National Tide 1980.

An indescribable sense of contradiction was subtly struggling within me.

This is the truest reflection of Yao Peifang's feelings as she sits in the airplane cabin at this very moment.

If I had to sum it up in one sentence, it would be the title of the most popular book in Beijing: "Half Sea, Half Flame".

This time, Yao Peifang didn't spend a penny of her own money on her plane ticket back to China; it was booked for her by Matsumoto's office.

Moreover, unlike her previous economy class flights, this time the agency booked her business class.

Not only can they enjoy priority boarding and lounge access, but once boarded, their seats are also exceptionally spacious, clean, and comfortable, and they can even lie down.

In particular, the flight attendants provide exceptionally attentive service, and the meals are quite plentiful.

Who wouldn't enjoy this kind of experience?
But to be honest, Yao Peifang's anxiety and unease stemmed precisely from the inexplicable increase in her treatment.

Because the preferential treatment that Matsumoto's agency gave her was entirely in accordance with Ning Weimin's wishes.

The thought that the firm was demanding she fly to Beijing to see Ning Weimin and obtain his permission before she could resign left her completely bewildered.

She had no idea what she was about to face.
She was even more unclear about Ning Weimin's intention in asking her to fly to the capital to meet him.

Mingming had barely seen him more than a few times in Japan over the past year.

Why are you suddenly making this request because she wants to resign?
Is he not planning to leave?
Or is there something important that requires me to see myself again?

Even after several sleepless nights of contemplation, Yao Peifang still couldn't figure out what was going on.

As a result, her eyes not only became deeply sunken, but also shrouded in a dark shadow.

So much so that when she looked in the mirror before setting off and saw herself, she could only laugh it off and say to herself, "I'll just wear natural makeup; I don't need to wear eyeshadow."

Yes, to be honest, her biggest fear came from having to face Ning Weimin.

The real reason she decided to resign was that she didn't want to continue being infatuated with Ning Weimin like she was now.

She didn't know if she was under some kind of spell, but she found herself secretly in love with a man who was already married with children.

He dared not express his feelings, and the man himself was very happy, loving his wife and children.

She knew, of course, that she shouldn't have done this, but things seemed to have spiraled out of control from the very beginning.

She originally thought she was just seizing a good opportunity to develop her career, but she never imagined that she would fall in love with a man she shouldn't have, and suffer emotional torment ever since.

Throughout her year in Japan, she gazed up at Ning Weimin from afar, her heart always hanging in suspense.

If Ning Weimin stops paying attention to her for a long time, it will be fine; she can still maintain a clear mind and live a peaceful life.

However, if the other party unexpectedly calls and asks her to do something, she will become so excited that she loses her mind, and then, under an indescribable inner restlessness, she will have unrealistic fantasies.

This feeling of wanting something but not being able to have it is undoubtedly a form of mental torment.

So even though her acting career in Japan was going very well and she had become a minor celebrity, she still couldn't take it anymore, which is why she made the painful decision to resign and return to China, wanting to get away from that place that made her feel so bad.

But who would have thought that such an unexpected situation would occur?

Finally arriving at their destination, as the plane sped towards Beijing Airport, Yao Peifang knew it was sending her to the edge of a volcano.

Who knows if this is an active or dormant volcano?

There's no need to worry too much; just put everything aside.

She had no way to refuse, nor the right to refuse; she could only resign herself to fate...

Still enjoying the privileges of business class, Yao Peifang and several other business class passengers were the first to disembark when the plane door opened.

But what surprised her even more was that Ning Weimin actually sent someone to pick her up at the airport this time.

A person in a driver's uniform stood patiently in the most conspicuous position at the exit of the arrival area, holding a sign with her name on it.

As she involuntarily turned her head to look, the man immediately noticed and quickly walked towards her.

"If I'm not mistaken, you must be Miss Yao? Mr. Ning asked me to pick you up. Your hotel has everything ready. Shall I help you with your luggage?"

Now, Yao Peifang is somewhat well-known both in China and Japan.

It should be said that taking a car is a regular occurrence for her.

Even so, this was the first time she had ever received a personal driver to pick her up from the airport.

Especially when she followed the driver out of the terminal and found that the driver was leading her to a stretched white Lincoln limousine and opening the car door for her, her eyes widened and she almost cried out.

It was another profound spiritual shock.

That person actually picked her up in such a luxurious car, isn't that a bit too much?
It has to be said that all of this felt like a scene from a dream to her, so unreal.

Therefore, after Yao Peifang got into the limousine, she became even more nervous on the way from the Capital Airport to the Pierre Carton Building, her hands clenching tightly involuntarily.

I couldn't help but ponder repeatedly in my mind what could be the reason that I would receive such high-level treatment.

She didn't feel she deserved it, and this treatment only made her uneasy.

She's not a child anymore, and she's very worldly-wise.

In other words, if a man treats a woman this way, it's unlikely to be just out of chivalry or to simply give her face; he must have something in mind.

Therefore, she didn't feel any sense of overjoyment or smugness.

Instead, it will put pressure on her, making her unable to help but wonder what price she will have to pay.

This made her constantly imagine what requests the other party might make.
What role will I play in the near future...? The car drove from the Capital Airport to the Pierre Carton Building, which took about an hour and a half, not a short time.

But Yao Peifang, lost in thought, was unaware of this.

When the limousine stopped at the gates of the Pierre Carton Building, it felt like only half an hour had passed for her.

Just as she was still surprised at how quickly they had arrived, a waiter in uniform came forward to open the car door.

