"Dad... Aunt... if I had that kind of money, I would gladly give it all to Feifei! But I don't even have enough to buy myself a decent meal anymore, let alone a designer gown!"

Yan Kun frowned, his excitement instantly vanishing. "What do you mean you don't have money? You work day and night at those part-time jobs!"

Yan Shou hesitated, looking at Haotian with teary eyes. Sensing that Fang Huilian was about to shout at him, Yan Shou retorted back, but Yan Kun quickly shot her a warning glare to silence her.

“What is it? Speak clearly!” Yan Kun yelled.

Yan Shou flinched, his voice was trembling as he spoke. “It's... it's because of Haotian's friends!" Yan Shou wiped his all tear-stained face. "Every time I get paid, Haotian's friends would corner me at the university and force me to pay for their expensive snacks and drinks.”

Yan Kun's patience was wearing thin. “Speak up!” he snapped.

Yan Shou flinched again. “They say that since I am Haotian's brother, it's my duty to treat them.” Noting Fang Huilian’s twisting expression, Yan Shou quickly added, “If you don't believe me, you can check my bank account—there is barely enough left for bus fare!"

Yan Kun’s face instantly twisted in rage. He snapped his head around to glare at Haotian, who had already gone deathly pale. "Haotian! Is this where your brother's money went?! You let your useless friends bleed him dry when that money could have gone toward your sister's dress?!"

Haotian was completely frozen, unable to come up with a single excuse. This time, it was all true, and he knew he had completely messed up.

Actually, even in his past life, when Haotian's friends threatened Yan Shou for money, Yan Shou would only give them half, he would buy a bit of bread to survive and save the rest. That was how he had managed to survive until his university graduation in his previous life. But this time, he wasn't going to let them win. He was going to make them regret every single moment they had ever messed with him.

“Wait a minute!” Fang Huilian interrupted. Everyone turned to look at her. A wicked smile slowly formed on her lips as she stared down at Yan Shou. “Don't you still have that account your dead mother left you? There was a good amount of money in it. Why don't you give that money to your sister now?” She crossed her arms over her chest, looking thoroughly pleased with herself.

Hearing her bring up this topic, Yan Shou froze for a few seconds. Fang Huilian's smile widened at the sight.

Internally, Yan Shou smirked. He quickly changed his expression back into a pitiful expression and looked up at her.

“Aunt...” he called out, his voice was shaking. “That money is gone too.”

“Gone?!” Fang Huilian roared. “Where the hell did it go? Did you spend it all on yourself? You ungrateful brat, you really have a massive appetite!”

“I… I didn't…” Yan Shou trembled on the floor, slowly pulling his phone out of his pocket with shaking hands.

Yan Kun was already in rage, his face darkening by every second. Yan Shou cast a quick glance toward Feifei, who was frantically biting her nails in stress, trying to subtly signal Fang Huilian to stop. Following Yan Shou's gaze, Yan Kun noticed her panicked expression. He slammed his fist onto the table loudly, making everyone flinch.

“Speak!!” he roared.

Yan Shou took one final glance at Feifei, who was now sweating from head to toe. "If Dad commands it, I will say everything,” he said, wiping away his tears. “I had exactly three thousand yuan saved up from working three jobs and the money from my mother. I originally intended to give it to Father. I worked so hard to save it, but then one day..." Yan Shou hesitated, pausing for effect before continuing.

“Feifei came to me saying she wanted that money to go to a pub to treat her friends. I tried to stop her and told her this money was meant for Father, but she wouldn't listen. When I tried to restrain her, she pushed me aside, snatched my bank passbook, and withdrew all the money. After she spent it, I went looking for her, hoping to get whatever small amount might be left. But what I found instead was completely unexpected.”

Yan Shou paused, looking at Feifei, whose face was practically changing through a kaleidoscope of pale colors.

Fang Huilian desperately wanted to intervene, but under Yan Kun’s terrifying glare, she didn't dare say a word. She could only continue to glare at Yan Shou with wide, furious eyes, looking at him as if she wanted to crush him on the spot.

Yan Kun pressed his temples, bracing himself for whatever was coming next. “Speak. Whatever you see, say it.” 

“I saw… I saw…” Yan Shou's voice wavered dramatically. “I saw Feifei lying naked, sleeping with a man on the couch of that pub, with only a blanket covering them. But that wasn't all—there were several other men lying on the floor, and they were all wearing barely any clothes.

When I saw that scene, I rushed in to wake Feifei up, but it was like she was completely intoxicated by something. No matter how much I tried to shake her, she wouldn't wake up. In the end, I had to splash water on her face and call one of the waitresses to help get her dressed while I waited outside. Afterward, I grabbed her things, supported her to the entrance, booked a taxi, and rushed her to the hospital. The doctor performed several emergency checkups. I waited for hours until the doctor finally called me into the office.”

Yan Shou took a deep breath. “The doctor told me Feifei had consumed an excessive amount of drugs, which caused her condition. She had also done… that thing… so many times that her body was completely exhausted. She just needed proper rest to recover.”

“So that's why you were missing for a few days, and you claimed you were on a study trip with your friends! Ah!” Yan Kun bellowed, glaring on his daughter.

Feifei jolted violently in her seat. “Dad… I… I…” She tried to speak, but the words automatically died in her throat.

Seeing the situation getting out of control, Fang Huilian quickly intervened. “Honey, how could Yan Shou take Feifei to a hospital without consulting us first? What if someone saw them? What if that doctor leaks the information? Our family's and Feifei's reputations will be completely ruined!” She then turned a venomous gaze toward Yan Shou.

Yan Shou rolled his eyes internally. He quickly pulled out a tissue, and started crying, “Aunt, how can you say that about me? I was thinking entirely about your and Feifei’s reputations, yet you're blaming me?” He looked away, looking like the picture of wounded innocence of a little boy.

“I knew something like that might happen. That's why I purposely took Feifei to the hospital where Father has investments! That way, none of the news would leak, and Feifei could still get proper treatment. Because the staff knew Father and were under his influence, they called me privately into the office to discuss everything so no one else would find out.”

Fury flashed across Fang Huilian's face, but she quickly masked it under a tight, panicked facade.

“I'm sorry, Father. I had no other choice… I'm sorry I disappointed you,” Yan Shou whimpered, burying his face in his hands.

To anyone else, he looked like he was crying bitterly, but in reality, he was silently laughing his head off at the whole situation. 

In truth, he had only ever deposited a quarter of his actual savings into his mother's account, so it was safe. Furthermore, when Feifei had gone to that pub, instead of using his own money, Yan Shou had actually used Feifei's own credit card to pay for both the pub bills and the subsequent hospital expenses!

In his previous life, Yan Shou hadn't known any better, the pub had demanded a card, so he had used Feifei's, but he had later foolishly returned the money to her. In this life, having returned to the past, he had no intention of ever paying her back. She had paid for her own downfall.

"I'm so sorry, Feifei," Yan Shou said, keeping his eyes glued to the floor to hide his mocking smirk. "I just wanted to help. After all, you were just a little confused at the time. I really just wanted to look out for you.”

Looking at Feifei’s twisted expression, it was obvious she wanted nothing more than to beat Yan Shou to a pulp to make him shut up, but she had absolutely no leverage to defend herself. Yan Shou, on the other hand, was more than happy. He was deeply satisfied with how this was playing out, but what was going to happen next was what he was truly waiting for.