"Let go of me," Xia Xue said coquettishly.
"No way!" Lin Fan hugged her and carried her outside the counter.
"What are you doing? Let go, or I'll bite you," Xia Xue threatened, afraid he'd do something reckless.
At her words, Lin Fan only held her tighter.
"Spinning!"
Lin Fan, holding Xia Xue's hundred-jin body, began to spin around the clinic.
"Are you crazy!"
"Stop it!"
"What if someone sees!"
Xia Xue chided him while playfully punching Lin Fan's shoulder with her small fists.
But Lin Fan didn't care. He spun her around dozens of times until he'd had his fill, then stopped.
"You're so naughty!" As soon as Xia Xue landed, she grabbed Lin Fan's ear.
"Ow, ow, ow, it hurts..." Lin Fan pleaded for mercy.
Xia Xue was both angry and helpless. "You're getting bolder. What if people see and spread rumors?"
"Let them see. I'm not stealing, robbing, or cheating anyone. I'm acting with a clear conscience," Lin Fan said righteously.
Xia Xue rolled her eyes beautifully. "No more of this from now on!"
"Let's get married," Lin Fan suddenly said.
"Marry... what are you thinking about?" Xia Xue was annoyed and poked him on the forehead.
"You're all I'm thinking about," Lin Fan said bluntly.
Xia Xue's face turned bright red. "If you want to get married, go to the registry office yourself. I'm not playing along with you. Let's see if they'll give you the little red book."
Lin Fan felt dejected, thinking, "Still playing hard to get."
He reached out and hugged Xia Xue again, his eyes sparkling with a determined gleam.
"Let go of me," Xia Xue struggled to escape.
"I've been treating people for so long, and the villagers are grateful for my kindness. If we get married, they won't say anything," Lin Fan said confidently.
Xia Xue knew this was true, but she still couldn't accept it.
When she first married him, Lin Fan was just a child. Now he was holding her in his arms and talking about marriage. It felt a bit absurd.
"Ouch!"
Xia Xue stomped her foot fiercely, stepping hard on Lin Fan's foot.
Lin Fan yelped in pain and let go, allowing her to escape.
"I'm going back to cook," Xia Xue said without looking back. "Come back early. Oh, and the house renovation has started. Go take a look when you have time."
"Got it," Lin Fan nodded.
Bang!
Xia Xue wasn't paying attention and knocked over a box as she left.
Buzz buzz buzz...
A strange sound began, and the box vibrated violently, startling Xia Xue. She jumped up and ran back into the clinic.
"Xiao Fan, what is that thing inside?" Xia Xue asked, still shaken.
"Oh, it's medicinal herbs," Lin Fan said, having prepared his excuse.
"I found some good herbs in Siam. They weren't expensive, so I bought a few."
Under Lin Fan's mental command, the่่ซ in the box gradually quieted down.
"Are they alive?" Xia Xue turned to look at Lin Fan.
"Yes, they lose their medicinal value when they die. I went to a lot of trouble to bring them back," Lin Fan said seriously.
"Why do you always bring home such strange things?" Xia Xue complained.
"I can't help it, they're medicinal herbs, used for treating illnesses and saving lives, right?" Lin Fan chuckled.
"You clean them up yourself. Don't cause any trouble," Xia Xue warned.
Lin Fan nodded vigorously and held Xia Xue's soft hand. "I also brought you a gift. I'll take it back later."
"How many times have I told you not to spend money carelessly?" Xia Xue said grumpily. "If you get into less trouble and stop messing around, I'll be perfectly happy."
"I didn't spend money carelessly. This is a gift from Miss Zheng for you, a wedding gift," Lin Fan chuckled slyly.
Xia Xue glared at him, skirted around the frightening box, and left quickly.
Lin Fan shook his head and smiled. Just as he was about to move the box, he heard the roar of an engine nearby.
"Tian Mengyao, why is she here?"
Lin Fan recognized it as Tian Mengyao's Wrangler, the only one in miles around.
He quickly moved the box into the clinic.
"Sister Xue'er," Tian Mengyao called out as she parked her car and got out.
She was carrying a bag of wild vegetables, bitter chicory picked by the villagers for her to make a cold dish.
Her cooking skills were only slightly better than Lin Fan's, enough to not starve but certainly not delicious.
So, living alone in the village committee office, cooking was too much trouble. She'd rather give it to Xia Xue and eat a ready-made meal.
Recently, Tian Mengyao and Xia Xue's relationship had been rapidly improving.
This was because Xia Xue came to the clinic every day, waiting for Lin Fan to return.
Tian Mengyao was the same. After finishing her work at the herbal medicine planting base each day, she would stop by the clinic, and also enjoy a delicious meal.
"Sister Xue'er."
Tian Mengyao didn't hear a reply and knocked on the door.
"I'm here, I'm here! My sister-in-law has already gone back," Lin Fan rushed out in a fluster.
"Xiao Fan, you're back!" Tian Mengyao exclaimed with great joy and threw herself into Lin Fan's arms.
"Why were you gone for so long?"
"You didn't even call me, humph!"
Although it had only been a few days, Tian Mengyao felt like ages had passed.
"Come in," Lin Fan carried her into the clinic and closed the door behind him.
"Why aren't you more excited?" Tian Mengyao asked coquettishly.
"I'm so excited I could die," Lin Fan laughed.
"Give me a break!" Tian Mengyao let go. "Your heart rate hasn't even changed."
Lin Fan shrugged. "I'm a martial arts master, not an ordinary person."
"Hmph!" Tian Mengyao rolled her eyes and scanned the surroundings. "Where's Sister Xue'er?"
"She's my sister-in-law, not yours," Lin Fan reminded her.
"Oh, then I should call her Sister Xue'er," Tian Mengyao said casually.
"You're clearly impatient to marry me!" Lin Fan grabbed one of her fair hands and teased loudly.
"Get lost!" Tian Mengyao pinched a piece of flesh on Lin Fan's arm with her thumb and index finger.
Seeing Lin Fan wince in pain, she let go, saying both angry and pained, "Why do you provoke me?"
"Because you're fun," Lin Fan said with a wicked grin.
"You're the fun one!" Tian Mengyao glared at him, but inwardly, she didn't mind.
"We're both fun," Lin Fan chimed in.
"You took so long to open the door. Were you hiding something you didn't want me to see?" Tian Mengyao's intuition was sharp. She turned towards a room with a half-open door.
Lin Fan gave an awkward smile. "I brought back some gifts. I'll sort them out and give them to you later."
"Why not give them to me now?" Tian Mengyao's eyes were full of suspicion. "I want to see them now." She then walked directly towards the half-open door.
"Hey, hey, hey, wait," Lin Fan reached out to stop her, but Tian Mengyao skillfully dodged.
Lin Fan rushed forward, blocking Tian Mengyao with his arms. "They're not for you, they're..."
"What are they?" Tian Mengyao was displeased. "Are you hiding a woman in there?"