Chapter 4, Goodbye Xu Si

Xu Si is tall and slender, wearing a light yellow dress, with a wide leather belt cinching her waist, which accentuates her delicate figure. Her mature and radiant face shows neither fatigue nor haggardness, and her beautiful eyes, which conceal a hint of sorrow, are captivating. She appears to be around twenty-three or twenty-four years old, perhaps even older, as it is often difficult to discern the true age of beautiful women. Zhang Ke fully understands why his mother uses the term "fairy" to describe her, and why his father did not firmly refute his mother's suggestion that Xu Si might be Tang Xueqian's lover. Zhang Ke thinks to himself that he possesses enough power and would be unable to resist claiming such a woman for himself. As for Tang Xueqian, he is the deputy mayor, a man, but not a paragon of virtue. Even if he had previously maintained his chastity, upon seeing Xu Si, he would likely no longer aspire to be such a paragon.

"Wait for me?" Zhang Ke pointed to himself, not understanding why Xu Si had returned. However, since heaven had provided such a close opportunity, if he missed it, he might as well die. Although he had some doubts in his heart, Zhang Ke quickly circled to the right, opened the car door, and as he leaned half of his body inside, he couldn't help but steal a glance at Xu Si's snow-white skin.

Of course, things will not be that simple. Father is someone who was brought to the city government and promoted by Tang Xueqian, so it is impossible for him not to be affected by the Tang Xueqian case

In the summer following the conclusion of the Ding Xiangshan case, Zhang Ke specifically traveled to visit this red-brick villa. Compared to that time, it should have been a full five years later. Although five years had passed, the scenery appeared almost unchanged. Perhaps in another five years, this deep concrete path, obscured by dense foliage, would still occasionally have leaves blown down by the wind.

In Zhang Ke's memory, during the restructuring of Xinfeng Group in 1994, Tang Xueqian was reported for accepting bribes, prompting the provincial authorities to dispatch an inspection team. They quickly obtained evidence of Tang Xueqian receiving bribes from Jiang Mingcheng of Xinfeng Group. In the publicly released court ruling, it was stated that Tang Xueqian arranged for his mistress, Xu Si, to work at Xinfeng Group through informal channels. Jiang Mingcheng, the general manager of Xinfeng Group, bribed Tang Xueqian three times through Xu Si, totaling 270,000 yuan (with additional salary earnings of Xu Si at Xinfeng Group over six months to be added during sentencing). This arrangement was made so that Tang Xueqian could provide greater benefits to the management of Xinfeng Group during the restructuring and distribution of interests. The three bribe payments were deposited into Xu Si's personal account, and combined with Xu Si's testimony and the 370,000 yuan in deposits in Tang Xueqian and his wife's accounts (of which 160,000 yuan could not be explained as having a legal source), a complete chain of evidence was formed

Zhang Ke caught a whiff of the delicate fragrance emanating from Xu Si, and reached out to take the handkerchief. His gaze inevitably slid down to her nearly exposed, voluptuous bosom. "You’re wet here too; why don’t you wipe it first? Look at me, drenched all over, and I can’t clean up properly..." Yet, he felt regret that only a few drops of drink had splashed onto Xu Si's chest, leaving a small patch of red on her bra. The shopkeeper standing behind the counter couldn’t help but lean over to take a look.

"Is it really okay?" Xu Si asked again, uncertain.

It doesn't matter, the sun is strong outside, and it will dry soon

At the square by the south gate of Xiangshan Forest Park, there are many photo development shops, and it is also very convenient to rent a camera. Zhang Kexin thought that even if he revealed the truth about the Tang Xueqian case, his father would not believe him; the only way to be persuasive would be to capture a photograph of the person involved.

I apologize, would you like me to help you buy a new one to replace it? And the book

Help Tang Xueqian clear his name, while Zhang Ke is not particularly enthusiastic. The key is to let his father know how to take advantage of opportunities and avoid harm. As long as his father continues to serve as the deputy secretary-general of the municipal government, he can still be considered a child of a cadre. Even if life starts anew after the age of sixteen, it would still be a very poetic affair.

From the conversation my parents had yesterday, it seems that the outside world has now focused on this woman, Xu Si. Many people appear to have concluded that Xu Si is Tang Xueqian's secret mistress. This woman's testimony is a key factor in the court's determination of Tang Xueqian's bribery. At present, it may only be possible to find some clues to resolve the issue from this woman's situation

Zhang Kexin contemplated whether to sneak in for a look. Hearing a car approaching from a distance, he concealed himself behind the dense foliage. He saw a black Nissan stop in front of the courtyard gate, but the license plate did not reveal whose car it was. The vehicle remained parked in front of the gate for a while before someone opened the gate from the inside, allowing the Nissan to drive in. There was also a red Crown parked in the courtyard.

Zhang Kexin thought that if Xu Si had already become Ding Xiangshan's mistress at this time, then this red Corolla was most likely Xu Si's. He quickly raised the camera and pressed the shutter.

As the car descended from Xiangshan, Zhang Ke observed Xu Sifeng's plump and fair cheek, lost in thought. He repeatedly speculated in his mind about the role Xu Si played in the Tang Xueqian case

When noon arrived and the courtyard gate opened again, Zhang Ke only managed to capture a shot of Ding Xiangshan bending down to get into the Nissan car. The Nissan car drove out of the courtyard first, and after about two or three minutes, the red Crown slowly started up. However, the owner of the Crown had already sat inside the car, and Zhang Ke could not be certain whether the person inside was Xu Si.

