Chapter 82: You’ve All Been Isolating Him

Mu Ruo thought to herself that if she ever ended up old, broke, and out of work, she might as well become a housekeeper for a wealthy family. After all, with an employer like Fu Jianzhi, she could even enjoy two overseas vacations a year.

She unlocked the door with her fingerprint.

As expected, the inside was pitch black.

Mu Ruo turned on the lights.

Fu Jianzhi wasn’t home today. As a CEO with multiple residences and countless social obligations, it was common for him to be out of sight.

After taking a shower, Mu Ruo was so exhausted that she fell asleep immediately and didn’t wake up until noon the next day.

Waking up hungry, she went downstairs, opened the fridge, and poured herself a glass of milk.

While heating the milk, she received a message from Butler Li.

Butler Li: “[Grinning][Grinning][Grinning]”

Butler Li: “On vacation. If you need anything, please wait until after the holiday.”

Mu Ruo replied, filled with envy, jealousy, and resentment: “Does this mean I get a break for the New Year too?”

Butler Li: “No, during the Spring Festival, you’ll have to accompany Mr. Fu back to the old family residence and attend various social events with him. It’ll be quite a lot of work.”

“Ding!” The microwave beeped, and Mu Ruo took out her warm milk. As she did, she sent a voice message to Butler Li: “Will your boss be giving me a New Year’s bonus?”

A deep, magnetic voice answered from behind her, “If you perform well, there will be one.”

Startled, Mu Ruo turned around, holding her milk, and saw Fu Jianzhi had returned. He wasn’t in his usual business attire but was wearing a black trench coat, which accentuated his height and long legs, making him look even more impressive than the male models on a runway.

Mu Ruo’s eyes sparkled. “How much will it be? Is this my year-end bonus?”

Fu Jianzhi didn’t quite understand why Mu Ruo was so fixated on money.

However, having been born into immense wealth, with two mountains of gold to his name and an ever-expanding business empire, Fu Jianzhi found her love for what he had in abundance made his experience in this marriage uniquely satisfying.

He merely smiled without answering.

Sure enough, the next moment, Mu Ruo, who had no shame, tried to please her boss. She pretended she hadn’t taken a sip of the milk and offered it to Fu Jianzhi, saying, “Mr. Fu, I’ve prepared breakfast for you.”

Fu Jianzhi noticed the trace left on the rim of the glass and replied, “I’ll have a latte.”

Mu Ruo hurried to the coffee machine to make him a latte. “I can do latte art too. Do you prefer a little swan or a heart?”

Fu Jianzhi didn’t respond to her childish question, so Mu Ruo carefully crafted a perfect little swan with the milk foam and handed it to him.

Determined to earn her year-end bonus, Mu Ruo put in extra effort.

Fu Jianzhi commented casually, “You seem to enjoy contacting Butler Li.”

Mu Ruo responded, “You all said that if I needed anything, I should contact Butler Li and not bother you while you’re working.”

Besides, Butler Li was like a walking encyclopedia—he knew everything, answered all questions without causing offense, and never docked Mu Ruo’s pay.

It was New Year’s Eve, and they were supposed to return to the Fu family’s old residence for the traditional family dinner.

Although Old Master Fu’s health had improved, he was still frail due to his age, and it was important for the younger generation to visit him.

When Mu Ruo and Fu Jianzhi arrived, the living room was filled with warmth and laughter, like a picture-perfect family scene.

Old Master Fu sat on the sofa, a soft cashmere blanket over his knees, with Zhou Yanhui by his side, smiling gently and gazing at him with affection.

Fu Quan and Fu Zheng, the two brothers, sat nearby, smiling as they talked to Old Master Fu, making him laugh heartily.

But the moment Fu Jianzhi and Mu Ruo entered, the smiles on everyone’s faces faded as they glanced in Fu Jianzhi’s direction.

For some reason, even though Fu Jianzhi was the rightful heir of the Fu family, he felt inexplicably like an outsider at that moment.

His entrance seemed to shatter the warm and joyful atmosphere of this family gathering.

Old Master Fu’s expression turned serious. “Jianzhi, you’re back.”

Fu Jianzhi smiled faintly. “Grandfather, Grandmother, Happy New Year.”

Old Master Fu and Zhou Yanhui’s expressions stiffened, and they both nodded.

Fu Jianzhi then smiled and greeted his two uncles, Fu Quan and Fu Zheng: “Second Uncle, Third Uncle, Happy New Year.”

Both Fu Quan and Fu Zheng’s expressions turned strange. Fu Quan turned his head away and let out a cold snort without responding.

Both of them had been beaten nearly to death by Fu Jianzhi, especially Fu Quan, who had just recovered from his injuries. He was still terrified, afraid that Fu Jianzhi might lose his temper again and beat him up once more.

He didn’t have that many lives to spare. Even if there were ten of him, it wouldn’t be enough to withstand Fu Jianzhi’s fists.

To Mu Ruo, this scene appeared as if Fu Jianzhi was politely and gracefully greeting his uncles, while his two heartless uncles collectively isolated and bullied him.

For some reason, Mu Ruo felt a pang of sympathy for Fu Jianzhi.

Damn it.

My benefactor is such a kind, generous, elegant, and gentle person.

And yet, you all isolate and bully him, refusing to treat him as part of the family.

The New Year’s Eve dinner was tasteless, as if Fu Jianzhi’s presence had disrupted the warm atmosphere of the family, leaving everyone feeling unhappy.

After dinner, Old Master Fu coughed and said, “Jianzhi, I have something to discuss with you.”

Fu Jianzhi smiled, “Alright.”

He then pushed Old Master Fu’s wheelchair to the study.

Watching Fu Jianzhi’s dutiful figure, Mu Ruo felt even more heartbroken for him.

Once the study door closed, Old Master Fu’s expression turned icy. “Fu Quan and Fu Zheng are your uncles. You should show them some respect.”

Fu Jianzhi’s smile didn’t waver. “Oh?”

Old Master Fu was seething with anger. “While I was in a coma, you took advantage of the situation to eliminate the higher-ups in the company who didn’t support you. Now, are you planning to force your uncles out with nothing? In just a few short years, you’ve taken complete control. If I get on your bad side, will you eliminate me too?”

“That’s not in my plans for now,” Fu Jianzhi replied with a smile. “After all, maintaining a good, respectable image brings in endless profits. Who would want to do business with a cold-blooded madman?”

“Spare your uncles and their mother. What happened to your father has nothing to do with them; they didn’t do anything.”

Fu Jianzhi looked at Old Master Fu. “If they were involved, do you think they’d still be alive? As long as they give up everything that rightfully belongs to me, I won’t take their lives. I’ll give them a few billion and send them off to live abroad.”

Old Master Fu nearly exploded with rage. “A few billion? Are you treating them like beggars?”

Any antique vase in the Fu household was worth over a billion, and Fu Jianzhi wanted to dismiss his wife and two sons with mere pocket change?

Fu Jianzhi smiled, calm and composed. “If you don’t agree, they won’t even get that. Without my approval, do you really think your will has any value?”

Old Master Fu pointed at him in fury. “Fu Jianzhi, you’re destined to end up just like your father! You and your father are both heartless, ruthless monsters!”

“Thanks for the compliment.” Fu Jianzhi opened the study door and walked out. “Happy New Year.”