Chapter 40: I'm Also Afraid of Freezing My Fairy

Liang Jiyong frowned slightly.

"In Yunzhou, I don't know many people in the government. Let me think... Zhan Pengfei? He seems to be the only one who fits the criteria."

"You're truly impressive!" Jiang Lan said with a smile. "Yes, it’s Secretary Zhan Pengfei, the one who works for Secretary Zhou. I heard he came down from the provincial level with Secretary Zhou. He’s quite lucky!"

"I’ve only met Zhan Pengfei once. He seems like a very steady young man," Liang Jiyong remarked.

Jiang Lan couldn't help but laugh.

"What are you laughing at?" Liang Jiyong asked, curious.

"Please, you’re only nineteen this year, not even twenty yet. He’s already thirty-three. Who’s the 'young man' here?"

Liang Jiyong gave a helpless smile. Physically, he wasn't twenty yet, but mentally, he was already fifty. However, he couldn't explain that. "My apologies for the slip of the tongue. What’s Zhan Pengfei like? He’s always worked in government offices; does he adapt well?"

Jiang Lan nodded. "He keeps a very low profile since arriving. He observes more than he speaks. My father has sat in on several meetings with him and finds him quite pragmatic. Oh, by the way, he even mentioned you!"

"Mentioned me?" Liang Jiyong asked, surprised. Why would Zhan Pengfei bring him up?

"My father said that during a casual chat after a meeting, when the topic of the development of Red Cloud Ancient Town came up, he mentioned a planning concept you had proposed. Zhan Pengfei was very interested and started asking about you. He even said that if there’s an opportunity, he’d like to invite you to Longshan for a consultation!"

"Sure, whenever I have time next week, I’ll go to Red Leaf Valley and have a chat with Secretary Zhan."

Jiang Lan looked at him strangely. "You really are an interesting person. You wouldn't go even when Chen Puer’s father invited you, but at a mere suggestion from Zhan Pengfei, you’re suddenly willing?"

"I understand what you're getting at. Chen Pusheng definitely carries more weight than Zhan Pengfei. However, his time is precious, and I was in class at the time. Nothing is more important than my studies—I made it a rule for myself this year not to skip classes. Besides, to me, Zhan Pengfei is more relevant to reality. Chen Pusheng is a businessman, and given my relationship with Chen Puer, meeting him or not won’t make much difference; he was just being polite. But Zhan Pengfei is in the political system. Barring any accidents, he’s bound to be promoted again before Secretary Zhou leaves Yunzhou. As long as he doesn't make any major mistakes, he’s destined to be a heavyweight figure in Yunzhou in the future. He’s interested in my views, and I feel I can offer him some solid advice now. Having that connection will be beneficial for my future development."

"So you don't plan on doing business? You want to become an official?"

"I have no interest in business—or rather, I have no great interest in money. As long as I have enough to get by, that’s fine." This was the truth.

Jiang Lan covered her mouth and smiled, then gracefully wiped her lips with a napkin.

"You’re a fascinating person. I think you're a genius at business, yet you say you have no interest in it or money. Is being an official really that interesting?" Jiang Lan’s ambition was to become a powerful woman in the business world.

"Although the status of merchants is rising, ultimately, it is the politicians or statesmen who decide the direction and fate of this society. I hope that, within my capabilities, I can guide the destinies of some people in the direction I desire. Therefore, becoming an official is the only path."

"You seem to be able to see through everything, so secular things no longer move you. Your pursuits are higher. 'A Great Doctor for a Great Nation'—is that your goal?"

"Jiang Lan understands me well. There’s no wine here, so I’ll substitute with tea!"

"If you want to drink, we have rice wine," Jiang Lan suggested.

"Forget it. I plan to take the car out for a spin later. Cherish life, avoid drunk driving!"

"Heh, you always come out with these golden nuggets. By the way, there’s a saying popular at Yun University lately—it’s yours, isn't it?"

"What is it?" Liang Jiyong asked, surprised.

"All love at first sight is just lust at first sight."

"Hahaha, yes, that was me. Isn't it true?"

"It seems to have some logic to it, but it feels a bit uncomfortable. Is it impossible to have love at first sight?"

"Appreciating someone starts with appearance, grows with talent, aligns with character, endures through kindness, and culminates in integrity."

*Starts with appearance, grows with talent, aligns with character, endures through kindness, and culminates in integrity.*

Jiang Lan muttered to herself, a charming smile on her face, her eyes shimmering with a hazy blue light.

