Chapter 38

It was already very late after the chat. Fei Nanzhou offered to see her off, but Xu Zhi said no.

She stood at the screen with her back to him. A large group of blurry tree shadows outside the window slowly swayed in the wind and fluttered on the screen.

She subconsciously raised her hand to hold the other arm in a defensive gesture.

Fei Nanzhou looked at her, was silent for a while, and then threw a room card on the table: "Yuyuantan, the old place, I was there years ago. If you regret it, come to me at any time."

He turned and walked out , leaving only the driver to her.

She also knew in her heart that what she refused was not to send her back, but to him sending her back.

It was already 8 o'clock when Xu Zhi returned to her residence. Mu Yao was removing her makeup in front of the dressing mirror. When she heard a knock on the door, she turned around in surprise: "Zhi Zhi? Didn't you go to eat?"

"No." Xu Zhi smiled bitterly. , threw the Kun bag onto the sofa, lay down on it, turned sideways and began to take off the stockings.

Mu Yao saw her tiredness and didn't ask any more questions.

After a moment of hesitation, he said, "Can I make some noodles for you? You can't stop eating."

"Okay, thank you." Xu Zhi closed her eyes because she was too tired to move.

Not only physically exhausted, but also mentally exhausted.

"Zhizhi, okay, let's eat some noodles." Mu Yao called her.

When I shouted the first time, I found that she was still distracted, so I shouted twice in succession.

Xu Zhi came back to her senses, apologized to her, said she was sorry, then got up and walked over to sit down at the dining table, lowered her head and ate the noodles silently.

"My cooking skills are pretty average." Mu Yao smiled apologetically and sat across from her.

"It's already very good." In fact, it's not very delicious, but Xu Zhi doesn't have the energy to care about the taste now.

She gulped down the bowl of noodles, smiled at Mu Yao and went back to the house.

The door closed behind her.

The weather for the next few days was miserable, windy and rainy, which was not her favorite day.

But things like weather are never up to you.

Xu Zhi thought a lot, but in fact the choice was already decided, or there was no choice at all, she was just stalling for time.

This was but the last moment of freedom.

That day she lit a cigarette by the window and finished it slowly with her bare shoulders.

That should be regarded as the first time in more than 20 years that she had smoked a complete cigarette. The taste was not good, but the tobacco had a strange calming effect when it passed through the lungs, causing a series of emotions such as sadness, sorrow, anger, etc. dissipated slowly.

She let out a long breath and extinguished the remaining cigarette butt on the edge of the flowerpot.

The driver sent by Shen Qian had been waiting for her downstairs. Xu Zhi saw someone when she went out. He had an expressionless face and no one would notice it if he was thrown into the crowd.

And a car that doesn't have anything special about it.

She took a deep breath, stepped forward and opened the back seat door.

The delay from the road to the hotel where he was staying was at least half an hour.

After arriving at the guard post and waiting for a while, Xu Zhi looked up and saw Shen Qian taking out his pass to negotiate with the two guards outside. He couldn't hear what was being said, but his expression was quite serious.

When the person on the other side saw the ID, his expression changed. He was very relaxed and even smiled a little eagerly. He raised his hand to let them pass.

Shen Qian returned to the car and told the driver: "Go to Building 1."

The driver responded and went inside.

This place is really big, and I haven’t even arrived after driving for a long time. It has small bridges, flowing water, green trees, and a very high green coverage. However, there are no pedestrians or tourists, only the occasional patrol sentry.

Later, the car parked under a gray building, which looked inconspicuous from the outside. When I entered, I discovered that there was an independent courtyard.

Shen Qian stepped in first, and Xu Zhi followed suit. She didn't say anything along the way, she just silently followed him through the door and up the stairs.

He placed her in a lounge on the third floor, turned around and left without saying anything.

Xu Zhi probably knew that Fei Nanzhou was busy and looked around.

There is nothing unusual about this room, and the furnishings are quite simple. It seems to be the simplest kind of reception room, without even a cup of tea.

Xu Zhi knew that Shen Qian was dissatisfied with him, so he didn't ask for it since he wasn't thirsty anyway.

She flipped through the books on the bookshelf and found that they were all in Russian. She couldn't understand them, so she put them back.

After walking around for a while, she discovered that there were two rooms through the two doors on the east side. This place seemed to be a temporary residence for a person. The quilt on the bed was neatly folded and not covered with sheets. There was a water glass on the bedside table, which showed that this place was a temporary residence for one person. The person should not have left yet.

