In name only: The land of Handong, I shall rule its fate.

Provincial government agency residential area.

Qi Tongwei pushed open the door and saw his wife Liang Lu sitting upright on the sofa like Guanyin Bodhisattva.

"Oh, our head of the department skipped work hours to meet that vixen at the Shanshui Group, and actually came back to see this old woman."

The moment Liang Lu saw Qi Tongwei, her eyes flickered slightly, but then her face revealed a strange, unsettling expression that had developed over the years.

Qi Tongwei felt a throbbing pain in his temples, and an inexplicable anger rose within him.

What he couldn't stand most was Liang Lu's haughty, spoiled attitude; he loathed it.

Apart from the humiliation of kneeling back then.

This was what Qi Tongwei found most unbearable; otherwise, he wouldn't have wanted to join the Zhao family when he was in the Political Security Department.

"Liang Lu, let me tell you, don't put on this rich girl act all the time. This isn't school, nor is it the Liang family home. Who are you trying to impress?"

Qi Tongwei finally couldn't hold back.

"Qi Tongwei!"

"Have you met me today? I've been like this for twenty years. I didn't become like this overnight. If you can't stand my temper, why did you kneel down and propose to me back then?!"

Liang Lu sat there, but the force of her roar was even stronger than Qi Tongwei's. It was a pride ingrained in her bones, a pride that had been ingrained from childhood, a pride that had been pampered and raised.

"yes!"

"Why did I kneel down and propose to you back then! I was so incredibly stupid."

Qi Tongwei stood with his hands on his hips, smiling coldly, just like every time they argued before. He grabbed his coat, opened the door, slammed it shut, and left.

"What a terrible thing!"

Seeing that the man was no longer in the room, Liang Lu's taut heartstrings seemed to burst open. She covered her face with her hands and tears streamed down her face. "Why...why did I pursue him back then! Why did I accept his marriage proposal!"

"Dad, I regret it so much!"

Liang Lu was like a madwoman, crying and pounding on the sofa repeatedly.

But this time…

Her falling fist was caught in a large hand, and a heavy shadow enveloped her body.

Why did you come back?

Liang Lu hurriedly wiped away her tears. Even though her eyes were bloodshot, she was unwilling to show the slightest bit of vulnerability in front of Qi Tongwei.

Qi Tongwei looked down at her, at this fragile Liang Lu who was so different from her usual confrontational self, and at the sounds of regret he heard. His throat bobbed inexplicably, unwilling to bow his head, but as if he had thought of something, he finally uttered three words, "I'm sorry."

His voice was flat and indifferent, without a trace of the emotion one would expect in an apology.

But Liang Lu still looked up at the man in disbelief.

She hadn't heard Qi Tongwei apologize in a long time.

It was probably after Qi Tongwei officially joined the Zhao family that things started going smoothly. Before that, he wasn't truly sincere. Whenever she and his father and brothers scolded him, Qi Tongwei would apologize.

At that time, Qi Tongwei could only utter these three pale words when he wanted to apologize or make concessions.

"I will never go to Shanshui Group again."

"Gao Xiaoqin turned herself in to the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection, and she will be sentenced to at least 25 years."

Qi Tongwei continued.

"Oh, so the vixen got captured. Are you scared?"

Upon hearing this, Liang Lu responded with almost habitual sarcasm.

"I told her to go."

Looking at Liang Lu in front of him, Qi Tongwei felt that the hatred he had harbored for Liang Lu and the Liang family for many years seemed to have dissipated. "To be precise, it was the newly arrived Executive Vice Governor Lin Zhiyuan who forced me to make Gao Xiaoqin turn herself in."

"Otherwise, he will take me away."

"They even sent me in!"

Qi Tongwei's tone remained calm, as if he were talking about someone else.

"Executive Vice Governor, Lin Zhiyuan?"

Liang Lu murmured, "I think I've heard this name before. Yes! Dad mentioned it!"

"He was the last disciple of Professor Ni Yuanping of Huaxia University of Political Science and Law. He once came to Handong with Professor Ni to discuss political and legal issues with my father."

Qi Tongwei was taken aback; he hadn't expected that Lin Zhiyuan had actually met Liang Qunfeng before.

"He's got his eye on you?"

"You committed embezzlement, bribery, judicial cover-up, and collusion with the Shanshui Group; you deserve your punishment."

A mocking and sarcastic smile appeared on Liang Lu's lips.

"Governor Lin asked me to handle my relationship with your family properly."

Qi Tongwei nodded and then shook his head.

He pulled over a stool and sat facing Liang Lu. The couple, one sarcastic and contemptuous, the other expressionless, looked like two familiar strangers.

"Liang Lu, I didn't come back to argue with you."

Qi Tongwei placed his police uniform on his lap. "I have two questions for you."

"explain!"

"Is there anything in the entire Handong area that you, the head of the Public Security Bureau, can't investigate?"

Liang Lu frowned.

She and Qi Tongwei really had nothing left to say to each other; all the vicious words were uttered in their arguments and insults.

But she wanted to listen to Lin Zhiyuan's opinion.

I vaguely remember my father saying that Lin Zhiyuan had a lot of influence behind him, and that if we could gain Lin Zhiyuan's friendship, my two older brothers' children would have a much smoother career path.

"Firstly, I was already dating Chen Yang when we were in school, so why are you still bothering me?"

"Secondly, wasn't it you who transferred me to Gushan Ridge and Chen Yang to the capital back then?"

Qi Tongwei had already received the answer, but he still wanted to verify it in person once more.

"Qi Tongwei, are you mocking me?"

Hearing these two questions.

Liang Lu's expression, which had softened slightly, turned cold again. "I was stupid back then."

"I fell in love with my teacher, got pregnant out of wedlock, and ended up being played, abandoned, and infertile for life. I'm not reconciled. But back then, you were outstanding enough and your relationship with Chen Yang was unbreakable. I was jealous, I was furious, and I'll stop at nothing to break you two up. Are you satisfied with this answer?"

"As for your assignment, I don't know."

"You rejected me repeatedly back then, shattering my already fragile self-respect. Now that you've left school, I can't be bothered with you anymore."

"I am Liang Lu. I am beautiful enough that even if I can't have children, I will still have plenty of suitors because of my looks and my family background."

Liang Lu shouted, her face almost touching his.

"Then why did you send someone to tell me to kneel down and propose to you on the Wuhan University sports field?"

Qi Tongwei's pupils trembled violently.

"I don't!"

Liang Lu said firmly, "Whoever you say spread the word, let's go and confront them in person."

"Now that you're the Director of the Public Security Bureau, and my father and two brothers are retired, you don't think there's anyone who's afraid to speak the truth because of the Liang family's power, do you?"

Qi Tongwei's lips trembled, a name was about to slip out, but it got stuck in his throat.

He couldn't remember who had told him the news; it was as if someone had clearly said it in his ear, or perhaps it was many people.

Qi Tongwei suddenly felt a little scared.

Whether that person actually existed or was himself, he wasn't sure if it was just his imagination or a delusion born out of despair after seeing the old director of the judicial office, a graduate student from Han University in the 1960s, holed up in the mountain area, or after being shot three times and still unable to be transferred to the capital.

"Then why did you marry me back then?"

Qi Tongwei asked the last question with trembling hands.