"Zhilan, you’re perfect just the way you are," He Teng stated abruptly. "Don’t change back to your old self. I can feel that this is the real you. You were not happy back at the He family."
He Zhilan was taken aback. She hadn’t expected He Teng to say that. She nodded, "I was naive earlier. I dug my own grave and then stubbornly stayed there, convinced that the world owed me something. I resented everyone around me and assumed myself superior. I always felt like I was nothing like you. Back then, I was really naive, wasn’t I?"
"Naive, indeed," He Teng didn’t mince his words. Yet, hearing He Zhilan, he felt a sense of pity. Although she had put the blame for her abduction entirely on the He family, causing turmoil there for twelve years, she was still foolishly endearing.
"Brother, I will learn gradually how to be a good wife to you. So, if I do something to upset you in the future, you must forgive me and tell me where I went wrong. I promise to change," or at least listen to her explanation.
"Just focus on your studies, my wife doesn’t need to behave like a puppet." He paused and continued, "Right now, there’s one thing you need to obey. Keep in mind that the people around Xing Ye, including Lin Deng, Dr. Bian, although they are kind to you and decent people, do not get too close to them. Zhilan, it’s not that I’m being pessimistic, but we are simply not part of their circle. The political scene will shift within two years. You’ll be alone in the capital, and I’ll be in the military. I can’t guarantee your safety if you get too close to them and offend their enemies. Understand?"
Because He Zhilan was receptive that night, He Teng patiently explained to her why she should steer clear from the political sphere.
"The political scene is changing?" He Zhilan was taken aback. "How does this relate to Xing Ye and his circle?"
"Xing Ye switched to politics after leaving the military. The Xing Family holds an influential position in politics. Xing Ye could be promoted at any time, which would then lead to political unrest. The players in that sphere will gradually pick sides. History shows that in power struggles, the winner rules, and the loser perishes. Countless innocent bystanders could be drawn in," He Teng explained.
Having spent twelve years in the military, He Teng was not completely oblivious to the political landscape, understanding why Xing Ye, the son of an influential official, would spend several years in the military before transitioning to politics.
"Switching to politics? As in, political politics?" He Zhilan finally understood when she remembered what Bian Xiulin had mentioned about Xing Ye’s transition to politics and not simply about going official!
So Xing Ye was part of the bureaucratic elite!
And all of Xing Ye’s friends just happened to be in different departments! Only Lin Chan was in business. But even in business, the Lin Family was no ordinary family.
Did the backgrounds of Xing Ye’s friends form a formidable network?
With He Teng’s analysis, He Zhilan finally understood that the people around Lin Chan were not as simple as they seemed.
But Lin Chan was genuinely kind to her.
If someone were to say that there was no such thing as selfless kindness in this world, He Zhilan could boldly refute them, because Lin Chan was an exception.