1 Giving Gifts

  The hallway lights were dim, and the elevator door opened and closed. A rumbling sound rolled up, and the surroundings quickly became quiet.

  Ye Xingsheng raised his hand a few times before bravely pressing the doorbell of Room 808. In his mind, the beautiful face of Zhang Zimei appeared very clearly.

   Mentioning Zhang Zimei, everyone in the education system of Jinghai City knew her. This beautiful woman, who graduated from a prestigious university with a master's degree, had only been working for a few years but had rapidly climbed up the ranks from a regular teacher to a vice principal, principal, and then deputy director of the Education Bureau. Her speed of promotion was astonishing.

  In her twenties, she was over 1.6 meters tall, slim, with smooth and fair skin that was so elastic that it would produce a lot of water when pinched. Just her peach blossom eyes could captivate people's souls, not to mention the exaggerated sway of her raised buttocks when she walked.

  In the Education Bureau, Zhang Zimei was the object of admiration for many men!

  Ye Xingsheng often sighed that it would be great if his girlfriend could be as beautiful as her. If that were the case, he would hug her every day and no amount of kissing and holding would be enough!

  However, Ye Xingsheng was aware of his own status. He was just a deputy section chief in the personnel department, and his girlfriend, Zhong Xuefang, would find faults with him even if she wasn't as beautiful as Zhang Zimei. It was even more impossible for him to attract the attention of someone as important and beautiful as Zhang Zimei.

   In fact, it was true. Every time they met, Zhang Zimei wouldn't even spare him a glance. It was as if looking at him would dirty her eyes, as if she was a haughty peacock.

  If it weren't for the matter of the house, Ye Xingsheng wouldn't have come to Zhang Zimei's house to find her!

  The Education Bureau had recently built a fundraising building, and a plan for allocating housing was announced after several leaders discussed it. The housing allocation would be based on employees' length of service, position, and professional ability.

  Length of service and position were qualitative things that were easy to evaluate, but professional ability was hard to say. The decision-making power was all in the hands of the leaders. If the leaders said you had strong professional ability, then you did; if they said you had poor professional ability, then you did.

  Generally speaking, in the officialdom, there were two types of people who could thrive. One was those who had connections, and the other was those who had good relationships with the leaders.

  Ye Xingsheng happened to be neither of these two types! Because of this, he was burdened with all the hard work in the office. He watched as everyone in the same office was promoted and transferred, while he remained in the same position.

   In the housing allocation this time, if it was just within the Education Bureau, Ye Xingsheng would still have an advantage. After all, there weren't many employees in the Education Bureau, and he was at least a deputy section chief, so there shouldn't be a problem with getting a house.

  However, later on, the Education Bureau issued a regulation. In order to solve the housing problem for principals of various primary and middle schools in Jinghai City, the principals of these schools were also eligible to apply for the fundraising houses. As a result, the supply became scarce, and the allocation of houses became more difficult. One must know that the position of a primary or middle school principal was either a deputy section chief or a section chief. Competing with so many people of the same level or even higher level as him, Ye Xingsheng had no confidence.

  His girlfriend, Zhong Xuefang, had said that if he didn't have a house, she wouldn't marry him. She would rather marry a pig than him. At least a pig had a pen, but Ye Xingsheng didn't even have that!

   In order to marry Zhong Xuefang, Ye Xingsheng had no choice but to gather his courage and bring a gift to Zhang Zimei. As the deputy director in charge of logistics, Zhang Zimei had decision-making power in matters of housing allocation.

  On this summer night, the hallway was a bit stuffy, and the doorbell rang several times but no one opened the door.

  Ye Xingsheng became a little anxious. Could it be that Zhang Zimei wasn't home?

   Zhang Zimei was a bureau director, and she had many social engagements, so it was normal for her not to be at home. If that was the case, then he had come here for nothing! It wouldn't matter if he wasted his time and energy, but if he missed this opportunity for housing allocation, who knew when the next chance would come, if there would ever be one.

  He pressed the doorbell again, but still no one opened the door.

  Ye Xingsheng was very disappointed and was about to turn around and leave when suddenly, the door opened. Zhang Zimei held onto the door panel with both hands, her soft body leaning against it. Her small face was flushed, and her peach blossom eyes looked very confused. When she spoke, the smell of alcohol hit him: "Xiaobin, why is it you?"

Xiaobin?

  Ye Xingsheng's mind quickly turned, and he soon understood that Zhang Zimei must have mistaken him for Xiaobin. He had heard that Zhang Zimei was dating a rich second-generation boyfriend, so Xiaobin was probably that rich second-generation boyfriend, right? "Director Zhang, I'm not Xiaobin, I'm…"

   "You're not Xiaobin? Why are you kidding with me? I know you, even if you turn into ashes…" Zhang Zimei reached out her delicate hand and pulled Ye Xingsheng. Suddenly, she pulled him inside and closed the door with a bang.

  Zhang Zimei's house was a large three-bedroom apartment with high-end redwood floors, genuine leather sofas, famous calligraphy and paintings, and a high-end yet elegant decoration.

  As soon as they entered, Zhang Zimei stumbled and collapsed on the floor like a pile of mud. Her slim figure curled up into a drunk shrimp shape, and her long hair spread out on the floor. Her slender, fair thighs in a short skirt looked like two jade lotus roots.

