Chapter 18: About the Breakup

Chapter 18: On the Annulment of the Engagement

In a side hall of the Fu family's ancestral residence, the silver-haired Fu Zhonghai sat regally in the main seat. As the day's birthday celebrant, he wore a bespoke Tang suit. Though the once decisive helmsman of the Fu family was now in his twilight years, the restrained authority in his demeanor remained undeniable.

The old man sat, his hands resting on an intricately carved dragon-headed cane. His cloudy eyes gleamed with wisdom, though the sharpness of his youth was now softened by the furrows of age. A kindly smile played at the corners of his lips, making the once formidable titan appear exceptionally amiable.

Beside him stood a beautiful woman in a burgundy cheongsam, appearing no older than her early thirties. Her figure was svelte, her attire understated. Few knew that her cheongsam was a designer masterpiece, and even the simple hairpin holding her bun was worth tens of millions—let alone the rest of her jewelry. In short, her appearance was simple, low-key, yet undeniably luxurious.

This woman was not the old man’s granddaughter but his current wife, Zhong Xueyao.

In truth, Zhong Xueyao was already in her forties; perhaps wealth preserved her youth, making her appear a decade younger. She had been by the old man’s side for over twenty years, and their son was already twenty.

To the old man’s right sat the four members of the Chu family: Chu Hongrun and his wife, with Chu Xiuyi standing dutifully behind them. Chu Yi, as the current head of the Chu family, had the privilege of sitting as well.

To the old man’s left were two couples in their sixties. Among them, the steadfast and dignified figure was Fu Jingye, the current head of the Fu family. The man who bore some resemblance to him was the old man’s younger son, Fu Jingpeng.

At this moment, all eyes were fixed on Chu Yi, as he had just made a proposal that took everyone by surprise.

The Chu family had actually taken the initiative to propose dissolving the engagement between the two families—an utterly perplexing and startling move.

After all, the Chu family had always been the beneficiary of this engagement. Over the years, to ensure their ties with the Fu family remained inextricably bound, the Chus had worked tirelessly behind the scenes. No matter how egregiously Fu Hongan behaved or how humiliating Chu Yan’s actions were, the Chu family had shamelessly clung to the engagement.

Yet today, they had voluntarily brought it up. It was truly perplexing.

But where some disliked this engagement, others cherished it—otherwise, it would not have persisted for so long.

"Old Master, we all know that Chu Yan is a disappointment. He’s done many shameful things and is simply unworthy of Hongan. Over the years, we’ve relied on your and Hongan’s tolerance for that wayward son, but he’s truly beyond redemption. Hongan is such an outstanding young man—we can’t let Chu Yan hold him back any longer."

Chu Hongrun spoke with an air of profound guilt, his words high-sounding but hollow. Yet, there was not a shred of defense or affection for the son he had raised for nineteen years—only undisguised disdain and disgust.

But Chu Yan’s humiliating antics for Fu Hongan’s sake had been going on for years. If they truly believed him unworthy, why hadn’t they spoken up sooner? Why shamelessly wait until now?

The irony was palpable.

In truth, had Chu Yi not tipped them off beforehand, Chu Hongrun would never have agreed to sit here. The interests between the two families were deeply intertwined, and even if the world mocked them, the opportunity to remain tied to the Fu conglomerate was something countless others scrambled for. How could he possibly relinquish it?

But his eldest son had informed him that their newly recovered youngest son was involved with Fu Hongan.

This wasn’t a forced arrangement or one-sided infatuation—it was reciprocal love. Even more astonishing, it was the haughty heir Fu Hongan who had actively pursued their Xiao Yi. That changed everything.

This engagement had been obtained through deception in the first place. Moreover, Fu Hongan loathed Chu Yan to the core. So, between a fraudulent engagement bound to explode and a genuine, emotionally grounded alliance, anyone with sense would know which to choose.

Thus, without hesitation, Chu Hongrun declared: the engagement must be annulled. How could he let it stand in the way of Xiao Yi’s happiness?

"Yes, Old Master," Chu’s wife, Qiu Lizhen, added earnestly. "That wayward son has caused Hongan so much trouble over the years, always making a fool of himself. We’re grateful for Hongan’s patience, but we can’t keep being so unreasonable. We failed to raise him properly—he’s simply not fit for Hongan. Ending this engagement is for the best, so he can stop harboring foolish hopes."

Though Chu Yi felt his parents needn’t disparage Chu Yan so thoroughly in front of outsiders, he didn’t refute them. He merely nodded in agreement. "Grandfather Fu, Young Master Fu and Xiao Yan truly aren’t suited."

The old man’s brow lifted slightly. "So, this decision was made after careful consideration?"

Chu Yi bowed respectfully. "Yes."

Qiu Lizhen smiled. "It’s Chu Yan who wasn’t blessed."

He simply wasn’t destined for it—just as he wasn’t born to privilege, he wasn’t destined to be the future partner of the Fu family’s heir.

Qiu Lizhen had often wondered in despair how she could have given birth to such a useless failure. The family had provided him every advantage, yet despite all his scheming over fifteen years, he had failed to win Fu Hongan’s affection. Now, she understood—Chu Yan wasn’t her child, so he didn’t deserve it. Fu Hongan’s indifference was only natural.

Only her own flesh and blood, Xiao Yi, was truly the golden child. The moment Xiao Yi appeared, Fu Hongan had fallen for him. It was as if fate had predestined it.

