Chapter 223: The Dust Settles (Middle)

Chapter 223: The Dust Settles (Middle)

It was Hou Weidong’s first time seeing Li Jing in jeans, and he found the look refreshing. As she leaned in for a kiss, he reached out and gave her bottom a playful pat. “These jeans look nice, but they feel rough to the touch. Not very comfortable.”

Li Jing twisted her hips slightly. “I only wear these at the construction site. I wouldn’t dress like this at home.”

They embraced, their bodies pressing close, their breathing growing rapid and shallow.

“Let me help you change,” Hou Weidong suggested.

Li Jing nodded, her voice soft and coquettish. “Let’s go to the bedroom.”

Once inside, Hou Weidong turned on the air conditioner, setting it to twenty-eight degrees Celsius. It was early summer, and this temperature felt perfect against the skin.

“Monkey King, why are you turning on the AC?” Li Jing asked, though she already knew the answer.

“To help you change. Don’t move, just be good,” Hou Weidong said. He lifted Li Jing onto the bed, kissed her forehead, and began slowly unbuttoning her shirt from top to bottom. With each button undone, he lowered his head to press a kiss to her skin.

Li Jing lay with her eyes open, gazing at the handsome, mature young man above her. “You’ve gotten tanned. Do you run around the construction site every day? I know many directors of new management committees who are stout and round-faced, but you haven’t changed at all. You still look exactly as you did when we first met.” She teased, “Still looking like a township cadre from Qinglin Town.”

By now, Li Jing’s shirt was completely unbuttoned, revealing a bra trimmed with gold edging. She had bought it in Hong Kong; it was said to be very fashionable.

Hou Weidong did not rush. He took his time admiring his woman. His gaze traveled downward to her flat lower abdomen, where a small, round navel sat like a pearl—delicate and beautiful.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, Hou Weidong looked at her body as if it were a work of art. If humans were truly created by Nuwa, he thought, then Nuwa must have been an artist. A woman’s body is truly beautiful. He slid his hand slowly across her flat stomach. “White Bone Demon, your navel is so pretty. Why didn’t I notice it before?” As he praised her, he extended his index finger and traced the edge of her navel, circling it repeatedly.

Li Jing bit her lip. “Have you not seen every part of my body? Ah, be gentle.” Her body twisted restlessly, and her skin flushed red rapidly.

Hou Weidong was slightly surprised. The foreplay had barely begun, yet her skin was already turning red—a clear sign of her arousal. He leaned down, pressing his weight onto her, and whispered in her ear, “White Bone Demon, I know where your sensitive spot is. It’s your navel.”

Under the teasing of his large hand, Li Jing felt a wave of tingling sensation spread through her lower abdomen. “Who has a sensitive spot on their navel? You’re talking nonsense,” she protested.

Hou Weidong smiled. “Don’t deny it. Let me verify.” He knelt on the bed, kissing every inch of her lower abdomen with his lips, finally resting them on her round navel. His tongue swirled gently inside.

Li Jing felt waves of heat radiating from her lower abdomen outward. It was a completely new sensation. Her body, already stirred with desire, was like a sponge left baking in the sun—eager to absorb any moisture offered. She lifted her legs, clamping them tightly around Hou Weidong’s body, her hands gripping the sheets as fine beads of sweat emerged from her pores.

When Hou Weidong finally pulled away, Li Jing let out a long moan. Her skin was flushed a deep crimson.

“You bad guy, deliberately teasing me.”

“Not at all. I’m helping you change your clothes.”

“You’re slacking off. You’ve been busy for a while, and you haven’t even removed a single piece of clothing.”

Only then did Hou Weidong remove Li Jing’s shirt and unclasp her bra. Her nipples were already hard and erect. Smiling mischievously to himself, he cupped her breasts, using the same rhythmic circular motion he had used when kneading dough at home as a child.

Before long, Hou Weidong’s back was completely soaked with sweat. He paused, stripped off his shirt in a few quick movements, revealing eight well-defined abdominal muscles. Li Jing was thoroughly lost in the May afternoon. Closing her eyes, she whispered, “Monkey, don’t stop.”

