One Hundred Million? Are You Trying to Fob Off a Beggar?

The atmosphere in the Huo Household Villa's living room was so oppressive it felt as though water could be wrung from the air.

Old Master Huo sat in the center on a rosewood armchair, dressed in a traditional Chinese jacket and leaning on a dragon-headed cane. Though he was past seventy, his hawk-like eyes still gleamed sharply as they fixed fiercely on Jian Ning standing before him.

Beside the old master sat a young man in a custom-made white suit.

He had refined features and a gentle, jade-like temperament. Holding a cup of tea, every movement he made exuded the elegance of a young lady from a distinguished family—strike that, a young master from a distinguished family.

This was the legendary fiancé—Qin Yu.

"Jian Ning, is it?" Old Master Huo spoke, his voice booming with unquestionable authority. "I won't beat around the bush. A-Si was momentarily confused and bewitched by that face of yours. But he is destined to inherit the Huo Household. His partner must come from a family of equal standing, someone from a prestigious household, like Xiaoyu."

Qin Yu set down his teacup at just the right moment and gave Jian Ning a polite yet superior smile. "Mr. Jian, hello. A-Si and I grew up together, so I understand his temperament very well. He is only enjoying a passing novelty. Once this little phase is over, he will return to the proper path."

Jian Ning stood there in casual clothes today, wearing an oversized hoodie and jeans that clashed utterly with the antique furnishings filling the room.

But he was not nervous in the slightest.

[Tsk, tsk. Qin Yu looks... how should I put this? A little like a delicate white flower?]

[And this old man, starting off with this feudal arranged-marriage nonsense? The Qing dynasty has been dead for ages, hello!]

When Old Master Huo saw that Jian Ning remained silent, he assumed he was afraid.

He snorted and pulled out a pre-filled check from his sleeve. Pinching it between two fingers, he contemptuously tossed it onto the coffee table in front of Jian Ning.

"There is one hundred million here."

The old master lifted his chin. "Take the money and leave A-Si. Don't let me see you again."

Jian Ning's gaze fell on the thin check.

He stepped forward and bent down to pick it up.

His fingers counted the string of zeroes after that "1."

Contempt flashed through Qin Yu's eyes. As expected, he was an actor with his eyes on money.

Yet the next second, Jian Ning raised his head. There was not a trace of greed on his face. Instead, he looked... disgusted?

"Old Master, do you perhaps... have some misunderstanding about current prices?"

Jian Ning flicked the check, making it snap crisply.

"One hundred million? The last time Huo Si wanted to make me happy, he gave me an island. The annual maintenance costs for that island alone exceed this amount. And there's the supplementary card he gave me—I can spend whatever I want without a limit. You think you can fob me off with a piece of paper?"

Jian Ning lightly placed the check back on the table and even pushed it toward the old master.

"You should keep this money to buy some walnuts and nourish your brain. After all... my current value is half of the Huo Group." Though I'm totally bluffing.

"You—! Outrageous!" Old Master Huo was so furious that even his beard trembled. He slammed his cane against the floor. "Insatiable greed! Do you believe I can make it impossible for you to survive in Beijing?!"

Qin Yu frowned as well, looking heartbroken. "Mr. Jian, one should know when to be satisfied. A-Si has been deceived by you. Once he comes to his senses, you will not get a single cent. I am saying this for your own good."

Jian Ning rolled his eyes.

[For my own good? You mean for Huo Si's body, don't you?]

[System! Scan him for me! Let's see what this so-called childhood sweetheart really is!]

The System's notification sounded immediately.

[ Ding! A shocking secret of the wealthy elite has been unlocked! ]

[ Target: Qin Yu. ]

[ Surface identity: Young master of the Qin Household, Huo Si's childhood sweetheart. ]

[ True secret: Qin Yu's appearance is a perfect replica of Old Master Huo's late first love—the famed Peking opera performer of the time, "Little Yulan"! The reason Old Master Huo is so insistent on having Qin Yu marry Huo Si has nothing to do with Huo Si at all. He wants to keep Qin Yu in the Huo Household so he can look at that face every day and remember his first love! ]

[ Additional information: Qin Yu is actually straight and has no feelings for Huo Si. He agreed to the marriage alliance because his family is on the verge of bankruptcy and desperately needs the Huo Household's betrothal gift to fill its financial hole. ]

Jian Ning stared at the System panel and felt his entire mind crack apart.

[Holy shit?!]

[This gossip is... a little too filling!]

