Confidence

Lin Feng had not expected such a coincidence—running into his eldest sister at the restaurant. Even less had he expected to see her humiliated like this.

Through the antique wooden carved screen, he could vaguely see the embarrassment and pallor on his eldest sister's face. Yet even so, she still maintained a smile—a strained smile carrying a trace of appeasement. It made Lin Feng's heart ache and burn with anger.

Why did she have to humble herself like this?

Why did she have to curry favor with them?

Why?

Even if she did, what could it change?

"Brother Feng, these dishes are too expensive. This is really extravagant, isn't it?"

Just then, Gao Hai walked over carrying two large bags in both hands, sighing in amazement.

The food in those two bags had cost nearly six thousand yuan—enough to cover his family's living expenses for three or four months.

Gao Hai regretted it somewhat. Had he known, he would not have recommended this place. He had heard his classmates discussing it and assumed it would not be too expensive. Who would have thought that its prices were only cheap compared to true five-star hotels? Compared to the vast majority of large restaurants, it was far more expensive.

The moment he saw the prices on the menu, he had wanted to drag Lin Feng away. It might have been a little embarrassing, but what was face worth compared to money?

Yet Lin Feng had calmly begun ordering dishes. If Gao Hai had not stopped him, the bill might have exceeded ten thousand yuan.

Even six thousand yuan made his heart bleed.

"What is it?"

After sighing, Gao Hai saw that Lin Feng stood motionless, his expression icy, and asked in confusion.

"Is that Sister Kerou?"

Lin Feng did not answer. He only stared coldly at everything inside the private room. Through the screen, Gao Hai saw Lin Kerou. Before he could speak, Lin Feng had already knocked on the screen and walked in.

"Xiaofeng?"

Seeing Lin Feng appear, Lin Kerou, who had already been sitting on pins and needles, rose to her feet in surprise.

Panic flickered across her face, because Lin Feng did not look well. A chill seemed to radiate from his entire body.

Chen Hao also stood at this point. He glanced at his girlfriend, assuming Lin Kerou had informed Lin Feng that they were having a family dinner here.

"Feng, why are you here?"

Seeing Lin Feng's cold expression as he stood there without saying a word, Chen Hao's expression shifted slightly. He knew Lin Feng had heard everything.

He had dated Lin Kerou for four years. Although his relationship with this younger brother-in-law was only ordinary, they were not strangers.

He knew that because of their father, Lin Feng had been somewhat withdrawn since childhood. He had strong pride and never accepted Chen Hao's gifts. He possessed maturity far beyond his age, was disciplined and strong, and cared especially deeply about his family.

The few times they had spoken at length had all been about Lin Kerou. Lin Feng had hoped Chen Hao would treat her well.

Back then, he had promised Lin Feng that he would never let his girlfriend suffer even the slightest grievance. Yet now, his own mother had humiliated her so badly. Lin Feng was surely not only heartbroken, but furious as well.

Chen Hao wanted to explain, but he did not know how to begin.

Besides, there was nothing to explain. The truth was already clear: his family, including all his relatives, looked down on his girlfriend.

"Her younger brother?"

From Chen Hao and his girlfriend's reactions, combined with the fact that they shared the surname Lin, the people in the private room roughly understood that the youth before them was Lin Kerou's younger brother.

The boy looked like someone not to be trifled with. He had clearly overheard their conversation, making the atmosphere a little awkward. Still, none of them took it to heart.

He was only a high school student.

They did not even care about Lin Kerou, much less her younger brother.

Though one should never despise the poor youth, if he truly had talent, Chen Hao's parents would not oppose the relationship so strongly.

No one spoke. They merely watched Lin Feng, unsure why he had come in.

Under everyone's gaze, the youth actually smiled faintly and said, "The food at home has been too greasy, so I came to pack up something lighter."

The food at home had been too greasy, so he had come to pack up something lighter.

That one sentence changed everyone's expressions. Chen Hao's parents' faces darkened at once. It was obvious that the youth had come to stand up for his eldest sister.

Mother Chen had said that their usual meals were too light, so they were unaccustomed to greasy food.

The youth had directly thrown it back at her: the food at home was too greasy, so he had come to pack up something lighter.

There was no pointless chatter—just a slap straight across the face.

Chen Hao's parents felt that they had lost face, especially before all their relatives. They had already been deeply dissatisfied with Lin Kerou, and now they loathed her even more.

"Xiaofeng, let's go back."

The instant her younger brother appeared, Lin Kerou had known things were going badly. She knew his temper, and she knew how much he cared for her. Before she could reach him, Lin Feng had already opened fire.

"Come on. Let's go home."

Lin Kerou took Lin Feng's hand, preparing to leave the private room.

She did not want to offend Chen Hao's parents, but she wanted even less for her younger brother—already shaken by his failure on Awakening Day—to suffer everyone's humiliation because of her.

"He's young, but his mouth is quite big. Have you even eaten anything from here before? Calling it too greasy? How ridiculous."

A young man around twenty rose to his feet, his face full of disdain.

Since the elders had been humiliated, it was inconvenient for them to argue with a teenager. Naturally, he had to step forward.

"Brother Feng! Brother Feng! So you're here!"