Those who play with fire risk burning themselves. Hou Weidong felt a strong urge building in his lower body and decided to skip further foreplay. He unbuckled the belt of her jeans and quickly pulled them down. He spread her left leg to the left and her right leg to the right. Her white underwear was already soaked, a large oval damp patch clearly visible.

“Ah, ah…” As Li Jing’s moans grew louder and more intense, Hou Weidong felt a sudden eruption, like a volcano bursting. He let out a low roar, speeding up his rhythm, driving forward with all his strength, the sound of their bodies meeting filling the room.

Time seemed to blur. The sun had completely set, and shafts of golden light slanted in through the west window, casting the curtains in a fiery red glow. Li Jing’s skin mirrored the sunset, flushed and radiant, especially her chest, which glowed like a field of azaleas on a spring mountain.

They lay naked side by side. After the frenzy, silence spoke louder than words. After an indeterminate amount of time, Hou Weidong’s stomach gave a loud rumble. Li Jing propped herself up, looking lovingly at his sturdy physique. She rested her head on his chest and said, “Being with you makes me feel how good it is to be a woman.”

After getting up, Hou Weidong sat in the living room watching television while Li Jing busied herself in the kitchen. Soon, the aroma of tomato stewed with pork ribs filled the apartment.

When the meal was ready, they sat facing each other. The flush on Li Jing’s face had faded. “I have some friends in the provincial government who can pull strings. Do you need me to make some arrangements for you?”

Hou Weidong shook his head. “No need. We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. I’ll meet with Zhu Yan first.” Deep down, he did not want his career path to be arranged by Li Jing. The feeling was subtle, something that could be understood but not easily explained.

Li Jing dropped the subject. She poured a bowl of thick tomato rib soup for Hou Weidong. “This is my specialty.” She rested her chin on her hand, watching him drink the soup. In that moment, she looked like a gentle neighbor’s wife, devoid of the aura of a corporate chairman.

At eight in the evening, Hou Weidong received a call from Zhu Yan. He quickly made his way to a large restaurant near the Provincial Party School. As he approached the entrance, he saw a young woman standing outside, talking on the phone. Her features were delicate and refined, catching Hou Weidong’s eye briefly before he entered.

He found the room labeled “Spring Orchid” and pushed the door open. Inside, three people were seated, but Zhu Yan was nowhere to be seen. They all turned to look at the stranger entering.

Hou Weidong remembered clearly that Zhu Yan had specified “Spring Orchid.” He turned to ask the server leading him, “Is this Spring Orchid?” The server confirmed firmly, “Yes, this is Spring Orchid. It was booked by Mr. Liang.”

Just as Hou Weidong felt awkward and confused, a short, thin man in the room asked, “Who are you looking for? Are you looking for Secretary Zhu?”

“I was notified by Secretary Zhu to come here,” Hou Weidong replied.

The man stood up and extended his hand warmly. “I am Liang Yunshan, from the Organization Department of Maoyun.” Another person beside him added, “This is Minister Liang of the Organization Department.”

“Hello, Minister Liang. I am Hou Weidong, Director of the Yiyang New Management Committee.” Upon hearing the thin man’s identity, Hou Weidong understood the situation. They were likely here to pay respects to Secretary Zhu, just as he was.

“Come, sit here.” Liang Yunshan patted the chair beside him enthusiastically. As a veteran Organization Minister, he was shrewd. Although Hou Weidong was young, the fact that Zhu Yan had invited him to dinner suggested an unusual closeness. Thus, Liang’s attitude was very cordial.

The Spring Orchid room featured a medium-sized table with standard seating for eight. Three people were seated, two at the lower end. Liang Yunshan sat next to the head of the table, with two empty seats beside him.

This followed the general rule of officialdom: the higher the rank, the more spacious the seating.

Realizing the man before him was Liang Yunshan, a member of the Maoyun Prefectural Standing Committee and Organization Minister, Hou Weidong hesitated slightly.

“Xiao Hou, don’t stand there frozen. Come and sit,” Liang Yunshan urged.

Liang Yunshan took a sip from his stainless steel tea cup and said, “The Lingxi Daily published an interview report on the Yiyang New Management Committee recently. You’ve done quite well, more successful than our Maoyun Development Zone.”

