Under the shroud of night, a Volkswagen Beetle screeched to a halt, narrowly avoiding a large, treacherous rock ahead.
Wang Ying's face turned ashen, cold sweat beaded on her forehead, and her entire body was drenched.
The thought of her ex-husband, Jin Zhe, in such a pathetic state sent a wave of nausea through Wang Ying, churning her stomach.
"How could I have been so blind to fall for such a thing!"
Wang Ying sighed deeply, filled with regret for her past choice.
Jin Zhe must have seen her with Lin Fan, which led him to cause trouble in Luofeng Village. But he never expected to end up in such widespread condemnation.
Thinking this, Wang Ying couldn't help but wear a triumphant smile.
Lin Fan, usually understated and unassuming, was truly a dragon among men.
The thought of countless people fawning over her beloved made Wang Ying incredibly happy.
In comparison, Jin Zhe was less than a clown!
"I will absolutely not make the same mistake twice in this lifetime!"
Wang Ying chuckled foolishly and continued driving forward.
—
Luofeng Village.
After expressing his gratitude multiple times, Lin Fan finally sent the villagers home.
"Xiao Fan, I'm leaving too, alright?"
Wang Fugui said, carrying a bottle of medicinal wine.
"Secretary Wang, take care. Thank you for coming forward today."
Lin Fan cupped his hands with a smile. "Come check on me tomorrow. It will put my mind at ease."
"No problem. I took a bullet to the leg when I was young, and I still charged forward when the bugle sounded. This minor injury is nothing to me."
Wang Fugui laughed heartily and then waved goodbye to the villagers of Wangjia Village.
"Huh?"
Lin Fan suddenly realized Wang Ying seemed to be gone.
He turned his head and saw that the Beetle was also missing.
"Strange, why did she leave without saying goodbye."
"What are you looking at?"
Song Yue sidled up to him, following his gaze.
"Nothing."
Lin Fan changed the subject. "Yueyue Jie, you were at the clinic today, right? How did such a big incident happen?"
"What do you mean? Are you blaming me for this?"
Mentioning it made Song Yue furious. "Those people were too beastly, like bandits. They immediately asked if this was Lin Fan's clinic and then tried to seal the door with official seals."
Xia Xue asked at this moment, "Xiao Fan, did you offend someone outside?"
"Yes, I also thought they came for revenge."
Tian Mengyao frowned.
While she disliked using her background, when it was truly necessary, she had always been effective in Yunqing City.
Jin Zhe had the gall to push her?
Tian Mengyao pondered whether she should inform her father.
A single word from her could send Jin Zhe to hell!
A spark ignited in Lin Fan's mind.
Su Yurou's beauty salon was sealed by Wang Ying's ex-husband. Could it be that he was the one who came today?
Considering Wang Ying's unannounced departure, Lin Fan thought this possibility was the most likely.
"I haven't offended anyone."
Lin Fan looked at Xia Xue. "Saozi, let's not get involved in this. I think it will definitely be suppressed in the end. Let's just pretend we know nothing."
"Could it be..."
Xia Xue was worried, her heart in her throat.
"Sister Xue'er, don't worry. If the sky falls, I, the village party secretary, will hold it up," Tian Mengyao comforted, gently taking Xia Xue's hands.
"Secretary Tian, I won't cause you any trouble, will I?"
Xia Xue knew Tian Mengyao had a background.
"No, I promise you."
Tian Mengyao thought to herself, "He dared to push me? I haven't even dealt with him yet. If he keeps being so stubborn, I'll make sure that guy surnamed Jin loses his job!"
Song Yue felt a pang of jealousy.
She wished she could speak as confidently as Tian Mengyao.
But the latter had a good family. What about her?
Song Yue's gaze flickered between Xia Xue and Tian Mengyao, thinking, "I wonder if Xiao Fan will change his mind in the future and marry this young lady Tian Mengyao."
As for her, the unfortunate woman, she would only ever be a mistress in this life!
But it wasn't so bad, it was quite good, who could resist Lin Fan!
Xia Xue and Song Yue left first.
Tian Mengyao lingered, seeming reluctant to go.
Lin Fan, sensing she had something on her mind, smiled. "What is it you want to say?"
"How did you know I had something to say?"
Tian Mengyao's eyes sparkled.
"Nonsense, I've shared so much of your saliva, how could I not know what secrets you're holding?"
Lin Fan joked.
"Hate you!"
Tian Mengyao clenched her small fist, ready to hit him, but then remembered Xia Xue wasn't far away and relaxed her fist.
"Xiao Fan, when can I be like you, with so many villagers listening to me?"
Tian Mengyao cupped her hands to her chest, her beautiful eyes filled with enthusiasm. "You're so cool!"
"Hey, wake up, that's me, not you."
Lin Fan poked her forehead.
"Why are you so annoying?"
Tian Mengyao said aspirationally, "I definitely can do it in the future!"
"Yes, of course you can."
Lin Fan said thoughtfully, "The common people aren't fools. They know very well who treats them well and who doesn't."
He hadn't expected that so many people would stand up to prevent his clinic from being sealed, nearly beating Jin Zhe and his group to death.
Before, Song Yue would often nag him, complaining that his fees were too low, even doubling them would still be considerate of the villagers.
He always used the excuse of earning money from the rich and refused to listen.
Now, it seemed he hadn't been wrong.
"Once the cooperative starts making money and everyone lives a better life, someone will definitely be grateful to me."
Tian Mengyao giggled, as if she could already see herself being cheered and surrounded by villagers, smiling brilliantly.
"You'll be all tanned and grimy then, and everyone will be moved to tears."
Lin Fan joked again.
"You're the one who'll be tanned and grimy!"
Tian Mengyao, furious, gnashed her teeth and grabbed his shirt. "Tell me... Huh, what's this?"
"No, don't!"
Lin Fan recoiled. The large book, "Qing Nang Zhen Jie," had nowhere to go, so he hid it in his embrace.
"Let me see."
Tian Mengyao, without asking for clarification, reached out directly to snatch it.
"I'll get it for you, be careful!"
Riiip!
Lin Fan was stunned.
"What is it?"
Tian Mengyao let go, looking curiously at the spot she had grabbed.
Lin Fan opened his clothes and took out a crumpled ancient book.
Upon closer inspection, its old, yellowed cover had a long tear, making it appear even more dilapidated.
"Xiao Fan, I didn't mean to."
Tian Mengyao's scalp tingled. Just by looking at its condition, she knew it wasn't a simple item.
"It's alright."
Lin Fan sighed softly, without any blame for Tian Mengyao.
"Is it very important? I... I can ask my dad to find people from the museum. They should have a way to repair it."
Tian Mengyao's voice was soft, filled with shame.