Qu Xiangru glanced at him coldly and opened the car door.

Just as she was about to sit inside, she saw a coat piled up on the passenger seat.

It was Song Guanchao's.

At this moment, Song Guanchao also got in the car and picked up the coat.

Under the coat was a packed meal.

The seat heater was on, covered by the coat.

After driving for more than two hours, the food was still warm.

Song Guanchao picked up the food and said, "It's still hot, let's eat first, we can go after eating."

He placed the food on the armrest box and opened it, seeing her standing by the car door, he said, "Get in quickly, the cold wind is blowing in."

Qu Xiangru got in, took the chopsticks he handed over, picked up the rice, and quietly ate with her eyes lowered.

Her heart was filled with mixed emotions; she had always been maintaining a relationship with Song Guanchao, always wanting to wear this mask well.

But Song Guanchao always intruded into her life, trying to disrupt her pace.

Her inner fortress, strong and impregnable, had long developed a crack under his relentless attacks.

Gurgle.

Her chopsticks paused for a moment.

The sound came from Song Guanchao's stomach.

She continued eating.

After eating half, she put down her bowl and chopsticks.

Song Guanchao asked, "Are you full?"

"Hmm." Qu Xiangru packed the food, pushed open the car door, and left with the food.

Song Guanchao hurriedly asked, "Where are you going?"

"To throw away the trash."

"..." Song Guanchao gulped, "You barely ate anything and are throwing it away? You are, after all, the Deputy Governor and City Secretary, how can you be so wasteful?"

"I don't have the habit of eating leftover food."

"Give it to me, I'll eat it."

Song Guanchao quickly pulled her back, opened the food, picked up the half-eaten rice, and devoured it.

Watching him use the chopsticks she had used, eating the rice she left, a trace of embarrassment flashed in Qu Xiangru's eyes.

In fact, she wasn't full, but there was only one portion of the food.

If she offered it to him voluntarily, he certainly wouldn't eat it.

Even if she claimed to be full, Song Guanchao wouldn't believe it.

Therefore, the simplest way was to throw the food away, making him believe she was indeed full.

After eating and drinking his fill, Song Guanchao wiped his mouth and asked, "Are the affairs in the province finished?"

"Hmm."

"Going back to Lingjiang?"

"Hmm."

"Then let's go."

Song Guanchao started the car, and when passing by a supermarket, he went in to buy some drinks and snacks, throwing them to her, "Eat them if you get hungry on the way."

Qu Xiangru casually placed the items in the back seat but noticed a pair of pink knitted gloves on the seat.

Following her gaze, Song Guanchao said, "Your cousin gave them to me."

"Very nice."

"Very nice?"

Song Guanchao chuckled and drove on.

The return journey began to get congested.

Workers returning home from the provincial city clogged the highway.

Luckily, they bought drinks and snacks, or they would have starved during the journey.

...

Secretary Sun was extremely anxious at this moment.

From Friday until now, it's been three days!

The land transfer fees haven't arrived yet!

Tomorrow is the New Year.

But the money hasn't arrived yet!

He clutched his phone, hesitating all day, still undecided whether to call Assistant Sun to push for it.

The phone line at the Finance Bureau was almost worn out from his calls, and the clerks in the Treasury Department were starting to get impatient.

With the working day almost over, he couldn't wait any longer and called Assistant Sun.

This call left him dumbfounded.

The number had become inactive!

"Inactive number?"

Secretary Sun stared at the number repeatedly, ensuring he hadn't dialed it wrong.

He must have heard it wrong.

He called again.

Still, it was an inactive number.

Minutes later, Secretary Sun was in despair.

What the hell happened?

How did it become an inactive number?

In the blink of an eye.

It was time to clock out.

Zheng Bihui came out of the office, seeing Secretary Sun sitting there, head down, seemingly doing nothing.

It looked like he was spacing out?

"Secretary Sun, it's time to clock out."

Secretary Sun didn't respond for a while.

Zheng Bihui frowned slightly, raising his voice, "Secretary Sun?"

"Huh?"

Secretary Sun looked up abruptly; seeing his state, Zheng Bihui sensed something was wrong, "What happened?"

"I, I..."

Secretary Sun stammered, unable to say anything coherent.

"Speak up!"

"I... I can't reach Mr. Tang."

"Who is Mr. Tang?"

Secretary Sun recounted the entire situation to Zheng Bihui in detail.

After hearing this, Zheng Bihui's face was full of anger: "You idiot, you got fucking scammed!"

"Scammed?"

Secretary Sun was a bit confused.

How could I have been scammed?

"But I didn't lose anything."

"What else do you want to lose? The project being delayed until now is the biggest loss!"

Zheng Bihui was so angry he felt like slapping him to death.

