It was nearing six in the evening. Kang Shuai was waiting for his sister, Kang Xiaoji, whom he had finally convinced to come after much pleading.

Kang Xiaoji, dressed in a white shirt and blue jeans, eyed her brother coldly upon arrival. "So, is this really my future sister-in-law?"

"You little wretch, do you have to be so unpleasant?" Kang Shuai glared.

Kang Xiaoji snorted. "Are you sure my words are the problem? Or is it your disgraceful behavior?"

Kang Shuai was rendered speechless, unable to come up with a rebuttal.

His own sister was a real piece of work. Instead of enjoying her life as a wealthy daughter of the Kang Family, she had run off to the Catcher Academy. After just one year on the job, she had taken the concept of 'abhorring evil' to an extreme. At home, she tolerated no wrongdoing whatsoever. She keeps a close eye on me, her own brother, every single day, ready to arrest me at a moment's notice. What is wrong with her?

Kang Shuai said gravely, "This girl is different. I am one hundred percent serious about making her my wife. I don't care about my past; this time, I'm for real! It's just..."

"Just what?" Kang Xiaoji stared at her brother, her gaze wary.

Kang Shuai broke into a grin. "It's just that someone else got to her first! But it doesn't matter. The guy is a nobody, just some regular office worker. He's completely unworthy of Yufei! I asked you here today to help me out. Put in a few good words for me, and maybe ridicule him until he's too ashamed to show his face. Make him back off on his own!"

At this, Kang Shuai patted his sister on the shoulder. "So? Simple enough, right?"

"Kang Shuai, how can you be so shameless?" Kang Xiaoji retorted coldly. "If I refuse, are you just going to use your usual dirty tricks on the poor guy?"

"Dirty tricks? What are you talking about, Sis?" Kang Shuai feigned surprise.

Kang Xiaoji scoffed, "Still pretending? In front of me? Is this a game to you? I know exactly what kind of person you are. I'm warning you, don't let me catch you pulling anything!"

"So, is that a yes?" Kang Shuai grinned, completely unconcerned by her threat.

"Hmph!" Kang Xiaoji pursed her lips. "I'm only doing this to protect that poor man from you! I'm certainly not helping *you*."

Why had she traded a comfortable life at home for the harsh and exhausting Catcher Academy? It was because she had seen too much injustice, too much abuse of power. As Miss Kang, she had witnessed the helplessness and despair of countless ordinary people crushed by the great families. Under that kind of pressure, a person's most basic dignity and self-respect were ruthlessly shattered. She hated it. She was disgusted by it! That was why she gave up a chance to study at a prestigious university abroad, choosing the Catcher Academy instead. While she couldn't change the status quo alone, she could at least reduce the frequency of such incidents. This also explained why she had been so agitated when she first met Chen Yang.

"You two go ahead and order. I need to use the restroom," Kang Xiaoji said with a wave of her hand before heading into the Qiaoxi Sea Restaurant.

Soon, Chen Yang and Zhou Yufei arrived. Kang Shuai greeted them enthusiastically, and the three entered the restaurant, finding a table by a window on the second floor.

It was the best spot in the entire restaurant, overlooking the busiest pedestrian street in Lingjin City. Many people of taste preferred this table to a private room.

"Mr. Chen, here's the menu. Please, order whatever you like," Kang Shuai said, taking the menu from a waiter and handing it directly to Chen Yang.

Chen Yang took the menu and opened it, only to find it was written entirely in a foreign language.

Seeing Chen Yang frown, Kang Shuai chuckled, not at all surprised. "Can't read it? No problem. Yufei can translate for you; I recall her foreign language skills are excellent."

The implication was clear: as a grown man, he couldn't even read a menu and needed a woman's help.

Chen Yang indeed couldn't understand it, so he simply handed the menu to Zhou Yufei. "You can order. I'll eat anything."

Not knowing a foreign language wasn't embarrassing. What was annoying was the restaurant's pretentiousness. This attempt to seem high-class was just inconsiderate. Couldn't they at least include the Tianwu Script alongside it?

"Right, since you can't read it, just let Yufei order. My sister isn't a picky eater, so you don't have to worry about her," Kang Shuai said with a smile. His tone seemed polite and casual, but it was another jab at Chen Yang's lack of sophistication.

Chen Yang smiled, not taking the bait. Instead, he asked curiously, "Has your sister not joined us yet?"

"She went to the restroom."

Just as he spoke, a well-dressed, distinguished-looking young man approached their table. He greeted Kang Shuai deferentially, "Mr. Kang, I didn't expect to see you here! What an honor."

Kang Shuai gave a slight nod in acknowledgment.

The young man, full of fawning enthusiasm, then looked at Chen Yang. "And which great family does this gentleman hail from?"

"Him?" Kang Shuai said dismissively. "He's an employee at Qin Corporation. Works for Yufei."

The young man paused. Kang Shuai's tone suggests he wouldn't have even brought this man if not for Zhou Yufei. Understanding dawned on him, and he said with a playful tone, "Ah, so he's here with Miss Yufei? Haha, Miss Yufei, Mr. Kang mentions you often. It's true what they say, seeing is believing."

"A woman as excellent as yourself deserves a top-tier man like our Mr. Kang! Everyone else should just step aside." With that, the young man drained his glass. "Mr. Kang, I'll drink to that. I won't disturb you any further."

Kang Shuai waved him away. After the young man had left, Kang Shuai chuckled and said, "That's the eldest son of the Liu Family, one of the eight great families. He's a straightforward fellow, not always the best with words. Don't take it to heart."

Zhou Yufei's lips twitched into a smile that didn't reach her eyes.

Chen Yang simply gazed out the window, shaking his head to himself.

How could he not see through their pathetic little games? So crude, so childish.

As the dishes began to arrive, Kang Shuai changed the subject. "By the way, Mr. Chen, I take it you're out gaining experience? If you don't mind my asking, what is your family's background?"

Chen Yang replied flatly, "If you're asking about my parents, I don't have a family."

"Haha, you must be joking, Mr. Chen," Kang Shuai said, momentarily stunned.

Chen Yang continued, unperturbed, "I'm an orphan. For as long as I can remember, I lived in a relief house. I was too much trouble, so no one wanted to adopt me. Eventually, an old Martial Guard took me in and dropped me off at the Martial Department."

"In terms of family background, I have less than one-hundred-thousandth of what you have, Mr. Kang."

Chen Yang's pre-emptive strike left Kang Shuai stunned for a long moment. Finally, he laughed. "You're too modest, Mr. Chen! The Kang Family may be one of the four great superfamilies, but our foundation was built by our ancestors. The only thing I can do is strive to be as outstanding as they were and protect our family!"

His words seemed humble, but they dripped with arrogance, making it clear he considered himself the Kang Family's heir.

Any other woman would have been starry-eyed and smitten, ready to throw herself into his arms.

Zhou Yufei, however, simply scoffed, her opinion of Mr. Kang dropping even lower.

"Brother, have the dishes all been served?" Kang Xiaoji asked as she walked over, her eyes sweeping across the two people sitting opposite Kang Shuai. Her gaze fell on Zhou Yufei first, but then it fixed on the man beside her—Chen Yang. She froze instantly.

"It's you!" Kang Xiaoji cried out, taking a sharp step forward, her face a mask of disbelief.

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