Chapter 366: Old Tricks (Part 2)

Hou Weidong hesitated at the door for a moment before finally making a call upstairs. Lights flickered on sequentially from the fourth floor down, and the main door opened silently. As soon as Hou Weidong stepped inside, Li Jing carefully closed the door behind him. She linked her arm through his, and they ascended to the fourth floor. There, she threw herself into his arms.

Biting gently at his ear, Li Jing whispered, "Monkey King, why haven't you contacted me for so long?"

Li Jing had changed out of her daytime work uniform. She now wore a jacket with a shearling collar. During the day, she projected an image of maturity and stability; now, she exuded a feminine charm. However, this allure was restrained and internal, vastly different from the overt sensuality she had displayed years ago at Hanhu.

Back then, Li Jing, like a blooming flower, had opened herself up for power and money. Now, after countless transformations, the former ugly duckling had become the chairman of Jinggong Group. With strength came freedom; she no longer needed to flatter men for survival. At this moment, she was like a vibrant rose, blooming solely for her lover.

"I've been swamped with work," Hou Weidong offered a brief explanation, but his words were cut short as Li Jing sealed his lips with hers.

The ancients said men are made of earth and women of water; thus, when men encounter women, they soften and dissolve nine times out of ten. Ten minutes prior, Hou Weidong had lingered at the door, his mind engaged in a fierce internal battle. But in this moment, embracing this body radiating warmth, he completely surrendered to Li Jing’s tenderness and passion.

Hou Weidong could clearly feel the changes in his own body. Even if his mind still hesitated, his flesh directly manifested the desires buried deep within his soul. Uneducated desire is the most authentic aspect of human nature, and also the primal force driving social development.

He slipped his cold hands into Li Jing’s thick coat, warming them while thinking to himself, "It seems my willpower isn't strong enough. I’ll never be able to emulate Liu Xiahui."

Although separated by layers of clothing, Li Jing felt the pair of icy hands slowly moving along her back. Seizing the moment when Hou Weidong wasn't paying attention, she thrust her hands into his shirt. She had just washed her hands, so her palms were equally chilling.

Hou Weidong’s blood was rushing rapidly through his veins. Suddenly embraced by two cold hands, he shivered violently. He tried to push Li Jing away, but she held him tightly. Shivering from the cold, he hopped on his feet and said, "White Bone Demon, I surrender. I surrender."

Outside, the cold wind rustled the leaves. Inside, the air conditioner blew warm air, making the room feel like spring. Li Jing’s "Nine Yin White Bone Claws" quickly lost their potency, and she clung to Hou Weidong. "One day apart feels like three autumns," she said happily. "I used to think that was just something writers made up for fun, but now I feel it too."

Hearing this, Hou Weidong’s heart tightened. If Li Jing were approaching this with a casual attitude, or if she viewed him merely as a passerby in her life as she had in the past, he might have felt more at ease. But the sentiment that "one day apart feels like three autumns" complicated matters significantly.

Thinking of Xiaojia waiting for him at home, an inexplicable irritation rose within him. In the political circles of Lingxi, there was a common saying: "Keep the red flag flying at home, while letting the colorful flags flutter outside." Hou Weidong realized that to achieve this, one needed nerves of steel and a broad-minded tolerance for polygamy. He possessed neither. Thus, deep down, he struggled, fought, and suffered.

Li Jing was an extremely sensitive woman. Sensing Hou Weidong’s distraction, she sighed softly in her heart, looked up, and smiled gently.

Hou Weidong shook his head, using the motion to cast aside these untimely thoughts. He quickly undressed Li Jing and said, "Let’s go to bed."

Li Jing’s cheeks were already burning hot. She replied, "Let’s go to bed."

Just then, the mobile phone on the bedside table rang. Seeing it was an unknown number, Hou Weidong ignored it. Li Jing said, "Turn off your phone." Hou Weidong caressed Li Jing’s breasts and said, "The Municipal Party Committee Office has strict rules: phones must be on twenty-four hours a day. I’ll put it on vibrate."

His hand moved like a brush dipped in red paint, slowly tracing across Li Jing’s body, turning her snow-white skin gradually crimson, as brilliant as azaleas.

After a period of caressing, Hou Weidong knelt before Li Jing, slightly parting her legs, and said, "I’m going to enter." Li Jing hummed in affirmation and spread her legs a little wider.

Hou Weidong’s gaze fell on the white blanket, where a distinct wet patch was visible. He touched it lightly; the depths were already soaked. This was the language of sexual desire, a special dialect of love. Leaning close to Li Jing’s ear, he whispered, "You’re wet." She replied, "Hurry, I’ve been waiting for you for so long."

Soon, the room filled with sounds of friction and moans. The tones hit the cold glass windows, bounced back, and echoed chaotically within the room.

After the climax ended, Li Jing lay flat on the bed, her forehead covered in fine, even beads of sweat. She lovingly kissed her resting lover, who had his eyes closed. With her right hand, she took a pillow and placed it under her hips—a small trick to aid conception, as changing position could increase the chances of fertilization.

