Author Archives: Thingyan

Fu Junjie couldn’t help stepping forward and demanding,

“You’re not looking for another suitable husband so you can have a new heir, are you?”

Yun Xi replied,

“And what does that have to do with you?”

Fu Junjie angrily said,

“What do you take my dad for? What do you take me for? How can you be so cold-hearted?”

Yun Xi laughed.

“When I treated you as family before, you said I treated you like tools. Now that we have no relationship anymore, you’re asking what I take you for. The truth is, you’re already in your twenties. You can be whatever you want to be.

You have complete autonomy over your own life.

What other people think isn’t important.”

Over the years, Fu Junjie had argued with his mother countless times.

Every time, she would eventually be left speechless and angry.

But somehow, he had reached a point where he couldn’t win against her anymore.

“Anyway,” he said, “I don’t agree with you remarrying and having another child.

Did you ever consider my feelings?”

He glared at Yun Xi with fury in his eyes.

The man Yun Xi had been meeting tried to explain,

“Actually, we’re just…”

Yun Xi interrupted him and said to Fu Junjie,

“I used to say that we were family.

That family should respect one another as equals.

That we shouldn’t interfere in each other’s lives. I didn’t interfere with your marriage or your decision to have children. So you don’t have the right to interfere with my choices either, do you? Hasn’t that always been your logic?

Or are you such a hypocrite that I can’t interfere with you, but you can interfere with me whenever you want?”

“That’s different!”

“How is it different?”

Yun Xi stood up.

“Enough. I don’t have time to waste arguing with you. Mr. Fu, you need to understand something. The only thing connecting us now is a blood relationship that you hate more than anything else. Other than that, we have absolutely no relationship. I’ve already completed legal notarizations.

No matter what happens at any stage of my life, nobody will ever come to you to participate in my affairs.

That means even if I’m on my deathbed and someone needs to decide whether to remove life support, you won’t be involved.

As for your legal obligation to support me in old age, I’ve already notarized that I don’t want it.

So legally speaking, we won’t have any connection either.

We have no right to interfere in each other’s lives.

Do you understand?

I hope you’ll understand your place in the future and stop saying things that make people laugh.”

Fu Junjie blocked her path and stared directly at her.

“You really intend to cut me off forever? Never contact me again for the rest of your life?”

Yun Xi replied,

“Otherwise what?

So I can keep listening to you call me cold and heartless?”

Fu Junjie found himself unable to answer.

Every accusation Yun Xi made was impossible to refute.

Just as she was about to leave, he unwillingly asked,

“Just because I didn’t listen to you and insisted on marrying Yan Zhixin, you’re treating me like this?”

Yun Xi replied,

“It’s because you’ve always longed for an ordinary life and hated being my son.

So I gave you exactly what you wanted.”

With that, she pushed open the door and left without looking back.

Because Fu Junjie had wasted so much time, the delivery order he was supposed to complete received a complaint.

More money was deducted from his pay.

Irritated beyond measure, he didn’t even finish the remaining deliveries.

Instead, he found a random spot by the roadside, squatted down, and smoked.

A mother and son walked past him.

The boy looked to be in his mid-teens and was clearly in a rebellious phase.

Annoyed, he argued with his mother and blurted out,

“If I don’t study well, I can just deliver food, okay?

You don’t need to control me.

Just accept that your son is an ordinary person.”

His mother replied,

“But we are ordinary people.

What’s not ordinary about us? Ordinary people still want better lives. If you can sit in an air-conditioned office, why work outside in the sun and wind?

I’m not trying to make you some great success.

just want you to think carefully about the road you choose. Don’t keep talking about being ordinary or delivering food.

Have you been watching too many short videos?

Look at him. Does he look happy delivering food? Can you handle that kind of hardship? Do you think it’s easy? You could work a whole month and still not earn enough to buy the new computer you want.

Is that really the life you want?

Have you thought it through?”

Fu Junjie looked up at their backs.

He never imagined he would become a cautionary example.

An ordinary parent teaching her child not to end up like him.

Something inside him instantly snapped.

He jumped to his feet and shouted,

“If you’re teaching your kid, then teach your kid! What does that have to do with me? My life’s great! Stop looking down on people. With your attitude, what kind of kid can you raise? If you really loved your child, you’d respect him instead of controlling him. You’re suffocating him!”

The mother and son had already walked past.

Hearing this, they turned around.

When the mother realized he was yelling at her, she became furious.

“Are you crazy?

What did I even say about you?

Is delivering food hard work that means being out in the wind and sun? Yes.

Did I insult you?

Sounds like you’re the one who’s insecure.”

Fu Junjie shouted,

“What am I insecure about? My wife, child, and I are living great lives. We have food, clothes, and money. I deliver food because I want to. What right do you have to judge me? Who do you think you are? You’re just another selfish mother…”

“Shut up!”

The teenage boy rushed forward and punched him.

“How dare you talk about my mom! How dare you! Apologize to her!”

The boy kept swinging.

Within moments, blood was running from Fu Junjie’s nose.

The mother hurriedly pulled her son away.

“Stop fighting, stop fighting! Are you hurt? Mom’s fine. Let’s go.”

Bent over and holding his bleeding nose, Fu Junjie stared at the boy.

“Are you crazy?

I was standing up for you, and you hit me?”

As his mother dragged him away, the boy pointed angrily at Fu Junjie.

“My mom is great.

She was just telling me food delivery is hard work and doesn’t suit my personality.

She was advising me not to choose it.

When did she ever look down on delivery workers?

My mom respects everyone.

Every time she orders food, she thanks the delivery person.

She opens the door early so they don’t have to wait.

She never leaves bad reviews.

I think you’re the one who looks down on the job, which is why you think everyone else does too.

And let me tell you something.

Even when I argue with my mom, I know she’s doing it for my own good.

The truth may be unpleasant, but it’s still the truth.

I don’t need you speaking for me.

And you weren’t speaking for me anyway.

You’re just freaking out because your own life sucks.

If your life’s bad, work harder.

Stop acting crazy in public.

I’ll return your own words to you.

You have no right to judge other people.

You’re the selfish one…”

“Let’s go, let’s go,” the mother said, forcefully pulling him away.

“Don’t argue with him. Maybe life has been really difficult for him.”

Fu Junjie wiped away the blood and viciously kicked his electric scooter.

His life was difficult?

He was freaking out?

He was insecure?

What kind of nonsense were they talking about?

He, Fu Junjie, had been born as the heir to the Fu family.

Born with a golden spoon in his mouth.

Raised amid the highest levels of wealth and privilege.

The things he had seen were things those people would never see in their entire lives.

And they were saying his life was bad?

Was his life bad?

After venting his anger, Fu Junjie picked up the scooter he had kicked over and prepared to leave.

Only then did he realize it wouldn’t start.

He had kicked it hard enough to break it.

Cursing, he had no choice but to push it along.

The late summer heat was still brutal.

Within minutes, sweat was pouring down his face.

As he watched cars passing by on the road, he remembered the two supercars he used to own.

That mother had been right.

If someone could sit in an air-conditioned office or drive around in an air-conditioned car, who would willingly choose to work outside under the scorching sun and wind?

Everything he had once possessed was something countless people could only dream of.

Yet he had thrown it all away with his own hands.

Original translation at HololoNovels dot com. He kept walking and walking until he finally found a repair shop that fixed his electric scooter.

The repair cost him 200 yuan.

When Fu Junjie scanned the payment code, he stared at his account balance for a long time before finally paying.

He had no money.

In the past, if he saw 200 yuan lying on the ground, he wouldn’t even bother picking it up.

Now, spending 200 yuan actually hurt.

Because he had no money.

Only then did he realize that his life really was terrible.

Even among ordinary people, he was now one of the most ordinary.

For the first time, he truly understood how extravagantly he had lived before.

The personal belongings he had taken from the Fu family home had been enough for an ordinary person to live comfortably for a lifetime.

And he had burned through all of it.

He had always imagined that ordinary life was filled with warmth.

People worrying about groceries and daily necessities, laughing and arguing together.

Parents going to work during the day, children going to school.

At night, the family cooking dinner together, eating together, watching television, chatting, doing household chores.

A life filled with love and warmth.

But what he felt now was nothing but exhaustion and anxiety.

The exhaustion of working himself to death every day without earning enough money.

The anxiety of wondering whether he could pay next month’s credit card bill.

The anxiety of not knowing what he would eat tomorrow.

The apartment they rented was shabby and poorly insulated.

The mattress was uncomfortable.

The moment he lifted the blanket, he could smell mildew.

Occasionally he would even see insects crawling around the room.

All these little irritations drove him insane.

He had never known that there could be such a huge difference between one living space and another.

Now he suffered from insomnia regularly.

Poor sleep left him exhausted, which made work harder.

That made his temper worse.

It was a vicious cycle.

Sometimes, just when he finally managed to fall asleep, he would be awakened by noisy children running around, parents scolding them, piano practice from next door, or the piercing sounds of renovation work.

Only now did he understand what people meant by “the bustle of everyday life.”

Why had he never known before? This kind of life was unbearable. Otherwise, why would he have gone back to Yun Xi so quickly?

Why would he have swallowed his pride? Every single day felt like torture. Yet every time he sought out Yun Xi, she pushed him farther away.

Especially after this latest encounter.

Yun Xi had clearly said that she had already arranged everything for every stage of her life. Meaning that if she ever needed surgery and someone had to sign consent forms…

Or if some accident happened…

Nobody would contact him.

No matter how serious the emergency, she already had contingency plans. She had absolutely no need for him as her biological son. That was what truly severing a relationship looked like. He had never known a mother and son could cut ties so completely.

Now he knew.

And it was too late.

If even the law no longer connected him to Yun Xi, then he had truly been removed from her world. Once upon a time, his mother had given birth to him and brought him into that world of wealth and privilege. Now she had personally expelled him from it. He had repeatedly said he didn’t care about being her son. So she had taken back everything she had ever given him.

For years, Fu Junjie had constantly shouted at Yun Xi to stop controlling him.

Now she finally had. And suddenly he felt utterly alone in the world. Standing by himself. Looking in every direction.

Not knowing what he should do.

Not knowing how he was supposed to pursue a better life.

Thinking about all of this, Fu Junjie stayed awake the entire night.

The next morning, Yan Zhixin got up and began putting on makeup while speaking to him.

“I found you a tutoring job. You can do it during your days off. You’ll be teaching English to a middle school student. The probationary pay is 100 yuan an hour. If you do well, they’ll increase the rate. I heard some tutors who produce results can earn one or two thousand yuan an hour. You studied abroad for so many years. You’ll definitely be fine.

Just teach properly.”

Fu Junjie frowned.

“You didn’t even discuss it with me. Why are you arranging my work on your own?”

Yan Zhixin spoke in the same gentle voice as always.

But her words were different.

“I’m doing it for the child.

For you.

For this family.

Have you ever thought that if you’re suffering enough, Auntie might feel sorry for you?

Or if you try different part-time jobs and find your own path, achieve some success, maybe Auntie will feel proud of you?

We still have a long road ahead of us.

There will definitely be another opportunity.”

Fu Junjie looked at her.

She was clearly the same person. Yet she felt impossibly distant. As if he couldn’t reach her at all.

He blurted out,

“Have you ever considered that working so many jobs could literally kill someone?”

He didn’t need an answer. He knew she loved reading social news. Of course she knew people died from overwork. She simply didn’t care about his health.

The woman he had once loved.

The woman for whom he had turned against his mother and thrown away everything he had.

And this was how she treated him.

His expression darkened.

“You’re really a cold and heartless person.”

Yan Zhixin sneered.

“When you lived with your mother, you called her cold and heartless. Now you’re living with me, and I’m cold and heartless too. So anyone who doesn’t do exactly what you want is cold and heartless?

What about you?

When you were a son, why weren’t you filial to your mother?

When you became a husband, why didn’t you properly support your family?

Now that you have a child, why haven’t you built any security for that child?

Can’t I call you cold and heartless too?

You’re such a hypocrite.”

This was the second time Fu Junjie had heard the word “hypocrite.”

He became agitated.

“I’m not a hypocrite! These are completely different things! What I care about is feelings.

Real feelings.

I gave you my sincere heart.

Did either of you ever return that same sincerity to me?”

Yan Zhixin looked at him with open contempt.

“Your sincerity is just talking. If you really loved me, would you make me live in a dump like this? If you really wanted to be a good father, would you complain so much about taking on a part-time job to earn more money? What do you think this is?

Some fantasy world?

Do you think people can survive on love without eating or drinking?

Please.

How old are you?

Can you stop being so childish?

Can you show even a little responsibility as a man?”

Once again, the argument ended badly. Since getting married, they had fought like this many times. Both of them wanted to maintain the image of a loving couple. Yet they kept ending up in arguments.

It turned out that once people lost their comfortable environment, they became irritable and impatient.

And conflict naturally followed.

Yan Zhixin had originally wanted to marry into a wealthy family and climb the social ladder. Instead, the marriage had become a burden dragging her down.

Her quality of life had plummeted. Not a single day had made her happy. She had even developed two new fine lines at the corners of her eyes.

Yet every time she considered getting an abortion and filing for divorce, she would stop herself. Because Yun Xi’s behavior simply didn’t make sense.

It was too unbelievable.

For generations, the Fu family had produced only one heir per generation. Under those circumstances, the child in her womb should have been extremely important. By birthright alone, that child should have inherited the Fu family’s enormous fortune.

So Yan Zhixin gritted her teeth and decided to stay with Fu Junjie.

She was betting that the Fu family could not possibly abandon its heir.

She didn’t have a better option anyway.

Fu Junjie had made such a huge scene that everyone in their social circle knew he had been kicked out by Yun Xi because of her.

Her reputation was already ruined.

At the last banquet, not a single person had spoken to her. If she wanted to pursue another wealthy young man now, marrying into the family would be impossible. At best, she could become someone’s mistress.

But that was a youth-based arrangement. It would be degrading herself and would still leave her future uncertain.

There was no guarantee she would gain much from it.

Compared to that, she would rather take one huge gamble.

If she lost, she could always divorce Fu Junjie in a few years.

But if she won…

She would become Mrs. Fu.

And everything would be worth it.

Yan Zhixin had always liked shortcuts.

The greater the risk, the greater the reward. After thinking it through, she resolutely decided to stay with Fu Junjie.

Thus, Fu Junjie thus began spending his days delivering food and working as a tutor. His conversational English was fine, but he had no idea how to teach.

His first student’s parents quickly complained that the results were poor and requested a replacement. He found another student.

That student refused to study at all. The parents felt they were wasting money and dismissed him as well.

He changed students several times. In the process, he observed several families and saw how mothers and children interacted.

Some mothers monitored every aspect of their children’s lives. The children complained that they felt suffocated and constrained.

One mother had remarried and had a second child. She devoted all her attention to the younger child while neglecting the eldest. The eldest child lived right beside his mother yet felt completely unloved.

The child even secretly told Fu Junjie that his younger brother would eventually split the family inheritance with him.

There were also mothers who worked desperately to earn money but remained poor. Their children sighed that being born into the right family was a skill in itself and envied those who had been born in rich families.

Only then did Fu Junjie realize how difficult it was to obtain the pure, warm maternal love he had always wanted.

At least among the families he had encountered, all the mothers had flaws he found unacceptable.

In fact, he began to feel they were worse than Yun Xi. At least Yun Xi had provided him with excellent material conditions.

She had respected him. She had never remarried or had another child to create family conflicts. Other than being too busy with work to spend time caring for him, she seemed to have very few flaws.

And he himself had been one of those people born in rich families.

Yet he had deliberately walked backward all the way to the starting point of ordinary life.

