As soon as Bai Yichen finished speaking, the previously boisterous men immediately stood upright and responded in unison with a firm, “Yes!”

They quickly split into two groups and set off toward their designated areas. The geological exploration team had a reputation for being no-nonsense when it came to work. While their casual banter could get wild, they became a picture of discipline and efficiency when the job required it.

This culture stemmed largely from their leader’s influence—Bai Yichen was methodical and decisive, a natural leader. Under his guidance, the team thrived, taking their cues from his professionalism.

Meanwhile, An Xin moved briskly toward the provincial city, her focus on reaching her destination. As she neared a crossroads, her gaze caught two figures ahead—a man and a woman walking side by side. She paid little attention at first, assuming they were just fellow travelers, and continued on her way.

However, her quick pace soon brought her closer to the pair. Just as she was about to pass them, an excited voice called out.

“Ah, Cousin! Is that you?”

The voice was unmistakably familiar. An Xin glanced sideways and was immediately met with the faces of An Linger and Zhang Fan. Internally, she sighed in frustration—how had her bright morning turned sour so quickly?

But her expression betrayed nothing. With a polite smile, she greeted them.

“Well, if it isn’t my cousin and her fiancé! What a coincidence.”

It seemed Zhang Fan had stayed overnight at An Linger’s house after yesterday’s wedding.

As the two women exchanged pleasantries, An Xin pointedly ignored Zhang Fan. This slight didn’t go unnoticed, and his face darkened. His tone carried a bitter edge as he interjected.

“Well, well. Just married yesterday, and you’re already rushing off early in the morning? Where are you off to?”

Zhang Fan’s words dripped with sarcasm. In his mind, a newlywed couple should still be wrapped in the glow of their wedding night. Why was An Xin already heading out? Could it be that Bai Yichen is not good at that? If so, she deserved it for leaving him for that “rock-crushing fool.”(He is in the geological exploration team and searches for minerals)

An Xin frowned slightly at his tone but responded calmly, “Oh, I just have some errands to run in the city. I won’t hold you up. I’ll be on my way.”

She had no interest in engaging with Zhang Fan’s petty behavior. After all, the original An Xin had wronged him by leaving their relationship in a messy, unclear way.

An Linger sensed the tension between them. Seeing Zhang Fan’s stiff expression, she quickly tried to smooth things over.

“Oh, so Cousin has errands in the city! That makes sense. We’re heading to the county ourselves.”

She explained cheerfully. This was indeed a crossroads—one path led to the provincial city, while the other led to the county, where Zhang Fan lived. An Linger’s family owned a clothing shop there, she was eager to return to strengthen her relationship with Zhang Fan’s family and secure their approval.

But Zhang Fan wasn’t ready to let things go. “Why not go together?” he suggested with a sly smile. “It’s rare to run into you, Cousin. Let’s head to the provincial city together and have some fun.”

Yesterday, he hadn’t been able to humiliate An Xin and Bai Yichen at their wedding. Now that fate had handed him this opportunity, he wasn’t going to let it slip away.

An Xin stopped in her tracks and cast a cold glance at Zhang Fan. Before she could respond, An Linger tugged at his sleeve, whispering something into his ear. Her words were inaudible to others, but her coy expression left no doubt about their flirtatious nature.

Zhang Fan’s demeanor softened immediately. His eyes lit up with a mix of surprise and delight as he asked, “Really? You’ll let me…”

An Linger blushed and nodded.

The truth was, last night, Zhang Fan had stayed at her house after drinking too much at the wedding. Initially, he slept in the guest room, but in the middle of the night, he stumbled into her room, muttering nonsense about wanting to “celebrate his own wedding night since An Xin was off with another man.”

Frightened, An Linger had tried to fend him off. But his strength was overwhelming, and just as he was about to succeed, she grabbed a pillow and knocked him out cold.

This morning, he’d awoken confused, staring at her with a predatory gleam in his eyes. To keep him from chasing An Xin, An Linger promised him some intimacy once they returned to the county.

Her tactic worked. Zhang Fan’s attention shifted entirely to her, and his thoughts of chasing after An Xin dissipated.

As the two became engrossed in their flirtation, practically radiating affection, An Xin felt a wave of disgust. She turned away and resumed her journey toward the provincial city. Dealing with Zhang Fan was a waste of time, and she had no desire to witness their public display of affection any longer.

An Linger and Zhang Fan were too caught up in their whispered conversation to notice her departure. Zhang Fan was already fantasizing about rushing home with An Linger, eager to claim the promises she had made.

In hindsight, he thought bitterly about his time with An Xin. They had dated for so long, yet he had never even held her hand. What a waste! If he’d known better, he would have taken advantage of her back then and left her to be ridiculed by others.

But what was done was done. Now, he had to settle for An Linger. While she was decent enough, she couldn’t compare to An Xin’s allure. Still, she was willing and eager, so he’d make the best of it.

From now on, Zhang Fan decided, any woman who threw herself at him would be “graciously” accepted. After all, why not take what was offered?