This wasn't the first time Su Fan had met Huo Shuqing. In this month alone, she had already met the young Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee Office twice.

On the previous two occasions, she was singled out by Director Huang to accompany the leadership for dinner. Having been working for nearly a year, tasks like these were usually assigned to Jiang Shanshan, the reputed beauty of the entire office. However, this time, it was Su Fan's turn. Being ordered by the superior, she dared not refuse and hence tagged along, and on both these rare occasions, she had run into Huo Shuqing.

As she was walking to Huo Shuqing's house at the moment, the cold wind made her shiver. The memories of their previous encounters replayed in her mind.

She remembered him as someone who spoke humorously and demonstrated great elegance, unlike others at the dinner table. Each time, she would sit across from him, at the very spot where the server would serve the dishes. Due to the distance, and the fact that he was Director Huang's main guest, Su Fan didn't dare to stare at him too much.

Tonight, Director Huang called her to help at Huo Shuqing's house. Before she had a chance to ask for details, he hung up, merely reminding her to follow the orders of the leadership.

Perhaps, Secretary Huo was hosting some guests at home and needed an extra pair of hands. After all, he had once complimented her on her excellent serving skills, claiming she was even better than the server. That might be why!

Standing at his door, Su Fan took a deep breath and knocked.

The door opened. Just as she was about to speak, she noticed that the person who answered the door had already turned back inside, so she quickly entered his home.

From his retreating figure, it seemed he had gone towards the living room. Upon entering, Su Fan spotted a pair of men's shoes scattered around the entrance area. She put them aside and put on a random pair of slippers, carefully walking into the living room.

Surprisingly, it didn't seem like there was a gathering at his house. It was so quiet!

With a puzzled look, Su Fan stood next to the green plant at the junction of the entrance and the living room, noticing him sitting on the sofa.

"Secretary Huo, Director Huang asked me to come over and help you. If there's anything you need me to do, please let me know." She slowly walked over to the sofa and spoke politely.

In the meantime, she couldn't help feeling deeply perplexed. She carefully looked around, even at this moment, thinking that the director had sent her to Huo Shuqing's house to do housework.

Huo Shuqing looked at her, his eyes slightly squinted, feeling surprised. Why was it that Su Fan seemed to know nothing? Didn't she know what she was here for?

She replied with a courteous smile, her hands clasped behind her, restlessly grasping one another.

Half an hour ago, he had just returned home after having dinner outside when he received a call from Director Huang of the Yun City Environmental Protection Bureau, saying that Xiao Su from their bureau greatly admired the elegance of Secretary Huo and wanted to come to his house to seek guidance personally. As for the implication, Huo Shuqing understood quite clearly. He was somewhat tipsy then and hearing Director Huang mention Su Fan's name, an image of her slightly insecure yet trying-to-be-calm eyes loomed in front of him, and like a broken record, he bizarrely agreed to Director Huang's proposal. He was known to live a virtuous and clean life, without any scandalous rumours; even when socializing, he never consorted with women, yet, for an unexplained reason tonight, he had made such an absurd decision. Maybe he was just immensely lonely!

He understood why Director Huang had suddenly started moving closer to him; it was because he had heard about Huo's promotion to the Mayor of Yun City. Director Huang had a comrade who was still in regular contact with Huo - it was through this connection that he was introduced to Huang. Yun City was the provincial capital, and his weight was obvious. And Director Huang's purpose of sending Su Fan over was even more clear.

"Could you pour me a glass of water, please?" He noticed her discomfort and asked.

Seeing his gaze move over to a white porcelain cup placed on the coffee table, Su Fan quickly placed her bag on the floor beside the sofa, picked up the cup, and soon spotted the water dispenser by the television cabinet.

"Here's your water! It's warm." She placed the cup on the coffee table, standing dutifully at his side.

During the close proximity, she caught a whiff of the alcohol scent on him.

"Sit down." He instructed, taking a few sips of water.

Once Su Fan sat about fifty centimeters next to him, he put down his cup without looking at her.

Su Fan sat quietly, saying nothing.

"What are you here so late to help with? Didn't Director Huang brief you?" He abruptly put down his cup and asked.

Su Fan was taken aback, hastily replying, "He asked me to follow your instructions."

No sooner had her words fallen than she heard his faint laughter, leaving her more puzzled.

"How old are you?" He asked.

"Twenty-four!"

"Do you have a boyfriend?"

"Not yet!"

She was very honest, and he had known it a long time ago. The first time he saw her and shook her hand, her face turned a bit red. He saw through her at once - she was a very naive person.

Perhaps, he shouldn't have carried on with a joke like this with a girl like her, but when

"Secretary Huo!" When his hand overlaid her cheek, she suddenly cried out in alarm.

He just smiled faintly and slowly leaned his upper body towards her.

What was going on? Was he, he, he alright?

"Huo, Secretary Huo...you, you.." She stared at him, feeling a burning heat on her cheeks.

He didn't respond to her, just stared at her serenely.

Tonight's drinking session was important. Although he controlled himself, he still drank a bit too much. He usually held his liquor well, so what was happening tonight? He felt a bit dizzy now.