There was really nothing in the room, and she got bored after looking at it for a while. She bent over and squatted in front of the fish tank in the corner to look at the little turtle, occasionally reaching out to poke the turtle's back.

The door happened to be pushed open at this moment. Xu Zhi was startled and subconsciously stood up straight and looked towards the door.

After she saw clearly that the person at the door was Fei Nanzhou, the expression on her face became slightly more relaxed, but she did not completely relax her vigilance.

A strange place, a strict and orderly reception room, all make people feel uncomfortable.

Fei Nanzhou turned on the doorknob with his backhand, hung the coat she had taken off aside, walked around behind the desk and started processing documents.

Xu Zhi stood aside and waited. After he finished reading, he put some documents into the sealing tape and wrapped them around it before

he said , "Is this your current residence?" Here."

"I'm sorry for you, the conditions are pretty average." She glanced around with a little scrutiny, and the corners of her lips curled up slightly.

Fei Nanzhou seemed unable to hear the sarcasm in her words. He smiled and raised his head, "It's the same wherever you live. It's for work."

She saw herself in his eyes, her expression was indifferent, but if she looked carefully, the corners of her lips were slightly raised. , it’s more like looking for trouble.

Xu Zhi looked away, not wanting to look anymore.

She knew she was feeling quite awkward at the moment, but she really didn't know what to say to him.

It's raining outside, and the rustling sound of rain blurs the boundaries between each other and makes people less focused.

Xu Zhi stood in silence at the window for a long time. The awkward atmosphere was no longer so anxious, but his body was still tense.

"Where are you going to be transferred to?" After a while, she turned around and asked him.

"Nanjing." He said without any ripples.

Xu Zhi pursed her lips and thought for a while, then leaned against the window sill and looked directly at him: "Why don't you stay in Beijing?"

Fei Nanzhou looked up to meet her gaze: "Are you questioning me?"

Wei Wei Tilting her head, she changed the subject rather jokingly, "You still can't bear to leave me?"

Even though he was sitting and she was standing, she felt that she was not as calm and calm as him.

She even felt him smile lightly.

Unfortunately, this smile did not ease the atmosphere. Xu Zhi felt that he was playing tricks on her.

She didn't want to make any more detours with him: "Then why do you want me to stay?"

"Wherever I am, you go." His gaze swept over her calmly like a crushing force.

Xu Zhi had nothing to say.

He knew she was planning to go to Shen Jie...

She turned back and left her back to him.

Little did he know how graceful this turned figure was, with a slender neck as white as a swan and graceful curves. It was an exceptionally bright and beautiful scenery in the dark rainy day.

Xu Zhi stood by the window and felt sulky for a while and felt bored. Why should she be angry with him?

He would just treat her as a child and watch her show off.

She felt completely bored and was about to turn around. Unexpectedly, a tall figure stood behind her. She said "Ah" in fright, and then glared at him angrily: "Why don't you make any sound when you walk?"

He chuckled sullenly. He leaned forward to close the window: "I see you are too fascinated by the scenery, I'm afraid it will ruin your elegance."

The rain that drifted in diagonally wetted his clothes, giving off a slightly darker color.

Xu Zhi's body was also a little wet and she felt a little cold. When she raised her head, she found that he was extremely close to her. If she moved even slightly forward, she would bump into him.

His eyes were full of smiles, as if he wanted to kiss her.

Xu Zhi remained motionless, staring at him intelligently, unwilling to be outdone.

But her hands secretly tightened, revealing her nervousness.

Being in a strange place and being controlled by others made her feel somewhat uncomfortable.

No matter how much you pretend you don't care, it's the end of the road.

As for him, he seemed to use the leaning action of closing the window to look her up and down seriously for a while.

From the moment he walked in until now, he hadn't asked her if she had thought about it.

But Xu Zhi understood that he had made a decision from the moment he entered the door.

She was a lamb to the slaughter and was being teased like this. She pushed him away with some annoyance, walked to the other side of the desk, and distanced herself from him.

He raised his eyebrows slightly and took a sip from a cup of tea that had cooled down on the table.

The aroma of the tea had long since disappeared. After taking a sip, he frowned and turned to ask her if she wanted to have some snacks.

"I'm not hungry."

He nodded without forcing it.

There was nothing to say after that. Xu Zhi stood by the window a little reservedly, not looking at him.

She seemed to be looking at the pattering autumn rain outside the window with some absent-mindedness.

