Chapter 358: Bringing a Beauty Home for the New Year

I finally understood the ins and outs from Guan Peishan's words.

Chunshan County had a rule for many years: during the New Year, every member of the Municipal Party Standing Committee had to be visited. During Guan Peishan's tenure, he did this himself and never let anyone else intervene. Even the gifts necessary for the visits were arranged by people he personally designated.

Now that he had retired from the position of County Party Secretary, he was still the head of the Chunshan County Economic Leading Group. However, visiting leaders in his current capacity seemed a bit unconventional. After all, he wasn't even a member of the Chunshan County Standing Committee!

Guan Peishan finally sighed and said, "Old Liu is a lucky man! Although the superiors don't allocate funds now, he has money in his hands. The compensation for building this expressway is equivalent to Chunshan County's total national production income for five years."

I had indeed known nothing about these situations before. I suddenly felt cold sweat on my back; who was right and who was wrong in these officialdom matters could not be summarized by a single word or a single event.

Guan Peishan's defeat at Maicheng must have had things he couldn't show in the light. Liu Qimeng's pursuit of Chunshan didn't necessarily mean everything was bright and upright.

Just because Guan Peishan was still worrying about the future of Chunshan County after retiring, a sense of admiration couldn't help but grow in my heart.

"Little County Magistrate Chen, you young people still have a very bright future. Being a person and being an official requires not only Party principles but also a conscience. When the common people live better lives, those of us who are officials will sleep a little more peacefully. When the common people are living in deep water and scorching fire, can we officials eat and drink?"

I nodded vigorously and said earnestly, "Old Secretary's teaching is very correct."

Guan Peishan sighed and said, "I'm not teaching you. I just think, since you have entered officialdom, you must understand the rules of the game. Many things cannot be done on impulse; you must think three times."

"I won't say much more. I invited you here today to let you take Xiao Xi and walk the paths that should be walked. Don't let the leaders think that because Guan Peishan is no longer in office, Chunshan County has no one left." Guan Peishan pushed Lin Xiaoxi away, stood up, and swayed his body, "I've already told Xiao Xi everything. She will tell you what to do. You two go, I'm going to rest."

He left us behind and walked toward the bedroom alone. I looked at his hunched back and suddenly felt that he had aged a lot.

I asked Lin Xiaoxi in a low voice, "Is the Old Secretary the only one at home?"

Lin Xiaoxi nodded and said, "Yes!"

"If you leave, who will take care of him?" I hesitated. I couldn't leave such an old man alone at home during the New Year.

"Someone is taking care of him, don't worry!" Lin Xiaoxi said, smiling at me.

"Who?"

"Deputy Director Deng, that is Deng Hanyu, you don't remember him?" Lin Xiaoxi looked at me strangely, "Let's go!"

I still didn't move and asked, "How does he take care of him?"

"Qilin Villa, you know it, right?" Lin Xiaoxi said while walking out the door.

I had no choice but to follow her out.

Sitting in the car, Lin Xiaoxi took off the silk scarf covering her face, took off the large sunglasses covering her eyes, leaned back in the seat, and let out a long, comfortable breath.

She was a girl with bright eyes and white teeth, and a head of hair like a waterfall cascading over her rounded shoulders. There was a layer of fine, soft hair on her ears, making one have the urge to touch them.

"Drive." She felt a bit embarrassed by my gaze, her face blushing as she urged me to drive.

"Tomorrow is New Year's Eve," I said, reminding her if Guan Peishan's decision at this time was a bit too sudden.

"I know!" Lin Xiaoxi said calmly, "As long as it's not past twelve o'clock on New Year's Eve, it still counts as the old year."

"But what about after twelve o'clock?" I asked, "Where are you going to spend the New Year?"

"At your house," she giggled, putting on a pitiful look, "You can't just throw me on the street to spend the New Year, right?"

I was shocked. There was Meizhu at home, and Huang Weiwei waiting for me to see the new house. You, Lin Xiaoxi, spending the New Year at my house—what kind of thing is that? Isn't this forcing me up to Liangshan?

"Is that not allowed?" She tilted her head and looked at me, smiling. "If you have difficulties, you can just throw me on the street. Anyway, I'm alone, it's the same wherever I spend the New Year."

"It's not that..." I defended, "You are working for Chunshan County."

"You know that and you still ask me?" She ignored me and closed her eyes to pretend to sleep. I stole a glance at her; her long eyelashes were trembling slightly, and her chest rose and fell with her even breathing.

Lin Xiaoxi now was incomparably beautiful. A ray of sunlight shot in through the car window, shining on her snow-white face, creating a halo of holy light.

She was the daughter of Guan Peishan's comrade-in-arms! Who knew if it was true or false? I remembered my aunt's warning, and suddenly, like swallowing a green-headed fly, I felt so disgusted I almost vomited.

Lin Xiaoxi seemed to sense my abnormality. She opened her eyes and said slowly, "Drive carefully, stop letting your imagination run wild, okay?"

I didn't answer her, staring straight ahead, my mind a blank.

If I hadn't met Xue Bing, hadn't met Huang Weiwei, would I have fallen in love with her? I asked myself quietly.

Sigh! Even if I hadn't met them, I couldn't have loved her. Because when I met Xue Bing, I was still a small village secretary, and when I met Huang Weiwei, I was still a worthless little village magistrate.

