Yi Xiaorou and Xiao Chuchu, while waiting for Fang Yanmeng to pick me up, had already selected a rather expensive set of a men's dress shirt and trousers for me at the shopping center. When I saw the price tag, it was over two thousand. I wondered if things bought within my own mall got a discount; it seemed most of these stalls were leased spaces, and they might not be inclined to give any consideration to me, the boss behind the scenes.

Yi Xiaorou, naturally aware that my card was drained, saw me staring blankly at the price tag and whispered to me, “Everything we have was given to us by you. If you needed money, you could earn hundreds of millions in a day. From now on, leave these trivial matters of clothing and food to us sisters.”

Her words pleased me. I changed into the new clothes and headed straight with Fang Yanmeng to the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse. Apparently, this place was reserved for high-ranking foreign officials, and without a certain standing, forget about dining here.

Fang Yanmeng’s task for me today was to make the best possible impression on her father and then seize the opportunity to propose marriage to him. I was practically being forced onto a plank, so I figured I’d secure one thing at a time.

I presented the costly gifts, not even knowing what was inside the wrapping. Time was tight; just making it in time for dinner was a minor victory. “Mr. Fang, time is pressing, please accept this small token of my respect,” I said, adopting an official tone.

Fang Chaoyang was as robust and full of vigor as when I met him last year, a stark contrast to the delicate build of Fang Yanmeng. Perhaps Fang Yanmeng took after her mother. “Mr. Zhao, you are too kind. I have a few other guests today, so I may not be able to attend to you properly; please make yourself at home,” he replied.

Fang Yanmeng took my hand and steered me toward the banquet hall. “Dad, stop using official language with my Brother Zhao Qian. We’ll go in by ourselves.”

Not long after entering, Fang Yanmeng was called away by a waitress; she had to temporarily attend to her mother in hosting the guests. I casually found a corner to sit in, genuinely uninterested in gatherings of these upper-echelon figures.

While sipping a drink boredly, I suddenly noticed a pair of eyes constantly darting around the hall from a corner. I got up to look—damn, Zhu Da, dressed entirely in white, was crouching behind a table, looking around furtively. “Commander Zhu, Commander Zhu,” I called softly a couple of times.

Zhu Da stood up and saw me. “Commander Zhao! What are you doing here?” “I was about to ask you the same thing, what are you doing here?”

Zhu Da explained, “I’m here to see the idol singer Liu Xue’er. What about you? Oh no, are you planning to try and snatch Liu Xue away from me again? I’m telling you, Commander Zhao, you’ve already stolen several of my women. You absolutely cannot touch this Liu Xue.”

Hmph, I couldn't be bothered with Zhu Da. I’d created so many opportunities for him; if he couldn't win them over, what could I do?

Seeing my lack of interest, Zhu Da finally relaxed. “It’s a relief that you, elder statesman, aren't interested in her. Otherwise, I’d never be your match. If you must make a move, just wait until I have absolutely no hope left. That way, I’ll feel a bit better about it.”

What kind of logic was that? Still, Zhu Da’s attire for picking up women wasn't subtle: white shirt, white trousers, white socks, white leather shoes, white glasses, a white belt, and even his limited-edition mobile phone was silver-white.

I said to Zhu Da, “Commander Zhu, does your idol perhaps like the color white? Her name has the character 'Xue' [Snow] in it, and you look like a giant polar bear.”

Zhu Da slapped his thigh. “Oh my God, I never even thought to connect it that way. Snow and white—aren't they a perfect match? But the real reason I dressed like this is so people won't recognize me as a gangster. If I just touch up my hair and eyebrows later, who would dare say I’m triad?”

“Right, a complete White-Haired Girl,” I couldn't help but laugh out loud. Are the underworld and the upper world separated by clothing color?

Zhu Da gave an awkward chuckle. “Commander Zhao, let me tell you, Liu Xue is absolutely no simple person. You don't watch artistic performances much, so you don't know her well. I have a brand-new MTV segment of hers right here. It’s super sensual. I’ll play it for you.”

It was true I didn't know much about Liu Xue. I just knew she sang and acted in films; she was certainly very beautiful, and her voice was sweet. But she was a Hong Kong star, far from Capital City, so I had never harbored any thoughts about her.

Zhu Da handed me his phone and played the MTV. Liu Xue in the video was quite seductive, very different from the pure images often seen online. Perhaps this was a new persona. The song was one of those explosive dance tracks, and accompanying Liu Xue’s seductive moves, it was indeed quite captivating. There were a few shots where she leaned over, her cleavage faintly visible, inviting endless reverie.

Just then, several young men gathered near us were also watching videos on their phones, and to my surprise, they were listening to the same music. Turns out they were also Liu Xue fans. I thought this was a solemn family banquet; was it a fan meet today?

“Hey, look at that move! Her breast is half exposed! Freeze it! Quick, freeze and replay!” the guys over there shouted, apparently having reached the risqué parts as well.

Zhu Da was clearly displeased. Profaning his future wife with such language was something he could not tolerate. He said to me, “Commander Zhao, I’m giving you face here. If this weren't your future father-in-law’s banquet, I would have already smashed them on the floor.”

“I thank you, Commander Zhu. But if you ruin the scene, please don't say you know me. I fear my future father-in-law would throw me out immediately.”

Then, voices from the side drifted over again. “Check out this move, her legs are spread wide! According to the internet, she might have gone commando. Slow it down once, let’s look for it. Liu Xue really went all out this time; she wasn't this wild before. Has some producer or agent...?”

Zhu Da gritted his teeth, his fists clenching so hard they cracked audibly. At that moment, those guys suddenly shifted their gaze, locking onto two figures slowly descending from the second floor. “Everyone look, that’s the eldest daughter of the Fang family. Damn, she’s a real temptress! Look how sexy her little mouth is. If I had her... hehe. And look at her small waist and those little breasts. If I held her in my arms, she’d surely be as docile as a kitten, so cute.”

Damn it, I couldn’t take it either. Where did my father-in-law invite guests from, people who dared to lust after his precious daughter here? I signaled Zhu Da with my eyes and then gestured toward the restroom area. Zhu Da understood and slipped away.

Those guys were still indulging in their fantasies: “The one next to her must be Fang Chaoyang’s wife. I didn't expect her to be so young and beautiful. If you didn't know better, you’d think she and her daughter were sisters. If I could get both mother and daughter... that would be awesome.”

“Hey! Brothers!” Zhu Da shouted from the restroom hallway. “Your buddies in the toilet are having urine poured on them. I think those guys are pretty rough, maybe don’t come over here.”

The group looked around. “Where’s Little Dingzi? Damn, Little Dingzi is getting beaten up in the toilet! Let’s go, everyone!”

The group bolted toward the restrooms, and I followed them with a grin.

Ten minutes later, Zhu Da and I emerged smugly from the restrooms. Just then, a gentleman who had gone in to use the facilities came rushing out with a yelp. “It’s a disaster! Someone crawled out of the toilet bowl!”

Zhu Da angrily shouted back into the restroom, “Damn it! Dare to mess with my brother and me regarding our wives! If we find out again, we’ll cut off your d*cks and feed them to the dogs!”