Chapter 677: The Fish and the Bear's Paw

Duanmu disappeared after our conversation. I didn't see him when I went to bid farewell to Xu Mengda either.

Whose person is Duanmu, really? This question kept tangling in my mind. But I couldn't find anyone suitable to ask, to the point that when I boarded the plane, I was still looking back at the ground with lingering reluctance.

There were only three of us going to Beijing: myself, Xue Bing, and Li Mei.

Three seats, and I happened to be in the middle. With a beauty on each side, both possessing extraordinary beauty, most of the men in the rows in front and behind me cast lewd glances my way.

The flight was about four hours long—a period of time that wasn't long, yet was the most lonely and desolate. Unlike cars running on the ground, there was no scenery to look at on a plane. At most, it was just a vast expanse of white, reminding one of scenes from mythological stories on television. Moreover, the plane windows were very small, and sitting in the middle seat, I didn't even have the chance to look at the vast sea of clouds.

Xue Bing was by the window, Li Mei was by the aisle, and I was in the middle.

The air conditioning in the plane was set very low; some people had already asked the flight attendant for blankets to cover themselves.

I glanced to my left and right, waved to call the flight attendant, and also got two blankets to cover them. I then took out a book and began reading it half-heartedly.

My eyes were on the book, but my heart was not. Duanmu's words kept echoing in my mind.

From Duanmu's words, I could almost infer that he was not Xu Mengda's loyal lackey. Xu Mengda was bent on putting people to death, while Duanmu seemed to want to dissolve Xu Mengda's ideas into nothingness.

Was Duanmu choosing a side? I shook my head slightly, rejecting this thought. Given Duanmu's current position and seniority, he didn't yet have the capital to choose a side. Just like me, we were both division-level cadres; in the local area, that was indeed not a small official, but put in a big place, we were nothing.

Division-level cadres are as numerous as ox hair in China. For example, in a big place like Beijing, if you throw a brick, you'll hit ten people, and eight of them are bound to be division-level cadres.

For someone not yet qualified to choose a side, the greatest possibility is that they have received favors, making their mouth, hands, and heart soft.

But who would give Duanmu favors? Duanmu came from a peasant family, and even now, his family couldn't be considered wealthy. According to him, he had four brothers; except for him, who studied and became an official, the other three brothers were at home following the ox's tail. The youngest brother had entered the local police station a few years ago as an auxiliary police officer and was doing quite well.

At the thought of the police station, my heart skipped a beat.

Could it be that Duanmu really was hiding something?

The cabin was very quiet. In less than half an hour, some people were already emitting light snoring sounds.

I looked up and scanned the cabin; most people were bowing their heads, either closing their eyes to rest or reading books and newspapers.

Li Mei was covered with a blanket. Seeing me look at her, the corners of her mouth curved into a smile. I returned the smile, and just as I was about to turn my face to look at Xue Bing, Li Mei quietly asked me, "Are you cold?"

I shook my head and said, "I'm fine, it's okay."

Li Mei's hands were both under the blanket, which was pulled up to her chin. This appearance made me want to laugh.

"She's asleep," Li Mei said softly. "To tell you the truth, this Teacher Xue is so beautiful."

I smiled and didn't respond to her.

Seeing that I didn't take the bait, Li Mei lost interest and pouted, saying, "I'm going to sleep too."

She really did close her eyes, feigning sleep and ignoring me.

I turned my face to look at Xue Bing, and this look gave me a start. Xue Bing was looking at me with a pair of bright, sparkling eyes.

Just as I was about to speak, I noticed her pupils moving rapidly. Immediately, a hand reached out from under the blanket and grabbed mine.

I was a bit flustered; if Li Mei saw this, I wouldn't be able to explain it clearly.

I used a little force, wanting to break free from her hand. But she gripped it tightly, preventing me from pulling away, and pulled the blanket up to cover both our hands underneath.

She just looked at me quietly like that, her eyes shifting, filled with both sorrow and allure.

I didn't dare to meet her gaze and let my eyes wander.

I was too familiar with her.

She suddenly gave a shallow smile and scratched my palm with her fingernails. This was our little habit from the past; this little action had made me feel tender and passionate so many times, and had made my heart surge so many times. And how many times had it left me soul-lost and dreaming!

I didn't dare to move and let her scratch; even though it was unbearably itchy, I could only pretend to be nonchalant.

Suddenly, Li Mei moved on my other side. Just as I wanted to pull back the hand Xue Bing was holding, I didn't expect Li Mei's hand to quietly reach over as well. She pinched my waist lightly and immediately pulled back.

I turned my head to look at her and found Li Mei pursing her lips, secretly laughing. She still had her eyes slightly closed, but I could see she was peeking at me. Li Mei must have seen our little action!

