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

Chen Shi released Shen Xiaorong's hand and put the wine back in the cabinet: "That's enough for tonight, we can't drink anymore."

"I want to drink my fill and get completely drunk."

"After you graduate from university and start working, I'll have a good drink with you."

Shen Xiaorong smiled bitterly: "When we were young, we waited to grow up; when we grew up, we waited to have money; when we had money, we waited to have time. We spend our whole lives waiting."

Chen Shi asked, "Xiao Rong, are you still going to eat?"

"I'm full, how about you?"

"I'm full too," Chen Shi said, clearing away the dishes.

Shen Xiaorong walked into the kitchen: "Let's wash the dishes together."

Chen Shi hummed in agreement, and Shen Xiaorong continued, "Brother, you know what? I feel very at ease working with you."

Shen Xiaorong washed the bowls once, and Chen Shi washed them once more before setting them aside.

Chen Shi went out of the house into the yard, lit a cigarette, and took a deep drag.

The moonlight was bright tonight. Chen Shi looked up at the sky and saw countless stars twinkling.

"Brother, I heard you've been promoted again and are going to be the executive deputy county head. Congratulations!"

Shen Xiaorong appeared beside Chen Shi at some point. Chen Shi turned to look at Shen Xiaorong and said, "In the past, I was always passive in my work. I did whatever my superiors told me to do. Now that I've become the executive deputy county head, I want to take the initiative to do something."

"What are you doing?" Shen Xiaorong asked.

"Build a highway that connects Heyuan Town, Shangying Town, Fushan Town, Huangchang Town, and Laoyan Town, linking Nanxi Province and Yixing County."

For the towns below Fushan, going to the county seat for schooling or medical treatment is too far and very inconvenient.

It takes nearly two hours to get from Fushan Town to the county seat, and nearly three hours from Huangchang Town and Laoyan Town to the county seat.

There is only one provincial highway connecting the several towns below. The highway has too many curves, making it impossible to drive fast. In winter, the area below Shangying Town is shrouded in thick fog with extremely low visibility, resulting in numerous traffic accidents every year.

Shen Xiaorong looked at Chen Shi: "Brother, you are a good official who can do practical things for the people."

"When I was in college, every time I went home from the county town, I would think that if I became the county magistrate, the first thing I would do would be to build a highway from Fushan Town to the county town, which would take about half an hour and a half and save an hour and a half of travel time, making it more convenient to go home in the future."

I never imagined this day would become a reality.

"Brother, I'm so happy for you. You've turned your dream into reality."

Chen Shi looked at Shen Xiaorong: "You can also turn your dreams into reality. What major do you want to study?"

"I haven't thought about this question before. Now that the college entrance exam is over, it's time to think about what I want to do in the future."

When I was a child, I always had a dream. Other children had mothers who loved them, but I didn't. I lived with my father, who was an alcoholic, gambler, and fighter. He was often arrested and detained by the police. He never gave me any fatherly love.

My grandmother is old and has difficulty walking. She needs someone to take care of her and can't give me any love or care.

I'm only alive now because I'm incredibly lucky.

I often dream that my mother has come back and is giving me loving care. Unfortunately, I have never seen what my mother looks like. All the things she left behind were burned by my father.

I asked my dad, "Where's my mom?" He always said the same thing: "Your mom is a bad woman. She ran off with another man."

He said I looked like my mother, and he would beat me to vent his anger.

Shen Xiaorong's childhood was truly bitter, and I couldn't help but shed two tears.

Chen Shi reached out and wiped away the two tear stains on Shen Xiaorong's cheek: "You now have the ability to find your mother."

Shen Xiaorong smiled bitterly: "I don't need her anymore. When I needed her as a child, she wasn't there. Now that I'm an adult, I'm capable of protecting myself, so why would I look for her?"

"Don't think about those sad things. Today is your birthday and your coming-of-age ceremony. Come on, let's go inside and celebrate your birthday."

