C4 Madness

As the words were uttered, a wave of shock swept through the hall, and even the manager's expression shifted noticeably. Was the man before them truly the notorious good-for-nothing son-in-law of the Chen family?

Chen Mengyu caught every astonished look and, pointing at Chen Feng, her pride swelled. "This loser has been a leech on my Chen family for three years. Without us, he'd have starved!"

"And now you're claiming he's a diamond VIP at the Ivy Pavilion? Absurd! Utterly laughable! How on earth could he afford a million yuan for a diamond membership?"

Her sneers echoed, her confidence unshakable.

Guo Chao couldn't resist piling on, his voice dripping with mockery. "You might not know, but just half an hour ago, our esteemed Ivy Pavilion diamond VIP here was begging my girlfriend's sister for money."

"She's a sophomore, scrimping and saving for months, just to gather a few thousand yuan."

"Yet this brazen loser, eager to buy a gift for my girlfriend's grandmother, shamelessly hit her up for cash."

"Do you really think someone like that could secure a diamond VIP card from the Ivy Pavilion?" he jeered.

Chu Fann's misfortunes hadn't escaped his notice. Scolded by Chen Mengyu over a mere few thousand yuan half an hour ago, and now, suddenly, he's a diamond VIP at the Ivy Pavilion? Who would buy that?

"He can't afford it! He definitely can't!"

"Exactly, he's even taking money from his girlfriend's sister. How could such a pathetic guy ever afford the Ivy Pavilion's diamond VIP?"

"His card must be a fake, either a knock-off or stolen."

The crowd's anger was palpable as they collectively condemned Chu Fann.

Doubt crept into Manager Wu's mind. Had he been mistaken? He gave Chu Fann a troubled glance, preparing to have him present the card for verification at the front desk. Such scenarios were, after all, within the realm of possibility.

But at that moment, Chu Fann stepped forward, confronting Chen Mengyu directly. "You think I can't afford a diamond card at the Ivy Pavilion?"

Chen Mengyu tilted her head defiantly. "That's right, you can't!"

With a slight smile, Chu Fann presented his membership card to Manager Wu. "Please verify this. Once you've checked, announce loudly whether I can afford the Ivy Pavilion's diamond card."

"Certainly, sir. Just a moment, please." Manager Wu accepted the diamond card with reverence and quickly descended the stairs.

"I'm eager to see how long you can keep up this charade, you loser!" Chen Mengyu scoffed.

Two minutes later, Manager Wu reappeared, his face noticeably grimmer.

Seeing his expression, Chen Mengyu's spirits lifted. "Well, Manager Wu? Is there an issue with this loser's card?"

Without a word, Manager Wu shot Chen Mengyu a chilly glance and, with respect, handed the card back to Chu Fann.

Chen Mengyu's confidence wavered. "I asked you a question! Speak up! Is there a problem with the card?" she pressed, her patience wearing thin.

"Mr. Chu's membership card is perfectly valid," Manager Wu stated icily.

"No way!" Chen Mengyu was quick to reject the notion, adamant in her disbelief. "I've known this nobody for three years. I know exactly what he's like. There's no chance he can afford the Ivy Pavilion's diamond card!"

"Do you truly believe you understand Mr. Chu?" Manager Wu regarded Chen Mengyu, his gaze tinged with an almost imperceptible pity.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Chen Mengyu's expression darkened.

"It means nothing." Manager Wu shook his head, then produced a receipt. "Here's the invoice from when Mr. Chu registered for his card. It clearly states that Mr. Chu paid one million in cash to the Ivy Pavilion, securing his status as a diamond VIP..."

"That's absurd! You're lying!" Chen Mengyu was beside herself. She didn't wait for Manager Wu to finish, snatching the invoice from his hands.

But as her eyes fell upon Chu Fann's name and the payment amount on the invoice, Chen Mengyu's face drained of color.

"This can't be..." she murmured, dazed, "It has to be a fake!"

Chen Mengyu was on the verge of hysteria. She violently ripped up the invoice in her hands and screamed at Manager Wu, "Did this loser pay you off to put on this charade with him?!"

"Did he?!"

"Miss, you're overthinking it," Manager Wu replied, his brow furrowed. To him, Chen Mengyu was nothing more than a silver member. What made her think she could accuse the Ivy Pavilion of such a scheme?

