I agreed to be a kept man, but I'm still being punished by the system.

Lin Yang sat back down at the table, somewhat embarrassed, and put down his phone.

"My mom is a bit talkative, just an ordinary housewife."

Su Man rested her chin on one hand, while unconsciously poking at the rice in her bowl with the tip of her chopsticks with the other, the mischievous smile in her eyes not yet completely gone.

"Yes, she's a good mother."

Her voice was soft, with a hint of lingering tranquility.

"I envy you."

This surprised Lin Yang.

Su Man lowered her eyes and looked at her exquisite nails.

"My parents are very good too."

She paused for a moment, as if organizing her thoughts, or perhaps recalling some past events she didn't want to touch.

"After the divorce, they were extremely anxious and introduced me to many potential partners. There were talented young men, people from prominent families, all sorts of people."

[Inner monologue]: But when those people heard that I was a divorced woman, their eyes changed.

She didn't say what was on her mind, but Lin Yang understood everything from the moment her eyes dimmed.

"Later, when they heard that I was divorced, they all backed down."

Su Man laughed self-deprecatingly, but there was an undeniable bitterness in her smile.

"After that, I gave up hope and realized that men are all the same, so I might as well focus all my energy on my work. My work won't betray me."

She raised her head, her gaze returning to Lin Yang's face. His eyes, which always held a touch of coldness, were now filled with a complex, watery light.

"Now, with your appearance..."

[Psychological activity]: It stirred up some... excitement in me again.

She didn't finish her sentence, but those unspoken words, like a pebble thrown into a still lake, rippled across Lin Yang's heart.

The atmosphere became somewhat subtle in the latter half of the meal.

After finishing his meal, Lin Yang took the initiative to clean up the dishes and pack up the takeout boxes and trash.

He carried the car keys and saw Su Man downstairs.

"I'll take you back."

"it is good."

The Volvo S90 glides out of the underground parking garage of Tianyue Huafu and merges into the city's traffic.

Neither of them spoke inside the car.

Lin Yang parked the car steadily in the designated parking space in Tianheng Garden. He had been here many times before and knew the way well.

[Inner monologue]: He's already done it so many times last night, and he's been cleaning all afternoon. He must be exhausted. I can't let him go upstairs again, even though I still want to...

"Come pick me up at nine o'clock tomorrow morning to go to the company for a meeting."

Su Man unbuckled her seatbelt, regaining her capable demeanor as the director of the Enwei Group's laundry and personal care division.

"Yes, I'll definitely be there on time."

Lin Yang nodded.

But when he saw Su Man's inner thoughts, he was still ashamed of his sister's fierceness!

Su Man pushed open the car door, got out of the car, and the sound of her high heels clicking on the ground was crisp and independent.

She didn't turn around, but walked straight to the elevator lobby, leaving behind only a stunningly beautiful silhouette.

Lin Yang watched her figure disappear behind the elevator doors before walking out of Tianheng Garden.

Instead of driving directly back to Tianyue Huafu, he found a subway station.

It's only five stops away, so taking the subway is more convenient and it's not that far.

This is a habit that has not completely faded from his subconscious.

Back at Tianyue Huafu, he swiped his access card and found himself alone in the empty elevator lobby.

"bite."

Just as the elevator doors were about to close, a hand reached in from the outside and blocked the sensor.

The door slid open again.

A figure followed them in and stood in the corner of the elevator.

It was a person wearing a large black hoodie, the hood pulled low, and a black face mask covering their entire face.

Judging from her figure, she should be a woman.

And he's very tall, almost as tall as Lin Yang, who is 1.85 meters.

Lin Yang glanced at the floor buttons and pressed "24".

The woman remained motionless and did not press any floor button.

The elevator was deathly silent.

The only noises were a faint murmur from the ventilation system and a slight mechanical sound as the elevator ascended.

Lin Yang caught a glimpse of that figure out of the corner of his eye. She stood there quietly, like a lifeless sculpture, exuding an aura that kept strangers at bay.

"bite."

We've reached the 24th floor.

The elevator doors slid open, and Lin Yang stepped out, carrying his keys.

Footsteps followed from behind.

The two walked one after the other in the same direction down the corridor.

A strange feeling swept through Lin Yang's heart.

He stopped in front of 2403, ready to take out his keys.

The woman in black also stopped in front of apartment 2404 across the street.

She seemed to sense something too, turning her head to look at him through the shadow of her hood.

Lin Yang broke the silence first, revealing what he considered a friendly smile.

"Hello, neighbor."

He raised his hand.

"I just moved in today, please take care of me from now on."

The woman in black uttered only a very soft syllable from her throat.

"Um."

The voice was cold, and no emotion could be discerned.

Then, she took out her key, opened the door to room 2404, and slipped inside.

"Bang."

The door was closed, isolating everything.

Lin Yang touched his nose, feeling somewhat embarrassed.

What a coincidence, they're neighbors.

He was puzzled. This woman gave him a very unusual feeling, but why was the system not reacting at all?

Does the system need to see the face to recognize it?

He recalled seeing Aunt Chen at Su Man's house and the women hurrying by on the street, but the system gave him no indication of anything.

Does this mean that only those who meet the system's dual standards of "wealth" and "appearance" will trigger the information panel? Or do I need to actively initiate a scan, like scanning He Xiaoya and Li Tong?

It seems there are still many rules in this system that I need to figure out gradually.

He stopped thinking about it and opened the door to room 2403 before going inside.

Returning to his new home, which was temporarily his own, Lin Yang felt completely relaxed.

He threw himself onto the soft sofa and mentally summoned the system.

[Host, how can I help you?]

"I'd like to ask, what are the specific differences between beginner, intermediate, and advanced martial arts?"

Although the battle at the entrance of Shipai Village today was clean and efficient, he still wanted to understand the power he possessed more clearly.

The system responded without the slightest delay, and cold, virtual text appeared on his retina.

[Basic Combat Techniques: Comprehensive mastery of vital human body points and basic combat skills; initial enhancement of body coordination and explosive power. Dealing with ten untrained ordinary people is no problem.]

[Intermediate Fighting Skills: Proficient in practical combat techniques from various styles. Along with improved physical attributes, reaction speed, strength, and endurance far surpass those of ordinary people. Taking on ten highly trained fighters is no problem.]

[Advanced Fighting Techniques: A fusion of practical combat skills from various styles, developing muscle memory. Accompanying a significant improvement in physical attributes, reaction speed, strength, and endurance far surpass those of ordinary people. This makes one a championship contender in any unrestricted fighting competition.]

[Grandmaster-level combat skills: Combat techniques have reached a state of perfection, and control over power has reached an extremely subtle level. You yourself are the ultimate killing weapon. Within the scope of Earth, there are only a handful of opponents who can defeat you in a hand-to-hand combat.]

Lin Yang stared at the last line of description, his heart pounding uncontrollably.

Only a handful.

These four words carry a terrifying, domineering power that sends chills down your spine.

With only basic fighting skills, he was able to easily take down those thugs.

What would a master-level fighting style look like?

However, the amount of money needed to support a woman is also staggering—ten million. When will it ever be enough?

He clenched his fist, feeling the power hidden beneath his muscles, ready to erupt at any moment.

Then, he turned on the camera on his old, domestically made mobile phone, took a few photos inside the small three-bedroom apartment, and then took a selfie as evidence, which he sent to Empress Dowager Chen.

After that, he went to take a shower and go to bed; he was really tired from last night's battle.

"I need to exchange for a skill that improves stamina or physical fitness, otherwise I won't be able to handle the increasing number of women in my collection when I'm all alone."

Lin Yang fell asleep while thinking about it.