26: Chapter 26 Su Changming's Proposal, Zhu Wenhao's Reaction

Su Qinghan entered through that heavy mahogany door.

Inside the office, the rich scent of tobacco mixed with the aroma of aged rice paper, condensing into the smell of power.

Mayor Su Changming sat behind the massive executive desk, head buried in signing documents, looking like a stone statue merged with the shadows.

The rustling sound of a fountain pen tip gliding across the paper was the only sound in the room.

Su Qinghan stood still in front of the desk, her spine straight.

One second.

Ten seconds.

One minute.

Mayor Su Changming finally signed the last character and closed the folder.

He took off his reading glasses, rubbed the bridge of his nose, and only then raised his eyes to look at his daughter, as if he had just discovered her existence.

"You're here."

He pointed to the leather sofa in the guest area to the side.

"Sit."

Su Qinghan didn't move.

She just watched him quietly, observing the new gray hairs at the temples of this man, and those eyes, so saturated with power that they seemed bottomless.

Zheng Jianguo's body was not yet cold.

Yet this puppet master behind the scenes could sit here so calmly, reviewing official documents concerning the livelihood of Linjiang.

How ironic.

"Mayor Su, Su Qinghan from the Treasury Division of the Finance Bureau, reporting to you."

Her voice held not a trace of warmth.

Mayor Su Changming stood up and paced over.

He sat on the sofa and looked up at his daughter, who was still standing.

"What's the matter? It's only been a little over a month since you left home, and you've forgotten how to call me 'Dad'?"

After experiencing that despicable scheme, after being pushed out as a sacrificial pawn for promotion, this word sounded more grating than the most vicious curse in the world.

"In the office, there are only superiors and subordinates."

"Sit down."

Mayor Su Changming wasn't angry; instead, he fished a soft-pack Zhonghua cigarette from his pocket and lit it.

The curling smoke blurred his face, which betrayed no emotion.

"I understand that you've suffered grievances outside and your temper is a bit fiery. But in the system, if this face is too cold, you won't go far."

Su Qinghan finally sat down.

Not because of that ridiculous blood relation, but because she knew that standing meant an emotional confrontation, which was the posture of the weak.

Sitting down and looking him in the eye was the beginning of a negotiation.

She chose the single sofa furthest from him, a distance full of wariness.

The door was knocked.

Secretary Li Changgeng entered carrying that conspicuous white porcelain cup and respectfully placed it in front of Su Qinghan.

He then picked up the thermos to refill Mayor Su Changming's water; the entire process was as quiet as a ghost.

When Secretary Li Changgeng exited, the door was gently closed.

"What do you want with me?" Su Qinghan broke the silence first.

Mayor Su Changming flicked the ash, his gaze falling on the cup of Longjing tea steaming in front of her.

"How are things going with Zhu Wenhao?"

He asked lightly.

"Fine."

Su Qinghan picked up the teacup, letting the steam blur her expression.

"He has changed a lot; he is no longer the good-for-nothing he used to be. Now, I can't see through him."

"If you can't see through him, that's good!"

Mayor Su Changming crushed the half-smoked cigarette into the ashtray with a dull thud.

"That old loach, Secretary Zhu Tianhe, has spawned a real dragon! How long has that kid been in the Organization Department? And he already pulled out the nail that was Zheng Jianguo for me! Since you two are living together, there are rumors outside; there needs to be an explanation."

"This weekend, have him come home."

Mayor Su Changming said every word clearly, his tone brooking no argument.

"You come back too. As a family, let's settle the marriage."

Su Qinghan gripped the warm rim of the cup.

"The situation in Linjiang is so tense right now, and the Inspection Team hasn't left yet. Isn't it inappropriate to talk about marriage?"

"Qinghan."

Mayor Su Changming looked at her, and for the first time, a glimmer of something almost sincere flashed in his muddy eyes.

"I know you hate me. But you are Mayor Su Changming's daughter; that will never change. Secretary Zhu Tianhe is about to take charge of personnel, and I have secured my position as mayor. As long as you two marry and the Zhu and Su families join forces, it will be an ironclad alliance!"

"In Linjiang, no one will be able to touch us again!"

This was no discussion of marriage.

This was the conclusion of a treaty under duress.

Su Qinghan's heart sank. She understood that she and Zhu Yuntong were the two most important bargaining chips placed on the scale.

She didn't argue, just nodded to show she had heard him.

...

At night, Donghuwan Apartment.

Zhu Yuntong sat at the desk, flipping through a book on Machiavellianism.

The door lock clicked softly.

Su Qinghan walked in, tossed her handbag onto the sofa, and walked straight behind him.

"Mayor Su Changming looked for me."

Her voice carried a trace of imperceptible exhaustion.

Zhu Yuntong's gaze didn't leave the page.

"Conditions?"

"This weekend, bring you home for dinner."

Su Qinghan took a deep breath.

"To finalize the marriage."

Zhu Yuntong's hand, which was turning the page, stopped.

He turned slowly; his face, illuminated by the desk lamp, was half in light and half in shadow, his eyes as deep as an ancient well.

"A delaying tactic."

"Zheng Jianguo's death brought the Provincial Inspection Team to him. My father has secured the personnel power. He is afraid."

"So, he wants to use the 'marriage alliance' card to tie the Zhu family to his chariot. As long as the marriage is settled, my father will be his—Mayor Su Changming's—in-law. In officialdom, in-laws fighting each other is political suicide. His move is not bad."

Su Qinghan bit her lip and walked to his side.

"This is indeed a brilliant, open strategy to attack the heart. He is showing weakness to your father, and he is also forcing your hand."

"No."

Zhu Yuntong turned his head and looked at her with burning eyes, carrying a trace of imperial scrutiny.

"He is not forcing me; he is begging me."

There was a hint of playfulness in Zhu Yuntong's voice.

"This is also the best time for us to get married. If we miss this opportunity, once he catches his breath and his posture as a department-level mayor is firmly set, it won't be that easy to get him to nod."

"Then what... exactly are you thinking?"

Su Qinghan finally asked the question that had been keeping her up at night.

"Zhu Yuntong, do you actually want to marry me as a person, or are you marrying the identity of 'Mayor Su Changming's daughter' behind me?"

Zhu Yuntong didn't answer.

What flashed through his mind was the cold sixty years in the Forbidden City.

Marriage, for an emperor, is a tool to balance the court, a bargaining chip to appease meritorious officials, and a responsibility to propagate the bloodline.

It has nothing to do with love.

But at this moment, looking at this cold, stubborn woman before him who had voluntarily thrown herself into his arms, his heart, which was tightly wrapped in imperial arts, seemed to have been gently cracked open by something.

"It's too early to talk about this now."

He sat back at the table, opened another document, and sealed that crack again.

Su Qinghan watched his resolute back, and her heart grew cold bit by bit.

This man was within reach, yet worlds away.

"I'll listen to you."

She gave a self-deprecating smile and turned back to her own room.

The door closed, cutting off the two worlds.

That night, the light in the master bedroom stayed on for a long time.

Su Qinghan lay on the bed, eyes open, listening to the occasional sound of page-turning from next door, sleepless all night.

The next morning.

At the dining table, the two ate breakfast in silence.

Neither mentioned the trap at the banquet this weekend again.

Su Qinghan pushed a dish of vinegar toward him.

Her fingertips inadvertently brushed the back of his hand.

Unlike usual stiffness, Zhu Yuntong actually reached out and gently held her hand in his palm.

It was inescapable.

Su Qinghan looked up abruptly, colliding into his bottomless eyes.