With Li Shuwen’s power toppled, Su Fengxian, deeply tied to her interests, bore the brunt.
A lifetime of striving and struggling, a family legacy, lightly taken for sacrifice.
During the Lunar New Year period, Su Fengxian was prosecuted for financial fraud. After much maneuvering, his prison term was barely reduced to six years.
Six years. When Su Fengxian received the verdict, he was utterly disheartened, as if age had instantly weighed upon him.
All the Su family’s assets were seized by the court. Su Hui, abroad at the time, found himself trapped with no easy way forward.
Prideful as he was, the instant the family scandal broke, his PDF circulated across major overseas student groups that same evening.
Driven into this corner, Su Hui refused to return home in shame and face ridicule from domestic acquaintances.
So he gritted his teeth and endured, puffing himself up, maintaining the image of someone with a “substantial trust fund” under his name.
Unable to pay rent, he got a local boyfriend, and the two of them crammed into a dim, stuffy room, pretending not to notice the boyfriend’s parents’ disdainful glances.
Yet, the persona had to be maintained—and that required money.
Su Hui reluctantly sought high-end events that his classmates couldn’t attend, working as a server, toiling all night like a beast of burden.
The next day, he would squander all the money he earned.
He knew such a life was unsustainable. Perhaps many had already noticed his true situation, deliberately teasing him, forcing him into extravagance to prove his worth.
But admitting the family’s bankruptcy would be equivalent to admitting inferiority to everyone, leaving him powerless to resist oppression.
How could he possibly accept that?
So today, seeing Su Pu amidst the crowd, dressed in a not-yet-released designer suit, elegant and delicate like a little cat—
Su Hui felt a tooth-gnawing envy.
If only he had known Li Jichuan’s deep affection earlier, if he had married Li Jichuan instead of Su Pu…
Then his family would have risen smoothly, his father wouldn’t have been imprisoned, and they wouldn’t be separated by thousands of miles.
And now, the one standing at the center of the crowd in haute couture would be him.
“What are you doing?”
Lost in thought, he hadn’t even noticed when the supervisor left and returned.
“Delivering drinks! Tsk, your brain’s gone soft, hasn’t it?”
The supervisor had long heard of the decadent antics of these overseas students. Had Su Hui not kowtowed and pandered to his vanity, how could he have landed such a high-paying job?
After days of continuous work, Su Hui’s arms ached.
Suddenly carrying a large tray of drinks, he had to move cautiously, fearful of any mishap.
And Su Pu seemed completely oblivious to a lowly server like him…
Wait.
Su Hui realized—Su Pu had lost his memory, hadn’t he?
If that’s the case, then Su Pu probably didn’t recognize him either.
Steeling himself, Su Hui approached the group carefully, tray in hand.
Li Jichuan sat in a wheelchair, slightly shorter than the others. Su Hui deliberately came from his side, shielded by the crowd, respectfully offering drinks.
“Sir, Martini?”
He inched closer to Su Pu, who had a habit of maintaining eye contact while interacting.
Their eyes met. Su Hui keenly observed Su Pu’s expression.
But Su Pu’s gaze, clear and luminous, met his politely, nodding in thanks.
Su Pu handed Li Jichuan a drink and took one for himself, holding it gently.
As Su Hui stepped back, he caught a glimpse of Li Jichuan’s and Su Pu’s fingers entwined, intimate and playful like a schoolyard couple.
A surge of jealous fury ignited in Su Hui’s chest. Su Pu not only had everything but was adored.
And the one person in the world who would lavish him with love was behind bars—
Su Pu, that’s your father. I’m your brother. How can you be happy alone?
Frustrated, Su Hui suddenly remembered—he still had a bottle of Rush in his bag!
Ha!
The night was bustling with guests, lively and warm. Li Jichuan, however, remained alert to potential dangers.
He had assumed that after Su Fengxian’s imprisonment, Su Hui might have wisened up. Clearly, this person was stubborn beyond hope.
Suddenly, Su Hui vanished from his usual spot. Li Jichuan immediately tensed, scanning the area.
Su Pu turned, curious, following his gaze—
Nothing…
“Nothing…” Li Jichuan reassured with a smile. If Su Pu were harmed under his watch tonight, he’d never forgive himself.
“小Pu, tired? We have a long flight tomorrow. Shall we rest first?”
“Hey, Lee! It’s just getting started, why go already?” The host blocked their path. “I thought you were looking around to find a dance partner for your companion!”
Glenn’s left arm was prosthetic, his wife deaf. Both were straightforward, never hesitating to joke about their disabilities.
“This is a dance ensemble. Lee, don’t idle—play the triangle!”
Li Jichuan, exasperated, muttered, “I’d rather play the violin.”
No harm done, but it successfully stalled the host.
With tomorrow’s journey in mind, the ball began half an hour earlier than planned.
When Su Hui returned with medicine, the lights were dim, and the orchestra played a soft, romantic melody.
Su Pu’s dance partner was Glenn’s wife, who was enthusiastic about the café classes tailored for the deaf.
Noticing Su Pu’s inexperience, she patiently guided him. Soon, he was laughing.
Su Hui, eyes downcast, pressed against the wall at the bar, pouring drinks into clean glasses, clutching the medicine bottle, waiting for the right moment.
Finally, the set ended. Su Pu, elegantly holding his partner, approached the sidelines, finding Li Jichuan.
The crowd thickened. Seizing the opportunity, Su Hui approached with the drinks tray, positioned in Li Jichuan’s blind spot, and let his sleeve fall.
“Sir…”
A few drinks remained on the tray. He crouched awkwardly, signaling Su Pu for help.
As Su Pu bent to pick up a cufflink, Su Hui opened the Rush bottle and dropped it to the floor.
“Sorry…”
He muttered in embarrassed English, “Could you help me pick it up?”
But Su Pu had just straightened, eyes downward.
Splash—
Perhaps overconfident, Su Hui felt his arms give way. The tray tipped; drinks spilled forward.
Ahead stood Glenn and his wife.
Amber liquid stained their white attire with deep yellow blotches. The man instinctively muttered “God,” the woman lamented her beautiful dress, glaring at the culprit.
All this at their own hosted event, with all valued business partners invited—ruined by their own server.
The supervisor, hearing the commotion, pushed through the crowd, repeatedly apologizing to the frozen Su Hui.
“Xiao Hui, why don’t you compensate the Brooks with a set of dresses?”
Su Hui wanted to cry. “Must I pay? They don’t even need the money.”
“You have to show some gesture. They’re angry. Otherwise, you’d seem indifferent…”
The dresses cost more than half his wages. The supervisor couldn’t leave it unresolved—he’d be held accountable later.
Su Hui, panicked, refused. “Where would I get the money?”
The supervisor insisted, “You said during the interview you’d do this experience regardless of pay. Now, it’s just a small cost, not even real…”
They murmured for a while. Glenn’s expression darkened, as if deliberately testing the servers.
At that moment, the man in the wheelchair suddenly exclaimed, pointing at something on the floor: “What’s this?”