Li Shiying hadn’t shared much about her father with Cheng Hao—only that his name was Li Kangda, Kyoto’s wealthiest tycoon. Everything else remained a mystery.
The moment she spotted him, Li Shiying didn’t feel joy. Shock and fear seized her. Her legs trembled uncontrollably like leaves in a storm as she stared wide-eyed at Li Kangda standing nearby. Her gaze held no warmth for a father—only the icy hatred one reserves for a murderer. Cheng Hao couldn’t help but wonder what fractured this father-daughter bond.
“Do you even hear yourself? Isn’t this humiliation enough?”
Li Kangda’s face flushed crimson. He stormed toward Li Shiying, arm outstretched to drag her out the door.
But the instant his fingers brushed her sleeve, she wrenched free and stumbled backward.
“What’s shameful about earning my own living? Or is it my boyfriend that shames you?”
“I won’t repeat myself. Will you leave willingly, or must I have you thrown out?”
Li Kangda’s breath came heavy and ragged. Reason had failed—he’d resort to force.
“And if you drag me back? I’ll just run again!” Li Shiying shot back, chin lifted. “You only see profit. My feelings mean nothing to you. I’d rather never return to that house!”
“You—!” Li Kangda choked on his rage, chest heaving, eyes burning into her.
“Am I wrong? If you truly saw me as your daughter, would you have sold me off as a bride?”
“Everything I do is for your good! Would I ever harm you?”
“Sorry, but I don’t need your ‘good’! I’ll never marry that bastard—not even if I die first!”
Li Shiying clenched her fists, summoning every ounce of courage to defy him for the first time.
Cheng Hao finally grasped the truth.
This wasn’t some deep-rooted feud. Li Kangda had arranged a fiancé for his daughter. Li Shiying refused—even if it meant severing ties.
“Maybe… you should talk this out calmly?” Cheng Hao stepped in, unable to watch them tear each other apart.
Silence shattered the moment he spoke. Li Kangda whirled around, eyes blazing with accusation—as if Cheng Hao had stolen his daughter’s heart.
Unflinching, Cheng Hao nodded at Li Shiying, then met Li Kangda’s glare.
“You’re her father, but you don’t own her. She’s not your puppet. She has her own mind, her own will. Respect that.”
He spoke plainly, an outsider stating simple truths.
Li Kangda’s face stayed blank. A cold smirk curled his lips. “Who do you think you are? My family affairs need no outsider’s meddling.”
“You’re right—I’m no blood relative. But in another way…” Cheng Hao’s voice stayed calm, “*you’re* the outsider here.”
Li Kangda’s body stiffened. His finger jabbed toward Cheng Hao, mouth opening—then froze.
His eyes widened. His brows knotted. He stood rooted, studying Cheng Hao’s face.
Not because of his looks.
Because this young man was Li Shiying’s *fiancé*.
Li Kangda’s mind went blank. His body turned to wood. He stared, dumbfounded.
*What is this?*
*Shiying’s boyfriend is… him?*
*Impossible. Coincidence?*
His calm exterior hid a storm. He pieced it together:
This *had* to be her boyfriend.
Shiying had always obeyed him without question.
Yet now she’d defied him—secretly dating someone, threatening to cut ties. Proof of their bond.
No. This wasn’t chance. Among all Donghai University’s men, she’d chosen *him*—her fiancé. She must have known his identity all along.
But why have him answer the phone? Why threaten to disown her?
A chill prickled Li Kangda’s scalp. No answer came.
He turned to Li Shiying. Her tear-filled eyes darted to Cheng Hao like a rabbit seeking refuge from a wolf. Her slight frame trembled.
*Ah.*
*Ah!*
*I understand!*
His daughter wasn’t reckless. She’d never randomly pick her fiancé as a boyfriend.
She’d made Cheng Hao answer *to lure him here*.
Her goal? To test her future husband—with her father as the judge.
*Of course. She wanted to see if he’d stand up to me.*
He’d arranged this marriage, yes—but he cared about his daughter’s happiness. He wouldn’t chain her to a brute.
*Shiying… clever girl.*
*My daughter indeed.*
Li Kangda’s gaze shifted to Cheng Hao, approval softening his features. “So you’re my daughter’s boyfriend. Sit. Let’s talk.”
“Shiying, wait outside. Close the door,” Cheng Hao said gently.
“Cheng Hao, you—” Li Shiying’s eyes swam with tears, disbelief etched on her face.
“Trust me,” he smiled faintly. “Helping employees solve problems is part of being a good boss. I take care of my team.”
“I… believe you.”
“Go on. I’ll handle this.”
She nodded rapidly like a chick pecking grain, then tiptoed to whisper in his ear: “Be careful, okay? I’ll take the bodyguard with me. You can’t fight two men alone.”
*Huh?*
*She expects me to brawl with her father?*
Cheng Hao’s eye twitched. He managed a stiff nod. “Understood. Go ahead.”
“Mhm!” She pumped a tiny fist. “Don’t let that old geezer knock you down!”
Cheng Hao: ……
