His identity was shockingly grand, making even top-tier young elites of West Capital like Yang Feng and Mu Zhaoyang take the initiative to curry favor and fawn over him. His medical skills were nothing short of miraculous, completely overturning everyone’s understanding of traditional Chinese medicine.
At this point, the entire Cui family was thoroughly convinced. Elder Cui could hardly refrain from calling Jiang Fei his benefactor. Even Lin Moli’s mother, Cui Ruzhu—Jiang Fei’s domineering mother-in-law with an extreme need for control—found her emotions in complete turmoil and could no longer maintain that icy, aloof demeanor.
Watching her father, Elder Cui, brimming with energy as if he had shed years of illness and torment, and then looking at Jiang Fei, whose face was somewhat pale yet still held a faint, composed smile, Cui Ruzhu sighed inwardly.
A young man this outstanding met every single one of her exacting standards. If she tried to find fault now, she would just be nitpicking deliberately, acting like a completely unreasonable lunatic.
Of course, now that Cui Ruzhu understood Jiang Fei’s true identity and the extent of his capabilities, she had no intention of standing in the way of Lin Moli and Jiang Fei’s relationship anymore. As a mother, even if she had looked down on Jiang Fei before and didn’t want him with her daughter, it wasn’t because she truly wanted to obstruct Lin Moli’s happiness.
It was simply that, based on her decades of life experience, someone with Jiang Fei’s previous status was entirely mismatched with her daughter. Even if they seemed happy together temporarily, it could never last in the long run—it would fare even worse than her own relationship with Lin Moli’s father!
Although things between her and Lin Moli’s father had completely fallen apart, with no chance of reconciliation and now acting like strangers, the two of them had at least shared many years of happiness and over a decade of joyful life together.
But what about Lin Moli?
If she married a man who had nothing—someone who needed Lin Moli to sell her house just to support his hospital venture and who shamelessly demanded the majority share of equity—could such a couple possibly find lasting happiness?
Wouldn’t such a man, once he had swindled Lin Moli out of her money and found nothing else to exploit, simply move on to his next target and abandon her completely?
Now, however, it was clear that Cui Ruzhu’s previous assumptions had been entirely wrong. Jiang Fei was not only capable, but his abilities far exceeded Cui Ruzhu’s wildest expectations. Naturally, she had no reason left to oppose Lin Moli being with him.
If she still harbored any lingering worry, it was this: Through recent observation, Jiang Fei was simply too exceptional—so outstanding that everyone found him astonishing, almost unbelievable.
Was a man like that someone an ordinary woman could truly satisfy?
When a man is too exceptional, the natural consequence is that more women will gravitate toward him. And each of those women would be remarkable in her own right, throwing herself at him like a moth to a flame. This meant Jiang Fei would face countless temptations, and her daughter would inevitably face significant threats and challenges.
It was just like what happened with Lin Moli’s father. Once he climbed to a certain social standing, it wasn’t just that he could no longer tolerate Cui Ruzhu’s somewhat pathological need for control; a large part of it was the increased temptations and broader horizons he encountered. He was no longer willing to satisfy Cui Ruzhu’s endless demands.
Therefore, the dissolution of their relationship couldn’t be blamed solely on Cui Ruzhu’s overbearing nature. Cui Ruzhu’s feelings for Lin Moli’s father had never actually changed—it was Lin Moli’s father who had changed.
Thinking this far, Cui Ruzhu couldn’t help but feel conflicted again. She wanted Lin Moli to find a capable husband, but if he was too exceptional… it really did feel like her daughter was reaching beyond her station.
She had absolute confidence in her daughter, firmly believing Lin Moli was among the best. But a man’s feelings couldn’t be determined through mere comparisons.
With Elder Cui now recovered, Lin Moli accompanied Jiang Fei out of the hospital room and back to their small courtyard so he could rest and recuperate properly.
Seeing Jiang Fei—usually more vigorous and energetic than a martial arts master—looking pale and drawn, Lin Moli’s heart ached terribly. It seemed as though his injuries were even more severe than the trauma she herself had endured the previous night. She ignored her own need for rest and insisted on taking care of him while he recovered.
