Chapter 689

Three days later, I went to Quan Bi's office as promised.

These three days, I felt like a year, imagining a thousand times the remedial measures if an accident occurred, so that when I appeared at the door of Quan Bi's office, he stared with wide eyes, looking at me in surprise for a long time without being able to speak.

At this moment, I was haggard, my eye sockets sunken. My face was not only sallow but also as tight as a drumhead. Before leaving, I specially tidied up my hair, applied a layer of hair wax, wore the suit Ouyang Qiu gave me, and went all the way to the door of Quan Bi's office without obstruction.

Accompanying me were Li Mei and the Beijing Office Director; I consciously brought them to witness.

When Quan Bi saw me coming, the corners of his mouth curled slightly, revealing a smile, and he greeted us to sit down and drink tea.

He called someone on the phone and asked us to follow him to handle the procedures. I signaled for Li Mei and the Beijing Office Director to follow, while I stayed behind alone to talk to the Department Director.

Quan Bi and I, with a tacit understanding, looked at each other and remained silent.

After Li Mei and the others went out, I took the property documents I brought from my bag, pushed them gently in front of Quan Bi, and said: "It's all inside."

Quan Bi didn't even look, swept them away with his hand, and pushed the document bag under the desk, standing up to say to me: "Xiao Chen, I helped you fight for some supporting funds; although it's not much, it's enough for you to do some things."

This news came out of nowhere, and I couldn't help but be pleasantly surprised. The original plan was to use the policy to do big things after getting the upgrade qualification; I didn't expect Quan Bi to get me some money, which was an unexpected surprise.

I expressed my thanks repeatedly, so excited that I was almost incoherent.

Quan Bi smiled and said: "This matter of yours almost didn't get done."

I was startled again, and the shadow of Xu Mengda immediately appeared in my mind. Did he really take action? But the fact was that it was already done; no matter how capable Xu Mengda was, he couldn't influence Beijing.

Since Quan Bi brought this up, I wouldn't be reconciled if I didn't ask. So I tentatively asked: "Director Quan, where did the problem arise?"

"The documents were fine. I don't know who called our leaders and said to slow down."

"It wasn't slowed down, right?" My heart beat like a drum, and I was so nervous that my palms began to sweat.

"It was supposed to be slowed down. Yesterday, the higher-ups suddenly approved the document; it can be considered a good thing that has many twists and turns, with no danger."

Quan Bi made me jumpy; dealing with such people requires a strong heart.

"These are all your merits, Director Quan!" I expressed my thanks insincerely: "Our Hengyue City is the second-largest region in Central Province; before the founding of the country, it was a commercial, industrial, and military hub. After the founding, its status remained unchanged. It's just that in recent years, the pace has been a bit slow, so it's about to be left behind by others by several streets. Now it's good; with your support, Director Quan, I believe that in the near future, our Hengyue City will definitely change its appearance and welcome your inspection with a brand-new posture."

Quan Bi was flattered by my flattery until his ears were red, and he waved his hand, saying: "You're exaggerating, you're exaggerating. I just did what I should have done. You local cadres actually have it hard. If we people set up obstacles and barriers for you, we wouldn't be considered good cadres."

I cursed in my heart: "Son of a bitch, you talk better than you sing."

Although I thought so, on the surface, I was as enthusiastic as fire.

The house given to Quan Bi cost me three million or so. Although it wasn't my own money, it was taken from the Hengyue City Industrial Park account; could I not feel the pain?

Using public money to give to others not only violates discipline but also violates the law. I had thought about these risks, but with the Mayor's guarantee above and the Beijing Office Director's testimony below, I felt a little comforted. After all, this matter was not for my own private affairs but for the well-being of the seven million people of Hengyue City.

After chatting for a while, Li Mei and the Beijing Office Director knocked on the door and came in, waving the documents in their hands at me with smiles on their faces.

They brought copies; the originals had to go through the process from Beijing, sent through Central Province to Hengyue City.

Mission accomplished! I breathed a long sigh of relief.

After saying goodbye to Quan Bi, I couldn't wait to return to Hengyue City. This trip had lasted a full half-month, and I had no idea what it was like at home.

The Beijing Office Director exerted his advantages, and after a phone call, he helped us book the train leaving that night.

After Li Mei packed her luggage, she came to my room quietly and said hesitantly: "Aren't we leaving with Sister Bing?"

My heart skipped a beat; a series of surprises made me almost forget her. Self-reproach grew from the bottom of my heart, frantically occupying all my thoughts.

I patted my head heavily, picked up my phone, and called Xue Bing.

Xue Bing said softly on the phone: "Ready to go home?"

I said "um" and said: "Come with us."

"I'm not going," she said, smiling lightly: "I have nowhere to go back to."

"What do you mean?" I asked in surprise. There must be other meanings in Xue Bing's words.

"It doesn't mean anything. I just don't want to go back."

