Power and Wealth-Chapter 1761

It was hard to tell if it had been one hour, three hours, or five hours. He didn’t know how long they had been driving, but it was getting dark. freeweɓnovel.cøm

Dong Xuebing looked at the sky, feeling somewhat tired. There was no way around it; he had been driving all afternoon. Even though there weren't many obstacles on the highway, it was still exhausting. On top of that, they had gotten up very early and spent half the day dealing with luggage. Dong Xuebing felt like he was already driving in a fatigued state, so he slowed down a bit, looking ahead for a service area to take a break.

Fang Wenping was still resting with her eyes closed. He didn’t know if she was asleep. She had been like this since they left at noon, which left Dong Xuebing speechless with her indifferent attitude.

Dong Xuebing said, "Director Fang."

Fang Wenping didn’t respond.

"Governor Fang," Dong Xuebing called again.

"I'm listening. Just say what you need to say," Fang Wenping finally responded.

Dong Xuebing pointed ahead. "I really can’t drive anymore. I’m a bit tired. How about we stop at the service area ahead and find a hotel? We can leave again tomorrow."

Fang Wenping replied casually, "I don’t mind."

"Alright then, I’ll head over there," Dong Xuebing said.

"When do you start your new position?" Fang Wenping asked.

Dong Xuebing thought momentarily, "In about four or five days. There’s enough time. If I drive fast, we can get there in a day. When are you due?"

"In ten days," Fang Wenping replied.

Dong Xuebing acknowledged, "Okay then."

However, Fang Wenping opened her eyes and said, "Since we still have plenty of time, there’s no need to rush. Let’s not stay in the service area. Let’s find an exit soon, get off the highway, and explore. We can grab something to eat locally and have a look around. I don’t usually like flying or taking trains, and I haven’t traveled much, so this is a good chance to see things while driving. It’s no use arriving too early. Let’s take the next exit."

Dong Xuebing didn’t say anything.

"What’s the matter?" Fang Wenping asked, looking at him.

Dong Xuebing reluctantly replied, "Alright." He thought, "You don’t care about your buddy, do you? You’re not the one driving. It’s been a whole afternoon, and all I want now is to sleep, not go sightseeing."

Dong Xuebing wasn’t the type to always go along with others, but after glancing at Fang Wenping’s ample chest, pressed down by the seatbelt, he decided not to refuse her suggestion. That’s just how he was—he couldn’t resist when he saw a woman. But to be fair, Fang Wenping looked good today. Although she wore sportswear in the morning while packing, she had changed into a stylish mink coat just before they left. She looked particularly elegant. What caught Dong Xuebing’s attention even more were the thin, tight-fitting pants she wore under the mink coat. It didn’t seem like she was wearing thermal underwear, and her full, shapely thighs were clearly outlined, looking smooth and alluring. The curves were so well-defined that it made one want to reach out and feel them. You’d not expect the outfit from a woman in her early forties.

“Let’s go and check it out then.”

“Fine, let’s go,” Dong Xuebing thought. After all, she had already suggested it.

Dong Xuebing took the next exit, driving off the highway. He wasn’t even sure where they were, but they were far from the capital. Looking at the desolate surroundings and some oddly shaped buildings, it seemed like they were in an area inhabited by ethnic minorities. You could tell just by looking around. This also indicated that they weren’t far from their destination since there weren’t any large ethnic minority settlements near the capital.

Night had finally fallen.

The streetlights here were sparse, making it hard for Dong Xuebing to see the road. Naturally, he grumbled inwardly, thinking, "Old Fang, you are treating me like your personal driver, aren’t you?" He glanced to the side, where Fang Wenping was still dozing, her eyes closed, completely unconcerned. Suppose it weren't for the fact that Fang Wenping had unbuttoned her mink coat because the car's heater was on, revealing a V-neck sweater underneath, allowing Dong Xuebing to glimpse the deep cleavage at her neckline. In that case, he might have already thrown her out into the wilderness. Who was Dong Xuebing anyway? Others either stayed far away from him or showed him great respect wherever he went, but Fang Wenping didn’t seem to treat him like an outsider at all.

Forget it.

Beautiful women always have certain privileges.

Dong Xuebing kept driving until he finally reached a more populated area. According to the car's navigation system, it seemed to be a county. The lights became brighter as they got closer.

"We're here," Dong Xuebing said.

Fang Wenping finally opened her eyes and gave a faint acknowledgment.

Dong Xuebing didn’t expect much of a response from her. He took the initiative to pull up in front of a decent-looking restaurant, parked the car, and went inside with Fang Wenping to have a meal.

After dinner.

It was already past eight o'clock.

As they exited the restaurant, Fang Wenping glanced around. "Let’s take a walk."

Before Dong Xuebing could say anything, she started walking off. Dong Xuebing rubbed his forehead and had no choice but to follow her, strolling through the county town together. This place wasn’t too different from the capital—there were plenty of street vendors selling various goods, and the air was filled with their shouts. They sold everything from everyday items and clothes to ethnic minority jewelry. Dong Xuebing wasn’t particularly interested. He didn’t enjoy playing around or traveling, especially not with a woman as dull as Fang Wenping. It just didn’t make the experience enjoyable for him.

Fang Wenping, on the other hand, seemed quite interested, perhaps because she rarely went out. She walked around, browsing the small street stalls, occasionally squatting down to look closer.

“Bracelets here!”

“Ten yuan for one, fifteen for two!”

“Miss, come take a look. Do you need any clothes? These are the latest styles!”

Several middle-aged vendors from ethnic minorities called out to Fang Wenping, noticing her expensive outfit and immediately recognizing her as someone with money.

Fang Wenping squatted down at one of the stalls. “How much is this?”

She was holding a bracelet wrapped in plastic packaging. It wasn’t clear what kind of stone it was made of.

“This?” The robust man from the ethnic minority replied, “Give me one hundred yuan.”

Fang Wenping seemed to like the item, as she had already unwrapped the bracelet and was weighing it in her hand. But upon hearing the price, she frowned and tossed it back. Dong Xuebing also frowned slightly. They might have money, but they weren’t fools. The previous stall quoted ten yuan for a similar bracelet, and now this guy asked ten times that. Did he think they were idiots?

Dong Xuebing didn’t mind spending money but didn’t like being taken for a fool.

However, the stall owner wasn’t happy when he saw that Fang Wenping was about to leave after unwrapping the item. “Hey, you unwrapped it, and now you won’t buy it? What’s that supposed to mean?”

Fang Wenping turned back and said, “It’s not like it’s food.”

The man retorted, “That doesn’t matter. You have to buy it now; otherwise, how am I supposed to sell it to someone else?”