Hou Weidong replied, “The Yiyang New Management Committee was built entirely by Secretary Zhu. Without his support and care, we would not have achieved what we have today.”

“Secretary Zhu has arrived.” A crisp female voice came from the doorway. The woman who had been on the phone outside walked in.

Liang Yunshan stood up and shook hands with Zhu Yan at the door. They shook warmly. Liang Yunshan said, “The entire leadership team of the Organization Department is here. I will introduce everyone one by one during the toasts.”

Zhu Yan saw Hou Weidong standing behind Liang Yunshan and introduced him: “This is Liang Yunshan, Member of the Maoyun Prefectural Standing Committee and Organization Minister. This is Hou Weidong, Director of the Yiyang New Management Committee.”

Liang Yunshan smiled. “Such a young director of the New Management Committee. Have you turned thirty yet?”

Hou Weidong replied, “Not exactly young. I am twenty-eight this year.”

Liang Yunshan then turned seriously to Zhu Yan. “Secretary Zhu, the Maoyun Development Zone ranks last in the province. As a development zone for a prefecture-level city, it performs worse than Yiyang’s New Management Committee. It is embarrassing to say the least. I suggest transferring Director Hou to the Development Zone to serve as its director, to help improve the work there.”

After everyone was seated, Liang Yunshan introduced the others one by one, and Hou Weidong listened carefully. There was Zhang Hong, Executive Deputy Minister of the Maoyun Prefectural Organization Department; Zhu Renyi, Deputy Minister; and the beautiful woman, Zheng Hongmei, Director of the Office.

Zhu Yan said, “Minister Liang, I apologize for keeping you waiting. Secretary Zhu Jianguo convened a symposium to study the construction of rural Party branches. Everyone spoke enthusiastically. We originally planned to finish at 5:30, but it ran until 6:30.”

Liang Yunshan replied, “Secretary Zhu, our team came collectively for two reasons: first, to welcome you, and second, to report on this year’s work of the Department. The regional organization, cadre, and personnel work conference was held in March. There are some key tasks that need to be reported to you. Once we have your instructions, we can roll up our sleeves and get to work. Could you spare half a day tomorrow morning?”

Zhu Yan thought for a moment. “Alright. I will take half a day off tomorrow to hold a small symposium. It will also help me understand the main tasks for this year.” Although the appointment document had been issued and Zhu Yan had reported to the Maoyun Prefecture, his courses at the Provincial Party School would not end for another month, so he had not yet officially started work.

After the opening remarks, the four comrades from the Maoyun Prefectural Organization Department took turns toasting. Zhu Yan accepted every drink. In the end, he and Hou Weidong managed to get Liang Yunshan drunk.

After the meal, everyone dispersed. Hou Weidong escorted Zhu Yan back to the Provincial Party School.

Since Liang Yunshan was intoxicated, the other Organization Department members went directly back to the hotel. Once Liang Yunshan was settled, Zhang Hong, Zhu Renyi, and Zheng Hongmei gathered to play cards.

Zhang Hong said, “Hou Weidong is definitely Zhu Yan’s staunch supporter.”

Zheng Hongmei smiled gracefully. “I just called Guo Lan from the Shazhou Organization Department to ask about Hou Weidong. He was previously Zhu Yan’s secretary, served as the acting deputy director of the County Party Committee Office, and then became the Director of the New City Management Committee.”

Zhu Renyi, who was approaching the age of stepping back to the second line, sighed. “Secretaries to leaders rise the fastest. When I was twenty-six or twenty-seven, I was still running around the fields, knowing nothing. Later, I became a town mayor, then a Party Secretary, and then worked at the county level. In the blink of an eye, more than twenty years have passed, and now I am just waiting to retire.”

Zhang Hong said, “Guess which department Hou Weidong would go to if he were transferred to Maoyun. The Yiyang New Management Committee is at the principal section level. He cannot serve as the director of the Maoyun Prefectural Development Zone, which is at the principal division level. That would be a promotion skipping a grade, which Secretary Xiao would never approve.”

Zhu Renyi shuffled the cards with a loud rustling sound. “Forget about Hou Weidong. Let’s play cards, play cards.”