Chen Shi placed eighteen candles on the cake, turned off the lights, and lit them all.

"Xiao Rong, make a wish."

Shen Xiaorong closed her eyes, made a wish, and blew out the candle.

As soon as Chen Shi turned on the light, Shen Xiaorong picked up the cake and put it on Chen Shi's face.

Shen Xiaorong burst into laughter, and Chen Shi also grabbed a cake and chased after her, smearing it on her face. The two played and chased each other until they were tired. Chen Shi sat on a stool, panting heavily.

Shen Xiaorong stood far away from Chen Shi and called out, "If you can catch up with me, you can do whatever you want tonight."

Chen Shi smiled and said, "I don't want to do anything right now, I just want to rest."

The two of them squandered the entire cake without even taking a bite.

Chen Shi's face and hair were covered in cake, as were Shen Xiaorong's.

The two looked at each other and burst into genuine laughter.

Shen Xiaorong looked at Chen Shi: "Brother, are you going back?"

"Go back," Chen Shi said without hesitation.

"If I said I wanted you to stay and keep me company, would you stay?"

"You're an adult, not a child anymore. There's a difference between men and women. It wouldn't be right for me to stay."

"Do you have feelings for me?"

Chen Shi quickly denied it: "No, I'm your brother."

"He's not even my biological brother."

"I'm so much older than you, I treat you like a little sister, how could I have such thoughts?"

"Are you afraid that Principal Jiang will find out?"

"It's getting late, I should go back." Chen Shi took out his phone and called Yang Bin.

Shen Xiaorong said, "If you go back like this, how are you going to explain it to Principal Jiang?"

"To tell you the truth"

Aren't you afraid she'll be jealous?

"You're my sister, why is she jealous?"

Shen Xiaorong said, half seriously and half jokingly, "She sees me as a rival in love. You should take a shower here before going back."

"No need for trouble"

The two sat quietly without speaking. Chen Shi suddenly realized that Shen Xiaorong had grown up and matured into a woman. She was no longer the little girl she used to be, and he could no longer treat her like a child.

At this moment, the car drove into the yard, and Chen Shi stood up: "Xiao Rong, I'm going back. Take care of yourself at home alone. Call me if you need anything."

"Can't I call you if there's nothing wrong?" Shen Xiaorong chuckled.

Chen Shi smiled and said, "Of course you can call me anytime if there's nothing wrong."

Chen Shi got out of the car, opened the car door, and Shen Xiaorong helped Chen Shi into the car.

"Brother, come visit me when you have some free time."

"Okay," Chen Shi nodded with a smile.

Shen Xiaorong watched Chen Shi's car disappear from sight, locked the gate of the courtyard, turned around and went back into the house. In the end, she had to face the darkness alone.

When Chen Shi returned home, Jiang Yiqiu saw that Chen Shi's face was covered in cake and asked, "Whose birthday were you celebrating?"

"Shen Xiaorong, today is her eighteenth birthday, and also her coming-of-age ceremony."

"Why didn't you invite me?"

"You were busy with work, so I didn't tell you."

Jiang Yiqiu smiled and said, "She probably didn't invite me."

Chen Shi didn't say anything, changed his clothes, and went to take a shower.

Jiang Yiqiu sat in the living room. This Shen Xiaorong had designs on her husband. Fortunately, she took the college entrance exam. With her scores, getting into Tsinghua or Peking University wouldn't be a problem.

Shen Xiaorong went to study in Kyoto, far away from Chen Shi. Kyoto is an international metropolis, and there are all kinds of men there. With Shen Xiaorong's beauty, she must have many suitors. Jiang Yiqiu believed that it wouldn't be long before Shen Xiaorong would forget Chen Shi completely.

Chen Shi is excellent, but his limit is in Chunyang. Once he arrives in Kyoto, he is nothing. Shen Xiaorong would never still care about Chen Shi.

Thinking of this, Jiang Yiqiu felt relieved.