Republic of China: My great warlord, many children, many blessings.

I never expected this guy to be so arrogant.

Seeing the two men's grim expressions, Shen Hao felt a surge of joy.

However, Shen Hao did not make enemies with the two, but rather deepened their impression of him.

So he said again, "This young master has a handsome face; among all high-ranking officials, perhaps only Minister Jin Quan has such a face."

This praise made Jin Yanxi feel very pleased. He felt that although these words were the same as the flattery he usually heard, they were just very pleasant to hear.

Bai Xiuzhu sneered, "So, you already knew who we were, and you were just pretending to be high and mighty here, trying to get to know us."

Upon hearing this, Jin Yanxi looked at Shen Hao with a suspicious expression.

Shen Hao curled his lip and sneered again, "I can already see the future of the Jin family in this young master."

"Although you are high-ranking officials, your family has fallen on hard times and you will inevitably decline sooner or later. Do I need to know you?"

Upon hearing this, Jin Yanxi's face turned ugly.

Before he could even get angry, Bai Xiuzhu retorted sarcastically, "Nonsense! Uncle Jin is in good health and his official career is going well. The Jin family will surely prosper and its status will rise even higher. How could the family possibly decline?"

Shen Hao shook his head and said, "Although the Jin family has a prestigious background, apart from Minister Jin, none of the men in the family are reliable."

Jin Yanxi retorted angrily, "Bullshit! If you can't give me a straight answer today, don't blame me for being ruthless!"

Shen Hao said dismissively, "Since you want to hear it, then I'll tell you."

The rise and fall of a family is closely related to its children.

Apart from Minister Kim, a "founding father," the second generation of the Kim family consisted of pleasure-seeking individuals who accomplished nothing.

Let me first tell you about the eldest son of the Jin family, Jin Fengju;

On ordinary days, they mostly wear old-fashioned robes and rarely wear Western suits, making them seem like refined scoundrels.

He squandered money and was proficient in all sorts of vices, including eating, drinking, gambling, and whoring.

As the eldest son, he doesn't act like the pillar of the family at all.

Jin Hesun, the second son of the Jin family, has a low profile. He doesn't do anything productive, but he doesn't seem to have done anything bad either. He's just a spineless coward who doesn't act like a proper man and only likes to smoke opium.

This is Kim Peng-jin, the third son of the Kim family. He likes male actors and is another one who doesn't do anything productive.

Rumors circulate that he's number one in being afraid of his wife.

Some of the Jin brothers smoked opium, while others indulged in drinking, gambling, and prostitution.

However, although the seventh brother, Jin Yanxi, was unruly and difficult to control, he was the most successful of the brothers, with no bad habits.

Shen Hao belittled the three Jin brothers to the point of being worthless, but praised Jin Yanxi instead.

Upon hearing this, Jin Yanxi was not annoyed at all; instead, he felt a slight sense of satisfaction.

Because Shen Hao is right. The Jin brothers didn't get along to begin with. They weren't born to the same mother, and they had several concubines.

Bai Xiuzhu also smiled slightly, feeling very happy.

Unable to contain her pride, she said, "You're smart to know your place. Brother Yanxi is the future of the Jin family."

Shen Hao couldn't help but mock, "So you're Bai Xiuzhu, the Bai family's daughter who's in love with the seventh young master of the Jin family. It's a pity you'll never have the chance to be Jin Yanxi's wife in this lifetime."

26. I was completely fooled!

Upon hearing this, Bai Xiuzhu glared angrily.

"You're talking nonsense! How can I not have a chance? Who else but me is good enough for Brother Yanxi?"

Jin Yanxi became even more curious, as Shen Hao was actually saying what he had in mind.

He didn't really see Bai Xiuzhu as a woman, but just as an annoying little sister.

Seeing that the two were swayed by his emotions, Shen Hao smiled slightly and said again, "Although Jin Yanxi grew up in a pampered environment and gives people the impression of a cynical and spoiled young master,

Despite this, Jin Yanxi never bullied anyone, nor did he have any bad habits like drinking, gambling, or womanizing, which is quite rare.

Deep down, she yearns for true, free love, which makes her quite refined in terms of taste.

Even among wealthy young men, he was truly unique.

"Although you, Bai Xiuzhu, and the seventh young master of the Jin family are childhood sweethearts, it's just wishful thinking on your part. Jin Yanxi has never treated you as a woman, but only as a younger sister."

