Chapter 10, there is no need to sing the sad love song anymore

"Your father will be fine, you must believe in him," Zhang Ke gently embraced Tang Jing. Before the age of sixteen, they had secretly held hands, and now, embracing her should not be rejected. He had never hugged Tang Jing before and felt that she was slightly taller than Xu Si, around 1.62 or 1.63 meters. His hand rested on her back, which was very soft, and he gently patted it. "Call your mother in; I have something to discuss with her..."

"I don't know, please don't ask me..." Tang Jing closed her eyes in pain and shook her head, her long and curled eyelashes evoking a sense of pity.

Zhang Ke did not speak. Upon hearing someone approaching the security door and opening the peephole, Zhang Ke stepped back to allow the person inside to see him.

Secretary Ye is just here to deliver the photos? Zhang Ke did not find it surprising

Zhang Ke silently cursed, looking at Tang Jing's pitiful face, gazing into her long and alluring eyes, noticing her protruding shoulder bones. He discovered her gaunt figure, and in his memory, Tang Jing had never been this thin, which revealed the torment she had endured in recent days. He pressed down on her icy shoulder: "Do you believe your father?"

Driving around Yangjiang Community, I passed by the building 18 where Tang Xueqian lives. A Santana was parked downstairs. As I passed by, I noticed two young men sitting inside the Santana. The window of the Jetta was tinted, so I believed the two people in the Santana could not see me. Zhang Ke instructed his uncle to drive the car out of the community and stop at the entrance of the alley, after which he would return to Yangjiang Community.

Zhang Ke glanced at Tang Jing, unsure of what had happened. Tang Jing said, "Uncle Ye just came by and brought a photo of Dad with a woman..."

This is a letter that my father asked me to deliver to you ... ..." Zhang Ke handed over the message written by his father in Dongshe to Gu Jianping. The letter was not long; in it, Zhang Zhixing reflected on his experiences over the years since he came to the city to work with Tang Xueqian, firmly denying any possibility of Tang Xueqian accepting bribes or having mistresses.

What does your father want you to tell me

Upon arriving in the city, it was already past 9 o'clock. Tang Xueqian had always lived in the Yangjiang Community, which was the house he had been allocated during his tenure as the president of the Normal University. Naturally, the university would not be foolish enough to reclaim the house from the deputy mayor. After the incident involving Tang Xueqian, this house was reclaimed by the university, and it was not until 1999, when Tang Xueqian was acquitted of his charges, that the city allocated him another house in a different location.

Do you want me to accompany you

Of course, after the Tang Xueqian case, Tang Jing, who believed the rumors from the outside, developed hostility and hatred towards Zhang Ke, ruthlessly shattering the youthful affection that had once blossomed between them. However, this desperate youthful sentiment was not completely dispelled until Zhang Ke met another girl in his sophomore year.

The soundproofing effect of the security door is not very good, and Zhang Ke is afraid that if the noise is too loud, it will be heard by the person across the door

There was none, and he also went to Dad's study to take a look. He said that the mistakes Dad made were not significant, and he also mentioned that Dad usually works in a way that earns people's trust. He believes that when the time comes, everyone will speak up for Dad. He said he would take Dad's work log to show to the inspection team, to let them know how hard Dad usually works

Tang Jing grasped his hand, almost pulling him in: "Mom, it's Zhang Ke who has arrived..."

Upon seeing Tang Jing, the look in her eyes seemed to blossom with a glimmer of hope amidst despair, and the resentment that had lingered in Zhang Ke's heart for all those years vanished completely.

Even from the perspective of a sixteen-year-old, Gu Jianping can be considered a beautiful woman, possessing an elegant demeanor; however, her somewhat aloof attitude towards others makes her seem difficult to approach

How can one have an attitude of sacrificing Tang Xueqian without any sense of worth?

