Zhang Xiaoli was Jiang Xiaochuan’s trusted aide, he was very optimistic about her. She didn’t seem to have these problems in his previous life.

Jiang Xiaochuan’s brows tightened and his fingertips pressed on the rough surfaced of copper coins tied on his wrist. He waited for Zhang Xiaoli to answer him.

Zhang Xiaoli, with a pale smile, said, “Mayor Jiang, you’re a good person. Working in the government for a short time, this is the first time I’ve seen someone so clean. I always feel like you know things about me.”

‘Actually, I didn’t know, I just guessed a little.’

Jiang Xiaochuan remained silent.

“Is there an issue between you and Mayor Zhou?” he inquired.

He glanced at the driver with no intention, then took the documents that Zhang Xiaoli had put inside the car. He looked at it casually.

When Jiang Xiaochuan had warned Zhang Xiaoli earlier, he emphasized the common occurrence of such situations in the municipal government. It was normal to make trouble a secretary, but Zhou Qian had reached out to Jiang Xiaochuan. He told the man; he didn’t have any interest in shady affairs in the office and he had no intention of supporting Zhang Xiaoli or anything like that.

But Zhang Xiaoli was his secretary after all, anyone might things like what Zhou Qian did. This was clearly a determination to offend Jing Xiaochuan.

Zhang Xiaoli’s tearful resignation suggested problems with Zhou Qian.

There weren’t many clean people in the Municipal Government. On weekdays, the inspection always carried out by the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection, but in fact, these inspections weren’t carried out at all. Because when the real inspection happened, almost the entire government had problems.

Not only there would be resistance while conducting the inspection but even if they found out, how to deal with the problem was a huge problem itself.

It wasn’t a bad thing for Zhang Xiaoli to quit but…

Jiang Xiaochuan shook his head, recognizing the murky waters of the municipal government, whoever got involved would be unlucky.

Zhang Xiaoli wanted to withdraw from the profit fields, why should he stop her?

Zhang Xiaoli, taking a deep breath, forced a pale smile. He could see some strength in the smile.

Jiang Xiaochuan suggested, “Go to coffee shop. You have been my subordinate for a few days. I know your ability to do things. Now, it’s time for me to treat you a cup of coffee, before you left.”

After listening to Jiang Xiaochuan, the driver drove to the nearest coffee shop.

Zhang Xiaoli didn’t refuse, she followed him. She watched Jiang Xiaochuan opened the door then ordered two cups of coffee and chose to settle an inconspicuous corner.

Jiang Xiaochuan leaned on the sofa with his hands clasped on his knees, looking very relaxed. His smile was very friendly, the waiter quickly brought the coffee and he handed one to Zhang Xiaoli.

“Okay, now that you’ve made the decision, everything is fine,” Jiang Xiaochuan reassured.

Zhang Xiaoli, holding her coffee, remained silent for a while before deciding to speak. “Mayor Jiang, do you really know what’s going on in this municipal government?”

“I don’t know,” Jiang Xiaochuan calmly admitted.

He genuinely lacked knowledge, as his understanding from his previous life had been shattered. Working to make changes in this life, he acknowledged his limited awareness.

Zhang Xiaoli struggled to find words, she thought for a while before realizing Jiang Xiaochuan’s perspective. She smiled bitterly, “I thought you knew nothing before, but I neglected the fact that you climbed up from a previous position. You probably know more than me. It was my abruptness.”

“No, I know a lot of things. Maybe not as much as you,” Jiang Xiaochuan objected, steering the conversation away. Picking up his coffee, he asked, “The matter between you and Mayor Zhou?”

“He and I were just playing around, but some things are really serious. It’s not what I could predict. Just like feelings, falling in love is falling in love, no matter how much I don’t want to admit it, the facts are there,” Zhang Xiaoli admitted, her expression softening as she touched her abdomen.

If it was his old self before rebirth, he would have broken into cold sweat.

Jiang Xiaochuan’s gaze fell on her abdomen, and he understood something. He had a hunch that this matter wouldn’t end so abruptly.

Zhang Xiaoli continued, “Mayor Jiang, am I so stupid? Even if I am ruined, I am not willing to be used like this, so I won’t let it go. Maybe my choice will bring you some trouble, but I believe my choice is not wrong.”

Jiang Xiaochuan sighed, “Why are you bothering?”

