Fu Jinglan didn’t care in the slightest, slapping his phone face-down on the conference table.
Secretary-General Mu Suizhou was reporting on the key policies recently supported by North State.
All his usual cool, aloof demeanor was set aside, steady as an old dog.
“Women and children are vulnerable groups in society, and protecting their rights—”
Fu Jinglan listened quietly, nodding along. Yeah, for example, Shen Lingxi is pretty vulnerable.
Mu Suizhou sat upright, his words forceful:
“Governor Fu has always believed that without the comprehensive development of women and children, there can be no true social progress…”
Tsk.
Fu Jinglan felt a surge of righteousness from himself.
Unlike his philandering, reckless father, who nearly ran North State into the ground.
Returning to the topic, Fu Jinglan carefully considered the policy content.
And concluded that older children are still children, with the right to care and protection.
So, Shen Lingxi just happened to benefit from North State’s good policies.
Fu Jinglan couldn’t help but pick up his phone again.
Several minutes later, Shen Lingxi’s phone chimed.
【Has the spineless one wasted my medical expenses again today?】
The screen was a riot of colors.
What the hell? Such a mess.
Shen Lingxi took a moment to process—was this Fu Jinglan’s sweet talk?
Really “sweet.”
Fu Jinglan had stuffed all the flowers, plants, and trees from the emojis into the text, making it look like a garden.
Full of vitality.
Shen Lingxi laughed so hard she rolled over on the bed.
【Thanks for your concern, big brother. I’m much better, just my “head” still hurts a bit.】
This time, Fu Jinglan didn’t reply for a long while.
Shen Lingxi was busy calling Shen Lanting, but couldn’t get through.
Finally, she checked WeChat.
The sky had fallen!
The mockery had rebounded on her a million times over.
Because Shen Lingxi realized she’d typed the wrong character.
She’d typed “breast” instead of “brain”.
At the conference table, Fu Jinglan read Shen Lingxi’s reply.
His expression remained aloof and cold, but a hint of confusion flickered between his brows.
Shen Lingxi was too delicate, prone to tears, and in poor health.
First her head hurt, now her * hurt—what would hurt next time?
Shen Lanting had really handed him a big order.
Forget about women and children—it might be time to terminate the contract.
Fu Jinglan held a cigarette between his lips, his cool gaze fixed on his phone, lost in thought.
Across the conference table, a female minister kept stealing glances at Fu Jinglan, overtly and covertly, her heart pounding uncontrollably.
Slicked-back hair, handsome face, pale complexion.
Broad shoulders, narrow waist, and muscles.
A low-key gray shirt and vest, paired with a stylish deep burgundy tie with subtle checks.
After a while, Fu Jinglan took a slow, deliberate drag from his cigarette.
Smoke curled from his lips as he narrowed his eyes. The female minister shifted uncomfortably in her seat, even considering leaving to change into a fresh pair of pants.
The more she looked, the more she felt it.
Fu Jinglan was definitely that kind of man:
A beast in bed,
A strategist out of bed,
A gentleman in public.
Beside the female minister, Northern Territory Minister Tan Zongxing stroked the Buddhist beads on his wrist and smirked mischievously.
He leaned toward her.
Whispering, he said, “Governor Fu is handsome and charming. Want me to get his number for you?”
The female minister snapped back to attention, hurriedly picking up her pen.
“Minister Tan, we’re in a meeting. Please don’t say such things.”
Tan Zongxing laughed so hard his shoulders shook.
“But you can’t even sit still.”
Though it was understandable—who didn’t appreciate beauty?
Tan Zongxing had kept himself pure all these years, enduring the struggle, all to one day be worthy of a wife as beautiful as a fairy.
Fu Jinglan paid no mind to the interaction happening nearby, preoccupied with the matter of Shen Lingxi’s pain.
As he brooded, he suddenly found it amusing.
Why was he bothering with a sickly, clingy little rabbit?
A little rabbit he could easily toss aside by grabbing its ears.
She had no family left in this world.
Just a lonely little creature.
The paternity report confirmed that Shen Lingxi and Shen Lanting indeed shared no blood relation.
Thus, Fu Jinglan couldn’t be bothered to hold it against Shen Lingxi.
However, his words didn’t sound pleasant.
【Spineless, are you pretending to be in pain because you don’t want to do it with me?】
The meeting moved to the next agenda. When faced with major decisions, the chief political leader habitually sought Fu Jinglan’s opinion first.
“Governor Fu, what are your thoughts?”
Despite Fu Jinglan’s mind being on Shen Lingxi, he was fully aware of the meeting’s progress.
He leisurely removed the cigarette from his lips and extinguished it.
His voice was low and magnetic as he spoke, “No profound insights, but under the premise of ensuring people’s livelihoods, we should pursue a cross-border strategy…”
After finishing his sentence, Fu Jinglan’s gaze involuntarily drifted toward his phone.
