The sudden change in ** brought an unexpected surge of happiness; after all, being cared for was a genuine reason to rejoice. What to do? The quilt looked new—should I just accept it and sleep? Or return it?

My friendship with Ning Shixuan was purely collegial. It wouldn't hurt if she helped me once, right? At worst, I’d buy her a new quilt once I got paid, or I’d treat her to a meal.

With that thought, I settled down to sleep, leaving all other worries for tomorrow. Life shouldn't be entirely about work; one must learn to enjoy things too.

I was jolted awake by a sharp knocking at the door the next morning. The wonderfully fragrant quilt had significantly improved my sleep, but the incessant banging wouldn't stop. I had no choice but to get up and open the door, only to find Secretary Liu standing there. I blinked, "Brother Liu, what brings you here so early?" Secretary Liu stepped into my room, "Little Zhao, I need to talk to you about something."

"Alright," I closed the door and sat on the edge of the bed. "Go ahead. Between two grown men like us, there's nothing to be coy about. Say what you need to say."

Secretary Liu gritted his teeth, "Little Zhao, do you like Xiao Ning?"

I had just been rubbing the sleep from my eyes, and hearing that startled me again. "What did you say? I like Xiao Ning? Who told you that?"

Secretary Liu said, "Yesterday, I saw you and Xiao Ning riding bicycles to Xiaquan from the second-floor office window, and then I saw you two riding back. Do you dare say nothing is going on between you two?"

It must have been the way Ning Shixuan held onto my waist with her arms while sitting on the luggage rack that made Secretary Liu misunderstand. I explained, "Secretary Liu, that's where you're mistaken. We all know Xiao Ning has a boyfriend. The relationship between us few is strictly professional. Perhaps I'm a bit too casual and careless, not paying attention to small details, but I have a girlfriend too. So, please don't bring up what you're worried about again. However, if you like her, go ahead and pursue her. A famous person once said, 'As long as a woman isn't married, any other man has a chance.' Although Xiao Ning constantly proclaims she has a boyfriend, you must have seen last night that this boyfriend doesn't seem very secure. So, if you have feelings for her, don't be secretive or fearful. Be brave. A girl might not fault you for being rash, but she will despise men who are timid and dare not express their feelings. As for the two of us, there is truly nothing going on; don't misunderstand."

Secretary Liu let out a huge sigh of relief. "I'm not blaming you for being involved with Xiao Ning. It’s a matter of fair competition. Since I have to compete with Xiao Ning's current boyfriend, I certainly can't stop you from entering the competition as well. I just wanted to confirm this matter. I hope you don't misunderstand."

I flopped back onto the **. "Secretary Liu, put your mind at ease. I guarantee I won't participate in your competition. In fact, if I get the chance, I’ll help create conditions for you. When the wedding day comes, don't forget to invite me for a drink."

Secretary Liu broke into a wide smile, delighted. "Deal! If that day ever comes, I will certainly thank you properly! I'm leaving now. Oh, right, don't sleep in! Didn't you forget? Yesterday's notice canceled today's holiday."

I shot upright. "I truly forgot until you mentioned it. It seems I still have some tasks to complete."

"That quilt of yours looks very familiar. Doesn't Xiao Ning have one just like it? It's quite something for a big guy like you to have a quilt with a floral pattern. How amusing," Secretary Liu said as he left my room. To be honest, while I didn't hold a particularly high opinion of him, we were all colleagues, so I figured I should help where I could. After all, I already had plenty of 'wives' back home, and I had promised them this trip would be free of any romantic entanglements. Furthermore, there was truly no ambiguity between Ning Shixuan and me, so my words to Secretary Liu weren't just to placate him.

Today was supposed to be Sunday, with continued leave, but to prepare for the imperial envoy dispatched by the court, all personnel had their leave canceled to return to work. Time was too tight; this dignitary had left Liangshan County a mere two days for preparations. If everything wasn't ready within these two days, who knew if the poverty alleviation funds for the latter half of the year could still be secured.

