"It's so cold, I'm freezing," Tian Mengyao said, glancing at the blanket on the sofa. "Is that a bio-heating blanket?"
Before Lin Fan could answer, she walked over.
"Hey, hey, hey!"
Lin Fan called out several times, but she didn't stop. She sat on the sofa and stuck her hands into the blanket. "Wow, it's so warm!"
Lin Fan stood in front of her, speechless. What would people say if a young lady stuck her hands into a young man's blanket?
Tian Mengyao thought for a moment and then leaned over, sticking her arms into the blanket as well. She was indeed frozen after coming all the way here in the middle of the night.
"Huh, why is it damp?" Tian Mengyao frowned and felt around with her hands.
Lin Fan was so scared he almost jumped out of his skin. "I, I, I... I spilled some tea, and it's not completely dry yet!"
"Oh..." Tian Mengyao's brows furrowed. She looked skeptical. "Is that so? I thought you wet the bed?"
"I..." Lin Fan was completely defeated. He felt like he should kneel and kowtow to her. Why was she so curious? Couldn't she just let it go?
Lin Fan didn't dare to give her time to ponder, so he asked, "What is it you need from me so late at night?"
Tian Mengyao wiped her hands with the blanket and chuckled, "I went to the town today to get approval documents for our village's cooperative. On my way back, I passed the bank. Guess what?"
A happy expression appeared on her pure face, and she continued with a hint of shyness, "I, I checked your balance at the ATM again, and there was an extra 420,000!"
She looked up into Lin Fan's eyes. "Where did you get so much money?"
"No..." Lin Fan's face darkened. "You came here late at night, not to sleep, but to tell me this?"
Lin Fan then thought, "That's not right. She said 'again,' so she must have checked it before." She'd been back from town for a few hours. Could she have been thinking about how to spend this money the whole time?
Thinking of this, Lin Fan said irritably, "Secretary Tian, you think about everything but this. You're always concerned about my finances."
"That's legitimate income from treating patients. We have our public duties and private lives. Are you trying to take my money again?"
Tian Mengyao immediately retorted, "I didn't say I wanted your money!"
She was both angry and wronged, and her eyes started to well up.
Lin Fan put on a stern face. "Alright, I won't short you any of the money I promised you."
"But my own money, you can't touch. Return my bank card to me as soon as you're done with it."
Lin Fan sat down on a chair and waved his hand. "I'm going to sleep now. You can leave."
"I'll return it to you!"
At some point, tears were streaming down Tian Mengyao's beautiful eyes. She cried out and pulled a Centurion Black Card from her pocket, throwing it forcefully at Lin Fan. "I don't want your damn money!"
Wiping her tears, she stood up and left.
"Hey, hey, hey! Come back, don't do this!" Lin Fan panicked. He never expected that a few grumbles would make Tian Mengyao so angry.
Officially, she was the village secretary, and it would be easy for her to make things difficult for him. Personally, it was unbecoming of a young lady to run out crying.
Lin Fan grabbed Tian Mengyao's arm. "Don't cry, I was wrong. I shouldn't have said that."
"Let go of me!" Tian Mengyao struggled and cried.
"My dear aunt, please don't cry. If someone hears this, they'll think I'm bullying you."
"You are bullying me!"
"I..." Lin Fan really wanted to slap himself. "Yes, I'm bullying you. It's all my fault, okay?"
Tian Mengyao shook her arm and said angrily, "Let go of me! I want to go home! I quit!"
Lin Fan immediately panicked. "Please don't quit! If you quit, the villagers will never forgive me." If this little girl really ran off, and some rumors spread, Lin Fan would be criticized by the villagers. Although Tian Mengyao hadn't accomplished much since taking office, she at least wasn't corrupt! In that regard alone, she was better than some officials! Moreover, she genuinely helped the villagers with their problems. Where could they find such a good official?
"I quit! You bullied me away, and there will be plenty of people who won't let you off!"
"My dear aunt, please don't do this. Are you trying to cause trouble?"
"Let go of me! I'm telling the truth! I'm going home to find my dad!"
Lin Fan's cold sweat broke out when he heard this. If she went home to complain to her father, the consequences would be troublesome. Wu Lei had said her family background was formidable!
"My dear aunt, I'm really sorry! How much money do you want? I'll give it to you. Spend as much as you want." Lin Fan walked behind her, placed his hands on her shoulders, and pushed her towards the second floor.
"Get away! What are you doing?" Tian Mengyao shouted, but inwardly she was overjoyed. "You think you can mess with me!"
Thus, with Lin Fan pushing her, they finally reached the second floor. Tian Mengyao sat on the sofa, pouting, and glared fiercely at Lin Fan. "Why won't you let me leave?"
Lin Fan dragged a chair to block the stairwell and replied, "It's not that I won't let you leave. It's that the people of Luofeng Village need you, so you can't just leave."
"I'm not from Luofeng Village. What do their people have to do with me?"
"You're our village secretary, so you're part of Luofeng Village."
Tian Mengyao turned her head away, refusing to look at him. "I'm not!"
Lin Fan handed her the Centurion Black Card and smiled. "Take it. Spend as you like. If it's not enough, I'll add more."
Tian Mengyao crossed her arms and said with a cold snort, "I don't want your money, and I'm not going to deal with the cooperative anymore."
"Take it, my Secretary Tian~" Lin Fan walked over and forced the bank card into her hand.
"I don't want it!"
"Take it!" Lin Fan grabbed her fidgeting hands and said sternly, "I was wrong earlier. I shouldn't have said those things to you."
"I formally and sincerely apologize to you!"
Tian Mengyao snorted. "I don't need your apology." She deliberately lowered her head, hiding the sly smile on her face.
Lin Fan clasped his hands in a gesture of supplication. "Secretary Tian, you've always been dedicated and diligent for Luofeng Village!"
"The villagers may not say it, but they all understand in their hearts!"
"Everyone in Luofeng Village is grateful to you!"
"They all need a good village official like you!"
"You can't just give up on everyone because of me, can you?"
"You are their parent official. The entire village relies on you!"