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As Lin Xiao stood up, preparing to leave, he noticed the woman, Wang Wenya, half-draped over Li Hao, continuously calling out to him, "Li Hao, I'm drunk. Please support me."
Lin Xiao quickly lowered his head, feeling flustered as if he had done something wrong, lingering behind and stealing glances at the others. Si Ningyuan and the rest were engaged in a casual conversation, seemingly oblivious to the situation.
After a day filled with three rounds of drinks, Li Hao was feeling dizzy and in pain. Normally, he would have just pushed Wang Wenya off him without a second thought, but she was the neighbor girl who had grown up alongside Si Ningyuan.
Frustrated and gritting his teeth, Li Hao prepared to turn around when he realized everyone had already left. He silently vowed to make Si Ningyuan pay for using such underhanded tactics in business when they returned to Dijing.
He adjusted Wang Wenya's position and angrily wondered why Lin Xiao had also slipped away. As he stumbled toward the elevator, he noticed Lin Xiao was still there, waiting for it.
Li Hao felt as if he had been caught cheating by his wife; he was embarrassed and guilty. He shouted, "Aren't you coming over to help her?"
Seeing the scene unfold before him, Lin Xiao felt a mix of embarrassment and confusion about whether he should refuse to help or not, his face flushed red. It felt like he was ruining his superior's good time.
"They've had too much to drink; I'll help support her," Lin Xiao said. The moment those words left his mouth, Li Hao wished he could bite off his own tongue for being so unnecessary.
Unsure how to respond further, Lin Xiao simply nodded lightly. He thought to himself that everyone knew what was happening; there was no need for explanations between them.
"Make sure you accompany her back to her room and keep an eye on her. I'm heading back now," Li Hao added.
Lin Xiao thought it best not to say anything more; if Li Hao wasn't embarrassed, he certainly was. He replied with an agreeable "Okay."
Fortunately, their room was close by. As Lin Xiao helped Wang Wenya downstairs, she still seemed aware enough to walk on her own.
Just as Lin Xiao laid Wang Wenya down on the bed, she called out for water. Feeling thirsty himself, he poured two glasses and brought them over.
Wang Wenya sat up and drank one glass in one go. Rubbing her temples, she looked at him clearly and said, "I'm sober now; you can go."
"Are you pretending to be drunk?" Lin Xiao doubted that one glass of water could actually sober someone up.
"Ha! You caught me," Wang Wenya admitted playfully.
No longer pretending, she tossed aside the covers and got out of bed. In front of Lin Xiao, she took off all her clothes and pulled out a silk nightgown from the wardrobe before slipping it on.
Lin Xiao quickly turned his head away in a panic, his face burning red.
"It's just me naked; it's not like you're seeing anything new," Wang Wenya teased as she playfully ruffled Lin Xiao's hair.
Startled, Lin Xiao jumped up and backed against the wall. He thought to himself that after a year of learning Taekwondo, he should be able to handle men easily; dealing with someone like Wang Wenya shouldn't be a problem at all.
You all are so oblivious to romance, and that County Chief of yours too, holding soft jade in his embrace yet showing no reaction. Could it be that he’s incapable? Wang Wenya said with a silly grin.
"You’re going too far!" Lin Xiao didn’t know how to respond to Wang Wenya, feeling powerless to argue. She had already been through enough shock for one night.
"Why are you so nervous? It’s not like I like women," Wang Wenya said while wiping her makeup off with a cotton pad. "Or do you want him too?"
"You’re delusional. I’m leaving." Lin Xiao had never encountered someone like Wang Wenya before; it was like a scholar meeting a soldier.
"Since you’re leaving, let me give you a piece of advice," Wang Wenya said, her teasing tone fading. "Don’t fall for him."
"What nonsense are you talking about?" Lin Xiao really didn’t want to hear any more of Wang Wenya’s ramblings. She slammed the hotel door behind her and walked away.
Wang Wenya shook her head at the closed door. "Fool, he was singing, and your infatuated expression has already betrayed you; you just don’t realize it."
Then she thought, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad if you fell in love; after all, if a woman doesn’t encounter a scumbag at least once in her life, how would she know what she truly wants?
Back in her room, Lin Xiao felt the effects of the alcohol wearing off.
She remembered Wang Wenya, a natural beauty who had caught her eye, yet even she couldn’t provoke a reaction from Li Hao. Could it be that he really is incapable?
