Chapter 15: Is It Enough for You?

Chapter 15: Are You Convinced Now?

“Xiao Yan,” Chu Yi’s eyes had already sharpened to a piercing coldness. “What have you discovered? Who told you this? Tell your elder brother everything.”

The unwavering resolve in Chu Yan’s gaze made it clear he wasn't joking; his eyes radiated certainty. Yet, Chu Yi was equally sure that Chu Yan hadn’t known any of this before. Back then, Xiao Yan was barely four and wouldn’t have remembered the incident. Moreover, after years of the Chu family’s conditioning, Chu Yan had been thoroughly convinced that he was the one who saved Fu Hongan.

So, someone must have spoken to Chu Yan.

Who was it, and what was their motive?

Of course, Chu Yan understood Chu Yi’s implication, but he certainly couldn't blurt out that he knew the plot.

As a seasoned reader of countless CEO romance novels, Chu Yan was all too familiar with this trope. The male leads’ affections were predestined; a fated couple would never tolerate outside interference. Therefore, the savior absolutely couldn't be the villainous male supporting character; it had to be the male lead himself.

And indeed, in the original story, the original host had repeatedly leveraged the "life-saving grace" to cause trouble, using it again and again to sow discord between the male leads. It wasn't until the very end that he accidentally learned the truth from his parents: the Chu family had deliberately claimed credit to curry favor with the Fu family. By then, the original host had lost everything and could only desperately cling to the lie that he was Fu Hongan’s savior.

In the end, when the truth came to light, Fu Hongan and Chu Xiuyi finally found their happy ending. The original host, having exhausted his last lifeline, was thrown into prison by Fu Hongan as revenge. After his release, he attempted to assassinate Chu Xiuyi but failed, spiraling into complete madness before ultimately ending his own life with a fruit knife.

Meanwhile, the Chu family, the true culprits, suffered no consequences thanks to Chu Xiuyi’s influence. From beginning to end, they were the beneficiaries, with only the original host—a mere tool—receiving punishment.

Before knowing the truth, the original host genuinely believed himself to be Fu Hongan’s savior. Chu Yan, having absorbed all his memories, understood this perfectly.

But he wasn't the original host. He could step back and view the entire situation from an objective perspective, easily spotting the many inconsistencies. He cared neither for this engagement nor for Fu Hongan himself. This detachment allowed him to be rational and decisive.

“No one told me anything, Big Brother. I just want to gracefully withdraw from the engagement. I don’t want any further entanglement with Fu Hongan, with the Fu family—or even with the Chu family.”

Chu Yan’s resolve made Chu Yi slightly pause. So it wasn’t a figment of his imagination—Chu Yan truly had changed. Not only did he want to cut ties with the Chu family, but he no longer wanted Fu Hongan either.

“Xiao Yan, I know you’ve liked Fu Hongan since childhood, and I know how much you’ve done for him over the years. Feelings aren’t something you can just let go of so easily. Is it Xiao Yi’s appearance that has made you insecure?”

It must be that without the Chu family as his backing, Chu Yan no longer had the confidence to pursue Fu Hongan.

Chu Yi’s previously sharp gaze softened, and his voice grew much gentler. “What happened last time—I didn’t mean for you to cut ties with the family. I just didn’t want your relationship with Xiao Yi to become strained. After all, you’ve lived in the Chu family for nineteen years. How could we just abandon you?”

“As long as you still like Fu Hongan, I will support you. The Chu family will always be your backing. You shouldn’t let Xiao Yi’s presence make you hesitate about this.”

*Clap, clap, clap.* If Chu Yan didn’t know the truth, he would have applauded this man. Truly a master manipulator among the younger generation—his words were so convincing Chu Yan almost believed him.

“Big Brother, don’t you understand yet?”

“What?”

“It’s not for any other reason. I’m just tired, fed up. I don’t like Fu Hongan anymore. I don’t want him. That’s why I want to break off the engagement. I want to do it with dignity.”

Chu Yi’s eyes darkened as he silently scrutinized Chu Yan.

“I know it wasn’t me who saved Fu Hongan back then. If the Fu family finds out, they won’t spare the Chu family, will they?”

Not to mention, this engagement had caused Fu Hongan considerable distress over the years. If he learned the truth, who knows how he might retaliate against the Chu family.

“Are you threatening me?”

Chu Yi’s voice turned dangerous and cold once more.

Chu Yan, however, showed no fear. “You can interpret it that way, Big Brother.”

Chu Yi’s face darkened. “Chu Yan, you’re an adult now. Stop being childish. Some things have consequences you can’t bear. I’ll pretend what you just said was a tantrum. I don’t want a third person to know about this.”

“Big Brother, do I look like I’m throwing a tantrum?”

Chu Yan earnestly pointed to himself.

Chu Yi scoffed. “Then tell me, what reason would the Chu family have for doing this?”

“Aren’t you afraid I’ll tell Fu Hongan the truth?”

Chu Yi seemed utterly unconcerned. “Xiao Yan, setting aside whether the Fu family would believe you, do you really think I’d give you that chance after you’ve told me this?”

“Big Brother can’t possibly imprison me, can he?” Chu Yan was almost amused by the brazen capitalist’s tactics.

Chu Yi chuckled. “Why not?”

In reality, Fu Hongan’s intense dislike for Chu Yan ensured this engagement wouldn’t last. But as long as the Fu family hadn’t initiated the breakup, the Chu family could still profit. So Chu Yan’s attitude was irrelevant; they simply needed to wait for the Fu family to make the first move.

This time, Chu Yan truly let out a bitter laugh.

