Chapter 379

Near the end of the workday, Deng Hanyu called, strongly inviting me to go to Qilin Villa together.

My emotions were still on the re-employment work of the Personnel Bureau. Zhu Hua Yu had been so startled by my palm that she remained silent for a long time, lowering her head and silently tidying up the things on the coffee table.

Actually, the coffee table was very clean. I hadn't brewed tea there for a while, and the tea set was as serene as a sleeping child, emitting a bright, soft light.

This tea set had a history; besides the coffee table being standard issue, the tea set on it was a gift from my aunt. Thinking of my aunt, I realized I hadn't seen her once since the New Year, and hadn't even made a phone call.

My heart began to feel uneasy; my aunt seemed to have vanished into thin air, with no news at all. And this kind of situation seemed to have never happened before. Even during my college years, she had maintained seeing me at least once a month.

I counted on my fingers; it had been three months since I had any contact with my aunt.

I signaled for Zhu Hua Yu to go out first; it was already after work, and there was no need for her to stay by my side. After all, she was currently in a passionate relationship with Huang Qishan, and lovers need time to cultivate their feelings!

Zhu Hua Yu was still hesitating, so I said: "Hua Yu, tomorrow when we go to work, we'll go to the Personnel Bureau. Go back tonight and prepare the materials. I want the list of all re-employed personnel in the county."

Once Zhu Hua Yu left, I immediately picked up the phone and called my aunt.

The phone kept giving a busy signal, and in the end, a standard female voice came through: "The number you have dialed is powered off!"

What was going on? In my memory, my aunt never turned off her phone. Especially now that she was the CEO of a road and bridge company, there was no way she would turn it off.

My aunt's phone being off left me dazed for a long time.

My heart grew more and more uneasy, and like an ant on a hot pan, I paced back and forth in the room.

My eyes suddenly caught the phone book on the table, so I pounced on it with wild joy; I remembered that Xiao Mi's number was written in the phone book.

Xiao Mi's phone connected as soon as I dialed, but no one spoke.

I shouted into the mouthpiece: "Xiao Mi, Xiao Mi, are you there?"

After a long time, Xiao Mi's faint voice came through the receiver: "What?"

"Where is my aunt?" I asked impatiently.

"I don't know."

"You're not with her?" I was shocked. Xiao Mi never left my aunt's side; how could she not know her whereabouts?

"How could you not know?" I questioned loudly.

"Why should I know?" she replied with intense anger. I could almost see her face twisted in anger.

"It's my fault!" I immediately changed my tone. This young girl, Xiao Mi, responds to softness, not hardness. When dealing with women, one must learn to adapt; I had some experience with this.

Sure enough, Xiao Mi's tone softened at my apology: "How did you think of calling the Chairman today?"

Her words were full of mockery, and she seemed to have a lot of dissatisfaction.

"I've been busy!" I explained; if I wanted to get information about my aunt, I couldn't offend this little princess now.

"Busy? Busy with what? Busy taking foreigners out to enjoy the mountains and water?"

"Who told you that?" I said irritably: "That's work."

"I know. Who doesn't know that our County Magistrate Chen is busy with ten thousand things a day." Xiao Mi covered her mouth and laughed; I could almost see her looking sneaky.

"Sigh!" I let out a long sigh on purpose.

"If you want to know where our Chairman is, you have to treat me to a meal," she said with a giggle.

"Are you blackmailing me?"

"I am blackmailing you, so what? Are you treating me or not? If not, forget it." She seemed about to hang up.

"Treat, treat, treat," I shouted into the phone repeatedly.

"When?"

"Not today, another day, okay?"

"No."

"I have plans tonight," I remembered Deng Hanyu's invitation.

"What plans?" she pressed aggressively.

"County arrangements," I used work as my banner. I knew that in front of my work, my aunt considered work to be greater than heaven. Xiao Mi had been with my aunt for so long; she must understand her heart.

Sure enough, Xiao Mi softened and said: "Call me again after your activity is over."

After saying that, she hung up without hesitation, leaving me stunned and rooted to the spot, unable to move at all.

After talking for so long, Xiao Mi hadn't revealed a single bit of information about my aunt. Being so mysterious made my heart hang in the balance, and I was filled with constant anxiety.

Deng Hanyu's call came in again, pestering me like a death-chasing ghost.

I shouted into the phone again: "Old Deng, are you full and have nothing to do?"

Deng Hanyu giggled and said: "Great County Magistrate Chen, did you eat gunpowder?"

"You're the one who ate gunpowder!" I scolded: "A call every three minutes, what do you want?"

"Nothing, just asking if you want Lao Can to come pick us up."

"I don't want that, you arrange it yourselves," I said, hung up the phone, found my aunt's car keys in the drawer, and prepared to go downstairs.

As soon as I opened the door, I saw Li Lian coming toward me gracefully.

