After Bankruptcy, the Billionaire Asked Me to Marry Him!
Chapter 363: Uncle Fu’s First Love

Chapter 363: Chapter 363: Uncle Fu’s First Love

[Ye Xiaoli, tell me, should I give her another chance?]

Even though Lin Kerou was so cruel when she hurt him back then.

His longing for maternal love is still plain to see.

After a moment of silence, Ye Li smiled and replied, [Sure! Then let’s give her another chance! Whether right or wrong, I’m always on your side. Go for it, Brother Mu! Always here for you! Sending hearts...]

Not long after the message was sent, Xiao Bao immediately responded with a spinning, leaping chubby bear sticker.

You could almost feel his good mood across the distance.

Ye Li put away her phone and headed toward Fanxing Apartment.

The next day was Friday.

From the moment she opened her eyes in the morning, Ye Li was full of inner conflict.

She didn’t want to go back to Lishan Mansion.

She didn’t even want to see Fu Yanci.

Logic told her everything was over now. Li Li was buried in the cemetery, and even if something had truly occurred between her and Fu Yanci, it was all water under the bridge—no need to dwell on it.

But Ye Li simply couldn’t get past that block in her heart.

The thought of Fu Yanci picking her up after work at noon and then having an awkward weekend together made her silently scream for help inside.

Perhaps the heavens heard her plea, because during a break between classes, a message from Qin Chu rescued her.

[Darling, I’m back! I brought you a gift. Want to come pick it up, or should I bring it to you?]

[Wait for me, I’ll be there soon!]

Fearing that Fu Yanci would message her and already be waiting at the school gate when he did, Ye Li quickly made a call.

"Ah Li..."

"Fu Yanci, Chu Chu is back. I’ll be hanging out with her these next couple of days. Focus on your work, no need to come pick me up."

"But, Ah Li..."

"Fu Yanci, Chu Chu went abroad for a competition—we haven’t seen each other in months. Fu Yanci, Uncle Fu, hubby, darling husband, you’re the best..."

A cascade of sweet nicknames spilled out until the voice on the other end reluctantly agreed. Hearing him say "Fine," Ye Li hung up, relieved, and let out a long sigh.

One day at a time, she thought to herself!

After her next class, Ye Li hurried back to her dorm to drop off her backpack, then took a cab straight to Qin Chu’s apartment.

It seemed like a cleaning service had been there—the moment she opened the door, the refreshing scent of an air freshener greeted her.

The living room was as pristine as a showroom.

But when she pushed open the bedroom door, chaos awaited.

Sofa, coffee table, carpet... piles here and there—all gifts Qin Chu had brought back from abroad, sorted and ready to distribute.

A pile for Ye Li.

A pile for Li Xueqing and Aunt Lan.

A pile for Yao Wanying.

On the bed lay a stack of clothes tossed out of her suitcase, waiting to be hung in the wardrobe.

"What’s wrong?"

Ye Li walked over and studied Qin Chu’s gloomy expression, confused. "Didn’t you place pretty well? I was even planning a celebration for you. What’s the matter?"

"Don’t even bring it up. A drink to drown my sorrows—let’s go drink!"

Leaving the clothes unarranged, Qin Chu dragged Ye Li to the living room and, in the middle of the afternoon, began eating and drinking with beer and crawfish.

Two glasses in, Qin Chu said heavily, "The day before my competition, my mom sent me the hospital diagnosis. Said she doesn’t have long to live. Her final wish in this life is to see me married, have kids, and live a blissful, fulfilling life."

Fortunately, the years had toughened her mental resilience—otherwise, she doubted she’d have even made it past the preliminaries that day.

"Lizi, do you think she..."

Though she didn’t finish the words "did it on purpose," Qin Chu took another swig, leaned back into the sofa, and muttered, "Living is so exhausting!"

"Used to wish I could be carefree. Now I realize I’m nothing but a paper tiger..."

With a bitter smile, Qin Chu unlocked her phone, pulled up a photo, and shoved it in front of Ye Li. "Here, the boyfriend Mom picked out for me. Just needs me to meet him, and he instantly upgrades from boyfriend to fiancé."

The man in the picture wasn’t handsome—at best, his features were respectably average.

Even so, the weariness in his gaze betrayed a life steeped in vice and indulgence.

Ye Li glanced once and dismissed it. "You’re not going to marry him. What’s she going to do—force your head down and make you walk down the aisle?"

Her eyes brightened suddenly. "How about you tell her you already have a boyfriend? One Fu Yanci introduced to you. How about that?"

"Forget it..."

Shaking her head, Qin Chu reached out to poke Ye Li’s face. "Lizi, in your eyes, I’m wonderful in every way. But to people in Imperial City, I’m nothing but an illegitimate daughter who doesn’t belong in polite society. Not to mention Qin Yuchen’s public warning—anyone involved with me meets their demise. Don’t drag your Uncle Fu into this mess!"

Ye Li fell silent.

"Enough about me. What about you? What’s going on with Uncle Fu’s first love?"

Shifting the conversation, Qin Chu turned to Ye Li with curiosity.

Ye Li’s already dark mood plunged further.

"I checked—there’s no evidence the photo was doctored. ...I also asked Xiang Yang about it. When he joined Fu Group, Li Li was already in the President’s Office, and her work performance was exceptionally outstanding."

Moreover, what Ye Li had uncovered about Li Li painted her as a driven, inspirational powerhouse.

Eight-to-twelve workdays, dedicating all her time to the job.

During her years at Fu Group, her work record was impeccable.

From life secretary to executive secretary to head secretary of the President’s Office, Li Li’s existence was practically an ideal model for her fellow secretaries.

Rumor had it that the secretarial department had become notoriously competitive during her tenure.

"I even visited that orphanage..."

Almost ashamed of herself, Ye Li’s voice grew quieter. "Before she turned 15, her name was Su Juan, taking her surname from the orphanage director who acted as her mother. Then Fu Group took over the orphanage."

A decade ago, corporate philanthropy wasn’t nearly as refined as it is now.

Today, there are dedicated processes where companies donate money, charities provide personnel and implementation, and the corporate entity claims credit and accolades for its initiatives.

A decade ago, it was all done personally by the companies themselves.

Not just the orphanage on the outskirts of Imperial City; many others across the country were funded by Fu Group.

Back then, even the authorities widely publicized the effort.

Ye Li handed her phone to Qin Chu.

The photo album was filled with over a dozen old pictures, clearly taken during Ye Li’s visit to the orphanage.

There were official images of Mr. Fu signing agreements with orphanages a decade ago.

Archived articles documenting orphanage support.

Fu Group’s approval documents, name-changing procedures, and more.

To prove Fu Group wasn’t merely making a show but genuinely taking responsibility for these children, numerous high-ranking executives personally took in one or more children for sponsorship.

Some even changed the children’s last names to match theirs, implying they would treat the child like their own.

One aged name-change certificate revealed that a girl once named Su Juan had been renamed Li Li.

As her gaze drifted over the signature at the bottom, Qin Chu froze.

"Her name—it was Fu Yanci who changed it."

Saying so, Ye Li opened an email and showed it to Qin Chu. "I know it’s unkind of me to trust this kind of prank, but Chu Chu, I don’t even dare ask Fu Yanci for clarification."

Reading the contents of the email, Qin Chu blinked, startled, and raised her eyes to Ye Li. "Lizi..."