You are all bad women! Don't come over!

A precious white cat pounced on the birds in the tree, and with a sharp cry, it disappeared into the foliage, shaking the branches and rustling the leaves.

Shen Mochen glanced and walked into the villa of Tianyi Immortal Garden with Catherine, then took a piece of chocolate from the fridge for himself.

"The chocolate is quite tasty, and there's still so much left. Why didn't you bring any for me?"

After finishing the chocolate, Shen Mochen returned to the living room and sat next to Catherine, draping an arm around her shoulders.

Catherine leaned on Shen Mochen's shoulder and chuckled lightly, "I thought you didn't like it. Since you love it so much, I was going to bring some when we left… Well, never mind, I'll remake it for you tomorrow."

"Thank you, Kajiena, you are truly virtuous!" Shen Mochen said with a beaming smile.

Earl Alexander couldn't help but slam his palm on the coffee table and said coldly, "Enough, please stop your pathetic act. It's laughable how insincere you are."

"You have to rely on this to escape reality?" Catherine said, "How sad."

The Earl scoffed and, too lazy to argue, looked at Shen Mochen with indifference and contempt, then turned to Catherine, "Let's first discuss you assaulting someone, Kajiena. You seriously injured the son of the High Chancellor, all for this... ah, I apologize, could you remind me what his name is?"

It seemed the Earl had forgotten Shen Mochen's name, or perhaps, he had merely forgotten this insignificant person. He leisurely savored his cigar, his laughter laced with condescension.

Such an annoying look, Shen Mochen thought to himself. He had seen too many of those looks before. As a child, when he walked down the street in ragged clothes, passersby who brushed against him would verbally abuse him.

"Your father has forgotten my name, why don't you tell him?" Shen Mochen told Catherine.

"His name is Shen Mochen, my future husband, and I hope you remember this name," Catherine said coldly, staring at the Earl.

"Alright, Kajiena, stop with the childish talk. You know that's impossible," the Earl chuckled mockingly, his eyes filled with evasion and ridicule, he then smiled at Shen Mochen, "Oh, yes, Mr. Shen Mochen, you may call me Uncle Alexander. You really have some nerve. Did you even consider the consequences before assaulting someone? Or did you assume from the start that Kajiena, or rather the Alexandrov Family, would bear the consequences for you?"

By the end of his words, the Earl could hardly suppress the rage within him. He was not angry because of the losses due to the children's fight, but because he had to use the Alexandrov family's resources to clean up the mess for a bastard!

"This matter involves him..."

"Kajiena, I know you want to protect him, claiming the assault was your idea, but I am your father. I know your character, and this wouldn't be something you'd do... Speaking of which, I am very disappointed in you. You always say you've grown up and don't need parental care, which is why we let you live alone. But you, you rebel against me, against the family, unwilling to take on family responsibilities. Yet you use the 'Alexandrov' surname, enjoying the conveniences the family brings, you call upon the family's banner and utilize the connections I've built… Is this what you call maturity?"

Earl Alexander's words were forceful, and by the end, he was nearly roaring.

Catherine bit her lip, defiantly staring back at him without a word, but Shen Mochen could clearly feel her trembling.

What are you afraid of, where's your usual confidence? Does it vanish in front of your father? Or do you think your father makes a valid point and feel guilty? If that's the case, your skin is too thin!

"Father-in-law, why are you shouting so loudly? We are a family, why make such a big fuss over a trivial matter?" Shen Mochen finally spoke up.

The Earl paused, slowly turning to look at Shen Mochen, "What did you just call me?"

"Father-in-law, well, don't worry. After I marry Kajiena, I will certainly carry on your legacy and take the Alexandrov Family to greater heights!"

Shen Mochen kissed Catherine upon her hair and looked seriously at the Earl.

"Pfft..."

Catherine suddenly burst out laughing.

The Earl's face swiftly turned from white to red, his eyes emanating a fierce glow, his cheeks slightly quivering, and his breathing grew rapid. It was as if he was a volcano brewing for eruption, ready to explode into a towering rage.

"Huff... huff..."

Facing Shen Mochen's shameless and bottom-tier flirting, the Earl actually managed to hold himself back. He took several deep breaths, forcibly pressing down his rage.

"Young man, stop pretending. How could Kajiena possibly fall in love with you? Tell me, what benefits did she promise you? Money? Or something else? Tell me the truth, I'll give you double whatever it is."

Despite his boiling rage inside, the Earl of Alexandrov still maintained his dignity, holding his head high, nobly promising Shen Mochen any reward.

But his current expression reminded Shen Mochen of a not-so-amusing childhood memory.

That was many years ago, he and Yin Huailian were picking up cans by the roadside. Yin Huailian accidentally tripped over a stone and, very unluckily, fell in front of a car. The car owner was a stylish middle-aged woman. She got out of her car, looked down upon them with a sneer, then threw some money at them like she was shooing away a dog, telling the "scammers" to get lost.

That was the look she had; so proud and elegant, her bones radiating self-righteous disdain and contempt.

Shen Mochen awkwardly lowered his head, looking at Catherine in his arms: "This is, well, not so nice..."

"It's perfectly fine, you've done very well. After all, we're on a level that's beyond your influence. Rather, it proves your courage that you've made it this far. Tell me, what did she promise you?"
Read latest chapters at My Virtual Library Empire

The Earl, suppressing his disgust for Shen Mochen, kindly encouraged him.

"She..." Shen Mochen's face grew increasingly distressed, and finally, he closed his eyes, "Sorry, Kajiena!"

The Earl's lips curled up.

"Actually, what she promised wasn't anything special, just a maiden's love... Ha, love, it's just that stuff, nothing but body and marriage. May I ask if you have two daughters as beautiful as her aside from Kajiena? If they aren't as beautiful as her, then you would need four to make up the number... Oh, but she is the sole heiress of the Alexandrov Family, which means her promise also includes the inheritance of the Alexandrov Family. Aside from the four daughters, you'll also have to throw in another two families of the Alexandrov Family... Ah, but it's too troublesome to calculate back and forth, it's hard to estimate all kinds of values, and I don't understand it, you could really cheat me, so let's round it up..."

"So, could you arrange a marriage to a princess of Romany for me?" Shen Mochen fiddled with his fingers, then looked up and blinked earnestly, "Preferably the first in line for the succession."

"You... little scoundrel!"

Earl could no longer hold back upon hearing this, his face turning purple, his forehead veins bulging, teeth gnashing in anger, bursting out in curse.

"Hahahahahaha!"

Catherine couldn't hold back either, biting wildly in Shen Mochen's embrace and laughing aloud.