Fu Junjie felt that after everything he had experienced, he finally understood how difficult Yun Xi’s life had been.

He began to think there must have been misunderstandings between them.

So he wrote her a long email.

But after waiting many days, he received no reply.

He didn’t know whether she had even read it.

Of course Yun Xi had read it.

Fu Junjie had written a lengthy essay. Yet from beginning to end, there wasn’t a single word of remorse or apology.

The entire thing revolved around “misunderstandings.”

What misunderstandings?

The problem had always been his lack of respect toward her.

Now he wanted to blame everything on misunderstandings?

Dream on.

Yun Xi shook her head.

It seemed Fu Junjie still hadn’t been beaten down enough by reality. He couldn’t even bend his pride. Even when trying to come home, he was searching for excuses to erase the past rather than sincerely apologizing.

What was the point of listing all those families? He still hadn’t recognized his own mistakes. Nor did he genuinely respect his mother.

Even now he was making excuses and defending himself. He lived entirely in his own world and never cared about other people’s feelings.

Yun Xi had no intention of replying.

Instead, she made substantial charitable donations to many orphanages through her company and personally visited the children.

When Fu Junjie saw news reports showing Yun Xi visiting orphans, his imagination immediately started running wild again.

So much time had passed, yet Yun Xi wasn’t pregnant.

Could it be that she was too old to have another child?

Was that why she hadn’t remarried? Had she started sponsoring orphans because she planned to adopt one?

Yan Zhixin was even more anxious to give birth immediately.

Unfortunately, the baby still needed time.

There was nothing she could do to speed it up.

The two of them constantly tried to track Yun Xi’s movements and guess her intentions.

In reality, Yun Xi had no hidden intentions at all.

She was simply enjoying her life.

Recently she had become addicted to reading novels and watching short dramas. Since every transmigration seemed to be full of melodramatic twists, she figured she should study them and broaden her horizons.

She didn’t need to do anything special.

As long as she remained wealthy, successful, and happy, the two of them would never find peace.

And she still had one final gift waiting for them.

She would deliver it after their child was born.

╰───♡───╯

Thingyan: This is it, dear readers. This novel is officially dropped because another translator has already picked it up before I do. Please continue reading on their site 🥲

Qin Yue came out after putting on the jewelry, and everyone praised how beautiful the set was and how perfectly it suited her.

The birthday banquet officially began, and the lively atmosphere quickly returned.

Fu Junjie and Yan Zhixin were pushed to the sidelines.

Neither of them had the courage to join the crowd. It was painfully obvious that they did not belong here.

No one at the banquet cared about them.

Yan Zhixin grew increasingly anxious. Not only was she out of money now, but her credit cards were maxed out. If things didn’t turn around soon, what was she supposed to do? She carefully observed Yun Xi, trying to determine whether Yun Xi was merely pretending.

But Yun Xi chatted and laughed throughout the banquet, looking exactly as the saying described:

“When happy events occur, a person’s spirit shines.”

Yan Zhixin nudged Fu Junjie.

“Think of something. This is a rare opportunity. Go apologize to her. Or what about your friends? Your classmates? The people you used to hang out with? Is there really not a single person you’re close to?

Even if you treat this purely as a networking event, go talk to people.

Build some connections.

Even getting a job opportunity would be good.”

Fu Junjie’s face darkened.

He had once been the center of attention everywhere he went.

Now she wanted him to wag his tail and beg people for help?

He couldn’t do it.

Yan Zhixin felt a headache coming on.

“Now isn’t the time to be stubborn or throw a tantrum.

We have to face reality.

It’s obvious your mother isn’t going to take you back anytime soon.

So we need to earn money, pay off our debts, and raise the baby until the day she finally accepts you again.

Even if you lose face during this period, once you return to the Fu family, you’ll get everything back.”

Sometimes people desperately don’t want to do something.

But if they have a strong enough reason, they can force themselves through it.

Fu Junjie took a deep breath and, together with Yan Zhixin, began approaching people.

A fake smile hung on his face as he forced himself to seek opportunities to make money.

What he didn’t realize was that nearly everyone he spoke to found him ridiculous.

If he wanted to make money with people, shouldn’t he at least have some ideas?

If he wanted a job, shouldn’t he know how to do something?

Fu Junjie had spent so many years rebelling against his mother’s efforts to train and educate him that he had very little of substance to say.

In everyone’s eyes, he was little more than an uneducated rich kid.

Perhaps the only thing he excelled at was conversational English from studying abroad for several years.

But everyday spoken English and business English were completely different things.

Original translation at HololoNovels dot com. In short, there were countless new graduates more qualified than he was.

No one had any reason to hire him.

Even Yun Xi’s competitors wanted nothing to do with him.

They genuinely couldn’t see any value in him.

By the end of the banquet, people once again marveled at the close friendship between the Fu and Qin families.

Yun Xi practically looked like Qin Yue’s second mother.

By publicly showing how highly she regarded Qin Yue, Yun Xi had created an immediate effect.

Qin Yue’s value skyrocketed.

Her commercial worth doubled almost overnight.

Even more prominent families became interested in arranging marriages with the Qin family.

Qin Yue was treated like a princess.

People constantly surrounded her.

After the banquet, they were even planning to continue the celebration elsewhere and spend the entire night at a private club.

For a brief moment, Fu Junjie found himself thinking:

If I had listened to Yun Xi and married Qin Yue, then Qin Yue and I would be standing in the center of that crowd right now.

Instead, because he had chosen Yan Zhixin, he could only stand outside the circle and watch.

Suddenly, he saw Yun Xi leaving and getting into her car.

He hurried over and leaned against the window.

“If this was your way of teaching me a lesson, then I’ve learned it.

You were right.

Yan Zhixin isn’t as perfect as I thought.

She cares about money and status.

But she doesn’t have any malicious intentions.

She just wants a better life.

Now she’s pregnant.

Can you really not accept her?

The Fu family has had only one heir in each generation.

What if this is the only descendant of my generation?

Can you really bear to let your grandchild grow up outside the family?”

Yun Xi turned toward him.

“Are you very angry inside?

It must feel awful suppressing your anger while saying all of this.

In the future, you don’t need to force yourself to humble yourself in front of me anymore.

Because we probably won’t have many chances to meet again.”

She looked at him calmly.

“Fu Junjie, let me give you one piece of advice.

Treasure what you have.

When you had wealth and status, you looked down on them.

You longed for ordinary life and true love.

Now you have ordinary life, a lover, and a child.

And you don’t like those either.

Now you want wealth and status again.

You can’t have both fish and bear’s paw.

The only secret to a good life is appreciating what you already possess.

The three of you should simply live honestly and steadily.

Life will improve.

After all, many people don’t even have the education and experience that you have.”

Xiao Lin, the executive assistant, added,

“That’s right, Mr. Fu.

The money you received from selling your luxury items was more than I’ve managed to save during all my years of work.

It’s unfortunate that you spent it all.

My suggestion is that when you earn money in the future, try to spend it more carefully.

After all, you’ll be supporting a wife and child from now on.

That shouldn’t be too difficult, right?

Chairwoman Fu supported both you and your father all these years and provided you with such a luxurious lifestyle.

You’ve always believed you’re better than Chairwoman Fu.

I’m sure you’ll succeed.

Have some confidence in yourself.

Don’t start regretting your choices and begging for help so quickly.

It’s not a good look.”

After speaking, Xiao Lin signaled the driver.

The car window rolled up.

The vehicle pulled away.

Fu Junjie was left standing there, his face dark and livid.

Even one of Yun Xi’s assistants looked down on him this much.

If he continued pleading now, wouldn’t that be admitting he was worthless and incapable of surviving without Yun Xi?

His stubborn pride flared up again.

Clenching his fists, he strode away, escaping the mocking gazes around him.

Yan Zhixin stared at him in shock as he walked farther and farther away.

Feeling the eyes of the crowd on her, she hurried after him.

People watched in confusion.

“Shouldn’t they have held out a little longer?

Why did they come back and bow their heads to Chairwoman Fu so quickly?”

Someone who knew some of the details replied,

“I heard Fu Junjie spends money like water.

He spent all his own money, spent all his wife’s money too, maxed out the credit cards, and still can’t find a job.”

No income.

No money left.

Was Yan Zhixin, who was pregnant, supposed to support the household?

Even if she wanted to, could she afford it?

Rent wasn’t cheap.

Credit card bills had to be paid.

Where would the money come from?

Everyone sighed.

“It’s hard to go from luxury to frugality.

Living an ordinary life isn’t nearly as easy as people think.

Take the wine we drank tonight. I love this stuff.

If I lived an ordinary life, could I afford it?”

“Exactly. He completely overplayed his hand. If you ask me, since we were born in Rome, we should just enjoy it and appreciate our parents for working so hard to give us a good life. Don’t create trouble for yourself. Keep causing drama and you’ll end up with nothing.”

“Right.

And don’t lose your head over a woman.

Whether she’s true love or a demon in disguise, who knows? Hahaha.”

The young people laughed and joked.

They continued mocking the situation in their group chats.

When Fu Junjie got home and saw the messages, he became furious and quit every single group.

Yan Zhixin couldn’t stop him.

Angrily, she said,

“Those are connections!

One of those people might help us someday.

What does doing this accomplish besides making you feel better for a moment?

Can you stop being so childish?”

Fu Junjie had finally reached his limit.

“What do you think about besides money these days?

You wanted me to act like a pathetic bootlicker, and I did.

And what happened?

They all laughed at me.

So should I keep giving them more opportunities to laugh?

You keep saying you love me.

But aren’t I just a tool for you to climb higher?

Do you even know what self-respect means?”

Yan Zhixin raised her voice as well.

“Can self-respect pay the bills?

We can’t even afford next month’s rent.

What are we supposed to do, live under a bridge together?”

Fu Junjie stared at her.

Where was the innocent, shy girl he had fallen for?

Not a trace remained.

So everything back then had been an act.

The real Yan Zhixin was exactly what Yun Xi had said:

A gold digger.

Yan Zhixin sharply sensed that something was wrong.

She placed a hand over her stomach and said tearfully,

“I’m doing all of this for the child.

Who doesn’t want peaceful days?

Who wants to argue loudly?

I just don’t want my child to suffer.”

Fu Junjie had always felt that he had never received paternal or maternal love.

He had sworn that he would become a good father.

When he saw Yan Zhixin’s stomach, he swallowed all his anger, slammed the door, and left.

“I’ll think of something.

You don’t need to worry about it.”

That night, Fu Junjie contacted every person he could reach.

To borrow money.

In the past, when he and his friends went out together, one person would pay today and someone else would pay tomorrow.

If someone forgot their card, another person could pay first and they would settle it later.

Sometimes people forgot to repay each other, and no one cared.

After all, they were all in the same circle. No one would truly lose out.

But now that he was actually asking to borrow money, he realized how difficult borrowing money really was.

It was harder than climbing to heaven.

He spent the whole night asking everyone he knew.

In the end, he only managed to borrow a few thousand yuan.

Not even ten thousand.

The few people who did lend him money all told him he didn’t need to repay it.

Then, with a sigh, they said,

“You really didn’t know how blessed you were.”

Fu Junjie scoffed.

They weren’t him.

How could they understand how he felt?

What he wanted was love.

Companionship.

A warm family.

Parents who loved each other.

Not parents with no emotional bond, who had only given birth to an heir.

If that was the reason he had been born, then what difference did it make whether the child was him or someone else?

What he wanted was to be unique.

But if others didn’t understand him, he didn’t need their understanding either.

He had only panicked and lost his footing, which had given Yun Xi the chance to mock him.

He wouldn’t do that again.

He would work hard and build a life worth showing her.

Only after leaving her would he truly live like a person.

From that point on, Fu Junjie formally left the wealthy circle behind.

Using the money he borrowed, he rented a small apartment in an old walk-up building in a remote area.

The rent was cheap.

Most of the people nearby were migrant workers from other cities.

Yan Zhixin could hardly believe that Fu Junjie had actually brought her to live in a place like this.

But there was nothing she could do.

Even though her salary wasn’t bad, the credit card debt they had to repay every month was enormous.

It simply wasn’t enough.

She could only think that once the child was born, Yun Xi surely wouldn’t truly let a Fu family bloodline live in this kind of shabby place.

By then, they would definitely turn things around.

So she swallowed her bitterness, forced a smile, and moved with Fu Junjie.

In the middle of the night, she sometimes regretted everything.

If she had chosen another wealthy heir back then, even if she couldn’t successfully marry him, at least getting a villa out of the relationship shouldn’t have been a problem.

How could she have ended up this miserable?

She could only hope that Fu Junjie would return home soon.

Only then would all her endurance be worth it.

Yun Xi’s company launched a new business and began hiring many new employees.

Fu Junjie submitted his resume too.

It was rejected immediately.

He tried to argue with HR.

HR replied that the Fu Group did not hire employees named “Fu Junjie.”

Even people with the same name were excluded.

In other words, HR did not need to know whether he was the same person or not.

As long as the name was Fu Junjie, he was automatically ruled out.

That alone showed just how determined Yun Xi was to separate herself from him.

She had practically cut off every possible avenue of contact.

Fu Junjie tried other interviews.

This time, he lowered his standards.

He had thought things through.

He would get a job first and earn money.

At the very least, he needed to accumulate some work experience.

Unexpectedly, his resumes were either rejected or received no response at all.

Later, one employee saw how dejected he looked and took pity on him.

“Buddy, did you offend someone? Someone gave instructions not to hire you.”

Fu Junjie froze.

His first thought was Yun Xi.

Furious, he posted a long passive-aggressive essay on social media targeting her.

Didn’t Yun Xi refuse to contact him?

Fine.

Then he would let everyone in their social circle see it.

They could pass it on to Yun Xi.

He would turn her into the laughingstock of the entire circle.

Unexpectedly, within minutes of posting, someone replied:

Idiot.

Then another person replied:

You don’t even know who’s messing with you. Pure idiot.

Someone else even wrote:

Your mom would’ve been better off giving birth to barbecue pork. Where’s your brain?

Fu Junjie frowned.

What did that mean?

They knew who was targeting him?

It wasn’t Yun Xi?

He called around to that group of so-called friends and asked one by one.

Finally, he learned the truth.

It was Mr. and Mrs. Qin who had given the word.

They had told people not to help him because they wanted to teach him a lesson.

In the past, Fu Junjie had humiliated Qin Yue and refused to give her face.

Now Mr. and Mrs. Qin were recovering that lost face.

Yun Xi had no objections.

Original translation at HololoNovels dot com. Everyone else was perfectly happy to watch the drama unfold.

They even openly told Fu Junjie the truth.

And there was nothing he could do about it.

The Qin family had long since blocked him.

Fu Junjie couldn’t reach them.

He had nowhere to vent his anger.

He couldn’t find work either.

Enraged, he returned home and started smashing things again. Then he had a huge fight with Yan Zhixin.

After Yan Zhixin learned what had happened, she felt that life was more bitter than bitter herbs.

After thinking it over, she said,

“Doesn’t the Qin family just want to see you suffer?

Then go do a job where you suffer.

They definitely won’t stop that.

At least you’ll be able to earn money.”

“What kind of job?” Fu Junjie asked doubtfully.

Yan Zhixin replied,

“Construction work.

High-rise window cleaning.

Food delivery…”

“What did you say? You want me to deliver food?”

They happened to be talking by the roadside.

A delivery rider was stopped beside them at a red light.

Hearing this, he glanced at them.

“What’s wrong with delivering food? Every cent we earn is made through our own sweat and hard work. You got a problem with that? If you do, keep it to yourself.”

