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

The next day, Shen Mochen and Shu Lingyun had agreed to meet at a fast food restaurant near Shu Lingyun's home.

Shen Mochen arrived early and sat in his car waiting for the other person to show up. It was still Catherine who drove, yawning out of boredom.

"You really are a good brother," Catherine said lazily, "getting your sister out for fun so early in the morning."

"The time was her decision, I didn't want to be this early," Shen Mochen explained.

"But you could have chosen this time yourself, in the end, you just spoil your sister too much," Catherine said, raising an eyebrow pensively, "why, are you projecting Yin Huailian onto her?"

"No, Lian... she's completely different," Shen Mochen looked out of the window, "truth is, this is my first time being a brother."

Catherine, puzzled, asked, "Doesn't Yin Huailian call you brother?"

A vague expression crossed Shen Mochen's face, unsure how to explain, "But, we... we're about the same age, and rather than saying we're siblings, it's more fitting to say we were childhood sweethearts."

Yin Huailian really wasn't like a younger sister, she and Yin Caiyu had been doing piecework since they were under ten years old, assembling disposable lighter innards—getting paid just a few cents per assembly. Their small hands were always blackened, and they'd have frostbites all over during winter. The little money they earned was used for Shen Mochen's education since he had the best grades.

So although Yin Huailian was nominally his little sister, in reality, she had taken on the responsibility of a big sister, just like Yin Caiyu.

Compared to their sacrifices for him, what Shen Mochen did for them seemed too little.

"Childhood sweethearts, too bad they're gone." Catherine said flatly.

"That really is an unpleasant remark..."

"Unpleasant? My man has been sleeping with someone else for so long, and I'm not even upset yet!"

"Get it straight, you came later."

"You're right, I did come later. If Yin Huailian were still alive, there'd be no place for me."

Shen Mochen clutched his head, "Why do you get so jealous whenever we talk about Lian, especially when it's always you who brings her up?"

Catherine shrugged coldly, "Then let's not talk about it. Anyway, I guess I understand now why you dote on your sister so much, because you were pampered by them from a young age. Now, you are just following suit."

Shen Mochen paused, seeming to realize something... and it really was this reason!

"Well... another part of it might be compensation," Shen Mochen said.

"Compensating for not being able to repay them?"

Shen Mochen scratched his head, "Maybe, I..." he paused, "I've never truly been a brother, always just an ordinary person... I don't know how to put it, but I've always felt pretty powerless."

"Mm-hmm."

"So now, I want her to be proud of me, and I really have achieved it. I have never made them so proud and honored before... Every time they boasted about my perfect grades to others, people would always say I'd grow up to abandon them for some city girl, and they'd get really anxious."

Shen Mochen quietly recounted the past, his thoughts scattered; if it were someone else, they probably wouldn't be able to grasp what he was trying to say.

"Fine clothes but hometown afar, is like wearing brocade at night," Shen Mochen looked up and lamented, "I only understand the meaning of this saying now, what's the worth of one's own glory? What matters most is lighting up your family name, letting your own people feel proud of you in front of everyone, making everyone else envious."

"So you admit she is your family, you've softened up quite a bit."

"Thanks to you guys, I felt like I've been healed."

Catherine said coldly, "Don't even start, I've only been with you for so short a time, it must be Xia Qingrou and Han Muxue!"

Shen Mochen chuckled and kissed Catherine on the lips, "I shouldn't call you Kajiena, I should call you the 'Jealousy Queen.'"

"Hmph!" Catherine gently pushed Shen Mochen away, "Too bad I don't have your realization."

"What realization?"

"I don't want to admit at all that I have siblings."

Shen Mochen exclaimed in surprise, "You have siblings?"

Catherine said coldly, "I should have told you, the Earl's illegitimate children, sadly. They're such mongrels that they can't even bear the Alexandrov surname… Of course, if I decide to give up the Alexandrov Family, then they might have a slim chance—unless they don't fear being ridiculed behind their backs."

"Are they in Roman now?"

"The boy is in elementary school, and the girl is in middle school… Ha, he digs into his pocket to send them to the best schools, using my money."

"Your money?"

"He's bound to die someday, and I am his only heir. His money is my money. Of course, I don't care about it that much; consider it like tossing a bit of change to beggars."

Shen Mochen looked perplexed, knowing exactly which grades those illegitimate children were in; he guessed she cared somewhat for these half-siblings.

Based on Shen Mochen's understanding of Catherine, if she truly despised them, she wouldn't bother to find out anything about them.

"What are you smiling about?" Catherine suddenly noticed Shen Mochen's smiling face and guessed something, speaking displeasingly.

"I was thinking, since that's the case, we can't just give up on the Alexandrov Family easily. It's my property!"

Catherine raised an eyebrow, "Your property? Planning on registering our marriage?"

Shen Mochen spoke earnestly and nonsensically, "If we get married and then divorce, I can take half of the property, right? Remember to add my name to all your family's property after registering!"

Catherine's face remained expressionless, "By then, I won't need to lift a finger, someone will make sure you cannot walk out of the Alexandrov Family's gate."

"Ah… is it that scary?" Shen Mochen shivered.

"Is your sister here?" Catherine pointed outside.

Shen Mochen turned his head and saw a little Loli dressed in a pink dress with white tights, leading several kids towards the entrance of the fast food restaurant.

Shen Mochen was slightly taken aback, watching Shu Lingyun with her hands on her hips, commanding the other children.

"She's quite early huh… Hey, what is she doing?" Shen Mochen was puzzled.

"Let's just watch and find out," Catherine said with interest.

Soon enough, just like following Shu Lingyun's orders, the other children pulled out some trash from their pockets, casually scattered it on the ground, then quickly ran away.

"Hmm?"

Watching the children who scattered trash and ran away, Shen Mochen and Catherine exchanged glances, both puzzled.