The Cinnabar Mole of a Beijing Circle Tycoon

"Ayu," she waved her phone, her eyes sparkling, "Look at this! The Forbidden City in the snow is so beautiful! Shall we go see it?"

Meng Jiangyu paused in his work, frowning. "You've barely gotten out of bed. It's freezing outside. What if you get frostbite?"

"No way!" Shen Qingyao quickly wrapped her shawl tighter around herself. "I'll wear thick clothes, a hat, and a scarf. I'll be bundled up like a dumpling, okay? Look at this snow, it's falling just right. Maybe we can even catch the first snowfall after the rain at the Forbidden City!"

"Besides, with you here, what could possibly happen to me!"

She tugged at his sleeve and shook it gently, her tone slightly coquettish: "Just for a little while, just to take a few photos and then come right back, okay? This is such a rare opportunity..."

Looking at her expectant eyes and glancing at the snow scene on her phone, Meng Jiangyu finally gave in.

He sighed helplessly and reached out to ruffle her hair. "I just can't do anything with you. If you're not feeling well, come back right away. Don't try to be strong."

Shen Qingyao smiled broadly and nodded vigorously: "Okay! I'll go get dressed right now!" She turned and walked upstairs, her steps as light as a little rabbit.

Meng Jiangyu watched her retreating figure, a helpless yet indulgent smile playing on his lips.

The snow was still falling outside the window, landing on the branches and the stone steps.

The car drove smoothly on the snow-covered streets. Shen Qingyao wrapped her camel-colored wool coat tighter around her, her fingertips tracing the snow scene passing by outside through the car window.

The dusty pink sweater made her complexion look even more rosy, and the white wool long skirt had a beautiful drape. Paired with a scarf in the same color family, she exuded a gentle yet lively aura.

She turned her head to look at Meng Jiangyu beside her. He was also wearing a camel-colored wool coat, but the color was darker, close to caramel, which made his broad shoulders and narrow waist appear even more upright.

The two of them unintentionally wore coats of the same color, as if they had been carefully coordinated, exuding an indescribable harmony.

Shen Qingyao took out her phone and scrolled through Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book), her brows furrowing more and more as she looked. She muttered under her breath, "They all say you have to book seven days in advance, but it's already the 28th of the twelfth lunar month, there are definitely no tickets left..."

His tone was full of disappointment; his earlier elation seemed to have been doused with cold water.

Meng Jiangyu glanced at her drooping lips, reached out and ruffled her hair, took out his phone and dialed a number, his tone concise: "Make arrangements for me, two people, to enter the Forbidden City now."

He said something on the other end of the phone, and then just said "hmm" before hanging up.

"All done?" Shen Qingyao's eyes lit up.

"Hmm." Meng Jiangyu put his phone back in his pocket, and seeing her surprised look, a faint smile appeared on his lips. "Rules are rigid, but people are flexible."

Shen Qingyao was still somewhat incredulous: "But isn't the reservation system quite strict?"

"Even the most rigorous system is still made by humans." Meng Jiangyu looked ahead, his tone calm but with an undeniable certainty.

"Since it's a program setting, there's bound to be room for human intervention, and there are inevitably gray areas in between. The key is whether the person who's trying to break the rules has strong enough connections and enough leverage."

He paused, turned to look at her, his eyes revealing a sharp, realistic understanding: "You have to understand, people are driven by self-interest. Those who make the rules may seem to have set strict boundaries, but in reality, they've already reserved space for themselves to pursue personal gain. So-called privileges are nothing more than someone willing to use that 'reserved space' for you."

Shen Qingyao was somewhat stunned by what she heard.

She was taught from a young age to "follow the rules" and never imagined there were so many twists and turns behind it.

"Isn't this... not a good idea?" she said softly, feeling a little guilty about breaking the rules.

"There's nothing wrong with it." Meng Jiangyu held her hand, his fingertips warm. "We didn't hurt anyone; we just achieved our goal in a more convenient way. You wanted to see snow, and I just happen to be able to make it happen for you. That's enough."

The snow had stopped sometime earlier.

The car quickly arrived near the Meridian Gate of the Forbidden City, where someone was already waiting and respectfully handed over two temporary passes.

Meng Jiangyu took the hand and naturally took Shen Qingyao's hand: "Let's go."

At the entrance to the Meridian Gate, a long queue stretched like a winding dragon. Tourists huddled in the cold wind, wrapped tightly in their coats, and occasionally tiptoed to look at the entrance, their faces showing anxious anticipation.

Shen Qingyao followed Meng Jiangyu through a nearly deserted passageway, flashed her temporary pass in front of the staff, and entered smoothly.

She subconsciously glanced back at the queue. Some people were stamping their feet to keep warm, some were complaining to their phones about not being able to book tickets, and a child was crying from the cold in his mother's arms.

In contrast, the warm air and unobstructed road around me seem like two completely different worlds.

A subtle emotion quietly crept into my heart. It wasn't pride, but rather a kind of indescribable lightness, as if I were walking on clouds, looking down and seeing all living beings trudging through the mud.

"What are you thinking about?" Meng Jiangyu noticed her pause and stopped to ask her.

Shen Qingyao withdrew her gaze, looked into his deep eyes, and said softly, "It's nothing... I just feel, is this the allure of power?"

No need to queue, no need to wait, and no need to follow the rules that most people regard as gospel; with just one phone call, you can easily reach places that others struggle to reach.

Meng Jiangyu followed her gaze to the group, his eyes showing no emotion, and simply said, "This isn't charm, it's convenience."

"convenient?"

"Yes," he said, taking her hand and leading her forward, the warmth of his palm caressing her fingertips. "It's like having money to buy a faster train ticket, or having the ability to travel on a wider road. Rules are set for the majority, but there are always a few who have the ability to break free from the framework of those rules. You might find that appealing because it's the first time you've stood outside that framework."

Shen Qingyao remained silent.

She recalled the times she couldn't buy train tickets on the 12306 app, and her roommate staying up until midnight to snag a concert ticket. Those hardships that she once took for granted suddenly felt real now.

"Isn't that... a bit unfair?" she asked softly.

Meng Jiangyu turned to look at her. Snowflakes fell on his hair, leaving a speck of white on his eyelashes, but his eyes were clear: "Fairness is relative. Some people are born in Rome, while others spend their entire lives and never reach Rome."

"But you must remember, Yao Yao, the conveniences we have now are not for looking down on others, but for making ourselves live more comfortably."

He paused, then squeezed her hand: "Like today, we're not here to show off that we don't have to wait in line, but to make sure we don't miss this snow, to make sure we don't miss the scenery you want to see."

Shen Qingyao looked at him, and the faint sense of superiority she felt suddenly vanished.

Yes, what she really cared about was never the fact that she didn't have to queue, but being able to stand here without any hindrance in this kind of weather, watching the red walls against the white snow, with him by her side.