Volume 1, Chapter 26: Fu Yunzhen Has Been Blocked by Her

"Are you really going to repeat the same mistakes for a woman who left you for money? Is it worth it? She will only become your dead weight and a burden."

Leng Bingxin spoke as she played the video of Qiao Nian'an accepting her money years ago. She had hired a lawyer to notarize the recording specifically because she feared Qiao Nian'an might renege on the deal or try to cling to Fu Yunzhen in the future. Now, as expected, it was proving useful.

Fu Yunzhen watched the video, observing Qiao Nian'an take the billion-dollar check without a moment’s hesitation. His heart twitched for a fleeting second, but his expression quickly returned to its usual indifference. "So, you were the one who forced her to break up with me? I knew it—she wouldn't have left me for no reason!"

So, it was his mother who had been pulling the strings all along. Leng Bingxin didn't care that he knew the truth; she assumed that after reuniting with him, the "gold digger" had already been whispering in his ear to play the victim.

"You are a member of the Fu family," Leng Bingxin declared. "You aren't entitled to your own feelings. As for who you love, you can keep someone on the side after you're married. I’m sure no woman would refuse you. As for your wife, it must be Luo Yunzhu."

Fu Yunzhen remained unimpressed, his eyes cold. "My life is not for you to dictate. It is 2025; the era of arranged marriages is over. My wife will be Qiao Nian'an. If it isn't her, I’ll stay single for the rest of my life."

With that, he tapped the screen of Leng Bingxin’s phone a few times, causing it to go black, and tossed it back to her. He rose from the sofa, his tall, imposing figure turning to walk out without a backward glance. Anyone who dared to threaten Qiao Nian'an was an enemy to him, even his own parents.

He didn't hold much affection for them anyway. How many years had passed between his birth and his eventual recognition? Over twenty years; they had never stepped into his world or even glanced his way. When his grandfather fell critically ill, despite their immense wealth, they hadn't lifted a finger to help. He wasn't their biological grandfather, but he was the one who had raised him, nurtured him, and paid for his education. He deserved at least some credit for his hard work. Yet, no one from the Fu family had come forward to save him.

It was Qiao Nian'an who, upon learning of his plight, immediately had her parents contact the best medical team to save his grandfather, sparing no expense.

He still remembered her words after she had done all of that: if he felt guilty and couldn't afford to pay her back, he could just consider it her paying to "buy" herself a boyfriend. He knew she was joking—it was just something she said after he had rejected her ninety-nine times, a way to convince herself that they weren't meant to be. But the moment she finally gave up on him, he had agreed to be her boyfriend.

She had poured so much sincerity, money, and time into being his girlfriend, always carefully guarding his pride as a man. That she—such a beautiful, wealthy, compassionate, and kind girl—had taken a liking to a poor boy like him was a blessing he had spent ten lifetimes earning. It was he who had lost her.

As soon as Fu Yunzhen left the old family estate, he was desperate to see Qiao Nian'an. Leng Bingxin walked out behind him and called out to his cold, retreating figure, "You must return for the family banquet tonight. We have invited Yunzhu as well."

Fu Yunzhen ignored her as if he hadn't heard a word, driving straight back to the small company he had just acquired.

Leng Bingxin was livid. She had fought tooth and nail to secure her footing in the Fu family. Her husband, who had suffered a stroke and was left partially paralyzed, lay in bed, and she never went to see him. She had already been generous enough to let him keep his mistress and their illegitimate children in the old estate. They were relegated to the worst villa on the property—a place where three generations of them lived, including the mistress, her son, his wife, and their child. Not throwing them out on the street was an act of mercy. She left the care of that old man to them.

Although she was seventy, she looked no older than fifty. After discovering her husband's infidelity, she had secretly used frozen eggs and her husband's sperm to conceive via IVF. After giving birth to Fu Yunzhen, she began focusing on herself—maintaining her health, dressing well, and improving her own standing. Slowly, she gritted her teeth, endured the humiliation, and began to consolidate power within the company. She bought up shares from minority shareholders until she held eleven percent. No matter how much the mistress clamored for a divorce, the moment she brandished her shareholdings, the man dared not leave her.

Now that the old man was incapacitated, she had become the one in power. She was gradually transitioning that authority to Fu Yunzhen, paving the way for him to take control. Everything had gone smoothly because, during the years she sent him abroad, Fu Yunzhen had used his own business acumen to become a rising star in North American tech and a new financial titan.

The Fu family needed that kind of youthful dynamism to lead them toward internationalization. As for the mistress’s family, they were forced to tend to the old man's every need; if they failed to serve him well, their allowance was cut off. They were leeches who feared nothing more than running out of money.

Still, how could she allow her decades of hard-won efforts to be undermined by her son marrying a destitute, bankrupt girl with nothing to offer? Even if it were true love, it provided no benefit to him—only burden and baggage!

Leng Bingxin reached for her phone, only to realize it was broken and unusable. She was furious. How could she have forgotten that her son was a tech prodigy? It didn't matter; she had plenty of backups of the video. However, coincidentally, the moment Fu Yunzhen realized she was holding onto the video that had been used to threaten Qiao Nian'an, he had hacked into her backups before she could take precautions.

Leng Bingxin picked up another phone and dialed a number. "I want to see Qiao Nian'an."

...

Back at the company, Fu Yunzhen was informed that Qiao Nian'an had gone out on business. He frowned. "She is the boss’s wife of this company, and you sent her out to handle business? Are you all here to retire?"

Everyone lowered their heads under his gaze. It was true—when the boss and his wife fought, the employees were the ones who suffered. They had heard from Shen Niwu that President Fu had only bought this debt-ridden company for her sake. And under his leadership over the past two days, the revenue had been staggering.

"Call her back," Fu Yunzhen ordered.

"President Fu, can't you just call her yourself?" someone asked timidly.

Fu Yunzhen’s face darkened. If he could call her, would he be telling them to do it? But he wasn't about to admit that Qiao Nian'an had blocked his number.