Fu Junjie snapped,

“I’m talking to my wife. What does it have to do with you? Go deliver your food. Don’t waste time and get bad reviews.”

The delivery rider sneered.

“That mouth of yours is pretty poisonous, buddy. Then I hope when you deliver food, you get bad reviews every day. Can’t earn money and get fined on top of it. Nutcase.”

The light turned green.

The rider sped away.

Fu Junjie cursed after him several times, still not relieved.

Pointing at the rider’s disappearing back, he said to Yan Zhixin,

“Look at that. What kind of quality is that? And you want me to work with people like him?”

Yan Zhixin frowned.

“If someone does food delivery well, they might make ten thousand yuan a month. Are you looking down on the job, or looking down on the money? Can you find a better job?”

Fu Junjie had nothing to say.

He couldn’t.

In the end, he became a delivery rider.

A tiger fallen to the plains is bullied by dogs.

He swore that once he succeeded, the first thing he would do was acquire the entire delivery platform.

Naturally, Yun Xi learned all of this from the private investigator.

In fact, she knew even more.

For example, Fu Junjie really did receive bad reviews every day.

He worked himself half to death and still couldn’t earn much money.

He was still struggling to adapt.

At the same time, Yan Zhixin had begun wavering.

She had started reconnecting with several wealthy heirs she had known in the past.

In truth, she had begun doubting whether Fu Junjie could actually return to the Fu family.

Her suggestion that he become a delivery rider had only been a test.

In her mind, Fu Junjie had been born with a golden spoon in his mouth and cared deeply about face.

If the Fu mother and son were still testing her, then Fu Junjie would never truly deliver food.

She never imagined he would actually go do it.

What did that mean?

It meant Fu Junjie might truly be unable to return to the Fu family. There had never been any test from beginning to end. Yun Xi simply looked down on her and had abandoned her son along with her.

Was that reasonable?

Not at all.

The Fu family had passed down through a single heir for generations. Fu Junjie was the only successor. And the child in her belly was the only successor of the only successor. Sometimes Yan Zhixin even wondered whether she was dreaming.

Otherwise, why had Yun Xi suddenly stopped caring about bloodline and descendants at all? But no matter what, Fu Junjie’s attitude left her uncertain.

So she could only reconnect with a few backup options, just in case.

Yun Xi remembered how Fu Junjie had argued with her before.

What had he said again?

That Yan Zhixin’s interactions with those wealthy heirs weren’t ambiguous at all. She was simply so outstanding that she naturally attracted their attention.

Yun Xi wondered if Fu Junjie still thought the same now. She was very much looking forward to seeing his expression change. Like watching a theatrical performance.

One face after another.

On Yun Xi’s side, things had also been quite lively recently. Ever since she publicly declared that she no longer acknowledged Fu Junjie, many people had become interested.

A number of men began pursuing Yun Xi. At her age, if she remarried, she could still try for another child.

The Fu family’s vast fortune was like an enormous cake. Plenty of people had their eyes on it.

Some even came from prominent families. Yun Xi’s attitude was simple. Friendship was fine. Business cooperation was fine. Anything further was out of the question.

Her life was free, easy, and full of interesting things every day.

She had no desire to put shackles on herself.

One day, she met one of her suitors at a café. Fu Junjie happened to accept an order and came in to pick up coffee.

The moment he saw them, he froze. His mother not only refused to acknowledge him anymore.

She was planning to remarry too?

╰───♡───╯

Fu Junjie immediately felt that an opportunity had arrived when he heard that Yun Xi would be attending a banquet at the Qin family residence.

Excitedly, he rummaged through his wardrobe, only to discover that he didn’t own a single piece from the current season’s collection. Everything was from previous years.

Wouldn’t people laugh at him if he showed up dressed like that?

Seeing this, Yan Zhixin asked,

“Are you really confident this time? The Fu family won’t even let you through the gate. Will the Qin family really allow you to attend the banquet?”

Fu Junjie replied casually,

“Don’t worry.

Qin Yue likes me.

If I want to go, she’ll never refuse.

Oh, right. Transfer me some money.

I can’t attend someone’s birthday banquet without bringing a gift.”

Alarm bells immediately went off in Yan Zhixin’s head.

“Qin Yue?

The Qin family’s daughter?

She likes you?

Was she your ex-girlfriend?”

Fu Junjie glanced at her.

Perhaps because the illusion had worn off, he suddenly felt that Yan Zhixin wasn’t even as pretty as Qin Yue.

That nervous expression wasn’t jealousy.

It was fear that the wealthy man she’d attached herself to might slip away.

Once that thought entered his mind, Yan Zhixin suddenly became irritating to look at.

He found himself even less able to understand how he’d fallen in love with her while completely ignoring Qin Yue.

Continuing to sort through his clothes, he answered,

“My mom always wanted to match us together.

But I wasn’t interested, so nothing ever happened.

No, I need to buy a new outfit.

You said we only have a few thousand yuan left, right?

That’s definitely not enough.

Do you have a credit card?”

Fu Junjie had no job, no assets, and couldn’t even qualify for a credit card anymore.

Yan Zhixin, however, still had one.

She really didn’t want to hand it over.

But the situation felt urgent.

If they missed this chance, who knew when they’d be able to see Yun Xi again?

In the end, she transferred all her remaining money to him and even gave him her credit card.

Without looking back, Fu Junjie headed out.

Yan Zhixin frowned.

Things were slipping further and further beyond her control.

Immediately, she grabbed her purse and chased after him.

“I’m going too!

I’m carrying the Fu family’s grandchild.

Auntie should see me.”

After thinking it over, Fu Junjie agreed.

Then he sent Qin Yue a message asking if he could bring his wife along to celebrate her birthday.

Qin Yue didn’t respond with words.

She simply sent an electronic invitation.

Fu Junjie replied with a thank-you message.

A red exclamation mark appeared.

He stared in disbelief.

Then he tried sending a sticker.

It failed too.

Qin Yue had blocked him.

Yan Zhixin caught a glimpse of the screen and secretly felt delighted.

She had worried that if Fu Junjie couldn’t return to the Fu family, he might start developing feelings for Qin Yue.

Now it seemed Qin Yue wasn’t interested in him at all.

Fu Junjie felt embarrassed.

Putting away his phone, he gritted his teeth.

“So everyone looks down on me now?

Fine.

I’m going to prove them wrong.

Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river.

Do they think they’ll always be better than me?

Who do they think they are?”

Yan Zhixin didn’t respond.

She simply rested a hand on her stomach.

Other people’s attitudes didn’t matter.

As long as she had this trump card, she wasn’t afraid of dealing with Yun Xi.

Fu Junjie personally selected banquet outfits for both of them.

He even picked out an expensive piece of jewelry as Qin Yue’s birthday gift.

The purchases completely maxed out Yan Zhixin’s credit card.

Her face turned green.

Before she could say anything, Fu Junjie said,

“My mom values bloodlines and descendants more than anything.

When she sees us, she might give us a villa as a welcome gift.

There’ll definitely be money too.”

Only then did Yan Zhixin manage to suppress her growing rage.

Taking a deep breath, she said nothing.

The day of the Qin family banquet arrived.

Fu Junjie even rented a luxury car and hired a driver so they could make a grand entrance.

Unfortunately, everyone attending was wealthy or influential.

Compared to them, Fu Junjie and Yan Zhixin were utterly unremarkable.

No one paid any attention to them.

They stepped out of the car, presented their invitation, and were escorted into the ballroom by a server.

They were treated exactly like everyone else.

In fact, because Fu Junjie had spent years overseas, many guests didn’t even recognize him.

No one approached him to talk.

At first, Yan Zhixin secretly admired the Qin family’s luxurious mansion.

She excitedly observed the wealthy guests around her, enjoying the feeling of stepping into elite society.

Then she realized something.

Fu Junjie’s actual status was far different from what she had imagined.

When she’d first met him, he had always been surrounded by followers.

People flocked around him constantly.

He looked like a crown prince.

That was one of the reasons she’d chosen him over several other wealthy second-generation prospects.

But now?

Looking around the ballroom, she spotted two familiar faces.

They were people who had once followed Fu Junjie everywhere.

Now they had seen him too.

Instead of greeting him, they exchanged amused looks and whispered to one another.

It was obvious they were laughing at him.

So all those people had merely been fair-weather friends?

Fu Junjie noticed them as well.

His expression darkened.

Taking his arm, Yan Zhixin forced a smile.

“It’s okay.

When Auntie arrives, we’ll apologize.

We’ll tell her the good news.

Everything will be fine.”

Only then did Fu Junjie look away and turn his attention toward the entrance.

Waiting for Yun Xi.

Yun Xi arrived a little later.

Upon receiving word of her arrival, Mr. and Mrs. Qin personally went to greet her at the entrance.

Qin Yue stood beside them.

Smiling, Yun Xi greeted them and gave Qin Yue a hug.

“Xiaoyue, you look beautiful today.

That dress suits you perfectly.”

Qin Yue smiled.

“Thank you, Auntie Fu. You look beautiful too. You’re practically glowing. You look ten years younger.”

Yun Xi laughed.

“When happy events happen, people naturally seem younger.”

The moment Fu Junjie spotted Yun Xi, he hurried over with Yan Zhixin.

Just in time to hear those words.

His anger surged.

Unable to stop himself, he said sarcastically,

“Mom, looks like you’re doing pretty well on your own.

You’ve even got happy news to celebrate.

Since today is such a special day, why don’t you tell everyone what that happy news is?

Or is it some secret that can’t be revealed?”

The nearby area fell silent.

Many guests stared in surprise.

Their eyes moved back and forth between mother and son.

Hadn’t they supposedly cut ties?

Why were they confronting each other again?

Some guests familiar with the situation quietly explained to others.

“I heard Chairwoman Fu really disowned him.

But somehow Fu Junjie wants to come back now.

He tried sending gifts and getting people to pass messages.

None of it worked.

Looks like he came here to block her path.”

Someone else said,

“Is that really the attitude of someone trying to come back?

He starts with sarcasm the moment they meet.

If I were Chairwoman Fu, I’d ignore him too.”

Most people found Fu Junjie utterly ridiculous.

The Qin family felt the same way.

Not only was he strange, but he lacked basic social awareness and manners.

Today was Qin Yue’s birthday.

Instead of greeting the hosts first or wishing Qin Yue a happy birthday, he immediately started attacking Yun Xi.

He was obviously treating the Qin family as tools.

Yun Xi, however, remained perfectly composed.

Smiling, she said,

“Why wouldn’t I say it?

My happiest recent event is precisely cutting ties with you.”

The crowd erupted in shock.

Eyes widened throughout the ballroom.

Had they heard correctly?

That was the happy event?

Fu Junjie’s face turned green.

Yun Xi apologetically took Qin Yue’s hand.

“I’m really sorry.

I knew he had poor manners.

But I didn’t expect him to be this rude and disrupt your birthday banquet.”

Inside, Qin Yue was absolutely delighted and nearly laughed out loud.

Quickly linking arms with Yun Xi, she said,

“It’s okay, Auntie Fu.

Our two families are practically one family.

My parents and I have been very concerned about you after hearing what happened recently.

Since we’re finally seeing each other today, let’s have a good chat later. I heard you’ve picked up a lot of new hobbies lately. If you ever get bored at home by yourself, just call me. I’ll come keep you company anytime.”

“Good,” Yun Xi said with a smile, patting her hand.

“Xiaoyue is such a thoughtful girl.

I watched you grow up and have always treated you like a daughter.

If I ever need anything, I definitely won’t be polite with you.

Oh, right. This is your gift.

I hope you’re this happy every single day.”

The executive assistant stepped forward and opened a large square jewelry box.

Inside was an extremely rare diamond jewelry set.

Its dazzling brilliance immediately attracted everyone’s attention.

Someone exclaimed in surprise,

“Isn’t that the Starry Eyes of Beauty set that sold for fifty million yuan at the auction three years ago?”

Yun Xi nodded.

“That’s right.

I bought it at that auction three years ago.

At the time, I thought it would suit a beautiful young girl perfectly.

I planned to pass it down to future generations.

But now I don’t have any descendants.

So giving it to Xiaoyue seems most appropriate.

And I think it matches her dress tonight very well.”

Qin Yue glanced at Fu Junjie and Yan Zhixin’s expressions and happily said,

“Then I’ll go put it on and show you.”

“Good.”

Qin Yue headed upstairs to change into the jewelry.

Fu Junjie stared at Yun Xi.

“You did that on purpose.

You clearly said before that set would be given to your future daughter-in-law…”

Yun Xi laughed.

“I don’t even have a son anymore.

Where would a daughter-in-law come from?”

Then she looked at Yan Zhixin.

“You mean the woman beside you?

She’s only your wife.

She has nothing to do with me.

And in the same way, you have nothing to do with me.

Don’t forget those grand declarations you made back then.

Surely your own words should count for something.”

Everyone found the situation awkward.

It was obvious that Yun Xi had intentionally given away that jewelry set.

There was clearly a message behind it.

Yet Fu Junjie had chosen to point it out publicly.

Wasn’t that just embarrassing Yan Zhixin?

Her face had already turned pale.

Still, people couldn’t help admiring her mental resilience.

Most women would have run away in tears by now.

Mr. and Mrs. Qin quickly tried to smooth things over.

They wanted to bring Yun Xi inside to chat.

One of them even said to Fu Junjie,

“If you still have something to discuss, perhaps you can come inside as well.”

But Fu Junjie felt humiliated by what had just happened.

He desperately wanted to regain some ground.

Suddenly, he stepped forward and blocked Yun Xi’s path.

In front of everyone, he announced,

“I have good news too. Zhixin is pregnant!”

Pride appeared on Fu Junjie’s face.

Yan Zhixin’s expression relaxed considerably as well.

Exactly.

This was how it should be.

Yun Xi should be forced to lose her composure in front of everyone.

Why should only the two of them be embarrassed?

Unfortunately for them, Yun Xi merely responded,

“Oh.”

Then she walked around Fu Junjie and continued heading inside.

Both Fu Junjie and Yan Zhixin turned around in shock.

Fu Junjie blurted out,

“Didn’t you hear me?

Zhixin is carrying your grandchild.

You finally have the descendants you’ve always cared about most.”

Even at a moment like this, he still couldn’t resist mocking Yun Xi.

After so many years, it had become second nature.

More importantly, deep down, he still hadn’t fully grasped the seriousness of the situation.

In his mind, bloodline and descendants were the Fu family’s ultimate weakness.

Generation after generation had produced only a single heir.

How could Yun Xi possibly ignore that?

This time, Yun Xi actually stopped walking.

Before either of them could celebrate, she spoke.

“Let me repeat this one more time.

You and I have no relationship.

You wanted a free and ordinary life.

You wished I had never given birth to you.

I granted that wish.

From this day forward, your road is yours and mine is mine.

I will never acknowledge you again.

As for whether you have a wife or children, none of that concerns me.

Just live your own life well.”

Fu Junjie stared at her in disbelief.

“You won’t even acknowledge your grandchild?”

Suddenly, his eyes fixed on Yun Xi’s stomach.

“Is it because you’re pregnant with a second child?

Is that why you’re treating me like this?”

Yun Xi’s expression became indescribably strange.

“Is it really that difficult for you to admit you’re simply not very impressive?

I disowned you because I couldn’t stand you anymore.

And wasn’t it you who insisted on leaving?

What is this now?

Regret?

And didn’t your newlywed wife repeatedly declare that she loved you even if you had no money at all?

Now that she’s pregnant, what exactly are you hoping to gain?

Surely you’re not asking for money?”

Yun Xi widened her eyes in mock surprise.

“Back then, the two of you said my money insulted your love.

