early morning.

Jiang Fei stretched, and the increase in Song Yan's favorability brought her a good night's sleep.

Judging by the time, the Song family should have already found Song Yan by now. He will likely be very busy for the next period of time because of his background.

Perfect timing! We can settle the score next time we meet.

Young Master Song is not so poor that he can't even come up with a little money.

As for Shen Fang, I heard that his family forced him to join the company. He used to resist, but for some reason, he went obediently this time.

Just as she was pondering this, there was a light knock on the door, and the aunt's voice came: "Miss, Young Master Jiang is here."

Jiangcuo.

Jiang Fei snapped out of his daze and frowned. He hadn't spent much time with the little pervert during this period, but his favorability towards him had hardly changed. Even when it fluctuated, it was always downward.

However, she quickly relaxed her brow. Today was a special day, a perfect opportunity for the little pervert to experience the true feelings of humanity.

Stepping outside, Jiang Fei stood in the second-floor corridor and immediately saw a boy in a white shirt standing at the entrance to the first-floor living room.

The boy lowered his eyes slightly, and the stray hairs in front of his eyes partially obscured his misty eyes. Hearing the noise, he looked up at the building.

Jiang Fei, wearing a white spaghetti strap dress and barefoot, jogged down the stairs on the dark floor, her eyebrows slightly curved and her eyes sparkling: "Xiao Cuo."

Jiang Cuo narrowed his eyes, examining the dress she was wearing. It was so white it was almost blinding, making him want to dye it black.

He lowered his head, glanced at her fair toes, and smiled sweetly, "Sister."

Jiang Fei walked up to him and said, "Since you're here, let's get busy!" Then she turned to look at the aunt and said, "Auntie, you should go and rest first."

The aunt glanced at the two of them, nodded, and walked out.

"Busy?" Jiang Cuo looked at Jiang Fei.

“Yes,” Jiang Fei smiled, “Today is Aunt Wen’s birthday, let’s make her a cake ourselves.”

Jiang Cuo paused, his half-closed eyes cold and menacing.

He didn't even know the birthday of the woman he should call his mother.

Looking up again, his expression was harmless once more, and he hesitated before asking, "Make a cake?"

"Of course you have to eat cake on your birthday..."

“I know,” Jiang Cuo interrupted her. Of course he knew; he just hadn’t tried it before.

His birthday was not a pleasant one.

But there's no need to tell her.

Jiang Fei put on her shoes and went straight to the kitchen.

Jiang Cuo watched her retreating figure, paused for a moment, and followed her inside.

The morning sunlight streamed through the window and shone just right on her.

She was intently separating the egg yolk from the egg white, her exposed skin as white and flawless as jade.

Jiang Cuo reached out and touched his arm; he and she were exactly the opposite.

A mad dog.

A rich young lady.

"This is an egg beater." Jiang Fei suddenly turned around, picked up the egg beater from the side, and handed it to Jiang Cuo.

Jiang Cuo snapped out of his daze, frowned as he looked at the egg beater, and asked, "What's wrong?"

Jiang Fei took the bowl of egg whites and handed it to him. "Xiao Cuo, don't try to slack off. Go over there and whip the egg whites." After saying that, she smiled at him and turned to prepare the other ingredients.

Jiang Cuo glanced at her profile, then looked down at the egg beater and egg whites in his hand, feeling a sense of bewilderment.

He had never been into a kitchen, much less done such a thing.

After a while, he sat down to the side, turned on the egg beater, and the egg whites were suddenly beaten and splashed everywhere.

"Pfft..." Jiang Fei chuckled.

Jiang Cuo looked up at her.

Jiang Fei pursed her lips, walked to his side, reached out and grabbed the back of his hand, and whisked the egg whites around: "You need to hold the bowl of egg whites steady."

Jiang Cuo looked at her hand covering the back of his hand. Her palm was very soft, just as he had imagined, and she had a faint scent of sunshine on her body.

Jiang Cuo closed his eyes slightly, took a deep sniff of the scent, and the thought that one day such a pure person would become like him filled him with an excited tremor.

"Alright, try it yourself." Jiang Fei withdrew her hand, glanced at him with a smile, and turned to walk to the side.

Jiang Cuo snapped out of his daze and began whipping the egg whites little by little. He had never known that clear egg whites could be whipped into a creamy consistency.

All he knew was how to hit someone to make it hurt the most, and... how to lessen the pain when being hit.

"Is it ready?" Jiang Fei asked casually from the side. Jiang Cuo was still looking at the egg white in the bowl and didn't say anything.

Jiang Fei walked over to him, glanced at the egg white, and said, "Very good." She took the egg white and handed him the yolk, then glanced at the flour on Jiang Cuo's hair and asked, "Hmm?"

She casually patted his hair, brushing the flour off.

It must be said that, despite his twisted mind, this little pervert's hair is soft and obedient.

Jiang Cuo paused, realizing he had been distracted, and his heart sank; he had become the one in the passive position.

After a while, Jiang Cuo looked up at Jiang Fei, pondered for a moment, and smiled shyly: "A reward?"

