They battled monsters with both wit and bravery.

Later, in order to protect her, Xiao He was captured by a monster.

Xiao Zhi discovered a secret passage that led to a magical world.

This world was filled with amazing animals and plants, and it was full of danger and excitement.

She encountered various monsters and made many friends.

They told her that only by defeating the Great Monster could she obtain the Wish Stone needed to leave this place.

Xiao Zhi needed to get the stone and return to save Xiao He!

..

Bao Sheng happily said, “Now I understand. Logic is the foundation of an article, like the framework of a house.

The brilliant ideas are the flesh and decoration that make the house beautiful. No one likes a house made only of steel, bricks, and cement.

But without those, the beautiful glass, tiles, and paintings have nothing to attach to, right?”

Xiao Bao admired, “Bao Sheng, you’re so smart! I’m proud and feel the pressure being your older brother.”

Bao Sheng chuckled, “That’s because I have such an excellent older brother. My classmates admire you so much. I want to follow your example.”

Cheng Yunzhi picked up two sample books and said, “Da Bao’s book is more expensive than Xiao Bao’s, right?”

Da Bao immediately responded, “Grandpa, his book has more pages. The topics are different, and the audience is different.”

Bao Sheng excitedly said, “I need to write quickly and get my story published soon.”

Xiao Bao offered, “I’ll help you with editing and we can submit it to Story Forest first.”

Da Bao suggested, “Let’s start with the Young Pioneers’ magazine.”

Xiao Bao asked, “Are you sure? I’ve never read that newspaper.”

The Young Pioneers’ magazine is a task-based publication mainly for profit and mandatory subscription.

Without it being forced, how many copies could it sell?

Da Bao said, “If Bao Mei’s story could save this magazine, wouldn’t that be better than Story Forest?”

Bao Sheng replied, “I’ll start writing now. Please don’t argue, or it’ll mess up my thinking.”

The previously contentious brothers immediately quieted down and spoke softly to Bao Sheng, offering their help.

Whenever their sister was unhappy, no matter how much they wanted to argue, the brothers would fall silent and find another place to resolve their disputes.

Bao Sheng smiled and said, “No, I understand now. I want to write it myself. I don’t want your opinions.”

As a girl, she had a unique perspective.

Her writing was more delicate and carried a child’s innocent charm, which could touch people’s hearts, even the hardest ones.

Wen Sheng came over and smiled at the brothers, “You two shouldn’t argue. Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses and should complement each other.”

Xiao Bao laughed and threw himself at Wen Sheng, saying, “Thank you for the lesson, Teacher Wen.”

---

A few days later, Jiang Lin and her team finally finished their meeting and presented the final design plan.

The committee accepted several of Jiang Lin’s suggestions.

They decided to protect the ancient buildings, old trees, and historical bridges in the city because they bear the historical accumulation of the city and are witnesses to the passage of time.

Without them, years later, every city would be full of skyscrapers and concrete, indistinguishable from one another, which would be meaningless.

Another suggestion was to plan the roads properly from the beginning: wide, straight, and level, with scientific green belts.

Green belts are significant as they can adjust the width of lanes depending on the times.

For example, now there are more pedestrians and fewer cars, so a wide sidewalk is necessary.

Different locations should have designs that consider long-term needs.

The third suggestion was that the sewers need to be wide and deep, and they could use underground tunnels instead of just pipes.

Pipe quality can lead to blockages, leaks, and cracks.

Even decades later, cities will still have manhole covers everywhere and frequent repairs and blockages if not done properly.

After the meeting, Dean Chen organized a celebration banquet.

He specifically invited Jiang Lin, saying, “We must have Director Cheng join us.”

Director Zhao was already gearing up for the celebration and even invited someone who could drink a thousand cups without getting drunk to join them.

Jiang Lin smiled and said, “Dean Chen, there’s no need for formalities. Cheng Rushan is a few years younger than you, so you can call him by his name.”

