Chapter 370 Qingdao (Part 1)

Even when Yi Zhongda was still a high school student in Yiyang, Liu Linyi was already a prominent figure in Yiyang County. By the time Yi Zhongda graduated, Liu Linyi had become the Deputy Director of the County Transportation Bureau. Despite this, given Yi Zhongda’s current status, it was only natural that he took the seat of honor, with Ji Haiyang and Liu Linyi seated on either side of him.

Yi Zhongda poured a small amount of wine into a tall glass. After clinking glasses with Ji Haiyang and the others, he merely took a tiny sip. No matter how much the others urged him to drink more, he refused to take another drop.

The banquet ended in a lukewarm atmosphere. Liu Linyi suggested, "Section Chief Yi, there is an internal karaoke room downstairs. How about we go sing a few songs and relax?"

Yi Zhongda declined politely but firmly, "Director Liu, I do enjoy singing in my spare time, but I have some matters to attend to today. Another day, I will treat you all. I hope you, my fellow officials, will do me the honor." Although his tone was gentle, his refusal was absolute and left no room for argument.

Considering Yi Zhongda’s sensitive position, Liu Linyi and Ji Haiyang did not press the issue further. The three men escorted Yi Zhongda downstairs, waving repeatedly until the taillights of his car disappeared from their sight. Liu Linyi quickly turned his attention back to the others and said, "Section Chief Yi has left. We three brothers still need to go sing. The female colleagues from the Municipal Transportation Bureau sing quite well, and they have been waiting for a long time. You wouldn’t want to disappoint them."

Ji Haiyang was just raising his hand to check his watch when Liu Linyi spoke up. "Haiyang, if you leave now, you’d be letting us down." When Liu Linyi was the Vice County Magistrate of Yiyang, Ji Haiyang had just been transferred to the County Party Committee Office. The old leader had spoken, and although Ji Haiyang had wanted to return to Yiyang directly, he had stayed.

The karaoke room was indeed an internal facility. The sound system was excellent, though the decor bore a slight resemblance to a conference room. The female colleagues from the Transportation Bureau were also quite pretty and poised.

When Hou Weidong danced with the women, he kept his back straight and his gaze level, resting his fingertips lightly on the waist of his partner. His state of mind was vastly different from what it had been several years ago. Now that he had established de facto romantic relationships with Li Jing and Duan Ying, he could never truly feel at ease. Seeing young, beautiful, and enthusiastic girls, he instinctively kept his distance. He knew that if he were not careful, he could easily get himself into trouble.

The woman dancing with Hou Weidong was the youngest, a recent college graduate named Hai Ning. She had just graduated from Xi’an Jiaotong University. When she heard she was expected to dance with the leaders, she had initially been reluctant. However, seeing that the Secretary-General of the Municipal Party Committee had a masculine charm, her slight displeasure dissipated in the rhythm of the music.

"Secretary Hou, which university did you graduate from?" Hai Ning asked curiously.

Hou Weidong did not wish to engage in deep conversation with Hai Ning, so he replied casually, "I graduated from Tiankan University."

Hai Ning, having grown up in the city, was unfamiliar with rural life. She was momentarily taken aback. "Tiankan University? It’s not very famous. I’ve never heard of it. Is it in Lingxi Province?"

Hou Weidong was amused by her reaction. "Yes, it is in Yiyang County."

Hai Ning finally realized the joke. "Secretary Hou, you’re teasing me. Tiankan University, heh, heh, heh."

They danced three songs. Throughout, Hai Ning did most of the talking, while Hou Weidong listened.

To be fair, Hai Ning was a lovely girl. However, Hou Weidong consciously erected a barrier, carefully keeping her enthusiasm at bay. Having struggled internally enough with his relationships with Duan Ying and Li Jing, he did not want to entangle himself with a young girl whose heart was just beginning to flutter.

At ten-thirty, the small dance party came to an end. Liu Linyi smiled at the beautiful women under his command. "It’s still early. Are you all hungry? We can go to Chuanfang for a late-night snack."

The female colleagues cheered. Hai Ning looked at Hou Weidong with her eyes, but Hou Weidong pretended not to see, dodging her warm gaze.

"Old Ji, Chuanfang is a specialty of Shazhou. After the late-night snack, it will only take half an hour to return to Yiyang," Liu Linyi said. Having served as Vice County Magistrate and then Deputy Director for many years, he no longer had high political ambitions. He had worked in the transportation sector for over twenty years, was proficient in his business, and did not worry about being marginalized. Therefore, in his spare time, he enjoyed eating, drinking, and playing. As he put it, "After working hard for decades, one should enjoy life when stepping back to the second line."

Ji Haiyang hurriedly declined. "Forget it. We have already troubled Director Liu for the whole evening. The guest leaves, and the host rests."

Liu Linyi did not insist. After seeing Ji Haiyang off, Hou Weidong also prepared to leave. Liu Linyi held his hand tightly and said, "Secretary Hou, you are the rising star of Shazhou. There is one thing I can entrust to my younger brother. My son is graduating from university. He studies Chinese. I want him to join the Municipal Party Committee Office. Otherwise, he will have to become a teacher. Please say a word for him when the time is right."

Liu Linyi had long experience in officialdom and knew what entering the Municipal Party Committee Office meant. Seeing that his son was about to graduate, he had begun to exhaust his resources to secure a good path for him. As the saying goes, "Women fear marrying the wrong man, and men fear entering the wrong profession." He wanted to place his son in the best possible position while he still held his post.

