Love and Desire [Complete] - 9

Love and Desire (61)

Chapter 59

Ouyang Yiming walked towards Xu Hui. When he got close, Xu Hui looked up and was startled to see him. She asked, "Why are you here?" Ouyang Yiming said, "I saw you standing here alone and came over. What are you thinking about?" Xu Hui said, "I'm not alone. Li Xuan came..." She blushed and glanced at him, saying, "She went to the toilet. I'm waiting for her here." Ouyang Yiming also blushed. Xu Hui asked, "Why are you alone too?" Ouyang Yiming said, "I was with Jiang Yuqi just now and saw you here alone, so I came over." Xu Hui looked at him and said coquettishly, "Do you think I'll be carried off by a wolf if I'm here alone?" Ouyang Yiming chuckled twice. Xu Hui tilted her head and looked at him, saying, "You're not here to investigate, are you?" Ouyang Yiming understood her meaning and blushed. He said, "I have something to tell you."

Then he walked into the partition. Xu Hui followed him in. "Stop!" Ouyang Yiming asked. "Have you seen Wu Yingying?" Xu Hui replied, "I saw her before dinner, but she didn't come when I called her. I think she probably didn't say much because of Zhu Haitao. I haven't seen her since I went back to the dorm after dinner. Did you look for her because of Zhu Haitao?" Ouyang Yiming nodded and asked,

"When is Li Xuan coming back?" Xu Hui said, "She'll be here soon." Ouyang Yiming said, "I don't want her to hear, so I'll keep it brief. Don't tell Li Xuan." Xu Hui nodded.

Ouyang Yiming said, "Zhu Haitao was arrested for rape." Xu Hui gasped in surprise and stared at him. So Ouyang Yiming recounted the information Ge Guangcheng had gathered, concluding, "Whatever you do, don't tell anyone else. The school keeps this a secret." Xu Hui nodded in agreement and asked, "Do you suspect Wu Yingying?" Ouyang Yiming said, "I think it's only her." Xu Hui said, "Really? Didn't she get back together with Zhu Haitao?" Ouyang Yiming was somewhat surprised and asked, "Wu Yingying didn't mention anything about what happened at Wuchao Gate last time?"

Xu Hui glared at him and asked, "Wuchao Gate? What happened at Wuchao Gate?" Ouyang Yiming was surprised that Wu Yingying hadn't told Xu Hui about it. Just as he was about to speak, he saw Li Xuan coming from the restroom. Xu Hui said, "I'll go tell her and ask her to wait over there." She

then walked over to greet her, said a few words to Li Xuan, and quickly returned. Ouyang Yiming said, "I thought Wu Yingying would tell you." So he recounted in detail the incident at Wuchao Gate Park that day, emphasizing that he had gone there to look at some inscriptions.

Xu Hui completely trusted Ouyang Yiming. She knew he had this hobby, so she glanced at him and laughed, "I didn't even ask where you were going, why explain so clearly?"

Ouyang Yiming felt a little guilty and didn't continue the conversation, saying, "If it wasn't Wu Yingying, then who could it be?" Xu Hui said, "Pretty much." Then she immediately added, "With Zhu Haitao's character, he deserves it." Ouyang Yiming quickly said, "Don't say that in front of others. Don't say it in front of Wu Yingying either." Xu Hui said, "I'm only saying it in front of you. What would I say in front of others?

Don't you think Zhu Haitao is just too despicable? " "?" Ouyang Yiming said, "Let's not talk about what happened to Zhu Haitao now. I just feel that Wu Yingying shouldn't have done such a cruel thing." Xu Hui said, "I say she should. Did he even treat Wu Yingying like a human being? This kind of person deserves retribution."

She paused and said, "Ouyang, I remember telling you that I'm always a little scared when I see Zhu Haitao, and I don't dare to look him in the eye. You probably don't believe me. To be honest, I've long noticed that he's different from others, as if he wasn't born human. I've never liked him."

Ouyang Yiming then remembered what Xu Hui had said when he was hospitalized. He felt a little panicked. He was speechless for a moment, thinking to himself, could Zhu Haitao really have been a beast in his previous life? Was he really not born human? He felt a chill run down his spine as he thought about it. Then he thought of what Zhu Haitao had done with those two girls back in his hometown. He was shocked and thought that he couldn't tell Xu Hui about this. If she knew, she would be even angrier and might say something else.

Xu Hui sighed and said, "To be honest, Wu Yingying is a bit extreme. She saw things clearly and ended the relationship, but that's a bit too extreme. What will her classmates think of her if they all know about this?" Ouyang Yiming said, "That's right. I talked to her a lot that day, and I think she listened. Although the school kept it a secret to protect Wu Yingying and to avoid negative impacts on her if it spread, eventually everyone will find out. It's not good for her either. She should have just ended it quietly. People would only say they broke up because they weren't meant to be, or to put it more bluntly, that Zhu Haitao dumped her. Now she's completely ruined Zhu Haitao's reputation, and she might even lose it herself. It's not worth it."

Xu Hui nodded and said, "That's true. Even ignoring Zhu Haitao, how could Wu Yingying not consider these things?" Ouyang Yiming said, "I heard Zhu Haitao will at least be sentenced to several years in prison. Do you think he won't hate her for the rest of his life?" "It's all over. The school will definitely expel him. Will Zhu Haitao let her off the hook when he gets out? Neither of them will benefit from this constant fighting." Xu Hui said, "That's right. Sigh, I don't know what Wu Yingying is thinking, she's so unpredictable. She's never mentioned the incident at Wuchao Gate. You know she should know, so why didn't she tell me directly?" Ouyang Yiming said, "I think you already know. I didn't expect her not to tell you."

Xu Hui thought for a moment and said, "I think the reason she didn't tell me is because she's planning to get back at Zhu Haitao. Actually, even if I knew, I wouldn't want to ask. If she doesn't want you to know, why ask so much?" Ouyang Yiming said, "I was worried you'd ask her something after something happens to Zhu Haitao, that's why I came to find you. There's no point in asking again." Xu Hui said, "Actually, I did want to ask before dinner in the dorm, but I thought it was better not to. Don't worry, I won't ask her anything."

Ouyang Yiming nodded.

Seeing Ouyang Yiming's serious expression, Xu Hui said, "Forget it, don't think about it anymore. These things aren't something we can control. Did you fill out the application form for joining the Party this afternoon?" Ouyang Yiming replied, "Yes, I did." Xu Hui asked, "How long will it take for the formal approval?" Ouyang Yiming said, "It might take a little longer. This afternoon, while I was filling out the application form at my counselor's office, Professor Cheng came to see me." Xu Hui said, "He also had something to discuss with you?" Ouyang Yiming said, "He's also my introducer for joining the Party. After I finished filling it out, I went to his office, and he gave me some materials, saying he was preparing to conduct an experiment." Xu Hui asked in surprise, "Really? What kind of experiment?" Ouyang Yiming said, "An experiment with sugar cane. The Soviet Union started producing it in the 1960s, but our country still has no experience with it." Xu Hui said excitedly: "This is a good thing." Even if you want to participate in experiments immediately after graduation, it is not easy. This is Professor Cheng admiring you.

Ouyang Yiming was obviously very excited and said, "It's just me and Professor Cheng now. He asked me to read the information first, and then go to the library to check some information. After a while, we will talk about doing experiments."

Xu Hui said: "You must cherish this opportunity." This is what many people dream of. Have you read the information? Ouyang Yiming said: "I saw Jiang Yuqi and Ge Guangcheng on the way back. How could I have time to see them?" Xu Hui said: "Don't interfere with their affairs anymore." Don't bring this kind of thing to you. It won't be good if professors and counselors find out about it. Just concentrate on reading your books. So, don't talk to me if you have nothing to do. "

Ouyang Yiming nodded. Xu Hui said: "Go back and read the information quickly. "Ouyang Yiming responded. The two of them walked towards Li Xuan. As they approached, Li Xuan smiled and said, "I said the same for you two. You can go outside the school for dates. You are not afraid of being seen here. There is also a person who will stand guard specifically for you. "Xu Hui smiled and hit her. Ouyang Yiming blushed. After taking a few steps, he stopped and said, "You guys go first, I'm going to the restroom." Xu Hui nodded, took Li Xuan's arm, and walked away.

Li Xuan giggled. Xu Hui asked, "What are you laughing at?" Li Xuan said, "Laughing at you two." Xu Hui said, "What's so funny?" Li Xuan stopped laughing and said, "Let me make it clear, I was just standing guard for you, I didn't peek." Xu Hui laughed and shoved her, saying, "What mischievous thoughts are you having now?" Li Xuan laughed again and said, "I didn't peek at you kissing." Xu Hui exclaimed, "You silly girl! You say all sorts of things." Li Xuan said, "I really didn't see." Xu Hui said, "Even if you did see, we wouldn't do anything."

Li Xuan glared at her and asked with a smile, "Tell the truth, you two really haven't kissed?" Xu Hui's face darkened and she said, "I'll get angry if you say that again." Li Xuan looked at her but didn't speak. Xu Hui continued, "We haven't even held hands. Don't think of us like that." Li Xuan sighed inwardly, believing what Xu Hui said, and said, "You two are so pure. You love each other so much and haven't even held hands. That's the purest and most sincere love."

Xu Hui was embarrassed by her words, but felt very sweet inside, and said, "Don't say anymore." Li Xuan nodded. Her mind drifted to her thoughts about Yao Jianshe, and she couldn't help but blush, feeling ashamed. She thought to herself, why are some men like that? If only they had even a little bit of Ouyang Yiming's goodness, it would be good. Then she began to secretly pity her own fate. Seeing Li Xuan's face darken instantly, Xu Hui asked, "What are you thinking about?" Li Xuan said, "I really envy you and admire Ouyang Yiming." Xu Hui knew she was thinking about her own situation again, so she said, "Sigh, don't think about such things."

Xu Hui returned to the dormitory and saw Wu Yingying sitting on the edge of her bed reading a book. The two looked at each other but didn't speak. Xu Hui poured herself a glass of water and noticed the room was unusually quiet. Everyone was either sitting on their beds reading or lying down staring blankly at the ceiling. This was a stark contrast to the usual noisy atmosphere. Xu Hui knew this was related to Wu Yingying staying in this room after Zhu Haitao's incident. After drinking her water, Xu Hui also felt bored and reached for her clothes to unbutton her coat, preparing to get into bed. At this moment, Wu Yingying stood up. Xu Hui looked at her and saw Wu Yingying wink at her and leave. Xu Hui hesitated for a moment, but Wu Yingying had already put down her book, stood up, and walked towards the door. Xu Hui then buttoned up her coat, got up, and went out.

To be honest, Xu Hui felt somewhat disgusted with Wu Yingying. Although she had spoken ill of Zhu Haitao to Ouyang Yiming, she still felt Wu Yingying's actions were too extreme. Following Wu Yingying downstairs, the two walked together on a side path. Xu Hui knew Wu Yingying had called her out because of Zhu Haitao. Wu Yingying walked with her head down, remaining silent for a moment.

They walked in silence. Xu Hui felt a little annoyed but didn't say anything. She waited for Wu Yingying to speak.

Wu Yingying finally spoke, without looking up, her voice very soft: "Zhu Haitao was arrested for rape." Although Xu Hui already knew this from Ouyang Yiming, she was still startled.

Deep down, she didn't want Wu Yingying to be the culprit, even though she knew it was no one else but Wu Yingying.

Xu Hui stopped and asked, "Did you do this?" Wu Yingying shook her head and said, "I knew that when I told you Zhu Haitao was arrested for rape, you and Ouyang would definitely think it was me. I was just waiting for you in the dormitory, wanting to tell you." Hearing this surprised Xu Hui, so she asked urgently, "Then how did you know Zhu Haitao was arrested for rape? Where did you find out? And who reported him? Could it be...?" Wu Yingying sighed and said, "Actually, this matter is related to me, but I didn't expect it to turn out this way. To be honest, I hate Zhu Haitao, I hate his despicable and shameless nature, and I wish he had ended up like this. But that's just hatred; I didn't intend to make him suffer so much. Ouyang told you about what happened at Wuchao Gate, right?"

Xu Hui thought for a moment and then nodded. Wu Yingying said, "I thought Ouyang would tell you. I was too embarrassed to tell you. Since my abortion, I've gotten back together with him, and I think you might look down on me. But to be honest, I still care about him. I think if he can change, I won't hold it against him, so..." Xu Hui said, "I understand how you feel.

But who told Zhu Haitao? Was it that second-year student?" Wu Yingying nodded and said, "Yes." Xu Hui frowned and said, "That doesn't make sense. Didn't she still have a relationship with Zhu Haitao..." Wu Yingying said, "This was my mistake. Actually, after I found out that Zhu Haitao had a relationship with Yang Qian again, I should have stopped asking questions and broken up with him. But I think..." Having learned about Zhu Haitao's character, I thought to myself that I couldn't let Yang Qian be deceived by him like this. I didn't want her to follow in my footsteps. I only told Yang Qian these things because I had good intentions. I thought Yang Qian would be angry for a while and break up with Zhu Haitao like I was, but who knew that Yang Qian would do this. Xu Hui asked, "Did you go to see Yang Qian?" Wu Yingying said, "When Zhu Haitao was taken away by the police in the afternoon, I thought that Yang Qian was the one who did it. There was no one else. When you went to eat, I sat in the room for a while and then went to see her."

Love and Desire (62)

Chapter Sixty

That night, after Yang Qian and Wu Yingying broke up, she went to a holly bush by herself and sat there thinking for half the night. She gritted her teeth and cursed Zhu Haitao silently for a while, and then she was saddened that her first love had met such a heartless playboy. She thought that she loved and was loyal to him so much, but he filled the guarantee he wrote to another woman who needed to please her with insults. So she hated Zhu Haitao to the bone.

One moment filled with hatred, the next with tears, when suddenly a question occurred to her: Was Wu Yingying truly kind to her? Could this guarantee really have been written by Zhu Haitao? Although Zhu Haitao had written her many love letters, and she was quite familiar with his handwriting, even so, wouldn't Wu Yingying forge it to achieve her goals and steal the man she loved? Zhu Haitao had told her that Wu Yingying was pursuing him and pestering him! Otherwise, why would she be in such a hurry to tear up the guarantee? Shouldn't it be said that she and Wu Yingying were rivals in love?

A cold sweat broke out on her body at this thought; all of this was possible. She felt pathetic for her own naiveté. But then she thought again, Wu Yingying's expressions and words didn't seem feigned. Could it be that Zhu Haitao was truly heartless and playing with her? If that were the case, then Wu Yingying's words were indeed out of kindness, a way of caring for her so that she wouldn't be manipulated by Zhu Haitao any longer. In that case, she should truly thank her from the bottom of her heart.

Finally, she had an idea. Her meeting with Zhu Haitao was scheduled for tomorrow night. She would test him then, or lay everything bare tonight to see his response. If that was the case, she wouldn't let him off easily. So she began to plan. Even as she lay in bed, she was thinking about the specific steps and every word she would say during the meeting.

The next evening, when they met, Yang Qian was surprisingly calm. Everything she had thought through that day and night made her very composed. After a few steps, Zhu Haitao hugged her and kissed her. Yang Qian forcefully pulled away. Zhu Haitao was somewhat surprised by her reaction and asked her why. Yang Qian smiled and said it was nothing, let's talk first. Seeing her natural demeanor, Zhu Haitao hugged her again. Yang Qian pulled away again, her expression changing slightly, and said, "Let's talk first, what are you doing?"

Zhu Haitao, sensing something was off about her tone, didn't dare move. After they sat down, Zhu Haitao said, "You seem a bit strange today." Yang Qian stared at him and said, "Really? I didn't notice anything."

Zhu Haitao looked at her in surprise, flustered by her words, and asked, "What's wrong with you today?" Yang Qian said, "What's wrong? I just wanted to ask if you're truly sincere towards me." Zhu Haitao was startled again and asked, "Did you hear something?" Yang Qian said, "No, it's all just my own imagination. These past two days I've suddenly been thinking about you..." "We've never been apart without making love. I just want to ask you, in your heart, am I a lover, a sweetheart, or just a sex object?" Zhu Haitao laughed and said, "What are you thinking? Of course you're my lover and sweetheart." Yang Qian stared at him and asked, "You really love me, is it true?" Zhu Haitao said, "Of course." Yang Qian said, "Okay, if you're true, then write me a guarantee." Zhu Haitao's heart trembled at the mention of a guarantee, and he blurted out, "You, you, have you met Wu Yingying?"

Now Yang Qian knew what was going on. Zhu Haitao's casual remark confirmed that the guarantee Wu Yingying had shown him was genuine, but she still wanted to verify it further. A surge of anger welled up inside her, but she managed to control herself and stared at him with wide eyes, saying, "Wu Yingying? I've never met Wu Yingying. Why are you thinking about Wu Yingying now? Oh, I understand, you wrote a guarantee for her."

Zhu Haitao was startled again, realizing he had been paranoid. But why did both women want him to write guarantees? He said, "No, why would I write her any guarantee? I don't even love her; she's the one who's been bothering me. It's so annoying, why would I write her any guarantee?" Yang Qian stared at him and asked, "Really not?" Zhu Haitao felt guilty but forced a smile and said:

"Really not." Yang Qian sneered inwardly, saying, "Fine, I'll believe you then. But why did you mention Wu Yingying?" Zhu Haitao's mind raced. "She's always bothering me, and I don't want to deal with her. I just thought she might go to you and try to sow discord between us. If she sees you, she'll say how good I am to her, and that my relationship with you is fake. When you mentioned the guarantee, I wondered if Wu Yingying had you make it up. Why would I write her a guarantee? How did you come up with that?"

Yang Qian's heart was bleeding, but she suppressed her anger and spoke calmly, "These past few days, I don't know why, but I can't stop worrying about you. I keep thinking about whether you're sincere with me. I wonder why you always want to have sex with me, even when I'm menstruating. I wonder if you're just using me as a tool for sexual release."

Zhu Haitao grinned and said, " "Isn't it because I love you! That's why I get excited when I see you. Love makes sex possible; I wouldn't even be able to get an erection if it were Wu Yingying. Just thinking about that shrew makes me angry

." Yang Qian said, "Then write me a guarantee. I don't trust a verbal guarantee; I need a written statement to ensure you won't change your mind. Verbal promises can change, but written promises can't. Only then will I feel at ease." Zhu Haitao said, "Isn't that unnecessary?" Yang Qian said, "I feel it's necessary." Zhu Haitao thought for a moment and said, "Okay then, if you really want me to write it, I'll write it for you today." Yang Qian looked at him and asked, "Are you really willing to write it?" Zhu Haitao said, "Of course." Yang Qian asked, "How will you write it?" Zhu Haitao said, "I'll just write that I'm absolutely sincere towards you and will love you forever."

