"Have you memorized all the elders in the family?"
Sitting in his wheelchair, Fu Jingzhou asked in an unhurried voice.
"Yes."
Earlier, in the car, Fu Jingzhou had handed him a document. Jiang Nan had opened it to find that it was full of information about the Fu family.
Fu Jingzhou's biological father was currently the head of the Fu family. There was also a Second Uncle Fu.
Second Uncle Fu had been a playboy in the capital in his youth, well versed in drinking, whoring, and gambling. But he had only one son.
"I only remember the information about Father and Second Uncle." Jiang Nan couldn't help asking, "Isn't there anyone else in the family?"
"Everyone else has to go along with what you want," Fu Jingzhou said succinctly.
That simple sentence fully revealed the bearing of a high-ranking official's son raised by a prestigious family with a century of history.
Jiang Nan froze, suddenly remembering a scene from the original novel.
He couldn't remember the details.
It was something the male lead gong had said to the shou: "Guess why his name contains the character for 'capital'?"
Even with both his legs disabled, no matter how much those illegitimate sons and daughters coveted the Fu Group, they couldn't shake Fu Jingzhou's position in the slightest.
On the Fu family's household register, Old Master Fu had only one child: Fu Jingzhou.
That was also why the author had written Fu Jingzhou's death.
Only if he died would the male lead, Fu Jinchuan, have a chance to rise to power.
The atmosphere at the old residence was far more peaceful than Jiang Nan had imagined.
Old Master Fu, Fu Bai, was sixty that year. His hair was graying, but he sat in the living room watching television, full of vigor.
He was even watching a melodramatic idol drama.
"Gu Yi, you're so heartless! You actually abandoned me and our son for a woman like her!"
Dressed in loungewear, the female lead accused the male lead with tears streaming down her face.
The male lead wore a wooden expression. "She's the one I love, not you."
Jiang Nan was genuinely shocked.
Fu Jingzhou looked disgusted. He told Jiang Nan, "Chat with Father for now. I'm going to the study."
When Fu Jingzhou came out carrying a document, he found Jiang Nan and the old master sitting together on the sofa, watching the melodramatic idol drama in perfect harmony.
Jiang Nan said, "The male lead is such a bastard."
Old Master Fu said, "Exactly, exactly."
Jiang Nan clicked his tongue. "See? Now that the female lead has had her revenge, she's putting on her battle gear."
Old Master Fu said, "The male lead can't take his eyes off her."
Jiang Nan sighed. "The wife-chasing crematorium is about to begin."
Fu Jingzhou: "..."
Jiang Nan had lunch at the old residence. Since he had eaten breakfast so late, he wasn't particularly hungry.
The old master instructed the housekeeper to bring over a bowl of clam soup, then patted the back of Jiang Nan's hand. "Build your strength back up."
His words held a deeper meaning.
Jiang Nan got the message and felt a little guilty. He looked up at Fu Jingzhou opposite him.
The man had his head lowered, reading a magazine, and hadn't noticed their little exchange.
Jiang Nan could only lean closer and whisper to the old master, "I'm still young. I don't need to build my strength back up."
"That won't do," the old master whispered back. "You've worked hard."
Whoa...
From the sound of it, the old master thought he was the one who'd done Fu Jingzhou.
Jiang Nan straightened his back and raised his chin. "Then I'll start with a bowl."
Smiling, the old master ladled out a bowl of soup and set it in front of Jiang Nan.
Jiang Nan downed it in one go.
The old master nodded in satisfaction.
The rumors really couldn't be trusted.
This child was clearly very well behaved.
After leaving the old residence, Jiang Nan burped.
Fu Jingzhou glanced at him. "Did you really have to eat so much?"
"It wasn't food." Jiang Nan patted his stomach. "It's all liquid in here."
Fu Jingzhou said, "...Impressive."
When they returned to the villa, Jiang Nan got out of the car. Seeing Fu Jingzhou still sitting inside at ease, he asked, "Aren't you getting out?"
Fu Jingzhou said, "I'm going to the office. Stay home and behave."
Jiang Nan waved. "See you tonight, then."
Who said I'd see you tonight?
Fu Jingzhou had originally planned to stay at the office.
He had a room there where he could rest.
But looking into Jiang Nan's sincere eyes, the words on the tip of his tongue became, "All right."
Humming, Jiang Nan had barely entered the villa when he heard an extremely deep voice.
"Woman, you'd better take a good look at who's standing before you."
"I, Xuanyuan Di, have never fallen for anyone. You're merely a plaything I bought for my amusement."
Jiang Nan stopped in his tracks and looked over with a complicated expression.
Uncle He was mopping the floor and humming a tune, while the phone in his pocket played a domineering CEO novel.
When Uncle He met Jiang Nan's eyes, he froze, then straightened. "Young Madam."
"Mm." Jiang Nan hesitated.
Uncle He rubbed his weathered face awkwardly. "If you have something to say, Young Madam, please go ahead."
Jiang Nan held out his phone. "Let's add each other on WeChat."
Uncle He hurriedly shut off the domineering CEO novel. "Of course, of course."
Once they had added each other, Jiang Nan leaned closer as though they were secret agents exchanging information. "Uncle He, share that link with me."
Uncle He's eyes widened. "You like it too?"
Jiang Nan wore an inscrutable expression. "No one can escape the charm of a domineering CEO and his delicate little wife."
Uncle He shook his hand. "A kindred spirit!"
Jiang Nan was deeply moved. "From now on, you're my very own uncle."
Uncle He had practically watched Fu Jingzhou grow up, and his position in the Fu family couldn't be summed up by the word "butler." He had grown up alongside Old Master Fu, and they were as close as brothers. So he certainly felt comfortable accepting the title of Jiang Nan's very own uncle.
After Uncle He shared the link, Jiang Nan returned to his room.
He had just thrown himself onto the bed when he remembered something and hurried back out. "Uncle, my very own uncle, what's the Wi-Fi password?"
Uncle He called back at the top of his lungs, "Eight eights."
Prosper, prosper, prosper, prosper, prosper, prosper, prosper, prosper.
Who knew rich people liked passwords like that too?
After connecting to the Wi-Fi, Jiang Nan relaxed and lay on the bed, scrolling through his phone.
Although the world inside the book differed from the real world, the apps were mostly the same.
Jiang Nan opened Douyin and began scrolling in bed.
The first video he came across was about a fragile college student ending up in the hospital.
He laughed so hard he crowed.
771 had turned into a black ball of fluff again and lay beside Jiang Nan's pillow, watching with him.
"Why does your laugh sound so sleazy?" 771 didn't understand. "Someone else is having bad luck. Why are you laughing so happily?"
Jiang Nan answered in a completely flat voice, "Because I'm a vicious person."
771 said, "At least you know."
Jiang Nan flicked it hard. "Get lost."
All of 771's fur bristled.
Jiang Nan couldn't be bothered with it. With a swipe of his finger, he moved on to the next video.
It opened with the shrill voice of a clickbait account.
"Today, let me introduce the greasiest, most unhinged person in the entertainment industry, a severe psychiatric case who makes you cringe so hard your toes curl and you want to beat him up... a certain Z-list celebrity."
That line alone amused Jiang Nan.
He kept watching.
"He debuted at nineteen through a boy group survival show. He couldn't dance or sing, had neither EQ nor IQ, and even looked stumped by addition and subtraction involving four-digit numbers. A phoenix man who got voted into the debut lineup entirely by selling gay chemistry with his teammates to attract a huge crowd of shipper fans."