Whether it was the title of Chu family’s young master or Fu Hongan’s love, what belonged to Xiao Yi was his alone—no one could take it from him.

The old man then turned to Fu Jingye and his wife. "What’s your take?"

As the eldest grandson of the Fu family and a favorite of the old man, Fu Jingye naturally pinned great hopes on his son. As for this engagement, had the old man not insisted, he would have annulled it ages ago. That youngest son of the Chus was nothing but a troublemaking good-for-nothing—utterly unworthy of his son. And now, it turned out he was an impostor.

"Father, I also believe these two aren’t suited. Your decision back then was rather reckless. It’s good to end it now."

Though fear of the old man was ingrained in his bones, Fu Jingye had been the Fu Group’s president for years and was bolder than most.

The old man remained silent, his expression unreadable.

Behind Fu Jingye, his wife Xia Rou was itching to speak. She grinned from ear to ear—she had waited for this day for so long.

No one despised Chu Yan more than she did. But the engagement had been the old man’s decree, backed by the weight of a debt of gratitude for saving his life. Her poor, outstanding son had endured years of humiliation for it. She had tolerated it when Chu Yan was still a child, but now that he was an adult—and worse than ever—and not even a real Chu, but some nameless bastard, how could he possibly be worthy of her son? How could such trash enter the Fu family’s doors?

Xia Rou had sworn that if the Chus dared push for marriage, she would oppose it at all costs. Never had she imagined they would propose annulment themselves. She could hardly believe her luck.

But thoughts were one thing—appearances had to be maintained.

"Father, it’s true that Chu Yan saved Hongan back then. But marriage is about fate. After all these years, it’s clear they share no bond. Perhaps they simply lack the destiny to be together."

"Sister-in-law, that’s not quite right," the second wife, Hou Xueqing, interjected with a smile. "How can you say Hongan and Xiao Yan lack fate? I’ve always thought they had quite an affectionate love-hate relationship. Young couples these days are like that, full of playful quarrels. You shouldn’t let your dislike for Xiao Yan cloud your judgment and tear them apart."

"I—" That interfering busybody! Xia Rou’s breath hitched in fury. "Anyone with eyes can see whether they’re affectionate or not! Besides, everyone knows how much Hongan despises Chu Yan. It’s always been Chu Yan sticking to him like a burr! If not for that life-saving favor, do you think Hongan would have tolerated him this long?"

Her words were excessively harsh, and the Chu couple’s expressions stiffened—not because Fu Hongan’s mother was disparaging Chu Yan, but because Chu Yan had embarrassed them.

"Enough. At your age, you should know better than to speak so carelessly."

Fu Jingye chided her under his breath. Couldn’t she see the old man’s displeasure? This was the downside of marrying a useless trophy wife—no help at all, only trouble.

"But she—"

Zhong Xueyao, standing behind the old man, cut her off.

"Why don’t we stop arguing? I think it’s best to call the two young men here. After all, it’s their marriage—their opinions matter most. What do you think, my lord?"

"I’ve already sent the butler to fetch them."

The old man’s expression softened slightly. As expected, Xueyao understood him best.

Xia Rou shot Zhong Xueyao a glare. This woman had stayed by the old man’s side for so long—she was no pushover. Her words left no room for criticism.

She knew how much her son loathed that clingy fool. But the problem was, that fool was hopelessly in love with her son. What if he refused to let go? Could the engagement still be annulled?

She couldn’t let him ruin Hongan any longer. Her son was destined to lead the Fu Group—how could he marry such an infamous good-for-nothing? Especially now that he wasn’t even a real Chu, but some utterly useless nobody. Xia Rou’s face flushed with agitation. It seemed everyone was determined to sabotage Hongan’s future.

She tugged sharply at her husband’s sleeve, urging him to speak. But just then, that interfering busybody Hou Xueqing opened her mouth again.

"I agree with Mother. Marriage isn’t child’s play. Whether they’re fated or not should be decided by the two of them. If we interfere too much, they might resent us later if they regret it."

Calling a woman over a decade her junior "Mother" came so easily to her!

Xia Rou’s face twisted. The second branch was clearly still scheming. Everyone knew Fu Jingpeng’s three sons and one daughter were all useless. How dare those incompetents still covet the Fu Group? Ridiculous.

"Seems you’re quite fond of Chu Yan, sister-in-law. Isn’t your third son still unmarried? Why not arrange for Chu Yan to marry him instead?"

Everyone knew the second branch’s third son was a lecherous womanizer—constantly carousing recklessly, even serving half a year in jail once. A rotten man like him could never hope to marry. Yet even so, Hou Xueqing still thought Chu Yan wasn’t good enough. Her son deserved a suitable match.

"Don't, sis. Everyone knows Chu Yan only has eyes for your Hongan. My third son would never push something so one-sided."

"You know it's unreasonable, yet you don’t realize how much Hongan despises Chu Yan?"

"How can you be so sure Hongan dislikes Chu Yan? Look, all these years, who else has stuck by Hongan’s side besides Chu Yan? That’s clearly love..."

"Then why don’t you take that love for your third son?"

"..."

As usual, the two women clashed sharply, each barbed remark piercing—but Chu Yan’s the one catching strays.

Fu Hongan and Chu Yan walked in right behind each other, just in time to hear the two ladies’ back-and-forth.

"Chu Yan" this, "Chu Yan" that.

Chu Yan just sighed. *You argue if you must, insult if you please, but why drag me into every sentence?*

*Seriously, is my name a curse word? Or do I have horns to gore people?*