Xu Chunliang chuckled, "You’re not even happy about taking over the distillery, but I gave you a hot spring and you say nothing?"

Mo Han shot him a look, "A man without guilt will bring himself trouble with a treasure. You’ve really given me a headache this time. As soon as the hot spring was discovered, so many departments came knocking. I’m so annoyed, do you think I care about a little money?"

Xu Chunliang said, "I know you’re rich, but as long as you’re not a fool, no one minds having money. I won’t let you give it away for nothing. Once we unearth the dragon bones, you’ll change your tune."

Mo Han threatened, "If no dragon bones are found, I’ll dig out your eyes."

Xu Chunliang grinned cheekily, "I’ll give you another investment project with amazing returns."

Mo Han instinctively stepped back, suspecting his intent again. This guy was a bit addicted to getting her to shell out money.

Xu Chunliang said, "You seem quite afraid of me."

Mo Han said, "How can I not be afraid? You’re greedy and relentless, always trying to trick me out of money. Even if I had a mountain of gold, you’d have it gone sooner or later."

Xu Chunliang said, "Knowing what I’m like, why do you keep coming back? You seem quite enthusiastic—are you interested in my stuff or me?"

Mo Han blushed. If Elder Xu weren’t standing in the distance, she would have kicked him.

Xu Chunliang said, "I plan to open a hospital, specifically for proctology."

Mo Han retorted, "What’s that got to do with me?"

"If you have an issue in that area, then it does. I can treat you for free."

Mo Han glared at Xu Chunliang with fiery eyes, exuding a murderous aura.

Xu Chunliang, unfazed, continued, "Our Old Xu Family has a secret formula passed down through generations. For internal, external, or mixed hemorrhoids, it’s a miracle cure without surgery."

Mo Han was truly speechless. Discussing such topics with her—had he no regard for her feelings? She was a young, unmarried woman!

Xu Chunliang said, "Nine out of ten people have hemorrhoids. Don’t be shy. If you really have an issue, just tell me, given our relationship..."

Mo Han lifted her foot and kicked him hard on the shin, making Xu Chunliang let out an exaggerated cry of pain.

The cry startled Xu Changshan and Zheng Peian, who both turned to look.

Xu Chunliang pointed towards Mo Han, the culprit.

Xu Changshan glanced over and then turned away, thinking to himself—everyone’s been young once. The elder understood and had no intention of meddling in young people’s affairs.

Zheng Peian thought to himself that if only he were half as capable as Xu Chunliang, he’d be his uncle by now. He kept chatting with his mentor, pretending he hadn’t seen a thing—after all, it wasn’t his business.

Mo Han said, "The two of you gentlemen are truly wise and understanding. I’ll take my leave. Take your time to inspect."

Xu Chunliang waved at her with a smile, "Take care, won’t see you off."

Watching Mo Han walk away, Xu Changshan said to Zheng Peian, "This girl is something special."

Zheng Peian nodded in agreement, "All the girls around Chunliang are special."

Xu Changshan said, "Don’t be like him, flirting around everywhere."

Zheng Peian said with a wry smile, "That’s something I couldn’t emulate even if I wanted to."

Xu Changshan sighed, "When you have time, talk to him. He should never make mistakes when it comes to relationships."

Zheng Peian replied, "Shouldn’t that be your job, sir?"

"If I ask you to do it, just do it. At my age, how can I have such discussions with him?"

Xu Changshan was very satisfied with the house, planning to leave it for his grandson as a wedding home. He was fine staying at the old place, but Xu Chunliang insisted on moving in as soon as possible. As there was a new house, it ought to be enjoyed. After all, Xu Jiaxuan had said when they bought the villa—it’s to honor the old man.

With his persistence, Xu Changshan finally agreed to move in, but it would be a little later. Even if a newly renovated house was eco-friendly, it still needed to be aired out. They tentatively planned to move in a month later.

There was another reason Xu Changshan was hesitant—such a big house felt too empty for just one person. Xu Chunliang didn’t come back every day, making the thought of living alone here rather lonely.

With the new house, the old man couldn’t help but nag, hoping Xu Chunliang could marry soon.

Xu Chunliang shared the news about the new house with Mei Ru Xue, especially inviting her to visit. Mei Ru Xue was recently appointed Deputy Secretary of the High-Tech Zone, now responsible for political and legal affairs, stability maintenance, comprehensive management, judicial matters, law-based governance, rural work, the trade union, the Communist Youth League, and the Women’s Federation.

Even though there were many responsibilities, each department had its own staff. So, Mei Ru Xue was mainly coordinating and managing things, which was actually easier than when she was in Hu Shan Town. Within a few days of taking over, she realized it was more of a relaxed post. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

After work at noon, Mei Ru Xue drove to Hidden Lake Villa to visit Xu Chunliang’s new house.

By the time she arrived, Xu Changshan and Zheng Peian had already left, leaving only Xu Chunliang to handle the paperwork.

Mei Ru Xue was a bit surprised when she saw the villa: "Xu Chunliang, you’re quite the corrupt one. Can your salary even cover the property fees?"

"Who are you looking down on? The property fees here are just over twenty thousand a year. I can afford it. Besides, aren’t you here?"

