The dozens of meters from the second floor of the Qiaoxi Sea Restaurant to the exit felt like an eternity for Kang Shuai. The pairs of eyes that followed him were like sharp knives stabbing into his heart. An incomparable humiliation seeped into his every limb, threatening to tear his soul apart.

As Mr. Kang, when had he ever not been held high, fawned over by thousands? In Lingjin City, even the top elites had to show him respect, right? But today… his pride had been shattered, ground into the dirt underfoot!

Kang Shuai clenched his fists so tightly that his nails dug into his flesh. His eyes were bloodshot as he bellowed at his sister, "Kang Xiaoji, you must give me a reasonable explanation today, or don't blame me for turning on you!"

"I saved your life!" Kang Xiaoji was still shaken, patting her chest. "If you had really angered him, you would have died on the spot today, and the entire Kang Family would have been implicated!"

"Bullshit! He's just a worthless employee from a worthless company! In my eyes, he's nothing!" Kang Shuai's rage burned away his reason, and he roared, his face contorted.

Not only had he lost face today, but his image in front of Zhou Yufei had collapsed. How could he ever face her again?

"He's the Nin…" In her urgency, Kang Xiaoji almost blurted it out, but then she gave a bitter smile. "Brother, listen to my advice. He's one of the most powerful people in this country. Anyone who provokes him dies!"

"Give up. Miss Yufei is not someone you can have, nor someone you can afford to provoke." Kang Xiaoji patted Kang Shuai's shoulder and gave him one last serious warning before leaving alone.

She had to tell their grandfather about this and have him keep an eye on Kang Shuai, lest the man, having already lost his sanity, do something crazy.

Kang Shuai ground his teeth, his gaze dark and ominous as he stared at the second floor of the Qiaoxi Sea Restaurant. He muttered to himself, "You piece of trash. I don't care who you are, I will make you pay an inhuman price! Not even your bones will remain. Just you wait!"

「Inside the Qiaoxi Sea Restaurant.」

Facing Zhou Yufei's astonished and questioning gaze, Chen Yang said earnestly, "If I told you I don't know that woman at all and have no idea what just happened, would you believe me?"

"What do you think?"

"Honestly, I really don't know." Chen Yang spread his hands helplessly. After a moment of thought, he added, "Maybe that woman, Kang Xiaoji, mistook me for someone else?"

"Mistaken identity again?" Zhou Yufei stared intently at Chen Yang. "The world is so big, so why does everyone seem to mistake you for someone else?"

"Well…"

Chen Yang touched his nose and said shamelessly, "Without a doubt, it must have something to do with how handsome I am."

Zhou Yufei was speechless.

This guy is such a narcissist.

She didn't press the issue. Some things, if a person was determined not to say, you could only find out when they were ready to talk.

"Are we still eating, then?" Chen Yang asked, since the dishes hadn't arrived yet.

"Of course we are! My treat!"

"Alright then!"

Five dishes and two bottles of wine.

Only half the food was eaten, but both bottles were empty.

Zhou Yufei was drunk again.

On the way home, Zhou Yufei, who had been resting quietly, suddenly spoke up. "They say a woman's heart can only hold one person in her lifetime. What about a man's?"

"Why are you bringing up gender differences now!" Chen Yang complained. "This is why people say women have double standards."

"I don't care about double standards. Just answer my question," Zhou Yufei demanded, her head tilted, clearly dizzy.

Chen Yang thought for a moment. "Well, that probably depends on how big the heart is."

"Then how big is your heart?"

"Didn't you say it before? It's only the size of a peanut."

Zhou Yufei waved her hand dismissively. "You're getting confused. I said your courage was the size of a peanut. Don't try to fool me. Hurry up and answer."

"Well, in that case, it's a bit bigger than my courage. About the size of a pigeon's egg."

Of course, Chen Yang understood the meaning behind her words. Although she was drunk, weren't some things only sayable under the influence of alcohol? He had always understood her heart.

Unfortunately, he had no other option but to refuse and evade.

"You're lying! Your heart is bigger than the sky!" Zhou Yufei shouted.

Chen Yang was speechless. "Bigger than the sky, my ass!"

When they arrived downstairs, Chen Yang had no intention of getting out. Zhou Yufei pushed her door open and asked, "Aren't you going to see me upstairs?"

"You can walk on your own."

"Who says I can?"

As if to prove her point, she let her entire body fall out of the car.

Chen Yang quickly grabbed her, his face darkening. "Fine, fine, I'll take you upstairs."

"That's more like it." Zhou Yufei's lips curled into a charming, flirtatious smile.

He unlocked the door, helped Zhou Yufei to the sofa, offered a quick word of caution, and prepared to leave. Just as he turned, she threw her arms around him from behind, pressing herself tightly against his back.

Resting her head on Chen Yang's shoulder, Zhou Yufei murmured, "You said your heart isn't big, but that's okay. I don't need much space. Just a tiny little bit is enough, really!

"And I don't need a title. As long as you leave a little room for me in your heart, that's enough. For the rest of my life, I'm willing to live in the shadows, with no regrets.

"Even if we can't walk down the street holding hands, even if we can't go to the movies together, even if we can only eat together as a boss and her subordinate… all of that is fine. I can accept it."

Zhou Yufei hugged him even tighter, her voice full of emotion. "Please? Say yes?"

Chen Yang let out a long sigh. He slowly turned, placed his hands on Zhou Yufei's shoulders, and looked her in the eye. "I can't do that," he said seriously. "Besides, it would be extremely unfair to you. You're an amazing girl. Why would you sell yourself so short?

"Life is long. You'll definitely meet the one who's truly meant for you."

Zhou Yufei chuckled. "But that person is you!"

Her smile was beautiful, like a painting, like smoke, but deep within her limpid autumn eyes was an endless, desolate sorrow.

"You must be mistaken. Keep looking." Chen Yang patted her shoulder, not daring to stay a moment longer, and walked straight out.

The moment the door clicked shut.

Zhou Yufei could no longer hold her smile. She sank to the floor, wrapped her arms around her head, and cried like a child.

She had imagined what her love life would be like, but she never thought it would arrive so suddenly, much less in such a way. It had caught her completely off guard, and it was utterly heart-wrenching.

But her innate stubbornness meant she wouldn't give up so easily.

「Downstairs.」

Chen Yang crouched by the greenbelt and lit a cigarette. As the ember glowed and faded, the melancholy on his face flickered in kind.

He had always thought that after being tempered by countless battles, his heart had become as firm as steel, as hard as a rock. He believed that with Qin Qiu in his life, he wouldn't think of anyone else. The truth proved otherwise. He had overestimated himself and underestimated the power of love. What made humans human, apart from an intellect far surpassing other species, was nothing more than their emotions and desires. Leafing through the great tomes of history, wading into the long river of time—from ancient to modern, from east to west—who had ever truly managed to transcend it all?

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