"Why do you like the speech?" Xiao Nai asked, testing Zhao Lifei to see if she was bluffing like Xia Mengxi.

  "Because it’s a topic at the back of everyone’s mind, but not many people have the courage to speak up against it. It’s very controversial in a society bent on creating the perfect and most intelligent children for parents to show off to their peers." Zhao Lifei, who grew up with extremely strict tiger parents, would know it very well.

  Too much stress and pressure on a child was never good, even if it produced the "smartest" children. It could deteriorate their brains, or even worse, they could develop depression. Many people viewed it as a mental illness, instead of addressing the dire condition.

  For Ling Yunai, a very intelligent kid, to speak up about the issue, added a lot of credibility on her part. It also made adults realize that if a child her age was able to realize it, they should also be mindful of how they treat their kids.

  "Your tone was very confident and had the right air of sympathy when speaking which appeals to emotions very well. On top of it, you were representing the children population, thus brought more awareness to the problem. I truly applaud you for that."

  Xia Mengxi scoffed inside of her head. What a generic compliment! Everyone can make that one up on the spot. She was about to speak up, but stiffened when she saw a figure approaching from behind Zhao Lifei.

  Xiao Nai felt her entire world shine at this woman’s refreshing words. Could she get so much more perfect in my eyes?! She felt herself beginning to like Zhao Lifei more and more, so much that she unconsciously took steps towards her — a sudden desire to hug her.

  Just then, a voice spoke up, "Xiao Nai, is that your second slice of chocolate cake?" Ling Fulei mused, his voice filled with laughter, but there was a hint of parental authority within it, like a father catching his daughter sneaking a cookie from a jar.

  "N-no……" She mumbled, picking up the fork, but her older brother easily grabbed the plate from her hands.

  "Hey!" She argued, jumping for it, but he set it down on the table. He bent down and picked her up so that she wouldn’t grab it.

  "Didn’t I say too much chocolate is bad for you?" He teased, giving her nose a light tap. He ignored the desperate gazes from the women surrounding them.

  "But recently, I’ve been really good! I only had one chocolate bar this week, shouldn’t I deserve more cake?" She pouted, her eyes growing wide.

  Ling Fulei smiled at her adorable expression before squeezing her round, squishy cheeks. "Alright, you get to eat one more slice."

  "How do you know it wasn’t my first?" She crossed her arm, hoping to argue her way into another one.

  "Because you have a chocolate stain on the side of your lips." He rolled his eyes, balancing her on one arm while using the other to grab a handkerchief to wipe the chocolate from her lips.

  "No I don’t—" She quieted down upon seeing the dark brown spot on the white cloth, a sullen expression on her face. She had stopped eating chocolate for a week just to sneak at least three slices today, but it seemed her plans were spoiled……

  "Two is enough for today. I’ll have the pâtissier make you another cake tomorrow." He said, caressing the back of her head, petting her like a pet.

  The women swooned. On top of being handsome and having the best temper, he was even good with children! Could this man get any more perfect?

  Many of them greedily sought after Yang Feng, but a handful of them had already backed off, for they were simply too terrified of going against the man. He was hard to approach, but his enigmatic personality drawled the people to him even more…… So many of them wanted to see a smile solely dedicated to them. He was a rough man, but he seemed like a really good lover from the way he treated Zhao Lifei……

  Xiao Nai happily bobbed her head at the news. "I’ll hold you to that promise!"

  Her parents never seemed to care about her enough to even order her favorite cake. She wondered if they even knew what her favorite food was…… Speaking of them, she turned her head back to Zhao Lifei.

  "What you told me back in the hos—" She cleared her throat, "—Room, worked really well!" Xiao Nai wasn’t sure if anyone has heard of her hospitalization, but figured it would be best to not disclose it, especially in front of so many socialites that seemed to despise her.

  "Really? That’s good to hear." Zhao Lifei tried her best to not glare daggers at Ling Fulei who was watching her for quite some time now.

  "It has been a while since I’ve last seen you, Miss Goody-Two-Shoes." Ling Fulei chuckled at the nickname he always called her. Even now, he could remember a girl chasing after him with a feather-duster for getting her in trouble again with the homeroom teacher.

  "How’s Lu Minhong?"

  Zhao Lifei stiffened at the question, her eyes furiously blazing over to him. But what surprised her was the fond look on his face. She had expected to see mockery or some hint of malice towards her friend, not such a tender look! She eyed him like he was crazy.

  Before she could speak up, Yang Feng came up from behind her and placed an arm around her hip. He gave a nod of acknowledgment to Ling Fulei, but kept his eyes guarded as always. He deliberately pulled Zhao Lifei closer to him, which nearly made her roll her eyes.

  "Yang Feng, it’s so good to see you!" Ling Fulei’s expression changed upon seeing his close friend. "I saw what Yang Enterprise did, I really appreciated that." He revealed a genuine grin stretching to his ears.

  "Hm, it’s expected of a friend to step in." Yang Feng casually replied, his mellow response made Ling Fulei grin even more if that was possible.

  Yang Feng’s detached nature was what made Ling Fulei like the man so much. The more Yang Feng seemed bored, the more the people tried to chat with him in hopes of gaining recognition.

  Zhao Lifei was shocked to hear they were this close, but she kept her mouth shut. They seemed particularly close and she didn’t want to be the type of girlfriend who’d force a friendship apart.

  "Well, whatever the case, I’m grateful for it!" Ling Fulei heartily exclaimed before he noticed Yang Feng’s possessive stance on Zhao Lifei and raised a brow. "I was quite surprised to see you were dating Zhao Lifei. She had quite a reputation in school."

  Zhao Lifei gave him a dirty look, wondering what he would expose about her. Yang Feng’s face remained stoic, but his eyes were mildly interested. He had dug into her background to the day she was born. Any reputation she had, he most likely already knew.

  "Because she was such a teachers’ pet, she would always chase me down for the latest assignments. I have to owe her props though, it really helped me a lot."

  Ling Fulei’s response shocked Zhao Lifei who did not expect this turn of events. She suspiciously stared at him, doubting his words. What was he planning here?

  "Throughout the entire school years we’ve spent together, I noticed she’s very loyal to those she holds dear to her." Ling Fulei made sure to not mention the forbidden name of Zheng Tianyi. If he had said she was fully devoted to that man, Ling Fulei was sure Yang Feng would have his head.

  "So, she’s a keeper." He concluded, throwing good points towards Zhao Lifei who continued to stare at him, with a doubtful expression on her face. What? Was it so hard to believe I’ve changed?

  "I know." Yang Feng’s quiet voice made the people think he was offended, but in reality, he was pleased by Ling Fulei’s response. Even so, Yang Feng still felt restless when it came to her. She was just so stunningly perfect to him, for odd reasons, even with his title and rank, he still felt as if he was not good enough for her. But then again, he wondered, if there was anyone in this world that was truly good enough for her?