The game of power begins with the police officers at the local police station.

Chen Shi's nomination as the candidate for executive deputy county head caused a sensation throughout the county. At the age of thirty, he would be the youngest executive deputy county head in the history of Chunyang County.

Xu Pingan and others called to congratulate him and invited Chen Shi to dinner, but Chen Shi politely declined. As long as there was no official appointment, there were still uncertainties. At this time, it was important to keep a low profile and not be ostentatious.

Chen Shi focused on doing his job well, focusing on only two things each day: going to work and going home, and refusing all social engagements.

Time flies, and June has arrived. In June, the focus of the Education Bureau's work is the college entrance examination.

Chen Shi entrusted Yang Xiaobo with the responsibility of overseeing this year's college entrance examination, as he trusted Yang Xiaobo's abilities.

After the college entrance examination, Chen Shi had just gotten off work and returned home. Jiang Yiqiu had been busy with work lately and would often work overtime until eight or nine o'clock at night.

Chen Shi was alone, preparing to eat instant noodles. He hadn't had instant noodles in a long time and suddenly wanted some.

The phone rang, and Chen Shi picked it up to see that it was Shen Xiaorong calling.

Xiao Rong

"Brother, I've finished my college entrance exam."

"Where are you going after the college entrance exam?"

"After the results come out, I want to go to the coastal areas to do summer jobs and travel around when I fill out my college application."

I support you.

"Do you remember what day June 11th was?"

Chen Shi thought for a moment, then tentatively asked, "What day is June 11th?"

"Thank you, brother. You still remember my birthday. June 11th, I'll be eighteen and an adult."

Chen Shi smiled and said, "You've grown into a young lady."

"It's my birthday, and it's also my coming-of-age ceremony. Can you come celebrate my birthday?"

Without a second thought, Chen Shi replied, "Okay, when I come over, will it still be at your house?"

Shen Xiaorong hummed in agreement and hung up the phone. She was still living in the No. 1 Middle School teachers' apartment, where she could stay until September, when university started.

She found this year's college entrance exam questions very simple; she knew exactly how to answer them without even having to think about them. Not a single question required her to think for even a minute.

On June 11th, Shen Xiaorong took a taxi back home early in the morning. The old house had been uninhabited for a long time and had a musty smell. She opened the front door and windows to ventilate the house.

The house was quiet and deserted. She lit a fire, prepared ingredients, and waited for Chen Shi's arrival.

After finishing get off work, Chen Shi asked Yang Bin to buy a cake and headed to Xiaoqinggou, to Shen Xiaorong's house.

Shen Xiaorong stood in the courtyard, looking into the distance from time to time, waiting for Chen Shi's arrival.

He smiled when he saw Chen Shi's car.

The car stopped in the yard, and Chen Shi got out. Shen Xiaorong ran to Chen Shi's side and said, "Brother, you're here."

Yang Bin took a cake out of the trunk, and Shen Xiaorong said, "You bought a cake again. I don't like cake."

"How can a birthday celebration be complete without a cake?" Chen Shi looked at Yang Bin and said, "Go back first, I'll call you tonight and then come pick me up."

Yang Bin placed the cake on the table and drove away.

Chen Shi went into the room, and Shen Xiaorong brought him a stool to sit on.

"Brother, please sit down for a moment, I'll go cook."

Chen Shi sat down, took out a cigarette, lit it, and took a puff. He stood up and went to the kitchen.

"I'll help you start the fire."

Shen Xiaorong tied on an apron, her face beaming with a smile, just like a girl next door.

"The fire doesn't need to be lit. If you want to help, be my assistant. Do whatever I tell you to do."

"Okay, I'll do as you say."

While Shen Xiaorong was cooking, she kept telling Chen Shi to add salt, soy sauce, MSG, and other seasonings.

In less than half an hour, I made six dishes and a soup.

Chen Shi sat down: "There are so many dishes, we can't finish them all."

"I'll save the leftovers for tomorrow. I've been staying home lately, waiting for my results to come out so I can fill out my college application."

