Chapter 373 — Victory in the First Round

In his heart, Kang Zhaoming suspected it was Wei Zhao pulling strings, but without any evidence there was nothing he could do.

If Wei Zhao had not known Li Yixun, it would have been easier to handle: find some pretext, and have the guards drag him out. But he did know Li Yixun, and the two of them seemed to be on very good terms.

"Wei Zhao, is it? I'll remember you." Kang Zhaoming fixed him with a vicious glare, then looked at Kang Xiaobo and Lan Fen. "You're the one standing up for them, aren't you? I hope you won't live to regret it!"

"Ha. Some people have done things they ought to be ashamed of. I wonder whether they're regretting it now." Wei Zhao smiled, not the least bit troubled by Kang Zhaoming's threat.

"Let's go!" Kang Zhaoming waved a hand and, with Zhu Xiaozhang and Wang Shubin in tow, turned and stalked toward the banquet hall, unwilling to concede.

Kang Xiaobo could have flung up both arms and shouted "Long live!" three times over! He had expected this meeting with Kang Zhaoming to be a grueling affair, drenched in humiliation and helplessness. He had readied himself to endure everything; this was, after all, the other man's turf, and he was no match for Kang Zhaoming. He knew well enough that an arm cannot outwrestle a thigh.

But who could have guessed that in the first round of this clash with Kang Zhaoming, his side would seize the upper hand, leaving Kang Zhaoming to swallow a silent loss and slink away in disgrace?

"Xiao Fen, you see how formidable our boss is? With him around, we won't be the ones to suffer!" Kang Xiaobo said firmly, taking her hand.

"Mm..." Xiao Fen had given up on Kang Zhaoming completely. Seeing that hideous face of his just now, she had felt, in that instant, a sense of release. All the years she had worn herself thin for him now seemed worthless; her earlier leap from that building, absurd.

How could she ever have fallen for a man with the heart of a wolf and the lungs of a dog? In that moment, Xiao Fen truly stepped out of the shadow that had hung over her heart; from now on she could face her own life with courage. Kang Zhaoming was not worth a thing she had given him... everything she had poured out before, she could only chalk up to having been blind.

Seeing the smile break across Xiao Fen's face, Kang Xiaobo breathed a sigh of relief, and Tang Yun was happy for her too. "Xiao Fen, you've finally worked it out?"

"Mm, I've worked it out! I was so foolish before..." Xiao Fen shook her head in self-mockery. "That kind of man... how could I ever have loved him? I ought to cherish what I have right in front of me..."

And as she spoke, Xiao Fen tightened her grip on Kang Xiaobo's hand.

Kang Xiaobo was instantly thrilled from head to toe. He and Xiao Fen had long since felt a little something for each other and had tacitly accepted their relationship, but Kang Xiaobo knew there had always been a shadow in her heart, and that shadow was Kang Zhaoming. Unless she got past that hurdle, he would forever be nothing but a stand-in for the man. It had rankled him deeply, and it was precisely why he had insisted on bringing Xiao Fen to see Kang Zhaoming.

But in this moment, Kang Xiaobo knew that Xiao Fen had, in her own way, confessed to him, made her feelings clear. How could he not be thrilled?

"Young Master Lin, if there's nothing else, I'll be on my way. If anything comes up, just give me a call." Seeing that he was no longer needed, Li Yixun nodded to Wei Zhao and spoke politely.

Wei Zhao nodded. "Sorry to trouble you, Brother Li."

Li Yixun made a gesture as if to say it was nothing, then rode off again in the electric cart.

Wei Zhao, Tang Yun, Kang Xiaobo, and Xiao Fen walked into the banquet hall, and the crowd that had gathered to watch followed them in.

Some of them knew Kang Xiaobo and Kang Zhaoming and were aware that the two were cousins; this squabble among the younger generation of the Kang family they took as nothing more than a joke.

Divine Doctor Kang's birthday banquet was a Western-style reception with a buffet. Kang Xiaobo led Wei Zhao to a seat in a corner of the banquet hall. In truth, his purpose for coming had already been served: Xiao Fen had seen Kang Zhaoming's true face, she had walked out of the shadow in her heart, and she could begin a new life.

Once inside the banquet hall, Xiao Fen's mood dipped somewhat, no doubt the aftermath of what had just happened. Though she had lost all faith in Kang Zhaoming, no one who went through such a thing could feel entirely at ease.

To have been a fool for so many years, to have held on for so many years, only to find it all came to nothing, anyone would feel wretched. Tang Yun murmured comforting words at her side, though comfort was hardly needed for such a thing; a few days and she would be fine.

"Boss, since we've come, it wouldn't look good to leave right away. But once the younger generation has offered birthday wishes to the guest of honor, we can go; we'll simply slip out then. I don't want to spend another minute in this place." Kang Xiaobo was utterly disgusted by Kang Zhaoming's face.

"Is that man your father?" Instead of answering Kang Xiaobo, Wei Zhao pointed to a middle-aged man not far away. Beside him stood Kang Zhaoming, gesturing animatedly about something.

"That's my dad. But what's Kang Zhaoming doing?" Kang Xiaobo was taken aback. Why would Kang Zhaoming go looking for his father? Had he gone to tattle? Surely Kang Zhaoming wasn't that spineless, running off to complain to the adults after being put in his place at the door.

"My guess is he's talking about Xiao Fen." Wei Zhao frowned. "I didn't think Kang Zhaoming was this spiteful, going to your father to speak ill of her!"

"F*** his ancestors eighteen generations back!" Kang Xiaobo was furious. If what Wei Zhao said was true, then Kang Zhaoming really was beneath contempt.

"Ha... his ancestors eighteen generations back are your ancestors eighteen generations back too." Wei Zhao smiled. "It's nothing, really. Look at it a little more lightly. Sooner or later you'd have to lay your cards on the table with your parents about this. Now that he's said his piece, you tell your parents everything that happened to Xiao Fen, exactly as it was. I don't think they're unreasonable people."

Looking at Kang Xiaobo's father, Wei Zhao saw a man with the air of a good-natured old soul; someone who might care about saving face, but by no means a hard-hearted villain.

Reason with him and appeal to his feelings, and getting him to accept Xiao Fen should be no great difficulty.

"Really?" Kang Xiaobo was overjoyed at Wei Zhao's words. "Boss, you're not fooling me, are you?"

"Why would I fool you?" Wei Zhao shook his head. "If it doesn't work, I'll put in a word for you."

Wei Zhao had a keen grasp of human nature, and he was indeed in a position to give Kang Xiaobo a hand.

As for Kang Zhaoming, Wei Zhao had guessed right. He had gone to Kang Xiaobo's father precisely to talk about Xiao Fen. But he did not dare admit that he had toyed with her and then cast her aside; instead he painted Xiao Fen as a shameless slut who, after seducing him, had gone and seduced Kang Xiaobo...

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