Seeing him stand still, Su Fan suddenly asked, "Are you feeling unwell somewhere?"

Huo Shuqing was taken aback for a moment, but he didn't show any surprise. Years of immersion in the official world had already made the saying 'no form of joy or anger' fit him very well.

Since he followed the provincial party secretary Qinchunming to H province for work four years ago, he had been living alone in this foreign land. Even if he was really feeling unwell, no one would care. But tonight, this little girl...

Huo Shuqing looked at her pair of uneasy and worried big eyes, and he wanted to tease her more and more.

He shook his head faintly, but Su Fan felt that something was wrong, she couldn't help but worry.

"Are you not feeling well somewhere? Let me take you to the hospital!" she hastily offered.

He gently held her trembling hand, smiling as he asked, "What kind of help has Director Huang asked you to give? You should know, right?"

Her body suddenly shivered, and from the hand he held, she felt a vague strength being passed over.

"He, he said I should follow your arrangements." She glanced at their clasped hands, hastily trying to pull her hand away, but found his grip on it even tighter.

Perhaps it was because she was too anxious, her cheeks grew increasingly red, her body was covered in fine beads of sweat, and instinctively, her mouth slightly opened.

When her small mouth opened slightly in his sight, Huo Shuqing's brain jolted all of a sudden, like a surge of hot blood had rushed into it.

Being so close, the heat of their exhaled breaths hit each other's faces without any loss, causing the air to become increasingly ambiguous.

Just this once, Huo Shuqing, it doesn't matter. You can make it up to her.

His mind was in chaos, even starting to hallucinate, imagining her as if luring him. Those plump and rosy lips, like ripe cherries, seemed to be waiting for him to harvest, he suddenly wanted to taste her.

Amidst her mystification, there was suddenly a hand on the back of her head, and the man in front of her, his facial features were magnifying in her sight.

What's wrong with him? Is he about to collapse?

Just as the tip of his nose was about to touch her, he suddenly stopped his movement towards her.

Damn it, Huo Shuqing, what the hell are you doing? Have you gone mad? She looks so innocent; if you forced yourself on her now, how would you be different from a beast? Love between men and women, although it is a vent for lust, It has to be mutual consent!

His actions were halted by this inner voice. But as he was slowly loosening his grasp, it seemed that he heard another voice.

Huo Shuqing, in this day and age, there are no simple-minded girls left. She came to your house late at night, do you really think she doesn't know what she's here for? Even if you slept with her now, she brought it upon herself.

"Do you have anything you want? Speak up, I can give it to you," he suddenly asked.

"Yeah, as long as she makes a request, then the following things become a transaction, and he will no longer carry an emotional burden."

"Me? I...I don't really want anything." She didn't understand why he would ask such a question.

In reality, she wanted a lot. But those were not things she should be asking from a powerful man like him. Moreover, she didn’t like taking other people's things.

Her big eyes flashed in front of him, and Huo Shuqing unexpectedly released his grip.

"Go back! I need to rest!" He released her, turned around to pick up the glass and took another sip of water.

Su Fan didn't understand why he was acting so strangely. Was he severely ill? But then again, he was asking her to leave.

He was the boss, if he wanted her to leave, she should just go. It would save him from getting upset.

"Young girl, be more mindful in the future!" His voice came from behind her and Su Fan abruptly stopped in her tracks.

The moment she turned around, he surprisingly stood up from the sofa and staggered towards her: "You can go now, I still need to lock the door!"

She immediately turned around and headed for the main door.

However, as she was about to step out, she saw him swaying, the hand bracing against the wall slipped.

Su Fan couldn't understand why she ended up returning to his house, and Huo Shuqing couldn’t figure it out either. Yet, the alcohol was stimulating his brain, leaving him unable to think or control his actions.

What on earth was happening?

Su Fan didn't have time to think more and mustered all her strength to help him up.

She practically half-carried him to his bedroom and tossed him onto the bed. He was so tall and strong that when he fell onto the bed, he pulled her down too, pressing her, panting for breath, beneath him.

"Oh no, it's not good for him to just lie here!” Su Fan swept the sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand, hurriedly sat up, and covered him with a blanket.

She had no idea where the thermometer in his house was. As she looked at his sleeping face, she lightly bit her lower lip, plucked up the courage to touch his forehead, testing whether or not he had a fever.

But her hand instantly withdrew as if burned, “Why is he so negligent about his own body? Drinking while having a high fever?”

Unable to find any medicine and having no other alternatives, she could just get a cold towel from the bathroom and used it to wipe his face, hands and feet in an attempt to lower his temperature.

Huoshuqing, who had a good alcohol tolerance, just fell asleep when he was drunk, but no matter how good his alcohol tolerance, if his stomach was upset, he would vomit.

For Su Fan, this night was pure torture. She had never done these things before, whether it was giving him water to drink, helping him cool down, or cleaning up the mess after he vomited, she had lost count of how many trips to the bathroom she had made that night.

It wasn’t until midnight that he finally quieted down.

Everything in front of him seemed as unreal as a dream; even with his eyes wide open, he couldn't clearly see who the person before him was. In his blurred vision, he only saw someone wiping his forehead and feeding him water from a cup.

"Is it Sun Man?"