“Jingchuan, are you busy? Come out for a drink.”
Gu Jingchuan’s hand, which was flipping through documents, paused. He asked in a deep voice, “Brother-in-law, are you in Linjiang City?”
“Yeah, there’s a free clinic. I came over yesterday.”
Murong Chen on the other end of the phone curled his lips slightly. “It’s been a while since we’ve had a drink together.”
Gu Jingchuan knew that this trip wasn’t just about drinking.
He closed the documents, glanced at his wristwatch, and said, “Send me the address. I’ll be there within half an hour.”
He then stood up, grabbed his coat, and walked out of the office. He said to Yang Haodong, who was working outside, “Haodong, I need to step out for something. Push back this afternoon’s schedule.”
“Yes, Director.”
Yang Haodong nodded respectfully and watched the mayor leave.
Linjiang City, Rose Bar
Murong Chen sat alone in a corner drinking by himself. By the time Gu Jingchuan arrived, he had already consumed nearly half a bottle—fortunately, the alcohol content wasn’t high.
“Brother-in-law.”
Gu Jingchuan frowned at the half-empty bottle and greeted him.
Murong Chen looked up, a flicker of sorrow passing through his eyes before vanishing in an instant. He smiled and said, “Jingchuan, you’re here. Come, sit down and have a couple of drinks with me.”
Gu Jingchuan draped his coat over the sofa, rolled up his sleeves, and sat across from him. He took the goblet, and the two clinked glasses in mutual understanding.
“Brother-in-law, what made you think of coming here for a drink?”
Gu Jingchuan toyed with the glass in his hand and asked casually.
As a doctor, Murong Chen needed to stay clear-headed at all times, so he rarely touched alcohol, let alone drank alone in melancholy.
Murong Chen downed his glass in one gulp, set it down, and said with a bitter smile, “Jingchuan, you should know that your sister wants a divorce.”
“Yeah, I’ve heard her mention it. Her reason was that you cheated.”
“Nonsense!”
Murong Chen’s anger flared up instantly. His face flushed as he retorted, then he mocked himself, “I think your sister just doesn’t love me anymore, so she found an excuse like that to force me to sign. I came to Linjiang City for the free clinic just to avoid her.”
Gu Jingchuan thought to himself: Just like father, like daughter—they both like running off to Linjiang City.
He asked calmly, “What’s this about cheating?”
Before his brother-in-law, Murong Chen was willing to lay everything out, because he still hoped Jingchuan could help him. Yinyin was stubborn by nature, and only Jingchuan’s words could get through to her.
Murong Chen had always been known for his aloof demeanor at the hospital, yet even so, many girls threw themselves at him. Most only admired him from afar, but one young nurse in the hospital actually dared to play tricks behind his back. Before he left on a business trip, when Yinyin came to the hospital to see him, the nurse deliberately pretended to trip and fall toward him. Although he pushed her away immediately, Yinyin still saw it. He only learned about this later during an argument with Yinyin.
As for the overseas business trip for academic exchange, the original plan was to return before their wedding anniversary—otherwise, Murong Chen wouldn’t have gone abroad at all. But a major surgical research opportunity came up at the last minute, and the other party sincerely invited him to stay and participate. Left with no choice, Murong Chen called Yinyin to explain that he would try his best to make it back that day, and Yinyin was understanding about it.
But as the saying goes, plans can’t keep up with changes. The flight that day was suddenly canceled, and on top of that, the young nurse somehow got hold of Yinyin’s phone number and secretly sent her messages, embellishing the story to stir things up. On their wedding anniversary, Murong Chen was frantic with anxiety. By the time he returned home the next day, he was met with his wife’s divorce papers.
All of this was only learned by Murong Chen through investigation afterward. He regretted his own foolishness, having been taken advantage of through a loophole. He fired the young nurse on the spot and made it clear at the hospital that he would love only Yinyin for the rest of his life—this caused an uproar at the hospital.
Murong Chen calmly explained things to Yinyin, but his wife refused to believe him and insisted on divorce. He knew he couldn’t talk her out of it, which was why he had fled to Linjiang City, hoping his brother-in-law could help him.