The driver took Yao Peifang's suitcase and handed it to another person who was waiting there.

The man introduced himself to Yao Peifang, saying he was the hotel lobby manager, and then led her into the building's elevator with a friendly smile.

Without any formalities or even going to the hotel reception, the man took Yao Peifang directly to the eighteenth floor.

He then used the room card to open the door to room 18-B, and after entering, he began to introduce the facilities and services of the room to Yao Peifang.

The lobby manager was concise, introducing the room with minimal fluff, and he was very patient, ready to explain everything to Yao Peifang.

But the constant stream of events still left Yao Peifang feeling overwhelmed and dazzled.

Seeing this suite, which consists of a bedroom, a living room, a study, and a bathroom, with each room decorated in an exquisite European style, every item and every detail exuding luxury, and even a garden on the terrace, which far exceeded her understanding of presidential suites, made her even more dizzy.

So she didn't ask any questions, just nodded vaguely to indicate that she understood everything, hoping that this person in front of her would disappear as soon as possible so that she could be alone and have some peace and quiet.

Even so, the lobby manager's parting words made her heart pound.

“Ms. Yao, the Chinese restaurant is on the second floor and the Western restaurant is on the third floor. All purchases in the entire building are free for you. Just show your room card and sign a form. If you feel tired, you can call for room service without any problem. However, Mr. Ning instructed us to notify him immediately when you arrive, as he seems very eager to see you. Therefore, I suggest that you do not go out so that Mr. Ning can see you as soon as he arrives.”

Therefore, Yao Peifang forced herself to remain calm, nodded, and said, "Okay, I understand."

But in reality, as soon as the lobby manager left, she couldn't help but feel a bittersweet mix of helplessness and fear rising in her heart. Exhausted and weak, she collapsed onto the sofa in the living room, her body trembling uncontrollably.

It has to be said that the luxurious suite in front of her and everything that had just happened created an omnipresent pressure around her, and made her vaguely believe that she had figured something out.

Arranging a restaurant, picking you up in a luxury car, eating here... this is clearly throwing a bone at you, very high-society style.

In Japan, she had actually heard some fellow actors talk about how wealthy people treat fair-skinned and beautiful celebrities.

She only ever listened to them as stories, never imagining that one day it would happen to her.

To be honest, if she hadn't known the other person was Ning Weimin, she would have ended the meeting immediately and wanted to run away as fast as she could, or call the police right away.

But now, what makes her most ashamed and what makes her unable to face herself is precisely this.

She didn't know what was wrong with her. She knew perfectly well what the right thing to do was, but she hesitated about whether she should stay away.

And amidst the anxiety and unease, there was even a faint sense of anticipation, a touch of excitement, and a hint of nervousness...

How could she do this? How could she be so shameless? Is this really her?
What should she do? What's the best course of action? Should she stay or leave?
Yao Peifang couldn't find peace in her heart. She completely forgot about being hungry. She just sat there, lost in thought, and when she thought of herself, she blushed and her heart pounded.

For some reason, the first thing she did after she came to her senses was to run to the bathroom and run a bath, anxiously trying to wash away the dust of her journey, worried that she wouldn't be able to show her most radiant self.

She was conflicted and torn. She hated herself, hated her own uselessness, hated her inability to refuse.

As it turns out, Ning Weimin was her nemesis.

It was as if whatever that person wanted, she would obediently submit at the slightest beckoning of a finger...

However, as it turns out, Yao Peifang was ultimately overthinking things.

Ning Weimin arrived quite quickly, just an hour and a half later, and he was indeed alone.

But he didn't go upstairs at all; instead, he stayed downstairs and made a phone call to Yao Peifang himself.

He called her downstairs and asked her to meet him in the lobby lounge.

This single action essentially declares that Ning Weimin's purpose for visiting this time is perfectly legitimate, and is by no means what Yao Peifang thought, that it was an ambiguous act of keeping a mistress.

As a result, after hanging up the phone while she was getting ready, Yao Peifang felt even more anxious, ashamed, and timid because of this misunderstanding.

She couldn't quite describe how she felt at that moment; there was relief and peace of mind, but also a strange sense of loss and anger.

She stared blankly at the makeup mirror for a long time, then covered her burning face with her hands and stared in a daze for a while.

It took her about fifteen minutes to regain her composure, realize that she should get ready and go downstairs to keep her appointment.

The lobby downstairs was crowded; it seemed as if a lot of guests had suddenly arrived.

When Yao Peifang stepped out of the elevator, the lobby was in chaos, with more than twenty white people and more than a dozen Japanese people gathered at the front desk.

The staff members wearing bow ties were busy checking people in under the bright lights at the front desk, while the lobby manager was nowhere to be seen.

Just as Yao Peifang was worrying about which direction to go and looking around, a familiar voice suddenly came from beside her, "Little Yao, over here."

Yao Peifang turned her head and saw Ning Weimin, dressed in a silver-gray suit and a matching tie, standing ten meters away in front of a sofa, waving to her in a very gentlemanly manner.

His physique suited this suit perfectly.

He flashed his signature gentle smile and looked at her kindly.

However, such a greeting made Yao Peifang shrink back immediately.

It's unclear whether she was impressed by Ning Weimin's gentle yet dignified demeanor, felt ashamed for misunderstanding today's events, or realized that it was too difficult to bring up the matter of resignation in person.

In short, Yao Peifang's immediate reaction could be summed up in two words—guilt. (End of Chapter)