Jiang Fei didn’t refuse. His mental energy did indeed feel close to depletion, his head throbbing as if about to split open. What he needed most now was sleep to restore his spirit. However, he didn’t rest alone; he held Lin Moli, who was still recovering from her own trauma and physically uncomfortable, and they slept together.
The feeling of holding soft, warm jade in his arms was certainly better than sleeping alone.
Jiang Fei slept for a very long time—over twenty-four hours, an entire day and night—finally waking up the following afternoon.
“You’re finally awake? I’ve never seen you sleep so deeply. I was honestly a bit worried. If I didn’t know how amazing your medical skills are, I might have called a doctor to check on you.” The first sight Jiang Fei saw upon waking was Lin Moli sitting beside him.
“What, were you afraid I wouldn’t wake up?” Jiang Fei asked with a smile.
Lin Moli shook her head. “That’s not what I was worried about. I know you, and I trust you. I know you wouldn’t gamble with your own life. Since you chose to treat my grandfather, you must have been absolutely certain you could cure him without harming yourself. I was only worried because I didn’t know how long you’d sleep or how many days it would take.”
Jiang Fei felt a bit helpless. This woman was becoming smarter and more perceptive by the day, like a clever spirit. It seemed she understood him even better than he understood himself.
“Your grandfather’s health—no issues, right?” Jiang Fei had absolute confidence in the final technique of his Divine Eight Needles, the “Yin-Yang Energy Exchange,” but he asked out of routine concern anyway.
“Of course not. After your treatment, he said he feels like he’s ten or fifteen years younger. He claims he doesn’t even need his cane to walk anymore; he could easily practice boxing if he wanted to.” Lin Moli smiled, a look of unique satisfaction in her eyes. Jiang Fei’s ability to shine so brightly in front of the Cui family and earn the full approval of all her relatives brought her more joy than any previous accolade he had ever received.
“That’s good to hear,” Jiang Fei nodded.
“Oh, there’s something else I need to tell you…” Lin Moli said, looking at him.
“What is it?”
“My dad… he says he wants to meet you before we head back to Jincheng.” Although Lin Moli’s tone carried a hint of unusual emotion, the anxiety she’d felt before coming to the Cui household was gone. Since Jiang Fei had passed her mother’s test and gained her approval for their relationship, her father’s scrutiny would be no problem at all. She wasn’t worried in the slightest.
Jiang Fei paused for a moment, then quickly caught on. He gently wrapped an arm around Lin Moli’s waist and smiled. “No problem at all. I’ve met your mother and her family; of course I should meet your father too. When you come home to introduce me to your parents, we might as well do it all in one go.”
“You’re not upset about it, are you?” In the past, Lin Moli would have welcomed such intimate gestures from Jiang Fei. She still didn’t object now, but after crossing that final line in their relationship, she felt a little self-conscious.
“How could I be upset? Where is your father right now?”
“I’ll give him a call…”
Jiang Fei’s meeting with Lin Moli’s father did not take place at the Cui residence.
Lin Moli’s father, Lin Wenqin, and her mother, Cui Ruzhu, had reached a point in their relationship where they weren’t exactly enemies, but they were determined to have nothing more to do with each other. If possible, neither wanted to see the other ever again. Naturally, Lin Wenqin wouldn’t come to the Cui house.
The meeting wasn’t at a coffee shop like Jiang Fei’s meeting with Cui Ruzhu, either. Instead, it took place in a traditional tea house.
When Jiang Fei met Lin Moli’s mother, he could immediately see the resemblance between mother and daughter. But meeting Lin Moli’s father, the family likeness wasn’t nearly as strong.
Lin Wenqin was a middle-aged man exuding an aura of mature sophistication. In contrast to Cui Ruzhu’s fondness for coffee, he naturally preferred tea.
Wearing a pair of glasses, Lin Wenqin appeared somewhat scholarly and refined, with gentle facial lines that gave him a deceptively mild-mannered look—like the kind of man easily controlled. But upon closer inspection, one could see that this middle-aged man wasn’t quite as gentle and cultured as he seemed on the surface. Instead, his eyes and his every gesture revealed a strong-willed, assertive nature deep within.
