The gathering had been organized by some younger officials from the various central ministries. Such events were frequent within their social circle, though this was my first time attending. The venue wasn't the Galaxy International; instead, it was another mid-sized hotel called the Bohai Pearl. Rumor had it the organizer was related to the hotel owner, likely skimming profits from the equal-share contributions, since everyone was chipping in two thousand yuan for the party.

When we arrived, there weren't too many people yet, but my entrance into the banquet hall, with Li Qi's hand held firmly in mine, certainly caused quite a stir. Li Qi had always maintained the image of a single princess. Her unique standing captivated countless men, and the world of politics was far more complex than campus life. Li Qi wasn't the type to simply scare off unwanted suitors with harsh words; this meant that many men, after being politely rejected, stubbornly refused to abandon their fantasies about her, pursuing her with relentless, grueling determination. My sudden appearance was unacceptable to many of them.

Over a dozen men immediately surrounded Li Qi and me, bombarding us with questions: “Minister Li, can you tell us who this rather drab-looking man is?” “Miss Li Qi, is he some distant relative who insisted on tagging along for the fun?” “Miss Li, is he some kind of leech? Do you need me to help you throw him out?”

Li Qi ignored their sarcasm and mockery, formally announcing to the crowd: “Colleagues, this is my boyfriend, Zhao Qian. He is the Director of the Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan Affairs Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Please be sure to take good care of him in the future.”

Whoa! The room exploded. The news was so sudden, catching all the men who had been waiting patiently completely off guard. Some of the outwardly virtuous ones even made a move toward me. It wasn't hard to understand why; Li Qi truly was an exceptionally unique woman. To start with her background: Li Zhenyu was the Chairman of the Central Military Commission and Secretary of the Party Central Committee, the true number one figure in Great Dragon Country. Furthermore, Li Qi’s father was a renowned magnate, highly respected in places like Hong Kong and Macau. This special family history hugely elevated Li Qi’s status. On top of that, she was currently the full Minister of the Ministry of Supervision, which shared offices with the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection; everything fell under her jurisdiction. There were certainly a few officials in Great Dragon Country with issues regarding conduct, and if she was displeased, a simple investigation would confirm it. Moreover, everyone in the Central government knew she was closely linked with the group from the Rectification Office—those fellows dared to arrest anyone, even the Heavenly King’s own grandfather. If the two offices combined forces, they could manufacture trouble even where none existed.

Li Qi's uniqueness, aside from her pedigree, lay in her personal charm. The ancients spoke of beautiful women being agents of misfortune; generally, a gorgeous girl without powerful protection is not a good thing. In the Zhao family, aside from the Dragon Girl, Li Qi was the most beautiful. The Li Qi of the past was too cold and ruthless, but her transformation after entering government was profound. Though she was still known for her icy elegance, the change from when I first met her in school was immense. Coupled with her beauty and her stunningly sexy figure—her bust was nearing an E-cup, delightfully satisfying—she was captivating. Tonight, she wore a black evening gown, custom-made for her and several other women by a world-renowned designer. It was noble and elegant yet simultaneously flaunted a seductive allure. The black fabric made Li Qi appear even more aloof; she was the absolute standard of a princess, markedly different from the approachable charm of our Class One princess, Zhang Xiaoya.

It was precisely because of these two factors, combined with my own deliberately understated demeanor—a mere Director in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs meant little to these people—that their reaction to Li Qi's announcement was bordering on frenzy.

I pushed away a few of the men whose scrambling lacked any sense of gentlemanly decorum. Li Qi roared, “Stop it, all of you! Go back to what you were doing!”

The men scattered instantly. They knew that incurring Li Qi’s anger brought no good consequences; better to retreat first. This man was so insignificant; he must have deceived the inexperienced Minister Li with sweet talk. As long as they worked harder in the future, reclaiming Li Qi from him wouldn’t be an impossible task.

For a time, no one dared linger near us. Li Qi took my hand and said, “I’m sorry, husband. Those fellows were so irritating. Please don't be angry. At worst, I’ll let you punish me severely when we get back tonight to vent your frustration.”

Ever since experiencing the pleasures of that, Li Qi had indeed lost some of her former eagerness for discipline. The time spent together was now largely devoted to intimacy rather than the constant squabbling of before, which pleased me greatly. In many ways, Li Qi had transformed from her past queenly image into a more ordinary girl; though she still occasionally acted playfully demanding, it served as a pleasant spice for our sex life.

“It’s nothing. I see this all the time. It doesn’t matter. Let them talk, as long as you can handle it.”

Li Qi asked me, “Did you bring your wallet?”

Confused, I replied, “Yes, I did. Do you need money? I have four or five bank cards here, with hundreds of billions in them.”

Li Qi laughed, “That’s good enough. Whatever I do tonight, please don’t get angry, okay?”

Puzzled, Li Qi continued, “I’m doing this for the bigger picture tomorrow, not just for my own fleeting pleasure. Promise me first.”

Naturally, I couldn't bear to see this great beauty pleading so earnestly, so I nodded, took out a platinum card issued by Peach Blossom Bank, and handed it to her. Li Qi shook her head. “I don’t need money. Those things are just numbers to us; they have no practical meaning. Let’s go sit over there. I have some friends I want to introduce you to. It’s time you learned to integrate into this kind of life.”

I couldn't figure out why Li Qi asked if I had my wallet if she didn't want money, but there was no opportunity to ask her then. Several of her female friends approached and greeted her warmly. They were all quite young, the oldest not exceeding thirty: a secretary from the News Office, a Deputy Director from the State-owned Assets Supervision Commission, a section chief from the General Administration of Customs. In short, every one of them had a deep family background, though all were a considerable step below Li Qi. Consequently, Li Qi’s official rank was higher than theirs. I wondered if this was a common phenomenon in the bureaucracy of Great Dragon Country. Fortunately, Li Qi hadn't relied on her looks or family background; she genuinely possessed a talent for management, which relieved me immensely.

Section Chief Song Chuncui from Customs, whose looks were like a blooming flower, said to Li Qi, “Minister Li, who is this young gentleman? We’ve never seen him before.” “Those men were crowding us like a barrel just now; these ladies didn't hear Minister Li’s introduction.”

Li Qi replied, “Section Chief Song, this is my boyfriend, Zhao Qian. He has too much work to deal with every day; I managed to drag him here today with great difficulty.”

Li Qi’s patience in explaining things now showed that she truly had learned the art of handling social situations. Song Chuncui chuckled, “What does your boyfriend do? He looks unfamiliar. Given Minister Li’s status, Mr. Zhao must also come from a distinguished family, right?”

I shook Song Chuncui’s hand very reluctantly. “Section Chief Song, I’m just a minor Director in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. My father is an ordinary worker too. Please don't flatter me.”

Song Chuncui and another woman named Sun Lei said to Li Qi, “Then how is he your boyfriend? Minister Li, you must have just pulled him along to shake off those men’s harassment, right?”

Li Qi smiled very mysteriously. “You must not underestimate Zhao Qian, or you will regret it later.”

Out of respect for Li Qi, these women were relatively polite to me, but their eyes clearly showed disdain, as if my presence near them lowered their own status. It was truly unbearable.