CHAPTER 248: 8.35

The blue sea, the open sky, and a soft breeze brushing against his face, far from the city, and even further from the land, on a green, tree-covered island where the waves rolled gently over the light sand.

Jiang Jiamian lay lazily on a beach lounger, wearing only a pair of swim trunks and sipping leisurely from the cocktail in his hand.

He tilted his head toward Fu Yanchen, who had just ended a phone call and was smiling faintly, "Let me guess, what good news makes you smile like this?"

Fu Yanchen hated pretending his legs were still injured, especially when they had long since healed. Around others, he had to play the cripple, but here, on this private island, he could walk freely, relax, and even indulge in... any posture he liked with Jiang Jiamian.

Cough. No, it was more about peace of mind.

Everything back home was under control. All that remained was to close the net. So the two of them had flown here by helicopter to enjoy a rare moment of leisure.

Fu Yanchen’s eyes drifted to Jiang Jiamian’s slender thighs, and his blood surged. He leaned down and scooped him up.

"Then guess. But if you’re wrong, you’ll be punished."

Jiang Jiamian rolled his eyes and made a half-hearted attempt to struggle.

This man had brought him to the island three days ago.

And for three days, in this godforsaken paradise with no one around to help him, he’d been ’punished’ in every way imaginable.

He didn’t need a brain to figure out what kind of punishment Fu Yanchen had in mind.

Still, he couldn’t resist.

What if he guessed right?

Jiang Jiamian tapped Fu Yanchen’s chest with a finger and smirked. "The Huang family sent a message, didn’t they? You told them to pressure the old man into changing the heir. And now they’ve responded."

Fu Yanchen: "..."

What do you do when your lover is too smart?

He coughed lightly, then shamelessly lied, "Wrong. Time for your punishment."

Before Jiang Jiamian could protest, he pulled him in for a kiss.

Jiang Jiamian: "..."

Damn it!

At the Fu family’s old house, Mr. Fu returned from the Huang family with his decision made.

"Xiaoyuan." He said plainly, "For now, put aside the company’s northwest project."

No pretense. No excuses.

Since he was planning to bring Fu Xiaotian back, he figured it would be best to reduce Fu Xiaoyuan’s power first, make the transition smoother, and reduce friction. After all, Fu Xiaotian had no experience, it would be unfair to pit him against Xiaoyuan right away.

Only he, the patriarch, could manage this delicate balance.

The moment Fu Xiaoyuan heard those words, his heart skipped a beat.

"Dad... did I do something wrong? If so, tell me, I’ll fix it."

The northwest project was currently the biggest venture the Fu company had.

He hadn’t done anything spectacular, but he’d handled it diligently, cleanly, with no major mistakes.

Even Jinsheng, who had clashed with them often, hadn’t managed to shake this project. That alone proved how well he’d handled it.

Why remove him now?

Was it really just because he’d done his job too well?

Or... was it to make room for Fu Xiaotian?

His thoughts spun. He remembered overhearing Mr. Fu talking about bringing Fu Xiaotian back during the last banquet. Since then, he’d lived in dread, worried every day that he would be replaced.

And now... it seemed that fear was coming true.

Pale-faced, he clung to one last thread of hope.

"Dad... I’ve been managing this project from the start. If I back out now, it’ll create unnecessary trouble. Jinsheng has been targeting us. This is not the time for a major change."

For a second, he thought he saw hesitation in Mr. Fu’s face.

But it vanished quickly.

"I told you to let it go, so let it go." Mr. Fu said flatly. "This project is critical. I’ll oversee it personally."

Fu Xiaotian was coming back. He lacked experience, so it was impossible to hand him such a major project right away.

But if he let Fu Xiaoyuan continue managing it, it would make Fu Xiaotian’s return even more difficult.

Better to hold the project in his own hands for now. When the time came, whichever son pleased him more would earn the future.

No one would get anything without his approval.

"Dad..."

Fu Xiaoyuan’s ears buzzed. His hands clenched.

He wanted to say something, anything. But Mr. Fu cut him off with a wave of his hand, clearly growing impatient.

"I’m tired. You can go now. Tomorrow morning, hand everything over. I’ll inspect it myself in the afternoon. Don’t overthink it. You just don’t have enough experience for a project like this. You can handle other ones later."

Fu Xiaoyuan forced a stiff smile.

He looked at the old man on the sofa, eyes closed, pretending to rest, pretending not to see the son he had just crushed.

