In the urban village.

Xu Ke's expression showed neither joy nor sorrow. When he opened the news on his phone, he breathed a sigh of relief.

It's not that bad.

He had instinctively assumed the news had been leaked because Wong Qifu had come to his house two nights ago and been photographed by online tabloids or reporters. But that wasn't it.

Instead, the news was about something else entirely. There were photos of him and Wong Qifu entering and leaving the Bamboo Pavilion Residence together, with the caption: "Wang Family Corporation's female CEO on a private date with a man."

There were also photos of him entering the Wang Family Corporation building at noon, as well as pictures of him leaving the hospital with Wong Qifu on the day of his discharge.

They were all speculative photos, but they were certainly enough to get people's imaginations running wild.

The comment section below was filled with insults directed at Xu Ke, though some tried to defend him.

"But there doesn't seem to be any solid proof, right? I don't see a problem!"

This was immediately refuted: "What do you know, you paid shill! Stop trying to whitewash this!"

Xu Ke let out another sigh of relief. "It's still okay."

It isn't the worst-case scenario.

What he was most worried about now was the impact this incident would have on Wong Qifu. If it damaged the corporation's image, the Wang Family's losses would be significant. The photos were mostly circumstantial and didn't constitute definitive proof. Although it was easy to connect this to the engagement announcement Wong Qifu had made a while back, a simple denial would be enough to end the storm of public opinion.

As for why the online reaction was so intense, Xu Ke had a pretty good idea...

This has to be the work of paid trolls hired by the Huang and Ye Families.

The explosive speed at which this story had spread tonight was inextricably linked to those two families. Xu Ke could even see that numerous media outlets had published their articles at the exact same time. It was clearly orchestrated, and the signs of manipulation were obvious. Given this, it wasn't as if the Wang Family had no way to counterattack.

But Xu Ke knew. This was the opening Huang Sheng had deliberately left. A trap designed to attack the heart.

Huang Sheng was formidable. Xu Ke knew that with these kinds of tactics, it would be very simple for Wong Qifu to deny everything. A single press conference would be enough to put the matter to rest.

However, that would also mean Wong Qifu would be publicly declaring that she had nothing to do with him. In that case, Xu Ke would be abandoned once again. The ever-domineering Wong Qifu would also be put at a disadvantage by making such a denial. But if she didn't deny it, Xu Ke's background and status would become a massive burden for her.

This was Huang Sheng's vicious move, designed to crush his opponent's spirit.

Xu Ke fell silent. He had to admit, he was completely caught off guard by Huang Sheng's ploy. He was truly in a dilemma. He could already bring himself to ignore the insults hurled at him, but he couldn't ignore the situation at the Wang Family Corporation.

At that moment, his phone rang.

Xu Ke's first instinct was to hang up. He had already rejected calls from three different reporters. But this time, it was Wong Qifu.

"Are you asleep?" Wong Qifu asked.

"Not yet," Xu Ke replied.

"You saw it, didn't you?"

Xu Ke nodded. "I saw it."

"Does it affect you?" Wong Qifu inquired.

Xu Ke hesitated for a moment, then shook his head. "No."

"That's good. Now, turn off your phone and get a good night's sleep. The deathmatch tomorrow is what's important," Wong Qifu said, not dwelling on the matter.

Xu Ke remained silent for a moment before asking, "What are people inside your company saying?"

He knew that Wong Qifu was the face of the Wang Family Corporation. If this wasn't handled properly, it could seriously impact investor confidence.

"What are they saying?" Wong Qifu laughed, her voice full of dominance. "What would they dare say?"

"I haven't committed murder or arson, nor have I kidnapped any men. Does the chairman of a corporation need someone's permission to fall in love?"

Wong Qifu was her usual self, completely unaffected by the incident.

"But..." Xu Ke began, startled.

"But what?" Wong Qifu cut him off sharply. "Are you suggesting I should just deny it?"