Perhaps he hadn’t been this way in his youth, or perhaps he always had been but didn’t show it as openly back then, leading Cui Ruzhu to mistakenly believe he was a man she could easily manage.
But as Lin Wenqin’s status rose over the years, as he climbed higher and higher, growing accustomed to issuing orders within certain circles—directing others rather than being directed—the innate assertiveness he had long suppressed began to break free from its constraints, revealing itself bit by bit.
Thus, he began resisting Cui Ruzhu’s absolute control and strict management. Two such people could naturally never reconcile or continue together. It was hard to say who was right or wrong—you couldn’t fault Cui Ruzhu for being too domineering, nor could you accuse Lin Wenqin of ingratitude.
Ultimately, their personalities were simply incompatible from the start. Their union had been a mistake.
That was why, even though their relationship had deteriorated to the point of being strangers—or even less than strangers, neither wanting to hear about or see the other—deep down, neither truly blamed or resented the other.
This wasn’t a peaceful breakup, but rather a mutual understanding and acceptance in their hearts.
Jiang Fei sat down and sized up Lin Wenqin, who was, in turn, sizing up Jiang Fei.
Neither man was ordinary. Lin Wenqin remained calm and unhurried; Jiang Fei didn’t speak first either.
The two men—or rather, prospective father-in-law and son-in-law—sat in this peculiar atmosphere of a first meeting, silently evaluating and deducing each other through two cups of tea. It wasn’t until they reached the third cup that Lin Wenqin finally broke the silence, nodding with a satisfied smile. “Not bad. Truly worthy of being the man my daughter has chosen. I may not fully grasp exactly what kind of status you hold that makes someone like Yang Feng so deferential and eager to please, but based on your composure alone, you’re the first I’ve encountered in my twenty-plus years navigating the political arena.”
Lin Wenqin wasn’t exaggerating. He was no ordinary man. After nearly thirty years navigating the treacherous waters of politics and officialdom, he had not only developed a discerning, almost clairvoyant eye, but had also become a deeply shrewd old fox.
Yet today, in a contest of presence, he had lost for the first time to someone younger.
Jiang Fei couldn’t help but chuckle inwardly. A battle of presence with this future father-in-law? That was almost absurd.
After all, this was a man who, despite decades in officialdom, had only reached the deputy departmental level. Had Jiang Fei ever felt intimidated standing before someone like General Ye Zhennan, a founding general and pillar of the military? Or even when facing the genuine, crushing pressure of Yagyu Munenori, Japan’s foremost swordsman, Jiang Fei had deflected it with ease.
So Jiang Fei didn’t feel particularly proud of himself. “It’s nothing special. I just figured that since you’re the elder, Moli’s father, I shouldn’t speak until you did.”
Lin Wenqin shook his head, not bothering to debate the truth of Jiang Fei’s words. He simply sighed with some emotion. “I don’t need to ask around to know that the Cui family must have been thoroughly humbled in front of you this time. And Moli’s mother, as strong-willed as she is—having lost face so badly with you, she’s probably accepted you now but likely won’t take the initiative to apologize or acknowledge it, right?”
Jiang Fei remained silent. After more than twenty years of marriage, Lin Wenqin certainly understood his ex-wife inside and out.
“But honestly,” Lin Wenqin continued, “if she hadn’t been the first to meet you, even I probably would have misjudged you. Who would have guessed Moli had such good judgment, finding such an exceptional man?”
“I’d say I’m the one with good judgment, finding someone like Moli,” Jiang Fei replied.
“You don’t need to prove to me how well you treat Moli or how highly you value her. I know you’ll treat her well—very well, in fact. Otherwise, Moli wouldn’t have chosen you. I know my daughter. She wouldn’t just latch onto you because of your status.” Lin Wenqin’s gaze suddenly turned serious and intense, his previously somewhat unfocused eyes becoming sharp and piercing as he stared at Jiang Fei. Word by word, with deep meaning, he asked: “I only want to know one thing— Will you marry my daughter? “
Hearing this abrupt question, Jiang Fei was completely stunned.
This future father-in-law was proving to be even harder to handle than his future mother-in-law…
