Chapter 19: What Gives Him the Right?

"Enough!"

Old Master Fu's low command finally brought silence to the room.

"Xiao Yan, you're nineteen this year, aren't you?"

Chu Yan saw the old man looking at him with a benevolent gaze, and then all eyes in the room—filled with high-profile figures, business magnates, executives, and high-society matriarchs—turned to him.

He felt a little nervous, but as a professional actor, he was ready for this impromptu performance. He could do it.

"Yes, Grandpa Fu. I just turned eighteen and am now nineteen."

Incidentally, the truth about the real and fake heirs had been exposed at his eighteenth birthday gala.

"Hmm, Hongan is twenty-six now," the old man's smile grew even more benevolent. "So, the two of you can get married."

"No!"

"No!"

Chu Yan was aghast. Why was this old man so unpredictable? Hadn't his elder brother already spoken to him?

Chu Yan and Fu Hongan spoke in unison, their voices so loud they startled everyone present. But then confusion set in—Fu Hongan's refusal was understandable, but why would Chu Yan, the so-called "simp," refuse? Did that make any sense?

"Chu Yan, how dare you say no?" The anger from earlier, when he’d been kicked in the groin, flared up again. Fu Hongan glared at him furiously. "Your push-and-pull games might work on me, but don’t you dare act up in front of Grandpa!"

Chu Yan resisted the urge to roll his eyes, but his restraint only emboldened the arrogant man, who then pushed his luck.

"I’ve told you before—we’re not a good match. Your so-called love disgusts me. Having you around only annoys me," Fu Hongan spat, his irritation palpable. "Do you have any self-awareness? Have some dignity? I tolerated you out of gratitude for saving my life, but even my patience has limits. How long are you going to keep holding that favor over my head?"

This was the norm. No one there thought Chu Yan would feel humiliated by such public berating—because Fu Hongan was simply stating facts.

Yet, Old Master Fu calmly asked again, "So, neither of you wants this marriage?"

"No!"

"No!"

Again, they answered in unison. Fu Hongan turned to Chu Yan in shock. How could he refuse? What gave him the right?

"Chu Yan!"

It was only natural for *him* to refuse, but why would Chu Yan? Didn’t he adore him? Hadn’t he begged tearfully to uphold the engagement? Something was off about Chu Yan tonight—was he actually insane?

"What?" Chu Yan retorted, exasperated. "Haven’t you always hated me and wanted to break off the engagement? Now that I’m agreeing, why aren’t you happy?"

"I—" Fu Hongan was at a loss for words.

Why? He should have been elated, yet he only felt unsettled and frustrated.

Chu Yan wasn’t supposed to react like this.

Old Master Fu’s eyes darkened. His eldest grandson had lived too smoothly—he lacked composure.

"From what I know, Xiao Yan, you’ve always liked Hongan. Why refuse to marry him now?"

The old man voiced the question on everyone’s mind.

Fu Hongan scoffed. "Just playing hard to get."

But no matter what tricks Chu Yan pulled, today was the day he’d finally be free of him—not just for Xiao Yi’s sake, but for his own.

Most there likely thought the same. Chu Yan couldn’t be bothered with Fu Hongan’s cocky attitude.

The old man might seem kindly, but he was ruthless. In the source material, upon learning the truth about the Chu family’s marriage deception, he had acted with ruthless decisiveness, nearly driving the Chu Group to the brink of collapse. Only Fu Hongan and Chu Xiuyi kneeling and pleading had spared them.

So Chu Yan didn’t dare slack off. Claiming he’d never liked Fu Hongan would be unbelievable, and saying he’d suddenly stopped wasn’t convincing either. The only option was to act.

Under everyone’s gaze, Chu Yan’s eyes reddened, his lashes trembled, and his lips quivered slightly. The overwhelming heartache in his gaze struck everyone right in the feels.

"Grandpa, I *did* love Hongan-ge for many years. I once believed we’d become the most enviable couple, destined for the altar, the most admired pair. I was so grateful for the engagement you and Grandpa arranged. That’s why, even knowing he disliked me, I chased after him all these years."

Fu Hongan smirked in satisfaction. *See? Chu Yan loves me.*

"He likes dogs, so even though I’m terrified of them, I pretended to love them too—even foolishly raising a border collie for him. When he told his friends he liked boys who could cook, even knowing he was mocking me, I willingly learned. The scars from burns on my hands are still there."

"He loves racing, so I learned it too—even after nearly dying in multiple crashes. He loves skiing, so I took it up—even after snapping two ribs..."

"I know Hongan-ge hates me. He doesn’t like me. But I tried *so hard* to make him love me. I know the whole world laughs at me as a simp. His friends look down on me. Even random Fu family servants sneer at me. But for Hongan-ge, I endured it all."

"But... I’m in so much pain. I’m not a fool or a saint. I’m human. I *hurt*."

By now, tears welled in Chu Yan’s eyes, threatening to fall but stubbornly choked back. The more he resisted, the more moved everyone was. The room fell silent, guilt creeping in. Even Chu Yi stared at his long-neglected younger brother in stunned silence—had he ever truly cared for him?

Fu Hongan stood frozen. For the first time, he realized how much Chu Yan had silently suffered for him. And these were just a drop in the bucket of his sacrifices. *Why had he never told me?*

He’d assumed Chu Yan was shameless and heartless—that no matter how much he insulted or rejected him, he’d never be hurt or disappointed, only keep clinging. So he’d grown crueler.

But now... he actually *ached* for Chu Yan.