"Bullshit!" Chen Mengyu cursed, livid with rage.

She then turned to Chu Fann and said, "Loser, I'm giving you one last chance. Confess in front of everyone that they were all acting with you. If you come clean, I might consider giving you another shot at winning me over."

"Chen Mengyu, I admit—"

"Manager Wu, did you hear that? He's admitting that you all were in on the act!" Chen Mengyu cut off Chu Fann mid-sentence, her voice tinged with triumph.

"Chen Mengyu, have you lost your mind?" Chu Fann couldn't contain himself any longer.

"What did you just say to me?" Chen Mengyu bristled with anger.

Chu Fann couldn't help but laugh in frustration. "I said you've lost your mind."

"What I was trying to say is, I admit I was blind before, to have ever been interested in you."

"Now that I can see clearly, I'd prefer you stay as far away from me as possible!"

"Chu Fann!" Chen Mengyu shrieked, completely losing her composure as she lunged at him in a fit of rage.

Chu Fann remained stoic, not budging an inch. Just as Chen Mengyu was about to collide with him, Manager Wu stepped in, blocking her path.

"Miss Chen, please get a hold of yourself."

"Get out of my way!" Chen Mengyu shouted, her hand raised to strike Manager Wu.

But before her hand could land, Manager Wu caught it firmly.

"Miss Chen, this is your final warning. The Ivy Pavilion is not a place for your tantrums. If you want to make a scene, take it home!" Manager Wu's voice was stern, his patience clearly worn thin.

As the situation escalated, Guo Chao hurried over and grabbed Chen Mengyu. "Darling, calm down. There's no point in stooping to their level."

"But these jerks bullied me!" Chen Mengyu was relentless.

"I'll find someone to deal with them when I get back, to make you feel better," Guo Chao assured her quickly.

Chen Mengyu nodded, her anger noticeably cooling. She then pointed at Chu Fann's nose, her teeth clenched in fury, "And we can't let this loser off the hook either!"

"Don't worry, sweetheart. At Grandma's birthday party tomorrow, I'll make sure this loser learns his lesson. He'll be serving you tea and groveling for forgiveness."

"Good." Chen Mengyu perked up, glancing at Chu Fann with a smug expression. "Loser, even if you've won over these jerks, you're still going to embarrass yourself at Grandma's party tomorrow. You'll still be kicked out of the Chen family!"

"You better not come crawling to me for mercy!"

With a cold laugh, Chen Mengyu turned on her heel, leaving with Guo Chao without a backward glance.

"Mr. Chu, I apologize for the disruption to your shopping experience..." Manager Wu began, but Chu Fann cut him off with a smile, "No worries."

"Could you take me to the sixth floor? I'm looking to purchase something."

"Certainly, Mr. Chu. Right this way, please."

Manager Wu led Chu Fann to the sixth floor with the utmost respect.

The following day, the Chen household was abuzz. In addition to family members, numerous business partners sent representatives to celebrate Old Madam Chen's birthday.

Chu Fann encountered Chen Mengyao as soon as he stepped outside.

Chen Mengyao was dressed to impress today, her brown skirt and light pink bandeau topped with a sheer overlay, exuding both youthful playfulness and mature allure.

"Chu Fann, big brother caught big sister with the money yesterday. Did you get Grandma a present? If not, take mine. Grandma's birthday is a big deal, and most of the Chen family will be there. You're already not in good standing; a lot of people are eager to see you mess up."

"Sister really dislikes you now. If she stirs the pot further, I'm worried you'll be humiliated." Chen Mengyao bit her lip, clearly concerned.

Chu Fann listened in silence. This tender-hearted girl was likely the sole source of warmth he'd experienced in the last three years, wasn't she?

"The gift I picked out isn't some cheap trinket, so you don't have to worry about being embarrassed," she hurriedly explained upon noticing Chu Fann's prolonged silence. As she spoke, she extended her hand, offering him a finely crafted jade box. Her hands, usually adorned, were now conspicuously bare—the jade bracelet that once encircled her wrist was nowhere to be seen.

"Did you sell your bracelet?" Chu Fann's face darkened involuntarily. This foolish girl had sold her most cherished bracelet just to buy a gift. He was at a loss for words.

"No," Chen Mengyao withdrew her wrist, a hint of guilt in her demeanor.

"Chen Mengyao!" Suddenly, a harsh voice erupted from behind her.