I touched my own face and chuckled. "Heh, life here is a bit austere, how can it compare to the ease of the capital? But you haven't gotten fat either."

Xu Jing smiled sweetly. "How dare I get fat? Could I still get married then? I hear you're the Director of the Investment Promotion Office in Liangshan County now? Quite a position."

Secretary Ma immediately leaned in. "Indeed, President Xu, Comrade Zhao Qian is indeed our Director of the Investment Promotion Office in Liangshan County. He is decisive, young, and promising—a rare talent."

I said, "Secretary Ma, you flatter me. If you hadn't 'diligently' cultivated me, I wouldn't be here today."

Secretary Ma laughed awkwardly a couple of times, then inquired, "Are President Xu and Director Zhao old friends?"

Xu Jing and I both froze. How were we to explain the situation to Secretary Ma? We were supposed to pretend we didn't know each other, but Xu Jing’s heartfelt concern had just exposed our relationship.

Zhou Qiang interjected, "Director Zhao and President Xu are classmates. They haven't seen each other for many years; meeting suddenly in Liangshan naturally brings a deep sense of familiarity."

Secretary Ma nodded repeatedly. "Quite right, quite right. Have the waiter add a chair and seat Director Zhao next to President Xu so the old classmates can catch up warmly."

I said, "Add three chairs. I have two colleagues coming later; I'll need them for some official business."

Secretary Ma looked highly troubled. The table was already quite full. Besides him, Director Zhao, and the Director of the People's Congress, the rest were the prominent merchants and magnates of Liangshan County. Squeezing in one more person might be manageable, but three more would require trimming the list, and he couldn't decide whom to exclude.

Director Zhao proved more decisive. He whispered a few words into the ears of three individuals, likely promising some benefit. Those three cast a reluctant final glance at Xu Jing before moving their seats. In truth, they would have preferred sitting next to the beauty, but offending Director Zhao and Secretary Ma offered no advantages, so they complied.

I waved towards Ning Shixuan and Zhang Fengzhen in the corner. The two scurried over. Xu Jing looked very tense and pointed at Ning Shixuan, asking me, "Who is she?"

I introduced them: "This is Miss Ning Shixuan, my secretary and assistant. She is the girlfriend of your former colleague from Blue Wind. This is my other assistant, Zhang Fengzhen."

Hearing that Ning Shixuan was someone else’s girlfriend, Xu Jing visibly relaxed. Although she wouldn't be angry that I had other girlfriends, women are naturally prone to jealousy, and seeing me with another girl upon first meeting was certainly psychologically difficult for her to accept—a perfectly normal reaction.

"Blue Wind!" Ning Shixuan had finally found an opportunity to get close to Blue Wind. Although he wasn't at our table, he was nearby, and his eyes hadn't left Xu Jing’s vicinity. He saw Ning Shixuan at that moment and rose. "Little Xuan! See? I didn't break my promise; I finally made it to Liangshan to see you, didn't I?"

Ning Shixuan nodded emotionally. Since various levels of leadership were present, she couldn't exchange many words with Blue Wind. Composing herself, Ning Shixuan gently shook Xu Jing's hand. "Hello, President Xu. You are the most beautiful and charismatic woman I have ever met, and so capable—a role model for me to strive for."

Xu Jing replied, "I'm not as exaggerated as you say. You are also very beautiful, and working under Director Zhao, your future is limitless."

Ning Shixuan’s face lit up. "Really? Our Director says the same thing. I had some doubts, but hearing President Xu say it too puts my mind at ease."

Xu Jing smiled. "You're very interesting. Sit next to me."

Ning Shixuan replied happily, "I couldn't ask for more."

Director Zhao chimed in from the side: "Since Comrade Xiao Zhao and President Xu are old classmates, you should sit next to President Xu too. Old classmates have endless things to discuss, but we still need to eat, otherwise, we won't have the energy to chat, right?" I always assumed Director Zhao wasn't one for flattery, but this bit of buttering up felt good; I wouldn't have been happy if I hadn't been allowed to sit next to Xu Jing.

Xu Jing's affection for me was characterized by detailed, meticulous care. Coupled with her delicate sensibilities and thoughtfulness, being with her meant I rarely had to lift a finger or lift a bowl. Before I even sat down, Xu Jing had already pulled out my chair and set it straight. I didn't think much of the gesture, but Secretary Ma, Director Zhao, and Secretary Liu at the other table, along with Blue Wind and the others, were secretly astonished. I was just a university graduate sent to the countryside, looked down upon, who managed to climb into the dead-end position of Investment Promotion Director through my connection with Commissioner Zhou. Why would the president of a global financial giant treat me with such deference? Even for a good classmate, this gesture seemed excessive.

I didn't dwell on what others were thinking. I sat down casually and raised my glass toward Secretary Ma. Secretary Ma immediately understood and quickly raised his own glass, inviting everyone: "Gentlemen, now that everyone is here, shall we toast President Xu’s arrival?"

This time, Xu Jing obediently picked up her wine glass. She glanced at me and, seeing I didn't object, delicately sipped a tiny bit. It was only red wine; I didn't mind. I finished mine in one go and proposed, "Secretary Ma, I think we should switch to ice-cold beer. President Xu can have a small amount, right, President Xu?"

I knew Xu Jing drank at home, but she never drank in front of others unless I gave the word, and certainly never drank with outsiders. I had been in Liangshan for over half a month, and frankly, I missed them deeply. Seeing Xu Jing now, I naturally wanted some 'intimacy,' and alcohol would enhance the mood.