At this, Wong Qifu sneered. "No one can force me to make any decision."

"You just told me you weren't affected, but now you're hemming and hawing. You still say you're not affected?"

"Men and their promises..."

"Xu Ke, don't forget, you're my man now."

"My man should not be so hesitant and timid."

Wong Qifu had called to check on Xu Ke. Having fought a war of public opinion against them for a decade, Wong Qifu naturally understood Xu Ke's current state. She herself had been affected by it back then, let alone Xu Ke. She had anticipated that someone like him, who had never experienced the sickening crush of a full-blown media assault, would harbor doubts deep down, even if he said nothing. In this situation, she had to be the one to jolt him awake. Otherwise, that mentality would follow him into the ring... and he would be doomed.

Whether she avoided the topic tonight or stated directly that she would clarify their relationship, Wong Qifu knew that either choice would inevitably plant a seed of doubt in Xu Ke's heart. Therefore, she had to be firm. And she had to resolutely prove one thing. Xu Ke was her man.

The sharp rebuke was like a bucket of cold water, snapping Xu Ke out of his stupor.

That's right. What did Wong Qifu do wrong? Nothing at all! What did I do wrong? Nothing either! So what am I so worried about?

Xu Ke suddenly let out a self-deprecating laugh.

I've already died once. Why am I still being so indecisive? Didn't I already promise to walk this path with Wong Qifu?

He laughed. "Alright!"

His voice was firm and resolute. No more hesitation. Only moving forward.

But Wong Qifu coldly cut him off. "Alright, what? Get to bed. What's a little brother ten years my junior doing trying to act cool in front of his big sister?"

Xu Ke was speechless. "..."

He chuckled. "Can't you just let me act cool for once, Sis?"

"Nope," Wong Qifu refused. "Alright, your sister is busy. Go to bed early."

"Okay," Xu Ke nodded.

The two ended the call.

Xu Ke immediately pulled the SIM card from his phone to prevent any further harassment from the media. Then, he went straight to sleep. He couldn't care less about the torrential storm the Tianhai City media was churning up.

The deathmatch was the most important thing.

The Oath of the Medical Path weighed heavily on his heart, and the media explosion had left him caught between a rock and a hard place. But in that moment, Wong Qifu's few words instantly dispelled the clouds of doubt from his mind.

Xu Ke's heart was calmer than it had ever been.

「Meanwhile, overseas.」

It was early morning there. Inside a house, a woman who bore a slight resemblance to Wong Qifu but possessed a completely different aura saw the news, and her expression changed drastically.

"What?"

"My sister is marrying a fitness instructor?"

She shot up in anger and immediately made a call.

"Book me a ticket. I'm going back home."

「11:30 PM. Tianhai Martial Alliance Underground Arena.」

Wong Qifu, Xu Ke, and Wang Wu stepped out of the car.

Looking at the venue, which bore the sign of the Tianhai Martial Arts Association, Xu Ke nodded. "It really has a grassroots vibe."

"Of course," Wang Wu chimed in with a smile. "The Alliance refurbished this place to recruit students from all over Tianhai and prevent a decline in talent. But after the refurbishment, the Alliance found it even harder to recruit people."

Xu Ke couldn't help but laugh. "Maybe young people just aren't interested in this sort of thing nowadays."

Standing beside them, Wong Qifu glanced at Xu Ke.

Good. His mental state seems fine.

The three of them then walked into the Tianhai Martial Arts Association. After passing through a corridor and taking an elevator down to the first basement level, the full view of the underground arena quietly unfolded before Xu Ke.

It was a space comparable in size to a basketball arena. In the center stood a fighting ring that resembled a boxing stage, surrounded by spectator seats.

In the stands, a group of people was already seated. The Ye Family and the Huang Family. Leading them were Ye Fan, his face etched with murderous intent, and Huang Sheng.

"You've come?" a hoarse voice called out from another direction.

Xu Ke looked over.

It was Ouyang Shuang.

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