Su's father and mother had intended to ride the coattails of Young Master Zhong, to show off and gain prestige, and to put Chen Fan in his place, thereby impressing their relatives and friends.
They never expected this outcome.
Not only did they fail to gain face, but their most favored future son-in-law was also slipping away.
In an instant, both of them began to panic.
If nothing else, would they have to return all those precious gifts?
"No, don't! My dearest, I love you so much, what will I do if you leave me?"
Su Yuxin clung to Zhong Hao's arm, begging.
Zhong Hao pushed Su Yuxin's hand away, freeing his arm, and said, "I'm sorry, we are not compatible!"
"I won't! Sob, sob, I was wrong, I'll change, okay? Sob, sob, please don't break up with me!"
Su Yuxin's tears immediately flowed. Of course, a good portion of them were feigned.
She knew Zhong Hao was a bit soft-hearted, and playing the victim could garner his sympathy.
But Zhong Hao held up his hands to block her approach and said to Chen Fan, "Mr. Chen, I apologize for the spectacle. I will visit you another day. I have important matters to discuss with Mr. Long and I ask that you do not deny me entry. I shall take my leave now!"
Chen Fan nodded in agreement.
With a slight bow, Zhong Hao strode away.
"My dearest, don't go!"
Su Yuxin was frantic, tears streaming down her face. She ran to grab Zhong Hao's hand, trying to stop him.
But Zhong Hao was resolute this time. He shook off Su Yuxin and strode down the mountain, not looking back.
He came from a wealthy family and, due to strict upbringing, was not adept at social graces.
But this did not mean he was unintelligent or lacked his own judgment.
Once he made up his mind, he would not hesitate.
Su Yuxin collapsed onto the ground, sobbing heartbrokenly.
Everyone in the Su family stared in disbelief.
The young master of the Zhong family from Jinling was actually being so respectful to Chen Fan, this good-for-nothing, calling him Mr. Chen?
Furthermore, because of Chen Fan's appearance, the young master of the Zhong family had turned on them and unhesitatingly dumped Su Yuxin?
Su Yuxin's wails stood in stark contrast to her earlier smug and spirited demeanor.
Many members of the Su family couldn't help but feel a schadenfreude.
But seeing Su Yuxin crying so pitifully, they couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy and regret!
A young master from a prominent family, if he had become the Su family's son-in-law, wouldn't the Su family have benefited greatly?
Moreover, Jinling was even more prosperous than Hangjiang. If they could leverage the Zhong family's connections to develop in Jinling, it would be a viable path for the Su family.
The Su family members felt regret and glared at Chen Fan with animosity.
It was this guy who had caused the Su family to lose yet another opportunity!
Su Yingxia's heart was also a little complicated. She had been somewhat jealous of Su Yuxin earlier, but now she felt her sister was pitiful. She went over to help Su Yuxin up and comfort her.
"Chen Fan, it's all your fault, you good-for-nothing! You made our Su family's perfectly good prospective son-in-law run away. You're a disaster, it's all your doing!"
Su's mother beat her chest in frustration, her heart filled with hatred. She glared at Chen Fan and accused him shrilly.
Chen Fan sneered, too lazy to bother with her.
This family always yearned to cling to the powerful and hoped to ascend to heaven in a single leap, without ever considering their own efforts or looking for reasons within themselves.
When Old Master Su was alive, the Su family could still maintain itself, but after Old Master Su's death, such a Su family naturally declined, plummeting rapidly.
"That's right, Chen Fan, you jinx! Every time you show up, you bring disaster to our Su family. You won't rest until you've ruined our Su family, will you?"
"I don't know what the old man was thinking back then, bringing such a troublemaker into the Su family and causing us so much harm!"
"Because of a useless jinx like you, the Su family's fortune has worsened. You still have the audacity to come to pay respects at the old man's grave? Get lost!"
"..."
Following Su's mother's outburst, one Su family member after another began to berate Chen Fan.
Chen Fan was too lazy to respond, but his gaze turned icy, and a look of impatience crossed his face.
"Alright, everyone!"
Jiang Shaolong suddenly spoke, raising a hand to signal.
The Su family members thought Jiang Shaolong was going to step in and drive Chen Fan away, and their faces lit up with joy.
"This good-for-nothing is infuriating to look at, but he's shamelessly refusing to leave. Let's not get stuck in this stalemate any longer. Let him finish his respects quickly and be gone!"
"A jinx and a troublemaker like him will eventually face heavenly retribution and will not have a good end!"
Jiang Shaolong was very impatient.
He was expecting Mr. Blood Moon to make a move and kill Chen Fan.
But at Old Master Su's grave, with so many people present, Mr. Blood Moon, as a seasoned professional assassin, would clearly not make a move.
So he stepped in to smooth things over, to avoid further stalemate.
Of course, the most important reason was that he knew the Su family could do nothing to Chen Fan, and their verbal abuse couldn't harm Chen Fan one bit.
Even he, who hated Chen Fan to the bone, couldn't do anything to Chen Fan.
With Mr. Long backing him, Chen Fan could walk around Hangjiang as he pleased. What was the Su family?
It would be best to send Chen Fan on his way sooner rather than later; every second he waited felt like torment.
"Shaolong, this good-for-nothing is too hateful. Just looking at him makes me angry!"
Su's mother was still unwilling but knew she couldn't do anything to Chen Fan.
"This person is completely shameless, stubbornly refusing to leave. Let's just leave him be. The old man was blind back then to bring such a scoundrel into the Su family!"
"He's like a pile of dog excrement, touching him even a little is disgusting."
"He has ruined the Su family to this extent and still has the nerve to come and pay respects to the old man. If the old man knew, he would surely curse him to a terrible death!"
"..."
The Su family members spoke harshly, but they followed Jiang Shaolong's arrangement and no longer tried to stop Chen Fan and Su Yingxue from paying their respects.
Of course, they continued to curse and insult Chen Fan and Su Yingxue with malicious words.
Su Yingxia also pulled Su Yuxin to a tombstone in the distance to rest. While comforting Su Yuxin, she looked at Chen Fan with immense resentment.
She believed Chen Fan had deliberately come to provoke her.
Not only was he with Su Yingxue, the Su family's illegitimate daughter, but he had also verbally abused her earlier, making her so angry she felt like spitting blood.
This good-for-nothing, with Mr. Long's backing, was becoming more and more brazen and excessive!
Heaven was blind. Such a useless person could actually be favored by Mr. Long. Was Mr. Long blind?
She had initially thought Su Yuxin's new boyfriend could support the Su family, but instead, he had embarrassed them.
If this continued, wouldn't this good-for-nothing become even more arrogant?
She felt a sense of unease, bitterly cursing Chen Fan to die. Every time he appeared, he made her lose face.
"I wonder if Young Master Yuan can teach this annoying good-for-nothing a lesson, preferably making him disappear from my life forever?"
She glanced at Jiang Shaolong, no longer holding out hope for him, but then thought of Yuan Liangping.
She did not know that Yuan Liangping had already made the necessary arrangements.