In 1994, Haizhou City did not yet have any readily available quick printing and photo bookstores. Zhang Ke handed the film to a printing shop owner who appeared not too curious, and then he returned the camera. After having lunch, when he returned to South Gate Square, he found that the red flower crown was still there.

Zhang Ke looked around; apart from the vendors under the sunshade, there were only five or six tourists in the square, none of whom appeared to be the owner of the red flower crown

"I didn't notice you coming in..." Xu Si did not expect that the expression of the young man before her, in addition to being captivated by her beauty, also concealed other complex emotions. She took out a handkerchief to wipe the cola off Zhang Ke's body

There are no Nissan cars nearby, and Zhang Ke cannot understand how the owner of the red Corolla still has the mood to enjoy the scenery at this moment. He sidesteps into a printing shop, his eyes still on the sedan in the square, not noticing someone coming out from inside, and he collides head-on, half of his shoulder drenched with the cold beverage.

Xu Siqiao's face flushed red, and she turned her body to the side to avoid the shopkeeper's gaze, yet she did not think to evade Zhang Ke's eyes in front of her. She wiped her chest with a handkerchief a few times, not realizing that as she wiped her chest, the neckline slipped down, revealing more of her fair skin, which was a feast for Zhang Ke's eyes.

At this time, Xu Si should be Ding Xiangshan's woman

Indeed, the case of Tang Xueqian is still the key to solving the problem. Zhang Kexin thought that as long as the truth about Ding Xiangshan fabricating evidence to frame Tang Xueqian was exposed in advance, his fortunate life as a cadre's child might continue indefinitely.

A wall made of chalky stones stands at the end of the cement path, revealing only a corner of the villa's attic. The deep red brick wall, with a small window on the side of the attic, faces the cement path, and from this vantage point, the main entrance is not yet visible

"Sigh, if you want to go down the mountain, I can give you a ride..." As Zhang Ke passed by, Xu Si rested his chin on his hand and said, his snow-white arm resting on the car window, leaving a mark of blood.

Zhang Ke licked his dry lips, feeling a bit parched in his throat. In his previous life, Zhang Ke had encountered many beautiful women, and among those he knew, only Chen Ning and Tang Xueqian's daughter, Tang Jing, could compare to the current Xu Si. Although all three were stunning beauties, their temperaments were strikingly different. Compared to Chen Ning's cold elegance and Tang Jing's sweet innocence, Zhang Ke believed that Xu Si's beauty could truly captivate the masses.

She was undoubtedly a beauty. At this moment, Zhang Ke was no longer the naive sixteen-year-old boy. He couldn't help but take a step back, wanting to see the exquisite and flawless face hidden beneath the silky hair. The other party raised her head first, her innocent and guilty eyes made Zhang Ke's heart skip a beat. In that instant, he could hardly believe that the woman with such beautiful eyes would fabricate a falsehood about Tang Xueqian accepting bribes to the provincial inspection team.

If it were not for the limited disclosure of details regarding the Ding Xiangshan case by the Haizhou Intermediate People's Court in 1999, almost no one in Haizhou, apart from Ding Xiangshan's close associates, would have known that an inconspicuous red brick villa at the northern foot of Xiangshan was the harem of Ding Xiangshan after he became the Secretary of the Haizhou Municipal Committee

Zhang Ke pretended to be nonchalant as he waved his hand, watching Xu Si dive into the red flower crown

Zhang Ke rented a camera that does not make a clicking sound when the shutter is pressed, and took a special tour bus from South Gate Square to the northern part of the mountain

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Rather than likening Xu to a femme fatale, Zhang Ke would prefer to believe that she has her own unavoidable hardships. Zhang Ke patted the back of his head, laughing at himself for being so naive; even at this stage in life, he still allowed himself to be deceived by appearances.

Xu Si likely provided the evidence that trapped Tang Xueqian in an irretrievable situation to the inspection team after her father left Haizhou. Zhang Ke looked at Xu Si's curvaceous figure and found it hard to imagine that such a beautiful body could conceal a heart as venomous as a snake's.

After having breakfast, Zhang Ke took a car to Xiangshan Scenic Area, just as the sun began to blaze. The weather in July is hot; although the Xiangshan Forest Area is one of the best summer resorts in Haizhou, there are few tourists at the entrance of the forest park since it is not the weekend.

The next day, when Zhang Ke woke up, both his parents had already left home

What Xu Si left in Zhang Ke's memory was a haggard face. At that time, Zhang Ke had just entered his first year of university, youthful and innocent, still unable to appreciate the beauty of a mature woman, one that is worn and haggard from the ravages of life. However, after experiencing many events, the soul returned to the body of a sixteen-year-old boy, which left him shaken by the striking and mature beauty of her countenance.

This small red building is only regularly managed by a distant relative of Ding Xiangshan. Zhang Ke walked through the woods to the front of the villa, where the iron door was tightly shut, making it impossible to see the situation inside

The camera was not set to flash, the light in the forest is very dim, and with the person standing so far away, it is unclear whether this ordinary Nikon optical camera can capture the car clearly

As long as the owner of the red Crown can be identified as Xu Si, these few photos can illustrate certain issues. Zhang Ke did not dare to delve into finding evidence against Ding Xiangshan, as that would have been too risky. Instead, he retraced his steps back to the south gate of Xiangshan Park, intending to find a photo development shop to process the film, only to see that red Crown sedan parked in the square at the south gate

Apologies, apologies... The other party kept apologizing, flustered as they rummaged through their handbag. Their hair covered their entire face, revealing only a section of their smooth, pale neck, which gave an exceptionally delicate impression. It seemed that just by looking, one could sense the startlingly soft and springy texture.