"If you don't go back, where are you going?" I asked anxiously. I hadn't thought of a way to deal with Xu Mengda after aborting his plan; if I lost his person, wouldn't Xu Mengda fight me to the death?

"I'll just stay in Beijing," Xue Bing smiled: "You don't have to worry about me."

I said casually: "Can I not worry? Besides, what are you doing staying in Beijing?"

"Are you really worried about me?" she asked with a faint smile, and then said: "Beijing is so big, can't it accommodate me, Xue Bing?" Her words left me speechless for a moment.

I looked at Li Mei standing on the side, wanting to speak but stopping.

Li Mei seemed to feel my discomfort; she smiled secretly and said: "I'll go back and prepare first; call me when you're ready."

Once Li Mei went out, I lowered my voice and said: "Bing'er, what's wrong with you? Why don't you want to go back suddenly?"

Xue Bing was stunned for a long time by my "Bing'er," and after a long time, she sighed faintly and said: "Chen Feng, it's hard for you to still remember calling me that. Just for this call, I don't regret what I did."

Xue Bing's words reminded me of what Quan Bi said; could it be that Xue Bing played a role in this? But besides her, who else could know what we were going to do, and who would have the leisure to care about what we were going to do?

"Bing'er!" I muttered, tears blurring my eyes, my heart aching terribly.

"Where are you? I'll come find you," I shouted at the receiver: "You come out with me, you must go back with me."

"You don't need to come find me. You can't find me either," Xue Bing said gently: "Can I still go back? I can't go back. However, I will live very well, don't worry."

"Can I worry?" I roared: "Xue Bing, if you still have half a responsibility, you must go back with me."

"Responsibility is a man's business. I'm just a little woman, what responsibility can I talk about?" Xue Bing said with a fake smile: "Chen Feng, for so many years, I have always felt that I have let you down. I have been looking for opportunities to make up for my regrets about you. This time I finally found it, so let me sacrifice for you once."

"I don't need it," I roared.

"You need it, and you definitely need it," she suddenly cried, sobbing: "If I had done it according to Xu Mengda's wishes, your attempt to get the approval this time would have been impossible. I won't hide it from you; I falsely passed on Xu Mengda's meaning, letting you get the approval smoothly. What face do I have to face Xu Mengda?"

"You don't have to face him," I said: "You still have me."

She sneered and said: "Are you still mine? I'm a woman in her thirties; can't I see these things clearly? Of course, I understand your heart, just as I understand myself. In my heart, you are the only lover in my life. I tell you, I will never fall in love with anyone else, including Xu Mengda. I only belong to you!"

My heart ached to the core; for these years, I had always numbed myself, deliberately not thinking about her, just wanting to seal her in the bottom of my heart.

"But Mengda can't live without you."

"Without me, he will live very well," Xue Bing smiled faintly: "For so many years, I have thought about it many times, but in the end, I still feel that I have to be worthy of myself; I cannot spend my whole life with someone I don't love. That would be letting down myself and letting down others."

"You have been together for a long time," I reminded her.

"Yes, we have been together for a long time. But we are still the same as before; we are just friends, not lovers."

"Will Mengda be willing?"

"I can't control that. And I don't owe him anything."

"Bing'er!" I said trembling: "I want to see you."

"No more seeing," her attitude was firm, and then she said gently: "If there is fate, we will always meet again in the future."

"I want to see you now," I shouted in a panic.

"What are you seeing me for?" she smiled lightly, saying very easily: "Chen Feng, being able to help you this time, I have no regrets. Let me tell you one more thing: my body, in this life, except for you, no other man has touched. Do you believe it?"

"I believe it!" I almost cried; facing a woman who loved you all her life, even the strongest man would be as fragile as glass.

"Go back and do your career well. If you do your career well, that is the greatest comfort to me," she sighed and said: "I'm going to hang up, and I'm going to change my phone number; don't call me again in the future."

"Don't hang up!" I shouted at the top of my lungs. Helplessly, the phone hung up after a ding; I dialed again, but the prompt was that it was turned off.

I opened the door and ran downstairs; I wanted to stop Xue Bing before she disappeared.

Just as I went down one floor, Li Mei's voice came from behind, saying: "No need to go, Sister Bing checked out and left yesterday."

I stopped, looked at her suspiciously, and asked: "You knew?"

Li Mei pursed her lips and smiled, saying: "What do I know? I went to find her yesterday and found she wasn't there."

"Why didn't you tell me?" I roared at her, sternly.

Li Mei was frightened by my appearance; she stuck out her tongue, made a face at me, and muttered: "How would I know? I thought you knew."

"I know my ass!" I hung my head in despair.

The phone rang again; could it be Xue Bing? I scrambled to take it out, and without looking, I held it to my ear and shouted: "Bing'er, Bing'er, is that you?"

There was silence on the phone, and after a long time, a laugh came, saying: "It's me, Huayu."