Chapter 4: Let's Get a Divorce

Xu Qian stood rooted to the spot, feeling awkward, before quickly coming over to wrap her arms around Lin Hao’s.

"How could that be, honey? I heard you were taken away by the Discipline Inspection Commission and I was scared to death. Brother Xu came over to help me think of a way. It’s so good that you’re back, boo-hoo." As she spoke, Xu Qian even began to wipe away tears.

Xu Fei, standing nearby, immediately stepped closer, took Lin Hao’s hand, and said with great excitement, "Xiao Lin, you scared me to death! I’m so glad you’re all right. Tell your brother, what exactly happened? Why were you taken by the Commission, and how did you get back?"

Deep down, Xu Fei was utterly shocked. He was certain that the evidence he had planted was flawless, and he had even used Lin Hao’s colleague, Zhang Nan, to file the report. How could he possibly have been released? At the same time, he was overcome with panic, terrified that Lin Hao might have overheard his conversation with Xu Qian.

Looking at Xu Qian’s beaming face, Lin Hao shoved her away, his expression filled with disgust. The more he had loved her before, the more revolting she seemed now. Thinking of other men crawling all over this body made Lin Hao feel nauseous.

"Lin Hao, what the hell is wrong with you?" After being pushed away, Xu Qian nearly fell to the ground and instinctively began to curse.

"Xiao Lin, what’s gotten into you? How can you lay a hand on a woman?" Xu Fei approached as well, his face full of feigned anxiety and heartache, before adopting the posture of an elder. "Xiao Lin, Xiao Xu hasn’t been able to eat or sleep because of your situation, she’s been physically and mentally exhausted, and this is how you treat her? As a man, do you have any sense of responsibility or character?"

In the past, Lin Hao would have listened to these teachings earnestly, but now he just wanted to punch Xu Fei in the face.

"Xu Fei, get out of here right now, or I’ll settle the score with you later!"

"Xiao Lin, you..."

Before Xu Fei could finish, Lin Hao kicked out. Xu Fei stumbled and nearly fell. Seeing the look in Lin Hao’s eyes, he scrambled away in a panic, not daring to linger.

Xu Qian was stunned. She grabbed Lin Hao, shouting, "Are you sick? How dare you lay a hand on Brother Xu? You are so ungrateful!"

Lin Hao pried her hands off and said with a calm expression, "Prepare yourself. Let’s get a divorce." He had calmed down; it wasn't worth ruining his future for a cheap woman.

"Divorce? Lin Hao, has your conscience been eaten by a dog? When you were a poor kid with no house and no car, I was foolish enough to marry you and serve you hand and foot. How can you have the face to say that word? I must have been blind to run into an ungrateful wretch like you." Xu Qian started to berate him, looking deeply aggrieved, as if she were the one who had suffered a great loss.

Lin Hao looked at her, feeling as though she were a complete stranger. She was truly shameless to the core to be able to say such things.

"You know exactly what you’ve done. Let’s part on good terms, don’t force me to turn against you."

"What did I do? If you have the guts, say it clearly! You have no evidence. You had no ability of your own and only got promoted to deputy section chief through other people’s connections. If I hadn’t worked so hard to help you build relationships, would you be so comfortable? You were arrested by the Commission and I was here desperately begging for help. If you were actually clean, would I have had to humble myself? You can’t do your job, so you blame your wife. Lin Hao, you’re really something!"

Xu Qian shifted the blame directly, disguising herself as the victim. She wept bitterly, looking so pathetic that anyone would have felt pity for her. In the past, Lin Hao would have apologized immediately, but now he only felt disgusted. It was obvious she was doing this on purpose to attract the attention of the neighbors, build her own image, and smear him.

"Enough nonsense. Tomorrow when the Civil Affairs Bureau opens, we’re going to get a divorce. Since you think I’m incompetent, I won’t hold you back. I’m setting you free—go find someone who is 'competent'."

After saying this, Lin Hao went inside and locked the door, leaving a bewildered Xu Qian standing there. In the past, whenever she cried or made a scene, Lin Hao would have broken down and apologized long ago. What was going on today? But she was more concerned about why Lin Hao had been released and what exactly had happened. She sent a message to ask Xu Fei, but he knew nothing either, telling her not to act rashly while he tried to probe for information.

***

Xu Qian lost her temper and turned to leave, heading to her parents' house to sleep. If he wanted a divorce, so be it. Even if Lin Hao was released, he had no future; staying with such a loser would only hinder her own progress.

Lin Hao sat in his room, smoking a cigarette and contemplating his path forward. He couldn't quite grasp the situation with the Provincial Discipline Inspection Commission. He had thought they wanted to use him, but now that seemed unlikely. As for confronting his superiors, he didn't even dare to think about it. If he offended them, his life would be over. All he could do was wait—wait for that slim chance.

Just then, there was a knock at the door. Lin Hao frowned. Who would come to his house at this hour?

"Xu Qian, I’m not in the mood to deal with you right now. Whatever you want to discuss, we’ll talk at the Civil Affairs Bureau tomorrow." Lin Hao opened the door irritably, only to find it wasn't Xu Qian.

Standing at the door was Tang Simin, the Deputy Director of the Office of the Tianzhong Municipal Housing and Urban-Rural Development Bureau, carrying a few bags of groceries and two bottles of liquor.

"Section Chief Lin, what’s bothering you so much that you’re talking about the Civil Affairs Bureau?" Tang Simin wore a smile, her eyes seductive.

Tang Simin was thirty-three and the social butterfly of the bureau. The Housing Bureau dealt with construction bosses—men who were crude and wealthy—and Tang Simin was naturally skilled at navigating among them. Today, she was wearing a white shirt tucked into a black skirt, highlighting her slender waist.

