Grandpa Fu sighed repeatedly, “Sigh! This family is truly unlucky, with both of you two troublemakers!”

After Bai Mengqi returned, the drama escalated further. The atmosphere in the living room was tense and strange.

“Heavens! Chengyu, what happened to you?” Bai Mengqi immediately broke down in tears when she saw Fu Chengyu, who was covered in injuries and looked utterly disheveled.

Fu Chengyu turned his face away, clearly not wanting to engage with her.

Bai Mengqi pushed Fu Ningjin, who had his head lowered, and choked on her words, “Fu Ningjin, what exactly is going on? Can you say something?!”

Fu Ningjin was pushed back a few steps, looking tired and responding wearily, “What do you expect? He did something wrong; shouldn’t he be punished?”

“You bastard!” Bai Mengqi was furious, her eyes burning with anger. Her voice trembled as she shouted, “He’s your son! You’re hurting him like this, it’s as if you’re trying to take his life!”

Fu Ningjin gritted his teeth and looked at her, “It’s always the same thing. You’ve been saying this for over twenty years, haven’t you had enough?”

This issue had always been a thorn in his heart, and every mention of it brought pain.

“Why can’t I say it?! Fu Ningjin, don’t forget, it was you…”

Grandpa Fu finally understood where Fu Chengyu’s personality had come from. “Like mother, like son,” he thought, seeing how Fu Chengyu, just like his mother, had no sense of responsibility and always shifted the blame onto others. He sternly reprimanded, “Enough! Both of you, get to the study!”

Bai Mengqi immediately quieted down, a wave of fear washing over her, nearly revealing too much…

Next, with the help of the housekeeper, Grandpa Fu went upstairs, followed closely by Fu Ningjin and Bai Mengqi.

Fu Zhiyuan stood outside, watching the spectacle with a cynical smile. His heart was filled with mockery. People who were greedy had no right to criticize others. He didn’t even bother giving Fu Chengyu another glance and turned to leave the Fu residence.

In the study, Grandpa Fu scrutinized both of them with sharp eyes, “Tell me, Chengyu is really not your biological son?”

Bai Mengqi’s heart sank. Her face turned pale, and she looked pleadingly at Fu Ningjin, silently begging him not to speak.

Fu Ningjin, already tired of this life, replied indifferently, “No.”

Grandpa Fu slammed the table angrily, “Bastard! You’ve hidden this huge secret from the family for over twenty years! What are you going to say if your mother finds out?”

Thinking of his wife, Grandpa Fu became somewhat anxious. With Ah Wan’s personality, she would probably cause a scene and turn everything upside down.

Bai Mengqi shook her head desperately, tears falling, “Dad, please don’t be angry. It’s not what you think. Jingyu, explain it to him!”

She looked at Fu Ningjin with hope, praying that he would take back what he had just said. However, Fu Ningjin had firmly made up his mind to divorce her and ignored her plea. “Dad, I’ll explain it to Mom. Don’t worry too much.”

Grandpa Fu picked up a decorative piece from the desk, and with a swish, threw it at Fu Ningjin’s shoulder, “Now you want me not to worry? Why didn’t you think of that earlier?”

He pointed to Bai Mengqi, who was terrified, “Speak! What happened back then?”

Bai Mengqi sniffed and stuttered, unable to say a word.

Fu Ningjin sighed, “Dad, let me explain.”

This all started when Fu Ningjin was in university. Grandpa Fu had hoped that he would study finance to eventually take over the Fu family business. Since childhood, the Fu family had been grooming him to be the future successor of the company. But no matter how hard his parents tried to teach him, Fu Ningjin had no interest in managing a company. Instead, he was more passionate about the arts.

After the college entrance exams, he made a bold decision: behind his family’s back, he applied to a music academy, choosing to study the piano, his true passion.

When Grandpa Fu found out, he was furious. Eventually, the couple decided to respect their son’s choice.

In his third year of university, Fu Ningjin’s mother, despite her advanced age and the risks of childbirth, gave birth to Fu Zhiyuan. The arrival of Fu Zhiyuan helped ease the tension in the family. Fu Ningjin was overjoyed because having a younger brother meant that the Fu family now had an heir, and he could focus on his own career without as much pressure from his parents. The family’s relations also became less strained.

During his time at university, Fu Ningjin had also been in a relationship.

The other person was a student from the architecture department, with a refined demeanor and a humble, courteous personality.

The two quickly confirmed their romantic relationship, and at that time, same-sex marriage laws had been passed. Fu Ningjin had always imagined a picture of happiness in his mind. He envisioned proposing to his partner after graduation and spending the rest of his life together. However, after the graduation ceremony, instead of his partner, he received a breakup text message. His partner’s parents could not accept that he was gay and hoped he would marry and have children. His partner finally wished Fu Ningjin well, hoping he would find someone who could truly spend their life with him. Fu Ningjin was forced to break up, and he was in immense pain. He couldn’t bring himself to believe that his partner had really left him. Yet, his partner seemed to have vanished, and no matter how hard he searched, he couldn’t find him. After a period of deep despair, his partner finally called him. Fu Ningjin thought his partner had had a change of heart, but what his partner said next pushed him further into an endless abyss, “Ah Jin, I’m getting married tomorrow. Please don’t call me again, it wouldn’t be good if my husband finds out.”

His partner’s tone was so gentle, yet so cruel. It was only at that moment that Fu Ningjin realized his partner truly didn’t love him anymore, and didn’t want him. Having not been home for a long time, Fu Ningjin felt like he was abandoned by everyone when he saw his happy parents and younger brother. This caused him to panic. When Qiu Wan, who hadn’t seen her eldest son for a long time, greeted him warmly, she was very happy, pulling Fu Ningjin to chat with him and ask about his well-being. She sighed, “Look at you, you’ve already graduated. Time flies, in a few years, you should also have your own family. By the way, Ah Jin, do you have someone you like?”

Fu Ningjin had never shared his love life with his family, and Qiu Wan didn’t know he had just gone through a breakup. What she said casually struck a chord with Fu Ningjin, and the words “have a family” became deeply etched in his mind. Around the same time, Bai Mengqi appeared in Fu Ningjin’s life. Bai Mengqi was innocent and lively, with the same dreams of happiness that all girls had, while Fu Ningjin was handsome, came from a prominent family, and was considerate, making him the ideal candidate for marriage in her eyes.

Fu Ningjin had always held a grudge against his first love for wanting to get married and have children, something he had never gotten over. He thought to himself: “Since you can break your vows, I can also marry and have children.” He chose to date Bai Mengqi because he felt that her family was average, she was obedient and sensible, easy to manage—making her a good marriage prospect. Soon, they both entered the gates of marriage.