Ren Jiaoming said, “Shen Jue is the heir in name. I’m the real one.”

After saying this, Ren Jiaoming shut his mouth again, as if sealing his golden lips.

Annoyed, Chu Shangluo felt a surge of frustration. “And then? Can’t you just explain everything at once? Do I have to ask one question for every answer?”

At that moment, the door creaked open slightly, revealing a narrow gap. Through it, a pale blue eye peeked in.

Ren Jiaoming shot a cold glance toward the door, making the person outside hesitate.

Chu Shangluo noticed the familiar eye color and, ignoring whether Ren Jiaoming allowed it or not, called out, “It’s been a while, rightful young master. Why not come in and catch up?”

The door finally swung open completely. Shen Jue rolled in with his wheelchair, smiling leisurely. Now that the deception had been exposed, he could finally meet Chu Shangluo without pretense.

Both Shen Jue and Ren Jiaoming were strikingly handsome, but their facial features were completely different. Shen Jue had softer features and a relaxed demeanor, while Ren Jiaoming’s features were sharp, with a cold, distant aura.

Anyone could easily tell they weren’t the same person, yet there was an undeniable resemblance between them, though hard to pinpoint.

Noticing how Chu Shangluo kept silently comparing their appearances, Shen Jue chuckled and explained, “Mr. Chu, you’re probably thinking that Ren Jiaoming and I look a bit alike, right? It’s the eyes—our eyes resemble each other. That’s because both of us inherited them from Ren’s mother, who passed away a long time ago. I’m actually his uncle. So, when he pretended to be me, all he had to do was wear a colored contact lens. But honestly, you almost exposed him that day—your grip was so strong, I thought my face was going to be torn off.”

Chu Shangluo let out a neutral “Oh” in response, indicating he’d heard.

Shen Jue’s eyes curved into a smile. “Since we’re going to be family now, you should show your uncle some respect.”

Annoyed, Chu Shangluo raised an eyebrow and retorted, “Who said we’re family?”

Ren Jiaoming immediately stood up and went to push Shen Jue’s wheelchair. “I’ll send him out.”

Shen Jue pressed the wheels firmly, refusing to leave. Seeing Chu Shangluo’s displeased expression, he said, “Alright, alright, I won’t say things you don’t want to hear, okay? People say you have a bad temper, and now I’ve seen it firsthand.”

He wheeled himself closer to Chu Shangluo. “If you want answers, I’ll tell you. Ren Jiaoming struggles to explain things properly.”

Chu Shangluo thought for a moment. That was fair—he was too impatient for Ren’s slow explanations.

“From the beginning, was Yu Corporation’s target always the Wen and Chu families?”

“Yes. It was always about Chu and Wen. We’ve been planning for years. Back then, when the Ruan family incident happened, Shen Mingyu—who is now the head of Yu Corporation and Ren Jiaoming’s youngest aunt, Ruan Yu—and I were abroad. By the time we heard the news and returned, Wen Zhengyang had already seized all of the Ruan family’s assets. Xiao Jin and Xiao Xuan had disappeared, and Ruan Shu, who had married Wen Zhengyang’s second sister, Ruan Guan, was also nowhere to be found.”

“I was just a teenager then, and Shen Mingyu had only just graduated from college. We tried to investigate through various connections and found that Wen Zhengyang first used a fake project to deceive Ruan Shu. Chu Chendong was also involved, but since Wen Zhengyang was the ultimate beneficiary, our grudge against him was deeper. By then, Wen Zhengyang had already solidified his position in the capital, and your Chu family was difficult to deal with too. We didn’t have the power to take revenge, so we had to go abroad to build our strength.”

Recalling the past, Shen Jue’s normally cheerful eyes darkened.

“We never stopped searching for Xiao Jin and Xiao Xuan. When Xiao Jin was in his third year of university, we found him. By that time, Wen Zhengyang had already recognized him and was after the antiques he had. So, Xiao Jin turned the situation around and stayed in the Wen family, searching for evidence of their crimes and his missing aunt, who had gone mad.”

“For someone so young to infiltrate a household that destroyed his family, filled with an unpredictable, cunning man like Wen Zhengyang, and still maintain his cover—it wasn’t easy. We wanted him to leave the Wen family, but for revenge, everyone had to endure it. Back then, Yu Corporation was still small and weak, unable to challenge the Wen family. So, Xiao Jin told us to stay abroad and continue growing Yu Corporation.”