At this moment, Zhang Ke felt a bit of sympathy for Gu Jianping, as Tang Xueqian was under isolation and scrutiny, and Gu Jianping was likely enduring the greatest setback of her life. It was precisely for this reason that she did not have the spirit to show a sour face towards herself

Thinking of Tang Jing being engulfed in worry, fear, and even despair these days, Zhang Ke felt an overwhelming sense of guilt rising within him. Indeed, he held no fondness for Gu Jianping or Tang Xueqian, and harbored an unrelenting resentment towards Tang Jing for her coldness and mockery during high school. However, why was Tang Jing so heartless towards him? It was because she believed that her father had betrayed Tang Xueqian.

Beep beep beep... Zhang Ke gently knocked on the door, without pressing the doorbell

Oh," Zhang Ke carefully chose his words, "Aunt Gu, my dad asked me to come find you

Even if he were to return to 1994, Zhang Ke could still vividly recall the look in Gu Jianping's eyes every time he came to see Tang Jing; it was a gaze that sapped one's courage to visit again

Zhang Ke, how is it you!" Tang Jing opened the security door, her face filled with surprise and joy, causing Zhang Ke's heart to flutter. For Tang Jing, it had only been ten days or half a month since she last saw him, while for Zhang Ke, it had been eleven years since he last beheld the face he had passionately loved in his youth

Zhang Ke and *Tu* did not speak, allowing Tang Jing to help her mother to her room. The room appeared to have not been tidied for several days and was somewhat messy

Tang Xueqian's family resides on the third floor, in the easternmost large unit. It is said that whenever the leaders choose their residences, they always manage to select the best floors and layouts, a point that also applies to Tang Xueqian's home. As I ascended the stairs, I noticed the lights were on in Tang Xueqian's house; however, Zhang Ke stood at the door for a while and indeed, the only voices heard from inside were those of Gu Jianping and her daughter Tang Jing engaged in conversation.

"Uncle Tang is innocent, my father believes Uncle Tang is innocent..." Zhang Ke gazed at Gu Jianping, hoping that if someone were to say at that moment that Tang Xueqian was innocent, it would provide her with some comfort. "My dad has something for me to tell you. It's better to talk in the living room, as someone passing by outside might overhear. Shall we go to Tang Jing's room?"

Gu Jianping, standing by the dining table and propping herself up, looked pale as she watched Zhang Ke enter: "Oh, it's Xiao Ke who has come..." Her voice was hollow and weak, "Are you here to see Xiao Jing?"

Although the rumors have not yet spread widely, those with ulterior motives have already conveyed my father's whereabouts to Gu Jianping.

"You still claim you have no mistress, and now you come to deceive me..." Gu Jianping pushed Tang Jing aside, her face pale, and walked out, slamming the door behind her.

"Who?" is Gu Jianping. The cold voice gives a sense of detachment. Zhang Ke has never had a good impression of Gu Jianping, the partner of Tang Xueqian, and this has been the case since he was sixteen years old

Two plainclothes officers can be easily deceived, but going together would be counterproductive

Zhang Ke walked back to the base of Building 18, and by the light of the streetlamp, he glanced into the Pusang car. The two individuals inside, however, turned their faces away furtively. Zhang Ke took another look, and the two could no longer withstand the scrutiny and rolled up the car window. Only then did Zhang Ke head upstairs.

***

Hearing Gu Jianping's words, Zhang Ke turned to look at Tang Jing. She was wearing a light blue camisole, her skin delicate and fair, her figure slender, with a slight swell at her chest. Her complexion was as pale as her mother's. Although she was still a girl and did not possess a voluptuous figure, her beautiful face bore a charm that was uncommon among young girls. Zhang Ke remembered being captivated by this charm of Tang Jing since his youth, feeling a burning passion that was irresistible.

Including past lives, Zhang Ke had not seen Tang Jing for eleven years after graduating from high school, and standing at the door, he felt a bit tight in his chest.

"Your father, didn't he go hide in the East Society?" Gu Jianping's voice became urgent, and she couldn't help but cough, a sickly flush appearing on her pale face

"Zhang Ke, what do you need from me?" Tang Jing grasped Zhang Ke's arm, her gaze somewhat dependent.