"Huh?" Jiang Fei asked, puzzled.

Jiang Cuo didn't say anything more, and instead started whipping the egg yolks.

After finishing, he stood up, walked over to Jiang Fei, and handed it to her.

"Thank you." Jiang Fei smiled.

Jiang Cuo shook his head, then leaned down slightly and moved closer to her.

Jiang Fei was puzzled.

Jiang Cuo smiled: "Sister, a reward."

Jiang Fei suddenly realized what was happening, her cheeks flushed slightly, she cleared her throat, and the next second she reached out and patted him on the head.

Jiang Cuo stared at her reaction, his gaze landing on her slightly reddened ears, and his smile grew even brighter.

The favorability rating above his head changed from -35 to -37.

It's dropped again.

Jiang Fei's gaze swept over his head, and she sneered inwardly.

The rest of the time was spent baking, whipping cream, and decorating. Since these tasks didn't require much skill, Jiang Fei handed them over to Jiang Cuo, and naturally, he received a "reward" for it.

As darkness fell, Jiang's father and Wenjuan finally returned.

Jiang Fei turned off the lights in the villa and pulled Jiang Cuo to hide in the dimly lit and cramped tea room, listening to the sounds outside the door.

Jiang Cuo looked down at Jiang Fei, who was huddled in front of her holding a cake. She leaned back slightly, close enough to get into his arms: "Why are you hiding here?"

Jiang Fei kept her eyes fixed on the living room: "Of course, we want to give Aunt Wen a surprise."

Jiang Cuo frowned: "What's so surprising about this?"

"The house was completely dark, and they thought no one was home. When we took the cake out, wasn't that a pleasant surprise?" Jiang Fei whispered.

Oh, this was a surprise!

Jiang Cuo laughed: "What if you hide here, not wanting to go out, and not wanting to be found?"

"What kind of surprise is that?" Jiang Fei said casually, still staring at the door.

Jiang Cuo looked at her clean shoulder line, her skin seemed to reflect light even in the dim night: "Because, after being found, there will be a beating..." He spoke very softly for the last few words, his breath tinged with coldness.

Jiang Fei couldn't hear clearly, so she unconsciously tilted her ear and whispered, "Hmm?"

Jiang Cuo gazed at her profile, unconsciously leaning forward to inhale her fragrance, and innocently said, "...beating."

Jiang Fei felt the cool fragrance emanating from the boy on her shoulder, as well as the breath he exhaled on her shoulder as he spoke. Seizing the opportunity, she turned her head and said, "What..." Her voice trailed off.

Before Jiang Cuo could even straighten his slightly bent body, everything went dark. Their noses brushed lightly, and a very subtle tingling sensation swept across their lips.

The air seemed to freeze.

Jiang Fei blinked, then exclaimed softly and hurriedly stepped back, "Sorry."

After speaking, she quickly glanced at the fluctuating favorability rating above his head.

Jiang Cuo's body stiffened. He pursed his lips, a faint fragrance still lingering in his nostrils. His heart began to race, but...

His eyes gradually turned cold.

Jiang Cuo looked at Jiang Fei, who was right in front of him and turned to look at him, and gradually felt a connection to the past.

The girl before him was now close enough to touch, not the distant, unattainable illusion of years past.

Jiang Cuo's favorability rating: -40.

Jiang Fei looked at him with great interest.

Another drop?

"Aren't Jiang Jiang and Xiao Cuo home?" Wen Juan's voice suddenly rang out in the living room, followed by the lights turning on.

Jiang Fei snapped out of her daze, nudged Jiang Cuo, turned around, and walked out with the cake in her hands: "Aunt Wen, happy birthday!"

Jiang Cuo watched her somewhat flustered steps and slightly flushed cheeks, then lowered his eyes and sneered after a long while. He thought that she was speaking to him so calmly without any emotion, but it seems that was not the case.

When he looked up again, his gaze had returned to its innocent state, and he followed Jiang Fei out.

He watched as Wenjuan looked at him and Jiang Fei with eyes full of emotion, thanked them, made a wish, and blew out the candles.

Watching Jiang's father look at Jiang Fei with doting eyes and pat him on the shoulder, and then seeing Jiang Fei's somewhat awkward expression as he handed him the cake...

So this is what it feels like to celebrate a birthday as a family.

He deserved it too.

Unfortunately, all he had was boundless pain.

Time passed slowly, and at 8:30, the Jiang family's driver arrived to pick him up.

Jiang's father and Wenjuan escorted Jiang Cuo to the villa entrance. Wenjuan's eyes were full of unspoken words, but she finally couldn't hold back: "Xiao Cuo, he is a devil. If you are hurt, you must tell your mother... tell me."

Jiang Cuo turned to look at Wen Juan, smiled gently, and nodded, "Okay." Then, he looked up at Jiang Fei, who was following behind the group, and said, "Goodbye, sister."

But the moment he turned around, the smile on Jiang Cuo's face vanished almost instantly.

