Zhou Bin's body trembled, and he took two steps back.

Feeling the icy aura emanating from Lin Chen, he became frightened; he wanted to run, but for some reason, his legs were shaking so much, as if filled with lead, and he simply couldn't move.

The Zhou family, by stepping on the fresh blood of the Lin family, had become the leading noble family in Capital City. He had witnessed the suffering his parents had gone through all these years, yet the Zhou family acted arrogantly, wielding their power without restraint.

This was a family feud, so for the members of the Zhou family, he would spare not a single one from his wrath.

Zhou Bin watched as Lin Chen drew ever closer, his face twisting into a ferocious grimace.

Suddenly, he lunged forward, throwing a punch at Lin Chen.

But the moment his fist reached mid-air, it was gripped by a hand as firm as iron tongs.

"Slap!" Another slap landed on Zhou Bin's face.

Lin Chen's slaps were skillful; they caused immense pain without knocking the person away, but a slap on the face left a bloody imprint.

"Forty-eight more to go," Lin Chen said icily, like a devil himself.

"Slap! Slap! Slap!" A succession of slaps echoed through the hall.

Not even ten had passed before Zhou Bin's face had swollen like a pig's head.

The young man was striking viciously, making the onlookers twitch and gasp in shock.

Initially, Zhou Bin would cry out and beg for mercy, but eventually, he no longer had the strength to make a sound.

An Xiaodi, watching from the side, felt a sense of dread for the first time upon seeing Lin Chen's icy gaze.

No wonder her sister had said this fellow was a dangerous man.

After fifty slaps, Lin Chen finally tossed the limp Zhou Bin aside, offering a faint smile, "There, now we're even, you fool!"

Watching Lin Chen and An Xiaodi leave the hall hand in hand, Zhou Bin, squinting his eyes, felt his hatred for Lin Chen peak.

"Lin Chen, just wait; I will have your body shattered into pieces!"

Meanwhile, Lin Chen and An Xiaodi, having just bought some gifts, cheerfully left the antique store and headed straight for the hotel.

"Wait for me here at the door; I'll be right back!" Just upon arriving at the hotel, An Xiaodi gave a mysterious smile and turned into a room.

Lin Chen looked at An Xiaodi's departing figure, scratching his head in confusion, unsure of what trick she was planning to pull this time.

Activating his x-ray vision, Lin Chen peered into the room, freezing in surprise.

All he saw was An Xiaodi stripping off her clothes, one piece at a time, until she was completely bare.

Looking at the perfect contours in the room, Lin Chen couldn't help but feel his blood boil.

Lin Chen knew that continuing to look would certainly trigger a chain reaction, so he had to withdraw his gaze.

Minutes later, the door to the room opened, and An Xiaodi walked out.

Lin Chen was stunned by the sight before him.

An Xiaodi was wearing a white floor-length gown, elegant and majestic, radiating a mature beauty.

Her snow-white thighs extended from the hem of her dress, exuding a seductive charm, and she wore a pair of crystal-clear, sparkling shoes, resembling a princess, luxurious and ravishing.

"Lin Chen, do I look beautiful?" An Xiaodi asked sweetly.

Lin Chen hastily nodded, "Beautiful, so beautiful!"

"You did well today by teaching a fly a lesson, but there's another one, even more annoying than that one. You'll have to drive it away later. I have a reward for you," said An Xiaodi with a beaming smile.

"Flies! No problem, I'm the best at swatting flies," Lin Chen said with a smile, nodding.

An Xiaodi giggled and naturally draped her wrist adorned with a ruby bracelet over Lin Chen's arm. "Let's go to the party."

Pushing open the heavy door, the two walked into the hall.

As melodious music began to play, a young man dressed in a Hermes white suit knelt before An Xiaodi with a bouquet of flowers in hand.

Applause broke out from behind, everything seemed so sweet, the only discordant note was Lin Chen standing in front of An Xiaodi.

"Bro, are you secretly in love with me? Are you confessing to me? But I'm not into guys!" Lin Chen snatched the flowers from the young man and threw them directly into a nearby trash can.

When the young man saw An Xiaodi entering the hall arm-in-arm with Lin Chen, he froze, then jumped up as if he had seen a ghost.

"Who are you?"

"Are you an idiot? If she's walking arm-in-arm into the party, of course, she's my girlfriend. I'm really sorry, but I can't accept your feelings because my heart belongs to someone already," Lin Chen sighed.

"You, you..." Chen Peng trembled with anger.

Today, he had carefully planned to confess his love on An Xiaodi's birthday, but he hadn't expected Lin Chen to appear out of nowhere and ruin his romantic proposal.

What depressed him most was that when Lin Chen said An Xiaodi was his girlfriend, she not only didn't deny it but sweetly leaned her head on Lin Chen's shoulder, looking utterly devoted.

Watching the two of them being so affectionate made Lin Chen the center of attention in the hall.

"Since when did An Xiaodi have a boyfriend?"

"Look at his clothes, such a country bumpkin?"

"He's so average-looking, not even as handsome as me, how could Xiaodi like him?"

Suddenly, the hall was filled with murmurs and whispers.

Chen Peng took a deep breath, deliberately changed the subject, and gave An Xiaodi an awkward smile. "Xiaodi, why didn't you tell us you were bringing a friend? Everyone's been anxious waiting."

Just then, a waiter pushed in a large birthday cake.

The lights dimmed, and as everyone sang 'Happy Birthday,' An Xiaodi began to make a wish.

Lin Chen, standing beside An Xiaodi, suddenly felt his hand being held by a delicate pair.

As An Xiaodi made her wish, she held onto Lin Chen's hand, clearly involving him in her wish.

After blowing out the candles, the lights came back on, and friends approached with birthday wishes and gifts.

Then, someone with sharp eyes suddenly noticed the ruby bracelet on An Xiaodi's wrist.

"What a beautiful bracelet!" a girl exclaimed.

An Xiaodi blushed and cooed, "This was a gift from Chen, it must be beautiful."

"'Chen,' what a flirtatious nickname," someone in the crowd teased.

Meanwhile, Chen Peng stood by fuming, convinced he should have been the one next to An Xiaodi, and he should have been the boyfriend she mentioned. But who was this penniless guy?

Unable to stand it any longer, he cleared his throat and announced, "Everyone, please quiet down. To celebrate Xiaodi's birthday today, I've organized a band. They will accompany me as I sing a song I wrote for Xiaodi."

"A band! Chen Peng actually got a band for Xiaodi's birthday!"

Gasps of surprise rose from the crowd as the curtains opened and lights shone on a stage that appeared before them.

(I haven't played with my child for two days; hearing my child pleading, 'Dad, can you play with me for a while? It breaks my heart. I've been working so hard; where are the votes and the rewards?')