The Tempting Road to Becoming an Official

"To be honest, the temptation is indeed very great."

Chen Fang remained silent for a while.

He said, "Vice Mayor Xiao, now that your illness has also healed, I will move out of this apartment tomorrow."

With that statement,

Xiao Ting became anxious.

Xiao Xiao was also visibly surprised and asked, "Don't you want to get promoted?"

"Of course, I do. Who entering the system doesn't? But I haven't finished what I wanted to do at the Jinde County Education Bureau. A person should leave a legacy. Since I'm in this position, I ought to do something for Jinde County's education system. Otherwise, my being here would be in vain."

Chen Fang said.

Xiao Xiao's expression turned grim.

He spoke again, "Chen Fang, if you miss this opportunity, who knows how long it will be before another one like it comes along."

"It's okay, I'm still young, I can wait, and even if I never get such a chance again, it's fine. Being satisfied with doing well in what can be done right now is enough for me."

"Alright, you said it yourself. Fine then, since that's the case, I won't stop you."

After finishing this sentence,

Xiao Xiao crossed his legs.

Chen Fang knew this meant he was being dismissed—she had no intention of letting Chen Fang wait until tomorrow to leave.

Clearly, Xiao Xiao was angry.

Chen Fang stood up,

and entered the bedroom.

He arrived with just a small bag, and now he was leaving the same way.

Seeing that Chen Fang was truly leaving,

Xiao Ting looked frantic, unsure whether to keep Chen Fang or to try to persuade her mother.

She felt at a loss for what to do.

"Vice Mayor Xiao, thank you."

Chen Fang, holding his bag, walked up to Xiao Xiao, gave a bow, and then turned to leave.

Xiao Ting was just about to follow him out.

Xiao Xiao sternly called out, "Tingting, you stay right there!"

"Mom..."

"I told you to stay put, didn't you hear me?"

She scolded even more sternly.

Xiao Ting stood still, not daring to move.

She watched helplessly as Chen Fang left the key behind and departed from the place where he had lived for over a month.

"Tingting, come here."

Xiao Xiao gestured to Xiao Ting to come over.

Xiao Ting sat down beside her mother, with tears already welling up in her eyes and running down her face.

Xiao Xiao felt a pang of heartache and pulled Xiao Ting into her embrace, asking, "Do you like him, then?"

"Yes!"

Xiao Ting said bravely.

Xiao Xiao sighed deeply and said, "Child, you know what I've been through. But do you know how I've managed all these years?"

Hearing this, Xiao Ting lifted her head, looking at her mother questioningly.

Xiao Xiao managed a smile, straightened Xiao Ting's bangs, and said, "From the age of eighteen or nineteen until now, it's been over twenty years. For all these years, it's been nearly just me. To outsiders, I'm a distinguished leader. But they don't know that every day when I come home, I have to face a lonely self. Those days are really tough to endure."

"A guy like Chen Fang is not your destined partner. If you really got with him, you'd just live through what I have all over again. Do you understand, my child?"

Xiao Ting wiped her tears away

and said, "Mom, Ah Fang isn't the person you describe."

"Perhaps not, but the truth is he doesn't love you. Maybe one day he will, but from my many years of experience, falling for someone like Chen Fang will only end up hurting yourself,"

Xiao Xiao said.

Xiao Ting sobbed, "But, but I really like him a lot."

"I know," Xiao Xiao nodded.

Her gaze drifted into the distance, and she said solemnly, "There are many good men in this world, not just him. To me, you are my everything. I won't allow you to be hurt. Experiencing heartbreak once isn't a bad thing. It will toughen up your heart, and that's the price of growing up."

Seeing her mother so determined,

The sensible Xiao Ting could only bury her head in her mother's chest and cry bitterly.

Stroking Xiao Ting's hair, Xiao Xiao said, "Haven't you always wanted to further your studies? I've enrolled you in a university in Meyana. Take care of your internship in the next few days, and then you can go abroad, alright?"