"You really are a man of mystery. Your appearance fits my aesthetic; your talent makes me look up to you like a high mountain; your character is unique; and your kindness is etched in my heart. As for your integrity, it goes without saying—a great doctor with a heart for the world! Tell me, how can I ever let go of you now?"

As she spoke, Jiang Lan walked behind Liang Jiyong, wrapped her arms around his neck, and caressed his cheek.

Liang Jiyong remained still, clenching his fists. The turtle soup today hadn't made him lose his reason, but it had unsettled his heart. Yet, here in Yunzhou, he felt an invisible force constraining his actions, preventing him from crossing the line.

He exhaled and patted the back of Jiang Lan’s hand.

"Thank you. I want to go for a drive now. Would you like to come with me?"

Jiang Lan understood his meaning. That night had happened while he was out of his mind. She felt a bit disappointed, yet also relieved—his integrity truly was flawless. But she wished he had just a small flaw, just enough to give her a chance.

"I’ll go change. This isn't suitable for a drive!"

...

Jiang Lan wore loose sportswear, sitting in the passenger seat as the car slowly drove out of Yunzhou. Although it wasn't a highway, the road conditions were good and there was very little traffic. They reached sixty kilometers per hour—not very fast, but it felt good.

"This car is so comfortable, it feels much lighter than an Audi!"

"Audis are for leaders to sit in."

"You’ll be sitting in an Audi every day in the future, but I feel you won't be as free as you are now."

"Not necessarily. By the time I’m qualified to sit in an Audi, it’ll be at least ten years. And I’d only use it during work hours. After hours, I won't compromise my comfort. Driving my own car is better, so no one can accuse me of using public property for private matters."

"That kind of thing is so normal. Look at the civil servants nowadays; how many don't use public cars for private business?" Jiang Lan shook her head.

"Society is developing, and the times are changing. It requires a process. No one pays attention to it now, but eventually, someone will. As the laws and regulations become more rigorous, it will be a society governed by the rule of law, where everything must be done by the book."

"That’s a Utopia," Jiang Lan thought, feeling that Liang Jiyong was being idealistic.

"Utopia is fantasy; I am a pragmatist. What I’m talking about is the destination of my dreams. Although it’s hard to reach, and I might not even live to see it, I will take it one step at a time. Because this is the inevitability of historical development, and anyone who stands in the way will eventually turn into the dust of history."

Jiang Lan watched him speak with such conviction, saying nothing, resting her head on his shoulder and closing her eyes, as if she had fallen asleep.

After driving for twenty or thirty miles, the road conditions worsened, and Liang Jiyong prepared to turn back.

...

"Stop the car!" Jiang Lan said suddenly.

"What’s wrong?" Liang Jiyong asked.

Jiang Lan blushed and didn't speak. Liang Jiyong understood. But there seemed to be no toilets in this area, and Jiang Lan clearly couldn't wait much longer.

Eventually, he stopped by the side of the road. Below them was a collapsed bridge, and beneath the bridge was a dried-up canal.

"Can you come down with me? I’m afraid there might be rats..." Jiang Lan said, looking pitiful.

Liang Jiyong hesitated for a moment, then nodded. It would be pretentious not to go down; it wasn't like they hadn't seen each other before.

Down in the canal, it was safe and hidden from view. Liang Jiyong turned his back and looked out at the wilderness.

Jiang Lan walked a short distance away, and soon, he heard the sound of trickling water. In his mind, he couldn't help but picture her beautiful body—that night, opening the door to see her sitting on the bed, stripped of everything. Her blue eyes, the firm curves, and the flawless, ivory-white beauty...

He clenched his fists, exhaling deeply to suppress the wicked thoughts.

"Okay, you can turn around now!" Jiang Lan’s voice came.

Liang Jiyong turned around and couldn't help but gasp: *A siren!*

After a few seconds of hesitation, desire overcame reason. He looked around, though he still felt uneasy. He walked over and slapped her rounded hip firmly. "Get in the car!"

Hearing this, Jiang Lan’s blushing face instantly turned pale. She had made a resolution to do something so shameful. She had realized that if Liang Jiyong truly insisted on being a man without a single flaw, she would have no chance.

But in the end, he had done it. And she felt so humiliated—she had stripped naked and offered herself, and he still didn't want it! Tears welled up in her eyes, but she quickly stood up. *Forget him,* she thought. *Even if it’s hard, I must forget him, otherwise, I don't know how I’ll face him...*

Just then, Liang Jiyong hugged her from behind.

"Let’s get in the car. If you don't care about yourself, I’m still afraid my little siren will catch a cold!"

