The distance between Feng Lei and Cao Chenxi wasn’t very far.
When their eyes met, both of them felt a jolt in their hearts.
Although Cao Chenxi didn’t know Feng Lei, Feng Lei absolutely recognized her.
Thinking of the child in Xu Ruoxuan’s belly, Feng Lei couldn’t contain his rage.
Even though Cao Chenxi was very overweight, far from his type, she was still decently attractive.
The most important thing, however, was that she was Chen Bin’s fiancée.
Feng Lei made up his mind—tonight, no matter what, he would make sure Chen Bin wore a green hat.
He picked up his wine glass and sat down beside Cao Chenxi.
"Hey beautiful, are you here alone?"
Cao Chenxi hadn’t thought much of Feng Lei; not only was he older, but he wasn’t good-looking either.
But upon hearing the word "beautiful," a faint smile appeared on her face.
Feng Lei swirled his wine glass and asked very gentlemanly,
"I’m alone too. May I sit here and chat with you?"
For the next hour or so, the two of them drank and chatted casually.
During their conversation, they even challenged each other to drink more.
Seeing the moment was right, Feng Lei suggested finding a quieter place to continue drinking.
His intentions were clear to Cao Chenxi, so she nodded immediately.
Leaving the bar, the two headed straight to a hotel across the street.
The moment Feng Lei stepped into the room, Cao Chenxi threw him onto the bed.
Thankfully, the mattress was soft—if it hadn’t been, Feng Lei might’ve been crushed to death right then and there.
Even so, he felt immense discomfort under her weight.
If not for the fact that Cao Chenxi was Chen Bin’s fiancée, Feng Lei would undoubtedly have bolted from the room.
In the battle that ensued, the only thing that kept him going was the belief in his revenge.
At year-end, the trial batch of organic vegetables in Dragon Mountain County hit the market.
Thanks to proactive advertising, they were quickly embraced by consumers.
Although they were significantly more expensive than traditional vegetables, they still couldn’t meet the demand.
Chen Bin was equally determined to fully promote organic vegetables in the coming year.
In the government work report delivered during the county’s annual two sessions, he even proposed the goal of branding Dragon Mountain County as the "Vegetable Capital."
Although Ye Hong was at odds with Chen Bin, he too believed in Chen Bin’s capabilities.
For something that could yield political achievements, of course Ye Hong wouldn’t object.
That weekend, while driving to meet Liao Ruoji, Chen Bin unexpectedly saw her walking on the university campus with a man.
When their conversation ended, they even went to the faculty dorms together.
As the man went upstairs, Chen Bin realized it was none other than Xiong Wubing!
Suppressing the rage boiling inside him, Chen Bin stayed in the car, waiting to see when Xiong Wubing would leave.
But even after three hours, Xiong Wubing still hadn’t come out.
Just then, his phone rang—it was Xu Ruoxuan calling.
"Brother, can you come to my parents’ place? Xiao Ya says she misses you."
Thinking of that lively little girl, Chen Bin took a deep breath.
He replied, "Alright, I’ll be there soon!"
After hanging up, he glanced in the direction of Liao Ruoji’s room.
With a cold sneer, he started his car and drove off.
Upon arriving at Xu Tai’s house, he learned that Xu Tai had taken Feng Xiaoya out to buy watercolor pens.
When Xu Ruoxuan saw Chen Bin, she looked uneasy and said,
"Have a seat on the couch for a while. Dinner will be ready soon."
As she spoke, she turned to head to the kitchen to help.
Seeing her pregnant belly and her limited mobility, Chen Bin immediately said,
"Sis, you should rest. Let me handle the kitchen work."
After a moment of hesitation, Xu Ruoxuan finally nodded.
As soon as Chen Bin stepped into the kitchen, Yuan Cuiping glanced towards the living room.
Ensuring Xu Ruoxuan wasn’t paying attention, she asked with a stern expression,
"Xiao Chen, tell me the truth—is the child in your sister’s belly yours?"
"This..." Chen Bin hesitated.
Seeing his troubled expression, she added,
"Her belly is already this big. Talk of blame won’t help now. I just want to know—whose child is it?"
Xu Ruoxuan hadn’t mentioned her pregnancy to Yuan Cuiping or Xu Tai.
But after her belly became noticeable, she had no choice but to admit she was expecting.
Yet, she never disclosed who the father was.
Both Yuan Cuiping and Xu Tai suspected the child was Chen Bin’s.
The earlier call Xu Ruoxuan made to Chen Bin was under Yuan Cuiping’s instructions.
Knowing he couldn’t hide it anymore, Chen Bin gritted his teeth and nodded.
"The child is mine. As you know, I’m not someone irresponsible."
Sighing deeply, Yuan Cuiping finally felt some relief.
"You and Ruoxuan are both adults. You can make your own decisions. Since there’s a child now, I hope you’ll treat her well and not let her down."
Chen Bin nodded solemnly, "Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of her."
"By the way, about Cao Chenxi..."
"Sigh, I think you already know—I don’t like her at all."
"Cao Chenxi isn’t Cao Sanjin’s biological daughter, but he raised her as his own. You’d better be cautious anyway."
Nodding, Chen Bin hesitated before asking softly,
"Secretary Xu probably suspects that the child in my sister’s belly is mine, right?"
Yuan Cuiping assured him, "Don’t overthink it. His stance is the same as mine."
Just as dinner was served, Xu Tai returned with Feng Xiaoya.
Upon seeing Chen Bin, Xu Tai froze momentarily before quickly returning to his usual calm demeanor.
After dinner, Chen Bin was about to help clean the dishes when Xu Tai called him to the study.
Although Xu Tai had retired, out of respect, Chen Bin shared updates about the happenings in Dragon Mountain County.
After some hesitation, he even mentioned his conflict with Feng Huzhou.
After all, with Xu Ruoxuan carrying his child, reconciling with Feng Lei was entirely impossible now.
On top of that, with Xu Tai retired, there was no longer a need to curry favor with Feng Huzhou.
After hearing the full story, Xu Tai patted Chen Bin on the shoulder and replied sincerely,
"Kid, you’ve got guts. If it were me, I would’ve done the same."
After a pause, he added,
"Cao Sanjin reprimanded you only because he’s in a tough spot. If I’m not mistaken, he’s gunning to become governor next year, isn’t he?"
Chen Bin nodded. "I’ve heard similar rumors."
Xu Tai sipped his tea and continued slowly,
"There are only so many governor positions across the country, and countless people want them. It’s incredibly competitive. Next year is a prime opportunity for Cao Sanjin to move up. If you were him, wouldn’t you be anxious too?"
Thinking about how terrified Cao Sanjin was of the power behind Feng Huzhou, Chen Bin couldn’t resist asking,
"I’m really curious—who exactly is Feng Huzhou’s backer?"