Chapter 242: The Gap in Strength

“I need to go to town, and you have to take me!” She still didn’t dare to look at him, her gaze falling to a corner of the room.

‘Even the corners are spotless, without a single speck of dust or a cobweb. This guy must really love to keep things clean. He might even be a neat freak.’

Hu Feng shook his head. “I’m not your personal driver. What does you going to town have to do with me?”

‘A sudden burst of anger flared up in Bai Zhi. ‘Why didn’t he say this before? If I’d known he was like this, I wouldn’t have put all my eggs in one basket. I should have at least found a backup driver. Just great. Does this mean I can’t even leave the house without him?”

She marched right up to Hu Feng, who was in the middle of tying his belt. “Hu Feng, what exactly do you want?”

Hu Feng shook his head. “I don’t want anything. What do you think I want?”

“Just spit it out. What will it take for you to take me to town?” Bai Zhi asked bluntly.

Hu Feng finished tying his belt, his gaze landing lightly on Bai Zhi’s small, upturned face. “Straightforward. I can take you, but you have to agree to one condition.”

“What condition?” Bai Zhi frowned. ‘This Hu Feng… He’s not going to make some strange demand, is he?’

“You’re not allowed to go to the government office to cook for Meng Nan.”

Bai Zhi froze. ‘What kind of condition is that?’ “Why can’t I go to the government office to cook for him?”

Hu Feng’s expression darkened. “You’re not their cook. Why should you go cook for him? Besides, I don’t want to go to that damned place.”

“But—I—”

Hu Feng cut her off. “If you can’t agree, then forget I said anything.”

‘Considering what I have to do today, I probably won’t have a chance to go to the government office to cook for him anyway,’ Bai Zhi thought. ‘I’ll just agree for now. I’ll find another driver another day, and we’ll see how smug he is then.’

“Fine, I agree. Can we go now?”

A smile appeared on Hu Feng’s face. “Of course.” He led the way out of the room, casually grabbing a sack of potatoes from the main hall. A bag weighing twenty or thirty pounds seemed as light as a feather in his hand…

‘How can the difference in strength between people be so great?’

The horse-drawn carriage left the village and sped all the way to Qing Town. On the way, they even overtook an ox cart that had set off an hour before them.

「The Government Office」

The Jin guard ran excitedly into Meng Nan’s room, shouting, “Sir, sir! Miss Bai is here!”

Meng Nan’s face lit up. He immediately dropped the things he had just finished packing and started for the door. But then he stopped. ‘Wait, that’s not right. Didn’t I leave in a huff yesterday? If I greet her so enthusiastically now, I’ll lose so much face!’

So he turned back around, picked up the box he had just set down, and resumed packing, though his heart was no longer in it.

The sound of light footsteps grew closer. Led by Jin Xiao’an, she walked right into the room.

“Sir, Miss Bai is here.”

Meng Nan resisted the urge to turn around, affecting a tone of utter indifference. “Oh.”

Bai Zhi inwardly shook her head. ‘First, I have to deal with the petty Hu Feng, and now I’ve got the sulky Meng Nan.’

“Brother Meng doesn’t want to see me?” Bai Zhi asked.

Meng Nan remained silent, continuing with the task at hand.

Bai Zhi turned and shot Jin Xiao’an a meaningful look.

Jin Xiao’an got the hint and immediately yelled, “Oh, Miss Bai, don’t leave!”

The moment he heard Jin Xiao’an, Meng Nan threw down the box and dashed for the door. He’d barely taken two steps when he saw Bai Zhi standing right in the doorway, watching him with a grin. She showed no signs of leaving. Beside her, Jin Xiao’an was visibly trying to stifle his laughter.