Gao Hai, who had been standing outside the screen and understood everything that had happened, hurriedly called out. He knew it was his time to make an entrance.

Complaining as he went, he walked into the private room. "Even if you wanted something light, you didn't need to come to Jue Wei. The place is a little too low-class."

When the young man saw Gao Hai, his previously mocking expression froze abruptly. He had just said Lin Feng had never eaten here, only for a fat boy carrying two large bags of packed food to appear. Was that not another slap in the face?

Especially since the words from the fat boy's mouth were even more arrogant.

Too low-class?

Jue Wei Grand Hotel was too low-class?

Other than their monthly family gathering, if it were only their own family having a meal, even they, with some assets to their name, would not choose Jue Wei. Eating here every day was something they truly could not afford.

Everyone knew the chubby boy was saying it deliberately. Yet the bags in his hands were indeed from Jue Wei Restaurant, with the restaurant's exclusive logo printed on them. They did not look fake, and they were stuffed full, with at least five or six dishes in each bag.

The private room fell quiet for a moment. Having been slapped in the face so thoroughly—and by juniors, no less—they wanted to recover some dignity, but could not find the words.

Mother Chen's face was dark. Father Chen, dressed in a suit with his hair slicked back, sat in his chair. He had remained calm since the banquet began, carrying himself like a successful man, but even his expression had now turned ugly.

He looked at his embarrassed son, then at Lin Kerou, whose anxious eyes had reddened slightly. Finally, he turned his gaze toward Lin Feng.

He knew Lin Kerou had a younger brother in his final year of high school. He had heard the boy's talent was not bad, but he had obviously failed on Awakening Day and had not become a Demon Spirit Master.

If he had, Chen Hao would surely have mentioned it long ago.

Yet this youth, who had come to seek justice for his sister, had acted exceptionally calm from the moment he entered the private room. The indifference in his eyes seemed to show that he did not regard any of them as worth his notice.

That confidence did not look like empty bravado. It was as though he had something to rely on.

"Could I have gotten it wrong?"

At this moment, Father Chen had no choice but to doubt the information his son had given him.

Were they really just an ordinary family? Did they really live in Anbian Residential Area?

Since when could people from Anbian Residential Area afford to eat at Jue Wei Grand Hotel?

More than ten dishes—rarely did even they indulge so extravagantly.

"Feng, these are all your elders."

At last, Chen Hao, who had been silent until now, spoke. His tone was stern, even carrying a hint of reprimand.

Lin Feng's behavior had clearly placed him in an extremely awkward position, making both him and his parents lose face before all their relatives.

"Heh."

Faced with Chen Hao's rebuke, Lin Feng let out a cold laugh. That disdainful laugh clearly spared Chen Hao not the slightest shred of face.

Lin Feng had looked down on Chen Hao before. The man could not even protect his own woman, and his own fate had to be arranged and controlled by his parents. How pathetic.

How could a man like that be worth relying on?

If there truly was no future for them, it would be better to cut things off sooner rather than later, lest his eldest sister sink deeper and deeper.

"Feng, you..."

Lin Feng's refusal to give him face left Chen Hao deeply embarrassed, and anger rose within him.

"Xiaofeng, I'm begging you, just leave already!"

Lin Kerou's mind was spinning. She did not dare look at her boyfriend, nor did she dare meet anyone's eyes. She could not even imagine what she would have to face after today.

She only wanted to leave this place of trouble as quickly as possible.

"Eldest Sister, do you remember what I told you yesterday?"

Lin Feng stood where he was, unmoving despite his eldest sister tugging at him. He raised his right hand and gently brushed back her hair. Her beautiful eyes were wet with tears, filled with panic and pleading.

"I said that in half a year, I would make Chen Hao's family unable to reach high enough to marry into ours."

Lin Feng wiped the tears from his eldest sister's face and spoke each word slowly.

He said it so calmly, as though he were discussing something utterly insignificant.

Everyone looked at the youth in speechless astonishment. They exchanged glances, then turned toward Chen Hao's parents. Father Chen and Mother Chen's faces had turned livid.

Make their family unable to reach high enough to marry into his?

A high school student actually dared say something like that?

"Your name is Lin Feng, right? What gives you the right to say that?"

Father Chen finally could not help asking. His words dripped with mockery and disdain.

He earned several million yuan a year at the very least. In River City, he owned three properties and a storefront, with total assets exceeding a hundred million yuan.

There were many people in River City wealthier than them, and many whom they could never hope to marry into. But that absolutely did not include a family living in Anbian Residential Area that could not even afford to buy a home.

"Why? Because of me."

For once, Lin Feng had no intention of keeping a low profile. He was even somewhat wantonly arrogant. Pointing to his own face, he said, "My name is Lin Feng. I'm in my final year at Jiangxin First High School."

There was no reason at all. His name alone seemed to be enough. Such arrogance carried incomparable confidence.

"Actually, it won't even take half a year. Very soon, they won't be able to reach high enough to marry into us!"

Lin Feng smiled at the somewhat dazed Lin Kerou. His sister deserved the finest things in the world. How could he allow these people to humiliate her?

The youth's bearing and words were so confident that they seemed almost laughable, yet at this moment, no one dared mock him.

Since this youth dared say such things, he naturally had something to rely on!

But what exactly was that confidence?