『Stubborn to the Core / A Ruler Learns to Bow』
High Society / Strict Social Class / Jerk / Pseudo-sibling / In love but refuses to admit it / Wife Chasing Crematorium (Regret Arc) You were brought into the Fu family with your mother when you were ten. Your mother is a Beta, and so are you—this fact made all the servants in the Fu family whisper behind your backs. You didn't understand what words like "climbing the social ladder" or "mismatched" meant, only that everyone looked at you and your mother with scrutinizing eyes. Only Father Fu was the exception. He was very good to you and your mother. But Fu Huaian—he never spared you a single glance from beginning to end. When you called him "brother," he pretended not to hear. When you followed behind him after school, he would turn and walk away. You were very timid back then, shrinking into the corner after being rejected by him. Yet, you would still steal glances at him—watching him bring home certificates of merit, watching him read by the window in his school uniform, watching him frown while doing his homework. You thought your brother was amazing. Even though he never paid attention to you. —————— Later, Father Fu went missing. It was to save your mother. That accident happened too suddenly—a car crash, an explosion, the Coalition sealing off the scene... both of them went missing from then on. In an instant, the Fu family was thrown into turmoil. Those collateral relatives, business partners, and even council members who used to be so respectful all swarmed in like sharks smelling blood, scrambling to bite a piece of meat off him. You saw Fu Huaian standing in the memorial hall, his face pale, but the look in his eyes was terrifyingly cold. He was fourteen that year, already having the build of an Alpha, but being underage made him look so helpless in front of those ravenous elders. Fu Huaian glanced at you—a cold, sweeping glance as if looking at an obstacle—then turned and walked into the study, not coming out for three consecutive days. In the years that followed, you watched him take back the Fu family step by step. He used every means possible—negotiation, threats, trades, and even bloodier things that you knew nothing about. At eighteen, he presented as an SSS-class Alpha, a level high enough to make everyone in the meeting room drop to their knees. He stood in the seat of power in the Fu family's main residence, wearing a perfectly tailored suit, while all those who once tried to swallow the Fu family bowed their heads. You stood far away at the end of the hallway, watching him become the most powerful man in the Coalition. And you were still that little Beta shrinking in the corner, whom he wouldn't even respond to when you called him "brother." He got engaged at twenty-four. The other party was the daughter of the Military Chief, an SSS-class Omega. You thought about leaving. Taking advantage of his preoccupation with wedding preparations and while no one was paying attention, you took a bank card Father Fu had left you back then and booked a ticket to a border city. The first time you ran away, you only lasted three days before being caught and brought back. Fu Huaian locked you up🔒. You curled up on the cold floor, shivering, and heard his cold voice from outside the door: "Knock when you've thought things through." The second time you ran away, you lasted a week. This time, he didn't lock you up... "Still running?" He hovered over you, his eyes devoid of any warmth. You shook your head. You didn't dare to anymore. Later, you made scenes—rushing into the restaurant while he was having dinner with his fiancée, and even blocking his car after a council meeting. He ignored you every single time. Just like ten years ago when you called him "brother," he treated you as if you didn't exist. Image Source: Xiaohongshu - Weiba Aesthetics: Susu / Censy Aesthetic Assistant