Jiang Lin wasn’t comfortable with the ways of the bureaucracy.

She believed they were from the academic field and didn’t need to be involved with political affairs.

Jiang Lin called Cheng Rushan at the office to inform him about the dinner plans for the evening.

Cheng Rushan, who was busy organizing tasks, simply told her to go straight to the restaurant after work and then hung up the phone.

After work, Cheng Rushan canceled a few social engagements.

He went to the changing room, swapped his uniform for long pants and a shirt, grabbed his car keys, and was about to leave when Bie Dongshan came to see him.

Bie Dongshan smiled, “Director Cheng, aren’t you going to Secretary Zhang’s gathering?”

Cheng Rushan replied, “I called him and explained that I need to accompany my wife.”

Outside of work hours, unless it’s a formal work-related matter, he doesn’t need to attend to senior leaders. Everyone knows this.

Secretary Zhang, who has recently been transferred, is new and eager to establish himself, which is understandable, but he isn’t suited to these gatherings.

Their Integrity Bureau generally avoids such social events, preferring to keep things to themselves to avoid being drawn into factions.

Bie Dongshan laughed heartily, “Director Cheng, why are you so fearless?”

Cheng Rushan responded calmly, “Because I have no burdens.”

Whether it’s as a transport team leader or deputy director, it’s just a job. He performs his duties and earns a salary to support his family.

If he’s not allowed to do his job, he’ll find something else.

As long as he does his job properly, no one can criticize him for not trying to please leaders.

Cheng Rushan opened his car door, but Bie Dongshan said, “He Changjiang and a few others are willing to help us.”

“Under what conditions?”

“Director Cheng, don’t worry, I know them well, and there’s no need for conditions.”

He Changjiang and his colleagues work in the Criminal Investigation Division.

They remain good friends with Fang Chengguang, He Liang, and Bie Dongshan, and they deeply respect Cheng Rushan.

Someone with He Changjiang’s temperament wouldn’t think highly of someone like Bian Haitao, who networks everywhere.

Bian Haitao had tried to win them over before but failed.

They naturally have a barrier with smooth operators, making it hard for sparks to fly.

Cheng Rushan nodded, “Be careful and don’t be too obvious.”

Cheng Rushan went to have dinner with Jiang Lin to thank her in person.

Dean Chen and Director Zhao were particularly grateful, and Cheng Rushan drank with them cup after cup without any tricks from Director Zhao.

Director Zhao threw up several times and eventually couldn’t hold on.

The person he brought, who claimed to be able to drink a thousand cups without getting drunk, made an excuse and left to save face.

Su Xingyun and Zhang Shaopeng, who came with Jiang Lin, were stunned.

They knew Cheng Rushan could hold his liquor, but not to this extent.

Even drinking water, you can’t drink this much.

Jiang Lin quietly held Cheng Rushan’s hand, feeling concerned, “Don’t drink anymore.”

Cheng Rushan’s drinking capacity wasn’t innate; it was forced.

Last year, when she and Cheng Rushan went on a business trip together, their car broke down with no spare parts to fix it, and a heavy rainstorm hit.

They had to take shelter in the wild.

To calm her nerves, he told her many stories from the past.

Once, he and Gu Mingyi were imprisoned in a small distillery by the enemy for a month, surviving on alcohol and distillers’ grains.

Before starving, they managed to escape, wiped out the enemy’s base, and completed their mission.

After that mission, all three suffered various degrees of physical damage.

Cheng Rushan drank so much alcohol that he became a heavy drinker, unable to feel full no matter how much he ate, treating it like water.

Jiang Lin knew his understated description of the damage must have been severe.

Therefore, she cared for him even more, usually not letting him drink too much to avoid health issues.

He smiled warmly at her, kissed her hand, and said, “It’s okay, I can handle a bit more.”

His eyes were full of emotion, and his lips were burning hot, making Jiang Lin’s heart skip a beat.