Zhang Xiaoli, holding back tears, took a sip of coffee and said, “I don’t even understand whether it’s right or wrong to follow my parents’ arrangements and work in the government. I have been a person with no independent opinions since childhood. After I got here, I thought I would get used to it very well, but it turned out that I was very wrong. Some things I learned in school did not exist in reality or were unanimously blocked by everyone. Now, I have to stand up for these banned things.”

Jiang Xiaochuan looked deeply into Zhang Xiaoli’s eyes, “Have you decided yet?”

Zhang Xiaoli put down the coffee cup, stood up, and bowed to Jiang Xiaochuan. “It has been decided. Thank you, Mayor Jiang, for your coffee.”

Jiang Xiaochuan stood up, patted her shoulder, and unexpectedly touched her head. “Everything will be fine. The people above may have come down today. I will get your resignation approved today. Just be careful.”

Zhang Xiaoli, having assisted Jiang Xiaochuan for a long time, understood the significance of the ‘person above’

But she asked, “Could it be true?”

Jiang Xiaochuan nodded, recalling the young man he had encountered in prison.

He showed him something that could help him find himself. At that time, he was disdainful but he admired the man after really seeing it.

The young man was very powerful.

Lian Cheng, the one who came to inspect, had left a lasting impression on Jiang Xiaochuan.

But that year he came to inspect, the muddy water in the entire Municipal Government was very deep and the officials were very good at pretending as honest official on the surface. Lian Cheng couldn’t find anything wrong.

The undercover visits also encountered many obstacles. At that time, Lian Cheng was indifferent to anger and emotion, no one knew what his feeling was as he left Chengzhou.

However, the subsequent of Jiang Xiaochuan’s downfall and the entire municipal and provincial committee were all because of this young man’s persistence. He thought of the years in prison, when he stood under the blue white sky, and Lian Cheng stood by his side.

He was very grateful for Lian Cheng to accompany a corrupt official like him on the final journey to the execution ground. Jiang Xiaochuan stretched out his hand and touched his forehead.

Then he put down his hand to reassure Zhang Xiaoli, “The person in charge who came down and the new member of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, who often troubles me, can be trusted.”

Zhang Xiaoli nodded calmly, saying, “Then, goodbye, Mayor Jiang.”

“Goodbye,” Jiang Xiaochuan replied, feeling a sense of nostalgia.

This life was different; Zhang Xiaoli hadn’t experienced such things in her previous life. Watching her leave, he settled the bill himself, returned to the municipal government to process her resignation, and left in a hurry.

.

With Jiang Encheng’s birthday approaching, Jiang Xiaochuan made a special trip to Qiansong Pastry, a renowned cakeshop in Chengzhou. After registering at the front desk, choosing a cake template, and ordering, he left with the invoice and registration form in hand.

The pedestrian street bustled with people, and Chengzhou’s vitality was evident in the crowd.

As Jiang Xiaochuan walked through the crowded street in the approaching twilight, he observed the sun sinking behind skyscrapers, painting the ground in a warm orange hue. The elongated shadows of the tall buildings mirrored the gradual descent of the sun, resembling the ebb and flow of a person’s mood.

It was getting dark.

In the midst of the bustling crowd, Jiang Xiaochuan found solace in the mundane, away from the office’s internal and external battles.

The desire to stand still, laid on the street, and halt the relentless march of time briefly crossed his mind.

However, he acknowledged that escape was not an option; everything had just begun.

Reflecting on his past mistakes, he wondered if avoiding officialdom altogether was the solution. Yet, such avoidance felt cowardly.

Since his conscience had been awakened by a solemn oath, he couldn’t continue to slumber. Standing at the subway entrance, amidst the bustling crowd, he grappled with the complexities of his thoughts.

Rain began to fall, prompting him to borrow an umbrella and navigate the busy subway station square. Colorful umbrellas dotted the rain-soaked scene, contrasting sharply with Jiang Xiaochuan’s black umbrella.

Holding the registration form and cake purchase invoice, he moved through the square. Amid the rain and bustling surroundings, he accidentally bumped into someone, causing the paperwork to fall onto the damp tiles.

As Jiang Xiaochuan bent down to retrieve the documents, a fair and slender hand appeared before him. The hand, strong and slightly protruding at the joints, picked up the wet invoice and registration form and handed them back to him. Standing up under the umbrella, Jiang Xiaochuan noticed the red string of copper coins on his wet wrist. A few drops of water fell to the ground.

Looking up, he saw the person with the black umbrella passing by. Though he couldn’t see the face, the figure seemed familiar. Jiang Xiaochuan stood there, holding the damp papers, gazing at the gray and gloomy sky.

The sky in Chengzhou, forever gray.