“Since Big Brother insists, I’ll give you two more compelling reasons.”

“Go on.”

“Fu Hongan is going to break off the engagement with me—tonight.”

“What?” Chu Yi’s eyes suddenly turned icy.

If the Fu family initiated the breakup, it wouldn't be the same as if the Chu family did. Only by taking the initiative could the Chu family maximize the benefits from this "life-saving grace."

But then, Chu Yan delivered another heavy blow to Chu Yi.

“I have a third reason.”

“Big Brother, you probably don’t know this yet, but Fu Hongan already has someone he likes. From what I understand, they’re already in a relationship. And that person is the younger brother you just brought back—Chu Xiuyi.”

“This…”

Chu Yi was genuinely stunned. This was completely unexpected. Moreover, Xiao Yi hadn’t mentioned anything about this to the family.

“Big Brother, do you still stand by your earlier opinion?”

Chu Yi could silence Chu Yan to prevent him from revealing the truth, but he couldn’t stop Fu Hongan from breaking off the engagement. The crucial point was that Chu Yi hadn’t anticipated his own younger brother being the one Fu Hongan fell for. Now, regardless of the reason, for Xiao Yi’s happiness alone, this engagement absolutely had to end.

Could they *not* break it off? If their current relationship came to light, Chu Xiuyi would be labeled as the "other man"—a knowing participant at that.

“Big Brother, I want you to proactively break off the engagement before Fu Hongan does. And I want fifty million as compensation. I want to end this marriage with dignity.”

Fifty million—this was what the Chu family owed the original host. After exploiting him for so many years, wasn’t some compensation perfectly reasonable?

“Don’t worry. Once the engagement is broken, I will never mention what happened back then. The Fu family will never know about this fifteen-year deception. From then on, I will have no further connection with the Fu family or the Chu family, and I won’t interfere with their relationship.”

In fact, as long as the truth remained hidden, the Chu family would still profit. And if Chu Xiuyi and Fu Hongan were to marry, the Chu family would be the ultimate winners.

Of course, Chu Yan wasn’t about to tell him that the little boy who truly saved Fu Hongan was Chu Xiuyi.

Chu Yi’s gaze shifted through a series of unreadable emotions as he looked at Chu Yan, before he finally pressed his lips together and nodded. “Alright.”

He agreed.

After Chu Yan presented these three reasons, the Chu family proactively breaking off the engagement became the optimal choice.

Chu Yi was merely surprised. When had this simple-minded, foolish younger brother become so astute? He could articulate such a clear and decisive plan, forcing Chu Yi to re-evaluate the brother he had lived with for nineteen years. They had previously overlooked him, never truly understanding him.

Chu Yan had full confidence in Chu Yi’s capabilities and character. After reaching an agreement, the engagement would undoubtedly be called off tonight without a hitch. Most importantly, he had just netted fifty million from a simple negotiation—Chu Yan was ecstatic.

Fifty million! That was enough to hire countless male models.

Chu Yan was so excited he could barely contain himself. At this moment, he desperately wanted to share his newfound wealth, and the first person who came to mind was, surprisingly, a certain male model.

And so…

Just as Fu Junhang signed a massive 1.5-billion project, the notification tone of his special phone for his sugar baby suddenly rang.

Fu Junhang picked up the phone in surprise, only to see his sugar baby “out of the blue” transferring him 100,000 yuan.

Dumbass: [Daddy’s rolling in it now! Surprised? Shocked? Happy?]

Dumbass: [This is Daddy’s tip for you. Take it quickly.]

Fu Junhang couldn't help but chuckle, his mind automatically conjuring the image of his sugar baby with his chin held high, that arrogant, spoiled look. Unconsciously, his eyes brimmed with overflowing affection.

This scene left the man sitting across from him utterly dumbfounded. This esteemed figure had been expressionless the entire time—even when signing the 1.5-billion deal, there hadn’t been a hint of a smile. So what was happening now? Who on earth could make this man show such an expression?

Zhu Ye, standing behind Fu Junhang, knew exactly what was going on. He accidentally glanced at the screen and immediately understood.

Ah, it was their boss’s sugar baby.

Mr. 9 Mil: [Thank you for the tip, my dear sugar daddy. I’m thrilled to bits.]

Chu Yan, satisfied: [Don’t worry, your sugar daddy’s got skills. Supporting you is absolutely no problem.]

Mr. 9 Mil: [Of course! I knew my judgment wouldn’t fail me. That’s why, out of all the clients, I chose you.]

Chu Yan wholeheartedly agreed.

After settling matters with Chu Yi, Chu Yan followed him into the Fu family’s ancestral home.

As the head of the Chu family, Chu Yi’s presence alongside his brother was enough to dispel the rumors that Chu Yan had been disowned. Instantly, the gazes directed at Chu Yan became more scrutinizing and hesitant. Chu Yan played along by lifting his chin—after all, he had just earned fifty million.

The Fu family’s deep roots were reflected in their ancestral home, which was ancient and understated, yet exuded luxury at every turn. Especially today, everyone present was a person of influence. While the younger generation of the Chu family greeted guests at the entrance, Fu Hongan, the future heir, received them inside.

By the time Chu Yan and Chu Yi entered, Chu Xiuyi and his companions had already gone in. From a distance, Chu Xiuyi could be seen standing beside Fu Hongan, speaking to him.

Chu Yan’s eyebrow twitched. Just then, Fu Hongan also looked up, and their eyes met. Chu Yan distinctly saw undisguised disgust in Fu Hongan’s gaze, and then, Fu Hongan strode toward him with long steps.

Here he comes, here he comes—another fifty million walking right toward him.