She could tell he was drunk.

As he aged, he became more composed and mature, with an air of authority due to his status.

But now, he looked flushed like a peach blossom, with eyes full of mischief and lips as red as fire.

His smile made him appear both charming and a bit wicked.

Su Xingyun and Zhang Shaopeng, sitting nearby, looked a bit anxious.

They quickly turned their heads to avoid watching.

Besides them, everyone else had either collapsed, fallen asleep, or was barely holding on—totally out of it.

Jiang Lin said to them, “You two handle things here. Cheng Rushan and I will head back first. He’s had too much to drink.”

From his look, Jiang Lin knew he was drunk. If they stayed any longer, he might end up making a move on her.

Su Xingyun quickly responded, “Don’t worry. Get Cheng Ge home safely. We’ll continue eating. We’ve got so much food; we can’t let it go to waste.”

Jiang Lin told Cheng Rushan they were leaving, and he nodded, being very compliant.

He stood up steadily, took Jiang Lin’s bag, held her hand, and said goodbye to Su Xingyun and Zhang Shaopeng.

He didn’t seem drunk at all, but his demeanor had clearly changed.

Seeing him smile so charmingly, without his usual restraint, Jiang Lin and the others knew that Cheng Rushan was genuinely drunk.

They were old friends and understood each other well.

Jiang Lin tried to support him, but Cheng Rushan instead put his arm around her waist, protecting her. “I’m not drunk. Don’t worry.”

When they reached the Jeep, Cheng Rushan opened the passenger door for Jiang Lin.

Jiang Lin said, “You get in, and I’ll drive.”

They had agreed long ago not to drive after drinking, and even Dai Guohua and Fang Chenguang followed this rule, so Cheng Rushan couldn’t break it either.

Cheng Rushan nodded, “Okay, thanks, wife.”

He sat in the car, eyes lowered, lost in thought.

Jiang Lin glanced at him and noticed he had forgotten to fasten his seatbelt.

She leaned in to buckle it for him.

Just as she was about to pull away, he suddenly pulled her onto his lap, and his hot kisses overwhelmed her.

Jiang Lin managed to free herself, quickly closed the car door, and got in from the other side to start the engine.

Cheng Rushan sat there obediently.

At a big intersection, Jiang Lin stopped at the red light.

She looked back at Cheng Rushan, who was still watching her with a gaze that was both intense and slightly dazed, his movements slower than usual.

Jiang Lin whispered, “Be good. We’ll be home soon.”

Cheng Rushan leaned in and suddenly embraced her, kissing her forcefully.

“Lights, lights…” Jiang Lin’s lips were numb from his kisses.

She quickly shifted gears and pressed the accelerator.

When they turned into a dimly lit alley, Cheng Rushan suddenly grabbed the steering wheel, effortlessly pulling the car over to the side of the road. “Lin Lin, stop.”

Jiang Lin exclaimed, “!!! What are you doing?” She hurriedly braked.

Cheng Rushan had already shifted into neutral, pulled the handbrake, and turned off the engine—all done smoothly, showing no signs of being drunk.

“Cheng Rushan, let’s go home. We’re almost there.” Jiang Lin was extremely nervous.

How could he be so shameless to play around with the car like this?

Seeing her frightened, Cheng Rushan laughed and pulled her onto his lap.

Jiang Lin pushed against his chest and warned, “Cheng Rushan, don’t you remember who you are? We’re not ordinary people. We need to be mindful of our image.”

Cheng Rushan kissed her and said, “I don’t care about the image. I want you.”

Jiang Lin insisted, “Let’s go home, go home.”

He still wouldn’t let go, holding her tightly and biting her ear. “Are you going to listen to me and go home?”

Jiang Lin was too concerned with getting the drunk man home safely to think about anything else.

So, the dignified Jiang Lin ended up in the arms of the shameless Cheng Rushan, and the night became long and slow.