“Xiao Jin is smart—you know that too. He spotted business opportunities earlier than anyone else. Over time, our company expanded and made a lot of money, eventually making a name for itself in the capital.”

Chu Shangluo remembered the year Yu Corporation entered the capital—it had made an impressive debut. No one had failed to notice the rise of this foreign company.

“Then why didn’t you act against my family or the Wen family earlier? Why wait until now?”

Shen Jue glanced at Ren Jiaoming and explained, “Yu Corporation has money. We have antiques, as much wealth as we could want. But we lacked power, connections. At that time, challenging the Wen or Chu families wouldn’t have been enough to bring you both down completely. It would have only alerted them. If you’re asking when Yu Corporation finally established itself in the capital, it was when we hosted Old Chen’s grand birthday celebration. But by then, Xiao Jin had already decided not to target the Chu family anymore. Later, when the Wen family ruined the Chu family, our only remaining enemy was Wen Zhengyang. To prevent the Wen family from monopolizing the market, we stopped hiding.”

“By then, we already had enough power to confront the Wen family. But we still held back. The reason was simple—business wars are easy, but you can’t win with a single strike. We’ve endured for so long because we want to completely destroy the Wen family with no chance of recovery. That’s why we need a decisive blow—evidence that can crush them completely. Xiao Jin had been searching for this evidence while staying in the Wen family.”

“After the Chu family went bankrupt, Xiao Jin finally uncovered proof of Wen Zhengyang’s illegal financial dealings. With those records, combined with Yu Corporation’s current influence, we can definitely destroy Wen Zhengyang. But Xiao Jin asked us to wait. First, he still hadn’t found his aunt. Second, he wanted to keep searching for the truth behind the fire that destroyed his family all those years ago.”

Shen Jue looked at Chu Shangluo, then glanced at the silent Ren Jiaoming and said, “Xiao Jin grew up in an orphanage. He became withdrawn and suffered a lot. Don’t be fooled by how emotionless he seems—he actually does have feelings but just struggles to express them. His belief for all these years has been revenge. Now that he finally has the evidence to take revenge and has rescued his aunt, he’s still holding back on taking down the Wen family. He’s been delaying because he wants to uncover the truth about your father’s case. He doesn’t want this matter to affect your relationship with him.”

Chu Shangluo took a final drag from his cigarette, flicking the butt into the trash can. At first, he had listened attentively, even admiring how patient Yu Corporation had been in enduring for so long. But now, he realized why Shen Jue had insisted on sharing this backstory—it was clearly an attempt to speak on Ren Jiaoming’s behalf. Chu Shangluo glanced at Ren Jiaoming with suspicion, wondering if Ren Jiaoming had sent Shen Jue deliberately because he wasn’t good at explaining himself and instead hired a smooth talker who knew how to appeal to reason and emotions.

Ren Jiaoming noticed Chu Shangluo’s growing displeasure. He stood up and pushed Shen Jue toward the door. Shen Jue protested, “Why are you being so clueless? Your uncle is trying to help you here!”

Ren Jiaoming pushed him out the door, sighing softly, “Chu Shangluo doesn’t like hearing this stuff. But thank you.”

Shen Jue huffed, “Oh, I see how it is! Now that you’ve got a partner, you’ve forgotten your uncle! Wait, before I leave, take this.”

When Ren Jiaoming returned, he was holding a camera. He carefully placed it in the drawer, then walked over to Chu Shangluo and explained, “Those things he said—I didn’t ask him to say them.”

Chu Shangluo stared at the camera Ren Jiaoming had just hidden, raising an eyebrow. “What difference does it make? He already said it. I can’t exactly make him take it back now, can I?”

Checking his watch, Chu Shangluo stood up. “It’s almost time for the auction. Let’s go. You obviously have a purpose for organizing this charity auction—otherwise, you wouldn’t have invited Wen Zhengyang. So, tell me, what’s your plan?”

Ren Jiaoming adjusted Chu Shangluo’s suit jacket, fastening the buttons carefully. After a brief hesitation, he said, “I found video evidence of the fire.”

Chu Shangluo, still emotionally unsettled from Shen Jue’s words, felt conflicted. On one hand, he sympathized with how difficult it had been for Yu Corporation, but on the other hand, he resented Shen Jue’s attempt to paint Ren Jiaoming in a positive light. Ren Jiaoming had endured so much and broken so many rules for him, but ultimately, it was all driven by a personal desire—to be with him. Should he forgive Ren Jiaoming’s selfishness just because of that?