-In

those days, Xu Zhi stayed with him in this temporary office because he was going to Nanjing. He had a lot of work to hand over before leaving, and the reports were being typed and approved. After several meetings in succession, I lost a lot of weight.

However, he seemed to be in better spirits, with a pair of deep eyes that made people dare not look directly into them, and his temperament was more serious than before, even a bit like the rainy day outside the window.

The man who looks calm is actually more dangerous.

Xu Zhi sometimes didn't dare to look into his eyes.

It would not be surprising if a staff member saw her in his office when he came in. He took a practiced glance and then lowered his head, pretending she didn't exist. While they were chatting about things, she would consciously go out for a walk in the garden and bask in the sun.

However, the solemn atmosphere made her feel a little out of place.

"Unhappy?" Fei Nanzhou also noticed her abnormality.

Xu Zhi glanced back at him, crossed his arms and gave a provocative smile, but did not answer.

Do you mean you are asking without knowing?

How can she feel good about being detained in this place like a house arrest?

"Mr. Fei, do you, a respectable person like you, still have a little love interest?"

"Who can afford a love interest like you?" He was very familiar with teasing her, but he still had that calm expression on his face. His expression showed no emotion at all.

Xu Zhi felt bored after a long time and felt quite sad.

Like a flower that doesn't like humidity when it's stuck in a greenhouse, its roots are gradually rotting and then withering.

She stopped talking to him, took off her shoes and went indoors barefoot.

Behind her he ordered her to put on her slippers.

Xu Zhi's footsteps paused at the door and turned back.

The girl was crying, but her eyes were stubborn.

It seemed like something sharp was hidden.

For the first time, she didn't listen to him and quickly stepped inside the door, slamming it shut in front of him.

At that moment, Fei Nanzhou felt that she should hate him.

He also thought about letting her go. He could send someone to protect her and he wouldn't need to see her every day.

But secretly I still don't want her to leave.

He also knew that he was despicable, but he still said those words in front of her with dignity.

Fei Nanzhou was speechless for a long time, curled his lips in a self-deprecating manner, and sat back at his desk to continue working. A cold light lamp on the table cast a cold light on the brown solid wood table.

-During

that time, Xu Zhi became obviously silent. She locked herself in the house every day and was reluctant to go out.

Fei Nanzhou wanted to make her happy, and knowing that she liked to eat lychees, he asked someone to charter a plane to transport them from Hainan.

I picked the best ones myself and put them in the fruit bowl for her.

She didn't look surprised after looking at it, but she still lowered her head and silently peeled one off, put it in her mouth and chewed it.

She didn't say anything to him while she was eating. Her drooping eyelashes were like fragile crow feathers, occasionally trembling slightly, which made people palpitate.

He wanted to make her happy, so he told an allusion about lychees.

Xu Zhi was silent after hearing this, saying, are you comparing me to Concubine Yang? This will not end well for her.

The atmosphere suddenly became cold.

Fei Nanzhou is a very open-minded person, and he feels speechless at this moment.

Xu Zhi smiled instead: "You don't have to take care of me everywhere. You want to raise birds but are afraid of them being raised to death by you. You don't look like Fei Nanzhou anymore when you are so hesitant and hesitant."

After hearing this, he smiled and looked sideways. Xu Zhi looked at him

steadily, something flashing in his eyes.

She looked delicate and weak, just holding her knees and sitting next to him, looking like he could pick it up with one hand, but there was a sharp probing in her eyes, as if she had seen through him.

She didn't answer him, but asked him: "Are you so happy?"

Of course he knew what she was talking about and didn't answer immediately. Silence means avoiding and being unreasonable.

Because he hasn't solved the problem at home yet, he can't tell Yao Yanlan, but he selfishly wants to keep her close to him. But he is a person who does everything in advance, and the things he decides will not change.

Ever since he decided to give up Hua Rui, he had no intention of letting go, whether it was his feelings or himself.

He doesn't want to be a pawn at the mercy of others, and would rather fight with his back to the wall.

"Then let me change the question. How long are you going to lock me up? For the rest of my life? Or until you get married?"

"Even if I get married, I will only marry you." He put his palms down on his knees and said slowly.

"You are sick!" Xu Zhi glared at him.

"When I get to Nanjing and establish a foothold there, I will have a complete showdown with them." His expression was very calm, but there was a kind of frightening madness in his calmness. "Wait for me for two years, two years at most, I will definitely marry you."