She was wearing a winter skirt, although it was spring, and the temperature was still hovering around ten degrees.

Li Lian's dress and style were a benchmark in Chunshan County. The girls and wives on the street often took Li Lian as an example; as long as she went out wearing an unusual piece of clothing, within three days, you could see the same style blooming all over the streets and alleys of the county.

For example, right now, the beautiful scenery of Chunshan County was full of winter skirts on the streets.

Li Lian's winter skirt was made of wool, bright red, as vivid as a spring-announcing flower.

Li Lian had never given birth, and her figure had always been kept very well. The places that should be convex were like a mountain, towering and upright. The places that should be concave were like a deep pool, unfathomable. Especially her flat abdomen, which didn't show a single bit of fat, still exuded the faint fragrance of a woman, just like a young girl.

Any clothes worn on her looked like they were hanging on a model's rack.

"What are you looking at?" She walked over, blushing, and scolded me in a low voice.

I was stunned for a moment, and she had already squeezed past me into the office.

"We have to go," I said, not following her in.

"I don't want to go yet; I'm thirsty, can't I drink a glass of water?" She turned back and gave me a charming smile, then slipped into the inner room.

My office was divided into two rooms; the outer one was Zhu Hua Yu's, and the inner one was mine.

Seeing that she had no intention of leaving, I had to follow her in, find a paper cup, and pour her a glass of water.

Li Lian took it but didn't drink; her eyes were smiling as she stared at me, making me feel as uncomfortable as if I had grown thorns all over my body.

"What are you looking at?" I asked, looking at myself all over, fearing something had gone wrong somewhere.

"Weren't you looking at me like that just now? Can't I look at you?" She teased, took a sip of water: "Confess, what were you thinking just now?"

I smiled awkwardly and said: "I wasn't thinking of anything."

"The ghosts believe you."

"Believe it or not, whatever." I avoided her eyes and walked to the chair to sit down.

"Do you think I'm still an ignorant little girl? I can tell what kind of crooked ideas a man has in his heart by the light in his eyes." She giggled, turned around, and said: "Good figure, right!"

"Very good, very beautiful," I praised sincerely.

"Truth?"

"Of course."

"Want a hug?" She looked at me provocatively.

"I don't dare." I deliberately avoided her gaze.

"You have the heart for it, but not the guts." She walked over, sat on my lap, took my hands, and wrapped them around her body.

I stiffened, not daring to move. This was in the office; if someone broke in, even if I had ten thousand mouths, could I explain it clearly?

I used a little force with my hands, wanting to push her away.

But she wrapped herself around me like a snake, stretched out her lips, and quickly pecked my face.

"This isn't good," I felt incredibly guilty, looking at the door, as if someone were standing outside, staring at us like a tiger.

"Are you afraid?"

"Yes." My palms were sweating. This wasn't like the snowy night, where it was desolate and uninhabited, and you couldn't even see a bird. But here, it was the County Government office, a place under the eyes of everyone.

"I'm not afraid, what are you afraid of?" She teased me, hooked my chin with two fingers, and giggled.

"The influence is bad."

"Influence my ass! I'm a woman, you're a man."

"You're someone else's woman, and I'm someone else's man," I said, wanting to get up. Being sat on by a woman, and a beautiful, charming, mature woman at that, even if I had the heart of Liu Xiahui, I didn't have his willpower.

My body began to change, which was caught by Li Lian. She became even more unscrupulous, resting her head, which exuded a faint fragrance, on my shoulder, and murmured happily.

"Do you miss me?" she asked, staring at me with hungry eyes.

"No," I answered, biting the bullet.

"You men, you just like to tell lies." She suddenly stood up, walked to the opposite side of my desk, pointed at my crotch, and said: "But he can't fool me."

I was incredibly ashamed, wishing I could find a hole to crawl into. In front of a woman, a man will always be at a loss. Even if it's not a woman he admires, a man cannot expose himself.

"What did you want with me?" Li Lian saw my unease.

"Go to Qilin Villa," I said bluntly.

"That's a man's paradise, why call me to go?" She was clearly disappointed. I hadn't told her where we were going on the phone, just told her to come to my office after work; had she misunderstood my meaning?

"There's something I want you to witness with me."

"I'm not in the mood," she said dejectedly, her expression lonely.

"Why aren't you in the mood?"

"It's my own business." She smiled weakly, and her face returned to calm. After her proactive teasing just now, she realized she was being wishful; women, at this time, will all be disappointed.

"Let's go," I said, standing up.

"I'm not going."

"As long as you go, I'll promise you anything."

"You promise?"

"I promise."

"Alright then, kiss me once, and I'll go with you." She blushed, closed her eyes, and didn't dare look at me.

I hesitated for a moment, and then, not feeling at ease, I checked the door again to make sure it was locked, before slowly walking to her side, holding her head, and sliding across her peach-blossom-like lips like a dragonfly skimming the water.