"Ouch..." Suddenly, Tang Yumeng's high heel missed its step.

Her whole body leaned backward, and if she had fallen, even without being crippled, she would have been severely injured. Especially with such a backward fall, it was very easy to hit the back of the head. Seeing this, Lin Chuan quickly stepped back, catching Tang Yumeng by the back of her neck with his left hand and wrapping his right arm around her waist. Lin Chuan looked into Tang Yumeng's eyes, and she looked back at him, their eyes conveying more than words could, but Tang Yumeng felt an immense grievance inside, biting her red lip tightly.

"Secretary Tang, be careful," Lin Chuan said in a very calm voice.

However, it was this very calmness that saddened Tang Yumeng. It took her a while to say, "Thank you... thank you!"

The two of them embraced in a highly ambiguous pose. Fortunately, there was no one else in the stairwell at the time; otherwise, all kinds of rumors might have spread.

Lin Chuan quickly helped her stand up and said with a smile, "Don't mention it, you are the secretary of the people, and nothing should happen to you."

After speaking, Lin Chuan hurried upstairs. Watching his retreating figure, Tang Yumeng's eyes started to moisten. This jerk, he seemed as though nothing was amiss, but his every word and sentence was like a knife piercing into her heart, cutting her again and again.

"Sister Meng." At this moment, Xiao Xue rushed in hurriedly.

"Hmm." Tang Yumeng nodded.

"Hehe, it's almost the weekend again. Where are you going to have fun tomorrow, Sister Meng?" Xiao Xue asked curiously.

"Stay at home," Tang Yumeng said with a calm smile.

"Huh?" Xiao Xue was stunned and said, "You... You're not going to go out with Bai Yifan? Shouldn't lovers want to stick together every moment? Why would you want to stay at home for the weekend?"

Tang Yumeng just smiled and didn't speak. Xiao Xue was a bit perplexed, but her excitement for the weekend quickly overshadowed her confusion. She ran upstairs giggling and humming a tune to the office. Tang Yumeng was feeling heavy-hearted. She finally realized that Lin Chuan was ignoring her, surely because of her relationship with Bai Yifan. But doesn't he know that there is really nothing between her and Bai Yifan?

Ridiculous, how utterly ridiculous.

Why should she think so much? Could it be she had really fallen for Lin Chuan? No! That was absolutely impossible. She and Lin Chuan could never be. How could people from two different worlds be together?

Tang Yumeng sat in the chair, facing the floor-to-ceiling window behind her, alternating between crying and laughing.

One moment her tears wet the scene, the next her laughter filled the air.

How could I have such feelings? Haven't I always prided myself on being a cold-blooded creature? How come all of a sudden, my emotions also flared up? Since when did I start to actually like Lin Chuan? This isn't realistic, this is impossible. This is absolutely impossible.

But I can't deceive myself. Who's on my mind; who knows better than I do about my own feelings? Yet, the person I care for, miss, love... simply ignores me. His icy words, indifferent expressions, and nearly mocking smile...

Tang Yumeng bit her red lip, tears rolling from her eyes down her cheeks, slowly reaching her mouth corners and falling into her mouth.

Bitter, astringent...

Tang Yumeng closed her eyes, but still, she couldn't stop the tears from flowing.

No, I must confront him and explain, explain that there's nothing between myself and Bai Yifan. Tang Yumeng suddenly opened her eyes and walked briskly outside. Just as she reached the door, she suddenly froze in her tracks.

Knock, knock, knock...

The sound of knocking came. Tang Yumeng quickly wiped away her tears.

Xiao Xue came in from the outside, full of grievances: "Secretary Tang, Secretary Liu from Wujiang County called, saying... he hopes you can visit Wujiang County this afternoon. He wants to discuss the construction of a tourist attraction in detail."

"It's already Friday, can't it wait until Monday?" Tang Yumeng asked.

"That..." Xiao Xue was taken aback and said, "Then... then I'll tell him no."

"Wait." Tang Yumeng shook her head and said, "Never mind, let's go this afternoon."

"Okay." Xiao Xue nodded and said, "Then I'll notify him right away."

Tang Yumeng originally didn't want to go, especially when thinking of Liu Dagu's disgusting face and the lustful way he looked at her. But today, she was in a bad mood and needed some work to distract her. Only by focusing on work could she forget the pain in her emotions. Thus, she decided to make a trip to Wujiang County. In any case, the matter required her attention sooner or later; better to deal with it sooner rather than later.

The break room.

Luo Guoqing offered Lin Chuan a cigarette and said, "Xiao Chuan, why do you look like you've lost your soul today?"

"Nothing like that." Lin Chuan smiled reluctantly.

"Bullshit, look at yourself," Luo Guoqing gave him a glance and grumbled, "Even your smile has become a grin without any joy. Look at what you've become."

"I..." A wave of awkwardness hit Lin Chuan, and he silently smoked.