Yang Qian's heart skipped a beat; she had seen these words on the guarantee Wu Yingying had brought. But she still asked, "Just these two sentences?" Zhu Haitao said, "How else can I write?"

Yang Qian said, "Didn't you write a guarantee when you were little? Don't you ever reflect on your mistakes?" Zhu Haitao smiled and said, "Okay, then write that what happened with Wu Yingying was wrong, that I don't love her, that I hate her." He paused, emphasizing his tone, and said to Yang Qian, "I really don't love her, it's just that she's harassing me." Yang Qian was already extremely disgusted at this point, but still said,

"I know. What's next?" Zhu Haitao said, "Write another guarantee that you won't have any relationship with her again. If you find out I have any relationship with her, you can do whatever you want with me."
Yang Qian no longer had any doubts about the guarantee that Wu Yingying had brought. What Zhu Haitao said was almost identical to what was written on that guarantee. This was a problem with his thinking, something that couldn't be changed. So Yang Qian began to implement what she believed was the necessary plan to eliminate evil. In this day and night of inner struggle, she had decided that once everything was confirmed, she would never let Zhu Haitao continue to harm people like this. Besides, she knew perfectly well that if Zhu Haitao still had any feelings for Wu Yingying, then he was just toying with her.

Yang Qian said, "Actually, your words are enough. These past few days I've been worried about whether you love me. I remembered writing guarantees when I was a kid and made mistakes in school, so I thought I'd have you write one for me too.

I just wanted to confirm if you truly love me. Don't bother writing it anymore, I know my place in your heart now. Don't worry! Hehe!" She laughed twice after saying this.

Zhu Haitao instantly beamed, saying, "Aren't you deliberately messing with me?" He then grabbed her and kissed her. Yang Qian, though disgusted, still reciprocated. She had already mentally treated the kissing as a chore. She knew Zhu Haitao would soon demand sex. Sure enough, after kissing her for a while, Zhu Haitao reached for her belt. Yang Qian struggled to her feet and asked, "Can we not do it today?" Zhu Haitao asked, "Why?" Yang Qian said, "We do it every time, but I don't want to today." Zhu Haitao said, "I'm getting impatient." Yang Qian stood up and said, "I don't want to."

She knew in her heart that Zhu Haitao wouldn't let her go; she knew him too well. Zhu Haitao stood up and hugged her tightly, saying, "Please, I can't take it anymore. Feel it if you don't believe me." As he spoke, he grabbed Yang Qian's hand and placed it under his crotch. Yang Qian quickly pulled it back and said, "I said no, and that's final." Zhu Haitao became impatient and said, "I said yes, and that's final." With that, he pushed her to the ground and reached his hand under her crotch. Yang Qian asked, "Are you going to rape me?"

Hearing the word "rape," Zhu Haitao became even more excited. He straddled Yang Qian and began to undo her belt. Yang Qian deliberately struggled, which only fueled Zhu Haitao's arousal. After unbuckling his belt, Zhu Haitao pulled down her pants. Yang Qian clutched her underwear tightly, repeatedly saying, "How could you do this? I didn't want to today. You...you raped me." Zhu Haitao, panting heavily, said, "I'll taste rape today." During the struggle, Yang Qian deliberately tore her underwear, saying, "You tore my underwear too." Zhu Haitao, panting heavily, said, "I'll buy you some tomorrow." As he spoke, he tore her underwear even wider. During the struggle, Yang Qian grabbed his hand and scratched several finger marks above her genitals. Yet, she still deliberately cried out, "You've torn my flesh too." Zhu Haitao didn't speak; at this moment, he was experiencing the pleasure of rape like a wild beast.

Yang Qian felt she had had enough and loosened her grip. Zhu Haitao easily pulled down his belt, unbuckled his belt, and pulled down his pants, his erect penis springing out. Zhu Haitao pressed down on Yang Qian's body and penetrated her. As he thrust, Yang Qian suddenly felt a pang of sorrow in her heart. She thought, "So this is how you, Zhu Haitao, treat me like an animal." Thinking of her past infatuation with him, only to be toyed with, a wave of bitterness washed over her, and tears streamed down her face. She cursed, "Zhu Haitao, you're inhuman. You raped me!" Then she began to sob. Zhu Haitao didn't say a word, only continued thrusting forcefully. After a while, he ejaculated, collapsing limply onto Yang Qian.

At this moment, Yang Qian was overwhelmed with mixed feelings, filled with utter disgust. She abruptly threw Zhu Haitao off, sat up, and pulled up her pants. Only when she was fastening her belt did she notice that two buttons on her side were torn off. She thought, "This is for the best."

After fastening her belt, another wave of sorrow washed over her, and she squatted down, sobbing uncontrollably.

After his initial excitement subsided, Zhu Haitao was puzzled. He put on his clothes, squatted down beside her, and asked, "What's wrong with you today?" Yang Qian cried, "You're not human! You raped me! You treated me like an animal!" Zhu Haitao grinned and said, "I couldn't control myself." Yang Qian didn't speak, just sobbed softly. Zhu Haitao said, "Okay, I won't do it again next time. Hehe, the feeling of being raped is just different." Hearing this, Yang Qian suddenly became furious, glaring at him and cursing, "Fuck your mother! You still have the nerve to say that? Aren't you afraid I'll accuse you of rape?" Zhu Haitao chuckled and said,

"What wife accuses her husband?" Yang Qian stood up abruptly and said, "That's not necessarily true." She turned and walked away.

Zhu Haitao thought about her angry words, but also felt guilty for his earlier rashness. He followed her closely and said, "Don't be angry, it's my fault. I won't do it again." Yang Qian didn't say anything. Zhu Haitao said, "I'll write you a guarantee in a few days." Hearing the words "guarantee," Yang Qian became even angrier and cursed, "Write your mother's balls!" Zhu Haitao laughed at her rudeness and said, "Go ahead and curse, as long as it vents your anger." Yang Qian didn't say anything more until they parted ways near the school.

Back in her dorm, Yang Qian didn't change her underwear, lying in bed still seething with resentment towards Zhu Haitao. She felt utterly ashamed of being manipulated. After a while, she thanked Wu Yingying, thinking, "If Wu Yingying hadn't told me, I don't know how long Zhu Haitao would have deceived me. In the end, he would have used me and then discarded me like a dirty rag." She remembered Wu Yingying's words, "Even if we both leave him, with his character, wouldn't he deceive other girls?" Thinking of this, she gritted her teeth in hatred, thinking: "Go ahead and manipulate me, Zhu Haitao. This time, I'll make sure you never recover."

Then she thought, what if she reported it to the police and it became public knowledge at school? How could she face anyone there? This thought filled her with fear, and she hesitated again. Then she thought, should she just let him toy with her for so long and then let it go? No, she had to report him. It would be doing a service to the people; otherwise, who knew how many more people he might harm? After that, she planned how to effectively protect herself while eliminating Zhu Haitao. After a while, she had an idea. She thought that when she reported it, she would first mention that he would keep it a secret. If the police could guarantee it, then she would proceed with the plan. If they couldn't, then she would abandon the plan. She thought about the details of reporting it, and realized that if she revealed everything, it would inevitably implicate Wu Yingying, and Wu Yingying's visit to her would also be exposed. She didn't know what Wu Yingying was thinking, and if she revealed something later, things would only get more complicated. Besides, she didn't want to implicate Wu Yingying. She now considered Wu Yingying her benefactor. Better to cut corners than to add more, so she simply recounted the fact that Zhu Haitao had raped her that night, without elaborating on anything else. As for what the police might ask, she'd just have to deal with it as the situation developed.

Having made up her mind, she thought she should go to sleep, but she couldn't fall asleep at all. She tossed and turned, thinking about it many times. But her determination to report Zhu Haitao remained unchanged. The next morning, she asked her roommate to call in sick for her, saying she had a terrible headache. So she went to the police station during class time.

Yang Qian hesitated in front of the police station for a while, and after a fierce internal struggle, she resolutely walked into the police station, went up to the third floor, and knocked on the police chief's door. With a "Come in," Yang Qian pushed open the door. The police chief was a middle-aged man in his thirties. Seeing Yang Qian enter, he stood up and asked, "Hello, what's the matter?" At that moment, Yang Qian suddenly felt a pang of sadness, as if she had seen a long-lost relative, and tears streamed down her face.

Seeing this, the police chief quickly approached Yang Qian and helped her up, saying, "Comrade, don't get agitated, tell me slowly." Yang Qian sat down on the sofa, sobbing. The police chief poured her a glass of water and handed it to her, saying

, "Calm down. Did you come to report a crime?" Yang Qian nodded, tears streaming down her face. The police chief sat back down at the table, turned to look at her, and said, "Have some water, tell me slowly." Yang Qian took a sip of water, thought for a moment, and said with a flushed face, "I want to ask, if... if I'm in a relationship with a man, and we've had sex before, and now I want to break up and he rapes me, does that count as rape?" The police chief said decisively, "Of course it does." Yang Qian asked, "If I don't want anyone to know, can you keep it a secret?" The police chief said, "That's possible. What unit do you work for?"

Yang Qian said, "I'm a second-year university student. The reason I need you to keep it a secret is because if this gets out at school, I won't be able to continue my studies." The police chief said,

"We will consider your best interests and will definitely keep it a secret for you."

Then he asked about Yang Qian's university. Yang Qian answered. The police chief said, “It’s not easy for the country to train you college students. But we will never tolerate a criminal just because he’s a college student. You are the victim, and we will do our best to protect you. We will contact your school leaders and the school’s security department first, and we will ask them to keep this matter confidential.” Yang Qian was moved and said, “Thank you. If it can’t be kept confidential, I don’t want to report it. I came from a rural area to be a college student, which was very difficult for me. If this matter becomes known throughout the school and I can’t stay at school, I don’t think it’s worth it. That’s why I wanted to ask you.” The police chief said, “We understand your thoughts. However, we must not let criminals get away with it. Don’t worry about the confidentiality. Trust us to do a good job.” As he spoke, he stood up and said, “Okay, I will send two female officers to talk to you. Don’t worry, don’t have any concerns.” Yang Qian nodded .

After a while, the chief led in a female police officer in her twenties and said, “This is Officer Chen. Tell her the details of what happened. Don’t have any concerns, trust us to handle it well.”

He then turned to Officer Chen and said, “This matter must be kept confidential. She is still a college student.” Officer Chen nodded in agreement.

Upon hearing the police chief's caring words, Yang Qian couldn't help but shed tears again. She bowed to thank the chief and followed Officer Chen to a room on the second floor. Sitting inside was a female police officer, also in her twenties, who appeared younger than Officer Chen. Officer Chen introduced her, saying, "This is Officer Zhao. We'll be taking your report." Yang Qian bowed again to Officer Zhao in gratitude. Yang Qian sat down in a chair, and Officer Chen poured her a glass of water. Then, they began to have Yang Qian recount her ordeal.

Yang Qian spoke while crying. Finally, the officers examined and photographed the scratches on Yang Qian's body and asked her to leave behind the torn underwear, still worn and stained with Zhu Haitao's semen.

Yang Qian was quite satisfied with the statement. During her account, she didn't mention Wu Yingying, only saying that she felt she and Zhu Haitao didn't get along and wanted to break up, but Zhu Haitao raped her. It was nearly noon by the time all the formalities were completed. Yang Qian again begged that her story be kept secret. She repeated that if the matter became known at school, she wouldn't be able to continue her studies. The police officer reassured her, saying they would contact her anytime needed to cooperate with the police station, and offered her further encouragement, assuring her that the public security system would uphold justice for her. Yang Qian thanked him again with tears in her eyes and left.

That afternoon, after Zhu Haitao was arrested and Wu Yingying found her, Yang Qian didn't go into as much detail, nor did she mention that she had meticulously fabricated the rape case. She only told Wu Yingying that she hadn't completely believed her and wanted to verify it with him, but she never expected him to rape her. In a fit of anger, she went to report the crime. She then emphasized that she hadn't mentioned Wu Yingying when she reported the crime.

When Wu Yingying heard Yang Qian say that she hadn't mentioned her when reporting the crime, and that Yang Qian hadn't mentioned that Wu Yingying had contacted her in front of Zhu Haitao, she felt a little relieved. She said, "You still don't believe me when I tell you what kind of person he is? How could the guarantee be fake? How could you be so foolish as to go see him again?" Yang Qian said, "I was just too concerned about him. I thought he wouldn't be that bad. But I never imagined he really was like that. You don't know how rough he was. He scratched my body and tore my underwear. I was already angry when I went to see him, wanting to confirm things, but I never expected him to rape me." Tears streamed down her face as she spoke.

Wu Yingying was also heartbroken, and she shed a few tears for Yang Qian, saying, "I came to you because we're both women, and I couldn't bear to see you continue to be deceived by him. I also thought that if we both left him, it would be painful enough for him. I really didn't expect to kill him like this." Yang Qian said, "I didn't intend to do this either, but he went too far this time, like a wild beast, he didn't treat me like a human being at all." Wu Yingying sighed and said, "He deserved it." Yang Qian said, "Actually, I don't regret it now. Like you said, even if we both left him, wouldn't he still hurt others?" Wu Yingying said, "I did think about that, but I still couldn't bear to hurt him like this." Yang Qian said... “We women are just too soft-hearted, and it’s precisely because we’re too soft-hearted that we’ve emboldened him,”

Wu Yingying sighed heavily. “Forget it, things are already like this, there’s no point in saying anything more.” Yang Qian said tearfully, “How could I not have feelings for him after spending so much time with him? He doesn’t treat me like a human being, and I’m heartbroken, that’s why I’m like this.” Wu Yingying said, “I understand, let’s not talk about it anymore, it’s just that I feel a little reluctant to do this. Forget it, take care of yourself.

I’m just worried that if this gets out at school, how will you face them?” Yang Qian said, “I told them everything when I got to the police station, and they said they would definitely keep it a secret. Don’t worry.”

She said this, but she was still a little worried. So she sighed heavily again.

Wu Yingying recounted Yang Qian's words to Xu Hui, concluding, "Can you blame Yang Qian for suing him? He's utterly inhuman." Xu Hui, disgusted, said,

"I never imagined Zhu Haitao would be like this." Wu Yingying sighed, "I was blind too. Now I understand. With his character, if Yang Qian and I left him, wouldn't he continue to harm others? He was bound to get his comeuppance sooner or later. It's better this way; fewer people have been harmed."

Xu Hui nodded, opening her mouth to say that she had advised Wu Yingying not to contact him again after the abortion, but swallowed the words back, thinking, "Never mind, let's not talk about it anymore." Now that Zhu Haitao had received his just deserts, there was no point in saying anything more. So she said, "Let's go back. Don't think about it so much; it's a lesson in life." Wu Yingying nodded.

On the way, Wu Yingying said, "I'm afraid my classmates will suspect me." Xu Hui said, "Right now, your classmates don't know why Zhu Haitao was arrested. Don't overthink it. No matter what people say, you can't shut them up, can you? Just act normal." Wu Yingying said, "Look at the dorm now, when I go in, nobody says a word, but as soon as I leave, they start chattering. I don't know what they're talking about."

Xu Hui knew she wanted to know what her classmates were talking about, so she said, "Actually, it's all just guesswork. Many classmates know you and Zhu Haitao are dating, so they're avoiding talking about you. But nobody's really talking about you. Don't worry about it; let them say what they want. It's better not to hear it." Wu Yingying nodded. The two returned to their dorm.

Love and Desire (63)

Chapter Sixty-One

Liu Yan had just received a letter from Ouyang Yiming handed over by a soldier. She was sitting at her desk in the office, excitedly about to open it, when Zhang Lei knocked on the door and came in. Liu Yan hurriedly put the letter in the drawer, stood up and greeted him warmly: "Brother Lei, what brings you here today?" Zhang Lei smiled and said: "I just happened to be passing by and came to see you." Liu Yan poured a glass of water and said: "You are a distinguished guest."

Zhang Lei said: "You're being too polite. We grew up together, what distinguished guest!"

Liu Yan thought to herself, what do you mean by growing up together? He had only lived in the logistics compound for a little over two years. At that time, she was only a teenager. Sometimes he and her brother would play together. If it weren't for the day she went to his house with her mother, she really wouldn't have thought of him. Smiling, she said, "We grew up together, little sister. I've been working here for over half a month, and you haven't come to see me." She placed the water on the coffee table in front of Zhang Lei and said, "I don't have any tea leaves, so this will have to do. Sorry." Zhang Lei laughed heartily and said, "What's there to be sorry about? You're my sister. I've been very busy lately, and I've been meaning to come see you for a while. How are you? Are you alright?" Liu Yan sat down at her desk and said, "It's great. It's wonderful to be able to work near home and spend every day with Mom and Dad. I really have to thank your dad." Zhang Lei waved his hand and said, "Don't mention it. Why are we talking about such formalities? It's only right."

He took a sip of water and put the cup down, saying, "Oh, by the way, I have some Huoshan Huangya tea that a friend gave me. I'll bring it to you when I have time." Liu Yan quickly waved her hand and said, "Keep it for yourself. I don't drink tea." Zhang Lei said, "I have plenty. I'll bring it to you when I have time. Don't be so polite." Liu Yan smiled and said, "Okay, I won't be polite then."

Zhang Lei took out a pack of Little Panda cigarettes from his pocket. He lit a cigarette, took a puff, and said, "How's it going? Busy working here? Maybe we should move somewhere else." Liu Yan said, "This is fine." Zhang Lei said, "Yeah, this place is quite relaxing. Here, if you get tired of this place, just tell me, and I'll transfer you to a better place in the compound." Liu Yan said, "No need, I'm fine here." Zhang Lei said, "I didn't know you were a nurse at the hospital all these years. Do you think someone like me could do that kind of servant's job? I don't know what Uncle Liu was thinking all these years. If I had known earlier, would you have bothered with the old man? This matter wouldn't have been a big deal for me." Liu Yan laughed and said, "I know Brother Lei's abilities, but I still need Uncle Zhang to handle this matter. Wouldn't Uncle Zhang be angry if I asked you to do it?"

