Chapter 13: Little Thoughts

Misunderstood by a superior.
It wasn’t that she was unwilling—she was just silently complaining about the room.

It was too luxurious.
So deliberate, as if afraid others wouldn’t notice the attempt to curry favor.

Totally unnecessary.

Pulling herself out of her thoughts, Gu Yao looked at the man approaching and offered a faint smile.
“Secretary Zhou, you’re overthinking. Secretary Xu’s arrangement is perfectly fine. I quite like the style of this room.”

A bald-faced lie.

Zhou Zhengliang didn’t call her out on it—he just treated it as the girl being professional.
Before leaving, he gave her an assignment.

He would spare three hours that afternoon for a guided tour of the county.

…??

Gu Yao thought she’d misheard.

It took her a few seconds to react.
Tentatively, she asked, “You want me to be the tour guide? Should I ask someone from the county committee to join us?”

Naturally, the top leader didn’t answer such rhetorical questions.

Watching his figure recede, she stood just outside the room in a moment of quiet reflection.

Her mind spun fast, already planning an unconventional “inspection” route.

Time passed quickly.

When Xu Mo notified her, she made sure to come down ten minutes early to avoid keeping the big leader waiting.

Still, despite her rush, Zhou Zhengliang was already sitting calmly in the car when she reached the parking lot.

Gu Yao walked up and offered to drive.
“If we’re going to a busy district, the streets are narrow and crowded. Are you sure… you can manage?” Xu Mo politely declined.

After all, if anything happened on the road—even a small accident—it would be with the top official of Qionghai City sitting in the back seat.

The girl was young—her driving skills were questionable at best.

Gu Yao had assumed that since she was the guide, everything would go according to her lead.

Too naive. Too rash.

She usually kept a clear head at work.
This time was no exception—she didn’t insist. She simply nodded and went to open the passenger door.

Just then, a low, calm voice came from the back seat.

Zhou Zhengliang, eyes still on his financial paper, said mildly, “Give her the keys.”

…Uh.

Gu Yao froze mid-step.

She turned slowly, only to meet Xu Mo’s dumbfounded expression.

Taking the keys like a prized treasure, she declared with solemnity, “Please rest assured, I will complete the task.”

Xu Mo: ……

Silence filled the car for a moment.

Zhou Zhengliang lifted his gaze briefly, his eyes sweeping across the girl’s bright, determined face.

Such simple, innocent thoughts.

If it made her happy—why not indulge it?

Their first stop: the bustling tourist attraction of Binjiang Ancient Town.

Predicting it would be packed, Gu Yao parked the car farther out.

Once they got out, Xu Mo stared at the winding, seemingly endless corridor of traditional architecture and asked a soul-searching question:

“How long is the walk from here to the entrance?”

“Not far. Half an hour at most.”

As soon as she finished speaking, the big leader was already calmly striding past her, leading the way.

Gu Yao remained frozen for a second, eyes fixed on the tall, composed figure ahead.

She was racking her brain—something felt off.

Today, the man wore a white shirt and black trousers.
The custom tailoring highlighted his tall, upright frame.
It was a simple outfit, yet the gravitas from his long-term authority seemed to emanate with every step.

A face and presence like that would draw attention anywhere.

Not exactly… low profile.

Suddenly, inspiration struck.
Gu Yao quickly ran to a nearby pharmacy and bought a stack of disposable masks. She tore open the pack, handed one to Xu Mo, kept one for herself, then hurried to catch up with the leader.

Meeting the man’s curious gaze, she smiled sweetly and asked,
“Your face appears on the news quite often. Just in case… shouldn’t we cover up a bit?”

Zhou Zhengliang only half believed her explanation.

“If I’m so recognizable, then why didn’t you recognize me at first glance that day in the city hall?”

His gaze rested on the ancient town’s entrance ahead. His tone was calm and unhurried, the leisurely pace of his steps making the conversation feel more like a casual chat between colleagues than a leader holding anyone accountable.

The mask was still in Gu Yao’s hand. Hearing his question, her guilty conscience kicked in, and she immediately fell silent.

What was she supposed to say? That he looked way better in person—more mature, more charismatic—and it caught her off guard?

Come on. That would sound way too flattering.

Silence followed behind him for quite a while—no doubt she was scrambling to find the right words.

Zhou Zhengliang strolled calmly through the crowd, neither urging nor interrupting, giving her time to think and seeing just what kind of clever excuse she’d come up with.

Half a minute later, the girl caught up to him in a few quick steps and said in a quiet, roundabout tone,
“Sometimes media cameras capture people with a certain distortion in their appearance. It’s really the videographer’s fault.”

Same idea, different wording.

She’d chosen a more tactful way to compliment him—flattering, yet not too cloying.

Zhou Zhengliang listened in silence, glanced at her from the corner of his eye, and offered no comment.

But two steps behind, Xu Mo couldn’t hold back the upward tug at the corners of his mouth.

What an amusing girl.

This field visit was shaping up to be anything but dull.

According to the original plan, the purpose of this trip to the ancient town was simple: to eat and to observe. To enjoy authentic local food and soak in Tang County’s timeworn charm.

Oil tea noodle shops, braised beef stalls, hollow jelly noodles, lion dances, temple fairs, street rituals for “driving away illness”…

Every memory from her childhood was rooted in this tiny world.

To love a city, you first have to understand it—get close to it.
That was Gu Yao’s little personal wish.

She hoped that, through this visit, Secretary Zhou would form a lasting impression of Tang County.

Whether that impression was good or bad—even if they accidentally brushed up against some political “landmines”—it didn’t matter.

What she feared most was leaving no mark at all.

A visit that left behind nothing but a flashy reception and no substance—that would be the real failure.

Naturally, while some enjoyed the outing, others were deeply troubled.

At that moment, ten kilometers away in the administrative office, the atmosphere had dropped to rock bottom.

Ever since learning that Secretary Zhou had gone out “incognito” and hadn’t brought a single county official along, the county party secretary felt as if the world was spinning.
A wave of déjà vu hit hard.

They began combing through every detail, wondering if something had been done poorly—something that displeased the secretary so much that he skipped over them and brought his own people for the inspection.

Just as panic peaked, County Magistrate Song rushed in and signaled for calm.

“I just got off the phone with Old Gu. He said to let things take their natural course. No need to interfere.”

Let things take their natural course?

Easy for him to say. As the head of the inspection office, he got to sit back and relax while the rest of them panicked.

The county secretary narrowed his eyes.

“Is that girl really Gu Jingming’s daughter?”

Song nodded.
Actually, he’d found her familiar during lunch.

Six years ago, Old Gu’s daughter had made the whole county proud—scoring over 700 on the college entrance exam and ranking first in science for the entire city.

Tang County hadn’t seen a top scorer like that in decades.
Her graduation banquet had been a big deal, organized with full government support—an unprecedented honor.

He sighed with emotion.
“An outstanding child will shine no matter where she goes. Old Gu’s truly blessed.”

The implication was clear.

The county secretary said nothing in response. After a moment of thought, he turned to Director Liu and said,
“Send tomorrow’s itinerary to Director Xu later. Make sure the distillery and vinegar factory are prepared to receive the delegation. Everything must be in order—no mistakes allowed.”

“Understood.”

Director Liu was about to leave when he was stopped again.

“And tell Director Gu to be present tomorrow as well.”

The inspection office ought to contribute, after all.