In the middle of winter, it was freezing cold. There was no one in the empty park. Only the streetlights by the roadside accompanied by the wind and snow. It was already early in the morning. Some people's hands and feet were frozen. The hot air they exhaled quickly condensed into mist. Even their nostrils seemed to have frozen.
Lu Yiwei knew why Shi Xiaoman called him to this place to prevent unwarranted speculation. Although Shi Xiaoman still had fantasies about him, she had already walked out of the shadow. After all, he had a family.
"I'll send you back. It's cold outside."
Shi Xiaoman wrapped her down jacket tightly and nodded before getting into the car.
Shi Xiaoman lived in an apartment in the Municipal Party Committee's compound. It had one bedroom and one living room. On the way back, Lu Yiwei asked cautiously, "Xiaoman, what are you going to do if you get the child?"
Shi Xiaoman looked ahead and sighed. "We'll see. If it doesn't work, I'll send her back to my hometown and let my parents take care of her."
"Doesn't the child go to school?"
"…" Shi Xiaoman lowered her head and thought for a long time. "We'll see. If it doesn't work, I'll take her with me."
"How can you do that? Your job is not easy. You often work overtime and stay up late. If you work too long, the child will be delayed."
"Then what can I do? Sigh!"
After a long silence, Lu Yiwei said, "Xiaoman, you've been divorced for so long. It's time to find someone. It's too tiring to live alone. Besides, you're still young. It won't be easy to find someone good in two years. "
Shi Xiaoman looked worried. "I've thought about this before, but I can't find a suitable one. If I have to find someone for the sake of living, I'd rather live alone. If I meet someone like Cao Xiaolei again, I don't know what to do in the future. Why don't you keep an eye out for me? "
As soon as she finished speaking, Zhang Zhiyuan's figure flashed in Lu Yiwei's mind. Zhang Zhiyuan had just gotten a divorce. His status and identity were there. Although he was not tall, his image was not bad. However, the age gap was a little big. There was a gap of more than ten years between them. But this was not a problem at the moment. After thinking for a long time, he was too embarrassed to say anything.
Seeing that they were about to reach the Municipal Party Committee Family Quarters, Lu Yiwei finally plucked up the courage to ask, "Xiaoman, what do you think of Secretary Zhang?"
Shi Xiaoman didn't know what he meant. She nodded and said, "It's pretty good."
"Then, then do you think the two of you are suitable for each other?"
"Ah?" Shi Xiaoman was in her twilight years. She was stunned for a few seconds and said with a bitter smile, "Yiwei, are you kidding me? Secretary Zhang has a family. What are you thinking?"
"He's divorced."
"What?" Shi Xiaoman was shocked. "When did this happen?"
"About half a year."
"Why?"
Lu Yiwei said, "Xie Yufen felt wronged marrying Zhang Zhiyuan. She didn't like it, so she divorced him. Not many people know that they divorced by mutual agreement. "
"How could this be?" Shi Xiaoman was still in a daze. She said, "I think Secretary Zhang is a good person. Why would he feel aggrieved? I can't figure it out. "
Lu Yiwei said helplessly, "Everyone has their own way of living. Xie Yufen has always yearned for the life of a noble lady, but Secretary Zhang couldn't give her that. Plus, they were separated for a long time, and all kinds of conflicts broke out. In fact, it's not a big deal. The key is that Little Chu has suffered! "
Hearing that they were in the same boat, Shi Xiaoman felt pity. She said, "Secretary Zhang must be very sad."
"It's more than sad. Since the divorce, he has aged a lot." Lu Yiwei said, "Little Chu was sent to Victoria International School. It's a closed school. He can only go home during the winter and summer holidays. Secretary Zhang returned home alone. He simply didn't come back and has been living in Pingkang City. I feel bad for him. Besides, Xie Yufen married someone else some time ago. The double blow made him breathless. You've seen it for yourself tonight. He's been depressed, absent-minded, and he's unhappy. "
She didn't expect Zhang Zhiyuan to have such a side to him. Shi Xiaoman couldn't believe it. She asked, "How could Xie Yufen be like this? Did she cheat on him?"
"It's hard to say." Lu Yiwei said, "Let's not talk about her. It's all in the past. Let's talk about you."
Shi Xiaoman's face suddenly turned red. She was not prepared for the sudden question. She murmured, "Will Secretary Zhang like me?"
Hearing that there was a chance, Lu Yiwei became spirited and said, "It's up to you. As long as you are willing, I will mention it to him later."
"Uh …" Shi Xiaoman touched her hot face and said, "I … I'm not mentally prepared at all. Let me think about it."
"Okay, you think about it first. I will also talk to Secretary Zhang. As long as you don't mind, I think it will work out."
"Why would I mind …" Shi Xiaoman's voice was getting smaller and smaller. She couldn't even hear it herself. At their age, young people's passion for love had faded. What she wanted was to find a responsible man and a safe haven for her family in the future. She was moved.