Zhang Lei smiled and shook his head, saying, "You're right." He paused and lowered his voice to ask her, "What's your rank now?" Liu Yan said, "A platoon leader." Zhang Lei asked, "How many years have you been in the army?"

Liu Yan said, "More than seven years." Zhang Lei glared and said, "More than seven years to become a platoon leader?" Liu Yan blushed a little embarrassed. Zhang Lei frowned and said, "How can that be? Based on your years of service, you should be a deputy company commander by now. You graduated from school, after all." He thought for a moment, then looked up at Liu Yan and said, "I'll handle this. Don't tell the old men. It's really strange that it took you over seven years to become a platoon leader. You should at least be a deputy company commander. I'm telling you now, two months, I'll definitely get you to company commander within two months." Liu Yan was excited and blushed as she said:

“Brother Lei, this…this isn’t quite right.” Zhang Lei waved his hand and said, “What’s wrong with it? Don’t worry about it. Don’t let the old man know, or they’ll start making a fuss.”

Liu Yan blushed and thanked him, not knowing what to say for a moment, so she asked, “Brother Lei, do you want some movie tickets?” Zhang Lei stood up and said, “No, I don’t have time to serve those young masters these days. I’m leaving, I have some business to take care of at the Air Force.” Liu Yan stood up and said, “You’re busy, I wouldn’t dare keep you. Come visit sometime.” Zhang Lei laughed and said, “I don’t have much free time, I’m busy all the time. Haha, I don’t know what I’m busy with all day! I’ll come over when I have time.” After saying that, he went out, and Liu Yan went to see him off. Zhang Lei said, “Don’t see me off, you’ll have to come back anyway.” Liu Yan laughed and said, “It’s only right for me to see you off, brother.”

Zhang Lei said, “Let’s not be so formal, we’re like brothers. I’ll bring you some tea next time.” Liu Yan smiled and said okay. Then she asked him if his driver was waiting for him. Zhang Lei said, “I don’t need a driver, I drive myself, it’s a private car.” After saying that, he laughed and waved his hand to stop Liu Yan. Liu Yan stopped and watched him come downstairs. From the second-floor balcony, she watched Zhang Lei stop in front of the military jeep below. Zhang Lei looked up, waved to Liu Yan, got into the car, started it, and sped away.

Wu Min approached Liu Yan and asked, "Are you quite familiar with Assistant Zhang?" Liu Yan replied, "When they were in logistics, they lived together. He used to play with my brother all the time." Wu Min said, "He's a capable person in our military region." Realizing her words might be inappropriate, she added, "He's very capable." Liu Yan smiled but didn't speak. She thought to herself, "It's all thanks to the old man's influence!"

Back in her office, she sat down, resting her chin on her hands, thinking about Zhang Lei's words, believing he had the power to get things done for her. She felt a surge of gratitude. Then she thought, "Wouldn't such words be a bit shameful? Wouldn't people gossip?" Then she thought, "I've been transferred from another military region; who knows what people will say? Why bother?"

She shook her head and smiled to herself, suddenly remembering Ouyang Yiming's letter. She hurriedly bent down, opened the drawer, and took out the thick letter. The first thing she saw upon opening it was the photos. Her eyes lit up, and she exclaimed inwardly, "So Ouyang Yiming looks so handsome in a suit!" He possessed both a scholarly air and masculine charm, and her heart pounded. Then she saw herself, looking beautiful and smiling brightly, and murmured to herself, "What a perfect couple!" She blushed, feeling incredibly sweet. She carefully looked at each photo, put them back in the drawer, and then unfolded the letter.

She looked up and covered her mouth, laughing. The letter began, "My dearest wife." Liu Yan thought, "This feels natural in a letter, but saying it face-to-face would be too embarrassing." Further down were words of longing, which made her heart ache. Then she saw about his application to join the Party, and a surge of excitement rose within her. She remembered she was still a member of the Youth League and needed to submit her application to join the Party in the next few days. Later, seeing that the professor also admired him and was now preparing to have him participate in an experiment, she felt even more excited. She thought about how her beloved was not only handsome and dashing, but also politically and academically outstanding, and felt even more proud to have such a man.

After reading the letter, she took out the photo, looked at it again, and then put it back in the envelope. She locked a drawer beside her, her mind filled with thoughts of Ouyang Yiming's handsome face and occasional silly antics, and couldn't help but laugh out loud, her face flushed. Just then, she heard a call at the door. Liu Yan was startled, straightened her clothes, took a document from the table, placed it in front of her, and said, "Come in." Wu Min pushed open the door, walked to her table, and said, "The movie tickets for tonight have all been collected by various departments. There are still some complimentary tickets left. Should we save some for Assistant Zhang?" Liu Yan asked her with a smile, "Why did you save some for him?" Wu Min blushed and said, "When Director Meng was here, he always saved some for Assistant Zhang. Assistant Zhang hasn't been coming as often lately, probably because Director Meng isn't here." Liu Yan said, "Never mind, I asked him just now, and he said he didn't need any."

Liu Yan asked Wu Min to sit on the sofa, "Are you familiar with Assistant Zhang?" Wu Min replied, "He used to come to see Director Meng, and Director Meng would bring him to see me. We're familiar, but we haven't spoken much." Liu Yan said, "I suddenly remembered when Zhang Lei left, you said he was a capable person in our military region. Tell me, how capable is he?" Wu Min instantly tensed up, her face turning red, inwardly blaming herself for talking too much. She said, "No, I didn't mean anything by it. I just said he's very capable." Liu Yan, seeing her expression, knew she was worried about her, so she smiled and said, "It's alright. We only lived together for a while when we were kids, I was still young then. Now our families have a good relationship. Don't worry, whatever you say about him won't reach his ears."

For some reason, Liu Yan really wanted to know what people thought of Zhang Lei, perhaps because Zhang Lei had offered to help her get a promotion earlier.

Wu Min seemed a little flustered, wondering what Liu Yan meant, her face turning bright red, and she said, "He... I just really admire him." Liu Yan smiled. She had only asked casually, but now she could tell Wu Min had something on her mind. However, she also sensed Wu Min's hesitation and didn't press further, saying, "If you can't say, then don't." Wu Min glanced at her, hesitant to speak. Liu Yan suddenly remembered Ouyang Yiming's Party membership and asked, "Are you a Party member?" Wu Min looked up and said, "Yes, I joined in my second year of service, and became a full member last year."

Liu Yan blushed and said, "I'm still a Youth League member." Wu Min was somewhat surprised and said, "Really? Then you should write your application quickly." Liu Yan said, "I wrote one in my old unit."

Wu Min said, "Then write another one. I'm a branch committee member; I can be your Party introducer." Liu Yan said, "Really? You're a branch committee member. Then I'll have to rely on you from now on." Wu Min smiled shyly and said self-deprecatingly, "Look at you, what can I do?" Liu Yan smiled but didn't say anything.

Wu Min thought, "What do you high-ranking officials' children need to rely on me for? What am I anyway!" Liu Yan's continued membership in the Youth League surprised her somewhat. Remembering Liu Yan's earlier question, she thought to herself that telling her wouldn't hurt, and keeping quiet might only arouse suspicion, especially since this was a source of anxiety for her. Blushing, she said, "Director Liu, actually, I wanted to say that earlier, but I was afraid you'd have a problem with me. So..." Hearing this, Liu Yan knew she was bringing up Zhang Lei again, and smiled, saying, "If it's inconvenient to talk about it, then forget it." Wu Min said, "You're my superior, so I should tell you too. What I said earlier about admiring Assistant Zhang was genuine. It's like this, our unit nominates outstanding squad leaders and top performers every year to study at the military region's training team, right? Last year, Director Meng nominated me, and he also contacted Assistant Zhang. Assistant Zhang said he already had a connection to handle it last year, so he couldn't process mine. Director Meng is busy with his demobilization this year, and I wanted him to ask Assistant Zhang for help, but seeing how busy he is, it's not easy for him to ask."

Liu Yan said "Oh," and then, "I see." Wu Min said, "I wonder when Director Meng will come..." I saw that you are so familiar with Assistant Zhang, so I was wondering if you could help me ask.

Director Liu, you won’t think anything of me when I say this. Liu Yan smiled and said, "No, your idea is normal." After thinking for a moment, he said: "Let's do this. I'll ask you when I get the chance." "

Wu Min's eyes suddenly radiated light and he said: "This, this is so grateful to Director Liu. "Liu Yan said: "Thank you for nothing, but I really can't bear to let you go. Although this situation is not big, I will be much busier without you. Having said that, I won't be so selfish, and I can't affect your future no matter what.

Wu Min's eyes were red with excitement, and he said, "I really don't know what to say, but I just feel grateful to you." After thinking for a moment, he said, "Director Liu, would you like to buy something?" Liu Yan thought for a moment and said, "It's not necessary." In this case, let’s wait until I ask him. Wu Min nodded in agreement.

After Wu Min returned, he was still excited and thought about how to please Liu Yan. After thinking for two days, he finally came up with an idea, so he wrote a manuscript and sent it to the military region newspaper. The manuscript was titled: Our Club Director. The article lavishly praised Liu Yan, embellishing her achievements and the specific work Liu Yan had done since arriving, written in a vivid and moving style.

The author personally delivered the article to the military region newspaper, subtly mentioning to colleagues that Liu Yan and Zhang Lei had grown up together and that her parents were high-ranking officers in the logistics department.

The newspaper's editor-in-chief also discreetly inquired and, knowing Liu Yan was no ordinary person, and out of consideration for Zhang Lei, published the article in the military region newspaper.

Liu Yan knew nothing of this. It wasn't until the newspaper carrying her story arrived and Wu Min delivered it to Liu Yan that she was surprised and asked Wu Min, who replied,

"It's just the truth." Liu Yan thought to herself, "What truth? You're just exaggerating." She was still pleased and somewhat grateful, thinking it would benefit her Party membership and promotion. However, she also admired Wu Min's shrewdness.

Wu Min was quite happy to see Liu Yan. Sitting down on the sofa, her face flushed, she seemed a little awkward. She said, "I've been thinking about it these past few days. If...if I could go to the training team, you'd really be very busy. Deputy Squad Leader Chen Bingkun is good at showing movies, and his skills are good, but his work ability isn't very strong; he's too honest. I was thinking of recommending someone to you, but I don't know if that's okay."

Liu Yan said, "Sure, you know them better than I do." Wu Min said, "I just want to lighten your burden a bit. I don't have any special relationship with Wang Jingjing." Liu Yan asked:

“Wang Jingjing? The one from the library?” Wu Min said, “That’s her. She’s quite capable. She graduated from high school, and I heard she only missed the mark by a dozen points on the college entrance exam. She’s also good at writing.

She’s a member of the Youth League and has also submitted her application to join the Party. She’s a good person. You’ll know once you observe her for a while.” Liu Yan said, “This comrade is quite good. How about this, you can intentionally assign her some tasks now. As for the mobile personnel, see who’s suitable to go to the library, and I’ll switch them. You can easily manage Wang Jingjing in the mobile personnel area. Try her out for a while and see if it’s okay.” Wu Min said, “Okay, I’ll do as you instruct.”

The next afternoon, Zhang Lei excitedly came to Liu Yan’s office, entered without knocking, and smiled broadly. Seeing Liu Yan talking to a soldier, he stopped smiling. Liu Yan stood up, smiled at him, and invited him to sit down. Zhang Lei sat down on the sofa, took out a cigarette, and lit it. Liu Yan said to the soldier, "Go back now. Spend the next couple of days getting to know Wang Jingjing better. She can come back in a couple of days. Don't have any other thoughts; it's all for the job." The soldier said, "I understand," nodded, and left.

After the soldier left and closed the door, Zhang Lei laughed twice and said, "Not bad, it's in the newspaper." Liu Yan smiled and asked, "You saw it?" Zhang Lei said, "I saw it in the office just now, it's pretty good, very nice." Liu Yan poured him a cup of water, glanced at him, and asked, "Where's the tea you brought?" Zhang Lei said "Oh," raised his hand and slapped his forehead, saying, "Look at my memory, I prepared it so well, and I forgot." Liu Yan poured him a cup of hot water and said, "Then you should drink some hot water." Zhang Lei said, "Next time, next time I definitely won't forget."

Liu Yan smiled and sat down at the table, looking at Zhang Lei and said, "I only found out about it being reported in the newspaper. That's not very good, I've only been here for a month or so. It was all Wu Min's doing."

Zhang Lei said, "Good, what's wrong with that? This is for the best. It will be very beneficial for your promotion, it's like a timely rain. This will also make my work easier. Hey, this Wu Min is your squad leader, right?" Liu Yan nodded and said yes. Zhang Lei said, "I know her. Last year, Lao Meng told me about wanting this soldier to join the training team." Liu Yan said, "She's a good soldier, very capable." Zhang Lei laughed twice, then lowered his voice and said, "But she's also quite cunning and good at flattery." He laughed again after saying that.

Liu Yan chuckled a few times and said, "You just said she wrote this article for me. That was helping me. To be honest, her work ability is quite good." Zhang Lei said, "I'd like a soldier like that under me too. She's pretty good. As long as she gets the shots right, that's good. This time, the timing was perfect." Liu Yan laughed and said, "Don't talk about her like that. I was just about to tell you about her." Zhang Lei said, "It's about joining the training unit, right?" Liu Yan said, "That's it. I don't think it'll be a problem for you with your abilities." Zhang Lei asked, "You're willing to let go of such a good assistant?" Liu Yan said, "She's already served for four years, which is beyond her term. If she doesn't join this year..." "There might not be a chance to do it then. Wu Min also performed well, so it's understandable that she was criticized." Zhang Lei nodded and said, "That's true. The biggest hope for this soldier from the countryside is to be promoted to officer. But you'll be busy once she leaves. Old Meng definitely won't take care of this anymore; his demobilization this year is a foregone conclusion."

Liu Yan said, "Wu Min is very capable; she's thought of all this. Just now, the soldier I talked to was swapped with another relatively capable soldier. I think that if Wu Min trains her for a while, she can definitely take over Wu Min's job."

Zhang Lei took a sip of water and said, "This Wu Min is indeed quite capable. After graduating from the training team..." "I'll have to poach her for you." He chuckled twice and said, "It's still early, you'll have to report it later." Liu Yan said, "That's for sure, she's received two commendations, a third-class merit award, and is a Party member." Zhang Lei smiled and said, "Good qualifications, I'll just put in a good word for her with the cadre department." Liu Yan said, "You have so many things to do, I don't know when you'll forget." Zhang Lei said, "I won't forget, you're here, just remind me."

He frowned and thought for a moment, then said, "Old Meng should be back by now." Liu Yan said, "I've been here for a month and I still haven't seen him." Zhang Lei said, "Who cares what he's like? Even if he comes, he won't do anything, he's just a worker..." "Isn't the job still yours to do? I've already spoken to the relevant people about your promotion, no problem." Liu Yan said, somewhat moved, "Thank you so much, Brother Lei. I'll treat you to dinner sometime." Zhang Lei said, "Sure, when?" Liu Yan giggled and said, "You decide, how about tonight?" Zhang Lei said, "Tonight won't work. I have a show. Let's do it another day."

After saying that, he stared at Liu Yan, who felt flustered by his gaze, her face flushed. After a moment, she looked up and met Zhang Lei's gaze with a smile, saying, "Brother Lei, you just stare at a girl like that?" Zhang Lei recovered and thought to himself, "Liu Yan is really charming, her eyes alone are beautiful enough." He smiled and said, "I'm looking at that inconspicuous little girl from when I was little, how come she's become so beautiful in the blink of an eye? But if you look closely, some parts still have the same features. Girls change a lot as they grow up." Liu Yan blushed and smiled, saying, "I wasn't ugly when I was little." She paused and said:

“Your sister-in-law must be very beautiful.” Zhang Lei glared at her and asked, “Whose sister-in-law? Your sister-in-law?” Liu Yan said, “I mean your wife.” Zhang Lei laughed, “My wife? My wife is still nowhere to be found.” Liu Yan shook her head and said, “I don’t believe you. With your looks, you’d have a whole regiment following you around.” Zhang Lei said, “That’s true. Quite a few, but not many of them are to my liking.”

Liu Yan said, “That’s because your standards are too high. But it’s not good for you to get married.” Zhang Lei asked, “Why?” Liu Yan laughed and said, “If you get married, who knows how many people will be heartbroken. So you’d better do some good deeds.” Zhang Lei laughed heartily and said, “From that perspective, I should become a monk.” Liu Yan said, “If you become a monk, then many people will become nuns.”

It's better not to harm anyone, that's the best thing. Zhang Lei laughed and said: "Now I know that being handsome is not a good thing."

After laughing, she looked at Liu Yan, who was still covering her mouth and laughing, and asked, "Does Yanzi have a boyfriend?" Liu Yan blushed, shook her head and said, "I won't consider it in the next two years." Zhang Lei asked: "Yanzi is twenty this year..." Liu Yan said: "Twenty-three." Zhang Lei nodded and said, "It's time to look for it." Suddenly smiled and said: "You might as well marry me." "Liu Yan was startled, she reacted instantly, her face turned red and she said strangely: "Oh, Brother Lei, I am your sister. If you talk nonsense again, I will sue Uncle Zhang. "

Zhang Lei saw her shy expression, and his heart moved. Then he laughed twice and said, "Let's go. Come and talk to you again when I have time. "Stand up when speaking. Liu Yan asked: "Is there anything else? Zhang Lei said: "I can't finish it." "Liu Yan said with a smile: "All big leaders are like this. "Zhang Lei smiled again. He opened the door and left the house. Liu Yan sent him to the stairs.

When he turned around and went back, he saw Wu Min. Liu Yan thought to herself, "Wu Min is really timely. She must be trying to find out if I told Zhang Lei about her earlier." Although she wondered if Wu Min was being too hasty, she understood her feelings. She really liked this soldier.

Wu Min smiled at her, and Liu Yan asked as she entered the office, "Is something wrong?" Wu Min blushed and said, "I have a few things to report to you." She then went on to explain some specific tasks. Liu Yan thought to herself, "These are all things she could handle herself. Her purpose in bringing this up now is clearly something else." Liu Yan said, "You can handle these matters yourself. From now on, you can handle these kinds of things on your own; there's no need to report." Wu Min said, "Okay, I won't bother you with these things anymore."