They chatted in bed for a while before Hou Weidong turned over and sat up. He glanced at the mobile phone on the bedside table and said, "I have to go."

Li Jing whispered, "Has she… returned?"

"She has."

Li Jing’s expression visibly dimmed. She narrowed her eyes and remained silent.

Hou Weidong felt a pang of reluctance, but he hardened his heart and left the haven of tenderness. As he walked out the back door of Jinggong Group, a gust of cold wind hit him in the face, making him shiver.

Li Jing stood by the window, watching Hou Weidong leave through a gap in the curtains. During their previous encounters at the Jinggong Group’s Shazhou branch, they had lingered until dawn, allowing Li Jing to at least pretend to enjoy the pleasure of being the mistress. This time, however, Hou Weidong had stayed for less than two hours before rushing away.

Standing behind the curtains, Li Jing was overwhelmed by disappointment, loneliness, and jealousy. She gently stroked her lower abdomen, thinking to herself, "I hope I can get pregnant this time. Otherwise, my life will be very lonely."

Hou Weidong took a taxi back to Xinyue Building. Entering the courtyard, he immediately spotted the light from the window. He sat on a stone bench in the courtyard, lit a cigarette, and smoked slowly. A single red ember flickered on and off in the darkness.

"Husband, why are you back so late? Did you drink?"

After Xiaojia opened the door, seeing that Hou Weidong looked cold, she said, "Being a secretary is truly a bitter job. You don’t even have personal freedom. Husband, this is your last time being a secretary. Even if central leaders come to select a secretary, don’t go."

Hou Weidong smiled勉强ly and said, "When you’re in the jianghu, you can’t control your own body." Watching Xiaojia pour juice, the image of Li Jing’s slightly cold expression when he left earlier flashed through his mind. He thought to himself, "This can’t go on. It’s time to make a choice."

The next morning, while Hou Weidong and Xiaojia were having breakfast at the table, his mobile phone rang. It was the missed call from the previous night.

"Hello, this is Hou Weidong."

"Secretary Hou, this is Gao Jian from the Southern New District. I apologize for disturbing you so early." Gao Jian had taken office as the Director of the Southern New District Management Committee in the second half of last year. He had led a team to the Yiyang New Management Committee, by which time Hou Weidong had already left Yiyang in disgrace.

Although Hou Weidong had never met Gao Jian, he had heard much about him. He asked politely, "Director Gao, hello. How may I help you?"

Gao Jian said, "I wouldn’t dare give instructions. Are you convenient? I’m at the entrance of Xinyue Building." He added, "Ji Haiyang and I are good friends. He gave me your phone number and address."

Since the guest was already at the door and had been introduced by Ji Haiyang, Hou Weidong said, "Director Gao, please wait a moment. I’ll be right down."

At the entrance of Xinyue Building, next to a Toyota, a middle-aged man in a shearling coat was smoking. Seeing Hou Weidong come out, he walked over, offered a cigarette, and said, "I’m really sorry to disturb Secretary Hou so early."

He got straight to the point: "Yesterday, I received a notice from the Municipal Party Committee Office requiring the Southern New District to report to Secretary Changquan at ten o’clock this morning. I was only transferred to the Southern New District this year, so I’m unsure of what to expect. I specifically invited Secretary Hou to give me some guidance."

Hou Weidong said, "Director Gao, I wouldn’t dare give guidance. You’re too polite."

Gao Jian said, "Secretary Hou was formerly the Director of the Yiyang New Management Committee and is now Secretary Changquan’s secretary. You are the most qualified to speak on this."

Hou Weidong pretended to ponder and said, "Secretary Changquan is indeed somewhat dissatisfied with the Southern New District. I suggest that this morning’s report focus on five aspects: industrial structure, economic growth points, city management, investment promotion, and development zone construction. These are the issues Secretary Changquan cares about most. Additionally, I feel the overall planning of the Southern New District is insufficient and appears somewhat chaotic. The financing methods could also be more flexible. Of course, these are just reference opinions."

Hou Weidong also shared his insights on Secretary Zhou Changquan’s impressions of several regions. Gao Jian listened carefully, even taking out a pen to jot down some points. At 7:40 AM, Hou Weidong estimated that Ma Bo’s car would be arriving soon, so he said, "Time is tight this morning, so I can only say this much." Gao Jian shook Hou Weidong’s hand and said, "In a few days, I’ll invite Secretary Ji. The three of us can have a good drink."

He waved his hand, and the Toyota driver brought out a box of tea. Gao Jian said, "I heard from Secretary Ji that Secretary Hou likes tea. This is top-grade Longjing I brought back from West Lake. I heard it’s the first batch of pre-Qingming tea picked by unmarried women."

Hou Weidong carried the tea back home. Xiaojia said, "What kind of world is this? Someone is delivering gifts early in the morning."

At 9:40 AM, Gao Jian from the Southern New District and Liu Dazhi from the Construction Commission arrived at the central conference room of the Municipal Party Committee Office. When Gao Jian shook hands with Hou Weidong, his eyes conveyed warmth.