It was mid-October, a cloudy day, and certainly not warm!

Jiang Lan turned around, collapsed into his arms, and began to sob.

"It’s alright, don't cry."

"I’m just so afraid you won't want me, boo-hoo..."

...

Liang Jiyong drove the car forward, found a side road, and drove into a dead end. The Desert Prince was spacious enough—the perfect choice for some "in-car exercise."

The vehicle rocked for a full hour before coming to a stop.

After the final sprint, Liang Jiyong remembered something. "I didn't bring a raincoat. Will there be a problem?"

Jiang Lan shook her head. "Today is very safe. Even if there is, it doesn't matter. I’ll find a way to raise it. Your family’s genes are so good; I think our child will be smart and beautiful!"

"You’re still a student!" Liang Jiyong lay on top of her, reluctant to move.

"It doesn't matter. I’ve learned everything I need to at school. If I have a child, would you like it? I promise I won't cause you any trouble, I just want one..."

Jiang Lan’s eyes dimmed. She had wanted to say "a fruit of our love," but did they have love? She was sure she loved him, but did Liang Jiyong love her? Perhaps he only felt responsibility toward her—a responsible man who, even though she had schemed to get him, still kindly forgave her actions.

"Jiang Lan, you are beautiful and smart. You deserve a much happier and more fulfilling life."

Jiang Lan hugged his neck tightly.

"This was my own choice. You don't need to feel any guilt or regret; I’m the one who should be sorry. I forced a peerless, good man to become a man who has done something 'bad.' But I really couldn't help it, just like how you men lose your minds when you see a beautiful woman. I knew I was a moth flying into a flame, but I couldn't stop myself. You don't know how much I’ve missed you; I never expected to lose sleep over a man."

Liang Jiyong didn't know what to say. After a long while, he sighed. "Sometimes I feel like such a hypocrite. Being with you feels wonderful, but I’m filled with unease because it makes me feel guilty toward Wanqing!"

"You’re a good man, and a fool, yet sometimes you’re incredibly clever! You’re just a complex, contradictory mixture."

"People are complicated," Liang Jiyong said, gently stroking her eyes with his hand. "Your eyes are truly beautiful."

Jiang Lan smiled. "Do you want to kiss them?"

Liang Jiyong didn't speak, but leaned down and kissed them softly...

Jiang Lan held him tightly, letting him kiss her eyes, her lips, and her curves. Liang Jiyong's dragon regained its fighting spirit.

"Let’s do it again. Since you’re going to feel guilty anyway, I’ll remember this time longer. Unless I really can't help it, I won't seduce you again!"

"Siren, you truly are a man-eating siren," Liang Jiyong sighed.

"The siren is going to eat you up..."

Returning to Yunzhou, it was already six in the evening. They had spent the whole afternoon chatting and loving. Liang Jiyong felt nearly drained. *White Tiger*—she was truly insatiable. If it weren't for his health and the turtle soup, he wouldn't have survived!

Liang Jiyong went back to Yalan Residence for dinner. Jiang Lan had prepared another bowl of turtle soup for him. After eating, he didn't take the Desert Prince, but instead decided to ride his motorcycle back to school.

...

"I’ll be waiting for you here every weekend. You can have tea, snacks, or soup whenever you like. Don't carry any psychological burden. Today, I just wanted to find a corner in your heart to place my own. From now on, I won't make things difficult for you, I promise!" Jiang Lan straightened his clothes.

"You’re such a fool," Liang Jiyong said.

"You’re the bigger fool, running into a trap even when you knew there was a gun pointed at you. You said it—I’m your woman. As long as you don't say you don't want me, I’ll be your woman for the rest of my life. Whatever you want to do, I will support you!"

Seeing him about to speak again, she pressed her finger to his lips.

"Don't say anything. Just kiss me, and then go do what you need to do."

Liang Jiyong obeyed, giving her a long, deep kiss.

...

Back at the dormitory, Su Wanqing had already gone to school for evening self-study. Liang Jiyong calmed his heart, took a cold shower, changed his clothes, and then headed to school, still filled with guilt.

Seeing him arrive, Su Wanqing just smiled faintly. That smile only made him feel even guiltier. Yet, how could he let go? Jiang Lan, Di Yutong... two foolish women!

*Forget it, stop thinking. Classes are paramount!*

Liang Jiyong suppressed his wandering thoughts and began to read. He would try to avoid meeting Jiang Lan in the future; otherwise, he couldn't guarantee he wouldn't make mistakes. Jiang Lan was too calculating, and even though he knew it was premeditated, he couldn't bring himself to be angry, because there wasn't a malicious bone in her body toward him.