  "Director Zhang, what's wrong? Are you okay?" Ye Xingsheng bent down and asked, reaching out to help Zhang Zimei up.

   "I'm not drunk! Who do those people from the Education Department think they are? Trying to get me drunk? Dream on!" Zhang Zimei raised her delicate hand and pushed Ye Xingsheng away, struggling to stand up. She swayed and walked to the sofa, flopping down on it. Her body curled up, and the slightly open collar looked puffed up.

  Ye Xingsheng was resistant to giving gifts. He was introverted and afraid of saying the wrong thing in front of his superiors. Tonight, after mustering up the courage to come to Zhang Zimei's house, she was drunk!

   Not only was this trip in vain, but the gift he brought was probably wasted too. The box of bird's nest in his hand was a genuine product he had bought from Thailand through someone's help, and it had cost over 10,000 yuan.

   Ye Xingsheng was unwilling. Zhang Zimei wasn't at home, and it would be possible to explain his visit to her family. He placed the gift box on the coffee table and called out, "Is anyone home?"

   He called out a few times, but there was no response.

   Zhang Zimei, lying on the sofa, suddenly moved her body, grinned foolishly, and mumbled, "Xiaobin, stop calling. I'm the only one at home!"

   Instinctively, when Ye Xingsheng heard Zhang Zimei say that she was the only one at home, he felt his breathing become difficult. One must know that Zhang Zimei was the goddess in his heart, the object of his admiration!

   Ye Xingsheng's mood was both excited and agitated, like a starving ghost suddenly seeing a table full of delicious food but with no one in the house.

   From top to bottom, and then from bottom to top, Ye Xingsheng carefully looked at Zhang Zimei. He had never seen her at such a close distance before. Her graceful figure, smooth and fair skin, charming face, she was like a rare work of art! She was so close to him that he could even smell the faint perfume and the unique fragrance of a girl from her body.

   The more he looked, the more excited he became. Ye Xingsheng's hot blood was boiling, and he got up and walked to the door, locking it. Then he returned to Zhang Zimei's side. He felt a little dazed, as if he was dreaming. In his dream, he pressed his body against her fair skin.

   However, just as he was about to succeed, Ye Xingsheng suddenly snapped back to reality and quickly withdrew his hand.

   "No, this is not right, this is not right! Ye Xingsheng, you came here tonight for the house, Zhang Zimei is your superior, a deputy bureau director. I've heard that she has a strong background. You must not do anything rash, or it will ruin your future!" Ye Xingsheng silently warned himself in his mind.

   Ye Xingsheng took several deep breaths to calm down his excited emotions and softly called out, "Director Zhang, how do you feel? Are you okay?"

   Zhang Zimei lazily opened her eyelids and muttered, "I, I'm fine. What could be wrong with me? Xiaobin, you didn't even give me a call when you came, a surprise attack, huh?"

   "Director Zhang, I'm not Xiaobin, I'm Ye Xingsheng!"

    "Ye Xingsheng? Who is Ye Xingsheng? Xiaobin, stop joking with me!" Zhang Zimei turned her head, closed her eyes, and her high chest rhythmically rose and fell.

    Looking at the drunken Zhang Zimei, Ye Xingsheng sighed lightly. It turned out that he was so insignificant in Zhang Zimei's heart, as if he didn't exist at all.

   It was not surprising, he was just a deputy section chief in the personnel department, and he usually did all the menial tasks. Anything related to personnel changes, such as the appointment of school principals or the transfer of teachers, he had no right to interfere. It was all decided by several bureau directors or the head of the personnel department, Hao Xueping.

   Ye Xingsheng called Zhang Zimei a few times to let her know that he had been to her house. Zhang Zimei was drunk now and probably didn't understand his intentions. When she woke up and saw the gift, she would understand. Now was a critical moment for housing allocation, so he came to her not just for the house, but what else could it be?

   Zhang Zimei was already too drunk to respond to Ye Xingsheng's calls.

   Ye Xingsheng had no choice but to get up and leave.

    He walked to the door but stopped his steps. Although it was summer, Zhang Zimei lived on a high floor, and the window on the left was open, allowing the wind to rush in. If Zhang Zimei lay on the sofa and let the wind blow on her all night, she would definitely catch a cold.

   Thinking like this, Ye Xingsheng returned and carried Zhang Zimei into the master bedroom. This spacious bedroom had a large comfortable mattress bed, and the walls were painted pink, giving a very warm feeling.

   Ye Xingsheng was about to lay Zhang Zimei on the bed when suddenly, Zhang Zimei turned her head and vomited, splattering his clean shirt with a variety of colors, and a foul smell hit him.

Damn it!

   Ye Xingsheng cursed in his heart and gently placed Zhang Zimei on the bed. He turned and entered the bathroom in the master bedroom, using a wet towel to clean the stains on his shirt.

    Zhang Zimei's vomit not only stained Ye Xingsheng's shirt but also some of it fell on her chest, making it dirty.

   After cleaning the stains on his shirt, Ye Xingsheng took a wet towel to wipe Zhang Zimei. However, he hesitated and couldn't bring himself to do it. That white collar seemed like a fuse that could trigger the eruption of a volcano, throwing him into an irreparable disaster.

   After taking several deep breaths, Ye Xingsheng mustered up the courage and wiped away the stains on Zhang Zimei's collar.