“Jingchuan, you know me. I’ve liked your sister since high school. To be closer to her, I chose a medical university right next to her law school. I completed my master’s and doctoral degrees abroad in just four years because I wanted to come back early to be with her.”
Murong Chen’s eyes were filled with love when he spoke of his wife. “I truly love her, but Yinyin won’t even talk to me now. Every time we meet, she brings up divorce. Jingchuan, help your brother-in-law.”
Gu Jingchuan leaned forward, looking directly at Murong Chen. “Brother-in-law, I know you two still love each other, but have you ever thought about why my sister would file for divorce over something so baseless?”
Murong Chen was momentarily stunned. “I…”
“You’ve both been busy all these years—you at the hospital, my sister with her cases. How long has it been since you two went out to eat, shopped, or watched a movie together? You’ve barely even attended Xiaoxue’s parent-teacher meetings.”
Murong Chen clenched his hands, reflecting on years of busyness. He truly hadn’t fulfilled his duties as a husband and father. He loved Yinyin so much, but because of work, he had really neglected her in many ways. No wonder Yinyin said he didn’t love her.
The two of them were often away from home, so Xiaoxue stayed either with her paternal grandparents or her maternal grandparents.
“Jingchuan, I know what I need to do.”
Murong Chen felt a weight lifted off his shoulders, and the two clinked glasses.
The next day, Murong Chen returned to the capital ahead of schedule.
Finance Bureau
Yang Haodong walked into the office and handed a document to Gu Jingchuan. “Director, this is a document sent over from the Tax Bureau.”
Gu Jingchuan glanced at it. “Who delivered it?”
“Feng Mengna.”
Gu Jingchuan withdrew his gaze and continued with what he was doing. “Send it back. Have Shen Jiangtao assign someone else to deliver it.”
Yang Haodong hesitated and asked, “Director, do you mean…”
But when Gu Jingchuan looked up, he immediately understood and said, “Director, I understand. I’ll take care of it right away.”
As soon as he stepped out, Feng Mengna hurried over with a smile and asked, “Secretary Yang, how did it go? Did Director Gu approve it?”
Yang Haodong rubbed his nose, thinking to himself: The director didn’t even look at it.
Then he said with a perfectly straight face, “Miss Feng, the director is still busy. Please take the document back to Director Liu for now.”
Feng Mengna’s smile froze on her face. “Busy” was just an excuse—he probably hadn’t even looked at the document.
Still, she said respectfully to Yang Haodong, “Thank you for your trouble, Secretary Yang.”
After she left, Yang Haodong turned and went back to his desk to call Liu Zhenyu at the Tax Bureau.
Feng Mengna returned to the Tax Bureau with a face full of anger. People passing by quickly steered clear, afraid of catching her bad mood.
“Ningyue, what’s wrong with Feng Mengna? She looks like she got shot down.”
Hong Lingling whispered into Su Ningyue’s ear. “But I’m happy to see it. She must have been humiliated somewhere. I wonder who was bold enough to do that—I really admire them.”
Su Ningyue merely smiled.
Feng Mengna walked into the section chief’s office and launched into a torrent of complaints.
Liu Zhenyu listened with a furrowed brow, then waved her off. “Enough. You dare to gossip about Director Gu behind his back? Go back to your work first. As for this document, I’ll have someone else deliver it.”
Feng Mengna froze, a flicker of suspicion in her eyes. “Who else could deliver this document besides me?”
She was the face of the tax bureau; when it came to social liaisons, she was the undisputed choice.
“What do you think?” Liu Zhenyu said coolly.
Feng Mengna suddenly had an epiphany and raised her voice. “You mean Su Ningyue? Director Gu specifically asked for her? Why?”
“Mengna, from now on, you don’t need to worry about the handover with the finance bureau. Let Su Ningyue handle it. After all, she’s caught Director Gu’s eye.”
Liu Zhenyu said earnestly, “And don’t complain. If you’ve got the ability, make Director Gu think highly of you too.”
“But…” Feng Mengna was momentarily at a loss for words.
“No ‘buts.’ Go and call Su Ningyue over for me.”
Liu Zhenyu waved his hand. “Hurry up, what are you standing there for?”
Feng Mengna went out reluctantly to fetch her, and just as she reached the door, she heard a voice from behind: “Mind your attitude.” It nearly made her stumble.