"Congratulations, cousin. You just got yourself a beautiful wife for free."
"Not only is she gorgeous, but she's from a top-tier family. You really lucked out. I'm honestly jealous."
Chen Fan had just rushed back from school when his second cousin, Chen Haoyu, came over with a wide smile, enthusiastically congratulating him.
Chen Fan was completely puzzled.
Chen Haoyu, the current student council president of Jiangzhou University, usually went out of his way to oppose him. Why the sudden change in attitude today?
Something felt off.
"Xiaofan, you're back. Get ready. You're getting engaged the day after tomorrow."
At that moment, Grandpa Chen Shanhai spoke up.
"Engaged? Who's getting engaged?"
Chen Fan was completely stunned.
"You are. I've found the perfect wife for you. You'll get engaged the day after tomorrow, and the wedding will be held two months later," Grandpa Chen Shanhai explained.
"Grandpa, I..."
Chen Fan immediately tried to protest.
"The woman I chose for you is from the prestigious Xu family of Jinling."
At the mention of the Xu family, a look of longing and admiration appeared on Chen Shanhai's face.
Becoming in-laws with the Xu family of Jinling was something he could only dream of.
Just then, footsteps were heard from outside. A tall, stunningly beautiful young woman entered, flanked by several attendants. However, her appearance carried a hint of arrogance and sharpness.
"Miss Xu is here."
Upon seeing her, Grandpa Chen Shanhai quickly greeted her with a smile.
"Hm."
The young woman nodded slightly.
"Xiaofan, let me introduce you. This is your fiancée, Miss Xu Junyao."
Chen Shanhai made the introduction.
Chen Fan looked over at Xu Junyao, but something felt off about her.
Then he realized what it was — Xu Junyao had a noticeably swollen belly!
Noticing his gaze, Xu Junyao didn't try to hide anything. Instead, she proudly declared:
"I'm already pregnant. The child belongs to my idol!"
"And I'm not getting rid of it. I'm going to give birth!"
Hearing her bold declaration, Grandpa Chen Shanhai's expression changed slightly.
It was obvious now — the reason this heiress of the prestigious Xu family was willing to marry into their family was because of her unexpected pregnancy.
Since Xu Junyao wasn't married yet but had gotten pregnant, the Xu family's patriarch had to find someone to marry her and claim the child as his own.
Coincidentally, Chen Shanhai, who was visiting the Xu family, volunteered his own grandson, Chen Fan.
Standing to the side, second cousin Chen Haoyu watched Xu Junyao with her smug expression, then glanced at Chen Fan with a schadenfreude-filled smile.
Chen Fan's expression turned dark.
His grandfather was actually trying to make him marry a woman who was already pregnant?!
"Xiaofan, it's just a child. A real man should take responsibility. Don't let it bother you," said his aunt, Chen Yuzhen, trying to persuade him.
"Ahem... once Miss Xu gives birth, the child can take your surname. Just treat it like your own — it's no big deal," Grandpa Chen Shanhai explained.
But before he could finish, Xu Junyao sneered and spoke with disdain:
"My child take his surname? Impossible. My idol's child won't carry his name. He's not worthy. He'll be taking my idol's surname. Once we're engaged, he'll change his last name to Qin!"
"From now on, you'll do whatever I say without question!"
"And although we're engaged, you're not allowed to touch me — not even a finger. I'll be going to the capital twice a month to visit my idol, and you're not allowed to complain!"
Xu Junyao laid down rule after rule.
Hearing this, even Grandpa Chen Shanhai's face began to shift. This was going too far.
But for the sake of a marriage alliance with the Xu family, all the humiliation had to be endured by Chen Fan.
"Xiaofan, her demands really aren't that bad. Just bear with it," Grandpa Chen Shanhai said.
Second cousin Chen Haoyu, Aunt Chen Yuzhen, and several other relatives chimed in with support.
"This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, Xiaofan. You have to seize it."
"If you agree to this marriage, your future will be bright."
Hearing all this, Chen Fan became even more furious.
A year ago, Chen Fan's parents had mysteriously disappeared. Since then, he had constantly been targeted within the Chen family.
With his parents gone, Chen Fan treasured family ties even more, enduring the mistreatment from these so-called relatives. But their bullying only intensified over time.
Time and again, he had been disappointed.
And now, they expected him to smile and accept such humiliation? Enough was enough!
"If she's so great, why don't any of you marry Miss Xu?!" Chen Fan snapped at everyone.
"Chen Fan! Watch your mouth!" Aunt Chen Yuzhen scolded angrily.
"Are you even still part of the Chen family?!" Grandpa Chen Shanhai's face darkened.
"Chen Fan, if you still consider yourself a member of the Chen family, then you must agree to this marriage!"
At that, Chen Fan gave a cold laugh.
"A member of the Chen family? You're the ones pushing me into a pit of fire."
"If that's how it is, then I'm done being part of this family!"
"From this moment on, I sever all ties with the Chen family!"
The room instantly fell into a stunned silence.
No one had expected Chen Fan to actually say he wanted to cut ties.
Even Xu Junyao looked at him with a flicker of surprise in her expression.
"Chen Fan, what are you saying?!"
"If you sever ties with the Chen family, we'll take back everything you have. You'll be left penniless!"
"Without us, you'll become nothing — just a lowly, impoverished nobody!"
The Chen family members shouted at him in anger.
"I'm giving you one last chance," said Grandpa Chen Shanhai coldly. "Take back what you just said. If you ever regret it in the future, don't think you can come crawling back easily."
"I will never regret it!" Chen Fan replied firmly.
Then, without hesitation, he grabbed pen and paper, wrote out a formal document severing all ties with the Chen family, and signed it.
"Here. Sign it."
He placed the document in front of Grandpa Chen Shanhai.
Furious at being defied, Chen Shanhai grabbed the pen and signed his name as well.
"Hmph, he'll be broke in less than three days. He'll be begging to come back."
"Three days? I give him two at most. He'll be on his knees, crying for forgiveness."
"Without the Chen family, his life will be worse than a beggar's!"
The Chen family members sneered and jeered.
To them, this was actually great news — one less person to split the inheritance with. More money for everyone else!
Chen Fan picked up the document and calmly said:
"From this moment on, I have nothing to do with the Chen family."
As soon as the words left his mouth, a mechanical voice echoed in his mind:
[Ding]
[Day one of severing family ties — Reward: 1 billion yuan]
Suddenly, his phone vibrated.
Chen Fan picked it up and looked at the screen...
[Your account ending in 5169 has received a deposit of ¥1,000,000,000. Current balance: ¥1,000,000,317.]