So what happened? Has the love disappeared?

Did you suddenly discover that money is actually more important?”

Her tone was light and playful.

Laughter immediately erupted throughout the room.

Standing in the middle of it all, Fu Junjie and Yan Zhixin were overwhelmed with humiliation.

They wished the ground would open up and swallow them whole.

As Fu Junjie thought back over everything that had happened during this period, realization suddenly dawned on him.

“It was you! You planned all of this from the beginning.

You deliberately set a trap for me, tricked me into giving up my assets, and even made me give up my father’s inheritance. Then you threw me out of the house with nothing.

You never intended to let me come back, did you?

You had already planned to disown me from the very start!

It was all so you could keep the family fortune for yourself!”

Mr. and Mrs. Qin could not listen any longer. Original translation at HololoNovels dot com. 

“Junjie, you’re not a child anymore. Use your brain once in a while.

Even if you had inherited every last bit of your father’s estate, it wouldn’t amount to much. My Yueyue’s private savings are probably worth more.

And everything the Fu family owns belongs to Yun Xi.

Do you really think she’d covet the little bit of money you had?

Set up an elaborate trap just for that?

Does Yun Xi even have the time for something so ridiculous?”

Others watching also chimed in.

“Seriously. Chairwoman Fu could spend an extra hour at the company and earn more than your entire net worth. You’re giving yourself way too much importance.”

“Exactly. Besides, wasn’t your father’s estate built from the wealth Chairwoman Fu provided in the first place?”

Only then did Yun Xi speak.

“It seems that even people who don’t know the full story can still follow basic logic.

But you, the person directly involved, have twisted the facts so much that you’ve started believing your own lies.

Let me help refresh your memory.”

She looked at him calmly.

“That day, your wife declared that she didn’t love your money and would still love you even if you had absolutely nothing.

And you said I was a machine. Cold-blooded. Heartless. Obsessed only with money.

You said you’d rather have been born into an ordinary family and never wanted to be the Fu family’s heir.

Naturally, I disagreed.

So I asked whether you dared to become penniless and see how genuine your love really was.

You immediately transferred all your assets to me.

Oh, wait. That’s not quite accurate.

You hesitated for a moment.

When it came time to sign, you hesitated.

And I specifically told you to think carefully, didn’t I?

I even told you the agreement could be canceled at any time before it was notarized the next day.

But what happened?

The very next day, you urged Xiao Lin to get it notarized.

As soon as it was finalized, you couldn’t wait to move out of the Fu residence.

After that, many people heard you publicly declare that your new wife was the only woman who mattered to you.

Since that was the case, there wasn’t much left for me to hold on to.

Isn’t that correct?”

Several times, both Fu Junjie and Yan Zhixin tried to interrupt, but neither could get a word in.

Yun Xi spoke quickly, clearly, and logically.

After hearing the whole story, the crowd found it both absurd and amusing.

So after all that drama, the entire mess had been created by these two themselves.

The pair had preached endlessly about true love, insulted Yun Xi repeatedly, and even abandoned wealth and status to prove the sincerity of their relationship.

Then, after losing both wealth and status and discovering life was difficult, they immediately tried to come back.

Original translation at HololoNovels dot com. The funniest part was that instead of honestly apologizing, they showed up acting righteous simply because they had a child on the way.

What exactly were they expecting?

Did they actually think Yun Xi would bow her head, admit fault, and beg them to return?

Their imagination was truly impressive.

Xiao Lin, Yun Xi’s executive assistant, stepped forward and said,

“Mr. Fu, Chairwoman Fu has already shown you extraordinary generosity and kindness. She is not the heartless person you describe.

You insisted on becoming penniless to prove your love.

Yet Chairwoman Fu still considered your mother-son relationship and allowed you to take all your belongings when you left.

Many of those belongings were luxury clothes and jewelry.

I’ve heard you’ve already sold them.

The money from those items alone is more than many ordinary people will earn in an entire lifetime.

Have you already spent it all?

If you truly wish to be born into an ordinary family and live an ordinary life, I would suggest first learning ordinary people’s spending habits.

It may help you begin your new life.”

The crowd burst into laughter again.

“Help you begin your new life”.

The assistant’s words were so politely vicious that Fu Junjie’s face turned bright red.

He could hear people whispering around him.

Some were calling him shameless.

He had insisted on leaving with nothing, yet had still taken a mountain of luxury goods with him.

He claimed not to care about the Fu family name.

Claimed he didn’t want to be Yun Xi’s son.

Yet every aspect of his life had been funded by Yun Xi’s wealth.

Even when he left, he had taken a substantial portion of that wealth with him.

Viewed from that angle, Yun Xi’s patience seemed almost saintly.

Many people privately thought that if they had behaved the way Fu Junjie had, their parents would have broken their legs and locked them up.

Compared to that, Yun Xi had been remarkably enlightened and respectful of her son’s choices.

When Fu Junjie packed his luggage, none of these thoughts had crossed his mind.

Those things belonged to him, so of course he took them.

How had that become something people mocked him for?

But he had always been accustomed to spending freely.

He was used to a luxurious lifestyle.

Just because he wanted to live an ordinary life didn’t mean he could instantly lower his standard of living.

Staring at Yun Xi, he said,

“Fine.

Let’s say leaving was my own decision.

But can you honestly claim you hadn’t planned everything?

The moment I left, you blocked me everywhere.

You instructed the gate guards, the housekeeper, the receptionists, and the security staff to humiliate me and make things difficult for me.

They treated your orders like imperial decrees.

They looked down on me.

The way they treated me before compared to now…”

Yun Xi frowned and interrupted him.

Looking genuinely puzzled, she said,

“They were simply following instructions, doing their jobs properly, and living their ordinary lives.

What exactly did they do wrong?

They followed the rules, stopped you from entering, and refused you access.

And that counts as humiliation to you?

They were simply performing their duties.

Listen to what you’re saying.

Do you look down on them?

Didn’t you claim ordinary life was what you wanted most?

Then why do you look down on ordinary people?

If you believe any employee acted improperly, you’re welcome to file a complaint.”

Was there actually anything improper?

Fu Junjie couldn’t answer.

From his perspective, of course he hated them.

They had once treated him with tremendous respect.

Now they had even called the police on him.

But from the employees’ perspective, they had done absolutely nothing wrong.

In fact, they had performed exceptionally well.

Yun Xi had even rewarded them with bonuses.

How exactly was he supposed to file a complaint?

He constantly claimed he wanted to be an ordinary person.

Yet deep down, he looked down on ordinary people.

He insisted he didn’t care about being the Fu family’s heir.

Yet he had brought his wife and unborn child to pressure Yun Xi into taking him back.

In that moment, Fu Junjie’s selfishness and hypocrisy were laid bare for everyone to see.

Under the gaze of the entire crowd, the word “humiliation” seemed to take physical form. It was standing right there, wearing Fu Junjie’s face.

╰───♡───╯

Fu Junjie returned home looking dejected and absent-minded.

Yan Zhixin immediately asked what had happened and said,

“We’re the younger generation. Even if Auntie scolds us a little, it’s not a big deal. Sometimes it’s better to endure it out of filial respect. Not everything needs to become a contest over who’s right and who’s wrong.”

Sitting on the sofa with his head in his hands, Fu Junjie said gloomily,

“I never even saw her. I couldn’t get through the gate.

She had the security guard pass along a message.

“Since you’ve left, don’t come back.’”

Yan Zhixin froze.

A frown appeared on her face.

How was that possible?

Yun Xi still wasn’t over it?

Fu Junjie hadn’t returned even once during this entire period.

He was her only son.

Wasn’t she anxious?

Yan Zhixin became restless and started offering suggestions.

“You could carefully pick out a gift and send it to her office.

Treat it as a way of breaking the ice and easing tensions.

Or you could have tea with someone both of you know and casually mention that you were a little hot-headed when you were younger, but that you still care about Auntie.

If word gets back to her, she’ll definitely soften.

Or…”

Fu Junjie suddenly sat up straight.

He looked at her as if seeing her for the first time.

Yan Zhixin gave an awkward smile.

“What? Did I say something wrong?”

Staring at her, he said,

“No.

In fact, what you’re saying makes too much sense.

Do you really want me to return to the Fu family that badly?”

Yan Zhixin’s heart skipped a beat when she saw the suspicion in his eyes.

Quickly looking away, she smiled.

“I’m only saying this because you’re unhappy.

Of course I want you to be happier.

When you left the Fu family, I supported you completely.

I was even happy that you chose me over the Fu family.

So if you want to go back now, I’ll support that too.”

Fu Junjie remembered that she had still married him after he gave up his inheritance rights.

Clearly she didn’t care whether he was rich or poor.

His expression softened.

And the ideas she suggested did sound reasonable.

So he decided to try them.

When the company’s reception desk received a package addressed to Yun Xi, they immediately notified the executive office.

Yun Xi’s secretary noticed that the package listed only the recipient and no sender, so she informed Yun Xi.

Although Yun Xi wasn’t paying attention to Fu Junjie personally, she had hired a private investigator to keep track of him.

One inquiry later, she knew exactly who had sent it.

“Have security open it first,” she said.

“If it isn’t dangerous, bring it to me afterward.

Make sure proper safety procedures are followed.”

The secretary carried out the instructions.

Several employees who overheard the situation gathered around the security room to watch.

Everyone speculated.

Could it be a prank from a competitor?

Would the police end up getting involved?

The security guards suited up carefully and opened the package.

Inside was a set of essential oils and aromatherapy products designed for relaxation.

Attached was a card written in an awkward tone:

“We saw this while shopping and thought it suited you, so we bought it for you.

— Junjie and Zhixin”

Everyone stared blankly.

One of the guards asked,

“Who’s Zhixin? Why does that name sound familiar?”

The secretary lowered her voice.

“Fu Junjie’s girlfriend.

Well, wife now.”

Then she called Yun Xi and explained everything.

Yun Xi replied calmly,

“Divide it among yourselves.

Don’t waste it.

And refuse all future deliveries.”

The secretary hung up and looked at the employees eagerly waiting for gossip.

Keeping a straight face, she said,

“Take one item each.

And don’t go around talking about it.”

One of the security guards pulled the secretary aside.

“Tell me honestly.

Do you think Chairwoman Fu will eventually forgive Fu Junjie?

If he comes back later, should I stop him or not?”

The secretary thought about Yun Xi’s behavior over the past month.

After a moment, she said,

“Keep stopping him.

We work for Chairwoman Fu.

And the people she likes most are the ones who simply do their jobs properly.”

The guard understood immediately.

As long as he followed Yun Xi’s wishes, he would be fine.

Yun Xi was a reasonable person.

Even if Fu Junjie returned someday looking for revenge, Yun Xi would never fire him for doing his job.

The reception staff received the same instructions.

So one week later, when Fu Junjie tried sending another gift, it was refused.

He complained to the delivery driver.

“I told you to leave it there and go.

How did it get rejected?”

The driver rolled his eyes.

“The receptionist and security guards were watching me the whole time.

They warned me not to leave random packages in the building.

If something happened, I’d be responsible.

How am I supposed to take responsibility for that?

If you want it delivered, do it yourself.”

Furious, Fu Junjie left the driver a negative review.

The driver became so angry that he posted about him in a group chat and told everyone to remember this lunatic customer.

Having no other choice, Fu Junjie decided to deliver the gift personally.

His expression was unpleasant.

When he’d left the Fu family, he had done so dramatically and confidently.

Now he was the one returning.

And Yun Xi insisted that he be the first to lower his head.

It was humiliating.

But he’d already sold everything he could sell.

The money was gone.

Now Yan Zhixin was supporting him financially.

He couldn’t stand the feeling of asking her for money.

Wasn’t that basically living off his wife?

So even if it cost him his pride, he had to come.

Wearing a baseball cap and keeping his head down, he placed the gift on the reception desk.

Immediately, the receptionist shouted,

“Take that away!

Security!”

A guard who had specifically been stationed nearby rushed over.

He picked up the package and shoved it back into Fu Junjie’s arms.

“Chairwoman Fu doesn’t accept unidentified packages.

Take it away.

This isn’t the first time you’ve sent something, is it?

If you keep causing trouble, we’ll call the police.”

Fu Junjie exploded.

He lifted his head and glared at the guard.

“I’m giving a gift to my mother!

What do you mean, unidentified package?

Look at me carefully.

Do you still want to call the police now?”

The guard replied mechanically,

“Chairwoman Fu instructed us not to accept anything from you.

And we’re not allowed to let you inside.

Please leave.”

Fu Junjie’s eyes widened.

“What did you just say?”

Then, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed something familiar.

Walking closer, he saw an aromatherapy diffuser sitting on the reception desk.

It was the one he’d sent to Yun Xi.

Immediately he pointed at it.

“Why is that here?”

He looked suspiciously between the receptionist and the guard.

“Don’t tell me you kept the gift for yourselves and never told my mother about it.”

Otherwise, he simply couldn’t understand it.

Why wouldn’t Yun Xi accept his gift?

This was the first gift he’d given her in nearly ten years.

What reason could she possibly have for refusing it?

What reason could she have for being so absolute about it?

The only explanation was obvious.

Someone below had acted on their own initiative.

Yun Xi didn’t know.

The receptionist and guard both frowned.

“Chairwoman Fu distributed them to us herself.

Several employees who were present received one.”

Seeing that Fu Junjie still refused to leave, the receptionist reluctantly called the executive office.

No matter what Yun Xi had said, they still didn’t dare use force against him.

After all, he was still her son.

If things became too ugly, it would reflect poorly on everyone involved.

Yun Xi had just finished work and was preparing to leave when she heard her secretary’s report.

Without a moment’s hesitation, she said,

“If someone’s causing trouble at the company, call the police if it’s difficult to handle.

Fu Junjie is no different from a stranger. There’s no need to make exceptions for him.”

Then Yun Xi headed to the parking garage and drove home.

Meanwhile, Fu Junjie continued causing a scene.

The receptionist’s attitude became much firmer, and she directly called the police.

Fu Junjie thought the whole thing was absurd.

He had come to his own family’s company.

He had been stopped at the front entrance.

He couldn’t even deliver a gift to his own mother.

And now they were calling the police on him.

Were they insane?

Or had the world suddenly become surreal?

The entire situation felt like a dream.

Fu Junjie already had a bad temper.

Furious, he tried to force his way inside.

“I’d like to see who dares stop me!

Today, I’m going to see my mother no matter what.”

The security guards had already called for backup.

Several guards stood together to block his path.

As Fu Junjie shoved them, his hand accidentally scratched one guard’s face.

The receptionist stepped forward and said,

“Chairwoman Fu already left for home.

No matter how much you make a scene, you’re not going to see her.”

Fu Junjie wasn’t listening.

He casually shoved the receptionist aside.

Unfortunately, he pushed her hard enough that she lost her balance and fell.

At that point, everyone watching nearby became deeply disgusted with him.

Almost everyone came to the same conclusion.

No wonder Chairwoman Fu had disowned him.

If someone with this level of character became the heir to the Fu Group, they might as well start waiting for the company to go bankrupt.

Fu Junjie didn’t notice the shift in people’s attitudes.

The growing anxiety buried deep in his subconscious drove him to seek validation through confrontation.

As long as they eventually let him in…

As long as Yun Xi agreed to see him…

Then everything would be fine.

It would prove that she still cared about him.

If not…

He didn’t dare think about it.

Reality, however, disappointed him.

At the Fu Group, he had no special status whatsoever.

He was simply a stranger attempting to force his way into a private building.

The police quickly arrived and took him away.

After the farce ended, the secretary reported everything to Yun Xi.

Yun Xi frowned slightly.

