Su Yan smiled gently.
"Xiao Yu, come with me."
He led Su Yu to a room down the hallway—Su Zhaofeng’s bedroom.
"Why bring me here? Isn’t the will with you?"
Su Yu grew wary.
Su Yan was someone he couldn’t afford to let his guard down around.
He remained standing at the doorway, refusing to step inside.
Su Yan had already entered the room. After a few steps, he realized Su Yu wasn’t following. He turned back toward the door and beckoned.
"Why are you just standing there? Come in."
Su Yu couldn’t shake the feeling that this room was a trap waiting to spring on him.
He frowned slightly. "Can’t we talk outside? I just want the letter. Once I have it, I’ll leave."
Seeing that Su Yu wasn’t taking the bait, Su Yan sighed.
"The letter is still with Dad. He didn’t give it to me, but I know where it is."
The fact that his own mother’s will was being withheld by Su Zhaofeng instead of being given to her biological son struck Su Yu as deeply suspicious.
"If that’s the case, why are you sneaking it to me? Aren’t you afraid Dad will find out and hold you accountable?"
Su Yan had always been the model child—obedient, well-behaved, the perfect son in their parents’ eyes.
The idea that he would suddenly go against Su Zhaofeng’s wishes for Su Yu’s sake was hard to believe.
Hearing Su Yu’s skepticism, Su Yan laughed. His usual gentle, refined demeanor seemed to crack with those chuckles, revealing something darker beneath.
"Since when did my little brother become so sharp? You must have learned a lot by CEO Ji’s side."
The illegitimate son was no longer easy to manipulate—and worse, he now had a powerful backer.
That was the biggest threat of all.
Su Yu leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed.
"What, big brother isn’t even going to pretend anymore?"
In the past, even if Su Yan hadn’t been particularly close to him, he’d at least maintained the facade of an elder brother.
When Su Yan’s mother, Xu Wanqing, was home, her favoritism was blatant.
Naturally, anything good went to her own son first.
Su Yu didn’t blame her—his very existence was Su Zhaofeng’s mistake, and she was a victim too.
Between the two of them, Su Yan had always acted as a buffer, sharing food and drinks with Su Yu when he could.
Looking at that smiling face now, Su Yu finally understood why he’d never realized just how much Su Yan had resented him all these years.
"Since you’re being so direct, I won’t beat around the bush either. Let’s keep it short."
Su Yan walked over to the bedside table, took out a key from his pocket, and unlocked the drawer.
A moment later, he held up a thin envelope—so light it seemed almost weightless.
Su Yu’s throat tightened, his heart pounding violently.
That was his mother’s last words to him.
At some point, she must have held this very paper, carefully writing down each character for him.
"I can give you this will," Su Yan said, "but I need you to do something for me first."
Before Su Yu could get a closer look, the envelope was carelessly tossed back into the drawer, and the lock clicked shut again.
Su Yu glared at him.
"What do you want? Let me make this clear—I haven’t taken a single thing from this house."
Su Yan burst out laughing at that.
Of course he knew.
Everything in the Su family was already in his hands—Su Yu had nothing of value to offer.
What he wanted wasn’t material.
"You know about Dad’s collaboration with the Ji family, right?"
Su Yu nodded, waiting for him to continue.
Su Yan took two steps forward, stopping just half an arm’s length away. He smiled.
"That project has been handed over to me now. If I can secure it, Dad will feel more confident about passing the company to me. But… there’s a small problem."
He reached out and placed a hand on Su Yu’s shoulder.
Su Yu glanced at it, then back at Su Yan’s face.
"CEO Ji suddenly backed out of the deal. But the plans were already drafted—it was supposed to be a fifty-fifty partnership. The other half of the proposal is with him. I need you to get it for me."
A business collaboration split evenly was fair.
What Su Yan wanted was to take it all for himself—without paying a cent in return.
Su Yu scowled and knocked his hand away. "You want me to steal for you?"
"Don’t put it so harshly. It was always meant to belong to both families. If one side no longer wants it, how is taking it back considered stealing?"
Su Yan wasn’t offended by Su Yu’s rejection.
His smile remained, though it had taken on a colder edge.
"Ji Yanli doesn’t understand how important this deal is to me. Since he doesn’t want it, what’s wrong with me taking it?"
[Wow, what a master thief.]
[He’s not even pretending anymore. Does he really not know why CEO Ji backed out?]
[Su Yu, don’t help him! Every time you do, you end up taking the fall for him!]
[He might not look like a good person, but surprise—he really isn’t one.]
Su Yu wasn’t buying it. "If that’s the case, why don’t you go get it yourself?"
Su Yan smirked. "Are you playing dumb? Reusing a joint business proposal isn’t feasible. Do you really think Ji Yanli would just hand it over to me?"
More importantly, it was clear Ji Yanli had no respect for him.
If not for the Su family’s reputation, this deal wouldn’t have even been considered in the first place.
Su Yan’s eyes darkened at the thought.
"You wouldn’t want Dad to find out you’ve been working under the Ji family’s young master, would you?"
So Su Yan knew.
Su Yu gritted his teeth. "I never realized what kind of person you were before."
If Su Zhaofeng found out, his pride would demand Su Yu be dragged back home—and he wouldn’t leave unscathed.
The man before him chuckled lightly, brushing past Su Yu as he headed for the door.
He paused at the threshold but didn’t turn around.
"If you change your mind, let me know. Do this for me, and I’ll give you the letter—plus a sum of money. You can go wherever you want after that."
His voice dropped, laced with a quiet threat.
"But if a month passes and you still haven’t made up your mind… well, I can’t guarantee I’ll be able to hold my tongue."
After leaving the Su residence, Su Yu didn’t call a cab immediately.
Instead, he walked slowly down the street.
It was already late, and Su Zhaofeng wasn’t home.
He could have stayed the night.
He looked up at the sky—overcast, heavy, pressing down on his chest until it was hard to breathe.
He was weak.
Too weak to even retrieve his own mother’s belongings.
And the most laughable part?
He’d once been proud of his so-called freedom.
The ringing of his phone shattered the night’s silence.
The screen displayed Shen Le’s name.
"You ignoring my texts? What kind of bro does that?!"
The moment the call connected, Shen Le launched into a tirade.
Su Yu wasn’t in the mood.
His voice came out flat. "Fifty seconds of that sixty-second voice message were just you cursing, weren’t they?"
"So what? You stood me up! What’s wrong with you? You sound like you’re half-dead."
From the background noise, Shen Le was clearly at a bar.
Suddenly, Su Yu really wanted a drink—something strong, fiery, enough to burn away the frustration in his chest.
"At Moonlight? Wait for me."
"Hell yeah! Stand me up again and I’m disowning you. Yanjun and I are at the booth near the entrance. Text me when you get here."
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