She abandoned her husband first, then her children, and was ecstatic after the divorce.

Every time he saw Old Master Fu, he would make sarcastic remarks.

Even if he doesn't say anything, when the corners of his mouth turn up and reveal a mocking smile, his eyes clearly say, "You think you're worthy to compete with me?"

In private, he often made sarcastic remarks about Grandpa Fu in front of his classmates.

At the time, many people were not optimistic about Mr. Fu.

They felt that since Old Master Fu had a brother in his family, he would inevitably be caught up in family infighting in the future. If he failed, he might end up on the streets, going from a rich young master to just an ordinary person.

He wants to pursue that girl? That's just wishful thinking!

These words, whenever mentioned by someone, would reach Old Master Fu's ears.

At first, Grandpa Fu tried to remain calm and ignore the rumors.

But slowly, these words spread like a virus, and the whole campus seemed to be talking about this unequal "love contest".

Once, during a gathering with my roommates, after a few rounds of drinks, everyone started talking non-stop.

One of his roommates, his face flushed and eyes glazed, spoke with a hint of drunkenness and recklessness, loudly mocking Old Master Fu.

"I'm telling you, stop dreaming about a swan. Give up on that girl as soon as possible! You could use that time to hook up with someone else; that would be better than wasting your time here. Look at Jiangnan, he's rich, powerful, and the only son in his family. He'll inherit the family business. Unlike you, even if it's split equally, you'll only get half. This girl will be his sooner or later, so stop meddling!"

Old Master Fu sat there, his hands gripping the wine glass tightly, his knuckles turning white from the force, his face alternating between pale and flushed.

Humiliation, resentment, and a host of other emotions surged within him.

Under the influence of alcohol, his reason was gradually consumed by anger.

That night, under the clear moonlight, the drunken old man, filled with resentment and drunkenness, staggered to find the girl.

The girl was engrossed in reading a book in a corner of the library when Mr. Fu, reeking of alcohol, suddenly barged in, shattering the tranquil atmosphere.

Grandpa Fu took a deep breath, stepped forward, and mustered his courage to speak.

"I've liked you for a long time, be my girlfriend."

The girl looked up, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes, before she regained her composure.

She gently closed the book, stood up, and spoke in a cool voice.

"I'm sorry, I just want to focus on my studies right now, and I'm also aware of the gap between us. I don't want to be in a relationship yet."

Grandpa Fu stood there blankly, watching the girl's departing figure. He wanted to chase after her, but then he heard the discussions and taunts of the other students in the library, which made him lose the courage to take another step forward.

Jiangnan, having somehow learned of this news, smugly approached Old Master Fu, his face radiating the arrogance of a victor, and mocked him.

"How about that? Got rejected, huh! I told you long ago, she wouldn't be interested in you."

He crossed his arms, tilted his head slightly back, and his eyes were full of mockery and smugness.

Even decades later, Grandpa Fu could not forget the look on his face at that time.

After that, his college classmate pursued the girl even more intensely, seemingly wanting to completely extinguish Grandpa Fu's hopes.

After experiencing this series of blows, the dark side of Mr. Fu's heart was gradually brought to the forefront.

During a project team gathering, when no one was looking, Grandpa Fu secretly slipped the prepared medicine into the girl's wine glass...

When I woke up, everything was dust to dust.

Grandpa Fu knew that the girl came from a rural area and had conservative ideas.

So when the girl woke up, he told her that she had gotten drunk the night before and kept pestering him, and that Grandpa Fu was also completely drunk at the time, and that what happened afterward was not of his own volition.

And so the two of them got together.

Sometimes, Grandpa Fu would feel guilty towards her, so he would treat the girl even better to make up for his past mistakes.

After a while, they actually developed genuine feelings for each other, fell deeply in love, and thought they could spend their whole lives together like this.

"So, you also know that after you left her, he went to seek refuge with that Jiangnan guy?" Lin Qingran asked.

Grandpa Fu nodded somewhat heavily, "I didn't know she was pregnant, but I knew about their relationship."

It was precisely because the girl he had been with went back to his former suitor that Mr. Fu was able to stop inquiring about her after he married his wife.

He even blamed everything on the girl, believing that she not only couldn't help him, but was also unfaithful to him.

"But it wasn't until several years later that I found out he was pregnant when he left me," said Grandpa Fu.

He, who had always been able to handle any situation with ease, suddenly became extremely helpless and bewildered.

"Later, it was because Jiangnan's family went bankrupt that I learned that she had given birth to Fu Liancheng."

Lin Qingran stared intently at Old Master Fu, "Li Qing, what's going on with Li Qing?"

"I can't tell you about this." Old Master Fu turned his head away somewhat uncomfortably.

“He was my subordinate, and we did have some grudges in the past. But that’s all in the past. As for why Li Qing and Fu Liancheng got involved, I don’t know.”

Seeing Old Master Fu's evasive attitude, Lin Qingran knew that Li Qing's past must have been an extremely unpleasant memory for Old Master Fu.

Since Grandpa Fu doesn't want to face it, then Lin Qingran's guess is probably correct.

The problem with the project back then was indeed discovered by Li Qing, and the two had many unpleasant experiences because of it. That's why Grandpa Fu was unwilling to mention him and even hated him.

Since Grandpa Fu didn't want to talk about the conflict between him and Li Qing, Lin Qingran didn't ask any further questions and instead brought up another matter.

“I suspect that after Li Qing left, he must have sought refuge with someone else, which is why he has been able to live peacefully until now. All the evidence points to Jiangnan being Li Qing’s backer. As for whether it is him or not, I think you should know the answer in your heart, sir.” Lin Qingran stared intently at Old Master Fu.

"I don't want to hear the details. All I want now is an answer from you, sir. Yes or no."

Grandpa Fu stared blankly at the ceiling for a long time before he finally opened his lips with a slight tremor.

"Yes."

Old Master Fu held his head in his hands, looking somewhat troubled.

"But you guessed wrong. It wasn't that Li Qing left me and then went to him; rather, he went to him and then left me."

Lin Qingran couldn't help but smile sarcastically, "It seems that you, Grandpa Fu, are very clear about these things. So why did you keep saying that you didn't know that Fu Liancheng and Li Qing were together? Actually, you know everything in your heart, Grandpa Fu, but you just don't want to admit it."