“Give bonuses to everyone who helped stop him today.

And provide additional compensation to anyone who was injured.

They worked hard.”

The receptionist and security guards had been feeling somewhat frustrated.

The unexpected bonus immediately improved their mood.

Still, they all hoped Fu Junjie wouldn’t come back.

The man was genuinely unhinged.

When Yan Zhixin received the call, she rushed to the police station to pick him up.

She was utterly shocked.

The two of them had assumed they were extending an olive branch.

Surely Yun Xi would accept it and welcome them back.

Instead, Yun Xi had gotten Fu Junjie sent to the police station.

What on earth was she thinking?

For the first time, Yan Zhixin began feeling anxious.

But after pretending for so long, she didn’t dare say too much.

The last thing she wanted was for Fu Junjie to discover her true reasons for marrying him.

Fu Junjie felt deeply humiliated.

The moment he returned home, he smashed everything he could get his hands on.

Yan Zhixin’s face turned pale with fright.

Several times she wanted to scream at him and tell him to get out.

It took every ounce of self-control she possessed to hold herself back.

After she started working, she had spent a large portion of her salary decorating the apartment.

Now Fu Junjie had destroyed it all.

Several expensive decorative pieces had even been gifts from wealthy friends.

Watching them shatter felt like watching her heart bleed.

Finally, when Fu Junjie stopped destroying things, she approached him and gently asked what had happened.

After listening to his explanation, she sat quietly for a long time.

Then suddenly her eyes widened.

“She’s being this ruthless…

Could she be planning to have another child?”

“What?”

Fu Junjie was stunned.

“Another child?

She’s already in her forties. She’s practically approaching menopause.Why would she have another child?”

“But she hasn’t reached menopause yet.” Yan Zhixin spoke more confidently as she continued.

“If she wants another child, she’ll find a way.

Think about it.

The Fu family has had only one heir for generations.

You’re the sole heir.

So why is she treating you like this?

She’s making the conflict public and letting everyone know.

Doesn’t that mean she’s genuinely disowning you?

If she isn’t planning to leave the company to you, who will inherit it?

The obvious answer is another child.”

The more she analyzed the situation, the more convinced she became.

“In fact, maybe she’s already pregnant.

That would explain why she’s showing you absolutely no mercy.

Otherwise none of this makes sense.”

Fu Junjie became alarmed.

Then furious.

From the day he was born, he had been designated as the heir to everything the Fu family owned.

Whether he personally wanted that inheritance was his own choice.

But what right did Yun Xi have to replace him with a second child?

How could she do that to him?

How could she do that to his father?

What did she think he was?

What did she think his father was?

Unable to sit still any longer, Fu Junjie finally found a way to contact one of the company’s shareholders, an older man he addressed as “Uncle.”

Carrying an expensive gift of tea, he paid a visit.

This kind of thing was completely outside his experience.

Even after arriving, he couldn’t hide his anxiety.

After only a few polite exchanges, he started lamenting how he’d made mistakes and upset Yun Xi.

The shareholder was wondering why the young man had come to see him at all.

Then Fu Junjie subtly began asking whether Yun Xi might be pregnant.

He also wanted the shareholder to pass along the message that he regretted his mistakes.

The shareholder nearly laughed in disbelief.

This young man from the Fu family really thought the world revolved around him.

He came asking for help but didn’t have the slightest idea how to ask for a favor.

The shareholder was sitting in a wheelchair, yet Fu Junjie hadn’t even asked how he was doing.

He didn’t care whether the older man was tired.

Instead, he simply talked endlessly about himself.

The boy understood nothing about social etiquette or human relationships.

Previously, the shareholder had heard that Yun Xi wanted to train her son as a successor, but the son was stubborn and rebellious, disappearing overseas for years.

Now he could see it was all true.

The young man hadn’t learned even a fraction of Yun Xi’s abilities.

The fact that the company would not be handed over to someone like him was a tremendous relief.

Still…

Was Yun Xi really planning to have another child?

The shareholder hadn’t heard anything about that.

Since he didn’t know, he wasn’t going to make things up.

So he gave a few vague responses, promised to pass along Fu Junjie’s message, and politely sent him away.

Ironically, that vague attitude only made Fu Junjie more convinced that Yan Zhixin’s theory was correct.

After all, Yun Xi had recently met with several shareholders.

How could they not know whether she was pregnant?

The only reason the shareholder had been so evasive was because Yun Xi really was pregnant.

The truth was much simpler.

The shareholder had suffered a fracture and hadn’t attended the recent shareholder gathering.

He hadn’t seen Yun Xi in quite some time and knew very little about the conflict between mother and son.

But since Fu Junjie never bothered asking about the man’s condition, he never learned that fact.

Afterward, the shareholder called Yun Xi and informed her about the visit.

Yun Xi laughed.

“In the future, you don’t need to see him.

He treats money like dirt.

He looks down on people like me who work hard running a company.

All he wants is an ordinary life.

So let’s grant him his wish.”

The shareholder smiled.

He didn’t mention Fu Junjie again.

After all, looking down on Yun Xi was effectively the same as looking down on him.

They were both businesspeople.

Both people who loved money.

Loved their careers.

Worked tirelessly for their companies.

If Fu Junjie despised people like them, there was no reason for them to go out of their way to accommodate him.

The next time they met, they could simply remain strangers.

From that point forward, everyone around Yun Xi knew the truth.

The servants.

The employees.

Business partners.

Friends and acquaintances.

Anyone who knew her and had access to her understood that she had completely severed ties with her son.

There would be no reconciliation.

Naturally, everyone’s attitude toward Fu Junjie began to change.

Especially after hearing his comments about wealthy people.

Those remarks had effectively insulted all of them.

Since their paths were different, there was no reason to work together.

If Fu Junjie truly loved an ordinary life, then he should go live that ordinary life properly.

After all, they were kind people.

So they would kindly refrain from disturbing his ordinary life.

Meanwhile, Fu Junjie returned home looking completely defeated.

“Well? What happened? Did it work? Did that shareholder agree to speak for you?”

Yan Zhixin hurried over anxiously.

Fu Junjie shook his head.

“You were right.

She probably really is pregnant with a second child…”

Yan Zhixin panicked.

“Then did you sincerely apologize?

Did you ask the shareholder to pass along a message for you?

What exactly did you say to him?

Did he agree to help?”

Irritated, Fu Junjie shoved her away.

“She’s already having another child. How could she possibly acknowledge me now?

I’m already frustrated enough.

Stop asking.”

This time Yan Zhixin didn’t back down.

Instead, she grabbed him firmly and said,

“So you’re just going to accept this?

Even if she gives birth, there’s no guarantee the child will grow up healthy.

And even if the child grows up, there’s no guarantee she’ll raise them well.

You still have more than ten years before that child is old enough to compete with you.

Are you really going to give up now?

Pregnant women are soft-hearted.

If you apologize every day, she’ll definitely forgive you.

You…”

“Enough!”

Fu Junjie glared at her furiously.

“What are you so anxious about?

If I don’t go back to the Fu family, do you not want to be with me anymore?

Or is my mother right?

Are you really after the Fu family’s money?

Is that it?”

At this point, Yan Zhixin couldn’t be bothered maintaining the act.

Fu Junjie had nearly spent all of her money.

She shouted,

“Who am I doing this for?

Isn’t it for our future?

I only have a few thousand yuan left in my account.

You spent so much money on that tea gift, and it didn’t even accomplish anything.

Am I not allowed to be anxious?

If we run out of money, what are we supposed to eat?

What are we supposed to wear?

Have you even thought about that?

I can barely afford next month’s rent!”

Humiliated and angry, Fu Junjie exploded.

“So now you’re blaming me for spending your money?

Didn’t I spend money too?

I brought out all those luxury items from home and sold them.

I bought you flowers every day.

I took you to restaurants.

I took you everywhere.

And now you’re seriously keeping score over the little bit of money you’ve spent on me?”

Yan Zhixin frowned.

“I’m just telling you the truth.

We’re almost out of money.

We have to find a way to make your mother forgive you and take you back.

Otherwise what are we supposed to do?

Are you going to get a job?”

To Fu Junjie, those words sounded dripping with mockery.

Hadn’t he been trying to get a job?

He had been looking the entire time.

Either the salary was too low, or employers complained about his lack of work experience.

And some jobs were physically demanding.

There was no way he was going to do work like that.

If he found a suitable position, the salary would naturally be high.

The problem was that he hadn’t found one yet.

Both of them were filled with frustration and looking for an outlet.

Before long, the argument exploded.

Furious, Fu Junjie shouted,

“She won’t acknowledge me anymore!

What exactly am I supposed to do?

Even if I got down on my knees and begged, I can’t even get close enough to see her.

What do you expect me to do?”

Yan Zhixin was equally furious.

“Stop acting like you’re completely helpless.

You’re the heir to the Fu family.

That’s a fact that can never change.

Even if the Fu family had other children, you’d still be part of the family.

There would always be a share of the inheritance for you.

Why don’t you at least secure that share so we can survive for now?

We can worry about everything else later.”

Fu Junjie looked away.

“I signed an agreement giving up all claims to the family assets.

Didn’t I tell you before?

I left the Fu family with absolutely nothing.”

“What?” Faced with Yan Zhixin’s disbelieving expression, Fu Junjie dug a document out from the bottom of a box and tossed it to her.

She quickly flipped through it.

The color drained from her face.

All this time, she had assumed Fu Junjie and Yun Xi were simply fighting over his status as heir.

She had never imagined they had actually signed legal documents.

Documents that had even been notarized.

Documents with full legal force.

Which meant that even if Yun Xi died right now, Fu Junjie would inherit nothing unless she specifically left assets to him in her will.

Yan Zhixin felt as though the ground had vanished beneath her feet.

She had spent so much time scheming.

She had carefully selected Fu Junjie from among all her options.

And now it turned out he was broke?

When Yun Xi said she would give her a penniless Fu Junjie, she had meant it literally.

She had taken back everything.

Even the cars registered in his name.

Yan Zhixin’s vision went black.

She fainted.

Fu Junjie panicked.

His anger disappeared instantly.

He hurriedly took her to the hospital.

Then the examination results came back.

Yan Zhixin was pregnant.

The two of them were overjoyed.

And at the same time, they both thought of the exact same thing.

Now they finally had a legitimate reason to see Yun Xi.

Surely Yun Xi would accept them now.

Immediately, they took a taxi to the Fu estate.

The security guard still refused to let them in.

Fu Junjie adopted a forceful tone.

“My wife is pregnant.

My mother is about to become a grandmother.

Are you really sure you’re not letting us in?

If my wife gets exhausted standing here and something happens to the baby, are you going to take responsibility?”

Who could possibly take responsibility for something like that?

The guard hurriedly called the butler and explained the situation.

Yun Xi was in the kitchen cooking when the butler relayed the message.

Her expression didn’t change at all.

“A stranger is pregnant.

What does that have to do with standing outside our gate?”

The butler immediately understood.

To prevent Fu Junjie from continuing to harass them, he personally went outside and said,

“Mr. Fu, Miss has no interest in whether you have a child or not.

Since you are now strangers and no longer have any relationship, you should not interfere with one another’s lives.

Back then, weren’t you the one who hated Miss involving herself in your affairs?

Now that she has completely stopped paying attention to anything in your life, why are you the one coming back to bother her?

If you’ve come because you regret your decision and want to return, then I’m sorry.

Miss has always meant what she says.

The Fu family no longer welcomes you.

And if you continue harassing us, or attempt to use the unborn child as leverage by claiming something might happen to the pregnancy, I’ll have no choice but to call the police.”

Fu Junjie slapped the gate angrily.

“What is my mother doing?

Let me see her.

If there’s something to say, we can say it face-to-face.”

The butler gave a perfectly professional smile.

“Miss is busy learning how to cook.

It’s her new hobby.

She doesn’t have time to see you.

Everything was already made clear long ago.

There’s nothing left to discuss.

Please leave.”

When Fu Junjie looked ready to continue causing trouble, the butler prepared to call the police.

Seeing that he was serious, Yan Zhixin hurriedly dragged Fu Junjie away.

The last thing she wanted was for him to end up at the police station again.

This was the first time Yan Zhixin had personally witnessed Yun Xi’s cold and absolute indifference.

Previously, whenever Fu Junjie failed to contact Yun Xi and kept running into obstacles, part of her had suspected that mother and son were secretly working together to test her.

That was why she had remained calm and continued acting like someone who cared only about love and not money.

But after seeing Fu Junjie’s interaction with the Fu family staff, she finally realized something frightening.

Maybe this had never been a test.

Maybe it was all real.

Yun Xi truly had disowned Fu Junjie.

Especially if Yun Xi really was pregnant with a second child.

If she could have a second child, then she could have a third or fourth.

Eventually she’d be able to raise a suitable heir.

So why would she ever take back a disobedient son like Fu Junjie?

The more Yan Zhixin thought about it, the more convinced she became.

And why had a powerful corporate chairwoman suddenly developed a passion for cooking?

The answer seemed obvious.

She must be pregnant.

Her maternal instincts were overflowing, and she wanted to cook for her new child personally.

Fu Junjie had reached the same conclusion.

He had even begun resenting the imaginary child they had invented in their minds.

Bitterly, he said,

“She never cooked for me.

Now suddenly she’s trying to be a good mother.”

Yan Zhixin’s mind raced.

She felt that arguing about these things was pointless now.

If Yun Xi really had another child, then the issue had become a battle over inheritance.

The most important thing was to invalidate that agreement and secure as much wealth as possible before the child was born and grew up.

Interrupting Fu Junjie’s complaints, she said,

“For the sake of our child, just swallow your pride and apologize to Auntie.

We can’t let our child grow up in hardship.

Since we can’t see her by going to her house, let’s find out where she usually goes and meet her somewhere public.

When we see her, we’ll apologize together.

We can even kneel if necessary.

Better yet, let’s do it where lots of people can see.

That way she’ll be trapped by public pressure.

As a mother, she’ll have no choice but to give us another chance.

Don’t you think?”

Fu Junjie had never been the type to scheme.

Hearing these words come directly from Yan Zhixin’s mouth, he suddenly felt as though he didn’t know her at all.

Was this really the pure and kind-hearted girl he had fallen in love with?

Now that she was pregnant, Yan Zhixin felt more confident.

Instead of avoiding his gaze, she looked directly at him and continued,

“For our future.

And for our child.

This is something we have to do.”

The difficulties of recent months had already worn away much of their passion.

The honeymoon phase was disappearing rapidly.

In its place came endless arguments and practical problems.

Now that Yan Zhixin had revealed a glimpse of her true self, Fu Junjie’s feelings for her dropped sharply.

For the first time, he even felt a hint of regret.

If not for Yan Zhixin, he never would have fallen out with Yun Xi.

He wouldn’t be unable to return home.

And now it turned out Yan Zhixin wasn’t nearly as wonderful as he’d imagined.

Everything he’d sacrificed suddenly seemed far less worthwhile.

Still, her words gave him an excuse he could accept.

If he continued pursuing Yun Xi, it would be for the child.

If he lowered his head, it would be for the child.

He wanted to be a good father.

He wanted his child to have the best possible life.

The best environment.

The happiest upbringing.

If it was for his child, then there was nothing shameful about it.

So he nodded.

He agreed.

He said nothing more.

Nor did he ask whether Yan Zhixin felt unwell after fainting.

From this point forward, he told himself, everything he did would be for the child.

A few days later, the private investigator informed Yun Xi that Fu Junjie had been asking around everywhere, trying to learn her schedule.

Yun Xi smiled.

“Then let him hear that I’m attending Miss Qin’s birthday banquet.”