Hou Weidong had not been in the Comprehensive Section of the Municipal Party Committee for long and had not yet fully grasped the inner workings. He did not show his ignorance in front of Liu Linyi but replied vaguely, "Director Liu, I will do my best."

Liu Linyi squeezed his hand firmly and then turned to Hai Ning. "Hai Ning, we will go to Chuanfang for dinner later. You should toast Secretary Hou several times. Do not let his youth deceive you. He served as the Director of the County Party Committee Office in Yiyang, the Director of the New Management Committee, and the Director of the Science and Technology Commission. He has rich experience. He is a young veteran cadre."

The gazes of the female colleagues from the Transportation Bureau focused on Hou Weidong. Hou Weidong quickly said, "Director Liu, you are too kind. When you were the County Magistrate of Yiyang, I was still studying at Shazhou College. After the expansion of the Music Department campus, you came to inspect once. I was on the campus discipline patrol at the time, wearing an armband and on duty for you."

Liu Linyi laughed. "I was only a deputy division-level official. How could I have the qualification to inspect Shazhou College, which is at the department level? I was accompanying people from the Provincial Department of Education at the time."

Hai Ning interjected from the side. "Director Liu, Secretary Hou was just teasing me. He said he graduated from Tiankan University, but it turns out he is from Shazhou College."

This remark caused everyone to burst into laughter. Seeing Hai Ning’s awkward expression, Hou Weidong thought to himself, "Having grown accustomed to the faces of officials, someone as pure as Hai Ning is rare. However, having entered this bottomless dye vat, I fear her purity will not last long."

After eating at Chuanfang, it was already one in the morning. Liu Linyi was still not satisfied. "Secretary Hou, let me treat you to a bath and a full-body massage to relax completely." Seeing Hou Weidong hesitate, he added, "It is a very regular massage. Do not worry."

Hou Weidong was no longer the naive young man fresh out of school. He declined politely. "I have to pick up Secretary Changquan early tomorrow morning. Let’s skip it today. Another day, I will treat Director Liu."

He had realized that Liu Linyi was thoroughly enjoying himself, truly savoring life. This was actually the lifestyle of some leading cadres in Shazhou. When they grew older and saw no hope for promotion, they settled for a carefree life outside of work. This carefree lifestyle certainly took advantage of public resources, but as long as the money did not go into their own pockets and they did not cross the line, no one would nitpick these minor details.

At Chuanfang, Hou Weidong had been repeatedly urged to drink by the beautiful women from the Transportation Bureau and was indeed somewhat intoxicated. When he returned to Xinyue Building, he was very tired.

The air conditioner in the room was on, blowing warm air. The house was as warm as spring. When the security door closed, the inside and outside became two different worlds. Xiaojia was wearing a thin nightgown, holding the remote control, and sulking. Hearing the sound of the key, she looked at the security door. When Hou Weidong walked in, she deliberately ignored him.

The thin nightgown was indeed very thin and semi-transparent, with nothing underneath. Every time Xiaojia had certain thoughts, she would wear this nightgown. It had become a kind of hint.

Hou Weidong, of course, knew Xiaojia’s intention, but his body was truly exhausted. He sat on the sofa and talked to Xiaojia. Xiaojia had waited for several hours and was angry, so she ignored Hou Weidong. Hou Weidong coaxed her for a long time and then told a joke. "Once upon a time, a couple had an unspoken routine before getting intimate. One day, the man said to the woman, 'Let’s do the laundry tonight.' The woman, who was angry, said, 'The washing machine is broken.' The man had no choice but to sleep. In the middle of the night, the woman’s anger subsided. She woke the man up and said, 'The washing machine is fixed. Do you want to do the laundry?' The man replied irritably, 'I already washed it by hand.'"

Xiaojia’s face had been tight, but the joke made her laugh. She viciously extended her five fingers and pinched Hou Weidong’s arm. "You are not allowed to come home so late in the future." She added, "There is fresh milk boiled in the pot. Drink it while it’s hot. You smell of alcohol all over. Go take a shower. I am going to bed first."

After drinking the milk and taking a hot shower, Hou Weidong’s energy was restored. He got into bed naked. Xiaojia was lying diagonally on the bed, reading a book. He took the book from her and, through her nightgown, stroked her breasts. Soon, her red nipples stood up, like fresh red buds.

"You are not allowed to let our son compete with me for your breasts," Hou Weidong said domineeringly. He then bent down and teased her rosy nipples with his tongue.

Xiaojia said, "I want a son." Hou Weidong looked up and said, "Not tonight. I have drunk a lot of alcohol. We need to plan properly."

When Xiaojia’s body was completely open, Hou Weidong leaned over her soft and warm body and began to ride with abandon. With powerful thrusts, waves of moans echoed in the room.

In the provincial capital of Lingxi, Li Jing walked out of the bathroom, holding a pH test strip. She looked at it carefully under the light. There were two thin red lines on the strip. She looked closely to make sure she was not seeing things. Not afraid of dirt, she found a small box and put the test strip inside.

She stroked her stomach with her hand. Although her stomach was still flat, she was extremely solemn. A seed was taking root and sprouting inside. This was the most precious gift Hou Weidong had given her.

"I am going to be a mother." Thinking of this, Li Jing could not help but smile knowingly.