CHAPTER 253: 8.40

"You, what did you just say!? Jinsheng, what do you mean by yours!?"

Mr. Fu was so stunned he couldn’t speak for a long time. His eyes bulged wide, one arm trembling as it pointed at Fu Yanchen, but his mind was stuck on the first thing he’d heard.

He had clearly heard everything else Fu Yanchen had said afterward, but his brain had stopped processing the moment he said, "I am the owner of Jinsheng."

That sentence alone was enough to render all the other bombshells irrelevant. Everything else, how the core members of the Fu family had been infiltrated, how his son had taken everything, was just noise compared to that single truth.

Fu Yanchen nodded slightly. "Yes. Jinsheng is mine. Surprised? If it hadn’t been for what happened three years ago, I might’ve considered letting Fu company and Jinsheng grow together. Combined, they could’ve been powerful not just in our country, but globally. Fu company could’ve reached heights you’ve never imagined."

He looked Mr. Fu dead in the eye.

"But you, always claiming everything you did was for the good of the Fu family, you destroyed all of that with your own hands."

Why had the old man become increasingly afraid of him years ago?

It wasn’t just because Fu Yanchen had ambition or ability, it was because his vision and ideals clashed completely with the old man’s outdated, conservative ways. Their decisions were always at odds.

Over time, Mr. Fu began to see his son as a threat, a challenger to his authority.

That fear led to more suppression.

And suppression sparked resistance.

Fu Yanchen hadn’t wanted to fight for power at first. But under pressure, he began preparing. He quietly won over allies and built a network. Jinsheng Group was born from that resolve, a company shaped by his own vision and values.

If Mr. Fu hadn’t betrayed him... maybe Jinsheng and the Fu family could’ve truly stood side by side.

But Mr. Fu did act.

And so, Jinsheng became more than just an experiment, it became a backup plan.

He had expected the old man might sideline him, maybe even try to replace him.

But he hadn’t expected such cruelty.

Not even a wild animal turns on its own offspring.

But this man, the one he had called father for more than twenty years, had arranged a car accident to kill him.

If not for sheer luck, he wouldn’t have just lost the use of his legs, he’d have died on the spot.

Three years ago...

That phrase finally snapped Mr. Fu out of his daze.

"Yanchen..." He muttered, "Dad... was devastated when that happened. I admit, I shouldn’t have taken your title as heir just because of your injuries, but you were seriously hurt... I was overwhelmed. That’s why I brought Xiaoyuan back. Just temporarily, to help out. It’s still yours, everything is still yours..."

"Heh."

Fu Yanchen’s sneer was cold.

Even now, Mr. Fu showed no guilt, no remorse.

"Still pretending to be clueless?" He asked. "My father? Sad for me?"

He took a deep breath.

"If I’m not mistaken, you’re the one who arranged that car accident."

"Nonsense! That’s... nonsense!"

Exposed so suddenly, Mr. Fu’s face went pale. He shook his head frantically, arms straining as he tried to push himself upright in bed.

This was the moment he had feared most.

And now it was happening.

Fu Yanchen knew everything.

He knew.

And he wasn’t here to talk, he was here for revenge.

Power, corporations, betrayal, he could deal with all of that.

But this?

This terrified him.

"Yanchen, listen to me!" He cried, panicking. "After the accident, I used the Fu family’s resources to find the person behind it, I swear! I never meant to hurt you! I was searching for the truth too! How could you think I’d try to kill my own son!?"

His voice was rambling, frantic. The fear scrambled his words, making him sound deranged. All his former composure was gone.

Fu Yanchen didn’t flinch. "You claim you were searching? You sure it wasn’t to silence the driver first?"

He exhaled sharply.

"I’ll call you ’Dad’ one last time. I have just one question for you."

He stared at Mr. Fu.

"As your biological son... was I really less important than your thirst for control?"

The question hit hard.

Mr. Fu froze.

Even Jiang Jiamian looked over, eyes dark, sensing something deeper in that simple question.

Perhaps Fu Yanchen had seemed cold and vengeful, but deep down, he was still hurt. He was still longing.

And that question had been sitting on his heart for years.