Of course he knew that Jiang Lin was a devil. He already knew this ten years ago when he went to find Wen Juan covered in wounds, but it was she who pushed him to a devil back then.

How can she be so sure he won't grow into another monster?

Behind him, Jiang Fei squinted at Jiang Cuo's back and the steady -40 favorability rating above his head.

It's true that the more wonderful something is, the more he dislikes it.

Because you know that beauty doesn't belong to you, are you willing to destroy it?

What if... this happiness temporarily belongs to him?

She was really looking forward to it.

...

When Jiang Cuo returned to the Jiang family home, the entire villa was pitch black.

The driver dropped him off at the door, and after several attempts to speak, finally sighed softly, "Young Master, Mr. Jiang is back."

"Hmm." Jiang Cuo responded casually and walked in without a care. But he paused at the door, glanced at the dark living room, and suddenly remembered the "surprise" Jiang Fei had just mentioned.

If he wasn't mistaken, there should be a "surprise" waiting for him in the room.

Jiang Cuo chuckled and opened the living room door.

The moment he entered, the living room lights blazed on. Jiang Lin, who had always maintained a respectable appearance in public, was now slumped on the sofa, reeking of alcohol, staring at him with half-closed, cloudy eyes: "Where have you been?"

Jiang Cuo's expression remained unchanged as he casually replied, "The Jiang family."

Jiang Lin stood up almost instantly, grabbed the ashtray from the coffee table, and threw it at him.

Jiang Cuo paused, standing still without dodging, as the heavy ashtray hit his chest, causing a dull pain.

He didn't even frown.

Still seemingly not satisfied, Jiang Lin grabbed a few more water glasses and threw them at him.

Jiang Cuo remained motionless, only turning his head slightly to dodge when the water glass hit his face.

Jiang Lin became even angrier upon seeing this, glaring at him with eyes wide with fury: "You still dare to hide? Without me, would you be the young master of the Jiang family now? You've grown up and your wings have hardened, so you've gone to find your useless mother... Do you really think she would want a piece of trash like you? You still dare to go to her, what do you think you are? I should have strangled you back then..."

Jiang Cuo impatiently rubbed his ears; he was tired of hearing the same things all the time.

Jiang Lin was finally enraged by him, and swung a vase next to him at him, venting all her anger on him. The vase shattered, and then came a barrage of punches.

Jiang Cuo simply lowered his head to protect his face, curled up in the corner, and endured it expressionlessly, but he couldn't help thinking to himself, "The old man is getting old after all; even his fists are starting to become weak and powerless."

Only after Jiang Lin collapsed to the ground, panting heavily, did Jiang Cuo lower his hands from his head and face, looking at the man on the ground with a mocking expression: "Finished?"

After saying that, he stood up, leaning against the wall, swallowed the blood in his mouth, and turned to walk out.

Jiang Cuo went to a pedestrian bridge next to an underground casino, one of the most chaotic places in the city.

He quietly huddled in a corner of the overpass, occasionally looking up to see many thugs hurrying by with sticks, waiting for someone to come and provoke them.

It wasn't until someone noticed his expensive clothes and watch that the thugs stopped, surrounded him, and kept pushing and shoving him: "Hey, if you know what's good for you, hand over your watch!"

Jiang Cuo let them provoke him, keeping his head down and remaining silent.

Seeing that he remained silent, those people finally became angry and reached out to snatch the watch away.

Jiang Cuo remained motionless until they actually "snatched" his watch from him, at which point he slowly stood up and looked at the people in front of him.

After bottling up anger all night, I finally found an outlet.

Then, he walked up to the man who had stolen his watch, grabbed his sleeve, and punched him in the stomach repeatedly, watching him wail under his fists, seeing the people around him filled with fear and dared not step forward, until finally he fell to the ground begging for mercy.

Jiang Cuo chuckled, glanced disdainfully at his blood-stained fist, took back his watch, tossed it into the nearby bushes, and staggered back to the Jiang family home.

Jiang Lin was already lying on the ground, completely drunk. Jiang Cuo ignored him and went straight upstairs to his bedroom. Standing in front of the mirror, he squinted at himself.

His white shirt was covered in blood and stains, and his hands and face were also stained with blood.

He really does act like a mad dog.

Jiang Cuo sneered, took off his shirt, glanced at the bruises and wounds on his body, and turned to walk into the bathroom.

When he came out again, he immediately saw the white shirt and black pants on the bedside table.

Jiang Cuo stared at him indifferently for a while, then stepped forward, put on his shirt and trousers, and stood in front of the full-length mirror again, examining the boy inside.

That rainy night, the culprit that made Jiang Fei walk out of the restaurant in a daze was dressed like this.

Let's call him... Song Yan.

I really don't know what that rich young lady likes about this outfit?

Jiang Cuo reached out and touched the mirror, then chuckled softly after a long while.

The shirt covered all the scars on his body, and he looked harmless again.

Unfortunately, no matter how harmless he appeared on the surface, he knew that he was unclean at heart.

She was worlds apart from that pristine young lady.

Therefore, he looked forward to seeing her as dirty and filthy as he was!