He rarely makes such forward promises. After all, things are unknown until they come true. It is very irresponsible to make such promises. But he felt her uneasiness and eagerness to escape.

Hearing what he said, Xu Zhi didn't feel much relieved at all: "How to show off your cards? Tell them that you want to marry me? Marry the person you called sister when you were a child? What are you going to tell your mother? And the leftist in the compound at that time Neighbors, relatives and friends who have been together since childhood, what do you want to say?"

After asking, she said, "Forget it, don't mention the marriage."

"But it's just a matter of face. There has always been only power games in this world. If I were like my dad, or even standing at a higher level than him, no one would ask a question. They would just pretend to be deaf and say congratulations, Nanzhou is really married. A good wife," he said sarcastically.

This is also the reason why he went to Nanjing.

It's good to stay in the capital, but it's a pity that the imperial city is restricted everywhere. The officials in the capital can be promoted quickly in the early stage, but it will be difficult in the later stage. It is better to develop in the local area. He has never been on the same path as his father, with different philosophies. There were no major conflicts in the past that he just wanted to resolve. Compared to his uncle who was as wise as he was foolish, Fei Pucun was too eager for quick success and quick success, and it might not go well in the future if the momentum is strong.

He didn't even think about it. If there were two top people in the family, would the superiors agree?

The recent situation has been turbulent, and he will be a target if he stays in Beijing.

Xu Zhi was just the trigger for the father and son to reach this point. The two had different ideas and had been at odds for a long time. They were like a tree that had long since rotted away. It looked lush on the outside, but it was impossible to dig into it carefully.

Morality? Morals be damned!

He was bound by morality and responsibility for the first half of his life, and from then on he just wanted to be himself.

Even if father and son turn against each other, they will not hesitate to criticize him.

And he only believes in absolute power. As long as he develops well in Nanjing, any moral responsibility is bullshit.

Does Fei Pucun care about face that much? What he cares about is the impact on his official reputation at this time of leadership change.

He knows him better than anyone else.

A guy who avoids women like a scourge and would change his face even if he puts a cigarette in his mouth. Sometimes he is too cautious and is a bit too pretentious. If it weren't for his good work ability, Fei Nanzhou would have felt that his uncle looked down on Fei Pucun.

"Let's not talk about it, Zhizhi. I see that you haven't had much appetite lately. Let's go out to eat." He smiled at her, stood up and handed her his palm generously.

Xu Zhi looked hesitantly at his hand that was placed in front of her.

Sometimes I really don’t understand him as a person.

Fei Nanzhou and she are two completely different people, cheerful and sunny, with excellent ability to withstand pressure. No matter what happens to him, it doesn't seem to be a problem, and he seems to be confident that he can solve it.

Even if he is depressed for a short time, he will not indulge in sadness. He will find a way to solve the problem, which is safe and reliable.

Xu Zhi was wavered for a moment.

But when he thought of Yao Yanlan, he shrank back again.

I don't dare to face it, or even dare to think about what will happen to Yao Yanlan when he finds out.

But I don’t want to be so stuck with him anymore.

As if infected by his calm and steady aura, Xu Zhi felt like a punctured ball and couldn't get angry.

The two went to Diaoyutai for dinner and met an acquaintance there.

The other party seemed to be familiar with Fei Nanzhou. He handed him a cigarette and looked at Xu Zhi curiously.

It's just a polite look and has no other meaning.

However, this person obviously has a high status, as you can see from the always arrogant Fei Nanzhou who just stood up to greet him.

Xu Zhi felt a little uncomfortable instinctively. Just as he was about to say something, Fei Nanzhou put his arm around his shoulders and led him outside, lowered his head and said something to him.

The other person raised his eyebrows in surprise, looked back at her, and patted Fei Nanzhou on the shoulder before leaving.

It seems that everything is left unsaid.

When Fei Nanzhou returned to his seat, there was still a smile on his lips, and he lowered his head to eat vegetables.

Xu Zhi likes a dish of black pepper beef ribs very much. He has eaten several of them and is too embarrassed to pick them up again.

Unexpectedly, he put the plate in her hand: "I don't like this, you can eat it, don't waste it."

She looked at him for a while, wondering how he could tell that she liked this.

It happened that he raised his eyes at this moment and slightly raised his chin towards the pile of bones piled high on her plate.

This glance was also completely silent.

Xu Zhi hurriedly lowered his head, picked a piece of mutton ribs and held it in his mouth.

But the ears were still red and red.