At the entrance of the family quarters, Shi Xiaoman got off the car thoughtfully. She didn't even bother to say hello and ran in.
Seeing Shi Xiaoman's expression, Lu Yiwei laughed.
When he got home, Fan Chunfang and his parents were already asleep. Lu Yiwei didn't want to disturb them. After a simple wash, he walked into the study room and lay comfortably on the bed.
Perhaps it was past bedtime, Lu Yiwei tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep. Thinking back to the dinner tonight, there were too many emotions.
After entering the officialdom, one-third of the time was spent at the dinner table. The amount of alcohol they drank was uncountable. After more than ten years, it was at least two to three tons. This number was quite scary. But many things were settled at the dinner table. This was a practice that had been formed for thousands of years. It was not easy to change it.
The dinner table was like a Ukiyo-E painting. There were all kinds of people in different poses. On the surface, they were drinking alcohol, but in fact, they were fighting in their hearts. It was hard to tell which was the truth and which was the lie.
Xu Caimao hid the secret of Han Honggang's car accident in his heart but refused to say it. Shen Guangming's attitude was too warm, but it was a bit far-fetched. No one knew what he was thinking about.
It was Guo Jinzhu's birthday and he should be happy. But he was secretive the whole night and seemed to be distracted. Lu Yiwei could guess what he was thinking. On the surface, he said he didn't care about his future career, but in fact, he cared a lot. Especially when he saw that everyone was better than him, his eyes were a little messy.
Zhang Zhiyuan was also absent-minded. It was not known if he was distressed about his ex-wife remarrying or because of his work. He chose to be an observer that night and didn't talk much.
Ma Feifei spoke a little too much, but it was all superficial. Bai Zongfeng had obviously become the main character tonight. He controlled the rhythm of the dinner, which was related to his current status and identity.
A line gradually emerged. Bai Zongfeng had already hitched a ride with Governor Zhao Kunsheng and Deputy Governor Shen Guangming. He deliberately pulled those who were here tonight, but the others didn't seem to be enthusiastic.
Lu Yiwei thought of the previous gatherings. They chatted enthusiastically, and there seemed to be no worries between them. But today, there was a quiet change. Who had changed? Could it be that the environment had changed? He had a hunch that this circle would completely collapse in the next few years, and they might even become competitors. Because they were already wary of each other. So who would jump out of this circle first? He felt that Xu Caimao was the most likely.
Xu Caimao was originally promoted by the former Provincial Party Committee Secretary Huang Jiyang. But after Zhang Bingtong took over, he immediately changed the direction and stopped the restructuring of the enterprise. Instead, he made a clear stand on urbanization. This action showed that he was showing goodwill to Zhang Bingtong.
The other was Bai Zongfeng. Now, he had built a "Beijing Faction" circle around Zhao Kunsheng. With Cai Runnian's loss of power, this circle no longer had much value. Sooner or later, it would fly away.
This was the case in the officialdom. Everyone's existence was based on common interests. Once the interests were diluted or transferred, the once unbreakable alliance would instantly collapse and fall apart. And this interest depended on the glory of the core figures. They were bound together for good or bad. Wasn't Tan Lao a living example? Ever since he stopped meddling in politics, no one remembered him. At most, they would visit him during Chinese New Year.
Politics was cruel. The higher the level, the more obscure and intense the struggle.
Lu Yiwei was recalling when Fan Chunfang suddenly lay beside him. He was shocked.
"When did you come back?" Fan Chunfang's naked body was tightly pressed against his body, and her hands kept rubbing.
Lu Yiwei said: "About 12: 30. It's not early. I didn't disturb you and your child. Did you fall asleep?"
"Yes." Fan Chunfang said with some grievance: "Yiwei, can you stop socializing in the future? I often don't see you at night or in the morning. I don't even know what you are busy with."
Lu Yiwei hugged Fan Chunfang and said: "Chunfang, I also want to come back to spend more time with you and your child. But I can't help it. I will try to come back earlier in the future."
"Yes." Fan Chunfang seemed used to this kind of life: "Did Dad look for you today?"
"No, what's the matter?"
Fan Chunfang said vaguely: "Dad came over today, but left when he saw you were not around. I thought he called you."
"Oh, tomorrow is the weekend. We will bring Lang Lang over for dinner."
"Sure." Fan Chunfang said happily: "My mom also misses Lang Lang. That's perfect."
"Dad didn't say what's the matter?"
Fan Chunfang thought for a while and said: "He didn't say anything, but I heard from my mom that he wants to fight for the position of Dongzhou City's mayor."
"Oh." Lu Yiwei understood. Ever since Han Honggang's accident, many people were tempted to fight for it. It seemed that Fan Rongkui was also restless.
"My mom said that Dad went to look for Yang Tongyao and asked him to fight for it. If nothing unexpected happens, it shouldn't be a problem." Fan Chunfang said.
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