Upon hearing this,

Xiao Ting suddenly sat up.

She asked, "So soon?"

Xiao Xiao smiled slightly and replied, "Yes, I've arranged everything. Just go, and someone will be waiting for you there."

"Mom, I..."

Xiao Ting wanted to say something else.

But Xiao Xiao interrupted her.

"Enough," she said. "Don't say anything else, Mom has already decided..."

After saying that,

Xiao Xiao stood up.

And went back to her bedroom.

Xiao Ting, sitting on the sofa, gazed at the bedroom Chen Fang used to occupy, and fell into endless contemplation...

Chen Fang, clutching his small bag and walking on the pitch-black road, felt as though he had been kicked out.

It's not that he had nowhere to stay.

After all, Shao Rui had given him the dorm key not too long ago.

He sighed deeply.

Chen Fang was just about to hail a taxi to go there.

Just then, a convertible sports car slowly stopped in front of him.

A woman in the passenger seat looked up at Chen Fang, suddenly shouted with surprise, "Ah Fang, is that you, Ah Fang? Am I seeing right?"

Chen Fang squinted at the woman.

It was hard to see clearly at night.

Only when the woman got out of the car and came closer did Chen Fang's heart skip a beat and he blurted out, "You Lu?"

The woman before him was dressed sensually.

She wore a white tank top with a very low neckline, revealing more than half of her ample bosom, and a butterfly tattoo on the left added to her alluring charm.

Her bottom was a tight-fitting skirt studded with sequins that shone brightly under the streetlights.

Her thighs were enveloped in black stockings, and combined with the high heels she wore, they exuded a sexy allure.

"Really, it's you? From afar, I felt you looked familiar, and I thought I was mistaken," said the woman in astonishment.

Her name was You Lu, Chen Fang's first love.

They say that one's first love is the hardest to forget, and sure enough, memories began replaying in his mind after seeing her again after so many years.

The two had dated for two years.

They had countless romantic moments.

Unfortunately, like the reason many relationships end, their love couldn't withstand reality.

You Lu was a very vain woman, always wanting to buy what others had, and Chen Fang, orphaned, simply didn't have the means to satisfy her material desires.

Until one day,

You Lu appeared before him with another man, telling him that she was now with someone else and asking Chen Fang to stop looking for her from then on.

That's how Chen Fang's first love came to an abrupt end.

He had been depressed for a long time back then, but eventually, he moved on.

Time flies, and although he felt resentment, it seemed insignificant compared to the wonder of this reunion.

"Little Lu, who is he?" asked the young man in the driver's seat, with a cigarette in his mouth.

You Lu turned around and said to the man, "Oh, a friend. Wait for me a second."

After saying that,

She sized up Chen Fang.

Noticing he was carrying a suitcase, she frowned and asked, "What brought you to Jinde County?"

"Oh, I came... to work," Chen Fang said, trying to keep his composure.

You Lu sighed and said, "It's been many years since we've seen each other. I never thought I'd run into you on the streets of Jinde County. It's so magical."

"Yeah, it really is magical," Chen Fang marveled.

At that moment, the man in the driver's seat became impatient, stepped out of the car, and walked over to You Lu's side. He wrapped his arm around her waist, glanced at Chen Fang, and asked with disdain, "You still have such a... such a forlorn friend? Is he... homeless?"

Panic flashed across You Lu's face.

She stammered, "Ah... actually, he's an ex-boyfriend."

The man looked surprised for a moment, then burst into laughter and said, "Oh, so you're the ex-boyfriend, huh? Nice to meet you, comrade ex-boyfriend. I'm Little Lu's current boyfriend, my name's Zhao Long."

After saying that,

He extended his hand.

"Oh, hello,"

Chen Fang responded.

He was just about to shake hands.

But Zhao Long pulled his hand back.

Laughing, he said, "Little Lu, not to criticize you, but your taste back in the day... was really not that great..."