They were children born from the same womb one after another, yet the expectations their parents placed on them were worlds apart.
Wen Baozhu murmured softly to herself, "No wonder you two brothers are so different. One is so diligent and motivated, giving the impression of being reliable, while the other is playful and unruly, like a carefree shopkeeper."
Wen Baozhu looked solemn. "It seems the person who named you miscalculated. Fate didn't go as they wished."
It was inevitable to feel slightly stunned, for it was the first time someone had interpreted it this way.
Most people would sigh, saying that the parents' partiality was evident from the names.
But only Wen Baozhu not only didn't show such emotions but even had an air of sudden realization.
Fu Lian was amused by this innocent consolation. "You make sense."
He propped his chin with one hand and gazed at her sideways. "Actually, the elders in the family didn't have high hopes for A Nian. They just wanted him to grow up healthy, happy, and free-spirited, so his name only contains blessings."
Fu Nian didn't need to strive for anything. The wealth accumulated by his predecessors would flow to him like water, for him to choose from.
This was the privilege of being loved.
Wen Baozhu let out a "Wow" with a very vivid expression. "It seems the master who helped the Fu family with feng shui back then was a fake."
Fu Lian gave her a calm look, not understanding her jumping train of thought. "What does this have to do with that?"
Wen Baozhu said, "Before... I heard some rumors that the location of the Fu family's old mansion and tombs was calculated by a master. The feng shui is excellent and can bless the Fu family's descendants with health, wealth, and happiness for generations."
"And then?" Wen Baozhu spread her hands. "Not only did the old master of the Fu family pass away early, but Fu Nian, whose name implies health and longevity, also died young. It was also said that the Fu family would be happy and harmonious, but now the Fu family..."
Just as she was about to finish speaking, Wen Baozhu suddenly realized something was wrong and quickly covered her mouth with her hand.
This was like cursing the Fu family to have bad luck in the future!
The atmosphere was so relaxed that she became unrestrained. However, these words were extremely taboo. She didn't know if saying them would upset Fu Lian.
She crossed her hands over her lips, with only a pair of uneasy eyes blinking, trying to read the anger on the man's face in front of her.
There was none.
He wasn't angry.
Fu Lian just laughed it off. Seeing her nervousness, he even nodded in agreement. "You're quite right when you put it this way."
Huh?
Wen Baozhu blinked.
"So, we should find the feng shui master from back then and cut off his head."
It turned out that Fu Lian could also joke. Moreover, when he said these words, it didn't seem like just empty talk. There was a hint of half - truth and half - joke.
After he finished speaking, he himself curved his lips, seemingly aware that he had been influenced by her.
The always serious Mr. Fu actually showed a naughty and mischievous side. Wen Baozhu was as excited as if she had discovered a new continent.
He wasn't always cold and unchanging.
Wen Baozhu bit her lip and continued the "beheading" topic. "Is this feng shui master still alive?"
Fu Lian looked at her with interest.
"I mean, since he couldn't even calculate accurately for a big family like the Fu family, he probably couldn't calculate accurately for others either. He might have already been beaten to death by others."
Just as Wen Baozhu finished saying this fiercely, she suddenly saw Fu Lian smiling.
His smile was very beautiful, a genuine smile that didn't involve social etiquette at this moment. He was really amused and laughed out loud.
His eyebrows and eyes relaxed with the smile, looking extremely happy.
Wen Baozhu had never seen Fu Lian smile like this before, so she was in a daze for a while.
It was so warm, so gentle, like the warm sun.
Even the winter afternoon sun couldn't compare.
He stretched out his long arm and pulled her into his arms. Their foreheads touched, and the distance between them was only a breath away.
The smile on his lips hadn't faded yet, and Wen Baozhu's heart couldn't help but beat faster.
But he didn't say anything else. Instead, he gradually fell silent, only tightening his arms around her.
The strength wasn't enough to hurt, but it was already pressing on her breathing.
Finally, Wen Baozhu couldn't bear it anymore and softly called him, "Mr. Fu, it hurts a bit."
Only then did Fu Lian loosen his hands slightly, giving her some room to breathe.
His smile had completely disappeared, flashing by like evaporation after the rain, leaving no trace.
Fu Lian swallowed hard, his voice low. "Baozhu, do you know that there was a very famous system for establishing the crown prince in ancient times called the secret system for establishing the crown prince?"
Wen Baozhu shook her head.
The topic change was really abrupt, but she knew in her heart that Fu Lian wouldn't bring up a topic casually.
Fu Lian said, "When a king was in his twilight years, he would let all his offspring compete for the position of the crown prince. The winner would be determined by ability, creating an illusion that as long as a child was the most outstanding, he could get the best reward."
Wen Baozhu listened quietly. She watched as the man's originally warm eyes gradually turned cold.
"However, the crown prince had already been established in advance. They just waited for the king to pass away and then announced the imperial edict, after which they would welcome the new king to the throne."
Wen Baozhu asked in a daze, "Then wouldn't the other offspring have worked in vain?"
"How could they?" Fu Lian sneered, with cruelty in his eyes. "Those offspring who had grown up through hard work and developed their abilities would all become a sharp blade for the new king, responsible for guarding the entire kingdom for him."
"The old king, in order to prevent other offspring who were more outstanding than the crown prince from rebelling, would deprive others of their power. There was no other way for them but to assist the new king."
He mocked, "If they chose otherwise, it would be a dead end."
It seemed like he was just telling a simple story, but it was obviously not.
What he was talking about wasn't the ancient king's system for establishing the crown prince but the old master of the Fu family's choice of heir.
No matter how innocent Wen Baozhu was, she couldn't fail to understand the deeper meaning of his words.
She asked, "Then why can't the most outstanding person be chosen as the crown prince?"
Fu Lian smiled. "Because the most outstanding person is also the most threatening."
In other words, if a child who had been ignored and unvalued from childhood suddenly had the ability to pose a threat when he grew up, no one's first reaction would be to be proud of him.
Their first reaction would be to be on guard, to be wary, and to kill.
Wen Baozhu didn't know what to say for a moment.
Sometimes, the partiality of adults really didn't make sense.
Fu Lian said calmly, "In this situation, the ending has been set in advance. Going along the original path is no different from seeking death."
Wen Baozhu knew what he meant.
Supporting Fu Nian and making him the heir of the Fu family. If Fu Lian did these things, he would rather die.
He had ambitions, ideals, and abilities, and he would never be willing to humble himself just to assist others.
Wen Baozhu thought for a while and said, "... So, Mr. Fu chose a new path."