42: Chapter 42 Young Cadre Training Class

The next afternoon.

In the family quarters of the Linjiang Municipal Party Committee, inside a second-floor bedroom of The Su Family's small building.

Heavy curtains blocked out the afternoon light. Li Jiajia lowered her voice as she rummaged through the depths of her wardrobe, searching for her "weapons."

She pulled out a skimpy, tight-fitting black tube dress and tossed it onto the bed.

"Wear this one."

Su Xiaoxiao looked at the fabric, which barely covered anything, her delicate brows furrowing deeply.

"Mom, this is... too revealing. I'm just going to my big sister's place for dinner."

Li Jiajia spun around abruptly, poking her finger hard against her daughter's smooth forehead.

"Idiot!"

"Zhu Wenhao is no longer the useless waste he used to be! Haven't you seen? Secretary Zhu Tianhe single-handedly wrested away control of the Public Security Bureau!"

"You're younger than your ice-princess of a sister, and you know better how to wrap men around your finger. Going over tonight isn't just for dinner; it's to test his waters, to storm his castle! As long as you can hook his soul and let him know whose bed is warmer, only then can the two of us truly secure a firm footing in The Su Family!"

Mayor Su Changming's intentions were already clear as day.

The chess piece that was his eldest daughter had developed her own mind, slipping out of his control.

In that case, he would simply swap her for a younger, more obedient piece to continue this game of political marriage.

Su Xiaoxiao bit her lip, reluctantly changed into her battle dress, threw a trench coat over it, and got into a car.

8:00 PM, Donghuwan Apartment.

The doorbell rang.

Su Qinghan put down the broom in her hand, walked over, and opened the door.

Su Xiaoxiao's trench coat was intentionally left open, the black tight-fitting dress inside perfectly showcasing her youthful curves, her twin peaks bouncing with her feigned innocent hops.

Su Qinghan stood motionless, completely blocking the doorway.

Their gazes clashed in the air, sparks flying.

"Big Sister, aren't you going to invite me in?"

Su Xiaoxiao raised her chin, her voice cloyingly sweet, yet her eyes were filled with undisguised provocation.

From inside, a man's voice, steady as usual, drifted out.

"Qinghan, who's at the door?"

Footsteps approached.

Wearing a dark grey apron and holding a hand towel, Zhu Wenhao walked out of the kitchen.

His gaze fell upon Su Xiaoxiao at the door, calm and rippleless.

"Why don't you invite your sister in to sit down?"

Only then did Su Qinghan step aside.

Stepping in her high heels, Su Xiaoxiao walked into the living room and sat straight down on the main sofa as if she were the mistress of the house.

She crossed her legs and leaned her torso slightly forward.

The trench coat slid off her shoulders to the crook of her elbows, exposing her most prized assets to the air without reservation.

Su Qinghan walked over and sat on the single sofa beside her.

Dressed in minimalist, plain-colored loungewear, she exuded an aura of aloofness that warned others to keep their distance.

One was like raging fire, the other like cold ice.

Zhu Wenhao draped the towel over the back of a dining chair, his gaze falling softly upon Su Qinghan.

"Qinghan, you must be tired after being busy all day."

"Rest here. I'll go bring out the soup."

With that, he turned and walked straight back into the kitchen.

From beginning to end, he didn't say a single word to Su Xiaoxiao.

That level of utter disregard was more devastating than any scolding.

Leaning back against the sofa, Su Qinghan watched Su Xiaoxiao's face flush red with shock and humiliation, a cold arc forming at the corner of her lips.

The food was served—four dishes and a soup, simple home-cooked fare yet exquisitely prepared.

Su Xiaoxiao deliberately chose the seat directly opposite Zhu Wenhao.

Just after taking a couple of bites, she feigned a slip of her hand, and with a clatter, her chopsticks fell to the floor.

"Oh!"

She let out a perfectly timed gasp, then bent down to pick them up.

Her neckline gaped open instantly. From Zhu Wenhao's angle, her deep cleavage was fully visible.

At the same time, beneath the table, a foot clad in black stockings quietly crossed the center line, sliding up Zhu Wenhao's crisp suit trousers like a snake, slowly testing the waters.

This trick was clumsy and ugly.

