Chapter 180: The Red Exclamation Mark

"Of course, if you're not willing to take the money and actually want to pursue my daughter Yinan, that's fine too. Don't say I didn't give you a chance."

Ye Hai sipped his tea, arrogantly offering a compromise.

"After the New Year, you and my daughter can register your marriage. But you'll need to marry into our Ye family, and any children you have must take our surname."

Shen Lang fiddled with the check and the billion-dollar property transfer contract, feeling a mix of emotions.

"Forget it. I'm just a nobody. No interest in climbing up the social ladder."

After some thought, Shen Lang let out a resigned laugh. He picked up the pen and filled out the check with a ridiculous amount: **999,999,999.99 yuan.**

"Uncle, do you think I'm being too greedy here?"

He showed Ye Hai the filled-out check like a child showing off a prank.

Ye Hai smirked. "Not at all. If I were you, I'd have written out a few more checks. Want another one?"

The two exchanged a calm but knowing look, both aware of the game being played.

"Alright. You're her dad, and you're kicking me out. I've got nothing more to say."

With a reluctant sigh, Shen Lang crumpled the check and tossed it into the trash, then asked, "I'm just curious. People as successful as you—do you always look down on those beneath you?"

"If you think this is about that, then you're mistaken," Ye Hai said seriously. "I don't look down on ordinary people. I started from nothing myself. But I won't allow my daughter to waste her life with someone who can't match her."

He leaned forward, his gaze sharp. "Let's switch perspectives. If you were in my shoes, would you let your precious daughter, raised with love and sacrifice, settle down with a self-proclaimed 'nobody'?"

Shen Lang was silent for a long time, Ye Hai's words hitting him harder than expected. Finally, he sighed.

"Fine. But make sure you take good care of her. Don't treat her the way you used to."

He pointed a finger at Ye Hai and added angrily, "I worked my ass off to help her recover, and you're just swooping in to take over. If she regresses to her old self, it'll break my heart, you hear me?"

Ye Hai chuckled. "I see now where Yinan learned to curse."

This was the first time someone dared to speak so crudely to Ye Hai, and surprisingly, he wasn't offended. Shen Lang's genuine concern for Yinan was evident.

"Alright, I promise," Ye Hai said as he handed over the property transfer contract. He patted Shen Lang on the shoulder. "I won't let her turn back into the person she used to be."

"Keep your damn house. I don't want it."

Shen Lang pushed the contract away and stormed out of the room, leaving Ye Hai deep in thought and his secretary staring in shock.

"Wow... Are all young people this intense nowadays?" Ye Hai muttered, looking at the trashed check and contract. "Actually, the kid's not so bad when you think about it."

---

Around 9 PM, Shen Lang lay in his suite, tossing and turning, unable to sleep. His mind kept replaying Ye Hai's words.

Just then, a video call request from Ye Yinan popped up on his phone.

He hesitated for a moment before rejecting it, opting to type instead:

**Shen Lang:** "What's up? I was about to sleep."

**Yinan:** "What did my dad say to you?"

**Shen Lang:** "Nothing much, just chatted. Is this why you're calling so late?"

**Yinan:** "Nope, I just wanted to talk. You're my boyfriend, after all."

**Shen Lang:** "Ugh, I'm a jerk, okay? Stop clinging to me."

**Yinan:** "Don't know, maybe because I like you?"

Her straightforward reply left Shen Lang speechless. He could imagine her lying in bed, waiting for her boyfriend to respond with excitement and innocence.

After some thought, he decided to call her.

"Hello, Shen Lang. Wanna—"

"Shut up! You clingy weirdo. You like jerks, huh? You're so dumb you're proud to be cheated on! You're dumber than a grade-schooler, a total airhead! I'm pissed off; can you stop annoying me like a fly? Keep it up, and I'll come over and slap some sense into you!"

He let out all his frustration, hoping to end their relationship for good.

"Wait, Shen Lang!" Yinan's voice sounded frantic, accompanied by shuffling sounds.

"What are you doing? Is someone there?"

"No, I ran out of toilet paper in my suite!"

"...Damn it."

---

The next morning, as the luxury cruise ship docked, Yinan was still fast asleep when her mom woke her.

"Yinan, wake up! We're at the dock."

"Mom..." Yinan groggily opened her eyes, her whole body aching like she'd been run over.

"What's that smell in your room?"

Zhong Meiru sniffed around, frowning. "Why does it smell like seafood?"

Yinan's face turned bright red as she glanced at the trash can full of crumpled tissues. Quickly, she changed the subject.

"Mom, you go ahead. I'll shower and catch up with you."

"Alright, but hurry. Your dad and I are waiting at the dock."

As soon as her mom left, Yinan grabbed her phone and sent Shen Lang a voice message, half-annoyed and half-flirting:

"Shen Lang, last night was all your fault. My mom almost found out! You owe me tonight—take me out for BBQ!"

But instead of a reply, her screen showed a red exclamation mark with a system message:

**"Message failed to send. The recipient has enabled friend verification. You are not their friend. Please send a friend request first to chat."**