The Qin family and the Fu family had been close family friends for generations.

The Qin family’s daughter was exceptionally capable.

She had actually been the daughter-in-law candidate favored by the original Yun Xi.

But Fu Junjie had disliked her.

Privately, he had done quite a few things that embarrassed and humiliated her.

When the original Yun Xi learned about it, she felt deeply apologetic.

This was the perfect opportunity to clarify her position to the Qin family.

And it would also allow Fu Junjie to understand something.

The woman he had once looked down on so completely would now be forever beyond his reach once he lost his status as heir to the Fu family.

Even if Miss Qin had once been willing to consider him, it had only been because the two families were well matched.

She simply thought the Fu family, with its small and uncomplicated household, was a good marriage prospect.

Yet Fu Junjie had foolishly believed she was deeply in love with him.

Arrogant.

Ignorant.

Unable to accept advice.

Yun Xi’s smile became more amused.

The head of the Qin family had been dissatisfied with Fu Junjie for a long time.

The only reason they had never acted was out of respect for the friendship between the two families.

But now Yun Xi was personally making her position clear.

Whether the Qin family would decide to teach Fu Junjie a lesson afterward remained to be seen.

To be honest, she was actually looking forward to the banquet.

Yun Xi called the Qin family in advance to let them know her intentions.

Then she instructed her executive assistant,

“Choose a gift worthy of Miss Qin.

From now on, treat her as my goddaughter.”

The assistant acknowledged the order and left to make arrangements.

Privately, she thought:

Fu Junjie is about to make an even bigger fool of himself.

╰───♡───╯

Fu Junjie and Yan Zhixin quickly registered their marriage.

Fu Junjie proudly posted on social media, showing off their marriage certificate and declaring that he had found the only woman who truly mattered in his life.

Many people from similar social circles were shocked and left comments.

【Holy shit, Brother Fu, you’re serious? Does Chairwoman Fu know about this?】

Fu Junjie replied: I make my own decisions. She doesn’t need to know.

【Fu Junjie, you actually got married? Are you deliberately going against Auntie Fu? Are you trying to make her furious?】

Fu Junjie replied: Absolutely true. I’m just living my own life. Whether other people get angry has nothing to do with me.

【Damn, impressive. Strike first and report later. Force Chairwoman Fu to compromise. Hurry up and have a kid, she’ll calm down eventually haha.】

Fu Junjie replied: We’re child-free. No need for her to calm down.

Yun Xi’s executive assistant happened to have Fu Junjie’s social media account and reminded Yun Xi to check his post.

After seeing it, Yun Xi posted a statement she had already prepared.

Announcement:

Fu Junjie has voluntarily relinquished all claims to the Fu family’s assets and left the Fu family as of yesterday.

From this day forward, Fu Junjie and I have no relationship whatsoever.

My will has been amended, and Fu Junjie has been removed as an heir.

Any actions taken by Fu Junjie from this point onward have no connection to me or the Fu family.

Please take note.

— Fu Yunxi

The statement was concise, direct, and explosive.

Everyone who saw it was stunned.

A disagreement between mother and son was one thing.

A public declaration severing ties was something else entirely.

Even when wealthy families punished younger generations and temporarily kicked them out, they never announced it publicly. After some time, they would quietly welcome them back.

No one had ever seen someone like Fu Yunxi issue a public statement.

What did this mean?

Had she really abandoned her son?

The phrases “relinquished family assets” and “amended my will” were not things people threw around casually.

All because of a marriage?

Had things really escalated this far?

Most people assumed Fu Junjie only dared behave this way because he was an only child.

That was certainly what everyone thought.

People from families with multiple children, especially those who had no chance of inheriting the family business, would have gladly traded places with him.

If Fu Junjie didn’t want to be the heir to the Fu family, plenty of others would.

The statement spread rapidly.

Within a short time, everyone in their social circle had heard about it.

Previously, when people saw Fu Junjie posting his marriage certificate, they had viewed him as rebellious, standing up to his mother and challenging authority.

Now that they knew Yun Xi had already kicked him out the day before, many began to think there was genuinely something wrong with him.

Especially his comment about finding “the only woman who matters in my life.”

A lot of people scoffed at that.

Without Fu Yunxi, who even knew who he was?

He had grown up pampered and privileged, enjoying every advantage his mother provided.

And now a girlfriend he’d only known for a relatively short time had somehow become the only important woman in his life?

People’s initial shock gradually turned into speechless disbelief.

Most simply stopped responding to him.

Only a few friends he had been relatively close to called and asked what had happened.

Fu Junjie hadn’t expected Yun Xi to be so ruthless.

On the very day of his marriage, she had publicly humiliated him and turned him into a laughingstock.

He was furious.

“It’s exactly what it looks like,” he snapped.

“I’ve cut ties with her.

What does she care about besides money?

She can spend the rest of her life hugging her money for all I care!”

That response convinced even more people that something was wrong with him.

She was the chairwoman of a massive corporate group.

If she wasn’t focused on making money, what exactly was she supposed to do?

Play pretend with her grown son?

Some people asked what his plans were now.

Fu Junjie confidently replied,

“I’ll find a job first and earn my first pot of gold.

Once I’ve accumulated enough capital, I’ll start a business.

Then we can gather a few people together and discuss which industries have potential.”

The moment they heard that, everyone started laughing awkwardly and changing the subject.

They congratulated him on his marriage and quickly ended the conversation.

Did he really still think he was the young master of the Fu family?

Chairwoman Fu had clearly cast him out.

Whether she truly intended to disown him or was simply teaching him a lesson, everyone had to show respect to her position.

No one was going to help Fu Junjie.

Besides, he was still the only descendant of the Fu family.

People assumed that after enough drama, mother and son would eventually reconcile.

Fu Junjie would lower his head, admit his mistakes, and get everything back.

There was no need for anyone else to get involved.

On top of that, he had been abroad for years.

Most people had already drifted apart from him.

There was little reason to maintain contact now.

Fu Junjie had no idea how many people were secretly laughing at him.

When people congratulated him on his marriage, he genuinely believed they supported him.

When people called him impressive, he genuinely believed they admired him.

He truly thought he was courageous.

Defying his chairwoman mother.

Treating wealth like dirt.

Giving up an inheritance.

At that moment, Fu Junjie felt an overwhelming sense of satisfaction.

He honestly couldn’t remember ever feeling so fulfilled in his entire life.

Seeing his confidence, Yan Zhixin naturally assumed he had everything under control.

As a result, she stopped worrying and didn’t take Yun Xi’s statement seriously.

In fact, she found it amusing.

To her, Yun Xi looked like someone throwing a powerless tantrum.

She even felt a little sorry for her future mother-in-law.

Why make such a huge scene?

In the end, wouldn’t she still have to accept reality?

When the time came, a powerful chairwoman lowering her head to her son and daughter-in-law would only make her a bigger laughingstock.

Surely Yun Xi wasn’t naive enough to think a statement like that would scare Yan Zhixin into abandoning Fu Junjie.

That would be absurd.

Yan Zhixin wasn’t that stupid.

In her mind, she had already seen through all of Yun Xi’s tricks.

From now on, all she had to do was continue acting like a woman deeply in love with Fu Junjie.

No matter what happened, she would stay by his side.

She would prove to everyone that Fu Yunxi was wrong.

The newlyweds spent a sweet and affectionate wedding night together.

The next day, Fu Junjie thought about Yun Xi’s public statement and still felt irritated.

He wanted revenge.

But now that he had left the Fu family, he couldn’t exactly return home to confront her.

After some thought, he sent a mass message to many of his contacts:

【Thank you all for your wedding blessings. I wish all of you happiness as well.

Leaving the past behind and looking toward the future, a new journey begins today.

Please take care of me in the future.】

He wanted Yun Xi to know one thing.

He had abandoned her.

He had abandoned the Fu family.

It wasn’t Yun Xi who had kicked him out.

The message had barely been sent when he noticed a red exclamation mark.

Yun Xi had blocked him.

Fu Junjie stared at the symbol in disbelief.

Immediately, he tried calling Yun Xi.

Blocked.

He called the family residence.

Blocked.

He called the executive assistant.

Blocked.

Every single one of them had blocked all of his contact information.

For a brief moment, panic surfaced.

Then it was replaced by anger.

What was Yun Xi trying to do?

Scare him?

Did she really think this kind of tactic would force him to submit?

Ridiculous.

She blocked him?

Fine.

He would block all of them too.

If they ever wanted to add him back in the future, they could forget it.

He would go find a job right now and show them how free and happy he was without the Fu family.

Original translation at HololoNovels dot com. The newly married couple both dreamed of making something of themselves and proving Yun Xi wrong.

Unfortunately, dreams were beautiful.

Reality was cruel.

When Fu Junjie went out looking for work, he immediately ran headfirst into reality and got nowhere.

Fu Junjie returned home cursing furiously.

“Those shameless opportunists! A bunch of snobs with dog eyes!

They used to suck up to me every chance they got. Now that I’ve lost my inheritance rights, they’ve all turned their backs on me.

No matter what I say, it’s always no.

I’m only asking for a job. That’s all!

Other people can get hired, so why can’t I?

It’s obviously deliberate!”

Yan Zhixin cautiously suggested,

“Could it be that Auntie contacted them and told them to teach you a lesson?”

Fu Junjie’s expression darkened.

The more he thought about it, the more plausible it seemed.

How despicable.

How underhanded.

To use tactics like that against her own son.

Yun Xi really was a cold-blooded capitalist.

Fine.

Then he would stop applying as the heir to the Fu family and simply look for work as an ordinary overseas graduate.

Yun Xi might be able to influence the CEOs of major corporations, but surely she couldn’t control every ordinary HR employee.

Then he looked at Yan Zhixin and corrected her,

“We’re married now. You should call her ‘Mom.’”

Yan Zhixin shook his arm playfully.

“I’ll call her that when I receive a proper change-of-address gift.”

Fu Junjie laughed.

“You’re right.

It’s already unfair to you that we got married like this.

In the future, I’ll definitely give you a grand wedding.”

Yan Zhixin’s smile grew brighter.

Of course she couldn’t call Yun Xi “Mom.”

Yun Xi looked down on her.

Rejected her.

Turned her into a joke throughout the wealthy social circle.

She was waiting for the day Yun Xi would beg her to return to the Fu family.

Beg her to change the way she addressed her.

As long as she became pregnant, Yun Xi, whose family had passed down a single heir for generations, would definitely lower herself and come pleading.

Yan Zhixin understood that mentality all too well.

A child would become her greatest bargaining chip against Yun Xi.

The two of them spent all their time thinking about Yun Xi.

Meanwhile, Yun Xi had long since forgotten about them.

Blood ties couldn’t be erased.

But she had already raised Fu Junjie to adulthood.

She no longer had any obligations toward him.

Their assets had been completely separated.

There was no reason for them to have any further involvement in each other’s lives.

As for his legal duty to support her in old age?

She didn’t need it.

So from the moment Fu Junjie left the Fu family, he had effectively disappeared from her world.

Whether he got married, found a job, or had children no longer had anything to do with her.

Nor did she care.

Yun Xi’s current company produced household goods.

That was different from the businesses she had run in her previous life.

The difference gave her an idea.

Shouldn’t she memorize the formulas for various consumer products?

If she ever ended up in another world, she could potentially build a business from scratch using that knowledge.

One idea led to another.

Not only did Yun Xi have people gather formulas for all kinds of products, she also collected countless recipes.

She memorized them all and hired teachers to show her how to make them properly.

The butler couldn’t help feeling concerned.

In the past, Yun Xi had been a workaholic who spent most of her time at the company.

Now, the moment work ended, she came straight home.

She either conducted little experiments and craft projects or spent her time cooking.

Was she trying to distract herself?

Trying to numb the pain?

But Yun Xi seemed genuinely interested in everything she was doing.

She enjoyed herself immensely.

She even learned flower cultivation from the gardener.

Every day she chatted and laughed with the staff.

No matter how he looked at it, she didn’t seem unhappy.

If anything, she appeared more energetic than ever.

Almost as though something wonderful had happened.

Could it be…

Could getting rid of Fu Junjie actually be a happy event for Yun Xi?

The butler shook his head and dismissed the absurd thought.

Seeing that she truly seemed fine reassured him.

He instructed all the servants not to mention Fu Junjie and to focus on taking good care of Yun Xi.

The servants unanimously felt that the household was better off without him.

When he lived there, he was always angry, shouting, and creating tension.

Everyone had constantly walked on eggshells around him.

Now the atmosphere was peaceful.

Yun Xi was happy.

And so were they.

This peaceful routine didn’t last very long.

Barely a month later, Fu Junjie returned.

At the gate, he tried using facial recognition.

Access denied.

His face filled with disbelief.

Then he tried his fingerprint.

Another red warning light.

Immediately, his temper exploded.

“Where is everyone? Open the gate!”

The security guard looked at him calmly.

“Hello. Who are you here to see?”

Fu Junjie sneered.

“You don’t recognize me?

You’ve worked here all these years for nothing?

You tell me who I’m here to see.”

The guard replied,

“I’ve worked here for over ten years.

And Miss said you’re a stranger.

So you’re a stranger.”

“Miss?”

Fu Junjie froze.

Then he suddenly realized what the guard meant.

Back when his family had lived together, the household referred to them as “Sir,” “Madam,” and “Junjie.”

But this was ultimately the Fu family estate.

It belonged to Fu Yunxi.

Now that both he and his father were gone, Yun Xi was the only remaining master of the house.

So the household had reverted to calling her “Miss.”

A wave of discomfort washed over him.

Yun Xi had gone too far.

Was she trying to erase all traces of his and his father’s existence?

Angrily, he snapped,

“Open the gate already. I need to talk to my mother.”

Please wait.”

Hearing whom he wanted to see, the guard simply followed normal procedures and called inside to report the situation.

It was an entirely ordinary process.

But it was the process used for outsiders.

Separated by a single gate, Fu Junjie glared at the guard.

His anger intensified.

If this humiliation had been orchestrated by Yun Xi, then she had succeeded.

At that moment, he felt utterly humiliated.

Being stopped outside by a security guard he had never even paid attention to before was humiliating.

More humiliating than being rejected from job after job.

More humiliating than selling off the jewelry and luxury items he had taken with him.

More humiliating than running out of money and finding himself unable to support his wife.

All he had done was fall in love with a girl he liked.

Why did Yun Xi have the right to treat him this way?

He waited a long time.

In the end, all he received was a single message from the guard.

“I’m sorry.

Miss doesn’t wish to see you.”

The guard paused before continuing.

“Miss also asked me to pass along a message.”

Don’t forget what you said back then. If you truly didn’t care about it, then don’t come back looking over your shoulder.”

For the first time, standing outside the gates of the Fu estate and unable to take even a single step inside, Fu Junjie felt as though the world beyond those gates belonged to someone else.

And for the first time, genuine panic gripped him.

Did Yun Xi really no longer consider him her son?

╰───♡───╯

Yun Xi had a servant bring her a cup of coffee. Sitting calmly on the sofa, she said,

“I’ve never believed that money can solve everything. But your relationship is closely tied to money. Surely you don’t think she fell in love with your character, your personality, or your inner beauty?”

The look of disbelief on Yun Xi’s face made Fu Junjie feel deeply humiliated.

“What we love is each other’s personalities!” he snapped. “It has nothing to do with material things! Of course, someone like you would never understand.”

Yun Xi smiled.

“Out of all the wealthy heirs she could have chosen, she picked you solely because you’re the heir to my fortune. That’s all.

Otherwise, you’re hot-tempered, selfish, cold-hearted, and completely unaccomplished. What exactly is there for her to love?

