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墨書 Inktalez
The evening breeze in May carried the fragrance of flowers and warmth, accompanied by the chirping of birds and the buzzing of insects, making the night come alive.
After searching for half the night, Lin Xiao arrived at the security booth of her community, feeling utterly exhausted as she gazed at a pile of luggage, her mood sinking. The agent had sensed her urgency in finding a place and had raised the prices significantly. Moreover, sharing a rental was not yielding any suitable options.
A hotel costing a thousand yuan per night was beyond Lin Xiao's means; that was equivalent to her food expenses for an entire week. Besides, finding a place to stay was not something that could be resolved in just a day or two.
Feeling disheartened, Lin Xiao picked up the phone. "Director Luo, are you available to take a call? I have nowhere to stay. Could I use the transitional housing for department-level officials for a couple of days? I’ll move out as soon as I find a place."
Hearing Director Luo respond with an "mm," Lin Xiao quickly finished her request, fearing that hesitation would rob her of the courage to ask.
Director Luo moved the phone away slightly and covered the speaking part with his hand. "Li County, Lin Xiao has no place to stay and is hoping to use the transitional housing for two days."
In the afternoon, Lin Xiao did not participate in the research project, but Director Luo had already reported her situation to Li Hao. "If there’s an available room, let her stay," Li Hao said while glancing at his watch; it was already past ten.
There was silence on the other end for a moment, and Lin Xiao felt that Director Luo was contemplating how to refuse her request.
"I'm sorry, Director Luo. I'll figure something out," Lin Xiao said as she prepared to hang up.
"Where are you? I'll have Xiao Wang help you move your luggage," came Director Luo's voice.
"No need! Just let logistics know; I’ll pick up the keys myself." A heavy stone finally lifted from Lin Xiao's heart.
The keys to the apartment were delivered by Li Hao's driver, Xiao Wang, who kindly helped her move her luggage as well. The apartment had two bedrooms and two living rooms and was regularly cleaned. Exhausted from her long day, Lin Xiao simply made up her bed and fell asleep.
The next day, thinking about how she had missed work yesterday and how Director Luo had helped her out immensely, she resolved to perform well throughout the day.
At seven-thirty, as she headed downstairs, she encountered Li Hao coming back from his morning exercise. He approached from a distance, and after hesitating for a moment, Lin Xiao decided to greet him.
She thought that if Director Luo hadn’t informed Li County Chief yesterday, he would surely report it today since using transitional housing required approval from the county chief. The reason she had reached out to Director Luo was that she didn’t plan on staying long; it was just a temporary arrangement, and Director Luo had the authority to assist her.
As Lin Xiao watched Li Hao approach in his gray athletic shirt and shorts, she couldn’t help but marvel at how fate seemed to favor certain people.
Sweat beads glistened in the morning light, trickling down from the sharp angles of Li Hao's jaw.
"Have you moved here?" he casually asked, recalling the day's work arrangements as he paused beside her.
Feeling the pressure of his proximity, Lin Xiao noticed how the surrounding noise faded into the wind, replaced by a faint, familiar scent of soap that lingered in the air. Her cheeks flushed as blood rushed to her face, and her rounded ears turned a light shade of red. With an awkward expression, she called out, "County Chief Li, I..."
She wanted to explain that her move was temporary and struggled to articulate why she was there, gesturing towards the building where she lived.
"I heard from Director Luo. Just make yourself comfortable," Li Hao said, observing her flustered attempts to mask her unease. He assumed she was worried about the transitional housing situation.
His usual serious demeanor softened as he spoke with a hint of gentle reassurance. After giving her a few work-related instructions, Lin Xiao gradually calmed down and acknowledged that she understood.
As she listened to Li Hao's footsteps receding, a sense of tranquility began to settle in her heart. Although she had never experienced love, who among young girls hadn’t felt a flutter of infatuation? The chaotic rhythm of her heartbeat earlier had left her feeling flustered.
Inwardly, she reassured herself that it was normal to feel this way around someone so exceptional and silently warned herself not to follow in Li Hui's footsteps.
Logically, Lin Xiao knew she shouldn’t justify Li Hui’s actions as a mistress, yet she couldn’t help but feel sympathy for her. Back then, if Li Hui hadn’t become Zhang Yuguo’s mistress at such a young age, her parents would have forced her to marry a widower in the village for a substantial dowry to support her brother’s wedding.