Liu Yan thought for a moment and decided to be direct to avoid making her suspicious. She smiled and said, "I just spoke to Assistant Zhang about your matter. There's no problem. Remember, don't tell anyone about this, so you don't end up in a difficult situation." Wu Min blushed with excitement and said, "Of course, I won't tell. How can I thank you all? Well..." Liu Yan interrupted her, saying, "Let's not talk about this now. I'll tell you if you need anything. Your current task is to train me to be a Wu Min, otherwise don't say I won't let you go." Wu Min said, "Director Liu, don't worry. I will definitely train you to be a squad leader who surpasses Wu Min." Liu Yan smiled and said, "If you surpass her, you won't be Wu Min. Go and get busy." Wu Min responded and raised her hand to give Liu Yan a military salute. Liu Yan did not return the courtesy and said with a smile, "No need, go ahead."

Love and Desire (64)

Chapter Sixty-Two

Ouyang Yiming carefully read the materials that Professor Cheng gave him and went to the library to look through many books on chemical engineering. He basically understood that gluten sugar originated in Finland and is a natural plant sweetener extracted from plants such as birch and oak. It does not produce acidic properties that cause tooth decay, can reduce caries bacteria and plaque, and can also prevent tooth decay. It is also a sucrose substitute product used in the food of diabetic patients.

The gluten sugar produced in the Soviet Union is extracted from the corn cobs inside corn cobs that are used for firewood or discarded in rural areas. As for the entire process of producing gluten sugar from corn cobs, no information can be found. But according to common sense, it should be that the corn cobs are hydrolyzed by acid and alkali, distilled to produce sugar liquid, and then the sugar liquid is vacuum evaporated to obtain crystals. The specific operation left Ouyang Yiming at a loss. During

self-study class that day, Ouyang Yiming came to Professor Cheng's office and told Professor Cheng about the materials he had seen and his initial thoughts. Professor Cheng said, “That’s all we know for now. Having the process flow makes things easier. Right now, we’re just exploring. According to common theory, it should be a crystal obtained through hydrolysis, distillation, filtration, and evaporation. We can refer to some sugar production processes; the principle should be similar. You can go back and look up more information on this. Of course, right now we can only work on the theory first, come up with the most basic ideas before preparing the experimental steps. We also need to be bold in our ideas about sugar production, as it’s different from the sugar production process. The sugar production process should be relatively easier than that of sucrose, and their chemical compositions are also different, so we need to be innovative; otherwise, we can’t do this project. Of course, your main task now is to study. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself. This experimental process may be very long; some things need to be explored and improved during the experiments. Let’s do some theoretical research first. You can write down your ideas, and we’ll study them slowly.”

Ouyang Yiming agreed and took his leave. Although Professor Cheng told him not to put too much pressure on himself, Ouyang Yiming still felt a lot of pressure. As I walked out of Professor Cheng's office, head down, I pondered the question. I decided to go to the library that evening to look up some more information.

While having dinner in the cafeteria, Jiang Yuqi bought his food and sat down next to him, whispering, "Zhu Haitao's rape case is settled. The prosecutor's office has filed charges with the court, and the trial is scheduled for a closed session five days from now." Ouyang Yiming muttered, "How could it be so fast?" Jiang Yuqi said, "Things like this happen pretty fast. We still don't really understand what's going on." Ouyang Yiming said, "What's the point of us going if it's a closed trial?" Jiang Yuqi glanced up and saw some classmates watching them, then quietly tugged at Ouyang Yiming, saying, "Let's talk about it outside."

After dinner, outside the cafeteria, Jiang Yuqi said, "I wonder what will happen with this verdict..." "Send her there. I was thinking that even if I couldn't attend the hearing, I'd at least see her one last time." Ouyang Yiming said, "I heard that you can see her after the verdict."

Jiang Yuqi said, "I thought so too. Didn't his parents come to the school yesterday? I saw them. They didn't see Zhu Haitao either. I think Zhu Haitao's case is probably a special case, to protect the person who reported the crime. Who knows if they'll be allowed to see her after the verdict? Or will they just send her away after the verdict? I asked his parents, but they couldn't say for sure either."

Ouyang Yiming asked, "Now, maybe nobody knows who that girl is." Xu Hui didn't tell him what Wu Yingying had said. She thought that Ouyang Yiming was currently working on that experiment with Professor Cheng, and she couldn't let him be distracted by this. So he still suspected Wu Yingying, but he wouldn't say it in front of Jiang Yuqi.

Jiang Yuqi said, "His parents did inquire about the girl, but the security personnel told them not to ask. They explained the girl's situation to them. Zhu Haitao's parents are very open-minded and understanding, but they cried a lot in front of me, saying that Zhu Haitao's life has come to an end. The security personnel also told them that even if they could see Zhu Haitao after the verdict, they shouldn't inquire about who the girl was. Otherwise, if it got out from Zhu Haitao's mouth and spread throughout the school, his punishment would be even more severe. They made sure Zhu Haitao knew all this. It seems that the school and the police are doing their best to protect the person who reported the case."

Ouyang Yiming nodded and said, "That's understandable. After all, the girl is the victim, and Zhu Haitao brought it upon himself." "It seems that all levels of government still value college students, otherwise they wouldn't be doing this." Jiang Yuqi nodded and said, "So, do you think we should go to the court hearing the day after

tomorrow or not?" Ouyang Yiming thought for a while and said, "In my opinion, we shouldn't go. As you just said, even if we go, we won't be able to see him. I estimate that some relevant leaders from the school might be there, and it wouldn't be good if they saw us. My opinion is not to go, what do you think?" Jiang Yuqi nodded and said, "Actually, I've thought about these things too, but I still feel uneasy about it. Sigh, let's listen to you. He's already in this state anyway, there's no need for him to cause himself any more trouble." Ouyang Yiming said, "That's right. Let's talk about it after graduation. No matter where he is then, we'll go see him together." Jiang Yuqi nodded.

After returning to the dormitory, he looked at the materials Professor Cheng had given him for a while, then thought he should go to the library to look up some information about sugarcane. Just as he turned a corner after going downstairs, he ran into Li Xuan, who was walking hurriedly towards him.

So, with a smile, she asked, "Rushing off to a date like that?" Li Xuan blushed and hesitated for a moment, then whispered, "Gao Peng asked me out." Ouyang Yiming was stunned. He hadn't expected his joking question to be true, and his face flushed red as he said, "I... I didn't mean it." Li Xuan laughed and said, "I didn't think you did it on purpose either. I don't want to hide anything from you and Xu Hui. I'm just going on a date. He might have something to tell me." Ouyang Yiming said, "Don't let anyone see you." Li Xuan said, "I'll be careful." She then asked Ouyang Yiming what he was going to do. After Ouyang Yiming answered, the two parted ways.

Li Xuan could guess what Gao Peng wanted to say when he asked her out today, but when she went to Gao Peng's office to get her meal tickets in the afternoon, she still asked several times. Gao Peng said it couldn't be explained in a few words here, and they should talk about it slowly when they met in the evening, so Li Xuan agreed.

Three days ago, Li Xuan and Yao Jianshe had found out everything when they met at the guesthouse. Yao Jianshe had visited Gao Peng's house a few nights ago. Upon entering, he saw Gao Peng, his ex-wife, and their child, and already had a good idea of what was going on. After a brief conversation, he called Gao Peng over and spoke with him for a while. Essentially, he argued that since the woman had changed, they should remarry for the sake of the child; otherwise, it wouldn't be good for the child to live with his stepfather as he grew older. Gao Peng nodded, but not for Yao Jianshe's words. He asked, "If a divorced couple engages in marital relations, and the woman initiates it, is it illegal?"

Yao Jianshe immediately understood his meaning and said, "That depends on what the woman says. If she insists you forced her, who can prove it?" Gao Peng shook his head helplessly.

Yao Jianshe thought to himself that the woman must have played a trick to get him back into the marriage, and he secretly felt smug about it. He said, "Don't say anything more. I'm your brother, listen to me. She won't do anything reckless again after this lesson. Even if you don't consider anyone else, you have to consider the child. Just live your life well. As for you and that college student, I feel it's hopeless. Do you think you two are a good match? She just wants to stay here and ask you to help her find a job. You need to think about it calmly. If you and she can't get married, or if you get married and then divorce, wouldn't your life be ruined?

People have different psychological changes at different stages of life."

Gao Peng was already feeling guilty about his relationship with Li Xuan, so he nodded and said, "Brother, I'll listen to you. You wouldn't have bad intentions towards me, would you? That's right, that's right. Li Xuan is a really good girl. Her family isn't well-off, and since we promised her, we should help her out." Yao Jianshe thought to himself upon hearing this, knowing that Gao Peng still had feelings for Li Xuan. He still said, "If you have nothing to do with her anymore, why should I care about her affairs? Isn't this just making trouble for no reason?" Gao Peng said, "We have to keep our word. Li Xuan is a good person. Besides, it's not like she said she wouldn't marry me. Isn't this all for the sake of the child? We should just take pity on her."

Yao Jianshe found Gao Peng somewhat ridiculous, thinking to himself, with Li Xuan's brain, even ten Gao Pengs couldn't outsmart her. He said, "I think you still can't let her go." Gao Peng chuckled twice and said, "We've been together for over a year, how could there not be some feelings?" Yao Jianshe felt a surge of jealousy upon hearing this and stood up, saying, "Alright, stop talking. Consider it for your sake." Gao Peng smiled and said, "Brother, you agree." Yao Jianshe deliberately sighed and said, "Who told me to be your brother?"

Gao Peng's ex-wife was indeed cunning. After divorcing her second husband, she had been living at her parents' house. Half a month ago, without Gao Peng's permission, she moved into her house from before the divorce. She knew Gao Peng's temperament all too well. She knew that even if they argued a bit when they got home, he would never have the heart to kick her out. She would just pretend she didn't hear what he said. Besides, she had the child as a shield.

Sure enough, when Gao Peng returned home that evening, he saw her with a face full of anger and questioned her about where she got the key. The woman humbly said, "The child said she missed you. She said all her classmates at kindergarten lived with their parents, but she always stayed at her grandmother's house. She insisted on finding you. So I got the key from your father." Although the woman was lying, tears streamed down her

face as she said this. Gao Peng felt a pang of sadness, thinking how poor the child was. Seeing that he didn't speak, the woman continued, "If you're not happy, I'll just take the child and leave again. Just now, the child kept asking why you didn't come." Gao Peng's heart trembled. He paused for a moment, then stepped into his daughter's room, bent down to look at his sleeping daughter, and a fatherly love softened his heart. He touched his daughter's face, feeling a pang of guilt. He thought, "I can't let the child suffer."

The woman secretly observed Gao Peng's behavior, secretly pleased. As Gao Peng straightened up, the woman turned away, quietly shedding a few more tears. Gao Peng went outside to check on her, saying irritably, "You can stay here tonight for the sake of the child, but leave first thing tomorrow morning." The woman didn't answer, but burst into tears. Gao Peng's heart skipped a beat. He turned and went into his room, taking off his clothes and socks to wash his feet. The woman had already brought him the foot-washing water, placing it down without a word, standing there with red eyes like a servant. Gao Peng glanced at her but said nothing, then put his feet into the basin. He felt a little smug; this was the first time this woman had brought him foot-washing water. When they lived together, it was always the woman who bossed him around.

After washing his feet, the woman hurriedly handed him a towel. Gao Peng, having dried his feet, deliberately tossed the towel into the basin. Feeling a little guilty afterward, he glanced at her. He saw the woman had no expression, silently squatting down, picking up the basin, and leaving. Gao Peng felt a surge of smugness.

He pulled the thin blanket over himself and thought for a while, then Li Xuan came to mind. Then he thought of the woman in the same room, and thought fiercely, "You shameless, rotten woman, you're not even worth a little toe of Li Xuan's. No matter what you do, I'll never want you." Thinking this, he got out of bed and went to the door. He quietly checked and saw the door was closed. He didn't hear the woman's voice, so he assumed she was already sleeping beside the child. He closed the door and went back to bed. He then thought about his past intimacy with this woman, and slowly, he felt aroused, his body heating up.

Involuntarily, he reached down and grasped his penis.

Since this woman divorced him, he hadn't touched another woman. At thirty, when he was like a wolf, and forty, like a tiger, how could he not want to? When he wanted to, he couldn't control himself and masturbated. While masturbating, he fantasized about having sex with Li Xuan. Several times, even during dates with Li Xuan, he couldn't resist and acted on it, only to be disappointed and stopped by Li Xuan's scolding each time. He also occasionally fantasized about the woman he divorced having sex with that man. This woman liked to be on top of the man during sex. Gao Peng could imagine that he and that man would be in that position. Thinking about it made him even more excited, and soon he could ejaculate.

Now, holding his hot, hard penis, his mind was again filled with thoughts of having sex with the woman in the same room. His hand slid down his genitals, and soon he couldn't control himself anymore, feeling an urge to immediately insert his hard penis into this woman's body. His thoughts were muddled. He sat up, intending to get out of bed, but pulled his feet back as soon as they touched the ground. He thought to himself, "How can I go to that slut like this? If I do this, wouldn't I be bowing down to her?" He lay back down, his hand still on his genitals. He longed for the woman to come to him. As

he thought this, a thought struck him, and he held his breath, listening intently to the sounds outside the door. After a while, he heard nothing and couldn't help but feel disappointed. He sighed softly, thinking he'd just have to take care of it himself. He had only moved a couple of times when he suddenly heard the door to that room open, and his heart pounded. He stopped and listened again, hearing the woman's footsteps growing clearer and clearer, until he heard her open her own door. Gao Peng knew what this woman wanted. He quietly removed his hand from his genitals, pulled up his pants, and pretended to be asleep. The

woman didn't turn on the light. She went straight to the bedside, lifted the blanket covering Gao Peng, and slipped inside. Once inside, she hugged Gao Peng tightly from behind without saying a word. After a while, she reached for the man's still-erect penis, grasped it, and began to slide it up and down. Gao Peng remained silent, but inwardly he was secretly pleased, thinking, "You came to me yourself."

The woman knew he wasn't asleep, otherwise his penis wouldn't be so hard. She stopped, sat up, and quickly removed all her clothing. She bent down, pulled off Gao Peng's underwear, and, holding his thick, hard penis in her hand, sat on it and began to stroke it. Gao Peng felt a long-lost pleasure surge through his body, and soon he couldn't control himself and ejaculated.

Gao Peng was somewhat disappointed that it happened so quickly. He suddenly remembered when they used to do this together, she would always berate him when she didn't reach orgasm, calling him a coward, saying he wasn't a real man, saying he was useless, and so on. A sense of trepidation crept in, but he watched as the woman silently slid off him, took a handkerchief, wiped her own genitals, then wiped his, before lying back down, covering herself with the blanket, and holding him tightly.

Neither spoke, only their breathing, heavy and light. After a while, Gao Peng said, "You're the one who came to see me." The woman said, "Please forgive me. For the sake of the child." Gao Peng's heart skipped a beat at the mention of the child. He let out a soft "humph." The woman stopped speaking, but began to sob softly, muttering, "I know I was wrong, can't you forgive me?"

Gao Peng remained silent, his heart softening. The woman said, "I promise I'll treat you well from now on, I'll be your servant, I'll never make the same mistake again." Gao Peng silently hummed inwardly again.

The woman said, "This lesson will haunt me for generations. Just think of our child and forgive me."

Gao Peng remained silent, his anger rising at the woman's ruthlessness before the divorce. He struggled against her arms, but couldn't break free. He couldn't bear to part with her body, so he stopped moving. Another silence fell between them. Finally, the woman reached out and grabbed Gao Peng's genitals. Under the caress of her soft hand, Gao Peng quickly became aroused again. The woman climbed on top of him again. This time it lasted a long time, until the woman let out a soft moan but didn't ejaculate. She got off him and lay flat, whispering, "Come on top." Gao Peng didn't reply and climbed on top of her, ejaculating after a few rapid thrusts. After catching his breath, the woman held Gao

Peng's head and asked, "Was it good?" Gao Peng said, "It was your choice." The woman smiled and said, "Who can really say for sure about these things?"

Gao Peng was startled, got off her, and glared at her. The woman casually took a towel and wiped herself down there, then took Gao Peng's penis and wiped it clean as well. She hugged him and said,

"Forgive me, but I still love you the most."

Gao Peng lay down silently, his heart pounding from the woman's words. He couldn't say anything. That night, they slept together, and then made love several times like newlyweds.

This went on for over half a month, and Gao Peng got used to this reality. The woman was completely obedient to him, no longer the arrogance she had before the divorce, and took meticulous care of him.

They had sex almost every day, and regardless of whether Gao Peng could hide it from her, the woman had no complaints.

It wasn't until Yao Jianshe came to his house and said those things that Gao Peng finally decided to remarry her. But thinking of Li Xuan, he still felt a pang of resentment. He thought to himself that they had been together for over a year, and he hadn't even kissed her once, let alone done *that* with her. At most, they had held hands and hugged. Deep down, he longed to have Li Xuan's body.

Love and Desire (65)

Chapter Sixty-Three

After Li Xuan met Gao Peng, she deliberately asked, "What's the matter that you have to talk about here?" Gao Peng coughed awkwardly twice and hesitated for a while before saying, "I have no choice."

Li Xuan found it amusing and still asked, "What do you mean you have no choice?" Gao Peng said, "My ex-wife is living with me." Li Xuan deliberately asked in surprise, "Really? Why are

you joking?" Gao Peng said, "I'm not lying to you, it's true. I have no choice, she's staying there and won't leave." Li Xuan widened her eyes and asked, "Is it true? You're not doing this on purpose, are you? You and she haven't remarried, so why are you living together? Are you planning to remarry her?" Gao Peng looked at her and saw Li Xuan looking at him with anxious eyes. He panicked, his face flushed with embarrassment, and said, "Li Xuan, I... I'm sorry. I know you're good to me, but I just can't let go of my child." Li Xuan deliberately raised her voice and asked, "You've already made up your mind?" Gao Peng glanced at Li Xuan timidly and ashamedly, and said, "Yes, I can't help it, I really can't. My family all advised me. My cousin even went to my house."

Li Xuan suddenly wanted to laugh upon hearing this, but she held it in and asked, "Your cousin? You mean that..." Gao Peng nodded and said, "That's my cousin who works at the municipal party committee. We went to his house together." Li Xuan said, "So your family also wants you to remarry?" Gao Peng said, "It's all for the sake of the child."