You really are far too confident.”

The original host had never spoken harshly to Fu Junjie before.

His face turned livid as he stared at Yun Xi, unable to believe she would belittle him so openly.

Grinding his teeth, he shot back,

“The one who’s overly confident is you. You’re unbelievably self-righteous.

Zhixin and I were dating perfectly happily, but you’ve convinced yourself she has bad intentions and only wants your money.

You’re pathetic.

In your eyes, there’s only money. You don’t understand feelings at all.

When you married my father, it was only to produce an heir. You never cared about his feelings or what he wanted.

And do you think I care about being your heir?

You gave birth to me like you were completing a task. The only reason I exist is to continue the family line and inherit the Fu family.

You’re just a tool used by the Fu family to carry on the bloodline. A cold machine.

I honestly don’t understand what you’re so proud of.

Do you know how suffocating it was growing up as your son?

I’d rather have been born into an ordinary family and actually been happy!”

Having finally vented everything he had bottled up for years, Fu Junjie felt an immediate sense of relief.

He looked at Yun Xi provocatively, expecting to see her furious and shaken.

Instead, he was disappointed.

Not only was Yun Xi not angry, she actually laughed.

Embarrassed and enraged, he snapped,

“What are you laughing at? Do you think I’m funny?”

Yun Xi ignored the question.

Instead, she said,

“You keep saying you don’t care about being my son. You don’t care about being the heir. But that’s easy to say.

Do you actually dare to prove it?

You claim Yan Zhixin loves your soul and that her feelings have nothing to do with the Fu family or money.

Do you have the courage to test that?”

Fu Junjie froze.

Yun Xi continued,

“If you do, I’ll have someone draft the paperwork right now.

You can leave the Fu family completely. You’ll have nothing. No money. No inheritance.

Go to Yan Zhixin as a penniless man and see whether she still loves you.

If giving up being the heir truly makes you happy, and if you two can still get married and live happily together, then from this day forward I will never interfere in your life again.

Do you dare?”

For a brief moment, Fu Junjie hesitated.

That hesitation only made him angrier.

It felt humiliating.

He hated being born as an heir.

He hated being treated like a tool of the Fu family.

He wanted to prove that Yan Zhixin loved him rather than his money.

So why had he hesitated?

Even that tiny moment of hesitation felt like an insult to himself.

Without another thought, he immediately agreed.

“Fine. Let’s do it.

And don’t you dare regret it later.

I’ll show you that not everything in this world revolves around money.”

Yun Xi smiled and shook her head.

Then she made a phone call and instructed her executive assistant to arrange everything.

The assistant was stunned.

The mother and son had just finished arguing earlier that day.

Now they had escalated all the way to transferring assets.

Still, she asked no questions.

She immediately drafted all the necessary documents and brought them over for signatures.

In truth, Fu Junjie owned very little.

He had always spent money freely and never saved.

Later, he had simply used Yun Xi’s supplementary credit card.

He had no real savings of his own.

After turning eighteen, he had gone abroad to study and had only recently returned, so Yun Xi had not even purchased a house for him yet.

The only assets in his name were two cars.

He transferred both of them to Yun Xi.

The only other significant matter involved his father’s estate.

Both he and Yun Xi had inherited portions of it.

However, because of the prenuptial agreements and property arrangements established years ago, his father’s estate consisted only of two villas, three vehicles, some collectibles, and a sum of savings accumulated over the years.

Since there had never been any need to formally divide the inheritance before, it had remained untouched.

Now, Fu Junjie signed away all rights to it.

Once the documents were notarized, he would truly become penniless.

When he reached the final signature line, his hand paused briefly.

Then he noticed Yun Xi looking at him.

Immediately, he signed his name, tossed the pen aside, and felt an unprecedented sense of satisfaction.

This time, he had defended his dignity.

Yun Xi sighed.

She honestly felt there was something wrong with his brain.

Was he truly confident that he could live well without money?

Did he genuinely not care?

Or was he simply convinced that he was the only heir and would eventually be welcomed back anyway?

To be fair, her earlier words had been somewhat misleading.

Anyone might assume she was merely conducting a test and would eventually take him back.

Still, the fact that Fu Junjie had signed everything without a moment’s serious thought was astonishing.

Looking at the documents, Yun Xi deliberately asked,

“You still have time to change your mind.”

Fu Junjie cut her off immediately.

“I won’t regret it.”

Yun Xi stood and headed upstairs.

“These documents will be notarized tomorrow.

Until then, you can still change your mind.

Countless people would love to be the heir to the Fu family.

Don’t ruin your life because of a moment of impulsiveness.”

Something about her words felt strange to Fu Junjie.

But the satisfaction of finally striking back at his mother overwhelmed any doubts.

Deliberately raising his voice, he shouted,

“I’ll never regret it. Not in this lifetime!”

No one answered.

Yun Xi had already returned to her room.

As far as she was concerned, the matter was resolved.

Now all she needed was a good night’s sleep, enough rest to restore her energy, and the beginning of a completely new life that belonged solely to her.

Fu Junjie sat alone in the empty living room.

Gradually, the exhilaration faded.

In its place came irritation.

Then anger.

Finally, he realized something.

The reason Yun Xi hadn’t been angry or upset was because she looked down on him from the bottom of her heart.

She was convinced he couldn’t survive without the Fu family.

Convinced he would eventually crawl back and beg her for help.

That was why she had remained so calm.

For all he knew, she was probably laughing at him internally.

He drained his glass of wine in one gulp.

Then he strode upstairs and began packing his belongings.

The moment the notarization was complete the next day, he moved out.

At that time, Yun Xi was at the company.

She had just finished a meeting and was leaving the conference room with a group of executives when she received a call from the family butler.

The butler informed her of what had happened.

Yun Xi responded casually,

“Fu Junjie will never return.

Remove every trace of him from the house.

Delete his fingerprints. Delete his facial-recognition access.

Notify everyone that from now on he is to be treated like a stranger.”

The butler hesitated.

“Madam… Young Master Junjie is still young and impulsive. He may realize his mistake soon and come back…”

“No.”

Yun Xi’s tone was firm.

“This is my Fu family.

I do not need a son like that.

I do not need an heir like that.

Do you understand?”

“…Understood.”

The butler was shocked.

He said nothing further and immediately went to notify everyone at the villa.

The executives, secretaries, and employees standing behind Yun Xi had heard the entire conversation.

They were even more shocked than the butler.

One of them cautiously asked,

“Chairwoman Fu… you and Young Master Junjie… what exactly happened?”

Yun Xi said,

“He repeatedly stated that he doesn’t want to be my son or the heir of the Fu family. He would rather leave the family penniless.

From today onward, he is no longer a member of the Fu family. Naturally, the company has nothing to do with him either.

If he comes to any of you for help, you don’t need to consider my feelings. I won’t be giving him any opportunities.”

Everyone understood the unspoken message.

In other words, they were not to give Fu Junjie any assistance.

As far as they were concerned, this was a battle between mother and son.

No one intended to get involved.

After all, if the two reconciled in the future, anyone who had chosen a side would be left in an awkward position.

It was like the struggles between an emperor and the crown prince in ancient times.

Wise officials protected themselves.

Those who recklessly picked sides usually died the fastest.

None of them were fools.

And just like that, Yun Xi cut off every avenue through which Fu Junjie might seek help from the company.

Even the receptionists and security guards were informed that Fu Junjie was now considered an outsider and was not to be admitted into the building.

Yun Xi quickly dealt with company affairs.

She delegated many responsibilities that did not require her personal attention and suddenly found herself with much more free time.

The original host had been a workaholic.

Everyone assumed this change was simply because she was heartbroken and needed time to recover.

No one thought much of it.

Only her executive assistant found it strange.

That was because Yun Xi asked her to hire several private tutors.

The original host had been carefully groomed by the Fu family since childhood.

She excelled at piano, oil painting, tea ceremony, flower arranging, horseback riding, and many other refined skills.

Yun Xi herself was only truly skilled at horseback riding.

Although she possessed the original host’s memories, she still needed proper practice before she could fully master the other skills.

So she instructed her assistant to hire tutors.

She considered it a way to enrich her life.

She also planned to learn calligraphy, chess, traditional-style painting, and the guzheng.

In addition, she wanted to study programming languages and ideally learn hacking techniques as well.

After all, she traveled randomly between worlds.

In her previous life, she had started in an era so underdeveloped that she had waited decades before smartphones even existed.

Who knew where she might end up next?

Ancient times were possible.

The distant future was possible.

This world happened to provide top-tier status, wealth, and social standing, along with advanced technology.

It was the perfect place to learn as much as possible and prepare herself for whatever came next.

She considered it a way of fully arming herself.

The assistant assumed that anyone dealing with emotional turmoil would need distractions.

Perhaps Yun Xi wanted to shift her focus and improve her mood through learning.

Being extremely considerate, the assistant selected only gentle and patient teachers, hoping the lessons would be relaxing and enjoyable.

With a single instruction from Yun Xi, everyone around her immediately handled the arrangements.

She couldn’t help thinking that being rich and being poor were obviously not the same.

This level of treatment alone was enough to brighten a person’s mood.

She was a simple woman in that regard.

She liked being wealthy.

If Fu Junjie didn’t want that life, then she wished him happiness.

After moving out of the Fu family home, Fu Junjie went directly to find Yan Zhixin.

When she opened the door and saw the mountain of luggage beside him, her face filled with surprise.

“Why are you…”

Then realization dawned on her.

“You had another fight with Auntie? Did you run away from home?”

Although Fu Junjie had left dramatically, actually arriving completely penniless still made him somewhat uneasy.

So when he heard her question, he instinctively replied,

“Yeah.

In her eyes, there’s only money.

I couldn’t get through to her, so I decided to prove my point through actions instead.

Just like you said yesterday in front of her, using money to measure feelings is an insult to love.

We don’t care about her filthy money at all!”

Yan Zhixin felt a flicker of panic.

This was not part of her plan.

Pressing her lips together, she stepped aside.

“Come in first.”

Fu Junjie’s expression turned awkward.

“Zhixin…”

He hesitated.

“The moving truck driver is still downstairs.L

“Could… could you pay the moving fee for me first?”

“I promise I’ll pay you back double once I start earning money.”

Yan Zhixin stared at him in shock.

“You mean you actually left the Fu family with nothing at all?”

“How is that possible?”

Normally, everyone had at least some money.

Even if they were broke, they should have a little cash in their digital wallet.

But Fu Junjie genuinely had nothing.

His payment accounts had been linked to credit cards.

When Yun Xi made him leave penniless, she had also paid off and canceled all of his credit cards.

If he wanted to use them again, he would have to reapply.

His credit limits had been extremely high.

Had they not been canceled, he could have continued spending on credit for months.

Yun Xi’s reasoning had been simple:

Otherwise, the test would be cheating.

At the time, Fu Junjie had thought it didn’t matter.

No money was no money.

Yan Zhixin would never look down on him.

They loved each other so much.

Surely she would happily spend money on him.

He could always earn money later and repay her.

What he had not expected was how humiliating and difficult it would feel to ask her for money.

Fortunately, Yan Zhixin reacted quickly.

Her surprise lasted only a moment before she concealed it.

Looking at him with concern, she immediately transferred two thousand yuan to him.

“Go pay the moving fee first,” she said gently.

Fu Junjie let out a sigh of relief.

After going downstairs and paying the moving fee, he watched the truck drive away. He wiped his face hard and broke into a smile.

From this moment on, his new life was beginning.

Yan Zhixin really hadn’t looked down on him. She was even worried about him.

He hadn’t made the wrong bet.

Soon enough, Yun Xi would regret driving him away so easily. And when she wanted him to come back, it wouldn’t be so easy anymore.

Meanwhile, Yan Zhixin carried Fu Junjie’s luggage into her apartment piece by piece.

She kept her head lowered so he wouldn’t see her expression as she rapidly sorted through the chaos in her mind.

According to her original plan, the two of them would continue pulling back and forth with Yun Xi for a while. She would add a little subtle manipulation here and there, and eventually Fu Junjie would register a marriage with her.

Once they were legally married, the matter would be settled.

No matter how much Yun Xi opposed them afterward, it would be useless.

Even in the worst-case scenario of divorce, Yan Zhixin would still receive a considerable amount of property.

She had never expected Fu Junjie to run away from home.

Much less arrive completely penniless.

Had she pushed things a little too far yesterday?

Had she angered Yun Xi too much?

No.

This was a test.

Without drawing attention to herself, Yan Zhixin studied Fu Junjie carefully, trying to see whether he was lying.

Sure enough, his expression was relaxed.

What heir to a wealthy family could walk away with nothing and still look so carefree?

The only explanation was that he had confidence.

And that confidence came from knowing he could return whenever he wanted.

That was it.

Yesterday, Yun Xi had clearly dismissed her talk about true love.

She had asked whether Yan Zhixin would still love Fu Junjie if he had absolutely nothing.

Yan Zhixin had immediately answered yes.

Afterward, Yun Xi had declared that she would strip Fu Junjie of his inheritance and give her a penniless Fu Junjie.

At the time, Yan Zhixin had assumed those were just angry words.

She had never taken them seriously.

But now it seemed Yun Xi had actually intended to use this situation to test her.

And whether Fu Junjie was trying to prove something to Yun Xi or wanted to test Yan Zhixin himself, he had agreed to cooperate in this performance.

This was a test of her.

If she passed, Fu Junjie would trust her completely from now on.

She would become the unquestioned future Mrs. Fu.

Therefore, she absolutely could not show even the slightest hint of impatience.

Everything had to remain exactly the same as before.

She loved Fu Junjie for his soul.

Money had nothing to do with it.

Once she understood everything, Yan Zhixin regained her usual composure.

A delighted smile appeared on her face.

Taking hold of Fu Junjie’s hand, she said,

“From now on, we’ll get to be together every day.

We should celebrate tonight.

I’m going to cook a big meal myself and let you try my cooking.”

Fu Junjie’s mood immediately brightened.

As expected, Yan Zhixin loved him, not his money.

“Great. I’ll help.”

The two spent the evening wrapped up in domestic bliss in the kitchen.

He fed her a bite of food.

She kissed him.

The entire apartment seemed filled with pink bubbles.

Fu Junjie even ordered wine, candles, a tablecloth, and roses through a delivery app.

While Yan Zhixin was cooking, he transformed the dining room into a candlelit dinner setting.

In truth, Yan Zhixin only cared about tangible benefits.

Romantic gestures like these meant very little to her.

Still, when she walked out and saw the arrangement, her face filled with delighted surprise.

The two shared an affectionate candlelit dinner together.

After the meal, Fu Junjie took out a ring box.

Then he walked over and knelt on one knee in front of her.

Yan Zhixin’s heartbeat sped up.

Her eyes widened.

For the first time that evening, her surprise was genuine.

Had she passed the test already?

Had her performance really been that convincing?

Looking at her with deep affection, Fu Junjie said,

“Zhixin, our love may not be blessed by others, but I truly love you.

Even though I can’t give you a luxurious life right now, I’ll find a job soon and work hard to earn money.

I’ll support our family.

You can do whatever makes you happy.

We’ll live as an ordinary married couple together.

What do you think?”

His voice softened.

“Will you marry me?”

The moment Yan Zhixin heard that, she became even more convinced this was still part of the test.

He was checking whether she was willing to live an ordinary life with him.

Taking a deep breath, she excitedly extended her hand.

“I will!

Of course I will!

I love you too!”

Fu Junjie laughed happily.

Opening the ring box, he slipped a men’s diamond ring onto her finger.

The ring was slightly too large.

Embarrassed, he explained,

“I don’t have money to buy a proper engagement ring right now.

