm afraid something happened to her. I called her, but I can't get through..."

Tang Ye's heart skipped a beat, but he smiled and comforted her, "Du Xi is a grown woman, she should be fine, don't worry. As soon as there is news, I will tell you immediately."

Hanging up the phone, Tang Ye walked outside.

Snowflakes fell with a rustling sound.

The rooftops and streets were already covered in a thick layer of snow.

Tang Ye walked to the security room.

The security guard poked his head out, a grave expression on his face, "Town Mayor Tang, are you going out? You must be careful. I just heard some news; the snow is heavy and the roads are slippery, and there's been an accident at Center Bridge. A bus fell into the river, and there's no telling if there are any major casualties."

Tang Ye dialed Du Xi's phone again, but it still went unanswered; burning with anxiety, he said, "Lend me your bicycle, I'm going over to take a look!"

The security guard hadn't even had time to react.

Tang Ye vaulted onto the roadster bicycle and wobbled as he rode toward Center Bridge.

The journey that would normally only take ten minutes took Tang Ye at least half an hour to reach Center Bridge.

Even though the snow was falling heavily, there were quite a few onlookers standing on the bridge.

Tang Ye parked the roadster, squeezed into the crowd, and looked toward the river.

The bus lay in the riverbed like a turtle on its back.

Armed police officers rescued the last two passengers.

The onlookers applauded one after another to express their respect.

Tang Ye circled around but did not find any sign of Du Xi.

He felt both relieved and puzzled.

After a moment of thought, he made a decision, got on his bicycle, and rode against the bus's route.

He did not know how much time had passed.

A familiar, graceful figure gradually became clear in the wind and snow...

"Du Xi, is that you?"

"It's me, Tang Ye."

An exhausted Du Xi rubbed her eyes.

Snowflakes instantly blurred her vision.

Pea-sized teardrops fell from the corners of her eyes...