She heard Zhao Feiyang’s voice, seemingly making a phone call. So late at night, who could he be calling? Maybe, like her, he had his own unspeakable secrets and was afraid of others finding out.

Pei Lin raised her hand, intending to knock on the door, but her fingers froze mid-air right before touching it.

Why see him? He couldn’t help solve any of her problems.

After thinking for a while, Pei Lin returned to her room, closed the door, and the moment she closed her eyes, a woman’s figure appeared in her mind.

Strangely, she never dreamed of Yang Mufeng. The woman who often appeared in her dreams always had her back to her, and no matter how she tried, she couldn’t see her face. But Pei Lin knew very well this woman was Chen Weiwei.

Zhao Feiyang actually heard the noise outside and could even tell Pei Lin was outside the bedroom door, but he pretended as if nothing had happened. They had been living together for some time and were about to hold a wedding, but the gap between them seemed to deepen.

Whether Zhao Feiyang admitted it or not, he had, in fact, become a stepping stone for Pei Lin. Since they had been together, she had transformed from a mere pharmaceutical representative to the backstage boss of a cosmetic clinic, and later, through similar operations, contracted multiple departments at Changxing Hospital.

Due to the influence, she temporarily withdrew from Changxing, then joined Huanyan Health as a firefighter, becoming the general manager of this health enterprise.

Throughout this process, the Tang Brothers of Huayuan Group played a key role. To better control her, they tried all means to bring Pei Lin into their camp. Tang Jingwei even nominated Pei Lin as a director of Jiayue Department Store.

Initially, Zhao Feiyang thought Pei Lin’s ambition stemmed from her lack of confidence and sense of security. But now, as Pei Lin’s status continued to rise, his own sense of security diminished. He couldn’t help feeling Pei Lin might do something to cause trouble for him later on.

The day Pei Lin suggested staying in separate rooms, Zhao Feiyang outwardly showed confusion, but inside, he was delighted. At that moment, he realized how much he subconsciously wished to rid himself of this woman.

He even couldn’t imagine how he fancied her in the first place. Was it her youthful beauty? There were plenty of women younger and more beautiful than her.

Zhao Feiyang put down the phone, closed his eyes in exhaustion. Many times, men and women end up in bed not for love but to satisfy their desire for conquest. His rationality, in the end, succumbed to instinct, and as reason gradually returned, he began to feel ashamed and regretful of his primal urges.

If he hadn’t met Pei Lin, perhaps he wouldn’t have decided to quit his public office, and maybe Changxing’s development would have taken a different direction.

Zhao Feiyang forced himself to stop these thoughts, picked up the phone again, and checked the WeChat step counter. He noticed the top runner was "Shadow Person," which was the online name Xu Ying had used since university. She had walked more than thirty thousand steps today.

Zhao Feiyang felt a bit curious. Where did Xu Ying go today to walk so much? In the past, he rarely paid attention to such trivial details.

Zhao Feiyang clicked on Xu Ying’s profile picture, intending to check her Moments, but a slip of his finger caused the phone to vibrate, alerting him to what had happened. He worried about disturbing Xu Ying, yet hoped for her reply.

Contradiction had become an indispensable part of his daily life.

——

"Still awake?" Xu Ying replied within less than a minute.

Zhao Feiyang replied with a simple "Mm," then felt it was too perfunctory, so he quickly added, "I usually go to bed around midnight."

"You’re not that young anymore; take care of your health."

Zhao Feiyang replied, "You exercise a lot, huh?"

Xu Ying quickly guessed why Zhao Feiyang had contacted her: "Did you see me on the step count leaderboard?"

Zhao Feiyang sent her a helpless smiley face: "You’re always dominating the step leaderboard. You’re amazing." He marveled at Xu Ying’s ability to guess why he took notice of her; after all, her past major was psychology.

Zhao Feiyang gently reminded her, though walking is beneficial, overdoing it can harm the knees.

So they chatted back and forth, discussing inconsequential topics without the intention to deep dive or to end the conversation abruptly.

Zhao Feiyang understood that Xu Ying hadn’t forgotten him as a friend; she still cared and was trying to help him relieve stress this way.

He had so many pent-up feelings that went unsaid, but he believed Xu Ying would understand. If there was anyone in the world who truly knew him, it was Xu Ying.

##

After the holiday, Secretary Geng Wenjun of the High-Tech Zone made a special trip to inspect the construction site of the Huayuan Group Co., Ltd. Hospital without prior notice. This visit was considered a surprise inspection, unprepared for by the construction side. Even if they had been prepared, it would not have made much difference since most workers were on holiday. Full-scale resumption would only begin after the fifteenth.

By the time Zhao Feiyang arrived at the scene, Geng Wenjun’s party had already left. According to the site management, Secretary Geng was dissatisfied with the project’s progress.

Just as Zhao Feiyang was about to call Geng Wenjun, the new deputy secretary of the High-Tech Zone, Mei Ru Xue, called to ask him to drop by the administrative center for a talk on the construction of the Co., Ltd. Hospital.