Do you think anyone would like their own younger sister?

Jin Yanxi felt a surge of satisfaction upon hearing this.

He was a true friend. He hadn't expected that a junior policeman would understand him so well, and his gaze toward Shen Hao was becoming more and more pleasing to the eye.

My anger vanished instantly.

Shen Hao's flattering remarks, which started by belittling and then praising, made Jin Yanxi extremely happy.

It's true that handsome people have a pleasant voice.

Shen Hao's explanation was intended to sow discord.

It's like pricking a thorn in Bai Xiuzhu's throat, making her feel like she has a fishbone stuck in her throat.

The thought that one's selfless dedication is not rewarded with love would make anyone feel wronged.

If you suffer injustice for too long, you will become completely heartbroken.

Only in this way can Shen Hao have a chance to attack.

At this moment, Bai Xiuzhu looked at Jin Yanxi's approving expression and felt extremely disappointed and aggrieved.

Could it be that in Brother Yanxi's heart, I am really just a little sister?

The more she thought about it, the more aggrieved she felt, and her eyes grew increasingly red.

She glared fiercely at Shen Hao and said, "I hate you, you bastard!"

As she spoke, her eyes red from crying, she covered her mouth and ran out.

Jin Yanxi didn't care at all when he saw this.

Instead, she became interested in Shen Hao.

"I never expected that the person who knows me best is actually a junior policeman."

"Let's get to know each other again. I am Jin Yanxi, the seventh young master of the Jin family, as you mentioned," Jin Yanxi said.

Shen Hao's neither arrogant nor humble attitude suited Jin Yanxi's taste perfectly.

"Shen Hao from the Chengnan Branch."

It seems that they have found a kindred spirit, or a good friend with whom they can have a pleasant conversation.

Jin Yanxi found Shen Hao more and more pleasing to the eye and couldn't help but invite him:

"Shen Hao, are you free tonight? Let's have dinner together."

I think you're just the way I like you.

Unlike those people who fawn over me all day long, with their servile faces, they make me lose my appetite.

Shen Hao shook his head and said, "I'm afraid I don't have time. I need to go back and be with my wife."

Jin Yanxi was somewhat surprised; he hadn't expected Shen Hao to be married.

"Brother Shen is indeed a man who cherishes his wife."

Jin Yanxi is cheerful, enthusiastic, and outgoing, and loves making friends. Shen Hao is just like him.

Shen Hao probably knows Jin Yanxi better than his family does.

He's just a parasite bred by the "Famous Family," a useless youth who can't stand up.

They seem to pursue freedom in love and marriage and advocate for equality for all.

He treated his servants, especially the young maids, with kindness, and like Jia Baoyu, he saw the innocence and kindness in them.

However, after marriage, Yanxi began to reveal his true nature, which was influenced by feudal patriarchal ideology.

He treated his wife as an appendage, ignored her, and paid no heed to Qingqiu's advice. His pursuit of freedom was actually an unrestrained excuse for his womanizing and hedonistic lifestyle.

Jin Yanxi was deeply influenced by his hierarchical family.

The "freedom of marriage" he pursued was nothing more than avoiding problems like his father and brothers, and finding mistresses outside when he was dissatisfied with his wife. In essence, it was still the feudal society's practice of taking concubines and wives.

As a pampered scion of a wealthy family, Jin Yanxi spent a long time among playboys and did not receive the powerful enlightenment from progressive publications such as "New Youth" during the May Fourth Movement. Naturally, he lacked the revolutionary genes to change the world.

When Jin Quan died suddenly and his family fell into decline, he tried to get close to Bai Xiuzhu, the younger sister of the new warlord Bai Xiongqi, in order to advance his career.

When the snobbish Bai Xiuzhu treated him coldly, he once went into his study, trying to study hard and improve himself, ignoring other people's opinions.

However, while the landscape may change, one's nature is hard to alter.

His past idleness and laziness not only made him lack the means to navigate social situations and make connections with powerful people, but also caused him to lose the perseverance and determination to endure hardship and strive for self-improvement.

He couldn't control himself, nor was he able to create a better future for himself.

Shen Hao laughed and said, "I've called you Brother Jin, but I see you have no romantic feelings for Bai Xiuzhen. Why didn't you say so sooner?"

Jin Yanxi said, "My parents are very satisfied with Bai Xiuzhu, but I can't say it directly."

Shen Hao smiled and shook his head.