That would explain why he remains unmarried and has broken up with his girlfriend.
Lin Xiao felt an inexplicable sense of relief; at least she wouldn’t have to worry about workplace harassment anymore. But then again, it was rather pitiful that such a tall and strong man couldn’t perform.
Lin Xiao thought to herself that this secret would have to remain buried deep within her heart.
The next day, Si Ningyuan returned to Changlin with his team, having arranged to meet there in the afternoon.
Lin Xiao and the others headed back to the county.
Regarding last night’s incident, I’ve already criticized Si Ningyuan. Li Hao said casually as he took the folder, though inside he was unsure of what to think; he didn’t want Lin Xiao to misunderstand him as that kind of person.
Lin Xiao didn’t know how to respond to such comments. "Your brother is also helping the leader?" This was truly absurd. The situation was awkward enough as it was.
Lin Xiao felt her face flush with embarrassment and softly acknowledged with a hum that she understood.
Li Hao recalled the massage parlor where Lin Xiao had been moaning next door, blood rushing to his head.
Lin Xiao wanted to say that Wang Wenya was just pretending, but upon further reflection, that didn’t seem right. The conversation had reached an impasse; she wasn’t pretending to be drunk—she was just being herself.
A few experts from the Provincial Academy of Agricultural Sciences arrived to inspect several hills around Yuping Mountain and guide farmers in planting there. Li Hao decided on a whim to go check it out.
Lin Xiao received the notification and picked up her belongings to follow Li Hao as they set off. They were heading back to Fu Yuan Community. As soon as Lin Xiao got into the car, Li Hao turned to Xiao Wang and said something.
Sitting in the passenger seat, Lin Xiao turned her head slightly, puzzled, and asked, "County Head, are we going to Fu Yuan Community to pick someone up?" It was no wonder Lin Xiao asked this; who was coming along would affect their subsequent itinerary and whether she needed to familiarize herself with the person's area of expertise.
"You should go back and change into sportswear; we're going hiking today." After a morning full of meetings, Li Hao felt a bit tired and closed his eyes, saying no more.
Lin Xiao was alarmed; she realized that today’s schedule did not include any rural visits. She had only changed into flat shoes in the office and had forgotten to bring long pants. It seemed she could no longer wear skirts in the future.
Li Hao was unaware that his simple concern had stirred up a storm of thoughts in her mind.
As the car passed by Cui Ping Mountain, Lin Xiao noticed that the low houses in Gengxu Town had been demolished, revealing unique blue-tiled Xiang-style architecture. "County Head, look! From a distance, it resembles a picturesque landscape," Lin Xiao exclaimed with delight and a hint of pride. "I can use a drone to film aerial footage for a geographical documentary."
Li Hao appreciated her enthusiasm; he felt a surge of joy. In less than two years since he arrived here, everything was changing. He believed that with time, Yu Rao would not only lift itself out of poverty but also rank among the top hundred counties in the province.
The mountain roads were rugged, and the vehicle jolted violently. Lin Xiao sat in the passenger seat, trying to suppress her nausea and dared not speak further.
Xiao Wang noticed that Lin Xiao's complexion was growing paler, but with the county head in the car, he didn’t dare say anything. Instead, he grabbed a bottle of water from the door and offered it to her.
Lin Xiao took it but didn’t open it to drink; using the restroom on the mountain was already a challenge—how could she dare to drink water?
Li Hao woke up from being jolted and asked, "How much longer until we arrive?"
"The experts are currently at Xiao Men Mountain," Lin Xiao replied while holding back her nausea. "We can only take this dirt road used by local farmers with ox carts. There might not be much road left ahead; we’ll have to walk from there. It’ll take about an hour."
"Then let’s get down and walk," Li Hao suggested, feeling dizzy from the bumps.
When they got out of the car, Lin Xiao could no longer hold back and crouched by the roadside to dry heave.
Only then did Li Hao notice how pale she looked. "You should wait in the car; let Xiao Wang accompany me."
"Really don’t need to," she replied. "The mountain road is too rough. I’ll be fine walking; I just contacted Li Zhenzhang on the mountain."
Li Hao considered helping Lin Xiao but thought better of it. Instead, he stepped aside and broke off a sturdy branch about an inch thick from a nearby tree and handed it to her as a makeshift walking stick.
Seeing that Lin Xiao’s complexion had improved somewhat after taking the stick, he decided not to stop her from following along.
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