"Boss, should we inform the Young Master about the company and his girlfriend?" Jiali asked.

Lu Fan shook his head. "Let’s not tell him for now. People have to learn and grow. Besides, if I tell him now, he’ll most likely think I look down on his girlfriend and am deliberately trying to drive them apart. That would only make him hate me more."

He looked at Chen He and said, "Have Lao Jiu and the others keep a close eye on Sifan. Report anything to me immediately. Remember, no matter what happens, his safety is the top priority."

"Understood!" After receiving Lu Fan’s instructions, Chen He excused himself.

Lu Fan then turned to Jiali. "I also need you to keep an eye on that Zhuoyue Limited Company. Gather evidence of their illegal activities. If necessary, I’ll have my contacts in the Ministry of Public Security lend a hand."

"Yes, Boss." Jiali nodded and also left.

Only Old Luo and Lu Fan were left in the vast banquet hall.

Lu Fan gestured. "Old Luo, don’t just stand there. There’s so much food, and it’s all for me again. Come and have some with me."

"Boss, you know the rules. We servants can’t eat at the same table as you," Old Luo said with a smile.

Lu Fan shook his head in resignation. "Honestly, you system-provided people have too many rules. You’ve been with me for over a decade now; I’ve long since considered you family. What’s wrong with family eating a meal together? Don’t be so rigid. Come on, quick, try this."

As he spoke, Lu Fan picked up a piece of abalone with his chopsticks and held it to Old Luo’s mouth.

Left with no other choice, Old Luo had to open his mouth and eat the piece of abalone.

"Now that’s more like it," Lu Fan laughed.

Seeing Lu Fan in such a good mood, Old Luo recalled how over the years, as Lu Fan’s business empire grew ever larger and his financial power became stronger, the smile had vanished from his face.

He could no longer find a trace of the ambitious young man he once was.

Now, everything had changed.

A smile had returned to Lu Fan’s face, and he even sounded younger when he spoke.

He was no longer uninterested in everything, like a man who had grown weary of all the world’s games.

When Lu Fan noticed Old Luo smiling at him, he furrowed his brow and said, "Old Luo, I just fed you a piece of abalone. Don’t go getting any funny ideas about me."

Old Luo remarked with feeling, "I just think you’re in a much better state now than before, Boss."

"You think so?" Lu Fan looked down at himself. "I guess you’re right. I timed myself, and I used to only last about 38 minutes, but lately, I’ve been hitting 45."

Old Luo chuckled. "Boss, you know I wasn’t referring to your performance in bed."

"Ever since I found out there was someone in this world who, without asking for anything in return, gave birth to my son and daughter and raised them for eighteen years, I’ve felt that I need to be a good husband and a good father."

Lu Fan gazed out the window, speaking his thoughts aloud. "Over the years... power, women, money... I’ve experienced it all. I’ve seen all the great sights the world has to offer. You could say the threshold for what piques my interest is just too high now."

"But there’s one thing I haven’t done. In all these years, I’ve never been a good husband or a good father. Now, I find out that Yixia gave me fraternal twins—a son who looks like me and a daughter who looks like her mother. And they’re both exceptional."

"One is studying landscape architecture and wants to be a designer; the other is in financial management and wants to start a company."

Lu Fan looked at Old Luo. "Do you think Yixia and the two kids will ever forgive me?"

"Sincerity can move mountains," Old Luo said with a smile. "With enough perseverance, an iron rod can be ground into a needle. I believe that as long as you are determined, Boss, nothing is impossible for you."

"Although, from the looks of it, only my daughter’s attitude toward me is slightly better," Lu Fan said, leaning back in his chair and shaking his head with a smile. "It’s true what they say—a daughter is a father’s sweetheart from a past life, his ’little padded jacket’ to keep him warm. Honestly, right now, if my daughter asked for anything, I’d find a way to give her the stars from the sky."

Old Luo offered some advice. "Boss, the Young Master and the Young Miss have never experienced a wealthy lifestyle. In my opinion, when you give them gifts, you should stick to things that align with their sense of value. Don’t give them anything too extravagant or unrealistic."