Lost in his role, Chu Yan’s reddened eyes could no longer hold back the tears. His lips trembled as he fought tears, taking deep breaths to steady himself. The sight of him struggling to hold back his tears was utterly heart-wrenching.

"Xiao Yan..."

Chu Yi couldn’t take it anymore. He stood and moved to Chu Yan’s side, but words failed him.

Chu Yan pressed on.

"No matter how hard I tried, Hongan-ge never liked me. The more I did, the more he despised me."

"They say Rome wasn’t built in a day. I thought, even if Hongan-ge were stone, surely all these years would’ve melted his heart? But I was wrong. *Dead* wrong."

Two fat tears finally escaped, rolling down his cheeks. The tension in the room peaked.

The tears traced a path down Chu Yan’s exquisitely delicate face, enhancing his beauty to an ethereal degree under their glisten.

Fu Hongan was stunned.

Chu Yan had portrayed the depths of unrequited love flawlessly.

For some reason, Chu Yi felt guilt. He had no idea what Chu Yan had endured all these years. Before Xiao Yi was found, shouldn’t he have been the pampered young master of the Chu family? Yet all he remembered was his uselessness, his lack of refinement. No one in the Chu family had ever truly cared for him.

Now, Chu Yi couldn’t help but ache for this brother in name only. He was drowning in suffocating guilt.

Fu Hongan’s emotions churned. He’d always known Chu Yan loved him from the shadows—but not *this* desperately. Yet if he loved him so much, why refuse the marriage? Wasn’t marrying him the very endgame Chu Yan had fought for all these years?

Fu Hongan's flickering, conflicted expression went unnoticed by himself but was crystal clear to Chu Xiuyi. This man, who had kept proclaiming his love, was now showing such emotions over another man. Chu Xiuyi felt like a knife twisting in his heart, the agony unbearable.

"Grandfather Fu, I can't love anymore."

The tears came so hard, Chu Yan couldn't help but break into little sobs. Fu Hongan had never realized before just how beautiful Chu Yan was—especially when he cried, it was utterly heartbreaking.

Let's be real, with Chu Yan's looks paired with his acting skills, even a dog would feel sorry for him for at least three seconds.

"I'm tired. I don’t like Fu Hongan, that bastard, anymore."

Ugh~ so cringe.

But stick with it—if he nails this performance, there might be unexpected rewards, like that 60 million heartbreak compensation.

"Sniffle Grandfather Fu, please... I want to break off the engagement. I never want to like Fu Hongan again!"

Seeing Chu Yan like this, Fu Hongan found himself stepping forward, only to feel his sleeve tugged by Chu Xiuyi, who had silently approached. He whirled around, startled, and met Chu Xiuyi's eyes, filled with disappointment and sorrow. Only then did Fu Hongan come to his senses—what had he been about to do? He had nearly hurt Xiao Yi.

Chu Yan noticed Chu Xiuyi standing beside Fu Hongan at some point, his eyes artfully showing just a hint of grief before he let out a bitter laugh at himself, followed by a resolute determination born from utter disappointment.

"Grandfather Fu, loving someone takes everything out of you. I didn’t understand before, but now I do. Since Hongan-ge already has someone he likes, even if I tried for fifteen more years, it’ll be useless. Chasing after him would just make me a bigger fool."

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone turned their attention to Fu Hongan—and then noticed Chu Xiuyi beside him. Instantly, the gears turned in everyone’s heads, even the old master scrutinizing him closely.

Madam Chu was practically gloating—only Xiao Yi was worthy of Fu Hongan. As for Chu Xiuyi himself, his stomach twisted with unease. Admitting their relationship now would be no different from admitting he was the interloper, especially in front of the Fu family. Owning up to it would brand him forever.

Chu Xiuyi had clawed his way up from the bottom—he knew all too well that if their unequal statuses were exposed, he alone would bear the blame, even if Fu Hongan had pursued him first.

Damn it, Chu Yan must have done this on purpose. The loaded stares made Chu Xiuyi's ears burn, but he had already stepped forward. Any reaction now would seem like an admission, so he could only grit his teeth, lower his head, and pretend ignorance.

Chu Yan did a mental victory dance, then continued his performance.

"Actually, Hongan-ge didn’t hate me when we were little. It was only after my grandfather and you arranged this engagement that he started despising me. But how could that be my fault? I was only four years old at the time."

Chu Yan deliberately seized this moment to say these words out loud. Why should he, the scapegoat, bear all the pain and insults while the beneficiaries acted all high and mighty, turning around to blame him?

Sure enough, everyone was stunned. Chu Hongrun and his wife were guilt-ridden, while Chu Yi felt even more ashamed.

Yes, four years old—how much could a four-year-old Chu Yan have understood? All of this had been forced upon him by the Chu family.

As for Fu Hongan, he was shattered once more by the words "only four years old."

In a daze, the blurred face in his memory was small and thin—it was little Chu Yan who had given him hope for survival when his life hung by a thread.

He still remembered the first time he met Chu Yan. At four years old, the boy was like a porcelain doll, soft and adorable. The way he timidly followed behind him was so well-behaved, and his little voice calling him "big brother" had been sweet and tender.

Fu Hongan hazily recalled—back then, he had genuinely liked this adorable little brother.

So when had it all changed? How had they ended up like this?

"Xiao Yan, I—"

Fu Hongan unconsciously moved toward Chu Yan again. Seeing the red-eyed boy, he actually felt a pang of heartache, his hand even lifting uncontrollably as if to gently wipe away his tears.

Oh hell no, back off!!!

Chu Yan, in the middle of his dramatic performance, was horrified!