During those years, while Li Hui lacked romantic experiences with her husband, she found fulfillment with Zhang Yuguo. Reflecting on this made Lin Xiao inwardly scorn herself; she must not be defeated by sweet temptations.
Then she found herself chuckling at the absurdity of it all—after all, no one else was launching sweet temptations at her; why should she be on guard?
After this round of self-reflection, Lin Xiao felt a sense of comfort wash over her.
As the month progressed, the Cui Ping Mountain Scenic Area officially opened its doors.
The development of Cui Ping Mountain was a collaborative project between the Yurou County government and Dijing Ningyuan Group (a model where government and private capital cooperate on infrastructure projects) aimed at alleviating financial pressures on the government while attracting private investment.
Ningyuan Group is a well-known private enterprise in the country, involved in various sectors including real estate, hospitality, banking, and industry.
In recent years, Li Hao had been gaining influence in Yurou County thanks to Ningyuan Group's involvement. The Cui Ping Mountain development project saw Yurou County hand over cleared land (designated for development) to Ningyuan Group within three months, facilitating a change in land use status.
Once Ningyuan Group acquired the land for development projects, everything from financing for development and construction to operational funding proceeded smoothly; all civil engineering and infrastructure works were completed within months.
To support Li Hao, the General Manager of Ningyuan Group, Si Ningyuan specifically flew from Dijing to Yurou County. On this day, provincial and municipal leaders gathered for the opening ceremony, with lunch arranged at the newly opened Emerald Lake Hotel at the foot of the mountain.
The provincial and municipal leaders were in the Louguan Lake Hall and Wangshan Hall, while the staff enjoyed a buffet on the first floor. After finishing their meal, Lin Xiao and Luo Qianwei coordinated with the staff to load the exquisite gift boxes containing Shan He Tao and purple bud tea onto the leaders' vehicles.
"Lin Xiao, you’re in charge of guiding the leaders when they finish their meal at the elevator. Let me know as soon as they come down," Luo Qianwei instructed, a hint of nervousness in her voice.
Lin Xiao took his responsibilities seriously, ensuring everything was in order upstairs. He kept a close eye on the situation in the private rooms and confirmed with the hotel staff that two elevators were locked for exclusive use by the leaders.
On such a festive day, it was expected that everyone would enjoy themselves, and the event wrapped up around three o'clock. Li Hao was in high spirits as he walked out with the provincial leaders and Si Ningyuan. The staff pressed the elevator button while Lin Xiao stepped aside and immediately called Luo Qianwei.
In fact, Emerald Lake Hotel was still in its trial operation phase with very few guests, so congestion was unlikely; however, no one could guarantee that there wouldn’t be any mistakes. After the crowd dispersed, Lin Xiao finally relaxed.
"Are you the hotel manager? I need to go upstairs but I forgot my card," a stylishly dressed young woman with exquisite makeup said as she approached Lin Xiao, her silver high heels clicking on the floor.
"Please go ahead; I’ll arrange for someone to open a room for you right away," Lin Xiao replied politely, recognizing that she was likely from Ningyuan Group without further explanation. He pressed the elevator button for her before stepping back.
When Lin Xiao reached downstairs, all the leaders had left. He encountered Li Hao and Si Ningyuan from the hotel.
"Si Ningyuan, Li County Chief," Lin Xiao greeted them with a standard smile.
Si Ningyuan had drunk a bit too much at lunch and paused when he saw Lin Xiao.
Hearing his call, Lin Xiao instinctively stopped and looked at him in confusion. "Si Ningyuan? Is there something you need?"
Upon closer inspection, Si Ningyuan realized his mistake. "I’m sorry; I mistook you for someone else."
Lin Xiao maintained his politeness. "No problem, Si Ningyuan. Goodbye."
Li Hao understood that Si Ningyuan had confused Lin Xiao with someone else; they did share some resemblance. Perhaps it was because he was too familiar with both of them that he inadvertently linked them together.
"Let’s catch up later this evening in a small gathering," Li Hao suggested as he walked away, leaving Lin Xiao to ponder how well acquainted they truly were. It was no wonder Ningyuan Group chose to invest in such a remote location.
As Lin Xiao exited the hotel, he planned to head back to the county with other staff members.
"Lin Xiao, you stay here and help arrange things for Li County. I have other matters to attend to this afternoon," Luo Qianwei hurriedly stopped him from getting into the car.
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