Yesterday's atmosphere was perfectly set, and things were supposed to fall into place naturally, but Chang Yun and Kang De disrupted the flow.
Zhao Yanan also felt somewhat guilty towards Qin Mu, so she came today specifically to make up for it, at least to make up for yesterday's disappointment.
Therefore, Zhao Yanan didn't hold back today, and everything proceeded at a fast pace.
But they all forgot that this was a dormitory!
The soundproofing in the dormitory was really poor.
Xu Lu, who was downstairs, had just arrived home, put down her bag, taken a sip of water, and was about to look at some documents when the sounds coming from upstairs made her frown.
As a married woman, she was all too familiar with those sounds.
After listening for only a few seconds, Xu Lu's cheeks flushed slightly.
"County Chief Qin is really inconsiderate!"
Xu Lu muttered, her face red. She was right downstairs from County Chief Qin's apartment, and with the sound so clear, she naturally knew who it was.
After all, County Chief Qin's girlfriend had come. Normally, leaders are very careful about their reputation and would restrain themselves in their dormitories.
But this County Chief Qin seems a bit unconventional, completely disregarding the place.
"However… this County Chief Qin is a bit too much."
Xu Lu felt increasingly uneasy listening to this. Half an hour had passed?
That's outrageous!
She was married, and naturally understood men better than most. She knew very well what half an hour meant.
"No wonder his girlfriend likes County Chief Qin so much."
Xu Lu muttered to herself. Working within the organization, she knew that both Zhao Yanan and Qin Mu had impressive backgrounds.
She could also see that Zhao Yanan liked Qin Mu more, almost to the point of being devoted…
Now she understood the reason!
Who could blame her when County Chief Qin's 'power' was extraordinary!
...
Actually, Qin Mu and Zhao Yanan weren't being particularly unconventional; they'd simply forgotten they were in their dormitory.
"Oh no, we're in the dormitory!"
After they finished, Zhao Yanan looked around and suddenly felt a chill, quickly reminding Qin Mu.
Huh?
In the dormitory?
Qin Mu was also a little confused, scratching his head and saying, "It should be fine, the soundproofing in the dormitory should be okay!"
"Cough cough..."
The next second, a cough came from downstairs. Judging from the voice, it seemed to be Xu Lu's.
A cough downstairs could be heard clearly upstairs. So, the sounds they'd made inside... Xu Lu downstairs...
Thinking of this, Qin Mu's face fell. Where was his image going?!
"Hahaha... Some people's county magistrate image is probably ruined."
Zhao Yanan also noticed Qin Mu's expression and couldn't help but laugh.
"What image?!"
Qin Mu waved his hand, saying, "I'm with my girlfriend, not some other person. I'm not afraid!"
Hearing this, Zhao Yanan felt a warmth in her heart.
At least she was now Qin Mu's legitimate girlfriend—it was worth it!
"Come on, let's go out and get something to eat!"
Qin Mu had exerted himself quite a bit and was actually a little hungry, so he immediately suggested.
"Okay, I'll do what you say."
Zhao Yanan readily agreed, quickly putting on her clothes and getting ready before going downstairs with Qin Mu.
Just as they reached the bottom of the stairs, they bumped into Xu Lu, who was taking out the trash.
The three pairs of eyes met, all seeing the awkwardness on each other's faces.
"Comrade Xu Lu, have you had dinner? Want to grab something to eat together?"
Qin Mu, being the most thick-skinned, was naturally the first to break the ice, immediately asking.
"No...no need...I'll just cook some noodles."
Xu Lu shook her head, politely declining.
She was actually a little embarrassed. Besides, they were a couple; it wouldn't be appropriate for her to be a third wheel!
"Let's eat together!"
Zhao Yanan grabbed Xu Lu's hand, saying, "You're working here and don't have any family or friends, so you need to eat properly, not just eat anything!"
"Besides, if you have any work-related issues, you can talk to Qin Mu about them!"
Zhao Yanan's enthusiasm left Xu Lu no room to refuse.
"Okay then, I...we'll eat together."
Xu Lu finally nodded in agreement and joined Qin Mu and his partner at a nearby small restaurant, ordering a few dishes.
The three of them ate and chatted!
During the meal, Zhao Yanan asked Xu Lu about her background.
"You're a few years older than me, so I'll call you 'sister'!"
Zhao Yanan immediately said.
"Sure, I'll call you 'little sister'."
Xu Lu was overjoyed. These two men had powerful connections; for someone like her with an ordinary background to be on such friendly terms with them was a blessing.
"Sister, hasn't your husband come to see you?"
Zhao Yanan couldn't help but ask, "You work here all alone, away from home. It must be so hard. If I were your husband, I'd definitely come to see you the next day if I wasn't busy, and bring you some good food."
This…
At the mention of this, Xu Lu's eyes dimmed!
"Sigh, we're an old married couple. He's at the Municipal Sanitation Bureau; he's probably busy too, and probably doesn't have time to come."
Xu Lu forced a smile and offered a few words of explanation for Chen Shuo.
Even though he had deleted her contact information, he was still her husband, and in front of outsiders, she still had to protect him.
"What do you mean, 'old married couple'? You're still so young!"
Zhao Yanan, however, had a different opinion. "You're still the executive deputy county head, working so hard every day. As your husband and family, I should support your work even more."
The more she said this, the more frustrated Xu Lu felt. Seeing the beer next to her, she immediately said, "County Head Qin, Sister Yanan, I'm so grateful to have dinner and chat with you today. I'd like to toast you!"
She opened a bottle of beer, intending to find a glass, but then felt a glass wasn't enough and started chugging it straight from the bottle.
"Glug glug..."
She downed half the bottle in one go.
"Hey... slow down."
If Qin Mu hadn't stopped her, Xu Lu probably would have finished the whole bottle.
"Sister, is something bothering you? You can tell us, don't keep it bottled up, it's bad for your health."
Zhao Yanan, being a woman, immediately noticed Xu Lu's problem and quickly asked.
"Actually, it's nothing. My husband and I have some disagreements at work."
Xu Lu, seizing the opportunity, didn't hide anything and briefly explained the problems between her and Chen Shuo.
"That's it... What's so difficult about that... Why not just ask Qin Mu to help transfer your husband to the county as well?"
Zhao Yanan's thinking was simpler. She said earnestly, "Your husband is a section chief, right? There are so many section chief-level positions in the county; there must be one or two suitable ones. Wouldn't that solve your long-distance relationship problem?"