Luo Guoqing spoke earnestly, "Young man, it's inevitable to encounter setbacks, right? But don't let the setbacks affect your work, and definitely don't let them affect your mood. That's very irrational behavior, understand?"

"I understand." Lin Chuan nodded and said, "But sometimes, you can't control your emotions, can you?"

Luo Guoqing was stunned and seemed to fall silent. He moved his lips, but in the end, he said nothing. Indeed, in one's lifetime, not everything goes as desired. Some things are beyond your control, just like emotions. Luo Guoqing's mood seemed to drift away all at once; for some reason, Lin Chuan's words made him fully understand something. It seemed to evoke some memories of his own.

At that moment, Xiao Xue rushed in from outside: "Luo Guoqing, Secretary Tang is going to Wujiang. You'll drive."

"Ah?" Luo Guoqing was abruptly pulled back from his memories. He turned his head to look at Lin Chuan who hung his head without speaking. Although he didn't understand what happened, he knew what he should and shouldn't ask. Luo Guoqing quickly nodded, "Alright, I'll be right there."

"Hurry up, Secretary Tang is waiting downstairs," Xiao Xue murmured.

Luo Guoqing got up in a hurry and patted Lin Chuan's shoulder before he left.

Downstairs, Tang Yumeng was somewhat anxious. She hoped Lin Chuan would appear, yet she also feared his appearance. She hoped that Lin Chuan, with his usual coolness and out-of-the-ordinary manner, would show up in front of her. But she was also afraid of him showing up, afraid to see his eyes, afraid to see his heart.

Not long after when Xiao Xue and Luo Guoqing came down, Tang Yumeng was disappointed. She put away the look of disappointment on her face and regained her usual calm and composure.

As the car started up, the figure of Lin Chuan appeared at the entrance of the City Committee office. He had his hands in his pockets, calmly watching the Audi car slowly drive away from the City Committee. Lin Chuan showed a self-deprecating smile. Perhaps, he had been too presumptuous. Tang Yumeng, such an outstanding woman, how could she possibly fancy a man like himself? What qualifications did he have for her to like him? He was just an ordinary, average person. As ordinary as dust.

Maybe he really was conceited. Deluding himself into thinking Tang Yumeng liked him—when in reality, all of it was just a dream. Lin Chuan bit on a cigarette, lit it, turned, and entered his old jeep before driving away.

All the way, Tang Yumeng remained silent.

"Secretary Tang, there's something I want to ask you," Luo Guoqing said with a chuckle.

"Go ahead," Tang Yumeng spoke calmly, looking out the window.

"That... Lin Chuan has some free time, doesn't he? Why... didn't you let him take you to Wujiang?" Luo Guoqing awkwardly laughed. "You know, that lad Lin Chuan is skilled and agile. Not only could he have been a good driver, but he could also serve as your personal bodyguard. Last time you went to Wujiang, he took that fatal blow for you. Aren't you afraid... oh, forget it, what a jinx I am."

Tang Yumeng's thoughts instantly returned to that morning, her mind filled with images of Lin Chuan taking a bullet for her. Her heart felt like it had shattered then.

"It's nothing much," Tang Yumeng said with a tranquil smile. "Lin Chuan has been in a bad mood recently, so I temporarily can't let him drive."

"Oh... no wonder." Once Luo Guoqing heard this, he seemed to understand. He quickly said, "Lately Lin Chuan really has been a bit odd. He acts like he's heartbroken. His mood indeed has been down. It's right not to drive with such emotions, Secretary Tang you did the right thing."

Tang Yumeng was suddenly struck by Luo Guoqing's words.

Tang Yumeng turned her head to look out the window, her heart couldn't help but skip a beat. Could it be that Lin Chuan recent low spirits were because of a heartbreak? Could it be... that he had fallen in love with her? Inside, Tang Yumeng felt an unexplainable wave of emotion. At that moment, she wanted to find Lin Chuan and tell him, I like you too.

But the age difference between them was laid out there; so was the disparity in their statuses and positions. This was already doomed to impossibility, to unpracticality. Tang Yumeng felt somewhat sad. She couldn't bear to burst that bubble of their relationship; perhaps, there really was a distance between Lin Chuan and herself. Tang Yumeng looked out the window, feeling a sourness in her nose, her eyes red and moist.

The car raced along the road and soon arrived at Wujiang County.

The Wujiang County Committee Building was quite imposing; it had surpassed the City Committee Building of Jiangbei City. The building had eleven floors and covered an area of more than twenty mu. The total usable area of the entire building reached 110,000 square meters. It had over ninety offices, more than ten multimedia meeting rooms, as well as restaurants, reading rooms...

In short, this eleven-story County Committee Building was far superior to the six-story office building in Jiangbei City. It's just that since the new building had not been constructed for many years, the landscaping hadn't caught up, and moreover, the surrounding area was still muddy yellow soil. It appeared a bit abrupt. Compared to the City Committee Building of Jiangbei City, it lacked a sense of historic heritage, a feeling of being shaded by green trees.

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