Inferior Sincerity - Chapter 4

On Wen Yu’s third day at the Fu residence, Fu Chengze and Shen Wanjun returned home. However, Shen Yuqing did not come back with them.

Wen Yu was unsure of how to feel about this. Since Shen Yuqing was already engaged, Wen Yu felt it was probably for the best that they saw less of each other. After all, his hidden feelings were destined to remain in the dark.

Fu Chen did not go out for dinner that evening. He came downstairs wearing a simple white T-shirt. Wen Yu felt nervous at the dining table, as he was eating with such a prominent and powerful figure. Almost everyone in City A knew Fu Chengze, as his face appeared daily on the local financial news.

“Now that everyone is here, let’s start serving the meal,” Fu Chengze said. The servants then began to bring out the dishes.

Time had been kind to this successful businessman. Although he was in his forties, his face remained handsome and sharp, a result of his excellent bone structure. It was clear that Fu Chen’s striking looks were inherited from his father.

“Xiao Yu, have you adjusted well to living here over the past few days?” Shen Wanjun asked him with a smile. She was a beautiful Omega, and her every expression made people feel as comfortable as a spring breeze. If Wen Yu had not known her for a long time, he might have genuinely believed her kindness.

“It has been very good,” Wen Yu replied. He stole a few glances at Shen Wanjun. She was a world away from the hysterical woman in his memories. It seemed that wealth truly could refine a person, making their temperament appear normal. Since she was clearly acting as if this were their first meeting, Wen Yu was willing to play along.

“If you need anything, just tell Butler Chen. He will arrange it for you,” Shen Wanjun said warmly. Wen Yu simply nodded in response.

“Since you are both here, I will speak plainly,” Shen Wanjun said, looking at Wen Yu and Fu Chen. “Fu Chen’s illness is very serious. Pheromone Disorder Syndrome is a condition with only a few cases in the entire Alliance. Many of those cases involved high-level Alphas who eventually went mad during their heat cycles due to unstable pheromone levels, eventually becoming simpletons.”

She continued, “Although there are no successful treatment cases yet, many experts believe that if a destined match is found, the 100 percent pheromone compatibility will stabilize the Alpha. By providing a steady supply of pheromones, Fu Chen’s levels could return to normal.”

“We always thought destined matches were just legends. We never expected to find an Omega who matches Fu Chen perfectly,” Shen Wanjun said with a sigh of emotion.

Wen Yu remained silent. He did not know if he counted as a real Omega, but it was clear the Fu family only needed the pheromones produced by his new gland. He noted that there were no known cases of recovery from this disease. He wondered if he would have to stay with the Fu family forever if Fu Chen never recovered.

“How long will the treatment take?” Wen Yu asked.

Shen Wanjun understood his concern and replied honestly, “We are not certain, but you can rest easy. The doctors believe it will take three years at most.”

Three years. By that time, Wen Yu would have graduated and could leave the Zhou family for good. Once Fu Chen was cured, no one would care about a minor “blood bag” like him anymore. It was an acceptable timeframe.

“Okay,” Wen Yu agreed. He knew he could not finish high school peacefully at the Zhou house, especially since he was about to start his second year. He had no energy to deal with the Zhou family members. Now that Wen Xiaohui was dead, Shen Yazhi had spent years venting her hatred on him.

Wen Yu hated everyone in the Zhou family. He only accepted this deal because Cheng Xiaoling was deathly ill and needed the money for surgery. With a 75 percent failure rate and a 63 percent mortality rate, Shen Yazhi would never have allowed her precious son, Zhou Yuan, to undergo the procedure, even though Zhou Yuan had loved Fu Chen for years.

Zhou Yuan was currently traveling with classmates. Wen Yu felt a spark of joy imagining how furious his half-brother would be upon learning that Wen Yu was engaged to his beloved Brother Fu Chen. The pampered young master would likely explode with rage. If Wen Yu had stayed at the Zhou house, there was no telling what madness Zhou Yuan would have inflicted upon him.

“You will live here from now on. We will handle your school transfer so you can be in the same class as Fu Chen,” Shen Wanjun said with a smile. “This will be your home from now on.”

Home? Wen Yu contemplated the unfamiliar word. He looked at Fu Chengze, glanced at Fu Chen, and finally looked back at Shen Wanjun. He was not foolish enough to believe he could truly become family with these people.

“You both know about the engagement. The two families will have dinner the day after tomorrow, which will serve as the engagement ceremony,” Shen Wanjun announced.

Fu Chen let out a cold sneer. “Some people are like toads lusting after swan meat. They will use any disgusting method to get what they want.”

His words were incredibly harsh. Since there were only four people at the table, he could have been insulting one, two, or even three of them at once.

Fu Chengze looked at his son coldly and said, “Fu Chen.” His tone was calm, yet it carried an immense, intimidating weight. Years of being a decisive leader in the business world had given him a powerful aura.

However, Fu Chen was clearly not afraid of his father. The warning went in one ear and out the other. “If you want to get engaged to trash, go to the dinner yourself. Leave me out of it,” Fu Chen retorted.