"Of course, I know that."

Lu Fan chuckled. "Jiali thought I was going to deposit a hundred million into each of their bank accounts. I’m not that foolish. They’re both promising and very driven. If you give them necessities like a down jacket or a pair of sneakers, they might accept them based on their practicality. But if I just keep throwing money or even more expensive items at them, it will only shock their values and be completely counterproductive."

He glanced at the dishes on the table and said to Old Luo, "Old Luo, I’ve lost my appetite. I haven’t even touched these ten dishes. Take them down for the staff in the villa to eat later."

"Yes, Boss."

After Lu Fan left, Old Luo began instructing the staff to clear the table.

He glanced back at his boss and suddenly noticed that Lu Fan’s steps seemed a little lighter than usual.

He no longer seemed so aimless, so devoid of purpose.

Seeing this, Old Luo smiled with heartfelt understanding.

「Meanwhile.」

Jiang Sifan got off the bus.

On the bus, he had typed out a long message to send to Huang Hui as an apology.

But the more he thought about it, the more he felt he hadn’t actually done anything wrong.

A family background like Chen Kailin’s boyfriend’s was exceedingly rare to begin with.

How could everyone possibly be like that?

He considered himself capable and ambitious. On that alone, shouldn’t he be better than most of the other guys at the university?

Yet in Huang Hui’s eyes, it seemed he fell short in every way.

At this thought, Jiang Sifan sank into a state of dejection once more.

But he had a tutoring session tonight. He forced himself to compose his emotions at the front door before ringing the bell.

It wasn’t Aunt Zhang who opened the door today, but a beaming He Lingyi.

She was wearing a JK uniform today.

Her white blouse was tucked into a navy plaid skirt, her waistline slender and her back held perfectly straight.

The hem of her blouse was neatly tucked into the waistband of her skirt, accentuating a waist so slender one could wrap a hand around it. Her back was straight and her shoulders poised, not in a forced way, but with a natural, youthful trimness.

A few stray strands of hair fell across her forehead, her eyes were bright, and a faint smile played on her lips.

She carried the faint, fresh scent of laundry detergent, looking clean and vibrant.

She looked at Jiang Sifan and said enthusiastically, "Teacher Jiang, you’re here! C’mon in."

Jiang Sifan was a bit flustered. After following her inside, he quickly looked around. "Lingyi, is your mom not home?"

"Hee hee, they went out to visit relatives today. Only my grandma is home, in her room, and she usually doesn’t come out." He Lingyi immediately hopped in front of Jiang Sifan. "That means we can do whatever we want today!"

Seeing her hopping about, her clothes accentuating her figure, Jiang Sifan felt too embarrassed to look directly at her. He averted his gaze and said, "What’s this about doing whatever we want? We still have to get through our lesson."

"Oh, come on! It’s rare for my mom to be out. Besides, I have a surprise for you!" He Lingyi pulled a test paper from behind her back. "I improved!!"

Jiang Sifan glanced at it and saw that He Lingyi had scored a 58 on the test.

"That’s amazing. That’s thirteen points higher than last time," Jiang Sifan said, pleased.

"Yeah, I’m pretty great, right? But you said last time that you’d treat me to milk tea only if I improved by fifteen points. What a shame," He Lingyi said with a pout, looking aggrieved.

Seeing her act, Jiang Sifan consoled her, "Alright, I know you’re just saying that to make me feel sorry for you so I’ll buy you milk tea, right?"

"Aww, Teacher Jiang, you’re too smart." As she spoke, He Lingyi sidled up next to him, trying to get close.

But Jiang Sifan took a small step back and sat down. "Fine, then. I’ll order you some milk tea. Which one do you want? Chagee or HeyTea?"

"Teacher, those are too expensive. I can’t let you spend so much. How about you just order a fresh-squeezed orange juice from Mixue? I’m not picky~ I’m happy as long as I have something to drink."

Hearing this, Jiang Sifan was visibly taken aback.