Xu Jing nodded at my suggestion, and Secretary Ma immediately barked, "Quickly, change it! Change it to the best beer!"

After a few drinks, the conversation opened up. Director Zhao turned to Zhou Qiang. "We must thank Commissioner Zhou for taking the time and bringing a god of wealth to Liangshan this time. I hope everyone can work together to reverse the backward situation in Liangshan."

Xu Jing quietly pushed a cup of tea in front of me, then said to Director Zhao, without making a scene, "I will discuss relevant matters with Director Zhao this afternoon. The specific investment plan will be decided after understanding the situation in Liangshan County."

Director Zhao responded, "President Xu is right. Liangshan's investment environment is indeed rather narrow; we must plan long-term so as not to squander your company’s funds."

It was clear Secretary Ma was dissatisfied with Director Zhao’s cautious attitude, but he didn't voice his opposition in front of everyone. Instead, he assured Xu Jing, "Please rest assured, President Xu. The government has decided to establish a dedicated cooperation team, personally led by Director Zhao and myself. We will definitely seize this opportunity to boost Liangshan County’s industry!"

I interjected, "Secretary Ma, I personally believe Liangshan is not suited for developing industrial economy. Liangshan has no industrial foundation to begin with, lacks resource support nearby, and is short on skilled technicians. However, precisely because Liangshan lacks an industrial base and its ecology hasn't been damaged or polluted, I think we should vigorously develop agriculture or other green industries."

Secretary Ma objected. "I disagree. Developing green industries yields slow returns and low profits. Furthermore, Liangshan's transportation is inconvenient, making it only suitable for high-profit industrial production. Besides, the specific investment intentions should be jointly formulated by President Xu and the county government. The Investment Promotion Office is only responsible for attracting investment; Director Zhao will not need to concern himself with these matters in the future."

Seeing the situation about to become tense again, Director Zhao quickly raised his glass. "We can discuss the cooperative development of Liangshan later; the task right now is to drink!"

Secretary Ma couldn't control my perspective. After all, the money was in our hands. His era of monopolizing Liangshan was over. Realizing this, I didn't mind his words and clinked glasses, finishing my beer.

Xu Jing wasn't drinking cup after cup like us; she merely took a small, faint sip to show courtesy. The moment I set my glass down, she instinctively reached for the bottle beside me and poured for me. This was habit. At home, Xu Jing, Zhou Ni, and Zhang Xiaoya were the quietest but most silently caring people towards me. This probably stemmed from their family backgrounds. Among the three, Xu Jing was the most reserved and meticulous. We had no servants at home, and even when dining out, we wouldn't keep the waitstaff in the private room. Thus, pouring drinks often became Xu Jing's responsibility.

I didn't notice this, and neither did Secretary Ma or Director Zhao initially. However, Zhang Fengzhen, who had been observing Xu Jing's every move, nudged Ning Shixuan and whispered, "Look quickly, President Xu is really pouring tea and wine for Director Zhao. Heavens, I can't believe it. Even for the best of classmates, it shouldn't be like this." Zhang Fengzhen was a savvy individual; in moments, he had managed to glean my relationship with Xu Jing from the few merchants present.

Ning Shixuan pulled her attention away from Blue Wind and looked at Xu Jing. "Yes, it's strange. President Xu looks at Zhao Qian strangely. Could she be fond of Zhao Qian?"

Zhang Fengzhen scoffed, "What kind of joke is that? It would be understandable if our Director liked her, but think about President Xu’s status. In just one year, Peach Blossom Investment controlled nearly one-third of the world's financial industry. A powerhouse like her has countless men vying for her attention. Zhao Qian is just an ordinary university student, and his title as Investment Promotion Director is courtesy of Commissioner Zhou, otherwise..."

"Otherwise, what? I think Zhao Qian is a man destined for great things. Don't look down on people through a crack in the door like Secretary Ma, or I’ll be the first to look down on you."

Zhang Fengzhen sighed. "I'm envious and jealous of him. Yun Yao, that beautiful little blossom, is completely smitten with him now. And now this beautiful, capable woman like President Xu is treating him so well. As a man, I feel like such a failure I should just go commit suicide."

Ning Shixuan retorted, "Fail at what? We should be proud. Look, those leaders and rich people who are usually so high and mighty don't even qualify to share a table and drink with us—even my boyfriend Blue Wind doesn't get such an honor. Isn't it enough for you to have career success even if your love life is troubled?"

Zhang Fengzhen grumbled, "You have both love and career success, so naturally, you’re happier."

After a few low whispers, they stopped talking, fearing they were breaking decorum. Xu Jing showed signs of fatigue intermittently, so lunch concluded quickly. As we parted ways, Xu Jing politely invited me, the Director of the Investment Promotion Office, to her room to "discuss grand plans." I naturally accepted with delight, which infuriated Secretary Ma and Secretary Liu, who gnashed their teeth silently on the side.

In their view, going to Xu Jing's room to discuss grand plans was supposed to be their purview. Did they think we were going there for paperwork? I was going to go to bed with my wife; such a thing couldn't be delegated to them.

The moment the door clicked shut, I swept Xu Jing into a fierce embrace. "Wife, did you miss me?"

Xu Jing wrapped her arms around my neck and hummed, "Of course I did. Why else would I come here?"

I lifted Xu Jing into my arms. "Don't say another word. Let’s get to bed first so I can comfort you."