So this was it.

He wasn’t just being replaced, he was being strung along. Promised future projects just to keep him quiet while Fu Xiaotian took his place.

If he hadn’t overheard those earlier conversations, if he’d believed the excuses, he might have kept working like a loyal dog until one day the title of heir slipped quietly from his hands.

So that was the plan.

All the obedience. All the sacrifice.

It meant nothing.

If patience brought only betrayal, why should he endure it?

The man sitting there was no longer a father. He was just a cold, ruthless strategist playing with lives like chess pieces.

"Dad." Fu Xiaoyuan said, forcing a polite tone. "I’ll go back now."

He pushed down every wild, vengeful thought in his mind, turned, and left quietly, like a good son.

But inside, something had already snapped.

"You tell me." Jiang Jiamian said, sprawled lazily on Fu Yanchen’s chest, his face tinged with a suspicious flush. "When Fu Xiaoyuan realizes the old man wants to replace him, do you think he’ll just be depressed... or desperate?"

Fu Yanchen chuckled and shook his head. "Why are you thinking about all that mess right now instead of enjoying being with me?"

Jiang Jiamian’s fingers paused mid-stroke. Of course he was thinking about it, Fu Xiaoyuan was the protagonist!

If he wanted to save this bigshot, he had to make sure the protagonist didn’t pose any threat.

Ideally, the plot would completely derail. If Fu Xiaoyuan lost his fighting power entirely, all the better.

Fu Yanchen caught his pout and couldn’t resist leaning in to suck on his lips. Still, he chose to share his thoughts, "Of course he won’t accept it quietly. The old man’s not the type to split the inheritance evenly, and the Fu family isn’t built for that. Once power gets divided, the whole thing collapses. Everyone in the family knows that, including Fu Xiaoyuan."

Jiang Jiamian blinked. "So only one person can be the heir?"

"Exactly." Fu Yanchen sighed. "It’s like ancient imperial rule, only one son gets to be emperor. The others are just princes. So, if you ask me, Fu Xiaoyuan’s probably going to take a risk. If he does nothing, he loses everything. But if he acts, he might still have a sliver of hope."

Jiang Jiamian narrowed his eyes, immediately grasping the implication. "You mean... he might go all in and make sure the old man dies?"

After all, if there’s no will and the old man’s gone, Fu Xiaoyuan, as a son, would still get a third.

Not everything, sure. But better than being pushed aside and getting nothing.

Fu Yanchen raised an eyebrow. "It’s not out of the question."

Even if Fu Xiaoyuan didn’t dare... Fu Yanchen could always give him a little help, couldn’t he?

After all, he’d already helped quite a bit to get them here.

Might as well see it through.

Jiang Jiamian caught the depth in Fu Yanchen’s bottomless gaze and gave a soft smile. He draped himself over Fu Yanchen’s shoulder and lazily traced circles on his neck.

He said lightly, "If they knew that all of this, the downfall, the chaos, was orchestrated by you, good-for-nothing crippled son, would they be thrilled?"

From the moment Fu Xiaoyuan overheard that Mr. Fu planned to replace him...

To the embarrassment at the banquet...

To the Huang family showing just enough interest to tempt Mr. Fu into making his final decision...

It was all by design, every single step.

That banquet’s ’accidental eavesdropping’?

Carefully arranged by Fu Yanchen himself.

And once Fu Xiaoyuan realized the truth, of course he would resist.

Fu Yanchen turned his head to face the man lying against him, his brows raising just slightly.

"I’m looking forward to that day too. But don’t worry, when the time comes, I’ll make sure the old man knows exactly how much I’ve done for him... before he dies."

Jiang Jiamian clicked his tongue. "You really are trying to send him to an early grave."

Then he smirked. "But I support you."

Fu Yanchen wrapped an arm around his waist and flipped him over, pinning him beneath him.

"I’ve done my part." He murmured, voice low. "Let them fight it out. We’ve got better things to do."

Jiang Jiamian: "..."

Oh, this damn pervert.

His biggest mistake had been healing the pervert’s legs too well.

His second biggest mistake?

Actually believing him when he said, "Let’s take a nice trip."

Who would’ve guessed that ’nice trip’ meant being trapped on a private island... in what turned out to be a luxurious prison courtesy of mother nature?

No. Not even that.

It was a beautiful double bed disguised as a vacation.