Li Xuan lowered her head and deliberately remained silent. Gao Peng said hesitantly, "I just can't bear to part with my child..." Li Xuan glared at him and said irritably, "Don't say anything more. I finally understand now that I can never compare to her in your heart. You used to say how much you liked me, but now it seems it was all a lie." Gao Peng felt a pang of guilt and protested, "I wasn't lying, I really do like you. But..." Li Xuan interrupted him before he could finish, "It's always about your daughter, that's just an excuse." Gao Peng blushed and stammered, "The most, most important thing is for my daughter. And, there are other reasons too."

Li Xuan thought to herself that she couldn't go too far. She was just acting anyway; if she took it too seriously, he might actually develop feelings for her, which would be difficult to handle. So she calmed herself and asked, "What else is it about?" Gao Peng hesitated for a moment and said, "Don't be angry when I tell you." Li Xuan nodded. Gao Peng said, "I...I had 'that' with her." Li Xuan pretended not to understand and asked, "What?" Gao Peng said, "It's that kind of thing." Li Xuan understood what he meant. She thought to herself, "You two live together; it's obvious you'd do that." She immediately thought of what she and Yao Jianshe had done. She stared at

him without saying a word. Gao Peng felt uneasy under her gaze. He chuckled awkwardly and said, "It wasn't by choice; she came to me." Li Xuan snorted and lowered her head. Gao Peng said, "I haven't done it in the past year or two, but I couldn't resist." Li Xuan lowered her head and said, "Why are you telling me all this? You two still have feelings for each other. I don't want to hear this."

Gao Peng looked at her and said, "She also said that if I don't forgive her and remarry her, then she can forget about having a good life." Li Xuan looked up at him and asked, "Why would she say that?" Gao Peng said,

"It's because we had that thing." Li Xuan said, "That's your own fault." Gao Peng blushed and lowered his head.

Li Xuan asked, "Did she say she'd sue you if you didn't remarry her?" Gao Peng said, "She didn't say that, but that's what she meant. I asked my cousin, and he said she could totally do that." Li Xuan seized the opportunity, saying, "Of course she could! You're divorced and haven't gone through the remarriage formalities, so living together is illegal. Not to mention you had that affair with her again. She could say whatever she wants, even accuse you of rape." Gao Peng said, "I understand what she meant too. That's it. If I don't agree to remarry her, she might do that."

Li Xuan said, "Then she definitely will." Gao Peng shook his head and remained silent.

Li Xuan deliberately sighed heavily and said, "You still have feelings for her." Gao Peng said with a bitter face, "I really don't have anything for her, it's just for the child. You know I like you, don't you?"

He paused and said, "That night she came to me, and I couldn't control myself." Li Xuan deliberately said impatiently, "Okay, stop talking. What's the point of saying anything now? I'm just an outsider." Gao Peng said, "Don't say that. You know how I treat you. You're worlds apart from her. I know you like me, but in over a year you haven't even let me touch you."

Li Xuan suddenly blushed and said, "How can I be like her? I'm a young woman, what is she? So you like me because you want to be with me..." Gao Peng said, "That's not what I meant.

I really couldn't control myself that day. You know that night..." Li Xuan said, "Please stop talking, okay? I don't want to hear about your stuff."

Gao Peng laughed awkwardly twice.

After a moment of silence, Li Xuan said, "Actually, the fact that you still have feelings for your child shows how kind you are. What can I say? I've thought about it before; if one day you really want to remarry her, I have no reason to stop you. Even though I'm unwilling. Hearing you say that just now still makes me feel bad."

Gao Peng's heart trembled when he heard her say this, and he said, "You know, I grew up without a mother, and I don't want my child to experience the way my stepmother treated me." Li Xuan nodded and said, "I know that's the main reason you don't want to have the child." Gao Peng said, "Exactly." Li Xuan She said, "Don't say anything. What can I say for the sake of the child? I'll just consider you my brother. You've been so good to me, what more can I say? As long as you're happy, that's all that matters. I can't pay you back the two thousand yuan I borrowed right now, but I'll wait until I start working..."

Gao Peng quickly said, "Don't say that. Even if you gave it to me, I wouldn't take it. We've known each other for over a year, and I really have feelings for you. I know about your family situation, how could I say such things? Your food expenses will remain the same as before, and I can still support you until you graduate."

At this moment, Li Xuan's eyes welled up with tears; she was truly moved by him. Two tears rolled down her cheeks as she said, "How can this be? From now on, you and I have nothing to do with each other." Gao Peng said, "Didn't you just say I'm your brother? From now on, consider me your brother." Li Xuan's voice choked with emotion as she said, "You're such a good person, I really... I don't want to say anything more. I will definitely repay your kindness in the future."

Gao Peng was clearly very moved and hugged her tightly, saying, "I really can't bear to part with you either."

Li Xuan was startled when he hugged her and didn't try to struggle. But his breathing was heavy, indicating his nervousness. After embracing for a while, Gao Peng said in a trembling voice, "Li Xuan, we've been together for over a year now. Can you grant me a request?" Li Xuan's heart pounded. She looked up at him and asked, "What request?" Gao Peng said, "Can I kiss you?" Li Xuan lowered her head, thought for a moment, and nodded. Gao Peng immediately grabbed Li Xuan's head as if he had received a royal decree and leaned in to kiss her. Li Xuan pretended to be shy, but after a while, she let go and reciprocated.

They kissed for a long time, Gao Peng's heart burning with desire. He couldn't control himself any longer, and one hand reached down to Li Xuan's crotch. Li Xuan was startled and immediately pulled away, saying, "This won't do." Gao Peng pleaded, "Just once." Li Xuan said firmly, "Not even once." She looked at Gao Peng and softened her tone, saying, "Forgive me, I'm still a virgin, this is absolutely unacceptable. Even though I want to repay you, I can't do this. If you truly like me, don't ask me to do this." Gao Peng was stunned for a moment, then sighed and said, "I understand. You're a decent girl, and I admire you from the bottom of my heart. Don't be angry with me just now."

Hearing him say that she was a decent girl, Li Xuan felt a pang of sadness. She thought, "Gao Peng, how do you know about me? Do you think I don't know who I am? I'm the one toying with your feelings." Her face flushed and she broke out in a cold sweat, feeling even more guilty towards him. For a moment, she really wanted to give him that time, but she immediately controlled herself. She knew that if she gave in to him this time, it would be endless, and she couldn't let this man entangle her any longer.

Li Xuan lowered her head and said, "Please understand me. If I were married, I wouldn't care, but..." Gao Peng said, "Don't say anything more, I understand." Li Xuan hadn't expected that this man would treat her like this even at this point. She had thought he would force himself on her, and had even prepared some things to say, but now it seemed unnecessary. She said, "Gao Peng, thank you." Gao Peng said, "No need to thank me." He then pulled Li Xuan closer again. Li Xuan buried her head in his chest, and after a while, she raised her head and said shyly, "If you want to kiss me, then kiss me."

At this moment, it would be more accurate to describe Li Xuan's thoughts as repaying a debt of gratitude, or perhaps something else entirely. Gao Peng looked at her, then held her head and kissed her again.

After a while, Li Xuan broke free, straightened her hair, and said, "Gao Peng, I will always remember your kindness to me. To be honest, I really want to repay you for your kindness, but I can't right now. Please forgive me. I know you're good to me and won't force me. As for whether you'll still do what you used to do for me in the future, that's your duty. I will remember everything you've done for me. Perhaps one day I will repay you. I hope you won't forget our relationship. And don't tell anyone else. It's not because of me; I'm worried that if your wife finds out about our relationship, it will affect your life. I don't want that. I just hope you will be very happy in the future." Some of Li Xuan's words were for herself, but some were also genuinely meant for Gao Peng. She was moved by Gao Peng's deep affection for her. At this moment, she felt guilty for deceiving this kind man.

Gao Peng was clearly moved by Li Xuan's words, saying, "Li Xuan, don't worry, I won't tell anyone about our relationship, as that would affect you. How I treated you before is how I will treat you in the future. I'll just treat you like a younger sister, so don't worry about repaying me.

It's just that we're destined to be together." Li Xuan said, "You're such a good person." She then hugged him tightly, nestled in his arms. She felt a mix of secret joy, nostalgia, and wistful emotions, thinking that her entanglement with this man was finally coming to an end. But

her gratitude towards him was genuine.

That evening, Ouyang Yiming was browsing through materials on sugarcane processing in the library, taking detailed notes. While returning the materials, he suddenly noticed a memoir-style book with the word "Soviet" on the cover. He was particularly sensitive to anything related to the Soviet Union. So he picked it up and started reading. It was a memoir of several people working in the Soviet Union, compiled by an author based on the oral accounts of those who lived there.

While flipping through the pages, he suddenly saw the words "cane sugar" on a page, and his heart skipped a beat. He quickly scanned it and indeed saw words like "bleaching" and "concentration," recognizing these as some of the processes involved in producing cane sugar. He continued reading, but found no technical data, only descriptions of the owner's experiences working in these areas. The protagonist had gone to this factory in the Soviet Union as a mechanic during a period of friendly relations between China and the Soviet Union, and returned home after relations soured. The memoir mainly recounted the changes in his treatment before and after the Soviet-Chinese friendship. Ouyang Yiming was clearly not interested in these details; what interested him was every single word related to cane sugar. These technical terms in the book were truly invaluable. He sat down at the table with the book, carefully examining each page, afraid of missing a single word. Upon encountering any technical terms, he immediately and neatly jotted them down in his notebook. He then meticulously checked them several times.

He flipped through other chapters but found no such phrases. Suddenly, he wondered where the author of the book was, so he looked again carefully and found the following passage in the last paragraph: "The author of this chapter unfortunately passed away from a cerebral hemorrhage before the book was sent to print. This is my deepest condolences." Ouyang Yiming felt a profound sense of regret. He knew that if he could meet this man, who was merely a laborer, he could learn something from him that would significantly advance the experiment. Unfortunately, for now, he could only analyze the procedures described by the author. This accidental discovery still greatly excited Ouyang Yiming.

Back in his dorm, he carefully organized the information. Based on the words and the principles he had pondered, he outlined the basic process for producing sucrose: washing and crushing – high-pressure distillation – decolorizing the stock solution – acid-base neutralization – ion exchange – vacuum concentration – secondary ion exchange – secondary vacuum concentration – cooling crystallization, followed by drying. Although there wasn't a single technical data point, being able to organize this complete workflow filled Ouyang Yiming with immense joy.

The next day during break, Ouyang Yiming hurriedly took his completed program to Professor Cheng's office. He didn't even notice the counselor who was coming from a side road. The counselor called out to him, and Ouyang Yiming went to greet him. The counselor smiled and asked, "Why are you in such a hurry?" Ouyang Yiming said embarrassedly, "I'm taking some materials that Professor Cheng needed. I was afraid of being late for the next class, so I didn't even notice you." He blushed as he spoke. The counselor said, "You seem to be in a hurry. Okay, let me just say a few words. There's a branch meeting at 3 PM this afternoon to discuss your applications for Party membership. You'll be reading your applications aloud at the meeting. Oh, and you went to Professor Cheng's, right? Tell him that no matter how busy you are this afternoon, you have to attend this meeting. He and I are both your Party sponsors; his absence is unacceptable." Ouyang Yiming became excited and said, "So fast!" The counselor smiled and said, "It's not exactly fast. The Party members will vote at this meeting this afternoon; it's just a formality, but it's not necessary without it. Enough said, go on your way." Ouyang Yiming nodded his thanks to the counselor and left.

Upon entering Professor Cheng's office, Ouyang Yiming handed him his writings, saying, "This is the basic procedure for the experiment." Professor Cheng looked at them for a moment, then looked up at him with surprise, asking, "Did you come up with this?" Ouyang Yiming replied, "Not entirely. Yesterday, I stumbled upon a self-written account in the library, which contained some terminology related to 'stem sugar.' I went back and organized it, and this is how I came up with it, though I don't know if it's correct." Professor Cheng was clearly excited, saying, "This is truly invaluable." Ouyang Yiming said, "It's a pity that the person involved has passed away; otherwise, it would have been even better if we could have obtained some clues from him." Professor Cheng said, "It is a pity, but it's already very valuable."

Ouyang Yiming raised his wrist. Looking at his watch, Ouyang Yiming said, "Professor Cheng, you keep an eye on things, I have to go to class." Professor Cheng stood up and said, "Okay, you can go back now. I'll look for you this afternoon." Ouyang Yiming was so excited about this that he almost forgot about the meeting the professor was supposed to attend that afternoon. He only remembered when the professor mentioned it was in the afternoon, and said, "I saw the counselor when I came here, and he said you need to go to the meeting room this afternoon for the branch meeting."

Professor Cheng said impatiently, "Another meeting." Ouyang Yiming blushed and said, "It's a meeting for new party members to join the party." Professor Cheng suddenly realized, looked up at Ouyang Yiming and laughed, "Look at my memory! I'm your party introducer, how can I not go? Go back, I understand." Ouyang Yiming bowed to thank his mentor and turned to leave.

After lunch, Ouyang Yiming had just entered his dormitory and sat down on the edge of his bed when Jiang Yuqi hurriedly came in and waved to him, signaling him to come out. Ouyang Yiming approached him, and Jiang Yuqi whispered in his ear, "Zhu Haitao's sentence is in, five years." Ouyang Yiming shuddered in surprise, staring at him and asking, "How could the sentence be so heavy?" He then asked, "Did you go this morning?" As they walked downstairs, Jiang Yuqi said, "You noticed I didn't go to class." Ouyang Yiming said, "I forgot he had his trial today. I didn't even notice you didn't go to class. Did you see him?" Jiang Yuqi shook his head and said, "No, I couldn't get in. I only found out about the five-year sentence after the trial started. The head of security went this morning; he didn't recognize me. I overheard it from behind them." Ouyang Yiming thought for a moment and asked, "Did you see the woman? She should have been there for the trial." Jiang Yuqi said, "I only saw the head of security and two people from the school office; I didn't see anyone else." Ouyang Yiming said, "Could it be that the defendant isn't present for the trial?" After a moment's thought, he said confidently, "No, the defendant definitely has to be there."

Ouyang Yiming vaguely remembered hearing about this somewhere before.

Jiang Yuqi said, "But I just didn't see any women from our school." Ouyang Yiming said, "Now you have to rule out Wu Yingying; she's been at school all morning." Jiang Yuqi said, "Actually, I only suspect her, but I also thought Wu Yingying wouldn't do such a thing. If it were that girl from the second year, I know her too; if she went, I should be able to see her."

Yang Qian did indeed appear in court today, but she arrived very early and sat in the presiding judge's office. Before the trial began, a bailiff led her to a small room leading to the courtroom. When Jiang Yuqi arrived, the trial had already started. He hadn't intended to go, but after attending one class in the morning, he couldn't resist going. He figured that even if he went early, he wouldn't be able to enter the courtroom to observe; he just wanted to know the result. Yang Qian only came out half an hour after the verdict was announced and the court adjourned. This was a joint decision made by the school's security chief and the court, precisely to prevent someone from the school from seeing her.

Ouyang Yiming turned to look at Jiang Yuqi, who was deep in thought, and said, "Don't think about anything. Zhu Haitao's situation is settled. What's the use of thinking about it?" Jiang Yuqi sighed and said, "Yes, thinking about it won't help. I just feel so sorry for Zhu Haitao." Ouyang Yiming thought to himself, "He only brought it on himself. What's there to regret?" He said nothing.

In the afternoon, following procedure, Ouyang Yiming and eleven other classmates read their applications to join the Party at the branch meeting. The counselor, who was also his introducer, gave a detailed account of Ouyang Yiming's main situation, and Professor Cheng added some information about Ouyang Yiming's studies. Then the Party members discussed and expressed their opinions, and then voted by raising their hands. Ouyang Yiming was successfully approved.

After the meeting, Ouyang Yiming walked alongside Professor Cheng for a while. Professor Cheng stopped and said, "I looked at it carefully last night, and the workflow is very reasonable. The problem now is the chemical composition and technical parameters required for each step. Of course, these need to be figured out in experiments. The decolorization part is simple; it's just filtration with activated carbon or something similar. What I'm considering now is the ion exchange part. Of course, I know the required materials, basically activated resins. The problem is still the parameters; the ion exchange part seems quite complex.

Here's what we'll do: I'll write a detailed report and submit it to the school. If the school approves and allocates funding, we can start the experiment. Most laboratories have the necessary equipment. However, we need to be prepared that whether we'll succeed and how long it will take are all unknowns. Don't oversimplify the problem. Besides, we're not a professional research institution; even professional institutions haven't figured it out yet. We're fortunate that you've figured out these basic procedures. This is valuable. Okay, you can go back to the classroom now. I'll let you know as soon as I get the school's opinion. I don't think there will be any major problems." Ouyang Yiming nodded in agreement and left.

Half a month later, Ouyang Yiming and a group of newly admitted probationary Party members took the oath to the Party flag. However, he still hadn't received any notification from Professor Cheng about the experiment. After attending Professor Cheng's class that day, Ouyang Yiming rushed over to ask him.

Professor Cheng said, “Now we need to do specific experiments. The key problem is that we don’t have corn cobs as raw material. Without them, we can’t talk about anything. I told the logistics department a while ago, and they said that if our school’s vehicles went to Shandong, Anhui, Henan and other places, they would bring some over. But I haven’t heard anything yet. I guess it’s not the corn harvesting season now, and these raw materials are not easy to find. The key is that nobody uses them now. In rural areas, they are mostly used for burning and composting. Our area does not produce corn, and the amount needed for experiments is not large. It is not easy for the school to send a special vehicle to the north to purchase them. We can only bring some over by chance. Don’t worry, I understand your feelings now. After learning, you want to use it and are eager to do experiments. It’s the same as when I was young. Wait a bit, and we will start as soon as we have the raw materials.”

Love and Desire (66)

Chapter Sixty-Four:

Although the spring warmth came a little late this year, it did not stop the tenacious grass sprouts from pushing out of the ground. The golden remnants of grass on the grassland had turned dark after several spring rains, similar to the color of the soil. The emerald green grass leaves replaced the old decaying leaves like a fluffy green carpet. The willow branches, laden with green leaves, swayed gently in the breeze like the braids of a spring maiden. Flowers bloomed, butterflies flew, bees arrived, and birds hopped and frolicked among the budding branches. The sky was azure and clear, with wispy clouds floating quietly, dotted with countless flowing black dots by the shadows of soaring birds. The air was warm and fresh, and the spring breeze generously allowed all things on earth to enjoy its intoxicating fragrance… Liu Yan rode her bicycle, humming "Night at the Military Port," to the club. She poured herself a glass of water and had just sat down to drink when a soldier handed her a newspaper and a letter from Ouyang Yiming.