[Old Master Huo, are you using your grandson as a substitute for an old-man-grandson romance? You're making your grandson marry a man who looks like your first love just so you can stare at him?]

[That is so perverse! Even in the world of insane plots, this is exceptionally insane!]

Jian Ning looked at Old Master Huo's righteous old face and suddenly found it rather funny.

Since you have no mercy, don't blame me for having none.

Jian Ning cleared his throat. His expression turned a little strange as his gaze moved back and forth between Qin Yu and Old Master Huo.

"Old Master, there's something I'd like to say, though I'm not sure whether I should."

Old Master Huo snapped, "Spit it out!"

Jian Ning pointed at Qin Yu's face and said softly, "I heard that when you were young, Old Master, you especially enjoyed opera. Particularly the performances of that... Master Little Yulan?"

Old Master Huo's expression froze instantly.

His hand tightened sharply around his cane, and panic flickered in his eyes. "You... how do you know? Who told you?"

Jian Ning smiled and continued mercilessly.

"No one told me. I just think... Young Master Qin's brows and eyes, his figure, especially that tear mole at the corner of his eye—he looks exactly like Master Little Yulan in those old photographs."

Jian Ning stepped closer and lowered his voice, looking at the old master with an expression that saw through everything.

"Old Master, you insist on making Huo Si marry Young Master Qin... Could it be because you want to keep Young Master Qin in the house so that you can... remember someone through him?"

Boom—!

That final shred of dignity was ruthlessly torn away.

Old Master Huo's face instantly turned the color of liver. His lips trembled, but he could not utter a word for a long time. "You... you're talking nonsense! You're slandering me!"

Qin Yu was stunned as well. He knew the old master treated him especially well and often stared at him blankly, but he had never considered this possibility!

Now that Jian Ning had said it aloud, a chill ran through his entire body.

So I'm a... figurine?

"I'm not talking nonsense. You know it in your heart." Jian Ning sighed and looked at Qin Yu with pity. "Young Master Qin, you have it rough too. You were originally a straight man, forced to sell yourself because of your family's debts, and now you are being treated as someone else's replacement... Tsk, tsk. The food in wealthy families isn't easy to swallow."

Qin Yu's face turned pale at once. "You... how do you know about my family's debts..."

Just as the living room fell into dead silence and the old master was about to faint from anger—

The front doors were violently pushed open.

Bang!

Huo Si rushed in, looking as though he had traveled through dust and wind. He had clearly raced back at high speed; his tie was crooked, a thin sheen of sweat covered his forehead, and his eyes were as sharp as blades.

The moment he entered, he saw Jian Ning standing in the center of the living room, while the one-hundred-million check lay alone on the table.

Huo Si strode over and pulled Jian Ning behind him in one swift motion, shielding him completely.

Then he picked up the check and, without even glancing at it, tore it to shreds.

"Grandfather." Huo Si's voice was cold enough to freeze the air. "I told you, you don't need to concern yourself with my affairs."

Old Master Huo trembled with rage and pointed at Jian Ning. "A-Si! Did you hear what that bastard just said? He... he actually slandered me..."

"Slandered you?" Huo Si sneered. "Which word Jian Ning said was false?"

Old Master Huo's eyes widened. "You... you knew too?"

Huo Si glanced at Qin Yu, his eyes utterly devoid of warmth. "I have already had someone investigate the Qin Household's two-billion debt. As for who Qin Yu resembles... Grandfather, did you really think I had never seen that photograph you have hidden in your study for fifty years?"

Old Master Huo collapsed into his chair completely, as though he had aged ten years in an instant.

Having his thoughts exposed before everyone by his own grandson had utterly destroyed what remained of his dignity.

Huo Si did not want to waste any more words. He turned to Qin Yu, who was already scared senseless.

"Young Master Qin, the Huo Household does not provide charity, nor do we collect antiques. Take your check and get out."

"If I see you appear in front of Jian Ning again, the Qin Household will go bankrupt ten times faster than you can imagine."

How could Qin Yu dare remain? He looked at Huo Si, who seemed ready to devour him, then at the old master with his strange expression, and fled in a panic.

Only three people remained in the living room.

Huo Si held Jian Ning's hand and looked down at the old master.

"Grandfather, Jian Ning is mine. If you want someone to chat with in the future, I will keep you company. But if you want to touch him..."

Huo Si paused, his tone resolute.

"Then I will leave this family with him. I built the Huo Group, and I can destroy it too."