...

At the end of October, taking advantage of Zhou Mu’s presence, Liang Jiyong took Su Wanqing and Di Yutong back to Longshan.

Upon seeing the antique-style Red Cloud Ancient Town, Su Wanqing immediately fell in love with the place. In Red Leaf Valley, she stretched out her arms, wanting to embrace the autumn colors. She walked ahead alone, picking up a maple leaf and holding it to her nose, smelling the scent of the four seasons.

"I knew Wanqing would love it here. This is the place for her, not the sea of books and study!" Di Yutong remarked.

Liang Jiyong and Di Yutong walked behind. Su Wanqing, seeing Red Leaf Valley for the first time, hadn't yet recovered from the shock.

"Everyone has an environment they resonate with. If there were a small cabin, a pot of tea, a book, and a piano here, I’m afraid Wanqing would just live in seclusion."

"I want one too! A guitar, two cats, a pack of dogs—yes, just like that..." Di Yutong said as she imagined it.

Liang Jiyong knew that Di Yutong played the guitar well and loved cats and dogs, but her mother was allergic, so she wasn't allowed to keep them. Su Wanqing didn't like having pets at home either.

"Then I want one too. Let me think, what should I put inside..."

"Not for you!" Di Yutong said bossily.

"Why not? Red Leaf Valley isn't yours!" Liang Jiyong protested.

"It’s mine and Wanqing’s, that’s enough. I’ll make a sacrifice—Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays belong to Wanqing, and Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays belong to me!"

Liang Jiyong was stunned. Was this life too good to be true?

They were only four or five steps away from Su Wanqing. When she heard Di Yutong, her face turned bright red. She had just been thinking about how wonderful it would be if they could hide away here together, ignoring the outside world!

"Wanqing, last time Jiyong recited a poem here, it was so fitting. Let him recite it again!" Di Yutong suddenly said.

Seeing the mischievous glint in Di Yutong’s eyes, Liang Jiyong immediately remembered that right next to this very tree, she had been kneeling to serve him when they were startled by a gunshot...

"Oh, I thought of one too. I wonder if it’s the same one?" Su Wanqing said, turning to look at him.

"Uh, you go first!" Liang Jiyong pretended to have forgotten the incident.

"Du Mu’s 'Mountain Travel' from the Tang Dynasty: *Far up the cold mountain, a stone path winds high; in the deep white clouds, people dwell. I stop my carriage to linger, loving the evening maples; frosted leaves are redder than the flowers of February!*"

As Su Wanqing recited it, there was an ethereal quality to her voice. Even Di Yutong felt she couldn't harbor any devious thoughts. Being with Su Wanqing, there was always a sense of sanctity that couldn't be defiled. If she, a woman, felt that way, all the more so for a man.

"It would be even more fitting if we changed it to 'In the deep Red Cloud, people dwell'!" Liang Jiyong suggested, as the name of the town matched the scenery.

Su Wanqing shook her head. "The last line says 'redder than the flowers of February,' so we can't use 'Red Cloud' in the first line."

Liang Jiyong was struck dumb. "Heh, looks like I’m not cut out to be a literary youth!"

"My dear scholars, poems and songs won't fill your bellies. I have some special pastries from the Red Leaf Manor. Care to share?"

"Absolutely. I’m starving. Puer is a bad host—he arrived on his own turf later than us!" Liang Jiyong gathered the fallen maple leaves into three piles so they could sit on the ground.

There were pastries and a few bottles of Jianlibao. It was the era of Jianlibao, though this former beverage giant would eventually fall from grace due to ownership disputes.

"I wish I had my guitar here," Di Yutong sighed.

"Yeah, I feel like playing too. It’s so beautiful here." Su Wanqing had completely let her guard down.

"One must not squander such beauty, food, and company. Let’s toast to the heavens!" Liang Jiyong picked up a bottle of Jianlibao.

Di Yutong picked up hers but didn't clink glasses immediately.

"Thank you, heaven, for creating this boundless beauty!"

"Thank you, heaven, for granting us food to fill our bellies!"

When it came to Liang Jiyong, all that was left was to praise the beauties.

"Thank you, heaven, for blessing me with two impeccable beauties!"

Su Wanqing blushed instantly, and Di Yutong laughed and scolded him, "You rascal!"

Liang Jiyong clinked his bottle with theirs and said boldly, "I’ll go first! I’m finishing mine, you two take your time!"