Shen Wanjun stepped in to smooth things over. “This engagement is not a real marriage. It is just a formality. Once your illness is cured, it will no longer count.” She added, “You are not required to spend your lives together. You will both be free to choose who you want to be with in the future. We simply need you to be tied together for now because the situation is complicated.”

Her voice was gentle and persuasive, but it had no effect on Fu Chen. Wen Yu understood the subtext. There was no way the prestigious Fu family would allow their son to actually marry a “rat from the gutter” like him. Furthermore, the Zhou family had no intention of letting Wen Yu actually marry Fu Chen, otherwise Zhou Yuan would likely threaten to kill himself.

“You speak so beautifully,” Fu Chen said to Shen Wanjun with a mocking look. “In that case, why not let your own son get engaged to him? He can stay in the Fu house just the same.”

Wen Yu noticed a crack in Shen Wanjun’s perfect mask. Her expression froze instantly. Wen Yu found it amusing; Fu Chen had stabbed her right where it hurt. Shen Yuqing had once said he wanted to be with Wen Yu, which had driven Shen Wanjun into a frenzy of interrogation.

Since the person Wen Yu wanted to spend his life with was no longer an option, a fake marriage did not bother him. The only downside was having to deal with the unpleasant attitude of Fu Chen.

Shen Wanjun regained her composure and changed the subject. She asked Wen Yu to spend more time with Fu Chen to help stabilize his pheromones. Regardless of what she said, Wen Yu nodded and complied.

Fu Chen’s gaze grew colder. He felt disgusted just looking at Wen Yu. The thought of spending more time together was absolutely revolting to him.

After the meal, Wen Yu instinctively started helping the servants clear the table. Shen Wanjun told him he did not need to do that, claiming he was now part of the family and that she viewed him as a son. Wen Yu felt a shiver of disgust at being called her “son.” He realized how Shen Wanjun had successfully entered the Fu family; her ability to say such sickening things with a straight face was a testament to her calculated endurance.

Shen Wanjun laughed at his reaction and patted his head. “Our Xiao Yu is so cute.” Wen Yu felt nauseous, though he wasn’t sure if it was from the food or her behavior. Still, he politely replied, “Thank you.”

“You certainly know how to put on an act,” Fu Chen sneered as he witnessed the interaction. He then went to the hallway, changed into his sneakers, and left the house.

Although Fu Chengze and Shen Wanjun wanted them to spend time together, the two boys had a mutual understanding to avoid each other whenever the adults were away. Fu Chen did not want to see Wen Yu, and Wen Yu, sensing this, stayed out of his way.

Avoiding Fu Chen was relatively easy. Fu Chen often returned home late at night and slept until noon. Wen Yu was used to waking up early and studying late into the night to prepare for his second year of high school. By maintaining his normal routine, he could easily avoid any confrontation.

With only three days left before school started, Wen Yu cherished the remaining peace. On the second afternoon, Shen Wanjun took him out to buy clothes. Wen Yu was obedient and cooperative throughout the trip. Shen Wanjun had good taste, choosing clothes with soft colors, simple styles, and high-quality fabrics. Since Wen Yu was tall and slim, everything looked good on him.

The right clothes made a significant difference. With a simple change of wardrobe, Wen Yu looked like a young master from a wealthy family, even if his gaze remained a bit reserved. Shen Wanjun told him not to be nervous and bought everything he had tried on. When Wen Yu said it was too much, she insisted that children his age grew quickly and needed the extra clothes. Wen Yu accepted them in silence.

On the way home, Shen Wanjun’s gentle smile vanished. “Think carefully about what you should and should not say. And stay away from Yuqing,” she warned.

Wen Yu understood her meaning but acted confused. “Auntie Shen, what are you talking about? I do not understand.”

Shen Wanjun smiled again, her eyes crinkling at the corners. “It is nothing. I was just telling you to let me know if you need anything else.”

As they entered the house, they ran into Fu Chen, who was heading out. He glanced at the shopping bags and noticed they were brands he often wore. A person like Wen Yu could not afford such clothes even if he worked for a lifetime. He felt that Wen Yu was already manipulating Shen Wanjun after only a few days.

As they brushed past each other, Fu Chen let out a mocking sneer. Wen Yu looked at him, puzzled. It seemed the young master had a habit of sneering every time he saw him.

Fu Chen did not attend the engagement dinner. Fu Chengze and Shen Wanjun tried to reach him, but his phone was off. In reality, if Fu Chengze truly wanted to find his son, he could have. However, everyone understood that this engagement was merely a business transaction.

Knowing his son’s temperament, Fu Chengze only made a couple of symbolic phone calls. When he heard the automated voicemail, he pretended to be angry. “That brat! He is completely spoiled. Please forgive him.”

Fu Chen’s presence did not actually matter. Zhou Yuanyang and Shen Yazhi smiled and said it was no problem at all. Wen Yu sat quietly, listening to the hollow pleasantries. He felt as if he were not at an engagement party, but rather at the final round of an acting competition.