"This is humiliation." Chu Zhiyuan’s fists clenched slightly.
Chu Daxing glanced at him—then smiled faintly.
"But... It’s not necessarily a bad thing."
Chu Zhiyuan paused. "What do you an?"
"Think about it," Chu Daxing said calmly. "Chu Jing may have given up her shares, but as long as she remains in the family, she’s still a variable."
His gaze sharpened slightly.
"If she married into a powerful family, that would be a real problem for you."
"But now?"
He chuckled.
"A man with no background... no power... Is far easier to control."
Chu Zhiyuan’s eyes lit up instantly.
"I see..."
A grin slowly appeared on his face.
"You’re amazing, Dad."
"Of course," Chu Daxing smirked. "Who do you think taught you?"
"But... will Chu Jing accept it?"
Chu Daxing’s expression turned indifferent.
"Of course not."
He shrugged.
"But that gives us the perfect reason to suppress her further."
"Maybe even remove her from the Chu Family completely."
Chu Zhiyuan nodded slowly, his expression turning cold.
That outco... was even better.
---
On the stage, Chu Zhenwu continued speaking. The entire hall was quiet.
"First off, I want to thank all ladies and gentlen for attending my son’s birthday."
He paused slightly.
"And on this occasion... I would like to tell you another joyworthy news."
All eyes were on him.
"You may not be familiar with the young man beside ," he continued. "Allow to introduce him."
He turned slightly toward Lin Fan.
"This is Lin Fan."
"An outstanding young man."
"And—"
His voice grew firr.
"... the grandson-in-law I have chosen for my granddaughter, Chu Jing."
Silence.
For a brief mont, the entire hall froze.
Then, shock spread like ripples.
Lin Fan stood under the spotlight, his lips curling upward, his chest lifting slightly.
This was his mont.
From the stage, his gaze swept across the crowd—and finally landed on Ye Ling.
Her expression, full of shock and disbelief, was exactly what he wanted to see.
’See it now?’
’The man you looked down on... is standing at a height you will never reach.’
A surge of satisfaction rose within him.
Money, status, and a beautiful woman.
He got it all with a single move.
Below the stage, the reporters were already going wild, caras flashing nonstop. This news was far beyond what they had expected.
Except one of them.
Chen Lishi barely looked at the stage. Her attention drifted elsewhere.
Because in her eyes, Lin Fan simply wasn’t worth photographing.
Instead, her gaze landed on a corner of the hall.
Her eyes lit up instantly.
There stood the most eye-catching pair of the night.
Yang Princess and the mysterious, handso man beside her.
Without hesitation, she raised her cara and snapped several shots.
"Huh... soone’s taking our photos," Su Mo said casually.
Yang Qingxi didn’t even turn her head.
"Not surprising," she replied lightly. "Not every reporter cares about small families like the Chu family."
Su Mo chuckled.
"Right. How could I forget? Miss Yang is standing here."
He shook his head slightly.
"They’re probably taking your photos. I’m just incidental."
He didn’t pay it any further attention.
After all, he was the one who invited them in.
Now, it was ti for the real show to begin.
----
Chu Zhenwu stood at the centre of the stage with his back straight, his voice steady as it carried across the entire hall. His expression was one of satisfaction, even pride, as he continued praising the young man beside him.
"...a rare talent, humble yet capable, soone with both vision and potential..."
Each word he spoke only elevated Lin Fan’s position further in the eyes of the crowd.
Lin Fan himself stood there with a faint smile, his chin slightly raised, basking in the attention. The earlier humiliation at the entrance seed to have completely vanished. Under the spotlight, he looked like the very embodint of a rising protagonist.
He took a step forward.
That step alone carried confidence.
In his mind, this was his mont.
The turning point.
From being looked down upon... to standing above them all.
Chu Zhenwu glanced at him from the side and nodded inwardly, clearly satisfied with his composure. Then he turned back to the audience and raised his hand slightly.
"Please, give a warm round of applause for my grandson-in-law."
Applause erupted across the hall.
It began as polite clapping, orderly and expected for such an announcent. However, just as the applause started to build, a sudden burst of sound interrupted the rhythm.
Pop—! Pop—! Pop—!
A series of sharp popping sounds echoed through the hall, like fireworks going off in quick succession.
Chu Zhenwu’s brows lifted slightly in surprise. For a brief mont, he looked around, puzzled.
’Did the hotel prepare this?’
Then, almost imdiately, satisfaction replaced his confusion.
’Good, very good. It seems the manager understands how to handle such occasions.’
A faint smile appeared on his face.
But that smile stiffened the next mont.
A foul stench suddenly spread through the air.
It was sharp, overwhelming, and completely out of place in such a luxurious setting. Chu Zhenwu frowned instinctively, his nose twitching as disbelief flashed across his face.
’What is this sll?’
He wasn’t the only one.
The people closest to the stage reacted first. Their expressions changed one after another—confusion, then realisation, then sheer horror. So instinctively covered their noses. Others stepped back in discomfort.
Then their eyes slowly shifted—
toward Lin Fan.
Standing right beside Chu Zhenwu.
Lin Fan’s body had gone stiff. His confident smile had vanished, replaced by an expression that twisted rapidly. Confusion, panic, disbelief—everything collided on his face at once.
Sothing was terribly wrong.
A violent pressure surged within his abdon, so sudden and intense that his mind went blank for a mont. His face turned pale, then flushed red, his breathing growing erratic.
"What... what is happening...?" he muttered, his voice trembling.
He tried to move, instinctively turning toward the stairs as if to rush off the stage. But the mont he stepped forward, his body froze mid-motion.
Then, without his control, his knees bent.
He dropped into a squat.
Right there on the stage. With his back facing everyone. Like a cannon being aid at their faces...
***
[A.N: Guess what happens next?]
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