And she, she was in contact with high-ranking officials and wealthy merchants, how could she have seen me with the corner of her eye?

I smacked my lips unconsciously, and this small action was discovered by her. She immediately asked me, "Are you thirsty?"

I could only nod.

She unbuckled her seatbelt, turned sideways to dig a bottle of water out of her bag, unscrewed the cap, and handed it to my mouth, saying, "Drink."

I wanted to reach out and take it, but she stubbornly held on and wouldn't let go. I had no choice but to lean close to the bottle mouth and drink two mouthfuls of water. The ice-cold water went straight to my heart like a straight line, and I actually shivered.

She pulled her hand back, tightened the bottle cap again, and giggled, "You drank my water, so you have to take care of me."

I paused and laughed, "It's okay, I'll buy a box of water and give it to you later."

"It's not the same."

"Where is it not the same? Whatever water you are, I'll buy the same water, okay?"

"You drank the water I drank." After Lin Xiaoxi finished speaking, her face turned as red as a cockscomb, and she turned her face away, not daring to look at me.

I was shocked again. I was too hurried when I got in the car, and I didn't remember to buy a few bottles of water to keep in the car. Now I had fallen into her trap!

"How does it taste?" Lin Xiaoxi teased me. I looked sideways and saw her looking at me with schadenfreude.

I deliberately smacked my lips and said, "Hmm, not bad, a bit different."

"I told you," she said happily, "Do you want more?"

"No!" I said, "I'll buy water later, and I'll open them one by one and take a sip before giving them to you."

"No! So disgusting!" She blushed and shouted coquettishly, "You stinky men, I don't want that."

"But you'll eventually marry a stinky man!" I blurted out. As soon as the words left my mouth, I felt it was a bit inappropriate. I had only met Lin Xiaoxi twice; such a joke seemed a bit too much.

Who knew Lin Xiaoxi wouldn't mind at all? She laughed, "I won't marry you stinky men."

"Of course, you already have one!" Another sentence blurted out, and I was so scared I stepped on the brake involuntarily.

"I didn't mean that." I hurriedly defended. Men are most afraid of women misunderstanding. Women are emotional animals; once they misunderstand you, they won't forgive you for a lifetime.

"Then what did you mean?" Lin Xiaoxi stopped laughing, her face covered in a layer of frost, and I shivered involuntarily again.

"I didn't mean anything," I stammered, not daring to look at her.

"Are you jealous?" she asked with a half-smile.

"Whose jealousy would I be eating?" I laughed deliberately and indifferently.

"You know yourself."

"I don't know."

"I don't care if you know or not, you tell me, you are jealous, and I will forgive you." She said word by word, staring at me like a mother lion about to explode.

I had no choice but to pretend to be carefree and say, "Fine, fine, Lin Xiaoxi, I am jealous! Is that okay?"

A smile crossed Lin Xiaoxi's face. She turned her face to look out the car window and said with a heavy heart, "Others can misunderstand me, but you can't!"

"Why?" I asked curiously.

"Because I like you!" Lin Xiaoxi said boldly, "I'd rather die than be misunderstood by the man I like!"

I was startled and turned to look at her. She was looking at me, and as our eyes met, I saw a layer of mist cover her eyes, hazy, like an ink wash painting.

"I understand why you didn't call me that night," she said painfully, "Do you know I waited all night for your call?"

Her tears were about to fall, looking pitiful.

My heart felt sour. But I couldn't show any emotion; Lin Xiaoxi wasn't as simple as I thought! A single young girl who could make a name for herself in Chunshan County, where she had no relatives or friends, must have her own extraordinary ways.

"Are you afraid?" Lin Xiaoxi asked me faintly.

"No!" I answered briefly.

"You are definitely afraid," she said firmly, "Your hands are shaking."

I looked at my hands holding the steering wheel; they were indeed shaking slightly.

How could I be shaking for a girl I had only met twice? I scolded myself: "So useless!"

Lin Xiaoxi seemed to see through my thoughts. She smiled and said, "Don't worry. I won't pester you. I like you, but liking is not love, and liking you doesn't mean I love you. Therefore, there won't be anything between us."

"I know!" I said with a hoarse voice, but my heart felt like it had been stabbed by a knife, bleeding.

"You must be suspecting me and Secretary Guan." Lin Xiaoxi finally broke the taboo and said bluntly.

"I don't!" I emphasized my tone, rejecting her judgment with an unquestionable attitude.

"It doesn't matter if you do or not! I don't care; the word 'innocence' is usually proven at the cost of blood and life."

I was startled again. Lin Xiaoxi's words seemed to be implying something.

"Don't let your imagination run wild, Xiao Xi," I comforted her softly, "Even if everyone in the world doesn't believe you, I will definitely believe you. Because I believe my own eyes."

"Really?" She tilted her head and looked at me happily.

"Of course!"

"Thank you! Chen Feng!" Lin Xiaoxi said sincerely. She suddenly moved her body over and kissed me on the cheek. I looked sideways and saw her covering her face with both hands, laughing happily.

A warm current suddenly surged in the bottom of my heart, and my whole body felt incomparably comfortable. It was as if a beautiful narcissus had bloomed where she kissed me. ===== CHAPTER 359 =====