Power and Wealth
Chapter 1963

Chapter 1963

Monday.

Early morning.

In Fang Wenping’s bedroom.

It was 8:00 AM. Yesterday, Dong Xuebing had slept too late, and now he was comfortably snoring in bed when the phone woke him up.

Ring, ring, ring.

It was Secretary Su Yan calling.

Dong Xuebing glanced at his phone and sleepily picked it up. “Hello.”

“Secretary Dong, it’s Su here,” Su Yan said, apologetic. “I hope I didn’t disturb your rest.”

“It’s okay, what time is it?” Dong Xuebing groggily rubbed his eyes.

“It’s exactly 8:00 AM now. You arrived back from Beijing, and this morning’s meeting—” Su Yan called to ask if the leader could come to work.

Dong Xuebing yawned. “I got in yesterday, but it was too late, so I stayed in a hotel in the provincial city. Let’s push the meeting back an hour this morning; I’ll try to make it back. If I can’t, we’ll have it this afternoon. Let everyone know.”

Su Yan replied, “Okay, I’ll let them know immediately.”

“Is there nothing much happening in the county these days?” Dong Xuebing woke up a bit more.

Su Yan replied, “Not much. We're still consolidating the results of the cultural festival. The projects that came in during the festival have already started getting the first batch of funding. Some projects have their second batch of funds confirmed. All the relevant departments are following up. Everything is going smoothly.”

“Good.” Dong Xuebing didn’t say much more, hanging up the phone.

It was already this late; it was time to get up. Dong Xuebing turned to look beside him, and saw Fang Wenping still profoundly asleep. Neither the phone’s ringing nor Dong Xuebing’s conversation with Su Yan had woken her up. Fang Wenping was facing away from Dong Xuebing, completely motionless, her breathing steady. She was unaware that the towel on her shoulder had slipped off, and the leash from last night was still firmly tied around her neck. Her body was covered with red marks and scattered injuries from the previous night’s activities.

“Sister Fang.”

“Old Fang.”

“Fang Wenping.”

Dong Xuebing called her a few times, but she didn’t respond. So he pushed her shoulder harder.

Finally, Fang Wenping stirred, mumbling sleepily in response. She rolled over into a more flat-lying position, still not opening her eyes.

Dong Xuebing knew she was exhausted. If you counted the time he spent tormenting Fang Wenping in the car yesterday, Dong Xuebing had practically spent four hours with her. At Fang Wenping’s age and with her physical condition, even a young person like Dong Xuebing couldn’t take it. Without the strength provided by his special skill, he would have already collapsed. Fang Wenping didn’t have Dong Xuebing’s abilities. Relying solely on her petite frame, such intense activity had left her nearly a puddle of mush, and didn’t you see her almost pass out last night?

“Time to get up.”

“Mm.”

“It’s already 8:05. You still have to brush your teeth, wash your face, and then drive over. It’s already work time when you get to the office, so get up quickly.”

“Mm.”

Fang Wenping responded reflexively but did not intend to open her eyes, let alone get up. She seemed not even fully awake yet. Ring, ring, ring, Fang Wenping’s phone rang, but she didn’t bother answering it, almost as if she didn’t hear it. She didn’t want to move at all.

The call disconnected.

Dong Xuebing glanced at her phone and saw three missed calls, likely from earlier this morning for Fang Wenping. Dong Xuebing slept soundly and hadn’t heard them. Dong Xuebing grabbed the end of her leash with no other option but to lightly swing it.

Fang Wenping was startled awake, opening her eyes and looking at Dong Xuebing, taking a deep breath.

Dong Xuebing loosened his grip, bending over to remove his belt from her neck. She needed to get to work. He couldn’t keep her tied up like this. As soon as he took the belt off, he saw the red marks on Fang Wenping’s neck, forming a rough circle but not very distinct. Dong Xuebing hesitated, tossing the belt to his side before quickly touching Fang Wenping’s neck.

“Does it hurt?” Dong Xuebing asked.

Fang Wenping rubbed her cheek with her palm. “It’s fine.”

Dong Xuebing coughed awkwardly. “I’m sorry for yesterday.”

Fang Wenping didn’t respond. She ran her fingers through her hair, checked her phone for missed calls, and confirmed the time. “Time to get up,” she said.

Dong Xuebing nodded. “Do you want anything to eat?”

“Anything is fine.” Fang Wenping sat up in bed, grabbing the bathrobe thrown on the floor at some point last night and wrapping it around herself before heading to the bathroom.

As she walked past the end of the bed, Dong Xuebing saw that Fang Wenping’s knees and elbows were smeared with dirt, clearly from crawling on the floor last night. Her walking was awkward, slightly unsteady, especially in her legs. Dong Xuebing couldn’t help but feel she looked weak, her thighs constantly trembling.

“Are you okay?” Dong Xuebing voiced his concern.

