Volume One, Chapter Two: Fulfilling the Marriage Promise

At this moment, Yun Xueyan was equally astonished. The carefree face of Chu Ming surfaced in her mind—could he really be the husband destined for her by fate? Yet soon, she composed herself and briefly recounted what had happened. With a sweeping gesture, Yun Tianding’s powerful voice echoed throughout the Yun family estate.

“I command all members of the Yun family to search for Mr. Ye at once!

“Spare no expense—welcome Mr. Ye home with the highest honor the Yun family can bestow!”

Meanwhile, Chu Ming stood before a villa, surveying it up and down.

“Tsk, tsk, looks like Uncle Chen has done quite well for himself these past few years—he can afford such a grand house now!”

He stepped forward and knocked. From within came a youthful, haughty female voice, “Who is it?”

“Silly girl, it must be Young Master Wang here to take you out!”

The door swung open to reveal a middle-aged woman, elegant and bedecked in jewelry, her face glowing with a smile. “Young Master Wang, what brings you—”

But when she saw who was actually standing there, Bai Suzhi’s brows knitted. “Who are you?”

Chu Ming grinned cheerfully. “Aunt Bai, it’s me—Chu Ming!”

“Chu Ming? It’s really you? How did you find this place?” Bai Suzhi’s surprise gave way to visible discomfort.

Chu Ming raised the marriage contract in his hand. “Didn’t our families arrange an engagement between me and Mingyue all those years ago? Today, I’ve come to fulfill it!”

Just then, a slender figure appeared—the girl in a white dress, her long hair draped over her shoulders, pure and lovely as a princess.

“Mingyue!” Chu Ming called with a smile, but Chen Mingyue instantly frowned, a flash of clear disdain and aversion in her eyes.

Bai Suzhi noted his shabby clothes with disapproval and asked coldly, “So it’s you, Chu Ming. After all these years, what do you do for a living now?”

Chu Ming laughed, spreading his hands. “I just came down from the mountains—haven’t started working yet.”

“And your family’s assets?”

“My parents were never found. Managing those assets was too much trouble, so I just donated them all.”

Chen Mingyue, already uneasy, shrieked upon hearing this, “You’re an unemployed drifter with not a penny to your name—what makes you think you’re worthy of marrying me? Am I supposed to starve with you?”

“Mom! I will never marry him. I think he’s only come crawling back because he couldn’t make it on his own, and now he wants to live off our family by using the engagement!”

Chu Ming’s smile slowly faded. He had never imagined that the girl who used to follow him everywhere as a child would now treat him with such contempt.

With Chen Mingyue’s outburst, Bai Suzhi’s expression turned frosty as well. “Chu Ming, you see for yourself—now, you and our family, Qiu Yue, are from completely different worlds.”

“Here’s fifty thousand yuan. For the sake of old times between our families, take the money and go.”

She tossed a bank card at Chu Ming’s feet as if granting alms.

Chu Ming’s smile vanished. He gave a cold laugh. “I don’t need money. If I so much as nod my head, the wealthiest and most powerful people in the country would fall over themselves to throw money at me!”

“Such shameless boasting!” Bai Suzhi sneered. “Look at the state you’re in—you probably can’t even afford your next meal!”

“Let me tell you, don’t cause trouble. Our Chen family is about to ascend to the ranks of East City’s elite families, and the heir of the Wang family—one of the city’s four great houses—is pursuing Mingyue!”

“You should see things clearly. Whether in status or position, you are nothing but a worm in the dirt, utterly beneath us!”

“Take the money and get out! Otherwise, I fear you won’t live to see tomorrow’s sun!”

Bai Suzhi looked down on him, her words full of menace and mockery.

“Oh, how ugly you show yourself to be, Aunt Bai. Back when you were desperate for my family’s support, you wept and begged to offer your daughter to us. Now that you’ve found fortune, you’re eager to sell her off to the highest bidder.”

“Insolence!” Chen Mingyue shouted angrily. “Chu Ming, you’ve no shame! Our Chen family is at least a noble house—who are you, a country bumpkin, to insult us?”

“Guards!”

Two burly security men stepped out. “Miss!”

Standing high above, Chen Mingyue ordered, “Slap his face. Teach him a lesson he won’t forget!”

“Yes, miss!” The two bodyguards approached. Disdain flickered in Chu Ming’s eyes. But at that moment, a roar of engines sounded from not far away. Looking up, he saw more than a dozen top-tier luxury cars racing up the road. Leading the convoy was a custom Rolls-Royce with five eights on its plate—dazzling and unmistakable.

“Five eights? That’s the personal car of Master Yun, the head of East City’s first family!”

“Heavens, who could they possibly be visiting to warrant Master Yun himself making an appearance?”

Bai Suzhi was stunned, murmuring to herself in disbelief.

The motorcade stopped at the Chen family’s gate. The doors opened, and out stepped an elderly man and a young woman.

The old man was imposing, exuding a powerful aura. The young woman was breathtaking, her beauty unmatched.

“Grandfather, it’s him,” Yun Xueyan whispered, pointing at Chu Ming.

Delight lit Yun Tianding’s face as he hurried forward. Bai Suzhi, assuming they were here for her, beamed with joy and hurried to greet them. “Master Yun, to have you personally grace our humble home is the greatest honor for the Chen family!”

As she extended her hand in welcome, Yun Tianding paused, his gaze flicking from Bai Suzhi to Chu Ming, uncertain of their relationship.

Fearing she had offended him, Bai Suzhi’s face changed instantly, and she hastened to explain, “Please forgive me, Master Yun. This country bumpkin is the son of an old family acquaintance. Now that the Chen family is prosperous, he’s come with an engagement contract, trying to extort us!”

Chen Mingyue quickly stepped forward, her face full of flattery. “Master Yun, he’s nothing but a scoundrel and a rogue. Don’t worry, I’ll have him thrown out at once so he doesn’t offend your eyes!”

Turning to the security guards, she barked, “What are you waiting for? Kick this worthless trash out immediately!”

“Stop!” Suddenly, Yun Tianding’s thunderous voice rang out, startling the mother and daughter. Striding toward Chu Ming, he halted just three steps away, fixing him with a keen gaze.

“Oh no! That useless fool must have angered Master Yun—he’s going to deal with him himself!” Chen Mingyue exclaimed.

Bai Suzhi hurriedly called out, “Master Yun, it’s this good-for-nothing who’s been pestering our family. We have no connection to him! If you’re displeased, do as you wish with him—just please don’t implicate the Chen family!”

The two men locked eyes for five seconds. Chu Ming raised a brow, unhurried. “Is there something you need?”

Yun Tianding took a deep breath and bowed low before Chu Ming. “I am Yun Tianding, come personally to invite you. I hope, for the sake of this old man’s humble request, that you will honor us with a visit to the Yun family estate.”

The head of East City’s most powerful family, a man who held half the city in his palm, now stood before Chu Ming with the utmost humility.