Zhao Feiyang wanted to meet with Geng Wenjun, but from the current situation, it seemed Geng Wenjun wasn’t interested in meeting him and had delegated supervision of the project’s progress to his deputy, Mei Ru Xue.

It was the first time Zhao Feiyang was meeting her in the office since her appointment in the High-Tech Zone.

Following the secretary’s guidance, Zhao Feiyang entered the office with a smile and said, "Hello, Secretary Mei."

Mei Ru Xue greeted him with a smile and a nod.

Zhao Feiyang didn’t reach out for a handshake. Usually, when facing female leaders, he seldom initiated a handshake for fear of being refused. Although he had known Mei Ru Xue for some time, they weren’t close. Zhao Feiyang could even sense that Mei Ru Xue didn’t like him, likely due to Xu Chunliang’s reasons.

To young deputy director-level cadres like Mei Ru Xue, Zhao Feiyang could only feel envy. In the system, your background determines your development. Zhao Feiyang was already one of the youngest deputy director-level cadres in Dongzhou, but compared to Mei Ru Xue, he was considerably older.

Mei Ru Xue said, "Dean Zhao, I’m instructed by Secretary Geng to discuss the Co., Ltd. Hospital with you." She invited Zhao Feiyang to sit and had the secretary bring him a cup of tea.

Zhao Feiyang thanked her, accepted the teacup, and took a sip, indeed feeling a bit thirsty. Upon hearing about Geng Wenjun’s sudden inspection of the Co., Ltd. Hospital site, he hurried there, missing them, and then came to the administrative center. He’d been on the move for over an hour without a chance to drink water.

Zhao Feiyang said, "Feel free to ask, Secretary Mei."

Mei Ru Xue said, "Today I accompanied Secretary Geng in inspecting the Co., Ltd. site and found that the progress there is somewhat delayed. Dean Zhao, you haven’t fulfilled your promises to the district government."

Zhao Feiyang responded, "It’s like this. Recently, during the holiday period, most of the workers at the site went back to their hometowns for the New Year. Complete resumption will have to wait until after the fifteenth of the first lunar month. Please rest assured, Secretary Mei—the Co., Ltd. Hospital project is steadily progressing, and there won’t be any issues with the project’s timeline."

Mei Ru Xue said, "According to our understanding, there is some delay in the payment for the project from Changxing. The contractors have specifically raised this issue with Secretary Geng. Is there a problem with the funding?"

Zhao Feiyang replied, "There is no problem with the funding, and Changxing has not defaulted on any project payments. Since we’re a public-private partnership, the procedures are relatively complex. Each disbursement requires the approval of the Huayuan Group’s board. After the board’s deliberation and the chairman’s signature, funds can be released. Some project payments have indeed been slow, but it’s not that we’re deliberately delaying; rather, the contractor didn’t submit the application on time, which led to payment delays. This was further exaggerated by the New Year, but Secretary Mei, rest assured, all contract-specified payments will be completed by the end of this month." 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

Mei Ru Xue said, "The Co., Ltd. Hospital is a key project for the High-Tech Zone in the coming two years. This site was allocated to Changxing amid considerable opposition, thanks to Secretary Geng. We hope Changxing will not disappoint his expectations."

Zhao Feiyang said, "What do you mean by saying this, Secretary Mei? The construction of the Co., Ltd. Hospital is steadily advancing. The goal of building a first-class comprehensive hospital in Dongzhou remains unchanged. Did you hear some rumors?"

Mei Ru Xue said, "There are rumors of a debt crisis with Huayuan Group. We don’t want this issue to affect the construction of the Co., Ltd. Hospital."

Zhao Feiyang said, "Secretary Mei, although the Huayuan Group invested in the Co., Ltd. Hospital, our relationship with them is not subordinate. We each operate independently. Huayuan Group, Jiayue Department Store, and Huayuan Medical Management Group maintain parallel relationships."

Mei Ru Xue smiled faintly, "They all have the same boss, Tang Jingwei, to whom you are all accountable."

Zhao Feiyang detected the subtext in Mei Ru Xue’s words and explained further, "I just want to clarify that Huayuan Group’s debt crisis doesn’t significantly impact Huayuan Medical Management Group. We are quality assets."

Mei Ru Xue said, "Before the joint-stock approach, the quality assets belonged one hundred percent to the state. After the shares restructure, the state holds only twenty percent of the stocks."

"For Changxing’s development, a portion of the interests must be ceded. This matter was finalized by the city’s leadership." Zhao Feiyang’s implication was clear: there’s no room for speculation here. The establishment of the Co., Ltd. Hospital was conclusively decided by the leadership in Dongzhou, with asset evaluations conducted through repeated expert reviews and rigorous checks. Are you insinuating that I under-sold state assets? There’s no such thing.

Mei Ru Xue said, "Perhaps I lack the vision and daring of Dean Zhao, but I must remind you: the contract you signed with the district at the time was of a betting nature. If you cannot establish the Co., Ltd. Hospital within three years, the district has the right to reclaim the land."