Fang Wenping walked slowly. “I’m fine.”

Dong Xuebing sat up. “Let me help you.”

“Just go back to sleep. I’m fine,” Fang Wenping replied, already out of the bedroom.

Dong Xuebing decided not to go back to sleep. There was no rush to brush his teeth, wash his face, or shower. Even if he hurried back to Jiao Lin County, he wouldn’t make it to work on time, so it didn’t matter what time it was. After getting up and putting on slippers, he heard running water from the bathroom, so he went into the kitchen, flipped through the fridge, and started making breakfast for himself. Fang Wenping didn’t cook often, nor did she know how to make food. The kitchen had almost no ingredients; there was only a box of premium-quality brown eggs, a gift from someone, and no other staples like rice or flour. The salt and sugar were bought last time Dong Xuebing cooked at her place.

He made do.

He fried two eggs and made an egg soup.

It was a bit plain and not very plentiful, but at least it was enough to eat.

After making breakfast, Dong Xuebing brought it out. The sound of running water from the bathroom continued; Fang Wenping wasn’t done showering yet. Dong Xuebing couldn’t wait and knocked on the bathroom door, turning the handle—it wasn’t locked, so he pushed it open slightly. “Sister Fang, can I come in?”

The water stopped.

“What’s up?” a female voice floated out.

Dong Xuebing replied, “I want to use the toilet and wash my face.”

Fang Wenping responded with a resigned “Whatever.”

Dong Xuebing said, “Then I’ll come in.”

He sidestepped into the bathroom. It wasn’t a luxury home—just a small apartment, and the bathroom was a narrow, cramped space with a plastic curtain providing a makeshift barrier. From Dong Xuebing’s angle, he could see Fang Wenping’s feet sticking out from under the curtain, covered in a bit of soap foam, as if she had just finished washing herself. Dong Xuebing didn’t hesitate; he quickly used the toilet, brushed his teeth, and washed his face at the sink.

While brushing his teeth, the curtain suddenly opened.

Fang Wenping walked out without hesitation, grabbing the towel nearby to dry herself.

Dong Xuebing watched Fang Wenping in the mirror from a slightly oblique angle, not turning away until she dried her hair and body and walked out of the bathroom with a towel around her. Only then did Dong Xuebing rinse his mouth. Feeling a bit sticky from the sweat dried on his body from yesterday, he quickly went to rinse off with some hot water.

Afterwards, Dong Xuebing put on a bathrobe and went out.

Outside, Fang Wenping was already dressed, sitting at the dining table.

“Eat up, while it’s still warm.” Dong Xuebing joined her, picking up a fried egg and biting. “Mm, it’s not bad.”

Fang Wenping picked up her chopsticks and started eating as well.

After the meal, Dong Xuebing glanced at the clock. “It’s half past eight, you should hurry up and go to work.”

Fang Wenping returned to her room, grabbed her bag, and came out saying, “Lock the door when you leave.”

“Got it, won’t forget.” Dong Xuebing finished his last sip of egg soup, knowing it wasn’t convenient for them to go downstairs together; Fang Wenping had to leave first. They went upstairs together yesterday because it was so late, and no one else was around in the neighborhood. But now it was daylight and the morning rush hour; it wouldn’t look right if people saw them leaving together.

Fang Wenping left, and Dong Xuebing slowly washed the dishes. Then he went to her room to tidy up, as the place was a mess from last night—sheets were rumpled, chairs knocked over, pillowcases had come off. It needed to be tidied.

Suddenly, there was a sound from downstairs.

It seemed someone was calling Fang Wenping’s name.

“Wenping.”

“Wenping, let me give you a ride.”

Dong Xuebing froze, then quietly moved towards the window, slightly pulling back the curtain to look through the gap. Sure enough, he saw the figure of Xiao Dongnan, the director of the Provincial Culture Department, holding a bright red rose in his hand, and his car parked behind him with Fang Wenping just getting off the stairs.

Xiao Dongnan smiled, “There is no other meaning. I just saw this flower on the way and thought it looked good, so I bought it for you.”

Fang Wenping furrowed her brows. “No need.”

“I’ve already bought it, just take it.” Xiao Dongnan extended the rose further.

Many people in the neighborhood who were going to work early were watching this scene. While a young man giving a rose to a young woman was common, it was not often that you saw a man in his forties giving a rose to a woman in her forties.

“I said, no need.” Fang Wenping retorted.

Xiao Dongnan hesitated, “Well, let me give you a ride to work, it’s on the way.” Suddenly realizing, “Oh, why’s your neck so red? And your hand...”

Fang Wenping coldly replied, “Mind your own business, do your job.” After saying that, Fang Wenping got into a nearby Land Rover and drove away alone.

Leaving Xiao Dongnan alone, holding the bouquet, incredibly awkward.