Old Master Huo looked at the grandson before him, so forceful that he seemed unfamiliar, and finally understood that the situation was beyond saving.

He let out a long sigh and waved his hand as though every ounce of strength had left him.

"Enough... enough. Children and grandchildren have their own fortunes. Get out. All of you, get out."

Once they left the villa, the air outside felt exceptionally fresh.

Jian Ning looked at the man's profile beside him, his heart still pounding wildly.

[So handsome!]

[That check-ripping move just now was unbelievably cool!]

[Leave the family? Destroy the Huo Corporation? Huo Si, are you going crazy for me?]

Huo Si opened the car door, stuffed Jian Ning into the passenger seat, then got in himself.

He did not start the car immediately. Instead, he turned sideways and looked at Jian Ning.

"Why didn't you take that one hundred million?" Huo Si suddenly asked.

Jian Ning froze for a moment, then blinked. "It was too little. Didn't you say you were worth hundreds of billions? I'm not stupid."

Seeing his perfectly justified money-grubber expression, Huo Si could not help laughing softly.

He leaned over and gave Jian Ning a peck on the lips.

"You did the right thing."

"Jian Ning, for the rest of your life, you can only covet my money. You are not allowed to take even one cent from anyone else."

Jian Ning wrapped his arms around Huo Si's neck and smiled like a cat that had stolen cream.

"Of course. I'm already the boss's wife, so I need to broaden my horizons!"

"But... I didn't take that one hundred million, yet you said the Qin Household has a two-billion hole? Then can't we take this opportunity to..."

Huo Si helplessly sealed his mouth with a kiss.

"Shut up. We are not talking about money right now."

"Let's talk about tonight's premiere."

"And... the proposal after the premiere."

Jian Ning's pupils shook.

[A p-proposal?!]

The premiere venue for Twin Emperors.

The flashes on either side of the red carpet shone as brightly as day.

Jian Ning and Huo Si, dressed in custom formalwear in matching colors, walked the red carpet hand in hand.

One was the entertainment industry's biggest star, while the other ruled a business empire. The moment this couple appeared, they instantly eclipsed everyone else.

When the movie ended, thunderous applause erupted throughout the venue.

On the massive screen, the image froze on the scene of the Regent Prince combing Jade Gentleman's hair, their gazes tangled with deep, boundless affection.

The host stepped onto the stage excitedly. "President Huo, Jian Ning, this film was so moving! Is there anything the two of you would like to say to the audience?"

Huo Si accepted the microphone.

He did not look at the audience. Instead, he turned toward Jian Ning beside him.

Under the gazes of thousands in the venue, with countless livestream cameras witnessing the moment—

That untouchable Buddhist prince of Beijing's elite circle slowly dropped to one knee.

From his pocket, he took out the real pigeon-egg diamond ring he had prepared long ago.

"Jian Ning."

Huo Si's voice carried through the microphone to every corner of the venue.

"The Regent Prince in the movie failed to protect his Jade Gentleman."

"But Huo Si in reality wants to give you his entire world."

"Will you let me legally... manage your accounts for you?"

The screams from the crowd nearly lifted the roof off the building.

Jian Ning looked at the blinding diamond ring, then at the man before him whose eyes were full of nothing but him.

Tears fell from his eyes despite himself.

[Manage my accounts?]

[Huo Si, is this a proposal or are you recruiting a chief financial officer?]

[But... I'm willing! For this diamond ring, I'm willing too!]

Jian Ning held out his hand and choked out that word.

"I..."

At that moment, the System's voice suddenly ruined the mood.

[ Ding! Ultimate mission issued! ]

[ Host, please note! The original novel's male lead—the true original protagonist—is about to return to the country! He carries the Everyone's Favorite System and intends to reclaim the fortune that belongs to him! ]

[ Please prepare yourself. Your position as the wealthy family's wife faces its final challenge! ]

Jian Ning's hand froze in midair.

[Holy shit?! There's an original male lead too?]

[I'm practically at the finale, and you're telling me there's still a boss I haven't beaten?]

Huo Si looked at his frozen hand, his brows furrowing slightly. "Jian Ning?"

Jian Ning took a deep breath, snatched the diamond ring, shoved it onto his finger at the fastest speed of his life, and shouted—

"I'm willing! Whoever dares steal my husband will have to fight me to the death!"

[The original protagonist, huh? The Everyone's Favorite System, huh?]

[Come on! I'll smash you to death with the Golden Trash Can!]