Lin Fan hurriedly opened the courtyard gate.
Xia Xue followed closely and also walked out in a hurry.
"Oh my, Secretary Tian!"
A look of joy appeared on Xia Xue's face.
"Sister Xue'er."
Tian Mengyao greeted politely.
As the saying goes, love me, love my dog. Xia Xue was Lin Fan's sister-in-law, so she was naturally considered her good friend.
"Xiao Fan, why didn't you invite Secretary Tian in?"
Xia Xue patted Lin Fan's shoulder and then invited Tian Mengyao into the courtyard.
Song Yue then walked out of the kitchen and said nervously, "Hello, Secretary Tian."
Although she was not a villager of Luofeng Village, ordinary people seemed to naturally revere leaders, even if it was just a small village committee secretary.
"Hello."
Tian Mengyao smiled.
Xia Xue called out, "Secretary Tian, you've come at the right time. Dinner is almost ready. Come inside and have something."
"I... alright."
Tian Mengyao originally wanted to decline, but then she thought that Lin Fan probably hadn't eaten yet, so she agreed.
The small kitchen was suddenly crowded.
Song Yue said apologetically, "Why don't we eat in the living room? The kitchen is too small."
"No, no, it's fine here. It's Chinese New Year, it should be lively."
Tian Mengyao sat next to Lin Fan, with Xia Xue and Song Yue sitting opposite.
Her elegant attire formed a stark contrast with the small kitchen.
Lin Fan was already hungry, so without a word, he started eating heartily.
He ate half a pot of millet porridge in just a few bites.
Xia Xue frowned at the slurping sound, which sounded like feeding a pig.
"Xiao Fan, eat slower."
Xia Xue reminded him, as it was very ungraceful.
"Mhm."
Lin Fan nodded and then slowed down, but he still ate large mouthfuls.
Tian Mengyao pursed her lips, wanting to laugh but not daring to.
Soon, the slurping sound of feeding a pig echoed again.
Xia Xue's brows furrowed, and she glared at Lin Fan fiercely.
"Sister Xue'er, hurry up and eat."
Tian Mengyao said with a smile.
Xia Xue felt a hint of embarrassment. "Secretary Tian, country folk have no manners. I've made you look bad."
"It's alright. Xiao Fan is just being genuine and unpretentious. It's a rare quality."
After Tian Mengyao finished speaking, Xia Xue and Song Yue were stunned.
With their feminine intuition, both of them felt something was off about that remark.
The tone, the happy expression...
"Don't just talk, eat your food!"
Lin Fan picked up a meatball and placed it in front of Tian Mengyao. "This is made from the pork belly I minced myself. Try it, it's very delicious."
"Okay."
Tian Mengyao poked the meatball with her chopsticks, broke it into pieces, and put a small bite into her mouth.
Xia Xue had been watching Tian Mengyao, her heart filled with anxiety.
She had originally thought that someone of Tian Mengyao's status would never eat something picked up by someone else's chopsticks, especially from a man.
To her surprise, Tian Mengyao ate it very naturally.
"Does it taste good?"
"Mhm, it's really delicious. Sister Xue'er, your cooking is really good."
Tian Mengyao smiled at Xia Xue opposite her.
"If it tastes good, eat more."
Xia Xue forced a smile and quickly looked away.
The more she thought about it, the more she felt something was wrong. When had Tian Mengyao started to develop feelings for Lin Fan?
They had only had some interaction due to their work at the village committee.
Xia Xue thought carefully and suddenly remembered that Tian Mengyao had been looking for Lin Fan too often lately.
She had also heard people say that the current village head, Wu Lei, was almost always left out in the cold.
Thinking of this, Xia Xue suddenly panicked.
"A woman pursuing a man is like piercing through silk."
She hoped that Tian Mengyao wouldn't get involved with Lin Fan.
Xia Xue was worried and hadn't touched her chopsticks.
Song Yue felt even more frustrated. Even a fool could see Tian Mengyao's affection.
She had warned Xia Xue before, but Xia Xue hadn't taken it seriously and had accused her of overthinking.
Now, look at them, sitting opposite each other, with mutual affection, and Xia Xue was caught off guard.
"I'm full."
Lin Fan put down his chopsticks, a satisfied expression on his face.
After eating, Lin Fan felt re-energized.
"Sister-in-law, Secretary Tian must have something to discuss with me. I'll go for a walk with her."
Lin Fan stood up, and Tian Mengyao immediately stood up as well.
"Okay, go ahead."
Xia Xue felt uneasy and forced a smile.
After they left, Song Yue said impatiently, "Sister Xue'er, look at Secretary Tian and Xiao Fan."
She pouted. "I heard that Secretary Tian comes from a prominent background and is not someone we ordinary folks can easily marry into. I'm just afraid that Xiao Fan will end up like Liang Shanbo, only to be separated by her parents and end up with nothing."
"This..."
Xia Xue's mind was in chaos. She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down.
"Don't talk nonsense. Xiao Fan knows what he's doing."
"What does he know? Didn't you see the way he looked at her? They were practically glued together."
Song Yue's tone was filled with sourness.
"It might not be what you think."
Xia Xue said, then got up and returned to her room.
She felt too embarrassed to say that Song Yue herself was also trying to please him, willing to do anything he asked.
"Tsk, not listening to good advice."
Song Yue grumbled.
Seeing Xia Xue's attitude, she thought to herself, "Anyway, I have no official title. Why should I care so much?"
"No matter how much they fight, it won't be my turn. Why should I be angry?"
"Let Sister Xue'er worry about it herself!"
Song Yue gloomily started to clear the dishes.
...
On a small road in Wangjia Village, a cool breeze carried a hint of chill.
As Tian Mengyao shivered, a jacket still warm from the body was draped over her shoulders.
"It's so cold, and you're wearing so little. Are you trying to make yourself uncomfortable?"
Tian Mengyao was moved for a moment, but then she was annoyed by Lin Fan again.
As expected, he still had no emotional intelligence and couldn't even say a nice word.
"It's none of your business!"
Tian Mengyao said coquettishly, while clutching the collar of her jacket.
"How is it?"
Lin Fan stroked Tian Mengyao's back and stretched his shoulders.
The purple qi in his dantian churned, making him feel no cold at all.
Tian Mengyao knew what he was asking and replied, "We don't need to worry about it anymore. My dad said it's being handled by the higher-ups."
"Oh~"
Lin Fan let out a long sigh of relief.
Although it was a simple answer, it still made him feel much more relaxed.
He felt that the authorities had intervened, and they would soon catch that snake demon.
"Xiao Fan."
Tian Mengyao stopped and turned to look at Lin Fan. "My dad absolutely refuses to let me stay here. He wants me to go home first, and then find a way to arrange a job for me in the provincial capital."
Lin Fan's heart sank, and he frowned, asking, "And then?"
"Guess."
"Why guess? You must have argued your case forcefully and finally convinced your father."