After the soldier left and closed the door, Liu Yan took the newspaper aside and hurriedly opened Ouyang Yiming's letter. The contents of the letter filled Liu Yan with immense excitement. Ouyang Yiming told her that his application to join the Party had been approved at the branch meeting, and that the experiment he was about to conduct with the professor had made some theoretical progress. He concluded by saying, "If you haven't left, my husband and I must go to a small restaurant to celebrate." Liu Yan covered her mouth and laughed, thinking to herself, "Bookworm, if I hadn't come back, I would have definitely taken you to a big restaurant to celebrate."

There had been quite a few things that made her happy these past two days. Yesterday, Zhang Lei came to tell her that her promotion application had been submitted to the military region's cadre department. Zhang Lei said that depending on the situation, she might be promoted two ranks to the rank of company commander. This club was originally a company-level unit, and Director Meng was already a company commander. Thinking of these things and what Ouyang Yiming had mentioned in his letter, she chuckled to herself.

Director Meng had returned to the club a few days ago, but spent very little time there, rarely seen. Liu Yan was just waiting for Director Meng's transfer approval to be issued, then she would become the director in name and in fact, the "deputy" title before "director" would be removed.

Everything at the club was running smoothly. At Wu Min and Wang Jingjing's suggestion, some exercise equipment had been added to the activity room, and some books had been added to the library. These changes greatly pleased the officers and soldiers in the headquarters. She had also received commendation from her superiors and praise from some people.

What made Liu Yan feel somewhat uneasy was that Zhang Lei frequently visited the club, sometimes stopping by her office for a drink and a chat. Liu Yan would sometimes jokingly say, "Brother Lei, these tea leaves you brought aren't a bad deal, are they? I drank very little; most of it went into your stomach." Zhang Lei would laugh and say, "Consider this my tea warehouse; I'll bring some more in a few days." Sure enough, a few days later, Zhang Lei brought some more tea.

Liu Yan couldn't quite define her feelings for Zhang Lei. She always felt happy chatting with him, but after he left, he never seemed to resurface in her mind. Perhaps she felt a connection with Zhang Lei like a close friend, or perhaps like an older brother. This was reflected in Zhang Lei's concern for her. Liu Yan was grateful for everything Zhang Lei had done for her; after all, he had done things she couldn't do herself.

Sometimes, during their casual conversations, Liu Yan would notice Zhang Lei staring at her with a strange look, which would make her heart pound. Whenever Zhang Lei noticed Liu Yan's slightly uneasy expression, he would quickly regain his composure and resume his usual banter. Liu Yan didn't know what Zhang Lei was thinking when he looked at her with that strange gaze, but she genuinely hoped he wouldn't frequent the club so often. She knew that if this continued, people would have something to say.

As the son of a prominent official, Zhang Lei, while not conventionally handsome, possessed a refined air characteristic of high-ranking officials' children, and many girls considered him dashing and charming.

He had no shortage of female admirers; many young, unmarried female officers in the organization hoped to become his lover and marry into his wealthy family. Liu Yan also knew that surrounded by so many beautiful women, Zhang Lei was bound to have some romantic affairs, but no one had told her.

Liu Yan understood this; even if Zhang Lei didn't actively pursue her, there would inevitably be those who threw themselves at her. But as the daughter of a high-ranking official herself, she wasn't interested. Her ideal lover wasn't this domineering playboy, but a learned, refined, and steady intellectual like Ouyang Yiming.

Therefore, she worried that Zhang Lei's frequent visits would cause gossip, but she couldn't say anything to him. In fact, she knew that even though she didn't want people to talk about her, it was impossible for people not to, and perhaps some were already saying things. Her greatest hope now was that time would pass quickly, and that everything would settle down after Ouyang Yiming graduated and was assigned to this city.

That afternoon, as Liu Yan was rereading Ouyang Yiming's letter, Wu Min came in. After discussing work for a while, they talked about Liu Yan's Party membership. Seeing that Liu Yan was happy, she suddenly brought up Zhang Lei again. Wu Min first spoke highly of Zhang Lei, praising his enthusiasm and approachability towards the soldiers, and mentioning that many people admired him. Liu Yan knew that Wu Min simply wanted her to repeat her praise of Zhang Lei in front of him, ultimately hoping that Zhang Lei would readily help her get into the training corps. Liu Yan then casually remarked that Zhang Lei was indeed a good person. Wu Min blurted out, "I think Assistant Zhang has a crush on you." Liu Yan was startled and asked sternly, "Is someone saying that?"

Wu Min was startled by her sudden change in expression, her heart pounding. She quickly said, "No, no one said that, I just said it offhand." Seeing the fear in her expression, Liu Yan inwardly scolded herself for being too sensitive and serious. She composed herself and smiled, saying, "It's alright, just tell me what you all admire about Assistant Zhang."

Wu Min couldn't understand why Liu Yan's expression changed so quickly. Feeling uneasy, she said, "Assistant Zhang is decisive and capable at work. He's only twenty-seven and already a battalion-level officer. He also has good manners and charisma, and he's quite handsome."

Liu Yan laughed, thinking to herself, "Someone like him can't be called handsome? He's just average-looking." Liu Yan said, "I see you know him quite well. It seems he holds a high place in your heart." Wu Min blushed and said, "It's not just me who thinks so; many people say the same." Liu Yan smiled and asked, "Is he really that good?"

Wu Min still didn't understand Liu Yan's meaning. But she knew she absolutely couldn't say anything bad about Zhang Lei in front of Liu Yan, even if she knew something, she couldn't say it to Liu Yan. So she said, "Assistant Zhang is really excellent." Liu Yan smiled and said, "Assistant Zhang is very good. But it's impossible for him to have feelings for me. We're just like siblings; there's no way we could have a romantic relationship. So I think if anyone says that, you'd better not believe them." Wu Min said, "No one's saying that, but I feel like Assistant Zhang seems to be..." Liu Yan interrupted her, saying, "Assistant Zhang wouldn't have such thoughts. She just treats me like a younger sister. He and my brother have been close since childhood, and our families have a good relationship, so she doesn't treat me like an outsider. It's normal for her to come over and chat sometimes. As for what others think, that's their problem. I don't think I'm suitable for him. I've never had that kind of thought."

As Liu Yan spoke, she thought to herself, "Zhang Lei isn't even a fraction as good as Ouyang Yiming. He's not even in the same league as Ouyang Yiming. If it weren't for his father, would you all look at him like this?

" Wu Min felt uneasy, inwardly blaming herself for talking too much, and said, "Director Liu, I was just saying it casually, please don't be angry." Liu Yan laughed and said, "You think I'm so petty? Even if you said I liked him, so what? It's not like I'd be angry. But I don't like people gossiping behind my back. I don't really like this kind of unfounded talk." Wu Min said, "No one's gossiping. If such a thing happens, I'll criticize him severely." Liu Yan laughed and said, "You think you can shut people up?"

Suddenly, Liu Yan... A mischievous thought crossed her mind, and she felt like teasing her. So, she smiled and said, "Wu Min, how about I play matchmaker for you two?" Wu Min blushed instantly and said, "Director Liu, are you kidding me?" Liu Yan said, "No, I'm telling the truth. Assistant Zhang once said she admired you and wanted to poach you from my team after you graduate from the training corps. I suddenly wondered if he had feelings for you." Wu Min blushed even more and said, "Oh, Director Liu, please don't say that. How could someone of his status be interested in me? You

're the one who arranged this, aren't you?" Liu Yan said, "I didn't embellish any of his words; they are exactly what he said," Wu Min said. "That doesn't mean he has feelings for me. He's surrounded by women of all kinds now, and he wouldn't even give me a second glance. What am I to him?" Liu Yan asked, "What kind of women are around him?" Wu Min said, "Like the pretty ones from the song and dance troupe, and also the children of cadres from well-off families." Liu Yan laughed and said, "That doesn't necessarily mean he'll like them. Maybe he'll fall for you." Wu Min said shyly, "Director Liu, please stop teasing me." Liu... Yan said, "I didn't mean to tease you, I was just telling the truth." Seeing that Liu Yan's expression wasn't joking, Wu Min said, "That's impossible, I'm not good enough for him. I'm not ashamed to say I'd really like him, but don't even think about it. If I had your family background, I would consider it. How can I compare to him? Don't bring it up again." Liu Yan smiled and said, "Okay, since you say so, I won't bring it up anymore. Don't think of him as some kind of god. I'm just afraid of missing out on your wonderful marriage." Wu Min blushed and giggled.

After a moment of silence, Liu Yan suddenly asked, "Wu Min, have you noticed any soldiers in our club dating?" For some reason, Liu Yan thought of Jin Ling and asked this question. Wu Min said, "No, I've been paying close attention to this issue. I've had separate meetings with the female soldiers, and I've also had Deputy Squad Leader Chen Bingkun talk to the male soldiers." Liu Yan said, "The club is different from other units; we have both male and female soldiers here. You and I are both too young to understand these things, and we're at the age where our hearts are just beginning to open up. We can't let this affect the club's image. It would be embarrassing for both of us." Wu Min said, "I've talked about this several times in squad meetings, and I said it very strongly. I said that if I find out about this, I'll immediately punish them and send them home. I think my words have had some effect." Liu Yan nodded and said, "That's good. You should remind them more often. What do you think of Wang Jingjing's work ability lately?" Wu Min said, "Very good. I didn't misjudge her.

What do you think?" Liu Yan said, "Not bad, but she's still a bit lacking compared to you, Squad Leader Wu." Wu Min smiled and said, "She'll surpass me soon." Liu Yan smiled and said, "I hope so. That would make things much easier for me."

Wu Min thought for a moment and said, "Director Liu, I have an idea." Can you give Wang Jingjing a name? Liu Yan looked at her puzzled and asked: "Name?" ! Wu Min chuckled and said, "I mean, can we make her the deputy squad leader now, so that she can establish her prestige in the minds of the soldiers as early as possible." Liu Yan smiled and said, "I didn't understand what you said at first." "After the two laughed, Liu Yan said: "But we now have Chen Bingkun as the deputy squad leader. He is a volunteer and it is difficult to withdraw. Wu Min said: "I didn't say I would remove him. I just wanted to add another deputy squad leader." "Liu Yan said: "There seems to be no such precedent. "Wu Min said: "Our club has more people than a class, so special circumstances can also be treated specially.

Liu Yan thought for a moment and said, "We will discuss it after I meet Director Meng." Wu Min said: "I'm afraid Director Meng doesn't have time to care about this matter." Liu Yan said: "Anyway, he is still the director here, so I have no choice but to consult with him." Wu Jun said: "Director Liu is still thoughtful." "

At this time, someone knocked on the door, and Liu Yan said, "Please come in." "Zhang Lei opened the door and came in. Wu Min quickly stood up and called out, "Assistant Zhang," her face flushed. Liu Yan bowed slightly but didn't get up, calling out, "Brother Lei." Zhang Lei asked, "Are you talking about work?" Liu Yan said, "We're done. Sit down." Wu Min went to pour water. Zhang Lei sat down, and Wu Min handed him the tea, saying,

"Assistant Zhang, please have some water." Zhang Lei looked at Wu Min and smiled, saying, "Squad Leader Wu, you're quite capable. I was even talking to your Director Liu about poaching you a while ago." Wu Min said shyly, "I don't have any ability." Liu Yan looked at Wu Min and smiled, saying, "Wu Min, I wasn't lying just now, was I?" Wu Min's face immediately turned red. Zhang Lei said to Wu Min, "Why are you standing? Sit down."

Wu Min said, "You two talk. Director Liu, I'll go back first." Liu Yan smiled and said, "Look, Assistant Zhang is here, why don't you sit for a while?" Wu Min understood the teasing tone in Liu Yan's words and became even more embarrassed, so she said, "I won't sit, you two talk." Liu Yan laughed, "What could he possibly want? He's just here to freeload a cup of tea. You were just praising Assistant Zhang to me, and now that he's here, you're leaving." Wu Min's heart pounded with embarrassment. She glanced at Liu Yan and said shyly, "Oh, Director Liu, look at you. I'm leaving now." After saying that, she turned around, quickly opened the door, and ran out. Liu Yan giggled.

Zhang Lei smiled and asked, "What did you praise me for?" Liu Yan said, "You're praised like a flower. She admires you." Zhang Lei laughed and said, "Really? It's an honor." Liu Yan gave him a playful smile and said, "She's got her eye on you, hasn't she? You're her idol." Zhang Lei laughed again and asked, "Really? Didn't you say you'd play matchmaker for us?" Liu Yan said, "I was thinking of doing that, but I was still waiting for your opinion." Zhang Lei chuckled twice and said, "I have no opinion." Liu Yan said, "Then I'll really be the matchmaker." She then giggled. Zhang Lei pointed at her with a smile and said, "You're always making fun of me." Liu Yan said, "What, you're not sincere?" Zhang Lei laughed and said, "Sincere." Liu Yan said, "Even if you were sincere, I might not be willing to give you such a good soldier." Zhang Lei said, "What, am I not good enough for her?" Liu Yan said, "A little." They both laughed.

Zhang Lei took out another cigarette from the pack, lit it, took a puff, and asked with a smile, "Aren't you annoyed by me smoking here?" Liu Yan said, "Even non-smokers might find it annoying." At that moment, she thought of Ouyang Yiming. She thought to herself, "I don't want him to learn to smoke, at least not like Zhang Lei, smoking one cigarette after another." She added, "Didn't you see I opened all the windows? Being around smokers is the biggest victim of nicotine. You should smoke less too. You smoke a pack a day, right?" Zhang Lei said, "One pack isn't enough. I smoke at least a pack and a half a day, sometimes two."

Liu Yan stared at him wide-eyed and said, "You're committing suicide, don't you understand? Why smoke so much? What's so good about cigarettes? You might as well drink some alcohol." Zhang Lei chuckled and said, "I want to quit, but I can't." Liu Yan said, "Then you still lack the willpower." Zhang Lei said, "Is a man who doesn't smoke or drink even a man? It's like a woman who doesn't wear makeup." He emphasized the word "man." Liu Yan covered her mouth and laughed, then removed her hand and said, "That's just your men's nonsense. There are plenty of men who don't drink or smoke." Zhang Lei said, "Then they're not men." He then laughed heartily.

Liu Yan glanced at him and said, "Get lost. What kind of theory is that?" She then asked, "How much can you drink?" Zhang Lei said, "No, three ounces is about right, any more and I'll get drunk." He waved his hand and said, "Hey, I'm saying drinking isn't something you can just train for. Drinking more at different events might help. It's probably related to your physical condition. I've been to many drinking parties, but I just can't drink much. I get drunk easily. It's such a shame." Liu Yan said, "Drinking too much is also bad for your health. You should just drink two or three ounces, why drink so much?" Zhang Lei said, "Some occasions you have no choice but to drink, even if you have to force yourself. Sometimes you get drunk." Liu Yan nodded and said, "That's true. Some occasions are like that." Zhang Lei said, "That's why I envy those who can drink a lot." Liu Yan suddenly laughed and said, "I see you've got all the vices now." Zhang Lei waved his hand and laughed, "No, no, I'm a good person. I don't have anything else besides cigarettes and alcohol." Zhang Lei laughed heartily. Liu Yan blushed slightly.

Zhang Lei frowned and said, "Why is your promotion taking so long? I can't keep urging you." Liu Yan said, "It takes time for people to get promoted." Zhang Lei said, "It should be done by now. I estimate it won't take more than ten days. Wait a little longer, don't be impatient." Liu Yan said, "I'm not in a hurry. I didn't know some things were so complicated." Zhang Lei said, "What's complicated for others can't be complicated for us. If I don't hear from you in a few days, I'll go to the section chief." Liu Yan said, "Don't make things difficult for him." Zhang Lei said, "What's difficult about it? If he wants to do it, he can't. It's been almost two months since I first told you about this." Liu Yan said, "No, a little over a month." Zhang Lei said, "This might make me lose face. But losing face in front of you is nothing. If it's not done within two months, it'll be a little over two months at most. It will definitely be done." Liu Yan said, "I know, don't talk about losing face. I'm grateful to you." Zhang Lei quickly said, "I don't need your gratitude. It's my duty." Then he laughed heartily.

Liu Yan didn't fully understand what obligations Zhang Lei was referring to. She just laughed twice and said, "Who told you to be my brother?" After a pause, she asked, "Are you coming back or going out?"

Zhang Lei said, "Going out, to the provincial party committee." Liu Yan asked, "What for? You have work connections there." Zhang Lei laughed and said, "What work connections? A bunch of rich kids are having a party tonight, and they just called to ask me to go there first." Liu Yan said, "What kind of party do you have?" Zhang Lei said, "Eating, drinking, singing, dancing, playing, and going crazy. What else is there? It's just going to go crazy." Liu Yan said, "You're really something, managing to get together with that local bunch." Zhang Lei said, "That's me there, and there are also children of logistics officers from our military region. Hey, shall I take you there tonight?" Liu Yan smiled and shook her head, saying, "I'm not going. I can't fit into that kind of place. I don't know anything about those things except eating." Zhang Lei said, "You should at least know how to sing and dance." Liu Yan said, "I dare to sing in my own room. I don't know how to dance."

Zhang Lei stared at her and asked, "Really? You can't dance? " ? Liu Yan shook her head and said, "I really don't know how." Zhang Lei said: "You are too behind the times. Who can't dance these days?

" No, you have to learn this. Liu Yan smiled and said: "If you are not good at something, you still have to learn. I have no interest in that at all." Zhang Lei shook his head and said: "Among the children of cadres like us, there are a few local and military people who don't know how to do it." I say you should wander around this circle. Not just for fun, but mainly for bonding. Let's do this. I'll take you there tonight and find someone to teach you how to dance.

Liu Yanzhi waved her hand and said, "If you don't go, you won't learn either." Zhang Lei said: "I'm telling the truth. There's no harm in going and having fun. Among these people, the old man doesn't do anything. If he wants to do anything in the future, he just wants to say hello." Who knows you if you don't contact them. Liu Yan said: "I can't adapt to that kind of situation." Zhang Lei said: "I've been there a few times and I'm sure you want to go." Liu Yan shook her head and said, "Forget it, let's talk about it later." "Zhang Lei

was a little disappointed. In fact, he came to Liu Yan mainly because he wanted to take her there at night. His eyes, which made Liu Yan's heart race, were fixed on her again. Liu Yan's heart raced once more. She thought to herself, "Just that look in your eyes is enough to scare me. How could I dare to go out and have fun with you at night?" Then it occurred to her, "Does he sometimes look at every woman like that?" Anyone who really had feelings for him, like Wu Min, would be captivated by that look alone.