"Nothing much. Why is Director Tang here?" Lin Hao asked, quite surprised, unwilling to discuss private matters.

"I heard you were taken by the Provincial Discipline Inspection Commission today. Director He heard you were released tonight and sent me to scout for information. Section Chief Lin, do me a favor, let me get away with it and complete my task, okay?" Tang Simin’s tone was cute and pleading.

This was her brilliance; she knew Lin Hao’s temperament. If she had just said she wanted to drink and console him, he would have refused. But by framing it this way, she put them on the same side, invoked the leadership, and created a sense of empathy between struggling colleagues. She made it seem like they were both in the same boat.

Lin Hao knew that even if he refused, she would find another excuse, so he let her in. Once inside, Tang Simin looked around, then efficiently unpacked the groceries, arranged them on plates, and set the bowls and chopsticks.

"Section Chief Lin, let me toast to your survival—you’re destined for great things." She opened the liquor, poured it into disposable cups, and handed one to him.

They drank in silence. Tang Simin secretly observed Lin Hao, noticing he seemed somewhat depressed.

"Section Chief Lin, I just heard you mention the Civil Affairs Bureau. You’re getting a divorce? Congratulations!"

"And why is that a cause for celebration?"

"As the old saying goes, 'Get a promotion, make a fortune, and lose your wife.' Being promoted and making a fortune without a wife is the same thing. It won't be hard to find a new soulmate later." Tang Simin tilted her head, looking at Lin Hao with admiring, starry eyes.

"Director Tang, stop teasing me. I’m just a man who has been investigated, isolated, and lost his home. I’m afraid I’ll be lonely and miserable from here on out." Lin Hao shook his head, leaning back on the sofa with a distant look in his eyes.

Hearing this, Tang Simin narrowed her eyes slightly. She refilled his glass and moved closer, sitting next to him, her body nearly pressing against his. "How could that be? Anyone who can walk out of the Provincial Commission unscathed has an unlimited future. Even if one is innocent, without a big shot speaking up, you wouldn’t have been released so quickly. Section Chief Lin, don’t try to fool me; I know a thing or two about the officialdom."

As she spoke, she placed a hand on Lin Hao’s chest, the heat in her eyes barely concealed.

The role of an office director required one to be adept at social maneuvering; she understood the ins and outs of the official world perfectly. Over the years, there had been others investigated by the Commission who had been cleared, but they were always detained for weeks, investigated to the core, and only released after a high-ranking official intervened. To be released in half a day? Did the Commission not care about its reputation?

Tang Simin had taken plenty of bribes over the years. With the Executive Vice Mayor having fallen, she was naturally panicked. As a woman in the official world, she knew one truth: without a backer, it was impossible to move forward. She came from a good family, had a fiery figure, and was alluring; no man who saw her didn't want to taste those red lips. Many leaders had wanted to marry her, including Bureau Chief He Fei, but he hadn't succeeded. Although she was only a section-level official, she looked down on He Fei, who was in his fifties and still at the department level; he offered too little assistance.

In the past, Tang Simin would have looked down on someone like Lin Hao—someone who acted morally superior. He was handsome, but useless. But things were different now; she was practically throwing herself at him.

Lin Hao was a normal man, and after a long period of abstinence, he was naturally tempted by the alluring young woman before him. But he knew exactly what she was thinking. She was a poisonous rose; if he slept with her, there would be endless trouble. Furthermore, his home was bugged by the Commission. If this was part of a test and he lost his self-control, he would lose his future. No woman was worth stopping his progress.

"Director Tang, you’re overthinking it. If I were truly capable, would I have been assigned to the neighborhood office to sit on the bench for two years? My later transfer to the Housing Bureau was only because I met Vice Minister of the Organization Department, Xu Fei. It was just a simple case of falsified report materials. I was investigated, and the truth came out. I heard the Secretary of the Provincial Discipline Inspection Commission was watching this case personally—how could they dare to wrongly accuse someone?"

Lin Hao reached out to put his arm around Tang Simin. With a woman like this, you had to make her feel like you were taking advantage of her so she would know to back off. Sure enough, the next second, Tang Simin dodged him and moved to the seat opposite.

"Oh, so that means there’s a bad person in our bureau who dared to file a fake report!" Tang Simin cleverly shifted the topic.

"Who’s to say? Sigh, I’m just unlucky to have encountered such a thing, and my wife cheated on me with the very Minister who promoted me. That’s why I say I’ll probably be stuck on the bench for the rest of my life." Lin Hao finished his drink in one gulp.

"Is that so? Section Chief Lin, have you heard any news from the Provincial Commission? Are they only investigating the Wu Bo incident, or are they checking past projects too?" Tang Simin watched him nervously, taking a slow sip of wine to calm herself.

"I don't know. The Provincial Commission has strict confidentiality regulations. How could they possibly leak such things?" Lin Hao shook his head.

Tang Simin bit her lip, then stood up. "Section Chief Lin, it’s getting late. Get some rest, I’ll be going."

Tang Simin had no desire to stay any longer. Looking at Lin Hao, she believed what he said was true. He must have just had a stroke of luck, and because the Provincial Secretary was watching, he wasn't coerced into a confession. Since he had no connections, why stay? A man with no value wasn't worth her time. A loser was a loser—no wonder his wife ran off with someone else.

Lin Hao nodded without standing up. Once she left, he returned to his normal state. He wasn't surprised by her behavior; this kind of woman was too hungry for advancement.

"It seems Director He has been involved in quite a bit of corruption over the years, and now he’s panicked."