Chapter 71: Zhou Tingting Is Utterly Annoyed

Zeng Xiaofan shook his head with a smile, then nodded and said,
"Alright! Xie Weifeng, is it? Zhou Tingting, you too, huh?"
"I'm leaving... and don't come begging me later."
With that, Zeng Xiaofan kicked his battered motorcycle to life, twisted the throttle, and sped off.
"Pah! As if we'd come begging you!"
"What a joke! Still trying to save face and putting on a show!"
"Who am I, Xie Weifeng? I'm a proper civil servant!"
"Why would I ever beg you? I'd rather starve to death outside, or jump off right here than ever plead with you!"
"Worthless mutt!"
Zhou Tingting chased after Zeng Xiaofan's departing figure, cursing,
"Exactly, exactly! You think we'll beg you?"
"Keep dreaming, Zeng Xiaofan, you lowlife loser!!"
No sooner had Zeng Xiaofan left than Lin Chunhua's black Audi glided into the parking lot of the farmstead.
Xie Weifeng, Zhou Tingting, and the others hurried over, eager to greet him.
Lin Chunhua stepped out of the car, impeccably dressed, his hair slicked back with glossy pomade.
He wore his most expensive watch, and even his shoes gleamed as if freshly waxed.
Seeing the mayor so formally attired, Xie Weifeng and Zhou Tingting grew even more excited, their anticipation for the important guest mounting.
"Mayor, you look absolutely splendid today!"
"With that outfit, you look just like one of those bigwigs attending a conference in Longdu!"
Xie Weifeng quickly flattered Lin Chunhua, while Zhou Tingting and the others nodded in agreement,
"Yes, yes, the mayor looks so dashing today!"
Lin Chunhua was clearly pleased, smiling slightly as he replied,
"Of course. Today we're expecting a very distinguished guest!"
"Oh, by the way, has our honored guest, Zeng Xiaofan from Peach Blossom Village, arrived yet?"
He asked casually, but Zhou Tingting seemed utterly bewildered,
"What? Who?"
Lin Chunhua frowned, "Who else? Aren't you from Peach Blossom Village?"
"Don't you know Zeng Xiaofan?"

"Our most distinguished guest today is Mr. Zeng, isn't it?"
"Weifeng told me you're the resident doctor at Peach Blossom Village, so I thought you might know Mr. Zeng, which is why I agreed to let you join us for dinner."
"Didn't Weifeng tell you?"
Lin Chunhua's words were like daggers, each one stabbing into Zhou Tingting's chest, leaving her face pale and clammy with cold sweat...
Xie Weifeng also looked stunned, his mouth agape, barely able to breathe:
"Wha... what??"
"Mayor, the... the most distinguished guest you mentioned before... Mr. Zeng, that's... that's Zeng Xiaofan?"
"Yes, that's right, Zeng Xiaofan from Peach Blossom Village—he's about your age," Lin Chunhua said sternly, sensing something was amiss from the expressions on their faces.
Xie Weifeng's legs buckled at the words, trembling as he turned to Zhou Tingting,
"Your... your ex-boyfriend, what was his name again?"
Zhou Tingting bit her lower lip, a sense of dread rising within her, her vision swimming with black spots,
"My ex-boyfriend's name is... Zeng... Zeng Xiaofan...."
At that moment, another staff member came running up, looking anxious,
"Mayor, what's going on? I just saw Zeng Xiaofan ride his motorcycle into the farmstead, didn't I?"
"But only a moment later, I saw him storming out with a dark face!"
Lin Chunhua's heart skipped a beat. He glared at Xie Weifeng and Zhou Tingting, his voice thundering,
"What exactly happened?"
Zhou Tingting turned deathly pale and collapsed on the spot, her tight skirt riding up as she slumped to the ground,
"It's over... it's really over this time... we've ruined the mayor's carefully arranged dinner...."
"It's over... it's all over...."
Lin Chunhua grew even angrier at this, "Xie Weifeng!"
"What does she mean by that? What happened here?"
"Re... report... Mayor..."
"Just now... Zeng Xiaofan already... already came by..."
"But we saw him on that junky motorcycle, looking like some lowlife... we... we drove him away..."
"What!" Lin Chunhua's hand shot out, landing a fierce slap across Xie Weifeng's face:
"Idiot! Do you have any idea how much effort it took for me to get him here?"
"Do you realize that only if he comes will Fan Bing, the CEO of Bishui Group, come as well?!"

"You... you two are just... just..."
"To hell with both of you!" Lin Chunhua spun and slapped Zhou Tingting too.
"I told you again and again—welcome Mr. Zeng with the highest respect!"
"But no, while I went to change my clothes, you managed to chase our distinguished guest away!"
"Damn you both!"
Lin Chunhua raised his hand and delivered another round of slaps to both Xie Weifeng and Zhou Tingting. Neither had tears left to cry...
"What are you waiting for?"
"You two pigs! Hurry up and go bring him back!"
"I'm telling you, if you can't get him back today, you'll never get anywhere in the civil service again!"
"I, Lin Chunhua, will make sure you both are finished in this field!"
At this, Xie Weifeng and Zhou Tingting turned ashen, despair flooding their hearts.
"How could this happen... He was just a loser, how could the mayor value him so highly..."
"How did he become the most honored guest... Was I... was I really so wrong..."
Zhou Tingting muttered internally, her face twisted in regret.
Xie Weifeng finally snapped out of his shock, dragging Zhou Tingting after him as they rushed outside,
"You really should have told me sooner... your ex-boyfriend was Mr. Zeng..."
"I... how was I supposed to know he was the mayor's VIP guest..."
"If I'd known earlier, I... sigh!"
"This is a disaster!"
Zhou Tingting stamped her beautiful leg in frustration, nearly biting through her lips.
"Frustrated? What's the use of that now!"
"If we don't get him back, we're both finished!"
Xie Weifeng was beside himself with regret; Zhou Tingting was on the verge of tears.
Meanwhile, Zeng Xiaofan had not returned to Peach Blossom Village, but had been picked up by Fan Bing and brought to Bishui Group's Bishui Manor.
Bishui Manor stood on a tranquil peninsula of Lake Wanbi, a city landmark in Biyuan. The entire estate was exquisitely decorated in a classical style, beautiful as a masterful landscape painting.
On the shimmering surface of the lake, a long covered walkway stretched out to a central pavilion over the water.
At that moment, Zeng Xiaofan sat in the waterside pavilion, facing Fan Bing, savoring a pot of the finest fresh tea...