Cao Ying did not directly answer Cao Tiannan's question; she simply replied, "It's late, I need to rest."

Cao Tiannan didn't press Cao Ying further. However, a seed of curiosity had been planted in his mind. The next morning, he deliberately went to the guardhouse to inquire about what the sentinels on duty had witnessed the previous night. He also discreetly acquired Lin Feng's registered personal information and finally instructed his secretary, Li Jiawei, to investigate Lin Feng's family background.

Before long, Li Jiawei delivered Lin Feng's detailed file to Cao Tiannan's desk.

So this young man, Lin Feng, is the son of Lin Zhonghua, the commander of the City Military Command. It's rare to see someone like him driving only a Passat; he must be a steady and down-to-earth young man. Cao Tiannan mused.

After learning about Lin Feng's background, many of Cao Tiannan's doubts were dispelled. At least he no longer worried that Lin Feng was an opportunist deliberately deceiving Cao Ying's affections to climb the social ladder, knowing her identity as the mayor's daughter. After all, his own status wasn't vastly different from Lin Zhonghua's, they were in different systems, and Lin Feng was merely a first-year university student.

I haven't interacted much with Lin Zhonghua before. It seems I'll need to connect with him more in the future... Cao Tiannan muttered to himself, then suddenly realized, Wait, that's not right. I shouldn't be the one actively trying to get closer to him. It's his son who's pursuing my daughter. Why should I be the one trying to get close to him? If Lin Zhonghua wants a good daughter-in-law, he should be the one trying to curry favor with me!

After handing the file to Li Jiawei, Cao Tiannan's expression visibly relaxed. "From now on, keep an eye on Lin Feng's situation. You can report to me about him when I have some free time."

Given Cao Tiannan's status and position, such an instruction to his chief secretary was a significant assignment.

As Cao Tiannan's secretary, Li Jiawei naturally understood the implications. Ordinarily, Cao Tiannan might not even remember the name of a department-level official, yet today he had specifically asked him to pay attention to this young man named Lin Feng. This matter was clearly not simple.

However, Li Jiawei didn't ask any questions. He silently memorized Lin Feng's details and then contacted his acquaintances at Jiangzhou University, asking them to keep an eye on this student named Lin Feng and his usual conduct.

「 」

Lin Feng was completely unaware that Cao Tiannan had secretly arranged for people to monitor him. Due to his minor injuries, he slept soundly after returning to the villa and didn't wake up until after ten in the morning.

After getting up, Lin Feng felt a slight burning sensation from the wound on his back and began to circulate his Inner Strength to heal it.

Let's see if there are any internal injuries...

Taking a deep breath, Lin Feng circulated his Inner Strength to examine his body. The Inner Strength flowed like water through the injured area on his back. Confirming there was no major damage, Lin Feng began to use the Qi-guiding techniques from "The Supreme Medical Classic" to disperse the blood stasis in the injured part of his back.

Initially, Lin Feng felt no obstruction as his Inner Strength circulated. While circulating it, a warmth spread throughout his body, as if he were immersed in tepid water—it was very comfortable, and the injuries on his back were healing rapidly.

However, when Lin Feng guided his Inner Strength to a faintly painful spot near his spine, he suddenly encountered extremely distinct resistance.

What's going on? Why does this injury feel so strange? Lin Feng initially thought it was just a superficial wound. But after trying to circulate his Inner Strength three consecutive times and failing to break through the blockage, he finally sensed that something was amiss.

At this moment, Lin Feng suddenly felt all the Inner Strength in his body become incredibly agitated. It was as if it were a sentient entity that had encountered a mortal enemy and was about to gather all its power to fight a life-or-death battle against that indistinct blockage on his back.

Damn it, I get it now! This is the bottleneck to breaking through to the third level of Inner Strength! Lin Feng suddenly realized with a start. He quickly dispersed the Inner Strength throughout his body, not foolishly attempting to force the breakthrough immediately.

I'm speechless. Last time, getting beaten up reminded me of 'The Supreme Medical Classic'. This time, I've accidentally stumbled upon the threshold for breaking through to the third level of Inner Strength. Damn, I never knew I had such a bizarre talent! Lin Feng chuckled in self-deprecation.

Knowing it was a breakthrough bottleneck, Lin Feng didn't rush. Forcing a breakthrough is inherently dangerous. Failure could lead to a significant loss of Vitality and even a drop in his cultivation level. Since he wasn't currently in his peak state of essence, qi, and spirit, it wasn't suitable to attempt an immediate breakthrough.

But having touched the threshold means breaking through to the third level is practically a certainty! At most, within a month, my Inner Strength will reach the third level! When that happens, even if I face thirty of those street punks again, they'll find it much harder to injure me. In an instant, Lin Feng felt a surge of confidence.

DING DONG...

Just as Lin Feng was reveling in his joy, the crisp chime of the villa's doorbell suddenly rang.

Lin Feng casually pulled on a pair of loose shorts, slipped on his flip-flops, and went to open the door.

"Who is it?" Lin Feng asked casually as he pulled the door open.

"Seriously, couldn't you put on something decent before opening the door?" Cao Ying, her hands full with two large bags, rolled her eyes. She glanced speechlessly at Lin Feng's bare upper body and commented with a touch of shyness.

Only then did Lin Feng remember his arrangement for Cao Ying to come over to cook and brew medicine for him. He scratched his head, looking a bit sheepish. "Ah, I forgot my dear 'wifey' was coming..."

Cao Ying's face flushed red again at Lin Feng's address. She retorted, a little annoyed, "So, you'd dress like this if anyone else came over?"

"I wasn't finished..." Lin Feng suddenly grinned mischievously. "If I'd known it was my dear 'wifey' coming, I wouldn't have even bothered with these shorts..."

"You... pervert!" Cao Ying exclaimed, walking into the villa. She put the bags down in the kitchen, then came back to Lin Feng's side and said matter-of-factly, "Don't move. Since you're already shirtless, let me check if those wounds on your back are inflamed..."

"See how brilliant I am? I knew you'd want to check on me. If I'd worn a shirt, I'd just have to take it off anyway. This saves trouble, right?" Lin Feng let Cao Ying guide him to sit on the sofa, still grinning.

"Brilliant, my foot!" Cao Ying huffed, annoyed. Lin Feng's words made it sound as if she were the lecherous one. She reached out her delicate hand and lightly tapped him on the head before bending down to carefully inspect the wounds on his back.

"Huh, your Recovery Ability is quite impressive! These wounds have almost completely healed overnight. There's hardly any bruising or swelling..." Cao Ying remarked, genuinely surprised to see how well the wounds on Lin Feng's back had recovered.

"Naturally. After receiving some tender loving care from my dear 'wifey' last night, how could they dare not heal properly?" Lin Feng knew it was the result of circulating his Inner Strength that morning, but he couldn't resist teasing Cao Ying.

"You just love your cunning remarks..." Cao Ying's face flushed, taken aback by Lin Feng's cheeky words. A bashful blush rose on her pretty cheeks.

"What are you talking about? You're not called 'cunning'..." Lin Feng chuckled.

"Since you're almost healed, you'll just need one dose of restorative herbal medicine to help your body recuperate. Go put on some proper clothes and come out. I'll start cooking and brewing the medicine." Cao Ying knew Lin Feng was still teasing, so she pretended not to understand. But even as she felt shy, a faint, inexplicable joy blossomed within her.

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