"No need," Qin Fen shook his head. "While it was certainly irritating that they made a bet involving me, they did save my life, after all. If it weren't for that living expense money, I might have starved to death long ago. Let's just call it even."

Song Jia patted Qin Fen's shoulder. "Good. I'm very satisfied."

Just then, their steaks were served, and Qin Fen immediately encountered a significant problem.

He had no idea how to eat Western food! Give him a war saber, and Qin Fen was confident he could wield it with dazzling skill, capable of felling several tigers without issue. But facing this piece of steak with these tiny utensils? That was a monumental challenge!

A flash of sly cunning crossed Song Jia's eyes. She smiled and raised her hand toward the waiter who was about to leave. "Excuse me, could you bring us a pair of chopsticks?"

"Chopsticks?" The waiter looked at Song Jia with surprise. Dressed in high-end casual wear, her demeanor exuded an unmistakable nobility. With her appearance and aura, she looked like the type who could effortlessly cite the vintage of any unlabeled red wine presented to her. How could she possibly not know how to use a knife and fork?

"What? Is there a problem?" Song Jia tilted her head slightly and asked.

"Ah?" The waiter snapped out of his surprise and shook his head repeatedly. "No, no!" Asking for chopsticks in a Western restaurant, while not an everyday occurrence, did happen often enough that the staff had become somewhat accustomed to it.

"Thanks."

"That's the third time you've said thank you to me," Song Jia pouted again. "I'm very unsatisfied with such insincere gratitude!"

Qin Fen nodded helplessly. He suddenly realized that this young lady of the Song family had a strong tendency to use two specific phrases. "I'm very satisfied." "I'm very unsatisfied." Were these her catchphrases? Qin Fen found it strange. How could someone have such peculiar verbal habits?

Using the chopsticks brought by the waiter, Song Jia ate her steak with a slight lack of ladylike grace. Suddenly, Qin Fen felt as if this girl wasn't so distant from him after all.

"What? Is my eating manner unattractive too? You look stunned." Song Jia made no effort to hide her directness.

"It is very beautiful... I was just spacing out, not stunned," Qin Fen replied, feeling slightly guilty. Song Jia's approachability had been overwhelmingly strong lately.

"Liar!" Song Jia laughed like a triumphant sprite. "I'm very unsatisfied with your answer. As punishment, tell me about your thoughts on joining the military. You can skip the parts everyone already knows."

Qin Fen realized that this favored daughter of heaven possessed an incredibly meticulous mind, coupled with the natural curiosity that most girls share.

After a moment of quiet contemplation, Qin Fen said, "Where should I begin?"

"Start from the beginning. We have plenty of time today," Song Jia wanted to know more about Qin Fen.

"I have an older brother."

"Oh?" Although she already knew about Qin Fen's family ties, Song Jia maintained the pretense of surprise. "Why haven't I met him?"

"He disappeared..." Qin Fen's expression grew wistful.

"Is that so..." Song Jia sighed along with him.

"My brother is very strong. I believe he won't be in danger even though he's missing," Qin Fen stated with confidence. "So I'm waiting for an opportunity to find him."

"Very strong?" This time, Song Jia was genuinely surprised. Regarding information about Qin Fen's brother, even after employing some of her connections to investigate, the result was a complete blank. Where this person was or what he did, nothing could be uncovered.

"He was very strong in my memory," Qin Fen smiled. "But one day, my brother suddenly said he had to leave, and that I needed to stand on my own two feet and live like a man. The next day, he was gone."

"I see..."

Talking about his brother brought back memories that seemed ancient, flooding back instantly. Qin Fen, usually reserved in conversation, began speaking nonstop.

Song Jia watched the animated Qin Fen quietly: his sharply defined features, his bright, piercing eyes, his body also approaching the golden ratio, possessed not only the aura of a Grandmaster but also a masculine vitality that made him infinitely more appealing than many handsome but somewhat effeminate young men.

He was a person who became more captivating the longer she looked at him. Song Jia found herself unconsciously drawn to Qin Fen. The initial curiosity she felt had now transformed into a genuine personal interest.

They chatted for several hours. Qin Fen once again proved he was a bottomless pit of an eater, confirming that a place like the army, with its free meal provisions, was indeed the right destination for him.

One sixteen-ounce Black Pepper Steak, two large mixed platters, and nine cups of milk tea. Such a staggering achievement stunned the waitstaff. They had certainly seen guests who ate a lot before, but someone with Qin Fen's capacity was something they had never witnessed.

"Are you full?" Song Jia asked with a sweet smile.

Qin Fen vaguely sensed something was amiss, but he nodded nonetheless. "Yeah, I'm full."

"Then come shopping with me!" Ignoring Qin Fen's unspoken resistance, Song Jia looped her arm through his.

"Sirs, you haven't settled the bill yet," the waiter kindly reminded them.

"Oh! Right!" Song Jia began rummaging through her small handbag, but Qin Fen had already handed the cost of the meal to the waiter.

"What are you doing?" Song Jia looked at Qin Fen paying. "We agreed that I would treat you."

"When a man dines with a lady, how can the lady be allowed to pay?" Qin Fen smiled. "I'm not wealthy, but I won't fuss over the bill."

Song Jia scrutinized Qin Fen again, then furrowed her brow, adopting an expression of adorable contemplation. "Do you pay the bill for every lady you go out to eat with? Or just me?"

Glancing at the chopsticks lying on the table, Qin Fen swallowed hard. For a master martial artist, those thin implements could also be sharp weapons capable of drawing blood. Song Jia's gaze was also sweeping across the dining utensils on the table. Giving the wrong answer could be very dangerous.

"Just you," Qin Fen replied, then realized that this wasn't exactly untrue. He almost never ate out with women, and Tian Tian had always insisted on paying herself. So, it truly was only with Song Jia.

"Very good," Song Jia nodded happily. "I'm very satisfied."

"Very satisfied... Very unsatisfied..." Qin Fen murmured inwardly. These were indeed her catchphrases.