Shen Xiaorong took a bottle of wine from the cabinet, opened it, poured a glass for Chen Shi, and poured one for herself as well.

"You've learned to drink."

"Drinking doesn't need to be learned; I was born knowing how."

"Girls shouldn't drink alcohol when they're out."

"I don't drink outside, but you're my brother, so I'll have a couple of drinks with you."

Shen Xiaorong looked at Chen Shi, half seriously and half jokingly, and said, "If I don't drink, how would you have a chance?"

Chen Shi changed the subject: "Is anyone in the village still bullying you?"

"Ye Xiaozhu next door tried to seize my land last time, but you taught her a lesson. Everyone in the village knows that my brother is the deputy director of the Public Security Bureau, so no one dares to mess with me."

The villagers are all bullies who prey on the weak and fear the strong. Without you as my backer, they would probably have already devoured my land and house.

"With me here, no one will dare to bully you."

Chen Shi picked up his chopsticks and began to eat.

Shen Xiaorong's cooking is quite good; it's even better than Jiang Yiqiu's and rivals Wang Yanhong's.

Shen Xiaorong asked, "Brother, is the food good?"

"Delicious!" Chen Shi ate the food heartily. Shen Xiaorong took out serving chopsticks and put some food on Chen Shi's plate. "If you like it, eat more. It won't taste as good if we leave it until tomorrow morning."

"There's too much; we can't finish it."

Shen Xiaorong raised her glass: "Brother, take your time eating. I'd like to toast you to thank you for taking care of me over the years. From today onwards, I'm an adult and can take care of myself."

Chen Shi raised his glass: "You're going to university in Kyoto, and I won't be able to take care of you even if I wanted to. You'll have to learn to take care of yourself from now on."

Do you think I can get into university in Kyoto?

"You're a top student; Tsinghua and Peking University are a piece of cake for you, and you can choose any major you want."

Shen Xiaorong said confidently, "Brother, my college entrance exam results will give you a pleasant surprise."

Chen Shi clinked glasses with Shen Xiaorong, who downed her drink in one gulp. Chen Shi quickly said, "Drink slowly."

Chen Shi took a sip and had just put down his glass when Shen Xiaorong said, "Brother, how can you do this? I drank a whole glass in one go, and you only took a sip? That's not very kind of you."

Seeing that Shen Xiaorong had drunk a glass of baijiu without changing his expression, Chen Shi picked up his glass and said, "You should drink slowly. We're not out here. We're at home. Drink it sip by sip."

Chen Shi finished his drink and placed it on the table. Shen Xiaorong picked up the bottle and refilled Chen Shi's glass.

"Tonight, we're going to finish this bottle of wine. I'm happy today. I'm an adult now, not a child anymore, and I can do whatever I want."

Shen Xiaorong looked at Chen Shi with eyes full of love.

Chen Shi called out, "Eat your food quickly. Drinking on an empty stomach is bad for your stomach. Let's drink slowly."

Shen Xiaorong picked up her chopsticks and began to eat slowly and carefully.

The two ate and chatted, and soon finished a bottle of wine. Shen Xiaorong stood up and took out another bottle from the cabinet.

"Brother, let's drink to our hearts' content tonight, until we're completely drunk."

Chen Shi took the wine bottle from Shen Xiaorong's hand: "That's enough, don't drink anymore. I'm worried about you being home alone if you get drunk."

"What are you afraid of? I'm drunk. You stay and take care of me." Shen Xiaorong reached out to snatch the wine bottle from Chen Shi's hand.

Chen Shi grabbed Shen Xiaorong's outstretched hand: "You're a girl, it's not right for me to stay and take care of you, the villagers will gossip."

I'm not afraid of what others will say.

Shen Xiaorong stared into Chen Shi's eyes: "Brother, am I pretty?"

Chen Shi nodded: "Beautiful."

"Compared to Principal Jiang, who is prettier?"

"Principal Jiang is ten years older than you. You're not on the same track, but each of you has your own unique strengths."