Chapter 4: Ruan Li, Come Up

“This engagement of theirs is truly famous in Jing City,” Ruan Shu remarked while standing next to Fu Huaizhou, watching the lively scene downstairs. “Third Brother, you’ve been abroad, so you might not be too familiar with the situation. When Ruan Li was first brought back, they publicly claimed she was their biological daughter, but those in the know were aware she was adopted, so no one took it too seriously.”

“But who would have thought that back then, Ruan Li was only about seven or eight years old, and they say she looked like a little doll, sweet-talking her way and actually winning the Ruan family some opportunities. After that, you probably know the rest, Third Brother.”

Fu Huaizhou lowered his eyes, observing his visibly upset nephew downstairs. The girl standing on the steps, however, showed no signs of distress.

“I know,” he nodded slightly. Back then, the patriarch of the Fu family didn’t have any daughters, so his mother, Old Madam Fu, made the final decision to arrange the engagement between the two families.

At the time, Fu Huaizhou was abroad, and he assumed that Ruan Li was someone the Ruan family had specifically groomed to win over the old lady’s favor. Since it made her happy, he hadn’t intervened.

Afterward, the Ruan family’s status in Jing City naturally rose, even though they originally were just an ordinary family here.

“Do you think Old Madam Fu would accept the Ruan family swapping daughters for the engagement?” Ye Ze interjected, leaning in with a question.

“You’re certainly hoping for the switch, aren’t you?” Ruan Shi teased, a playful smile on his lips. “But your plans are bound to fail. Everyone knows the old lady is stubborn. No matter how high someone rises, if they don’t catch her eye, she won’t like them. Third Brother inherited that same trait.”

Fu Huaizhou ignored the two bickering men beside him as the crowd downstairs grew. It seemed Fu Xingchuan had invited a group of spoiled second-generation heirs for a gathering at Hua Banquet today.

“Fake and real heiresses—our Young Master Fu seems to prefer the real one, huh?” someone next to Fu Xingchuan joked, teasingly egging him on.

Ruan Shu blushed slightly, shyly hiding behind Fu Xingchuan.

“Ruan Li, don’t forget which family yours depends on. How dare you defy me?” Fu Xingchuan, already annoyed, snapped at her. While the two had never gotten along, it had never escalated to a confrontation between their families until now.

Ruan Li rubbed her temples, feeling dizzy. She had already been in a bad mood due to Ruan Shu’s return and the pressure from various sides. Drinking had emboldened her with a fearless attitude.

“You’re so valuable, I can’t even support you. If someone else wants the job, go ahead. I’m not serving you anymore.” She glanced pointedly at Ruan Shu’s delicate white hand.

Yesterday, the fact that she hadn’t been invited to the Fu family dinner made it clear—she was now a discarded pawn. So why not act out a little?

Fu Xingchuan had always hated her spoiled princess act. Even though the Ruan family relied on the Fu family, Ruan Li had never shown him any respect. His anger boiled over, and he grabbed Ruan Shu’s hand, pulling her closer.

“At least you’ve got some self-awareness. You finally understand that the fake will always be fake. Now that the real one is back, it’s only natural for her to take your place.”

The room fell silent. Though many had speculated as much, no one had dared to say it outright. As Fu Xingchuan was the sole heir of the Fu family, his statement was tantamount to publicly declaring he intended to swap fiancées.

All eyes turned to Ruan Li. Without an engagement, her status in the Ruan family would plummet. Yet, instead of looking disappointed or afraid, the girl wore an expression of calm, as though she had long anticipated this moment.

Some of the onlookers, captivated by her stunning beauty, began harboring unsavory thoughts.

Ye Mian, having sobered up a little, supported the nearly drunken Ruan Li. “You really are blind. You wouldn’t know a pearl from a stone even if it hit you in the face. Move aside.”

“Is there anyone in Jing City who can insult our Young Master Fu and leave unscathed?” someone else egged on. Ruan Li had long looked down on this group of second-generation heirs, and her disdain had earned her plenty of enemies.

Ye Mian shot a cold glare at the instigator. Recognizing her, they immediately clammed up, but Fu Xingchuan, already humiliated, was more than willing to play along.

“Good point,” he smirked.

“Insult you? I’ll insult you again,” Ye Mian retorted, completely unafraid of Fu Xingchuan.

“Do we need to set a date for it?” Ruan Li added instinctively, the banter between her and Ye Mian practically automatic by now.

Ruan Shu, sensing an opportunity, tugged on Fu Xingchuan’s arm gently. “Don’t mind her. She’s just talking nonsense.”

“This has nothing to do with you, Ruan Shu,” Fu Xingchuan replied, his voice cold. “And what if I do mind?” He gestured for a waiter to bring over a glass of wine.

The tension in the room skyrocketed as everyone prepared to witness Ruan Li’s humiliation. Even Ye Mian, uncertain of how far Fu Xingchuan would go, felt a chill down her spine.

The gathering crowd hadn’t noticed that someone had descended from upstairs. Ruan Li, now slumped against Ye Mian’s shoulder in a drunken stupor, didn’t sense the looming danger. So when she suddenly heard a man’s voice, she thought she was hallucinating.

Just as the glass of wine was about to spill onto her white dress—

“Come up.”

Fu Huaizhou’s cold, steady voice cut through the tension like ice tossed into boiling water. All eyes immediately shifted from Ruan Li to the man standing on the steps.

At first, everyone thought Fu Huaizhou was addressing Fu Xingchuan. But when the man spoke again, his gaze fixed firmly on Ruan Li.

“Ruan Li, come up.”

“Is that… Fu Huaizhou? He’s really back?” The crowd murmured in astonishment. No one in Jing City could be ignorant of Fu Huaizhou’s name.

“Did I hear that right? Why did he call her up?”

“Obviously, it means the Fu family only recognizes her as the fiancée.”

In Jing City, the four great families were evenly matched, but the Fu family stood in a league of its own. And Fu Huaizhou was the ace that kept the Fu family at the pinnacle.

Ruan Li stared up at the man in a black suit on the stairs. His frameless glasses glinted coldly under the crystal chandelier. His expression was unreadable, and his fingers tapped lightly against the railing.

Thud, thud, thud.

Ruan Li’s heart pounded in time with his rhythm. Suddenly sober, she scrambled to gather her skirt and head up the stairs. She didn’t know what awaited her at the end of those ten seconds, but her instincts screamed at her:

Don’t provoke Fu Huaizhou.

As she finally stood before him, he glanced at the few remaining people frozen in place downstairs.

“And you three, too,” he added, his voice icy.

Standing beside Fu Huaizhou, Ruan Li could smell the crisp scent of cedar clinging to him. It made her even more sober. No one dared defy Fu Huaizhou, and as she watched three people hesitantly follow her up the stairs, she muttered under her breath.

“Why did he only call my name…” she mumbled, not realizing she’d said it aloud. The whole situation felt like a strict teacher catching misbehaving students in the act, and she was the unlucky one singled out.

The man ahead of her stopped in his tracks. When he turned around, his eyes landed on the ugly wine stain on her skirt.

“Can’t I call you?” he asked quietly.