This is a ring I bought before, so it’ll have to do temporarily.

But once I start earning money, I’ll buy you the most beautiful diamond ring.”

Yan Zhixin’s smile froze for an instant.

Only an instant.

Then she quickly recovered.

“It’s okay.

The kind of ring doesn’t matter.

What matters is your sincerity.

As long as you love me, I’d even be happy with a ring woven from grass.”

Fu Junjie was deeply moved.

The girl he loved was simply too wonderful.

He pulled her tightly into his arms, as though he were embracing the entire world.

“Don’t worry.

I’ll definitely give you a good life.

I could never let you wear a grass ring.

You’re my priceless treasure.

I’ll cherish you properly and never let you suffer any grievances.”

Hidden from his sight, Yan Zhixin’s expression remained calm.

Only her voice was filled with emotion and joy.

“As long as I’m with you, I won’t feel wronged no matter what happens.

I’m so happy.

When you said yesterday that you wanted to marry me, I thought you were acting on impulse.

I never imagined…

I never imagined you’d actually propose.”

Her voice trembled.

“It still feels like a dream.

Can we really get married?

“What about your mother…?”

Fu Junjie let out a cold snort.

“Of course we can get married.

I’ve already left the Fu family.

She can’t control me anymore.

We’re going to register our marriage tomorrow.”

That question had been designed specifically to provoke him.

The moment he gave a concrete date for the marriage registration, Yan Zhixin’s lips curved upward slightly.

“Okay.”

In her eyes, Yun Xi had made a terrible mistake.

She had practically handed Fu Junjie over on a silver platter.

Once they obtained their marriage certificate, what test would even matter anymore?

By then, if Yun Xi regretted her decision, it would already be too late.

Yan Zhixin found herself wanting to see the look of regret on Yun Xi’s face.

╰───♡───╯

The executives exchanged glances.

The president’s son had spent several years studying abroad, finally returned home… and turned out to be rebellious? He didn’t even want to take over the company?

Had water gotten into his brain?

One executive tried to smooth things over.

“Junjie, don’t say things in the heat of the moment. Whatever the issue is, you and President Fu can sit down and discuss it calmly…”

“I’m not speaking in the heat of the moment!” Fu Junjie snapped. “And there’s nothing to discuss between us. She actually investigated my girlfriend. She doesn’t respect Zhixin at all, and she doesn’t respect me either. If that’s the case, what is there left to talk about?”

His face was filled with anger as he glared at Yun Xi.

“You’ve always been like a cold-blooded animal. I can’t stand you.”

Fu Junjie shoved past the crowd and stormed off.

The secretary hesitated and looked toward Yun Xi, unsure whether she should stop him.

Yun Xi remained calm.

“Everyone, go back to work. It’s just a private family matter. Don’t let it affect your work. Rest assured, the company won’t be left without someone to manage it.”

Seeing that she did not seem concerned, everyone quickly dispersed.

Of course, that did not stop them from gossiping behind the scenes.

After all, this was the sort of melodramatic rich-family scandal everyone loved.

The wealthy heir had fallen in love with an ordinary girl. His mother, the powerful CEO of a wealthy family, disapproved and secretly investigated the girl, only to discover that she was a gold digger who had deliberately approached him.

The mother kindly informed her son.

The son, however, flew into a rage and accused her of disrespecting people.

Wasn’t he focusing on the wrong issue?

Shouldn’t Fu Junjie be investigating his girlfriend’s motives?

Shouldn’t he be on guard against the possibility that she had ulterior motives?

Why was he instead talking about not wanting to inherit the family business?

The Fu family had passed its bloodline down through a single heir for generations.

Would it really end here?

Yun Xi was already in her forties. Having another child herself was hardly realistic.

Even if she pushed Fu Junjie to have children, it would take another twenty years before a grandchild was old enough to inherit the company.

No matter how they looked at it, the situation was worrying.

The easiest solution would still be to educate Fu Junjie properly.

Under normal circumstances, Yun Xi would agree that reforming an existing son was the simplest option.

But that was not what the original host wanted.

Fu Junjie and Yan Zhixin could both be considered enemies who had harmed the original host.

Even if one of them was her biological son, it did not change the fact that they had caused her to fall down the stairs and become paralyzed.

More than that, they had repeatedly come to her bedside to mock and torment her.

What kind of people did something like that?

And Fu Junjie still had the nerve to call her cold-blooded?

He was colder than cold-blooded.

Compared to him, even the ungrateful ingrates from Yun Xi’s previous worlds seemed merciful.

Naturally, she had no intention of letting him continue enjoying a comfortable life.

Still, driving him out of the family required the right opportunity.

Yun Xi felt that meeting Yan Zhixin would provide exactly that.

After making up her mind, she returned to reviewing documents and handling company affairs.

In her previous life, she had started from humble beginnings but had risen successfully by seizing opportunities during periods of rapid social change. Original translation at HololoNovels dot com. Her eventual achievements had given her tremendous influence in both the educational and business worlds.

Handling corporate documents was hardly unfamiliar to her.

In fact, she was quite skilled at it.

Combined with the original host’s memories, she adapted quickly.

Nothing about the job was particularly difficult.

When work ended for the day, she picked up her handbag and walked outside.

To her secretary, she said,

“Arrange a meeting with Yan Zhixin. We’ll have coffee together.”

She paused before adding,

“And reserve the entire café I usually visit. While we’re talking, I don’t want anyone else listening in.”

The secretary immediately acknowledged the order and began making calls.

Yan Zhixin was momentarily surprised when she received the invitation.

She had only recently parted ways with Fu Junjie and had already heard about his argument with Yun Xi.

She had not expected Yun Xi to seek her out so quickly.

What could the woman possibly want to discuss?

Obviously, she wanted Yan Zhixin to back off.

But Yan Zhixin felt she held the advantage.

She was the one in control of the situation.

There was nothing to fear.

She readily agreed to the meeting.

When she arrived at the café, Yun Xi had already booked the entire venue.

A server led Yan Zhixin inside and directly to Yun Xi’s table.

Yan Zhixin smiled politely.

“Hello, Auntie.”

Yun Xi nodded.

“Sit down. What would you like to drink?”

“An iced Americano, please. Thank you.”

After placing her order with the server, Yan Zhixin turned back toward Yun Xi.

“Did you want to discuss something with me today, Auntie?”

“I did.”

Yun Xi’s gaze was steady.

“It’s about the fact that you deliberately approached Junjie.”

She removed a stack of investigation documents from her handbag and placed them on the table.

“Miss Yan is obviously very intelligent and highly goal-oriented. Among the people available to you, you selected the one with the best qualifications to become your boyfriend.”

She continued calmly,

“Junjie says those wealthy young men were attracted to you because you’re outstanding. I don’t deny that.

But ordinary people don’t systematically get to know every rich heir they meet, experimenting to see which one is suitable. And they certainly don’t exclusively associate with rich heirs.”

Yan Zhixin remained completely calm.

She did not even glance at the documents.

Instead, she smiled.

“I think you’ve misunderstood one thing, Auntie.”

“What happened before Junjie and I got together isn’t important.”

“What matters is whether we can live happily together after we’re together and whether we can stay together for the long term. Isn’t that true?”

She tilted her head slightly.

“Do couples who get together for true love automatically stay together forever?”

Yun Xi was not swayed by the sophistry.

Looking directly at her, she said,

“The issue is that you approached him deliberately. There’s an element of deception involved. You weren’t honest.”

“When a relationship begins with dishonesty, trust is naturally compromised.”

“Junjie is the heir of the Fu family. His wife cannot be someone who lacks honesty.”

After only a brief exchange, Yan Zhixin realized that Yun Xi was far more difficult to handle than she had anticipated.

Her usual methods would not work here.

Still, she wasn’t worried.

As long as she controlled Fu Junjie, everything else could be managed.

She could simply leave Yun Xi for Fu Junjie to deal with while she remained safely in the background.

The thought relaxed her considerably.

Taking a sip of coffee, she smiled.

“No wonder you like this place, Auntie. The coffee really is excellent.”

“Thank you for giving me the opportunity to taste such good coffee.”

She lowered her gaze slightly.

“My background is indeed humble. But I didn’t choose the circumstances of my birth.”

“I’ve worked very hard because I wanted a better life.”

“What’s wrong with that?”

She looked back at Yun Xi.

“I hope you’ll take the time to get to know me better for Junjie’s sake and not focus so much on superficial things.”

Yun Xi smiled faintly.

Yan Zhixin was doing this deliberately.

Since her calculated pursuit of wealthy men had already been exposed, she had switched tactics.

She was openly admitting that she was ambitious, while carefully portraying herself as someone with ambition but no ill intent.

In that respect, she somewhat resembled the husband the original host had chosen years ago.

It was obvious that Yan Zhixin had done her homework thoroughly.

But ignore outward appearances and appreciate inner character instead?

Yan Zhixin had personally pushed the original host down the stairs.

That alone proved her inner character was far worse than anything about her background.

Calling her “vicious” would not be an exaggeration.

Still, since none of that had happened yet, there was no point bringing it up now.

Yun Xi took out a check, placed it on the table, and pushed it toward Yan Zhixin.

“Five million. That’s enough to improve your life considerably. Take the money and find another rich heir.

If you stay with Junjie, I won’t approve. I’ll continue interfering in your relationship, and you won’t have a pleasant life. If the company isn’t passed on to Junjie, then you won’t achieve the social mobility you’re hoping for anyway.

So why not choose someone else? What do you think?”

Receiving a check was entirely within Yan Zhixin’s expectations.

What she had not expected was Yun Xi’s reasoning.

It sounded logical and well thought out. If anything, it made it seem as though Yan Zhixin was the one benefiting from the arrangement.

After all, her goal was to climb the social ladder. If that was the case, wasn’t any wealthy boyfriend just as good as another? In fact, finding one whose family actually welcomed her would be even better.

However, Yan Zhixin knew something else.

The Fu family had passed down its bloodline through a single heir for five generations. This generation had only Fu Junjie.

There was no way the company would be given to someone else.

If she married Fu Junjie, she would one day become the mistress of the entire Fu family.

None of the other rich heirs she knew could compare.

Without hesitation, she pushed the check back across the table and shook her head.

“I won’t accept it, Auntie. You can try to accept me instead. Junjie and I will live happily together.”

That was what she said.

But privately, she felt that Yun Xi’s hostility toward her meant she needed to tighten her grip on Fu Junjie even further.

Under the table, she quietly dialed Fu Junjie’s number.

He had only argued with Yun Xi earlier that day and was still angry. Hearing more of this would only make him angrier, more rebellious, and more firmly on her side.

The moment the call connected, Fu Junjie heard Yun Xi’s voice.

His expression darkened immediately.

Yun Xi, meanwhile, did not hesitate.

She took out another check.

“Twenty million.”

She set it on the table.

“An ordinary person couldn’t spend that amount in a lifetime. Take the money, break up with Junjie voluntarily, and find a family that’s easier to get along with.

I believe you’re smart enough to know which choice is better.”

Yan Zhixin tightened her grip on her phone.

Here it comes, she thought.

Her voice immediately became choked with emotion.

Looking wronged and sincere, she said,

“Auntie, I don’t want your money. Junjie and I truly love each other. Love can’t be measured with money. What you’re doing is an insult to love.”

The sudden shift in attitude caught Yun Xi’s attention.

She glanced around the café.

Fu Junjie was nowhere nearby.

A phone call, then?

Yun Xi narrowed her eyes at Yan Zhixin.

“So you’re saying you love him for who he is, not for his money?”

Yan Zhixin answered without hesitation.

“Of course!”

Yun Xi let out a cold laugh.

“In that case, I’ll revoke Fu Junjie’s inheritance rights.”

She stared directly at Yan Zhixin.

“I’d like to see whether you’ll still love him so much when he’s penniless and has absolutely nothing.”

Yan Zhixin’s voice became even more tearful.

“Auntie, you’ve misunderstood me completely. The only reason I’m with Junjie is because I love him.”

Yun Xi had gotten the answer she wanted.

She put both checks away and stood up.

“Since that’s what you say, then I’ll give you a Fu Junjie who has nothing.”

She turned and walked away.

Even after Yun Xi disappeared through the café doors, Yan Zhixin still hadn’t recovered her senses.

That was it?

No more threats?

No more persuasion?

How could Yun Xi give up so easily?

Yan Zhixin was completely baffled.

She still had an entire speech prepared.

Fu Junjie hadn’t even heard most of it.

Thinking of him, she picked up her phone and burst into tears.

“Junjie…”

Fu Junjie’s heart ached with both anger and concern.

His voice softened immediately.

“Zhixin, don’t be afraid. Where are you? I’ll come find you right now.

“My mother has gone too far this time. I’ll settle things with her. Don’t worry about her.”

He paused.

“I heard everything you said just now. Trust me, no matter what happens, I believe you. I love you. I won’t let anyone destroy our relationship.

Besides, these days you don’t need parental approval to register a marriage. We don’t even need the household registration book anymore.

We can just get married directly and become husband and wife. Then she won’t be able to do anything about it.”

Yan Zhixin pressed her lips together.

Of course she wanted a grand wedding.

But under the circumstances, secretly registering their marriage seemed like the safest option.

If Yun Xi came up with another scheme and prevented her from marrying into the family, things could become troublesome.

After only a brief hesitation, she asked in a delighted voice,

“You… you really want to marry me?”

Fu Junjie laughed.

“Of course. Don’t you trust me?

We’ll pick an auspicious date and get married. Then we’ll throw the marriage certificate right in front of my mother’s face and see what she has to say.

She’ll probably be furious. She’ll definitely start pressuring us to have children.”

He laughed again.

“And then we’ll tell her we’re staying child-free.

I’d really like to see the look on her face when she’s angry and disappointed.”

A chill ran through Yan Zhixin’s heart.

Although Fu Junjie was clearly taking her side, she suddenly saw through his true nature.

A selfish, cold-hearted man.

If someone could treat his own mother this ruthlessly, how much better would he treat a spouse?

If his mother had been a terrible person, that would have been one thing.

But Yun Xi obviously cared deeply about him.

She was willing to train him, invest in him, and pay attention to every aspect of his life.

Yet Fu Junjie remained rebelliously defiant, showing no regard whatsoever for his mother’s feelings.

A man like that could not be relied upon.

In that instant, Yan Zhixin made a decision.

Once she married into the family, she would accumulate as much wealth as possible as quickly as possible and transfer assets into her own name.

That way, no matter what happened in the future, she could always divorce him and leave with enough money to live comfortably.

The two chatted for a while longer.

Finally, Yan Zhixin said,

“I’m feeling much better now. It’s already late, so don’t come over. I’m a little tired and want to go home and get some rest. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Fu Junjie felt guilty.

If he had handled things better, Yun Xi would never have approached Yan Zhixin in the first place.

Yan Zhixin would not have been frightened and distressed.

Wanting to sleep so early must mean she was trying to calm herself after being wronged.

She really had suffered today.

So he readily agreed.

After hanging up, he sat down on the sofa in the living room and waited for Yun Xi to return.

He needed Yun Xi to understand something.

This family was not hers alone.

He had his own thoughts.

His own dreams.

His own pursuits.

He would never allow Yun Xi to control his life.

He had been born to enjoy the world.

Not to inherit the Fu family business.

When Yun Xi walked through the front door, the first thing she saw was Fu Junjie glaring at her.

Before she could say anything, he stood up and sneered.

“You really have endless energy, don’t you?

“Even with all your work, you still found time to deal with us, just an ordinary couple.”

His expression was full of mockery.

“Too bad for you. Not everything can be solved with money.”

╰───♡───╯