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"You don't seem like someone who has practiced Sanda," he remarked.
"How do you know?" Lin Xiao replied, surprised. She had trained seriously for two months during her job transition, but in the past two months, she had only been practicing sporadically—three days of training followed by two days off. The year before that had been even worse: one day of training for four days off.
Li Hao didn’t hide the truth; he recounted what had happened that day.
Lin Xiao felt a pang of frustration. What terrible luck she had!
Seeing her sulking expression, Li Hao found her much more animated than when she was at work, and his tone became less formal.
Perhaps the relaxed atmosphere eased Lin Xiao's tension, prompting her to tentatively say, "I started learning Sanda because you didn’t want me to be your secretary." Her voice carried a mix of playful complaint and genuine concern about being dismissed again for wearing a skirt and feeling nauseous during the ride.
"Being my secretary is so great? I’ve heard that you young people are scared of me, calling me the 'Skin Peeler'." Li Hao tried to downplay his reputation as a demanding boss.
Lin Xiao thought to herself, at least you have some self-awareness.
However, she kept this thought to herself. The junior secretaries had discussed how the best way to flatter their superiors was to inadvertently express admiration and uniqueness.
"You’re still quite young yourself. You’re our role model; we all admire your abilities and talents, but there’s absolutely no hatred." Lin Xiao dropped her playful tone, revealing a hint of sincerity.
In her heart, she mused about the benefits of being his secretary. Surely after two years of hard work, he would promote her? Regardless of promotions, even Li Hongxin, with his slick tongue, treated her with respect now; having Li Hao's backing meant she could avoid being bullied.
From a distance, Li Hongxin noticed them both in their sportswear, chatting and laughing together—an image that resembled a pair of golden boys and girls.
As he thought this, he quickened his pace.
The highest mountain in Yurou County was Cui Ping Mountain, standing over a thousand meters above sea level, surrounded by rolling hills mostly around five or six hundred meters high.
The mountain used to be home to many Shan He Tao and wild kiwis—small fruits with a dry texture.
This time, the county invited experts—not only soil specialists but also agricultural grafting experts.
Lin Xiao thought that if they could truly realize the vision proposed by the County Chief, then sitting under the trees while pursuing dreams would benefit countless people.
Just thinking about it filled her with pride at the prospect of being part of such an initiative.
Li Hao looked up to gaze at the foot of the mountain but instead saw Lin Xiao approaching briskly in a straw hat against the sunlight. The setting sun illuminated her face, making her smile radiate like gold.
It was a picturesque scene of rural beauty that made Li Hao’s heart race; it felt like Murphy's Law—what one fears tends to come true.
"County Chief," Lin Xiao called out excitedly as she walked closer. "Professor Liu says this soil is perfect for planting Shan He Tao; we can also graft onto existing plants!" Her voice was filled with enthusiasm as Professor Liu followed closely behind her, his face glowing with excitement.
Li Hao accidentally missed the plant that Lin Xiao handed over and reached out to support Professor Liu, who was approaching. Lin Xiao suddenly realized that she had been too excited and had forgotten to help Professor Liu, silently reminding herself to stay calm.
By the time they descended the mountain, it was already past six in the evening. Li Hao and several professors chatted animatedly as they walked, exchanging compliments that made Lin Xiao feel invigorated. It was during this afternoon that they collectively established a ten-year economic development plan for Yurou County.
The next day, as Lin Xiao entered her office, Zhou Bin brought materials for Luo Qianwei to her. "What have you been busy with lately? I didn't see you at lunch," Zhou Bin said, leaning over to see what Lin Xiao was focused on on her computer screen, noticing her cheerful expression.
Looking at the computer, there were several photos of the Li County Chief—some discussing with experts, some bending down to examine saplings, and others gazing into the distance. "Has the county chief gone to Cui Ping Mountain?" Zhou Bin asked knowingly.
Lin Xiao briefly explained about the experts' visit. The Li County Chief mentioned that in the future, the southwestern region would develop its mountain economy, aiming for poverty alleviation within three years at the earliest and six years at the latest. He also stated plans to build a highway connecting the southwestern region, centering around Cui Ping Mountain to promote tourism.
As Zhou Bin listened to Lin Xiao's enthusiastic recounting, he fell silent for a moment. "Xiaoxiao, do you have a crush on the county chief?" he said softly.
"What nonsense are you talking about?" Lin Xiao's demeanor instantly turned cold.
"Nonsense? Just look at your photos—they're all of him from different angles," Zhou Bin said exasperatedly. "In just ten minutes, I counted that you've mentioned him twenty times."
"He's my superior; who else should I take pictures of?" Lin Xiao replied dismissively.
"Xiaoxiao, he really is great, and so are you, but you two aren't suited for each other," Zhou Bin said sincerely, treating Lin Xiao like a friend despite his own shortcomings in work abilities. Knowing her well, he understood that unlike other girls who could afford to make mistakes in relationships, she could not—and perhaps didn't even need to.
"You're overthinking it. Next time I won't mention him," Lin Xiao said lightly, recognizing Zhou Bin's good intentions without feeling annoyed.
As Zhou Bin left, he lowered his voice seriously and warned her, "Even if you like him, don't let it show. If others find out, it won't be good for you."
Sitting in her office, Lin Xiao recalled Wang Wenya's words and Zhou Bin's warning, feeling a whirlwind of emotions within her.
Lin Xiao had never been in love. She had once been closest to Xu Ran, but it was nothing like the time she spent with Li Hao. Frustrated, she took out her digital camera and began to look through the photos, frame by frame, admiring how good-looking they were.
In a moment of distraction, the camera slipped from her hands and fell onto the table, startling her. Lin Xiao silently reminded herself that there was nothing to it; she only admired his character and his dedication to serving the people wholeheartedly. He was just her superior, and that was all there was to it. She repeated this thought countless times.
Compared to Lin Xiao's troubles, Li Hao was also feeling uneasy. He knew that a rabbit wouldn't eat the grass near its burrow; if he opened this door, he couldn't imagine how many people would start making moves around him in the future. He needed to quickly arrange for Luo Qianwei to find a new secretary. She had been working for nearly three years, and given her abilities, it wouldn't be unreasonable to promote her to a deputy position. With this thought in mind, Li Hao felt much more at ease.
Luo Qianwei was a woman of action. By the afternoon of the second day, she had called Meng Kai from the Organization Department and arranged for him to follow Lin Xiao for training. When Lin Xiao saw Meng Kai, a chill ran down her spine; it seemed that her motion sickness from yesterday's trip to Cui Ping Mountain had left a bad impression on their leader. The fleeting romantic notions she had felt yesterday vanished completely, and Lin Xiao scolded herself for being foolish.
After serving as Li Hao's secretary for a year, she had long since lost the initial urge to question why she had been replaced; not doing a good job in serving her leader was the simplest reason of all. Lin Xiao kept her composure and continued with her work as usual. A month passed without any changes in her position, while Meng Kai took over the role that Lin Xiao had vacated.
Lin Xiao's heart lifted and then settled again; she realized she had underestimated Li Hao's character. Fortunately, she had matured and stabilized herself during that time.
After arranging for Luo Qianwei to find a new secretary, Li Hao ultimately did not have the resolve to replace Lin Xiao. Every time he watched her put forth her utmost effort to complete the tasks assigned to her, he felt that he shouldn't ruin a young person striving for progress because of his own selfish desires. The application for the Yurou County Changjing Railway Extension Project was at a critical stage, and Lin Xiao was specifically responsible for coordinating with various departments such as Development and Reform, Finance, and Transportation—her presence was indispensable at this time.
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