Liu Yan looked down at a document, and Zhang Lei asked, "Really not going?" Liu Yan looked up and said, "Really not going. Maybe I'll go with you someday if I'm interested. Today is Saturday, and I have to attend a class meeting." Zhang Lei said, "You're needed for the class meeting? Wu Min can handle it." Liu Yan said, "There are some things I need to say. I was just talking about this with Wu Min." Zhang Lei stood up and said, "Okay, then we'll wait until you're interested before going." Liu Yan giggled and said, "Yes, I only go for entertainment that I'm interested in. If I'm not interested, it's just torture." Zhang Lei smiled and said, "You're right." After saying that, he took a step, opened the door, turned back, pointed at Liu Yan's head, and said, "You're so old-fashioned. Don't see me off." Liu Yan smiled and said, "Yes, let's see if I'll become more perceptive later. Goodbye, Brother Lei." Zhang Lei turned to the side and waved his hand, saying, "Go back." Then he strode away.

Love and Desire (67)

Chapter Sixty-Five

: More than a month passed, and Liu Yan's promotion approval document was still delayed. Liu Yan had her doubts but didn't tell Zhang Lei. Zhang Lei, however, couldn't contain himself. He rushed to the cadre department and found the section chief in charge. The section chief, not daring to offend this young master, smiled and said, "Because of some differing opinions, things weren't handled well recently. I just returned from a business trip and haven't had time to deal with this either. Don't worry, I'll handle it as soon as possible, and I guarantee I'll get it done perfectly."

Zhang Lei, who had initially wanted to vent his anger, calmed down somewhat after hearing this, but still frowned and said, "What differing opinions! You all know her qualifications; she's been in the army for almost eight years. She

's always been training at the grassroots level, and most importantly, she's done an outstanding job here, even making it into the military region's report. I don't want to talk about this anymore. I don't want to come to you about it again." The section chief chuckled awkwardly, "Recently, well..." "I'll get it done soon. Don't come again. I'll call you as soon as it's done." Zhang Lei whispered in the section chief's ear, "You know what her father does. We've been neighbors since childhood, and our families are on good terms. I haven't let the old man know about this. I don't think you want me to handle this personally, do you?" The section chief hurriedly said, "Such a small matter can't trouble the higher-ups. I know what to do. Don't worry, I'll take care of it." Zhang Lei smiled at him and said, "Okay, thank you in advance."

After Zhang Lei left, the section chief secretly spat, thinking to himself, "You're just relying on your father! Damn it, this is really difficult. There are differing opinions below, but I can't just not do it." He shook his head helplessly, thinking: "What else can I do but do it?!"

Driving back from the cadre department, Zhang Lei went straight to Liu Yan's office. After sitting down, he lit a cigarette, took a puff, and frowned, saying, "These guys are just asking for trouble. I have to come all this way myself for such a small matter."

Liu Yan noticed his troubled expression upon entering and, hearing his words, realized he was worried about her. Touched, she smiled and said, "People need time; don't put pressure on them." Zhang Lei glared and said, "I can't help but put pressure on them! These people are so slow and inefficient, like a bunch of pampered officials. They don't even know who they're working for. Don't rush, it'll be fine in the next few days."

Liu Yan smiled and said, "I'm not in a rush. Don't worry either. Seeing you like this makes me feel bad." Zhang Lei smiled and said, "I've spoken to you before, two..." "It's been over two months now, and I'm too ashamed to face you. Don't you think these people are deliberately trying to make me lose face in front of you?" Liu Yan chuckled and said, "What face are you trying to lose in front of me? You're my brother, how could I not understand? Even if you were handling this yourself, it would take time. I'm already thanking you profusely." Zhang Lei waved his hand and said, "Don't say anymore, I can't sit still."

As if remembering something, he stood up and said, "I really can't sit still anymore, I have to go to the logistics office. I almost forgot, I'm so angry with these old men." Liu Yan stood up and smiled, "Go ahead and get busy. Don't get upset about this." Zhang Lei looked at her and said, "Half a month, I'll give them another half a month. If they still can't handle it, I'll go directly to the minister." He then walked away.

On the afternoon of the eighth day, Zhang Lei rushed into Liu Yan's office, asking excitedly, "Where are you treating me today?" Liu Yan, who was writing a report, was startled when he barged in without knocking. Hearing his words, she instantly knew that her promotion must have been approved, and she couldn't help but feel excited. She stood up and asked, "It's been approved?" Zhang Lei said smugly, "He wouldn't dare not approve it. I said half a month last time. If he still didn't approve it, I would have gone to their minister." As he spoke, he sat down on the sofa, took out a cigarette, and lit it.

Liu Yan was thrilled and smiled broadly, saying, "Brother Lei, thank you so much. Where do you want to eat?" She went over, picked up a cup, pinched some tea leaves, and put them in. Her hand holding the teapot trembled slightly.

Zhang Lei laughed and said, "Then it depends on where you want to treat me." Liu Yan handed him tea and asked with a smile, "To the cafeteria or to my house?" Zhang Lei laughed and said, "I don't eat at the cafeteria. I dare not go to your house." Liu Yan said, "No one will eat at my house, why wouldn't you dare go?" Zhang Lei said, "Eating with old folks would make me feel so stifled. I'm not going!"

Liu Yan chuckled and said, "That's true. I was just joking. If I really invited you to my house, wouldn't you say I'm stingy? So, where do you want to go?" Zhang Lei smiled, slapped his forehead, and said, "I'll have to think about that carefully. If I'm going to rip you off, I'll rip you off big time." Liu Yan said, "Then you can think about it. But let's make it clear, I don't have much money on me today, only a few dozen yuan. If it's not enough, you'll have to cover it for me." Zhang Lei glared and said, "Only a few dozen yuan? That's not even enough to buy a lobster. And you want me to pay for it? Are you treating me or am I treating you?" Liu Yan laughed and said, "Of course I'm treating you.

It's all you can eat, but not necessarily good." Then she chuckled. Zhang Lei shook his head, pointed at her, and laughed, saying, "You're quite stingy." Liu Yan laughed and said, "You think I'm really stingy? You can eat whatever you want today. If you don't have enough on you, can't you go home and get some?" Zhang Lei laughed again and said, "I wouldn't dare to boast. What haven't I eaten? What do you need me to eat? I wouldn't mind if we just had a bowl of porridge. I wouldn't really let you spend money. Just eat whatever you want." Liu Yan blushed upon hearing this and said, "How can that be? You have to..." Zhang Lei waved his hand and said,
"Don't say that anymore. Don't be so polite. Don't tell anyone about your promotion for now. After all, we didn't go through the normal channels." Liu Yan nodded and said, "I know that."

Just then, Wu Min knocked on the door and came in. Seeing Zhang Lei, she quickly greeted him and then went to Liu Yan to show her a document. Just as she was about to leave, Liu Yan blushed slightly, looked at the document, and said,
"Sit down there for a moment. I have something to tell you." Wu Min sat down in response. Zhang Lei said, "If you have something to do, I'll be going now." Liu Yan looked up at him and said, "No, I just wanted to talk about something between the three of us." Zhang Lei and Wu Min both looked at her suspiciously. Liu Yan smiled at Wu Min and asked, "Anything planned for tonight?" Wu Min shook her head and said, "No." Liu Yan said, "That's perfect. I'm treating Assistant Zhang to dinner tonight. You'll come with me; I'm afraid he'll get me drunk."
Wu Min immediately became excited, turned to look at Zhang Lei, and said with a smile, "Okay." At that moment, Wu Min thought that Liu Yan probably arranged the dinner for Zhang Lei so that she could get him into the training team, so she was quite grateful to Liu Yan.

Zhang Lei was startled, unsure of Liu Yan's intentions. But since Liu Yan said these things in front of Wu Min, it was clear that she didn't want to have dinner alone with him. For a moment, he felt a surge of anger, and his expression became unnatural. Liu Yan could see this and thought to herself, "Even if Wu Min hadn't happened to come in, I still wouldn't have gone out to dinner alone with you." Smiling, Liu Yan said to Zhang Lei,
"How about it, Brother Lei? With two beauties like us drinking with you, you should drink a lot tonight."

Although young, Zhang Lei had experienced many occasions. He quickly calmed down and laughed, "This is truly an honor! Tonight, I'm going to drink until I drop!" The three laughed. Wu Min blushed and said, "I don't drink. I've never drunk before." Liu Yan looked at Wu Min and said, "Silly girl, you think Assistant Zhang can get us both drunk?" Wu Min nodded with a smile. Zhang Lei laughed and said, "That's right, Yanzi is right. They're like sisters to me. I'm just afraid you two ladies will get me drunk." Zhang Lei's smile was still a little unnatural.
Liu Yan said, "You can't get drunk either. If you do, we'll have to push the car back." Zhang Lei laughed and said, "Then I'm relieved." He stood up and said, "It's settled then. I have something to do. I'll pick you up after work."

Liu Yan and Wu Min escorted Zhang Lei to the stairwell, and Zhang Lei waved his hand, saying, "Stay. " The two stood on the balcony, watching Zhang Lei start his car and speed away before turning back to their office.

Once back in their office, Wu Min and Liu Yan, still unable to contain their excitement, said, "Thank you, Director Liu." Liu Yan understood that Wu Min had misunderstood, thinking she was helping her invite Zhang Lei, and didn't want to mention her own promotion. But since it would be a good time to talk about Wu Min over dinner, she said, "No need to thank me. He was just bragging about dinner, and that's when I thought of you. Isn't this a perfect opportunity? You know, he might not even agree to a private dinner." Wu Min nodded and said, "Exactly." Liu Yan said, "Don't mention this over dinner. I'll see if it's okay to bring it up later. I'll keep urging him on his behalf." Wu Min said, "I know. Director Liu, where are you going to eat? How much should we bring..." Liu Yan understood her meaning and immediately interjected, "You don't need to pay tonight. I have money on me." Wu Min hurriedly said, "Director Liu, that won't do. How can I let you pay for something I'm doing? My family sends me money." Liu Yan looked at her and said, "Today is just a casual dinner. I only thought of you because you came in. Just do as I say. Don't argue with me about this."

Wu Min looked at her awkwardly and didn't dare to say anything more. Liu Yan thought for a moment and said, "Okay, give me some later. I don't have more than a hundred yuan on me, just in case. Zhang Lei is a big eater." Wu Min said, "I have some, I'll take it." Liu Yan said seriously, "I said it's settled, don't argue with me. Keep the money your family sent, you might need it later. I'm just worried I won't have enough money on me, and it'll be awkward to go home to get more. I'll pay you back tomorrow if you bring some later. I have my own plans. I know what I need to do, understand?"
Wu Min saw that she was about to say something more. Liu Yan said, "Don't say anything more, go back. Don't tell anyone about dinner tonight. If anyone asks, just say we went to run errands together tonight." Wu Min nodded in agreement.

After Wu Min left, Liu Yan thought to herself that Zhang Lei would definitely be unhappy. She understood what Zhang Lei meant; he wanted to go out to dinner alone with her, and who knows, he might say something else during the meal. She didn't want to hear it. During this time, she also sensed that Zhang Lei seemed to have some feelings for her. She wasn't entirely sure, but the way Zhang Lei sometimes looked at her, the level of care he showed her, made her uneasy.

Although the news Zhang Lei brought today excited her, she still felt uneasy about having dinner alone with him that evening. First, she didn't know what Zhang Lei would say to her; second, she didn't want to be seen alone with Zhang Lei and cause misunderstandings; third, she felt that having dinner alone with a man felt like a date, and she couldn't betray Ouyang Yiming, even though he wouldn't know. Deep down, she didn't want to do anything to offend him. She had been thinking about this while talking to Zhang Lei, and just then Wu Min entered, giving her an idea. She suggested that Wu Min come along, right in front of them. She knew Zhang Lei wouldn't be able to object.

On his drive back to work, Zhang Lei felt resentful, blaming Liu Yan for her actions. He felt like he'd been manipulated by her. He was somewhat angry and annoyed. He had originally intended to have dinner and chat with Liu Yan alone tonight, and he hadn't even considered letting her pay for the meal. He had already developed feelings for Liu Yan for a while, ever since their first meeting at his home, he had felt a strange attraction to her. It wasn't just Liu Yan's beauty; he was surrounded by women even more beautiful than her, including women from military compounds, women from prominent local families, and dancers. Of course, there were also women he was just playing along with.

Among all the women he knew, none possessed the same aura as Liu Yan. This aura stirred a genuine and inexplicable admiration within him. He would often find himself thinking of her unconsciously, and when passing by her office, he would involuntarily stop to look at her. But what frustrated him was that he clearly sensed Liu Yan's indifference towards him, or perhaps he simply couldn't truly understand her feelings. This was the first time he had encountered such a woman. The more this was the case, the more he longed for Liu Yan. He had intended to have a good talk with her tonight, to ask if she already had someone she liked, and even planned to, if he learned she wasn't in a relationship, perhaps express his feelings for her, even confess his love.

He had long wanted to ask her and express his affection, but he always felt there wasn't a suitable opportunity. He thought Liu Yan must be very happy today, and perhaps, since he had helped her with something, she would accept his proposal. He never imagined Liu Yan would drag Wu Min along, let alone say those words in front of her, leaving him no room for maneuver. This was something Zhang Lei hadn't anticipated, something he'd never encountered before, making him feel embarrassed and inexplicably angry. For a moment, he even blamed himself for being so helpful, only to be tricked by a woman. He felt immense shame.

Back in his office, he silently smoked several cigarettes to calm down. He thought Liu Yan might not have meant what he imagined; perhaps she just said it when Wu Min came in.

Maybe she wanted to use this opportunity to talk to him about Wu Min, or perhaps she still wanted Wu Min to pay for the meal.

Thinking about Liu Yan asking Wu Min to pay, he found Liu Yan somewhat ridiculous; if it was really for that, she was too calculating. Then he thought probably not; someone from Liu Yan's family and status wouldn't be so stingy. So, was it because she really didn't have any money on her, and was afraid of being embarrassed to pay herself, that she dragged Wu Min along? Let alone Liu Yan, nobody would care about a meal after doing someone a favor. That seemed plausible. But he was still very disappointed.

Before leaving work, Wu Min came to Liu Yan's office and handed her two hundred yuan. Liu Yan said, "Why so much? One hundred is enough. I have more." Wu Min said, "Just take it first. It would be embarrassing if it wasn't enough." Liu Yan thought for a moment and nodded, "Okay, I'll take it first. Whether I need it or not, I'll give you the two hundred yuan tomorrow." Wu Min said, "Director Liu, look at you..." Liu Yan waved her hand and said, "Don't say anything, or I'll get angry." Wu Min blushed and remained silent.

Liu Yan glanced at her watch, picked up the phone, and asked the operator to transfer her to her home. After listening for a while without an answer, she put down the phone and muttered to herself, "Why isn't Mom home yet?" Wu Min said,

"I'm calling home to let them know." Liu Yan smiled and said, "Working near home isn't as convenient as it used to be outside. If I'm late, Mom will ask all sorts of questions, like I'm a spy." Wu Min laughed and said, "I'm so envious. It's so nice to be able to go home every day after work." Liu Yan laughed and said, "If we settle down here in a few years, we can go home every day." Wu Jun lowered his head and smiled. He looked up and asked, "Director Liu, do you have an orderly in your family?" Liu Yan shook her head and said, "My dad is one rank lower than Zhang Lei's dad, so he should be eligible for an orderly, but he doesn't want one.

There's not much family at home, what would we need an orderly for? Zhang Lei's family does, but his mother isn't in very good health." Wu Min nodded enviously.

After work, Zhang Lei drove to pick up Liu Yan and Wu Min. He didn't go upstairs, but sat in the car, leaning out the window and looking up at the building, honking the horn.

Hearing the car horn downstairs, Wu Min excitedly exclaimed, "Assistant Zhang is here!" Liu Yan picked up the phone again and told Wu Min, "Go to the balcony and tell him to wait a bit."

Wu Min agreed and went out. Liu Yan answered the phone and told her mother she wouldn't be home for dinner, as she was meeting up with some colleagues. Director Qin reminded her not to come home too late. Liu Yan said she knew.

She went to the balcony and went downstairs with Wu Min, then to the car, opened the door, and got into the back seat together. Zhang Lei laughed and said, "He's definitely a leader, getting into the leader's seat as soon as he gets in." Liu Yan thought to herself, "I'm afraid someone will see me sitting in the front." Smiling, she said, "You're the driver, just focus on driving. If you talk too much, the leader will get annoyed." All three laughed.

After starting the car, Zhang Lei turned around and asked, "Where to?" Liu Yan said, "You're the leader, wherever you take us, we'll go." Zhang Lei laughed and said, "So I'm the leader again now.

Okay, I'll arrange it. A high school classmate of mine opened a restaurant, it's been there for several years, the environment and business are pretty good. At least he wouldn't dare rip us off." Liu Yan said, "You're not partnered with him, I've heard businessmen only rip off acquaintances." Zhang Lei said, "I don't have the time to do business with anyone. He wouldn't dare." After saying that, he laughed twice and said, "Let me tell you, back in school this kid was always..." He followed me around like a shadow. After graduating, he worked in a cigarette factory for two years before quitting. He first opened this restaurant with a friend, but later, for some reason, the two of them had a falling out and separated. Now the restaurant is his alone, and the business is doing well. He has made a fortune in the last two years. This guy has quite a few connections in society and is not an ordinary person. Liu Yan said, "With your brother Lei protecting him, how could he be an ordinary person?" Zhang Lei said, "You little Yanzi, are you trying to annoy me today? Are you worried about the cost of the meal?" Liu Yan laughed and said, "Hey, I really am a little." All three of them laughed.