No movement.
Could it be that Shen Lingxi was in too much pain to speak?
How annoying.
Fu Jinglan simply put out his cigarette.
“Also, I suggest that meetings that can be concluded in three days should not be dragged out for a week.”
Ignoring the people around the long table, Fu Jinglan stood up and headed toward the conference room door.
“Apologies, please continue.”
“I have some family matters to attend to.”
The meeting was only halfway through, and the chief political leader was still present.
But the leader dared not question Fu Jinglan directly.
Without Fu Jinglan, North State would have long been invaded and annexed by neighboring countries, and the entire nation of A would struggle to maintain peace.
Fu Jinglan was a versatile talent.
Capable of commanding from behind the scenes and daring to take the field himself.
Tanks, fighter jets, aircraft carriers, missiles… there was no combat domain he hadn’t touched.
Seeing the chief leader staring at Fu Jinglan’s retreating figure, hesitating to speak, Tan Zongxing, the Northern Frontier Minister, shrugged with a smile.
Coming from a family with a dark past, he had always been casual, self-assured, and unyielding to authority.
Though Fu Jinglan was aloof and solitary, disliking social interactions, the two could still converse.
Tan Zongxing asked without hesitation.
“Governor Fu, what’s so urgent? Do you have a child at home waiting for you to prepare milk?”
Fu Jinglan didn’t turn around.
His tall, straight figure answered Tan Zongxing:
“Something like that. The little one at home is sick.”
He added, “It’s urgent.”
The female minister across the table immediately stopped her lighthearted chatter.
Everyone whispered in astonishment, “Does Fu Jinglan have a woman?”
“When did he become a father?”
Tan Zongxing tapped his pen on the conference table.
“Alright, let’s continue the meeting. Governor Fu didn’t say it was his child who was sick.”
Tan Zongxing’s playful question had nearly exposed Fu Jinglan as having a child.
The corridor was brightly lit with luxurious carpets, exuding an air of grandeur.
As soon as Fu Jinglan pushed open the door, the guards he had brought from North State automatically followed, ensuring the governor’s personal safety at all times.
But Fu Jinglan raised a hand to signal, “No need to follow.”
The guards halted, and Fu Jinglan walked alone to the stairwell.
Just as he was about to instruct Shen Lingxi’s attending physician to find her a gynecologist, Shen Lingxi messaged:
【Sorry, I made a typo. It’s my head that still hurts a bit.】
Shen Lingxi had burrowed under the covers, sitting curled up inside, her face flushed with embarrassment.
However, she was also preoccupied with other matters—her uncle, Shen Lanting, was completely unreachable.
She also wanted to retrieve the confiscated phone she had brought to Lu Manor, as it contained a family photo.
In truth, it wasn’t just about the family photo.
He still had a few photos of abs, a collection of poses, some pretty actresses, and a couple of small websites saved.
So:
【d—^^y, when are you coming home?】
Home.
To Fu Jinglan, this was a novel concept.
As a child, he had no home.
As an adult, the country became his home.
So, it turns out that coming home could also be something someone looked forward to, something someone missed.
An ordinary human experience, yet one he had never tasted before.
The clouds between Fu Jinglan’s brows dispersed, and the slanting sunlight streamed through the window, falling on him, warm and pleasant.
Too lazy to type anymore, he sent a voice message:
“Only been gone for four days, already missing me?”
Fu Jinglan’s voice through the receiver was even deeper and more magnetic.
Like a soft feather gently brushing Shen Lingxi’s ears and cheeks through the screen.
Each word sent a tingling, numbing sensation.
Shen Lingxi rubbed his ears and replied with a voice message too.
Having been sick for a few days, his voice was sweet, soft, and a bit dazed.
“Y-yes, missing you, I… kind of miss you.”
Miss you…
Fu Jinglan’s heart tightened for a moment, then slowly relaxed.
But this little rabbit seemed quite skilled at sweet talk. Saying he missed him—Fu Jinglan didn’t believe it.
How could he be so easily swayed by a little brat?
He sent two more voice messages to Shen Lingxi.
“Miss me? Where do you miss me? What part of me do you miss?”
“Is it a psychological kind of missing, or a physical kind?”
Fu Jinglan’s voice was too lethal, and each question was hard to answer.
Shen Lingxi simply said nothing.
First, he pressed the screen, pouted his lips, and gave the phone a kiss.
“Mwah~”
Then, a voice message: “I just miss you, I can’t really explain it. After all, I’ve never missed anyone else before.”
Fu Jinglan seemed to catch a whiff of a sweet, milky scent.
After blending into his breath, it gave him an indescribable, slightly intoxicating feeling.
He closed his eyes for a moment, steadying his breathing.
“Alright, little rabbit Shen, I’m very busy and can’t come home for now.”
“Don’t play with your phone too much. If you ruin your health, what will I have left to play with?”