Tomorrow is New Year's Eve, and suddenly getting this kind of news the day before, is this deliberately making my New Year bad?

"Immediately go to the National Assets Bureau and cancel the contract!"

"But, but it's already after work hours."

"Damn you..."

Zheng Bihui was so angry he couldn't speak: "Get it resolved by tomorrow!"

Zheng Bihui stormed off.

He somewhat regretted it, wondering why he chose this fool to be his secretary!

Such a blatant scam and he couldn't even see through it, what kind of intelligence is that?

When he got in the car, Zheng Bihui calmed down and found it a bit strange.

What exactly was the other party trying to scam for?

As Secretary Sun said, he didn't lose anything.

Even if the contract was signed, it could be canceled.

What was the point?

But thankfully, it was discovered in time.

He decided that this project could not be left to Secretary Sun.

He had to personally oversee it.

He rubbed his temples, feeling physically and mentally exhausted.

...

Eight o'clock in the evening.

Song Guanchao finally got off the highway.

He didn't take Qu Xiangru to the government compound but led her to the food street next to the university town.

Fortunately, some shops were still open here.

"Let's go get something to eat."

The ground was already covered with a thick layer of snow, and snowflakes like goose feathers were still falling.

The two of them walked on the snow, making creaking sounds, and entered a barbecue shop.

Halfway through eating, the phone rang; it was his grandma calling.

"Hello, Grandma, I'm coming back tomorrow... If I finish work early, I'll be back in the afternoon, otherwise in the evening."

"It might be two people, definitely a woman; otherwise, would I bring a big guy home over the New Year?"

After hanging up the phone, Song Guanchao continued eating.

Qu Xiangru listened to his words, her eyes flickering several times.

After leaving the barbecue shop, Song Guanchao drove towards the government compound.

The car remained parked in front of the two-story building.

Qu Xiangru unfastened her seatbelt and got out of the car with her usual cold demeanor.

Watching her enter the house, watching the light in the living room turn on, only then did Song Guanchao leave.

The next day.

New Year's Eve.

Most work had been done the day before, leaving today unexpectedly free.

Qu Xiangru reassigned a few colleagues from transportation and public security to go on several inspections at the high-speed rail and bus stations with Mayor Zheng.

Wu Qiangwei went to various departments to issue reminders of things to pay attention to during the New Year period.

Mayor Jiang went to inspect the various municipal departments to ensure that there were no issues.

At one o'clock in the afternoon.

Departments began an early holiday, and apart from those on duty, everyone else left.

The offices in the City Committee gradually emptied, and Chu Xiao'e, Xu Xin, and Zeng Li also left one after another.

Wu Qiangwei left relatively late, leaving a package on the table before leaving: "Happy New Year in advance."

Without waiting for Song Guanchao to open it, she left.

Song Guanchao took it out; it was a tie.

He smiled, took it and went downstairs.

He put the item in the back seat.

He started the car, turned on the seat heaters, and then watched the gradually quieting entrance of the City Committee Building.

Some staff continued to leave intermittently.

By two-thirty in the afternoon, the person Song Guanchao was waiting for still hadn't appeared.

He opened the car door and went to Qu Xiangru's office.

Knock knock.

He opened the door.

Qu Xiangru was leaning back in her chair, staring in a daze at a photo of her deceased mother on her phone.

Her peach blossom eyes, which looked like they could spark, for the first time showed a sorrowful expression.

Hearing the footsteps, she quickly put away the photo, and upon seeing it was Song Guanchao, she reverted to her usual indifference: "What's up?"

Song Guanchao's face was serious as he said, "Come with me."

"Where to?"

"Zhuxi Village."

Song Guanchao turned and left.

Qu Xiangru thought something had happened, grabbed her coat, and went downstairs with him.

Song Guanchao's expression was too grave; she asked, but he wouldn't say.

Once in the car, Song Guanchao immediately hit the road.

The road was clear, and after an hour they reached the Lingjiang West Suburb and got on a rural road.

When the car stopped in front of a household, Song Guanchao said, "Get out."

Qu Xiangru looked at this picturesque little village and the elderly lady walking over from the courtyard with a kindly smile, her mind full of questions.

She unfastened her seatbelt and got out, seeing the elderly lady pat Song Guanchao on the shoulder and say, "You're back."

The elderly lady looked at Qu Xiangru and, seeing another unfamiliar face, had a slight jolt in her heart but still kept a friendly smile as she stepped forward, held Qu Xiangru's hand, and said, "Girl, come inside, it's warm in the house."

Only then did Qu Xiangru realize that Song Guanchao had brought her home.

Even though she was accustomed to big scenes, she was a bit flustered now, and as the elderly lady led her inside, her thoughts began to clear slowly.

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