"Why should I help you pay the property fees?" Mei Ru Xue couldn’t help but laugh at her own words, knowing full well what Xu Chunliang was hinting at.

Xu Chunliang pulled her into his arms: "Why don’t you move in? After all, this house is too big for just the two of us. No rent charged, just help with cooking and cleaning now and then."

Mei Ru Xue broke free from his embrace: "What are you thinking, Xu Chunliang? You’re trying to make me your servant."

Xu Chunliang laughed heartily: "Or I could be your servant, work like a horse at your command. I guarantee I can be presentable in the living room and skilled in the kitchen. Whatever role Secretary Mei likes, I’ll play it."

Mei Ru Xue knew nothing good ever came out of his mouth, so she didn’t respond. She admired the interior decoration: "I have to say, the decoration is quite nice. I didn’t expect your dad to be so wealthy."

Xu Chunliang’s mother, Feng Mingjun, was no ordinary woman either. At their first meeting, she gave Mei Ru Xue a jade bracelet, which Mei had appraised. The current market value was at least five million, a gift so generous it was astonishing.

Xu Chunliang said: "Money is all he has left." Mentioning his dad reminded him to inform him about moving into the new house.

Xu Chunliang sent his dad a message. Since Hu Hai, the father and son hadn’t been in touch. This message seemed to have vanished into thin air; Xu Jiaxuan didn’t reply.

Mei Ru Xue had heard about his actions in Hu Shan Town and reminded him to keep a low profile. It’s not good for someone in an acting position to draw too much attention. Always remember who the top leader in Hu Shan Town is. She wasn’t the first to remind Xu Chunliang of this and wouldn’t be the last.

Xu Chunliang said: "I can’t be blamed for this. It was Qin Zhengyang who insisted I go to put out the fire. Even with so many deputy mayors and secretaries in Hu Shan Town, he handed me this tricky task, clearly intending to challenge me."

Mei Ru Xue laughed: "It seems he underestimated our Town Mayor Xu’s potential. What now? Is he eager to give you a break to reduce your influence?"

Xu Chunliang couldn’t help but laugh. He had long seen through Qin Zhengyang’s intentions to have him take a break—trying to stop him from making an issue of it. The goal was to lower the heat of Jiang Ailian’s suicide incident and get Da Heng and Hua Nian to resume operations and production as soon as possible, returning to normal.

Qin Zhengyang was thinking too simply. Now it’s not just about whether I let go or not, nor is it just an issue between Hu Shan Town and the two companies. Equatorial Capital won’t miss this excellent opportunity to hit when they’re down. Mo Han is already ready with a series of follow-up moves. Da Heng’s troubles will soon come one after another.

Xu Chunliang said: "Qin Zhengyang is still polite to me. I can feel he’s unhappy with me, but he doesn’t dare to offend me."

Mei Ru Xue said: "That’s because he knows you’re in a temporary position. In three months, you might leave, so there’s no point in quarreling with you."

Xu Chunliang said: "His vision isn’t that broad, or he wouldn’t have tried to intimidate me from the start."

Mei Ru Xue laughed: "Intimidating you was just a warning to behave yourself for the upcoming period. As long as you comply, everything will be fine."

Xu Chunliang sighed and said: "You leaders are really full of tricks. If we marry in the future, won’t you calculate everything against me?"

Mei Ru Xue said: "So you’d better think it through. It’s best not to do anything bad behind my back, or I won’t spare you."

Xu Chunliang said: "If I accidentally do something bad, should I confess for leniency or resist for severity?"

"No way! Breaking the law with knowledge is even more serious."

"Secretary Mei leaves me no room to make mistakes. If I really do something bad, I’ll just have to hide it."

Mei Ru Xue said: "Don’t have a fluke mentality; you might dodge the first day of the lunar month, but you can’t dodge the fifteenth. I’ll find out eventually."

"I will follow Secretary Mei’s teachings."

The two laughed simultaneously, and Mei Ru Xue playfully tugged at his ear.

Xu Chunliang said: "Gentlemen use words, not fists... Ouch, you really did it."

Mei Ru Xue said: "To prevent problems beforehand, give you a lesson first."

At this moment, Xu Chunliang’s phone rang, breaking the atmosphere with the prelude of the news broadcast as a ringtone, leaving Mei Ru Xue speechless.

Mei Ru Xue released her grip, and Xu Chunliang took out his phone. It was Pu Jian calling; there was a problem at the distillery site. People from the Ecological Environment Construction Investment Group had just come and ordered Ding Si’s construction team to withdraw from the distillery site.

They emphasized that hot spring resources belonged to the Natural Resources Administration Bureau. Within the administrative region of Dongzhou City, the hot spring water resources are subject to unified planning, management, supply, and operation. Except for the City’s Ecological Environment Construction Investment Group, no unit or individual is permitted to develop and use hot spring water resources.

Xu Chunliang said: "We haven’t developed or utilized anything yet. Isn’t it still the survey and exploration period? The existence of hot springs hasn’t been confirmed."

Pu Jian sighed and said: "They don’t care about that. They demand that all construction within the distillery be halted, claiming that it’s to prevent damage to the hot spring resources."