After breaking up with my boyfriend, I made a fortune and rose rapidly in my career.

On the other end of the phone, his mother's voice wasn't as cheerful as usual; it sounded very serious, and Chen Pingfang sensed that something was amiss.

He didn't ask any more questions, but simply replied gently, "Okay, Mom, I'll be right back," and hung up the phone.

He briefly explained to Guo Xiaojun that there was an urgent matter at home and asked him to keep an eye on the command post. Guo Xiaojun saw that he looked calm and didn't think much of it, assuming it was just a normal family matter.

Without alerting anyone, Chen Ping drove his Passat away from the command post.

On the way, he stopped his car at a tobacco and liquor store and went inside. He didn't choose any of the expensive gifts, but only bought two bottles of local liquor and some fruit from the fruit shop next door.

The car drove into the family compound where my parents lived. The walls were mottled, the corridors were narrow, and the motion-activated lights were dim. Thirty kilometers away, the Jinshuiwan project construction site was full of tower cranes, completely different from here.

Chen Ping carried the things upstairs, his footsteps echoing on the cement stairs.

As soon as I arrived at my fourth-floor apartment, before I even took out my keys, a noisy commotion came through the crack in the door. There was laughter and shouts of toasting coming from inside; it was quite lively.

Chen Pingfang's brows furrowed unconsciously.

Today is neither a holiday nor anyone's birthday, so why is the house so lively?

He pushed open the door to his house.

The sight inside the room stunned him.

The living room, less than 60 square meters, was packed with people. People were standing on the sofas, benches, and even in the aisle. A group of relatives, some of whom he didn't even recognize, were all there. He rarely saw these people, not even once a year.

The door was pushed open, and the noisy living room quieted down.

All eyes immediately turned to Chen Pingfang standing at the door.

After a brief silence, a warm greeting rang out from inside the room.

"Oh dear, it's laid flat now."

"Look, our head of the household is back."

A middle-aged woman with curly hair and a somewhat plump appearance was the first to squeeze forward and take the things from his hands without saying a word.

This excessive enthusiasm made Chen Pingfang very uncomfortable. He glanced at the crowd and saw his parents standing in a corner, their faces full of embarrassment and helplessness.

"Come on, lay down flat, and quickly take the seat of honor!"

Without a word, everyone pulled Chen Ping to the head seat at the dinner table and surrounded him, saying all sorts of nice things.

I drank a few glasses of wine.

A man with thinning hair, his face flushed from drinking, staggered over, holding a wine glass. This was his mother's distant cousin, whom Chen Ping called "cousin-in-law."

"Lie flat..." My uncle's tongue was already slurring, but his face was full of smiles. "You've really made something of yourself now. You're the most successful person in our family for generations. You're the pride of our whole family!"

He first offered a few words of praise, then changed the subject.

"Um... your cousin, you know, my kid, he graduated from university almost a year ago and still doesn't have a proper job. You see... you're now the general manager of such a big project as Jinshui Bay, managing so many people, could you... arrange a manager position for him on the project? He doesn't have to do any work, just hold the title and collect a salary."

As soon as he said that, all the relatives in the room immediately chimed in with their own opinions.

"Yes, yes, lay them flat. We're all family. Now that you're capable, you have to help your family out."

"When you were little, your aunt held you in her arms; you mustn't forget that kindness."

"Exactly, we shouldn't let the good stuff go to outsiders."

These words put pressure on Chen Pingfang. The atmosphere at the dinner table changed; everyone put down their chopsticks, waiting for him to make a statement.

The parents looked even more troubled, wanting to say something, but were silenced by the eager gazes of their relatives.

Faced with this scene, Chen Pingfang showed no expression, but instead smiled calmly.

He slowly put down his chopsticks, picked up his teacup, took a sip, and glanced at the expectant faces, his tone gentle.

"A few days ago, comrades from the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection invited me to have tea."

This casual remark initially caused a commotion in the living room, which then fell completely silent.

"Just because of a fake bank transfer screenshot, they accused me of accepting bribes," Chen Pingfang continued. His voice wasn't loud, but in the quiet room, every word was clear. "I was suspended from my duties that very day and placed under investigation. If I hadn't been lucky enough to find evidence to prove my innocence, I'd probably be sitting in a different place right now."

He spoke calmly, but the words "provincial discipline inspection commission," "suspension from duty," "investigation," and "framing" stunned all his relatives.

Their smiles froze completely, and their eyes changed from anticipation to surprise and fear.

They then realized that Chen Ping's position was not as good as they had thought, but rather fraught with risks.

Seeing his uncle's pale face, Chen Pingfang's gaze turned serious.

"Uncle, the Jinshuiwan project has now been listed as one of the top ten model projects in the province, and the vice governor just visited the site a couple of days ago. I don't know how many eyes are secretly watching me from my position, just hoping I'll make a mistake."

"You know, if I get my cousin in there now, he can get a high salary without doing anything. If someone takes a picture and writes a report, it won't just be me losing my job." Chen Pingfang's voice turned serious. "That's abuse of power for personal gain, it's a crime. In that case, not only me, but everyone else who got him in there will also be in jail."

Seeing that the atmosphere had become very tense and no one was speaking, Chen Pingfang suddenly changed the subject.

He took a bank card out of his pocket and gently pushed it in front of his cousin.

"Uncle, I know my cousin is having a hard time finding a job, and his family is worried. I can't touch a single bit of the government's power; that's a principle. But this is my own salary; it's a small token of my appreciation."

"There's 50,000 yuan here. You can use it to help your cousin in case of emergency, or as start-up capital for a small business. Consider this a loan from me. No need for an IOU. You can pay it back whenever you have the money. If you don't have the money, that's fine too."

The entire room fell completely silent.

All the relatives were stunned. They didn't expect Chen Pingfang to refuse so decisively, and they couldn't refute the reasons he gave. They also didn't expect that after refusing, he would pay out of his own pocket, giving everyone a way out.

My cousin looked at the bank card on the table, his face turning pale and then red, feeling very ashamed.

His hand remained frozen in mid-air for a long time, and in the end, he didn't dare to reach out and take the card.

"Put it flat, look at you... I... I didn't mean that..." He withdrew his hand embarrassedly, stammering as he tried to explain, his voice very soft.

The atmosphere at the dinner party turned completely cold.

The relatives who had been so enthusiastic just moments before were now restless. They quickly made up various excuses to get up and leave, afraid of being associated with the word "political risk."

Soon, only Chen Pingfang and his parents remained in the room.

The mother came over, tidying up the messy dining table as she sighed, "Pingfang, you did the right thing. It was Mom who didn't think things through."

She paused, then, as if remembering something, added, "Oh, right, your college class monitor called home several times the other day, saying that they're organizing a 10th-anniversary reunion this year and specifically asked you to attend."

Chen Ping nodded, about to agree.

My personal cell phone in my pocket suddenly vibrated slightly.

He took it out and saw a WeChat message on the screen, sent by Xiao Yuhan.

The content is very simple, just one sentence, but it carries a touch of playfulness.

"I'm hungry too, can I come to your place for a bowl of noodles?"