My assignment was to go to Fengjia Village, not far from the government seat, to mobilize the masses for a drill. This was mainly to prepare for the questions the official might ask the villagers during his inspection. For example, 'How was your harvest this year?' The villagers shouldn't say 'Excellent'; instead, they should say, 'The weather was unfavorable, and the crops suffered a poor yield. Please save us, venerable official!'

This village was chosen as the inspection base because a rural road ran through it, allowing direct vehicle access. Since Liangshan County wasn't large, the so-called Township Government was essentially just one office, comparable to a larger village committee office elsewhere. The village's grassroots leadership was virtually non-existent.

Naturally, I wouldn't follow the script arranged by the department head, nor did I bother informing the township government leaders. After secretly investigating Fengjia Village, I didn't say a word about anything and sneaked back to the dormitory to sleep. Asking me to collude with them? Hmph. It wasn't that I considered myself morally superior; I just increasingly disliked the methods of Secretary Ma and County Magistrate Zhao, even though County Magistrate Zhao had treated me to meals for a month.

Around noon, Ning Shixuan's voice drifted up from the stairwell. "Ugh, I'm exhausted! Is anyone here? Could you grab lunch for me?"

The door to the dormitory across the hall burst open, and Secretary Liu's voice responded, "Xiao Ning is back. I was just about to head to the canteen. I can get your meal, how about it?"

Ning Shixuan replied happily, "That would be great! Oh, by the way, is Zhao Qian back? Call him out to eat." As she spoke, Ning Shixuan kicked open my door. Heavens, what kind of move was that for a girl? What if I had been naked? She would have seen everything.

"Everyone is running ragged, and you’re secretly sleeping!" Ning Shixuan exclaimed loudly.

I didn't lift my head. "Can't I rest a bit after finishing my work?"

Ning Shixuan rushed to my bedside. "Is my quilt very comfortable? Does it make you reluctant to give it back?"

I deliberately grabbed the blanket, brought it close to my nose, and inhaled deeply. "It still has a scent—truly wonderful. Standard girl fragrance. But I fear in a few days it will just carry my own smell. Regardless, thank you. When I get my first month's salary, I’ll buy you a new one and treat you to dinner."

Ning Shixuan chided me, "You’re really not a good friend. You invited us out when you had no money on your first day, yet you couldn't even afford a simple blanket, insisting on maintaining appearances. If you had just said something, couldn't we have lent you some money? Sleeping on a bare board every night—I don't know what kind of body you have to endure that."

I teased back, "You worry about me so much, be careful your boyfriend gets jealous."

Before Ning Shixuan could reply, there was a loud slam of a door outside—it was Secretary Liu! He must have overheard our entire exchange. I feared Secretary Liu might start feeling jealous before Ning Shixuan's boyfriend even had a chance.

Ning Shixuan glanced outside, confused. "What's wrong with Xiao Liu? Why is his temper suddenly so bad?"

I sighed. "Ah, he's jealous on my behalf. You're so kind and caring to me, even lending me your quilt that carries your scent. If I were him, I'd be jealous too."

Ning Shixuan scoffed. "Crazy! Why would he be jealous over something like that? Shouldn't colleagues care for each other? Ignore him. Go fetch lunch for me, and then we’ll eat in my dorm."

It turned out Secretary Liu was indeed petty. He hadn't shown his face even after lunch was over. It seemed I had offended him this time. I wondered if he would try to make things difficult for me with Secretary Ma. No wonder my wives agreed I should come down to experience life; you see all sorts of things in the world.

Ning Shixuan was tidying the dishes, while I was idly looking at the bra lying on her **. Judging by the size, it looked like a C cup or larger. Truthfully, Ning Shixuan was a good girl—outgoing, warm-hearted, and not the type to nitpick. Moreover, she was quite beautiful. Of course, she couldn't compare to my wives, but how many women in this world could? Add to that Ning Shixuan's excellent figure and trendy dressing—it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call her the county beauty before I arrived.

"What are you looking at!" My head suddenly got tapped, and then Ning Shixuan quickly shoved her undergarments under the pillow. "I realize you’re just a big rogue."

"You only just realized that?" I countered. "Many girls have told me that before. You have a very good figure; your boyfriend must adore it."