Chen Ting's personality was unconventional. When she had nothing to do, she enjoyed fooling around, teasing him, and deliberately stirring up trouble.

Yi Anguo was often irritated by her and on the verge of losing his temper. But at those moments, Chen Ting would find a way to cheer him up, making it impossible for him to stay mad. In the end, he was simply helpless against her.

If he so much as slapped her on the behind, she would cry out in pain. But she wouldn't beg him to stop, only to be gentler. Then, she would turn her head, her eyes brimming with tears, and ask between sobs if his anger had faded.

But Yi Anguo knew that Chen Ting had no ill intentions. She would never harm him; she only ever treated him well, at least as far as he was concerned.

She often bought him heaps of gifts: fashionable clothes, socks, belts, ties, shoes, watches, and more. They were all expensive, luxury brands.

Yi Anguo once suspected Chen Ting was trying to woo him, perhaps even keep him as a sugar baby. Still, he felt pretty good about having a beautiful, wealthy woman interested in him. At least he knew she wasn't after his money, because her father was probably much, much wealthier than he was. No wonder so many pretty boys enjoy being kept men. It's a sweet life!

Unfortunately, he wasn't so lucky before his rebirth. He never had a rich, beautiful woman fall for him. Otherwise, he wouldn't have had to work so hard just to support his daughter through university, forcing him to leave her behind in his hometown with his older sister. He had missed her childhood, her teenage years, and her entire college experience. He never set foot in her elementary, middle, or high school. He never met a single one of her teachers. He never attended a single parent-teacher conference as her father. Whenever she scored a perfect 100 or won an award, he could only rejoice for her from afar. Whenever she was bullied and felt down, he could only grieve from that same distance. Aside from sending money on time for her tuition and living expenses, he had been absent for almost every major event in her life.

When she was little, his daughter had been so dependent on him, so fond of him. Every time they parted, she would cry her heart out, and Yi Anguo's own heart would ache terribly. But what could he do? He worked far from home all year, and his job was never stable. Bringing his daughter with him while she was in school was completely unrealistic; he would have had no time to care for her. So, no matter how reluctant he was or how much pain he felt, he couldn't change that reality. By the time his daughter was grown and he finally had some time and savings to make it up to her, it was already too late.

Under Chen Ting's meticulous care, Yi Anguo stared at the incredibly handsome, mature man in the mirror. He could hardly believe he was this good-looking, easily on par with the male stars in movies and TV shows!

Chen Ting, meanwhile, had dressed herself up beautifully. She wore an evening gown and looked just like a princess. The moment she stepped out of the room, Yi Anguo was completely starstruck.

"Brother Landlord! Don't I look pretty in this gown?" Chen Ting asked with a grin, delighted to see Yi Anguo staring at her in a daze.

"Pretty? You're gorgeous! I'm only just realizing how beautiful you are when you're all dressed up," Yi Anguo praised with a nod.

"Brother Landlord, are you saying I'm not pretty on a normal day?" Chen Ting pouted, pretending to be upset.

"You're always pretty, but right now, you're even more beautiful," Yi Anguo replied quickly with a smile.

"Hmph, you know what to say. This princess is pleased today, so I'll let it slide," Chen Ting said happily, linking her arm through his.

"It's about time. We should get going. Is the driver here?"

"I already told Yang Hai to wait downstairs. We can leave whenever you're ready," Yi Anguo said with a nod.

Yang Hai drove Yi Anguo and Chen Ting to a five-star hotel in the city center, where the reception was being held.

When they arrived at the reception, Chen Ting confidently entered on Yi Anguo's arm. Many guests looked on in surprise, then began whispering among themselves.

"Ting, you're the star of the show! Why are you so late?"

"Ting! Who's this? We've never seen him before."

"Ting! You look so beautiful today, like a real princess."

"She isn't *like* a princess, she *is* one!"

"Ting!..."

Several young men and women about Chen Ting's age swarmed them as soon as she appeared, greeting her enthusiastically.

"You're all here! Welcome," Chen Ting said with a beaming smile. "Please, enjoy yourselves. I have to step away for a moment. I need to take him to see my father!"

"Ting! Who is he, really? Why are you so close with him?"

"That's a secret for now," Chen Ting replied with a smile. "But you'll find out who he is soon enough."

Chen Ting quickly led Yi Anguo to the presidential suite on the hotel's top floor. There, they met her parents, who were both dressed to the nines, a clear sign of how seriously they were taking this reception.

Seeing him again, Chen Jianjun studied Yi Anguo carefully before nodding in satisfaction. "Not bad. A very handsome young man. My old eyes must have been playing tricks on me last time. I completely misjudged you! You don't hold it against me, do you?"

"You're my elder, sir. How could I dare hold anything against you?" Yi Anguo said with a smile. "Besides, you weren't wrong. I'm just a poor boy from the countryside who came here to work. I'm not worthy of your daughter."

Hearing this, Chen Jianjun burst into hearty laughter. "See? What did I tell you? This kid is holding a grudge! He says he doesn't hold it against me, but his heart is full of complaints."

"However, I like this kind of character. Resilient, yet flexible. Very good! Excellent! If you had shown no resentment just now, if you had just fawned over me and kissed up, I would have thrown you out of here and forbidden my daughter from ever seeing you again, no matter how unhappy it made her.

"And I would have spared no expense to nip your ambitions in the bud, turn you into a pauper, and make sure you rotted in prison.

"Do you think I'm capable of that?" Chen Jianjun asked, his gaze unwavering.

Yi Anguo met his gaze. After a moment of silence, he said, "I don't know. But since you have the confidence to say it, I imagine you can do it."

"Good! In that case, are you afraid?" Chen Jianjun pressed.

"It would be a lie to say I'm not afraid," Yi Anguo said gravely. "But at the same time, I'm not."

"Why?" Chen Jianjun continued to press. "You're either afraid or you're not. What does it mean to be both?"

"Would being afraid actually help?" Yi Anguo retorted. "If you're determined to deal with me, to turn me into a pauper and make me rot in prison, would you spare me just because I was afraid? Would you show me mercy?"

"No," Chen Jianjun said, shaking his head. "I would only be more ruthless. I would strike harder and more completely."

"In that case, why should I be afraid?" Yi Anguo said with a small smile. "No matter how scared I am, the outcome couldn't possibly get any worse."

"Correct!" Chen Jianjun nodded, thoroughly pleased. "I am very satisfied with your performance. You have earned the right to be my future son-in-law."

Yi Anguo did not react with joy at Chen Jianjun's words. Instead, he furrowed his brow in confusion. He had no idea this was part of the program for the evening—that he would be tested by Chen Jianjun and, having passed, would qualify to be his future son-in-law.

"What's wrong?" Chen Jianjun asked, a little surprised. "You look unhappy. Are you not satisfied with this outcome?"

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