In the imperial harem of the Great Ming, the schemes of the concubines who plotted endlessly just to win a single night of the Emperor's favor were a hundred times more sophisticated than this.

To Zhu Yuntong, this was nothing more than child's play.

He didn't even bat an eyelid.

Holding his bowl in his right hand and picking up food with his left, his movements were composed as he chewed slowly.

It was as if the girl putting on a show across from him were nothing but thin air.

Seeing no response, the foot under the table grew even bolder, the toes even attempting to touch his most private zone.

Zhu Wenhao finished his last bite of vegetables and put down his bowl and chopsticks.

He extended his right leg forward in a seemingly casual manner.

The tip of his polished leather shoe pressed precisely against the solid wooden crossbar under the table. Then, with a sudden twist of his ankle, he forcefully pinned her foot against it!

"Ah!"

With a suppressed cry of pain, Su Xiaoxiao's entire face contorted instantly, tears welling up and spinning wildly in her eyes.

Her misbehaving foot had been wrenched aside by a massive force, slamming hard into the corner of the table leg!

A bone-crushing pain washed over her, making her want to scream out loud on the spot.

"What's wrong?" Zhu Wenhao looked up, staring at her calmly.

"N-nothing... I just accidentally bumped my leg..."

Su Xiaoxiao nearly ground her teeth to dust as she withdrew her foot as fast as she could, hiding it under the table and rubbing her ankle furiously.

She did not dare to cross the line even by a fraction of an inch again.

The remainder of the meal felt like torture to her.

The youthful assets she was so proud of had been reduced to an absolute joke before this man.

He didn't even deign to actively reject her.

As soon as the dinner ended, Su Xiaoxiao practically fled the apartment, unable to even utter a proper goodbye.

The security door clicked shut.

Su Qinghan picked up the dishes from the table and walked toward the kitchen, her steps much lighter than usual.

This bloodless victory completely swept away the pent-up frustration in her heart.

After washing the dishes, Su Qinghan returned to the bedroom.

When she walked out of the bathroom wrapped in a bathrobe, Zhu Wenhao was leaning against the headboard, flipping through a personnel briefing from the Municipal Party Committee.

Su Qinghan walked over to the side of the bed.

Instead of lying down as usual, she pressed one knee onto the edge of the bed, reached out, snatched the briefing from his hands, and tossed it onto the nightstand.

Zhu Wenhao looked up.

Su Qinghan untied the sash of her bathrobe.

The silk fabric slid down quietly, pooling around her slender waist like a white lotus blooming in the dark night.

Tonight, she cast aside all her rationality and reserve.

There were no redundant words, only the most direct actions.

The positions she once found embarrassing were met with surprising compliance tonight, and she even took the initiative to lead.

The long night was torn open by a burning rift.

The next morning.

The alarm went off.

Zhu Wenhao opened his eyes and rubbed his throbbing temples.

Even a young, twenty-four-year-old body couldn't withstand such unbridled demands.

In the mirror, the distinct dark circles under his eyes made him truly look somewhat overindulged.

He changed into his usual dark-colored cadre jacket, washed up, and headed out.

By the time he arrived at the Municipal Party Committee compound, there were only two minutes left before he had to clock in.

Just as he stepped into the corridor on the sixth floor of the Organization Department...

Division Chief Zhao Desheng, clutching a rolled-up document, was just stepping out of the elevator. When he saw Zhu Wenhao, his eyes lit up, and he took a wide step forward, blocking his path.

"Zhu Wenhao, just arrived?"

Division Chief Zhao Desheng's gaze swept over his prominent panda eyes, and he flashed a knowing smile that any man would understand, though he did not point it out.

"Division Chief Zhao, is something the matter?" Zhu Wenhao stopped, his voice steady.

Division Chief Zhao Desheng unfolded the red-headed document in his hand and patted the page.

"A document just came down from the Provincial Organization Department."

"It calls for selecting a batch of outstanding young cadres from across the province for full-time training. This is a key project for this year, and the spots are extremely precious!"

He took half a step closer and lowered his voice even further.

"Once you complete this Young Cadre Training Class, you're aimed straight at powerful positions like full-section or deputy county levels. It's a real gold-plating pool."

Division Chief Zhao Desheng tapped his finger heavily on the document.

"Are you interested?"