Love and Desire (68)

Chapter Sixty-Six

About twenty minutes later, Zhang Lei drove to a restaurant. The restaurant was not big, but it was decorated quite elegantly. There were already two cars parked at the entrance. Zhang Lei led them inside and stopped at the bar, asking a waiter, "Is your manager here?" The waiter smiled and said, "Yes." Zhang Lei said, "Go and call him here." The waiter looked him up and down a few times, then suddenly smiled and said, "You're our manager's classmate, aren't you? I've seen you before." Zhang Lei smiled and said, "I'm his brother." The waiter smiled and called over another waiter, saying, "Go tell the manager quickly that his brother has arrived." The waiter responded and ran upstairs.

A moment later, a man about Zhang Lei's age, with slicked-back hair, came down the stairs. He greeted him with a broad smile, "Oh, I was wondering why I was in such a good mood today. Looks like something good happened, Brother Lei's here!" Zhang Lei waited until the man reached him and said, "Don't give me that platitude." The man glanced at Liu Yan and Wu Min, then smiled at Zhang Lei and said, "Would I dare to play games with your brother Lei? Your arrival is a great honor for my restaurant." He took a cigarette from his pocket and offered it to Zhang Lei, who accepted it with a smile, saying, "Alright, stop joking." Turning to Liu Yan and Wu Min, he introduced them, "This is my classmate, the president, general manager, and Youth League secretary of this restaurant." He chuckled and said, "He's not a Party member, so he can't oversee Party work." Everyone laughed.

Zhang Lei pointed to Liu Yan and introduced her to his classmate, "This is my little sister who lived in the same compound when I was a child. She just transferred back from out of town. I've been meaning to welcome her back, but I haven't had the time." He then pointed to Wu Min and said, "This is my colleague." They then nodded and greeted each other. Zhang Lei said, "Please arrange a place for us." Zhang Lei's classmate smiled and agreed. He then turned to ask the bartender if there were any private rooms upstairs. The bartender said yes, so another waiter led them upstairs.

As they walked, Zhang Lei's classmate turned back to Zhang Lei and said, "I haven't seen you in a while, I missed you so much! What have you been up to? Come and support your brother!" As he spoke, he noticed that Zhang Lei hadn't lit a cigarette, so he quickly took out a lighter and lit one for him. Zhang Lei exhaled a puff of smoke and said, "Busy." Zhang Lei's classmate said, "Even if you're busy, you should still find time to come see your brother." Zhang Lei said, "I'm afraid you'll be all talk and no action when I come, and you'll have to spend money. Don't worry, I brought money with me today." Zhang Lei's classmate laughed and said, "Brother Lei, don't underestimate this little restaurant. I dare say, you could eat here for a year and it wouldn't bankrupt me. We're brothers, don't be like that." Zhang Lei laughed.

The waiter opened the door, and everyone went in. They sat down at the table, and the waiter refilled their tea. Zhang Lei's classmate said, "Brother Lei, I have some friends in my other room, I'll go check on them. You guys order whatever you like, and start eating." Zhang Lei said, "Go ahead and do your work, you don't need to serve us here." Zhang Lei's classmate nodded goodbye to Liu Yan and Wu Min. The waiter took the menu and presented it to Zhang Lei with both hands. Zhang Lei glanced at it and then handed it to Liu Yan, saying, "Look, order whatever you want." Liu Yan looked at it and then passed it to Wu Min, who then handed it to Zhang Lei, saying, "Assistant Zhang, you order whatever you like, we don't know what to order either." Zhang Lei smiled and ordered "Garlic Lettuce and Wasabi Squid," "Duck Neck," "Ciba Fish," "Dongpo Pork," "Pearl Meatballs," "Steamed Wuchang Fish," "Clay Pot Chicken Soup," and a bottle of white wine.

A waiter brought over "garlic lettuce and wasabi squid," "duck necks," and a bottle of baijiu (Chinese liquor). Zhang Lei took the bottle and asked Liu Yan, "How are we going to drink?" Liu Yan replied, "The food is for both of us, the liquor is for you." As she spoke, she picked up her chopsticks and beckoned to Wu Min, saying, "Come on, let's eat." She then picked up a piece of duck neck and started eating. Wu Min blushed and didn't touch her chopsticks. Zhang Lei laughed and said, "The liquor is all mine? The food is all for both of you? Aren't you bullying us?!" Liu Yan, who was eating duck necks with both hands, chuckled and said, "Wu Min and I came here to eat, we didn't say we'd drink." Seeing that Wu Min hadn't touched her chopsticks, she said, "Why aren't you eating?" She reached for Wu Min's chopsticks. Zhang Lei blocked her way, saying, "No, you can't eat without drinking." Liu Yan and Wu Min chuckled.

Liu Yan put down her chopsticks, placed the leftover duck neck on the small plate in front of her, and said, "Alright, let's have a drink." Wu Min said shyly, "I don't drink much either." Zhang Lei said, "Your Director Liu knows that, I can't drink much either." Liu Yan glared at him and said, "I didn't know that." Zhang Lei laughed and said, "Alright, alright, you don't know. You two might actually be able to drink more than I can." Wu Min said,

"I've never drunk baijiu before." Liu Yan looked at Wu Min and said, "Don't be afraid of him. He's just a paper tiger." Zhang Lei smiled, stood up, and poured drinks for the two of them. Liu Yan examined the glass and said, "Brother Lei, you really know how to take care of us, you even let us drink." Zhang Lei laughed and said, "Look, the three of us have the same amount." Liu Yan said, "You're my brother, after all. Why can't you let us have a little?" Zhang Lei said, "Drink this first, and I'll drink more next time." He then raised his glass.

Liu Yan also thought she couldn't keep refusing like this; he had helped her so much, she should thank him. So she also raised her glass. Wu Min looked at the wine in her glass, glanced hesitantly at Liu Yan, and then picked up her glass without saying anything. Liu Yan said, "Brother Lei, thank you for your concern and care." Zhang Lei knew she was referring to what he had done for her, so he said, "No need to thank me, if you're sincere, just drink it all."

Liu Yan smiled and said, "Brother, can't you take care of me a little?" Zhang Lei said, "There's no such thing as taking care of someone at a drinking party. Come on." Liu Yan pouted and shook her head, saying, "Still calling you brother?" Zhang Lei smiled without saying anything. Liu Yan looked down at the wine in her glass and said, "I'm actually a little hesitant." She turned to Wu Min and said, "Come on, we can't refuse Brother Lei's face." Wu Min said, "Assistant Zhang, I also thank you for your concern." Zhang Lei said, "No need for thanks, let's drink." After saying that, he picked up his glass and drank it all in one gulp, then held the glass up to them to show them, meaning that he had finished it. Liu Yan and Wu Min looked at each other and then picked up their glasses and drank. The pained expressions on their faces made Zhang Lei laugh. He said, "What are you doing? This is over twenty yuan a bottle of wine.

It's not poison." Liu Yan picked up some food and put it in her mouth, saying, "I'll save this good wine for you."

The three of them ate. Zhang Lei took the wine bottle, but Liu Yan reached out and grabbed it, saying, "I can't trouble you. You're the leader. This is our two sisters' job." Zhang Lei smiled and shook his head. Liu Yan stood up and poured half a glass for Zhang Lei. Seeing that she didn't intend to stop, Zhang Lei quickly grabbed the bottle and said, "If you pour any more, there won't be any left in the bottle." Liu Yan laughed and said, "Don't worry, how could I let you drink it all? It's over twenty yuan a bottle." She took the bottle and poured some for Wu Min and herself. Zhang Lei looked at the wine in his glass and laughed, "Yanzi really knows how to care for her brother." Liu Yan said, "That's right."

Liu Yan picked up her glass and said, "Brother Lei, let's drink again." Zhang Lei said, "No, I'm not drinking anymore. The women's army is too strong. I can't outdrink you." Liu Yan said, "Are you scared?" Zhang Lei said, "Yes, I am."

He didn't pick up his glass and just kept eating. Liu Yan giggled and said, "If you're really afraid, then forget it." She put down her glass. Zhang Lei said, "Look at the amount of wine you poured for me, five times more than you guys. How about you finish it and I drink half?" Liu Yan didn't say anything, picked up her glass, drank the wine, and then showed him the glass sideways. Wu Min also picked up her glass and drank it all.

Zhang Lei picked up his glass, drank half, and was about to put it down when Liu Yan called out "Hey, hey!" twice and turned the glass upside down. Wu Min giggled happily. Zhang Lei said, "Didn't we agree I'd drink half?" Liu Yan turned to Wu Min and asked, "You agreed?" Wu Min didn't speak, just smiled. Zhang Lei pointed at Liu Yan and said, "You're such a clever little devil." He then finished his glass. Only

then did Liu Yan happily cover her mouth and laugh. Zhang Lei took a bite of food and said, "If I get drunk, you two can push the car back." Liu Yan said, "Let's not drink like that anymore. Drink as much as you can."

Liu Yan picked up the wine bottle and poured wine for Zhang Lei, saying, "Brother Lei, I was just joking. I'll watch you. Drink as much as you can. We three sisters are just having fun, we can't get drunk."

So she poured wine for Zhang Lei, and after he said okay, Liu Yan stopped. She then poured some for Wu Min and herself, saying, "Eat more food and drink less." Zhang Lei said, "Drinking with you guys doesn't make me feel any fun. Drink as much as you want." He looked at Wu Min and said, "You eat more food. Your Director Liu and I grew up together, he just loves to tease me." Wu Min smiled and agreed.

At this time, the waiter brought out "Ciba Fish" and "Dongpo Pork," and the three of them ate. Wu Min still seemed very reserved in front of the two of them, feeling very small, and didn't know what to say, so she remained silent. Zhang Lei glanced at Wu Min and urged her to eat, then asked Liu Yan, "Has the application for this year's training team been submitted?" Liu Yan replied, "It hasn't started yet. It should be soon.

I'll let you know as soon as it starts." Zhang Lei nodded and said, "I'll let you know as soon as possible." Liu Yan said, "Wu Min's situation depends on you. I'm worried that she'll be replaced like last year." Zhang Lei said, "Last year, Lao Meng also told me late. This year, we're prepared, so there shouldn't be any problems." Liu Yan said, "With you here, Wu Min and I aren't worried about anything." Zhang Lei said,

"It's alright. I'll take some time these next few days to inquire and talk to them in advance. They'll still give us that much face." Liu Yan said, "This year, we have to get her out no matter what. She's been in the army for almost five years; if she doesn't leave now, who knows what next year will be like?" Zhang Lei said, "I know. Don't worry, this year I'll find a way to get Wu Min in." Wu Min blushed and said gratefully to Zhang Lei, "Thank you." Liu Yan glanced at Wu Min and said, "Just saying thank you?"

Wu Min looked at her blankly. Liu Yan glanced at the wine glass in front of her, and Wu Min, understanding, stood up, picked up her glass, and said, "Assistant Zhang, let me toast you." Zhang Lei looked at Liu Yan but didn't say anything, and drank the wine. Wu Min poured wine for both of them and sat down. Zhang Lei took a bite of food and said, "Aren't you going to thank your Director Liu?" Wu Min hurriedly tried to stand up, but Liu Yan stopped her. She said to Zhang Lei, "We sisters know what's going on." Zhang Lei said, "Then it seems I've been too polite." Wu Min quickly said, "Not at all, Director Liu doesn't drink." Zhang Lei laughed at Wu Min's embarrassment and said, "You really know how to care for your leader. I've already said that once you graduate from the training team, I'll recruit you, and then I'll be your leader." Wu Min said humbly:

"No matter what, you'll always be my leaders and my benefactors."

Zhang Lei chuckled a few times, then turned to Wu Min and asked, "You're not twenty-two yet, are you?" Liu Yan replied, "She's been in the army for almost five years, how could she not be twenty-two? I'm the same age as her, she's a few months younger. That's why I said I had to get things done for her this year, otherwise everything would be delayed." Zhang Lei nodded and said, "Yes, even if we don't consider anything else but her age, we still have to get things done for her, otherwise there really won't be another chance." Liu Yan said, "Just for what Brother Lei said, as Wu Min's direct superior, I have to toast you. Come on, Wu Min, let's both toast Brother Lei at the same time." Zhang Lei pointed at Liu Yan and laughed, "You're joining in the fun too." Liu Yan said, "This is what Wu Min and I feel for each other." Zhang Lei said, "Alright, just for your sake, Liu Yan, I can't refuse." As he spoke, he picked up his glass and downed the drink in one gulp. Liu Yan and Wu Min also drank.

The waiter then brought over the "pearl meatballs" and "steamed Wuchang fish," arranged them, and left. Liu Yan then invited Wu Min and Zhang Lei to eat. Zhang Lei picked up a piece of fish and put it in his mouth, saying while looking at Liu Yan, "The fish here is really authentic."

After eating, Wu Min poured wine for Zhang Lei and Liu Yan in turn, saying, "I don't know what to say to you two leaders, I can only express my gratitude. Here, you two are like family to me. I will never forget your kindness in my life." Zhang Lei said, "We're not that far apart in age. The key is that you've done a good job. Even with our help, it wouldn't have been possible if you hadn't done your job well. Your previous leaders, including your current leader Director Liu, and I all appreciate your work ability and attitude. Without your support, Director Liu wouldn't have been able to get things done so smoothly after taking office. Keep up the good work, everyone can see it." Wu Min nodded and said, "It's all because you two leaders value me." Me. I know it in my heart. I don’t have any words of gratitude. Let me toast you two leaders again. "Liu Yan said: "I will spare it. Everything depends on Assistant Zhang. Zhang Lei said: "How can that be done? Wu Min has already told us two, but you want to play tricks again." "Liu Yan said with a smile: "I really can't do it anymore. I feel a little dizzy now. Wu Min said, "Why don't you stop drinking. Assistant Zhang and I drank this cup." Zhang Lei looked at Liu Yan and asked, "Is this really the case?" "Liu Yan said: "I couldn't drink it in the first place, but now I think I've drank a few taels. Zhang Lei looked at the wine in the bottle and said, "No, just one or two more." After drinking this cup, you can do whatever you want. Otherwise, Wu Min wouldn’t look good either. Liu Yan said: "Okay, just drink this cup." Wu Min looked at Liu Yan and said, "Director Liu, if you really can't do it, stop drinking." Liu Yan smiled. Wu Min reached for the cup in front of Liu Yan and said, "I'll take this cup for you." "After saying that, he drank it all in one gulp.

This move shocked Zhang Lei and Liu Yan. But they both understood Wu Min's mood at this time. Zhang Lei didn't say anything, took the glass, and drank. Wu Min then drank her own wine. When pouring wine, she didn't pour any for Liu Yan, saying to Zhang Lei, "Don't let Director Liu drink." Zhang Lei nodded and said, "If you can't handle it, don't drink either. I don't want to drink either." Wu Min said, "I'll drink this glass with you." Zhang Lei said, "Okay, let's finish this and then eat."

The waiter brought over "clay pot chicken soup," and all the dishes were served. Zhang Lei ordered three bowls of rice. When the rice arrived, Zhang Lei urged everyone to eat, saying, "You can leave some wine, but you can't leave any food."

Wu Min then picked up her glass and drank the wine in front of her with Zhang Lei. Wu Min said, "I don't know if Assistant Zhang or you haven't had enough to drink. Director Liu and I can't drink and can't keep you company." Zhang Lei said,

"I can't drink either. Let's eat."

After the meal, Zhang Lei called over the waiter at the door and said, "Don't tell your manager, go to the bar and see how much it costs, we'll pay." The waiter smiled and said, "Our manager instructed that you don't need to pay." Zhang Lei said, "No, go to the bar and check." The waiter said awkwardly, "The manager instructed before he went out that if you want to pay before he comes back, don't pay." Zhang Lei said, "Your manager is out? How about this, you go to the bar and say that I said I wanted to calculate the cost price, that way your manager won't blame you, otherwise I'll be angry." The waiter went downstairs and came back a while later with the menu and said, "I calculated it according to your request, it's forty yuan in total. Even so, I don't know if our manager will scold us when he comes back." Zhang Lei said, "He won't." As he spoke, he reached into his pocket for money. Liu Yan quickly stopped him, saying, "You should skip it." Zhang Lei said, "Everyone's the same." Liu Yan said, "How can they be the same?

We've already agreed." Zhang Lei didn't insist anymore.

After the waiter left, Zhang Lei said, "Every time I come to eat here, I pay for the cost price. I can't let them lose money; after all, they're in business." Liu Yan said, "I really didn't expect it to be so cheap. This bottle of wine cost over twenty yuan; they didn't even keep enough for their costs." Zhang Lei lit a cigarette and said, "It's my little brother. I understand. He's just doing it as a token gesture; I guess he arranged it before leaving." Then, looking at Liu Yan with a smile, he asked, "What else is on the agenda?" Liu Yan said, "What else do you want?" Zhang Lei said, "How about I take you to my friend's dance hall?" Liu Yan waved her hand and said, "I'm not going; I'm not interested." Wu Min said, "I don't know how to dance either." Liu Yan said, "Let's go home. You take me home first. You and Wu Min can go back together later." Zhang Lei shook his head and said, "It's really boring hanging out with you guys."

Liu Yan almost blurted out, "Who are you having fun with?" but she swallowed the words, knowing it would be inappropriate. She blushed slightly and smiled. Without saying a word,

the three of them got up, left the room, and went downstairs. Liu Yan and Wu Min walked behind Zhang Lei. He took out the money Wu Min had given him before dinner and stuffed it into Wu Min's hand. Wu Min wanted to say something, but Liu Yan stopped her with a look and whispered, "Keep it safe." Wu Min didn't say anything more and carefully put the money in her pocket. After the three of them got into the car, Zhang Lei turned to look at Liu Yan and asked, "Aren't you really going to have some fun?" Liu Yan said

, "I'm a little dizzy from drinking. If I throw up somewhere, wouldn't that be so embarrassing?!" Zhang Lei shook his head and said, "I didn't think you made it so serious. You're just so stubborn." Liu Yan laughed and said, "I'm afraid I can't change you."

Zhang Lei didn't say anything more and started the car, driving towards Liu Yan's house. More than ten minutes later, they arrived at Liu Yan's house. Liu Yan asked, "Would you two like to come in and sit for a while?" Wu Min really wanted to go in and see.

Zhang Lei said, "No, it's not good to talk to your old folks all the time." Liu Yan smiled and didn't try to keep them. After getting out of the car, Zhang Lei went to the door and rang the doorbell. He drove the car forward a bit, turned around, and said to Wu Min, "Come sit in the front. I feel uncomfortable with you sitting in the back; I always feel like the eyes in the back are staring at me." Wu Min smiled and agreed, got out of the car, opened the front door, and sat in the front seat.

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