"I really appreciate you pulling two of your subordinates to help me prepare for this event," said Wuyue as she and Lin Yi walked out of the Armed Department.
"It’s part of departmental cooperation, but... why did Major Wu pick specifically these two?" Transferring personnel between military region departments is even more ruthless than internal selections, and Wuyue Zhongxiao is notoriously picky.
Mo Xixi is efficient in handling tasks, but she has her small faults. And there’s Xia You, who is just a newcomer. In terms of experience and ability, she also doesn’t meet the requirements.
"Mo Xixi processes information very quickly. I want to take advantage of that to promote this joint forces friendship party effectively." The somewhat pretentious name came out of Wuyue’s mouth with a touch of literary flair.
When Lin Yi first heard this so-called birthday party’s external name, he couldn’t help but admire the cunning strategy of the public relations department. Using the guise of a "joint forces friendship party," it netted various political dignitaries and influencers, as well as several bigwigs from the military region.
"As for Xia You, her performance last time was excellent, and I’ve been instructed to give her some additional ’help’," Wuyue’s eyes, which were slightly more upturned than average, lifted even further.
Lin Yi misunderstood Wuyue’s implication. If his memory served him correctly, Wuyue was promoted by Marshal Ren. So, the additional help she mentioned was likely suggested by the Ren Family, which meant Xia You and Ren Minghang must be getting along well.
The birthday party for Ding Ling had kept the entire Ding Family bustling inside out.
The three members of the Ding Family, from Major General Ding to Wei Ruqin, down to Ding Ling, were all drafting their respective invitation lists.
The list in Ding Han’s hands was the most extensive, covering politicians and key persons from several major military regions of Hua Country. Lu Xun was supposed to draft an invitation list appropriate for his level, but he was too lazy to bother with these trivialities, so Ding Han took it upon himself to include some mid-level officers on his behalf.
"Dad," Ding Ling wheeled herself into the study, pouting heavily.
"Xiao Ling, the birthday party has been arranged entirely according to your wishes; even that death metal band has been invited, and the location is at our place, as you wanted. What are you still not satisfied with?" Ding Han, seeing his daughter’s expression, knew she had complaints to air.
Women are like that; these past few days, Wei Ruqin has been fussing over which Jewelry to wear to the party, constantly nagging in his ear.
"Dad, what birthday party? You know I never wanted a birthday party. Do you still not understand what I really want?" Ding Ling threw the stack of invitations on the floor, dispiritedly rolling over them with her wheelchair.
"Xiao Ling, are you referring to the matter with Lu Xun? I’ve talked about your situation with him several times, but he always says that he only sees you as a sister," Ding Han was well aware of his daughter’s little crush. The bond between people is mysterious; between him and Wei Ruqin, between Lu Xun and his precious daughter, it was just so.
The first time he met Wei Ruqin, he was already married. Yet, he was captivated by this beautiful sister-in-law and eventually managed to marry her. And his daughter was just like him; she fell for Lu Xun at first sight and insisted he adopt Lu Xun for her. While other families raise a daughter-in-law, the Ding Family raised a son-in-law.
"What sister? I’m not that deceased Ding Ling, I am Ding Ling, and I’m not his sister. He promised to take care of me for life," Ding Ling grew even more annoyed upon hearing this. Her original plan was to announce her engagement to Lu Xun on her twenty-second birthday. For this, she specially invited her close friends, including Xianxian, but now all she had was a birthday party.
"Alright, our little Princess of the Ding Family, Lu Xun isn’t young anymore. I don’t see him having a particular fondness for anyone. Let’s wait another year, and then I’ll directly ask him to marry you. Is that okay?" Ding Han promised confidently, albeit not truly sure about it. Whether the relationship between Ding Ling and Lu Xun was purely fraternal, whether Lu Xun was aware that Ding Ling was not Ding Ling, and the things he did to be with Wei Ruqin, as well as where the real Ding Ling was now, all remained uncertain.