His face darkened, but he held back his emotions. “Show me the video.”

Ren Jiaoming handed over his phone and played the video.

Finally about to see the truth, Chu Shangluo stared intently at the screen, his heart pounding faster.

Noticing the redness in Chu Shangluo’s face, Ren Jiaoming leaned closer, gently placing his hand on Chu Shangluo’s forehead. His brow furrowed slightly. “You’re running a fever. I’ll get you some water and medicine.”

“Mm.”

All of Chu Shangluo’s attention was fixed on the video. Just as Ren Jiaoming had previously told him, his father hadn’t committed murder—the true culprit was Wen Zhengyang.

As he exhaled in relief, a wave of anger surged within him. Wen Zhengyang was too vicious—he had destroyed the Ruan family and then targeted his own family. Such a person deserved no mercy. Yet, at the same time, a deep pain settled in his chest. His father was innocent, but what about all the cold indifference and the countless emotional wounds he had suffered at Ren Jiaoming’s hands in the past? Who was supposed to answer for all that? Did he deserve to endure this undeserved suffering?

Chu Shangluo set down the phone, taking a deep breath. His gaze drifted toward the drawer where Ren Jiaoming had stored the camera earlier. Compelled by an inexplicable impulse, he opened the drawer and retrieved the old, worn-looking camera. After fiddling with it for a moment, he managed to turn it on.

The video in the camera began playing—it was identical to the one on Ren Jiaoming’s phone at first. However, as the video progressed, Chu Shangluo’s expression darkened further and further. His fists clenched tightly.

When he finally lifted his head again, he saw Ren Jiaoming standing before him, holding a glass of water, his face pale and uneasy.

Overwhelmed with rage, Chu Shangluo flung the camera onto the bed and sneered coldly, “Why is the footage in the camera different from the one on your phone?”

Ren Jiaoming set the glass down and approached, attempting to soothe him.

Chu Shangluo shoved him away, pointing to the camera. “I think I understand what you’re trying to do. If you’re going to show the footage publicly, use the one in the camera. I’m not a child. I can think for myself. Don’t try to deceive me under the guise of ‘protecting me.'”

Feeling completely drained, Chu Shangluo didn’t even have the strength to argue further. He rose from his seat, heading for the door.

“After the auction, I’ll be terminating my collaboration with Yu Corporation.”

Ren Jiaoming’s face turned deathly pale. In desperation, he grabbed Chu Shangluo, wrapping his arms around him tightly.

“Please… let me explain.”

Twenty minutes later, at the charity auction venue.

The auction had already been ongoing for over half an hour. Chu Shangluo sat down casually in a random seat, a cigarette dangling from his lips. He ignored the people around him who greeted him, barely acknowledging their presence.

At that moment, a wealthy lady’s diamond necklace was being auctioned. The bidding had reached 3 million, despite the necklace’s estimated value of only 1 million, as the room was filled with wealthy entrepreneurs.

Chu Shangluo took another drag from his cigarette when he suddenly felt an intense gaze fixed on him. Looking around, his eyes quickly landed on Wen Yan, who was staring coldly at him from not far away, while Wen Zhengyang’s eyes gleamed with a predatory sharpness.

After the diamond necklace was sold, the next item was presented.

The host announced, “This next piece is a donation from Mr. Chu Shangluo, the CEO of Chu Corporation — the White Jade Apple.”

The White Jade Apple was something Chu Shangluo had purchased a long time ago when he learned that Ren Jiaoming liked jade. Though he didn’t understand jade himself, he had found the apple beautiful—crystal-clear and delicately polished. He had intended to give it to Ren Jiaoming but had forgotten over time. Since it was of no use to him now, he decided to donate it.

As the ceremonial assistant lifted the red cloth, whispers filled the room.

Suddenly, someone laughed and said, “Mr. Chu really donated an apple? Did this one grow in his own orchard?”

Chu Shangluo raised his eyes and froze. The White Jade Apple he had donated was missing, replaced by an ordinary real apple.

Instinctively, he looked towards Wen Yan, who was smirking triumphantly.

Wen Yan sneered, “How amusing. Who would bid on a rotten apple?”

The next moment, someone in the crowd raised a bidding paddle.