QT: The Rescue Of The Miserable Bigshots-Chapter 246 - 8.33

"The Huang family?"

In the villa, Jiang Jiamian toyed with the large diamond ring on his finger, looking particularly satisfied.

Fu Yanchen had proposed to him.

Of course, Jiang Jiamian wasn’t the type to be moved by something as cheesy as a proposal ceremony.

On the contrary, this rare, unique diamond ring is quite valuable.

"That’s right." Fu Yanchen replied.

He noticed Jiang Jiamian pretending not to care, but still playing with the ring. The corner of his lips lifted slightly.

"The Huang family wanted to ally with the Fu family before, just like your Jiang family. But the old man thought your family was a better match, so the Huangs backed down. Now, he’s turning around and trying to bind the Huang family to him."

Jinsheng Group had been making bold moves for a month. It was putting real pressure on Mr. Fu. He was desperate for allies, and that meant marriage ties. Anything to boost his bargaining power against Jinsheng.

Jiang Jiamian sneered. "Desperate, isn’t he? Never mind that Fu Xiaoyuan’s still thinking about Tang Tang and may not cooperate anyway. And the Huang family? They’re not that shameless. That old man still thinks the sons of the Fu family are in high demand."

Fu Yanchen: "..."

One of the sons of the Fu family.

"Cough!" Fu Yanchen cleared his throat lightly. "You saying I’m not in demand?"

Jiang Jiamian: "..."

Damn.

He’d genuinely forgotten Fu Yanchen was still technically a Fu. But the man had been standing on the opposite side from the start, stirring the pot nonstop. It was easy to forget.

He gave a sheepish smile and changed the subject. "So what are you going to do?"

Fu Yanchen’s eyes glinted. "What can I do? Since the Jiang family won’t turn down Jinsheng’s olive branch, if the Huang family has any brains, they won’t refuse either."

Jiang Jiamian raised an eyebrow. "You want to pull the Huang family into Jinsheng too?"

Fu Yanchen shook his head. "Not that simple. For now, let’s just dangle them, keep them close. Let the old man realize that arranging marriages now isn’t as easy as it used to be. The world doesn’t jump when he raises his hand anymore."

Jiang Jiamian rubbed his hands together, excited. "I’m already looking forward to seeing his face turn blue with rage!"

"Brother Fu! Brother Fu!"

Fu Xiaoyuan had just stepped out of the building when a figure rushed toward him.

It was Tang Tang.

He hadn’t seen him in three days.

After agreeing with Mr. Fu not to contact Tang Tang again, he had kept his word.

But in just three days, Tang Tang looked like he’d aged ten years, thinner, pale, his hair greasy and unkempt.

Of course, this didn’t happen overnight.

Since the banquet incident, Tang Tang had been a mess. Depressed, spiritless, like a frostbitten plant. The warmth in his smile had vanished, replaced by flickers of resentment.

That had made Fu Xiaoyuan consider breaking up more than once.

What used to be sweet love now felt suffocating. Facing Tang Tang only reminded him of that shameful night.

Silently, he peeled Tang Tang’s arms off him. His voice was flat, emotionless, almost mechanical, "Why are you here?"

So he hasn’t left the city yet?

He had assumed Mr. Fu had already sent someone to deal with Tang Tang. He should’ve been gone by now.

But now that he was finally in front of him, the relief and joy he had so desperately longed for... simply weren’t there.

Fu Xiaoyuan’s indifferent words hit Tang Tang like a bucket of ice-cold water, dousing his emotions in an instant. He stood there frozen, unable to come back to himself for a long time. "Brother Fu? What did you say?"

That tone. That question.

Why was he here?

Not ’how did you get here’?

Not ’are you okay’?

Did he really mean it?

Had he agreed to Mr. Fu’s orders?

Tang Tang had clung to the last thread of hope, that Mr. Fu was lying, trying to split them up. That maybe Fu Xiaoyuan didn’t know the truth, and he’d rushed back here to fix the misunderstanding.

He had imagined them embracing, crying it out, resolving everything.

But instead, all he got was that indifferent voice and question.

Noticing Tang Tang’s stunned expression, Fu Xiaoyuan cast a glance at the building behind them, rubbed his brow lightly, then took his hand and said calmly, "This isn’t the place to talk."

If his father found out they were meeting... he was finished.

Tang Tang’s heart fluttered with faint hope as he was pulled away. Maybe... maybe Brother Fu still cared. Maybe he just couldn’t show it in public?

They turned down a quiet street. Fu Xiaoyuan walked fast, dragging Tang Tang behind him, not even looking back as he stumbled and struggled to keep up.

Eventually, they ducked into a small alley and sat down at a low-profile noodle shop.

Only then did Fu Xiaoyuan release his hand, like he had completed a burdensome task.

Tang Tang, flushed and breathless, looked at him with hopeful eyes.

But Fu Xiaoyuan didn’t help him, didn’t offer water, didn’t say a word.

He just sat there in silence.

The air between them was heavy and awkward.

Finally, Tang Tang broke the silence. "Three days ago... Mr. Fu sent someone to force me out of the city. Did you know?"

His face stiffened, and Fu Xiaoyuan avoided his gaze, as if already prepared for him to say he didn’t know, then nodded quietly.

Tang Tang shuddered, his face turning pale as he asked in a trembling voice, "Then why didn’t you stop it?"

Fu Xiaoyuan gave a bitter smile. "Stop it? How? You think I could go up against him? Have you ever tried to bend a steel bar with your hands?"

Tang Tang stared at him, eyes full of disbelief.

"Brother Fu... you weren’t like this before."

He used to be gentle. Brave. He had promised a future. Fought the odds, even against his own family.

But now...

Now he sounded like a defeated man.

"Then what am I like?"

The words hit a nerve. Fu Xiaoyuan exploded.

"I tried! I really tried! But what did it get us?! That one night ruined everything! You’re finished and so am I! You think my father would ever let someone who shamed the Fu family marry in? It’s impossible!"

His voice cracked, breath shaking.

"What else do you want from me?! You want me to give up the Fu family for you? You want us to end up homeless together?! Do you know what it’s like, seeing you every day and being forced to remember that night... How humiliating it was for me?!"