129: Chapter 129 Heartbreaking

The ringing of the phone interrupted his thoughts.

It was Su Yun.

"Are you coming over for dinner tonight? I made your favorite sweet and sour fish."

Su Yun's voice was as gentle as water.

"I'm coming! No overtime tonight."

Xiao Bei's voice softened involuntarily.

After hanging up, Xiao Bei's gaze fell on a list on his desk—it was a directory of companies that had participated in poverty alleviation project tenders over the past three years. One name caught his attention: Mingyuan Trading. Although the legal representative had changed, this company had once been a link in Zhang Mingyuan's corruption network.

"Interesting..."

Xiao Bei muttered to himself and tucked the list into his briefcase.

Outside the window, the twilight deepened. The lights of the County Government building turned on one by one, like pieces arranged on a chessboard. And in this invisible game, everyone was both a player and a piece.

When Xiao Bei pushed open the door to his home, the aroma of sweet and sour fish wafted through the room. He stood by the shoe cabinet, and his briefcase slipped from his hand, landing with a dull thud.

"You're back?"

Su Yun poked her head out from the kitchen; her hair was slightly damp from the steam, and her cheeks were flushed with a healthy glow. She was still holding a spatula, and a few drops of sauce stained her apron.

Xiao Bei nodded mechanically and bent down to pick up his briefcase. He had done this movement thousands of times, but today it felt exceptionally strenuous. His tie was choking him; he reached up to loosen it, his Adam's apple bobbing.

"What's wrong?"

Su Yun turned down the heat and walked over to him. She was half a head shorter than Xiao Bei, and when she looked up at him, her eyes were filled with concern.

"You look so pale."

Xiao Bei shook his head, wanting to say it was nothing, but the words turned into a sigh. He walked past Su Yun, went straight to the living room, and sank into the sofa. The leather sofa groaned under the weight, much like his nerves that had been taut all day.

Su Yun followed, crouched down in front of him, and took his hand. Her palms were warm and dry, carrying the scent of the kitchen.

"You didn't get the County Magistrate position?"

Xiao Bei looked up sharply, his pupils contracting. Su Yun had never been so blunt about exposing his inner thoughts.

"Team Leader Zhang Yining sent me a message."

Su Yun explained softly, "She said you might be in a bad mood."

Xiao Bei pulled at the corners of his mouth, trying to smile but failing. He gripped Su Yun's hand in return, his thumb unconsciously stroking the space between her thumb and index finger.

"The province parachuted in County Magistrate Lin Ruohan; she just arrived today."

"Is she young?"

"In her early thirties."

"Is she pretty?"

Xiao Bei froze for a moment, not expecting Su Yun to ask that.

"Quite pretty, but she's too cold, like a block of ice."

Su Yun chuckled, "It seems our County Magistrate Xiao has been undercut."

"Not exactly."

Xiao Bei let go of her hand and rubbed his temples in frustration.

"I'm just an ordinary Deputy County Magistrate now, not even the Executive one."

The sound of boiling broth came from the kitchen, and Su Yun got up to turn off the stove.

Xiao Bei listened to her busy movements—the clatter of the spatula, the gentle sound of bowls and dishes—these ordinary sounds made his eyes sting today. He remembered how, before work today, he had been full of confidence, thinking he would bring Su Yun good news after work. Now, it seemed laughable.

"Let's eat."

Su Yun came out carrying the sweet and sour fish; the fish was drizzled with amber sauce and garnished with bright green scallions.

"I added extra vinegar; it's appetizing."

Xiao Bei sat at the dining table and watched Su Yun serve him rice. Her hands were steady, and the rice was piled into a small mountain in the bowl.

"Aren't you going to ask me about the details?"

"If you want to talk about it, you will."

Su Yun pushed the bowl toward him, "Eat first. It'll get fishy if it gets cold."

Xiao Bei picked up a piece of fish belly; it was sweet and sour, and the meat was tender. This was Su Yun's signature dish, but today he chewed mechanically, finding it tasteless, like chewing wax.

"As soon as she arrived, she wanted to see the audit reports for the poverty alleviation projects."

Xiao Bei spoke suddenly, "All the documents from the past three years."

Su Yun's hand paused while picking up some food, "Poverty alleviation isn't your area of responsibility, is it?"

"No, it's under Liu Fuzhi's purview."

Xiao Bei frowned, "But she specifically named me to prepare the briefing materials."

"Doesn't Deputy County Magistrate Liu have any objections?"

"Him?"

Xiao Bei sneered, "He ran to County Magistrate Lin Ruohan's office this afternoon to curry favor. He even prepared the assistance plans that weren't under his purview. Later, I found out in the archives room that County Magistrate Lin Ruohan was checking the documents herself."

Su Yun nodded thoughtfully, "Has there been an assistance task from the city recently?"

"Yes, it requires economically developed districts and counties to provide counterpart assistance to poverty-stricken counties."

Xiao Bei put down his chopsticks, "Liu Fuzhi volunteered to handle the assistance plan for Lishan County."

"Lishan County?"

Su Yun's eyes lit up, "Doesn't that count as him trying to show off in front of the leader?"

Xiao Bei's expression stiffened. He stared at the wood grain on the dining table, suddenly realizing something. "Liu Fuzhi is doing this to show me."

"Eat."

Su Yun picked up another piece of fish for him, "Think about work matters tomorrow."

But Xiao Bei had lost his appetite. He pushed away his bowl and walked to the balcony. The night was deep, and the outline of the County Government building was looming in the distance, with a few windows still lit. Previously, one of those lights would always be his, but today it was pitch black.

Su Yun followed him out and handed him a cup of hot tea. Xiao Bei took it, and through the swirling steam, he saw Su Yun's worried face.

"It's the first time I've refused to work overtime."

He smiled self-deprecatingly, "In the past, no matter how late it was, I would finish reading the documents."

"People aren't machines."

Su Yun leaned on his shoulder, "If you're tired, rest. What's the big deal?"

Xiao Bei took a sip of tea, the bitterness spreading on the tip of his tongue.

"I'm not tired, it's just..."

He couldn't find the right words to describe that feeling; it was like punching cotton—there was nowhere for the force to land.

"A chill of disappointment?"

Su Yun asked softly.

Xiao Bei was silent for a long time, then nodded. The night wind ruffled his hair, and his furrowed brows were particularly striking under the light.

"Do you know why I like the scent of your hair?"

He asked suddenly.

Su Yun shook her head.

"Because it reminds me of the first time I went to your house."

Xiao Bei's voice softened, "When I took care of that group of loan sharks."

Su Yun smiled, "I remember my mom even told me to bring you osmanthus cakes!"

"That's right."

Xiao Bei smiled too, "The scent of osmanthus."

"Xiao Bei."

Su Yun turned around and looked directly into his eyes, "Did you crack the corruption case in the education system for a promotion?"

"Of course not!"

Xiao Bei frowned, "That child Chen Zhihao died tragically, and then there was County Magistrate Xuan Lingyu's work style issues!"

"Then what are you struggling with now?"

Su Yun interrupted him, "Whether you are a County Magistrate or a Deputy County Magistrate, aren't you serving the people?"

Xiao Bei was speechless. The light from the streetlamp shone on his face, casting shadows of varying depths.

"Tomorrow's poverty alleviation progress meeting will be presided over by County Magistrate Lin Ruohan herself."

He said in a low voice, "I suspect she will take action against the poverty alleviation funds."