Jiang Jiamian thought that after everything, this confrontation, this emotional wreckage, Mr. Fu would finally break and admit his wrongdoing.

But instead, after a beat of silence...

Mr. Fu’s eyes hardened. His voice turned sharp, "Now I see I was right to replace you! You’re a disobedient traitor! I only regret that car didn’t kill you when it had the chance!"

The words shattered what little calm remained.

Fu Yanchen, still holding back a flicker of hope, visibly trembled.

Even Jiang Jiamian felt the chill spread from him like a storm.

But Mr. Fu wasn’t done.

He sneered, voice rising, desperate to stab deep.

"What Jinsheng? What wealth? You may have money, but you’re still crippled! You’ll always be a useless cripple in a wheelchair! Paralyzed, incontinent, no matter how much you gain, you’ll never be whole! Hahahaha! Even in the next life, I’ll still be me, and you’ll still be my failure of a son!"

He wanted to die having the last word. Let this ungrateful child remember it forever.

"Haha... hahahaha..."

Fu Yanchen, expression twisted with rage and sadness, slowly... began to rise.

To Mr. Fu’s horror, he stood.

"You, you..."

He couldn’t believe his eyes.

His son, paralyzed for more than three years, stood up.

He knew exactly how severe the injury had been.

Everyone else thought it was just a leg injury. But he’d known the truth all along: spinal damage. Paraplegia. No motor control, no sensation, no dignity.

Fu Yanchen had covered it up well, even bribing the doctor, but Mr. Fu had already found out during the surgery, while his son was still unconscious.

And yet now, he stood.

Not only that... he took a step.

One.

Then another.

Then a third.

Each one steady, measured.

Like footsteps pounding directly on Mr. Fu’s heart.

Fu Yanchen, face cold as death, advanced slowly. And with each step, Mr. Fu could feel his body going numb.

His son, no, this reaper in human skin, was closing in.

"Yanchen..."

Mr. Fu barely managed to croak out the name.

But before the hand reached his throat...

"Ah, killing’s illegal!"

Jiang Jiamian’s teasing voice rang out lightly.

Fu Yanchen paused.

Then... he let out a soft laugh. "You’re right. I won’t dirty my hands."

He reached down and rubbed a thin oxygen tube between his fingers. "I just want you to know what it feels like to have your life in someone else’s hands. And if you don’t learn to shut your disgusting mouth..."

He smiled.

"Snap. Just like that."

Mr. Fu couldn’t speak. Couldn’t move. He wheezed, eyes bulging, as his body strained for air and his consciousness teetered.

Fu Yanchen stared at him calmly for a while... then released the tube.

"I’ve said everything I came to say. Get some rest. I’ll come see you another day."

Whether that meant after the death notice was issued, or to collect the body, was anyone’s guess.

He returned to his wheelchair like nothing had happened. Calm, composed.

He said lightly, "Wife, thank you for pushing me. I’ll repay you at home."

Jiang Jiamian: "..."

"Wife?" Jiang Jiamian rubbed the goosebumps on his arms. "That title is so weird."

The system disagreed instantly, "Host, that title is so sweet! So romantic!"

Why couldn’t his host be cute like the others, those bubbly types who fall in love with their system and call it baby and darling all day?

Instead, he got this guy.

Fu Yanchen smirked. "Alright then, baby, please push me."

Titles didn’t matter.

Only the relationship underneath did.

Just as they reached the door, Mr. Fu’s hoarse voice rasped behind them.

"Yanchen!"

Jiang Jiamian paused. Fu Yanchen gave no response.

Mr. Fu continued after a long silence, "Yanchen, I didn’t want to kill you. I swear I didn’t. I just wanted to get you out of the company, that’s all. I thought an injury would be enough... I never meant for it to be so serious. I didn’t know..."

Fu Yanchen’s back tensed for a moment.

Then he laughed, cold and bitter, "You didn’t want my life? When you threw me into a car accident, knowing full well you couldn’t control the outcome, what did you think would happen?"

He turned slightly.

"I won’t kill you. But I won’t save you either."

His voice was utterly devoid of emotion.

"From now on, whether you live or die, it’s all up to fate."