Chapter 12: Room Change

She wasn’t good with alcohol, but earlier, when the waiter brought out the dishes, she’d caught a glimpse of the menu.
The prices listed under the wine section were exorbitant—
Name-brand liquor starting in the five-digit range.

Compared to the old town brews that used to fill the alleys of Tang County in her childhood, this was another world entirely.

As for the taste, Gu Yao could only respond sheepishly,
“Perhaps Secretary Zhou should try it himself. My palate isn’t that refined, but personally, I think… all liquor tastes the same.”

All the same.

A faint smile appeared in Zhou Zhengliang’s eyes.

Graceful on the outside, firm on the inside, and calm in all situations—this young woman was becoming increasingly impressive in his eyes.

“In that case, let’s just use tea instead of wine.”

With the leader’s quiet instruction, the rest reacted instantly, hurrying to swap the glasses in front of them.

Gu Yao took the initiative to pour tea for Zhou Zhengliang.

Seventy percent full. Just the right temperature.

In his field of view, the girl’s pale side profile was wrapped in tea steam. Her calm and delicate features stood in sharp contrast to the atmosphere of the banquet.

Yet she was utterly focused, watching the silver needle tea leaves rise and fall in the cup, as if she were engaged in some quiet but vital mission of life.

After a brief moment of peace, the timing was ripe.

The county party secretary rose first, beaming with pride.
“Our small county has not received you as well as we should. Thank you to all the comrades from the municipal committee for coming such a long way, especially Secretary Zhou, for taking time out of your busy schedule to visit Tang County. On behalf of the county committee and the government—I offer you all a toast!”

“To Secretary Zhou, and to all our comrades from the city!”

“Come on, everyone—bottoms up!”

…

Amid the buzz of toasts, Zhou Zhengliang picked up his celadon porcelain cup, his fingers long and defined, and slowly brought it to his lips.

The tea was rich and mellow, lingering on the tongue.

But what lingered at the tip of his nose was something else entirely—the soft, faint fragrance of the young woman. Subtle and elusive.

Distracting.

—

After lunch, everyone returned to their rooms to rest for a while.

Gu Yao had just come out of the bathroom after washing her face when the doorbell rang.

It was Xu Mo.

He wore an apologetic smile. “There’s been a bit of a situation. I might need to trouble you.”

If it was work-related, then it wasn’t really trouble.

She’d already had a hunch. Most likely, it had something to do with Room 901.

“Is Secretary Zhou not comfortable in that room?” she asked.

Smart girl—she’d probably guessed his reason for coming.

Xu Mo glanced subtly down the hallway behind him, then sighed with a trace of helplessness.
“We originally planned to ask one of the county officials to make other arrangements… but Secretary Zhou stopped us.”

Gu Yao nodded.

She could understand.

People in high positions were always under scrutiny.
If he openly expressed dissatisfaction with the room, it would probably leave the county party secretary and Mayor Song in a constant state of anxiety.

After all, there was already a precedent.

“I’ll go downstairs now and ask the front desk if there are any executive suites with better conditions,” she offered.

Just as she reached for the door, Xu Mo stopped her. “No need to open a new room.”

…Huh?

What did that mean?

He then suggested, “You can move into Room 901.”

“……”

The girl stood frozen in place.

So, after searching high and low, Secretary Xu couldn’t find anyone else willing to switch into 901—and now he’d decided… to sacrifice her?

Well—maybe sacrifice wasn’t the right word.
But from her perspective, she was absolutely unwilling.

“I’ll owe you one,” Xu Mo said sincerely, eyes quietly pleading.

Forget it.

After weighing the situation, it actually made more sense for a young woman to move in.
As a male leader traveling on official business, Secretary Zhou’s preference for privacy and gentlemanly decorum was a perfect excuse.

Gu Yao agreed.

Fortunately, she hadn’t unpacked her suitcase yet—she could just grab her things and go.

Within minutes, Xu Mo helped her move into Room 901.

The soft carpet absorbed most of the noise, but as soon as she stepped through the door and saw the tall figure standing with his back to her by the window, Gu Yao instinctively lightened her steps.

The room was quiet.
Only the man’s warm, composed voice occasionally flowed through the air—
He was on the phone.

Sensing movement behind him, Zhou Zhengliang turned slightly, his gaze falling toward the doorway.

The girl stood silently in the entryway, her clear eyes quietly sweeping over the room.
As if sensing his attention, she turned back toward him—meeting his gaze exactly, without trying.

Her expression hadn’t had time to fade.

It still carried traces of reluctance and hesitation.

Zhou Zhengliang hung up the call and walked toward the entrance, his eyes fixed on her, voice low and gentle:

“If you’re not willing, you don’t have to force yourself.”