It was almost ten o’clock.
At Geng Yuehua’s house, Dong Xuebing followed her inside. It was only a few steps, as Geng Yuehua and her parents lived upstairs and downstairs.
Geng Yuehua furrowed her brows and asked, “What is it?”
Dong Xuebing blinked and replied, “What, what is it?”
“You came back to discuss something with me, right?” Geng Yuehua took off her shoes, sat down on the sofa, and picked up a cup from the table to drink water.
Dong Xuebing said, “Hey, I was just saying it. What could I have to discuss? I suddenly thought of you, so I came over to see you. Plus, I was a bit worried about your illness, afraid you weren’t fully recovered and wouldn’t tell me. Now that I’ve seen you look fine, I’m relieved.”
Dong Xuebing sat next to her and said, “No, I just think Xin Ke is good. I am looking for a secretary, and after meeting him today, I thought of him. If it’s suitable, I just decided on him.”
Geng Yuehua replied, “Do you need to worry about our family’s matters?”
Dong Xuebing said, “What? I’m doing this for my work. Of course, I need to find a secretary who I think is suitable. You always act like everything revolves around you. What does my transferring your brother have to do with you?”
Of course, it did have something to do with her. There were plenty of young and capable secretaries, many of whom were local and familiar with the neighboring counties. If Dong Xuebing gave the order to appoint a new secretary, countless people would vie for the position. Yet he had chosen Geng Xinke. It wasn’t about his capability—just the fact that he wasn’t familiar with the local environment or the personnel dynamics. A secretary who didn’t understand these nuances wouldn’t be effective. Geng Xinke would likely need a considerable amount of time to adapt before he could effectively assume the responsibilities of a secretary. But Dong Xuebing, without hesitation, picked him, clearly because of his sister’s influence.
Geng Yuehua understood this.
She said coldly, “I know my brother’s limitations. He can’t help you by going there. If things aren’t handled well, it could cause you trouble. If that’s the case, you’d better not send him.”
Dong Xuebing shrugged. “It’ll take time. There will be a day when everything falls into place. I’m not in a hurry. You know me, I’m not afraid of trouble. His work ability is limited, but that’s fine. I’m good at my job. He doesn’t need to do much. He needs to handle the basic liaison work. I’ll take care of everything else, and it’ll be a good opportunity for him to gain experience. It’s better than staying in the neighborhood office.” He paused and continued, “I know you’re protective of your brother, worried that if he rises too quickly, he’ll fall hard and make mistakes. But how can someone grow without experiencing setbacks? Besides, I’ll be there. I won’t let him suffer while working with me.”
Geng Yuehua raised her hand impatiently and said nothing more.
Seeing her reaction, Dong Xuebing dared not say more. He had come to help Geng Yuehua, trying to get her promoted to a higher level, whether in Fen City or elsewhere. That’s why he had invited Mayor Zhong to dinner after the phone call. Yuehua had been working as the district committee secretary for a long time now, over two years since Dong Xuebing helped remove the previous secretary. With his connections, he thought this should be doable. However, seeing how stubborn Geng Yuehua was about even her brother’s transfer, Dong Xuebing knew she wouldn’t accept his help. He also understood that people in the district had given her the nickname “Black-faced District Secretary” because of her authoritarian personality—she wouldn’t listen to anyone else’s suggestions.
Of course, Dong Xuebing wasn’t ready to give up. He was reaching out to the women he had connections with, trying to apologize and see if they could help. He decided not to bring up her promotion directly with Geng Yuehua but to arrange things secretly, so when the transfer happened, she wouldn’t even know he had helped.
Looking at the time, Dong Xuebing grinned and said, “It’s already ten o’clock. I’ve finished my term, and I have no place to stay around here. How about I stay at your place tonight?”
Geng Yuehua said without hesitation, “Go stay at a hotel.”
Dong Xuebing replied, “How far is the hotel? There’s none nearby, and I’d have to take a taxi, but it’s so late, where can I find one?”
Ignoring her, Dong Xuebing took off his coat and started heading toward the bathroom. “I’ll just take a shower first.”
Geng Yuehua’s face darkened. “My parents are downstairs.”
Dong Xuebing replied, “They won’t know if I don’t leave.”
“What if Xin Ke and Pingping stay over? What if they come up?” Geng Yuehua asked.
Dong Xuebing shrugged, “It’s too late already. If they come, I’ll hide under the bed.” Without waiting for her approval, he entered the bathroom and started showering, acting as though he were already familiar with the place.
Dong Xuebing came out and found that the living room was empty. He pushed open the half-closed bedroom door and saw that Geng Yuehua had already taken off her clothes and gotten into bed. He didn’t hesitate, kicking off his slippers and joining her in bed. “Yuehua.”
“I’m just apologizing. Just listen to it.”
Geng’s parents had already gone to bed. Only Geng Xinke and Lin Pingping were left.
Geng Xinke paced around the room for a while, checked the time, and said, “Dong Xuebing should be gone now. I’ll go up and find my sister. She didn’t say anything earlier, so I’m unsure of her attitude. Plus, I scolded her before. Sigh, it’s my fault. I know she’s only trying to look out for me.”
Lin Pingping was startled and hurriedly said, “Don’t go!”
“Why? What’s wrong with going?” Geng Xinke asked suspiciously.
Lin Pingping was aware of their relationship and suspected that Dong Xuebing was probably staying in Geng Yuehua’s room that night. If Geng Xinke went up now, it would cause trouble. She couldn’t let him know about that, so she said, “Sis will understand you. No need to go now. She must be asleep by now. You can talk to her tomorrow.”
Geng Xinke asked, “Do you think she’s asleep already?”
“I saw that she was tired today. Better to wait until tomorrow,” Lin Pingping insisted, holding him back.