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The next day, a county-wide meeting was scheduled, and Li Hao had not held back on drinking; the gathering dispersed by nine o'clock. Chen Liewei took his two friends out for karaoke. Li Hao and his two alumni stayed up late discussing Changlin.
Lin Xiao drove Li Hao home and then headed to Zhao Chenghua's hotel. The two destinations were quite far apart. "First, drop Li Hao off, and then take me," Hua Jie said, knowing that Lin Xiao had always been very cautious regarding interactions between men and women.
Lin Xiao felt a warm sensation once again; Hua Jie often revealed her softer side in subtle ways. As soon as they got into the car, Hua Jie started chatting with Li Hao. "Professor Sun called me a couple of days ago," she said meaningfully.
Li Hao, usually serious, laughed and replied, "Sister, just watch, and don’t bother me too much." Hua Jie felt a bit helpless as they continued to chat about their mutual acquaintance Yu Rao.
After dropping Li Hao off, Hua Jie asked with concern, "What does Lin Xiao's boyfriend do?"
Lin Xiao candidly replied, "Nothing. I just told a little white lie."
Hua Jie chuckled lightly; given the situation earlier, such a lie was indeed the best way to stop those men from making jokes. She thought about why she chose Lin Xiao as her secretary; aside from feeling a sense of familiarity at first glance, she couldn’t bear to see an excellent girl falter because of rumors. It was a case of recognizing talent—Lin Xiao was indeed someone worth nurturing.
Hua Jie inexplicably felt that Li Hao and Lin Xiao were a good match; the thought flashed through her mind and startled her. Then she considered that Li Hao probably wouldn’t be interested in Lin Xiao. Despite their somewhat similar appearances, their personalities were worlds apart.
Bai Xue was like the blazing sun in summer—expressive and straightforward with her emotions, bringing joy to those around her. Only a girl like her could truly stir Li Hao's heart. In contrast, Lin Xiao was elegant and serene, like the warm sun in winter—comforting and steady in her demeanor.
Hua Jie didn’t realize that she was judging Bai Xue by feminine standards while evaluating Lin Xiao based on professional criteria. Lin Xiao’s work capabilities overshadowed her beauty.
Yu Rao’s career was thriving; the Cui Ping Mountain scenic area was beginning to take shape at the foot of the mountain, where the preserved village started welcoming tourists from within the province. Lin Xiao had become adept at her role as a secretary, managing tasks with ease while balancing her work schedule.
Since their last encounter at the garden, Lin Xiao reluctantly gave up running at Jiudu Garden and found a smaller park instead. She casually brushed off Shi Zhenyu’s persistent advances over the past two months until he finally gave up.
On April 1st, while Lin Xiao was writing a report in her office, she heard a commotion outside.
The leaders of the county government rarely engage in disputes, and it was uncommon to see such a scene unfold. As Lin Xiao approached the building, she noticed a crowd gathered at the other end, obscuring her view of what was happening.
"What’s going on over there?" Zhou Bin poked his head out from the adjacent office.
Lin Xiao waved him over and whispered, "It’s a fight involving a mistress."
"Who?" Lin Xiao asked, surprised.
Having spent over two years in the government office, she had picked up on the subtle hints and comments from the leaders, enough to know which ones had questionable conduct.
"It's Zhang Yuguo and Li Hui. Li Hui is really getting beaten up," Zhou Bin said.
Before he could finish, Lin Xiao dashed toward the commotion. At that moment, she didn’t even consider what being a mistress truly meant; all she heard was that Li Hui was in serious trouble.
As Lin Xiao squeezed into the crowd, she saw Li Hui crouched on the ground, her hair disheveled, half of her face swollen, with blood at the corner of her mouth. Her pink long-sleeve dress was torn at the sleeves from being pulled.
A young woman in her teens was hurling insults. "You shameless hussy! What kind of man are you lacking?"
"You're just a cheap whore!" The taunts were unbearable.
"Everyone should get back to work! What will the county head think if he sees this?" Lin Xiao took off her jacket and helped Li Hui to her feet.
As the secretary to the county head, Lin Xiao's words carried weight, and people began to disperse a little.
The young woman wasn’t done; her anger flared as she continued to berate Li Hui and attempted to kick her again. Quick on her feet, Lin Xiao pulled Li Hui aside and pushed the young woman away.
Two men in their forties nearby steadied the stumbling girl. "Who do you think you are?" she shouted angrily.
One of the men replied that he had seen her when he followed Li Hui; they lived together.
The young woman’s voice grew louder. "This is a den of fox spirits! No wonder it stinks so much!"
Just then, Zhou Bin rushed over, exasperated. "What nonsense are you spouting? She’s the secretary to the county head!"
The woman seemed beside herself with rage and retorted, "What does it matter? Who knows what kind of shady dealings she’s involved in? Look at her—she probably climbed into someone’s bed long ago."
Lin Xiao couldn’t help but smile at that remark. "If you have the ability to manage your man, then do so. If not, don’t come out here to hit people. Loyalty in marriage is something you can only demand from your husband."
Your husband is powerful and influential, so why do you need to bully others with that power? Lin Xiao said a few words as she supported Li Hui, preparing to take her home.
A man beside the woman reached out to block Lin Xiao. "You've made enough of a scene. If you continue, I will call the police, and no one will save face." Lin Xiao leaned closer to the woman, lowering her voice to threaten her.
"She’s barefoot; are you afraid of us wearing shoes? If it comes down to it, we can make a big fuss at the Disciplinary Committee. She can just quit her job." The woman looked at Lin Xiao and was surprisingly intimidated by this young girl’s boldness.
The woman waved her hand, signaling for them to leave, but couldn’t help but curse a couple more times. When Luo Qianwei rushed over, she saw Lin Xiao supporting Li Hui as they exited the office.
"Luo Ren, I’m taking a leave of absence," Lin Xiao said.
Luo Qianwei noticed Li Hui's disheveled appearance and Lin Xiao's furious expression, and nodded in approval of Lin Xiao's leave.
Lin Xiao took Li Hui to the basement garage and drove her golf cart directly to the residential area. Once home, both remained silent. Lin Xiao was unsure whether to say something comforting while Li Hui was still in a state of confusion.
"Sister Hui, why don’t you go take a shower first? I’ll wait for you outside."
Lin Xiao waited for half an hour; the sound of water continued in the bathroom. Feeling uneasy, she approached the bathroom door and heard muffled sobs from inside, so she returned to sit on the sofa.
Another half hour passed before the shower sounds ceased.
Li Hui emerged with slightly swollen eyes and a hoarse voice. "Lin Xiao, thank you so much."
"Sister Hui, dry your hair first; I’ll make some noodles."
Lin Xiao noticed it was already midnight and guessed that Li Hui wouldn’t want to go out for dinner.
Li Hui picked at her noodles but didn’t bring them to her mouth as tears streamed down her face.
"Lin Xiao, do you look down on me?"
Lin Xiao had always known about the rumors surrounding Li Hui but had never been one to meddle in others' affairs. Besides, Li Hui rarely stayed over; when she did, she treated both her and Shang Wenjuan like sisters.
"Sister Hui, after dinner, you should get some rest and not think too much."
Li Hui held back her tears as she picked at a few strands of noodles, sobbing quietly.
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