Chapter 17: Knows How to Keep a Distance

When on a business trip, it’s only right to take care of female colleagues.

It was just a jacket, after all.

Although at first, Secretary Zhou had asked him to get a spare blanket from the driver, it had unfortunately already been taken by another department head.

Some grown men sure were afraid of the cold.

Left with no other choice, Xu Mo had, in a moment of desperation, considered taking off his own shirt.

Blame it on his odd train of thought—he hadn’t thought it through. Just as he had unbuttoned halfway, a cold glance from the senior leader beside him swept over. It jolted him back to his senses.

Stripping in public like that—what kind of image would that be?

Thankfully, Secretary Zhou stopped him in time.

Deeply moved, Xu Mo had been torn over what to do when the man handed him his own jacket and motioned for him to cover the young lady with it.

That was all there was to it.

He reassured Comrade Xiao Gu:
[Don’t overthink it. If you’re embarrassed, just find a chance to quietly return it to me.]

??

Why…
Did it have to be quietly…?

Gu Yao was even more confused now.

Clearly, the two of them were not on the same wavelength.

In the end, the conversation went nowhere, and she let it drop.

For the rest of the trip, the young woman loosely held the jacket and mentally drifted off into space.

When the Coaster entered the city and braked at a pedestrian crossing, inertia caused Gu Yao to lean forward.

In that instant, the strong, rich scent of a man hit her nose. Two seconds later, she hurriedly shoved the jacket aside like it was burning, her heart inexplicably racing.

It was a nervous, physical reaction.

Hard to explain.

It felt like her personal space had been invaded, and her first instinct was to push it out.

The cabin was unusually quiet.

Once she regained her composure, Gu Yao glanced sideways.

The administrative jacket was soft in texture, the dark navy fabric appearing even more composed and formal under the overhead lights—just like its owner. Ten years of experience in government had honed his calm and collected demeanor, allowing him to effortlessly maintain control in any situation.

The older generation used to say that a house needed a “yang” force to hold it steady.

With such a commanding presence, even his clothes could be hung on the door to ward off evil spirits.

Upon arrival, the scene felt familiar.

Local officials and staff were already waiting. Handshakes were exchanged, introductions made, and a group of people clustered around Zhou Zhengliang, escorting him to the accommodations.

It was a quaint inn on the outskirts.

Elegantly decorated in a traditional Chinese style.

Standing in the courtyard, Gu Yao looked around and sighed inwardly.

Comparison really is the thief of joy.

The low-key yet cozy living space was practically flawless. Compared to Room 901 at Junyi Hotel, this place was a clear winner.

If she could turn back time, she…
Forget it. Overthinking wouldn’t help.

After a short rest in her room, Gu Yao spotted the men’s jacket folded on the bedside table and gave herself a light smack on the forehead.

So forgetful.

She opened her suitcase, pulled out a storage bag, neatly packed the jacket inside, and sealed it up.

A few minutes later, without a sound, she knocked on Xu Mo’s door.

She handed him the bag and smiled politely, “Please thank Secretary Zho—”

Before she could finish, footsteps echoed from down the hallway—local committee staff were accompanying the senior official downstairs for tea.

She abruptly choked on her words and changed course: “Thank you, Secretary Xu.”

Xu Mo: …

The speed of that shift was truly staggering.

At the bend of the wooden staircase, Zhou Zhengliang’s footsteps didn’t pause as he conversed, but his gaze brushed past the neatly wrapped package in the girl’s hands. His eyes darkened slightly.

Young as she was, she sure knew how to draw a line.

All this over a jacket—was it because she had a boyfriend and needed to stay proper?

His lips curved faintly, though the emotion never reached his eyes.

Soon enough…
That won’t be a problem.

—

Time flew by. After four days of site visits, the team finally arrived at the last stop: Nanning County.

As her second hometown, Gu Yao felt a wave of familiarity and warmth.

And the key reason behind Nanning’s success in tourism?

None other than the director of the cultural and tourism bureau—her own uncle, Shen Peng.

Her maternal grandparents had passed away early. Since it was rare for Teacher Shen to return to her maiden home, she decided to use her daughter’s business trip as an opportunity. Before Gu Yao left, she gave a very specific instruction:

She was to drop in unexpectedly at her uncle’s place.

Drop in for what?

“Your uncle and aunt are in the middle of a divorce. You’re quick with words—see if you can talk some sense into them.”

Gu Yao was stunned.

From what she remembered, her uncle and aunt had always had a solid relationship. How had things turned so suddenly…?

The meal had been arranged at a private restaurant.

Due to the lack of coordination beforehand, Director Shen and his niece ended up acknowledging their family connection in front of everyone the moment they met.

The county head, clearly pleased, turned to Zhou Zhengliang and praised, “This young lady is outstanding—back then she was the top science scorer in the entire city. We in Nanning were so envious!”

As soon as he said that, nearly everyone’s attention shifted to her.

Gu Yao flushed.

Those past honors were like passing clouds—why bring them up now?

But it didn’t stop there.

Several officials, having learned of her stellar academic record, joined in the chorus of praise. Across from her, her uncle beamed with pride.

Even her colleagues from the municipal committee, who had accompanied the trip, were looking at her with new eyes—like they were meeting her for the first time.

After all, no one had expected that the seemingly ordinary little clerk actually had such an impressive background.

She was utterly mortified.

Someone, please save her.

Just then, a calm, deep voice came from the head of the table.

It was Secretary Zhou.

Looking at the young woman surrounded by “flowers and applause,” Zhou Zhengliang spoke with composure, “Young and ambitious—this is the time to aim high and keep pushing forward with firm resolve.”

It was both a recognition and encouragement.

With the senior leader having spoken, the atmosphere finally eased.

Composing herself, Gu Yao turned to look at the man and nodded solemnly.

I will.

The earnest and well-behaved look on the girl’s face reminded Zhou Zhengliang of the second time they met in the municipal office.

Just a few minutes alone had been enough to observe her reserved manner.

And yet, those clear, bright eyes held a kind of vibrant vitality.

Ten years in politics, he’d met all kinds of people.

Zhou Zhengliang knew that the young woman standing in front of him was still a blank slate—untainted.

At the very least, she still believed in fairness and justice.

Still believed that when bad people did wrong, they would eventually be punished.

Just like during that initial system demo—despite knowing the risks were unpredictable, she had still chosen to expose the Futian District project. That seemingly reckless move had shaken him more than he let on.

But he had to admit—

That was the moment she first left a lasting impression.

—

After lunch, upon hearing that Secretary Zhou’s itinerary had been shortened and he might return to Qiong early, the county head immediately picked up on the hint and suggested taking the city committee members to the cultural and tourism bureau’s central operations room for a visit.

Officially it was a “tour,” but really, it was about sharing best practices.

All because, during lunch, Zhou Zhengliang had casually said:
“Next time, bring the neighboring counties along to take a look.”

Take a look at what?

Learn from one another. Work toward common prosperity and shared progress.

The county head felt a surge of pride and promptly told Director Shen to go make the arrangements.

But fate had other plans.

At this critical moment, trouble struck.

The central control room suddenly lost power. The servers would take time to reboot, and they certainly couldn’t leave Secretary Zhou standing around for two hours.

As an awkward silence fell, a voice piped up from the crowd.

Gu Yao asked, “Do you have backups of the important data?”

What did that mean?

After a few seconds of delay, the tech team snapped out of it and hurriedly responded, “Yes, we do.”

The young woman smiled politely.

“I’ll need a computer,” she said. “Let me give it a try.”

Give it a try?

The group stared at each other, disbelief written all over their faces.