Scumbag A's Plan to Save the Heroine - Chapter 16

This banquet was supposed to be Fu Jinxing’s homecoming celebration, but it had instead become a social playground where his own brother thrived like a fish in water.

The Alpha, who had only recently been recognized by his family, had meticulously dressed for the occasion, layering himself with various expensive accessories without regard for their weight.

He wore a custom-tailored dark blue suit, the most expensive watch available on the market, and jade beads from an auction of antique gemstones pinned to his cuffs—as if only these could showcase his aristocratic bearing.

Yet all of it was for naught. Everyone’s attention remained fixed on his “good” brother.

Beneath his suit sleeve, Fu Jinxing clenched his fist so tightly his knuckles turned white. His eyes burned with resentment, their gaze piercing the figure conversing smoothly ahead.

If looks could kill, his “good” brother would have been tortured to death countless times by now.

After five years as a nameless, illegitimate son, Fu Jinxing had finally been recognized by his family. Yet at his own homecoming banquet, he stood like an outsider, a fool on the sidelines.

He trembled with rage. If his heart were a piece of rotten wood, it would now be swarming with hundreds of thousands of termites, gnawing at him with unbearable agitation.

Once, he had been immensely proud of his lineage. Now, he was tasting the bitter reality of being an illegitimate son, a marginalized figure in a wealthy family.

He moved forward, only to be blocked by his own brother, who demanded he leave.

He retreated, only to find countless eyes glaring at him from behind, waiting for him to die.

What if he simply behaved himself?

Fu Jinxing curled his lips into a self-deprecating smile.

From now on, everyone would likely use his illegitimate status to trample him.

There was no real distinction between the wealthy and the poor; people always fawned over those in power and kicked those who were down.

The more expensive the wine, the more bitter its taste. Those outside the walls longed to enter, while those within yearned to escape—only those who had tasted both could truly understand the nuances.

His teeth clinked against the glass of the wine goblet with a heavy thud. The man who had always lingered on the fringes of society stumbled to the bar, his mind adrift, and tilted his head back to gulp down the most expensive wine.

He drained the glass, then another, and another, repeating the cycle endlessly. The crimson liquid, mixed with the sharp tang of brandy, burned his throat with each swallow, stimulating his stomach acid.

A wave of nausea surged from his gut to his throat, numbing his senses.

Wine could temporarily dull the pain, but Fu Jinxing had drunk so much that he lost his sense of direction, yet he still remembered he couldn’t embarrass himself tonight.

The guests were still waiting in the outer hall. The man in the blue suit stumbled toward the innermost restroom. In the chaos, a pair of thick, calloused hands landed on his shoulder.

He stumbled into the bathroom.

Fu Jinxing clung to the sink, retching violently. The hands holding him belonged to a burly, dark-skinned man of unknown origin. After locking the bathroom door, the man stood coldly by, observing without a trace of discomfort or sympathy, as if merely carrying out a task.

The acrid taste of vomit lingered in Fu Jinxing’s throat. Bracing himself against the marble countertop, he forced himself upright and turned to glare at the man who had locked the door.

Seeing the bodyguard’s uniform, he recognized the man’s identity. The humiliation of being seen drunk and disheveled vanished, replaced by a surge of arrogance. But the memory of his fourteen-year-old self, kneeling on the floor to polish someone’s shoes, quickly resurfaced.

Inferiority and arrogance were merely different names for the same thing.

Fu Jinxing erupted in fury, roaring, “You’re just a watchdog for the Zhi Family! Do you even know who I am, you bastard? I’m Fu Fu’s son, the future heir to the Fu Family! Get the hell out of my way!”

In the confined space, the pungent pheromones of strong liquor exploded like a bomb, instantly engulfing the entire room.

The fury in the air thickened the concentration of liquor-scented pheromones, briefly amplifying their intensity. To a Beta, however, any pheromone was merely an irritating dust, like smog suddenly appearing in fresh air. Uncomfortable, but not lethal.

Despite the other man’s violent thrashing and smashing, Shang Wu remained unmoved. He glanced at his watch, saw it was time, and immediately turned to open the bathroom door.

A figure in a wheelchair appeared amidst the wreckage. Shang Wu bowed humbly and retreated to guard the entrance.

“Why do you always act like you’ve given up whenever you see me?”

Fu Jinxing’s eyes were bloodshot from rage. Startled by the unfamiliar female voice, he momentarily lost his grip, and the antique vase slipped from his hand with a whoosh.

A pair of slender, pale hands moved with lightning speed, catching the vase by its base just before it shattered on the floor.

Fu Jinxing looked up.

His first impression was that the newcomer seemed rushed, still wearing a blue-and-white school uniform.

Before he could take a second glance, a powerful sense of danger surged through him, born from an Alpha’s keen awareness of his own kind.

The tornado of liquor-scented pheromones, now dominated by the crisp fragrance of cedarwood, rapidly diminished until it vanished completely.

A lingering, resentful scent of alcohol hung in the air, refusing to dissipate. Fu Jinxing slammed his fist against a pillar, gritting his teeth. “You’ve had your bodyguards watching me the whole time, just so Miss Zhi could make her grand entrance and laugh at me, right?”

Zhi Qiu gently stroked the vase, as if it were not cold, hard porcelain but a newborn infant with delicate skin.

“Using an antique vase that could be auctioned off at any moment to hold flowers… just how much has the Fu Family embezzled over the years?”

Zhi Qiu lowered her gaze, shaking her head with feigned pity.

The floor was littered with shattered watches, twisted cuffs, and various expensive but useless accessories.

The man, his mind clouded by anger, splashed water over his head and gulped down several mouthfuls of ice-cold water.

His meticulously ironed blue suit was now stained with grotesque watermarks. After throwing everything that had been weighing him down to the ground and returning to this state of utter destitution, his mind finally began to clear.

Amidst the sound of dripping water, Fu Jinxing pondered Zhi Qiu’s true intentions.

It was normal for the heir of the Zhi Family to be required by their elders to attend his welcome banquet.

But for her to specifically seek out a private moment with him, even temporarily diverting the bodyguards who usually shadowed Zhi Ze’en…

When things are this abnormal, there must be something sinister at play.

The last trace of strong liquor had dissipated from the air.

Zhi Qiu finally stopped stroking the delicate porcelain and looked up at the man, who was a wretched mess, tormented by his emotions and desires.

She had to admit, Fu Jinxing possessed a remarkable face, inheriting all the best features from her early-deceased mother.

His nose was high and straight, his forehead full and prominent, and his peach-blossom eyes, so like her mother’s, radiated ambition and a yearning for power.

Sunlight refracted through the mirror, scattering across the ceiling and illuminating the girl’s flawless profile, casting her in a compassionate light, like a goddess descended to save all living beings.

Fu Jinxing, who had turned away fiercely, intending to deliver a few harsh words, suddenly froze, mesmerized. He didn’t even notice the cold water dripping down his jaw from his hair.

Perhaps the sunlight was too blinding. Zhi Qiu pushed her wheelchair forward slightly.

Bathed in the warm light, the girl spoke in her gentlest tone, uttering the cruelest words: “Jin Xing, have you already forgotten your real name? No wonder, considering the incredible luck that has befallen you. An illegitimate son recognized by his family, now the heir to the Fu Family? How could you be so foolish?”

“An heir without the support of his family is like a leaky boat in a vast ocean of wealth. Before you can row far, the seawater will seep through your countless flaws, drowning you and your vessel in the depths.”