Just then, a flight attendant came by, and I pretended to ask about the restroom, pulling back the hand Xue Bing was holding.

When I returned from the restroom, the two women were already sitting together. I stood there in surprise, not knowing whether to sit or not. Xue Bing spoke first, glancing at the empty seat where Li Mei had been, and said, "Why are you standing there like a fool? Modeling?"

I laughed sheepishly and had no choice but to sit down, but I didn't dare to turn my head to talk to them.

Li Mei was not one to be lonely. She looked at me, then at Xue Bing, and said as if suddenly enlightened, "So you two already knew each other, right?"

I nodded, and Xue Bing nodded too.

Li Mei leaned her head on Xue Bing's shoulder and said coquettishly, "No wonder when I look at you two, I always feel like you're a talented man and a beautiful woman."

I scolded her, "Xiao Li, no nonsense."

"Was I talking nonsense?" She asked Xue Bing with a grin.

Xue Bing smiled embarrassedly, patted her shoulder affectionately, and said, "You little girl, it doesn't matter even if you said it wrong."

Li Mei held Xue Bing's hand and said, "Teacher Xue, I don't want to call you Teacher, I want to call you Sister."

"You can call me whatever you want," Xue Bing smiled lovingly.

"Sister!" Li Mei laughed happily, sighed, and said, "My sister is really like a fairy in the sky. Even I, a girl, love her to death. How can you men stand firm?"

Xue Bing was just about to speak when Li Mei stopped her and said, "Sister, I look at that boyfriend of yours, his temperament and everything, he can't compare to our Director Chen. How did you fall in love with him?"

Xue Bing glanced at me, a layer of embarrassment spreading over her face.

I had no choice but to scold her again, "Xiao Li, will you become a mute if you don't talk? Rest peacefully and well. Once we arrive in Beijing, there won't be any rest time for you."

Li Mei stuck out her tongue and whispered, "Are you a Zhou Papi? Wanting to learn how to crow like a rooster in the middle of the night!"

Xue Bing finally couldn't help but laugh out loud, smoothing things over by saying, "Your Director is right too. We can only succeed this time, not fail."

Li Mei shifted her body and said, "Is it bad for me to sit between you two? How about we switch back?"

I waved my hand to refuse, saying, "Forget it, this is fine."

"But if I sit in the middle, my sister can't hold your hand." Li Mei really spoke without thinking. Once these words were out, even if I could be as steady as Mount Tai, I couldn't escape the embarrassment and shame. And Xue Bing on the other side was already blushing, her shy demeanor fully revealed.

With Li Mei, this happy fruit, the journey was not only not tiring but actually much more relaxed and happy.

Li Mei's presence tore away the barrier between Xue Bing and me completely. It was as if we were facing each other naked, no longer needing to deliberately hide ourselves.

After lunch, fatigue finally came rolling in.

First was Li Mei, yawning repeatedly.

She leaned her body toward Xue Bing, murmuring, "Sister, I'm going to sleep."

Xue Bing hugged her shoulder, patted her gently, and said, "Sleep, I'll wake you when we arrive."

Li Mei smiled shallowly and closed her eyes.

I thought it would be quiet now, and my eyes met Xue Bing's, just as I was about to speak. But Li Mei suddenly broke Xue Bing's embrace and leaned her upper body toward me.

I couldn't dodge in time and had no choice but to honestly let her lean on me.

Xue Bing pursed her lips and smiled, saying softly, "This little girl has taken a fancy to you."

My face darkened, and I said, "Don't talk nonsense."

Xue Bing laughed, "Just now she was chatting with me and said she had read your fortune, saying that a man like you is the most suitable for falling in love."

"What does that mean?" I asked, displeased.

"What else could it mean? It just means that a person like you is pleasing to girls."

"Is that so?"

"Why wouldn't it be?" Xue Bing looked at me deeply and said, "Think about it yourself."

Think about it my ass! I cursed in my heart. I'm no lover boy! Faced with career and love, I will definitely choose career! Because in my view, love can't fill your stomach or keep you warm; it's nothing more than spiritual enjoyment. But a career can not only bring material enjoyment but also a continuous spiritual feast.

Xue Bing's words had hidden meanings; how could I not hear them? But between her and me, there was no question of who abandoned whom, nor was there any question of who was fickle.

We were just taking what we needed.

She needed city life, and I needed my career to advance further.

And between these two, only by giving up one side could one obtain the other result.

The fish and the bear's paw cannot be obtained together! I sighed in my heart.

Suddenly, my heart stirred. Of the two women before me, who was the fish? And who was the bear's paw? ===== CHAPTER 678 =====