"Congratulations, cousin! What a heavenly match! Such a beautiful bride just fell into your lap."

"The Liang family's daughter is no ordinary catch. You're one lucky guy."

As soon as Wu Hao stepped through the door, he was greeted by the enthusiastic voice of his second cousin, Wu Yanchen.

Faced with this sudden warmth from a cousin who usually had it out for him, Wu Hao's internal alarm bells started ringing.

This unusual behavior definitely had something fishy behind it!

As he pondered, his grandfather, Wu Zhichuan's voice chimed in, "Xiao Hao, get ready for your engagement the day after tomorrow."

"Engagement?" Wu Hao was momentarily stunned. "Grandpa, what are you talking about?"

"Your marriage, of course," Wu Zhichuan said with a hint of pride. "I've already found you a match. The engagement ceremony is the day after tomorrow, and the wedding will be in two months."

Just as Wu Hao was about to protest, Wu Zhichuan cut him off, "Do you know who your future wife is? The daughter of the Liang family from Yancheng!"

When mentioning the Liang family, the old man's eyes sparkled with unconcealed joy and pride.

In Wu Zhichuan's eyes, marrying into the Liang family of Yancheng was an immense honor, a dream come true that could make him wake up laughing!

At that moment, a figure accompanied by the sound of clicking heels came into view.

It was a strikingly beautiful woman, her tall figure accentuated by her luxurious attire. However, the arrogance in her expression made people frown involuntarily.

"Miss Liang."

Wu Zhichuan immediately put on a broad smile and stepped forward to greet her.

The woman gave a slight nod, barely glancing in his direction.

Wu Zhichuan quickly introduced her to Wu Hao, "Xiao Hao, this is Miss Liang Ruotong, the eldest daughter of the Liang family, your future wife."

Wu Hao scrutinized the woman who was supposed to be his fiancée and quickly noticed something unusual.

Why was her abdomen so noticeably swollen?

Liang Ruotong caught Wu Hao's gaze and, instead of shying away, proudly straightened her posture, "Yes, I'm pregnant. This child is from the man I love the most, and I will definitely give birth to it."

At her words, Wu Zhichuan's expression changed slightly.

Now he finally understood why the prestigious Liang family had so willingly offered their daughter to Wu Hao.

It was to find a way to cover up this scandal of a premarital pregnancy.

The Liang family needed someone to take the blame for this disgraceful mishap.

And just as Wu Zhichuan had approached them, proposing the marriage between Wu Hao and Liang Ruotong, the blame had conveniently fallen on Wu Hao.

Wu Yanchen, standing nearby, had a glint of amusement in his eyes, a slight smile playing on his lips as he enjoyed the unfolding drama.

Meanwhile, Wu Hao's face had turned ashen.

A storm of uncontrollable anger brewed within him.

He couldn't accept marrying a woman who was already carrying another man's child!

"Xiao Hao, you see, this matter..."

Aunt Wu Yahui stepped forward with the air of an elder imparting wisdom. "What era are we living in? Why make a fuss over such trivial matters? A man should have some magnanimity."

Wu Zhichuan cleared his throat, putting on a show of being considerate of Wu Hao's feelings. "Here's what we'll do: after the baby is born, it can take your surname, Wu. It'll be just like your own flesh and blood..."

Before he could finish, Liang Ruotong cut him off. She lifted her chin haughtily, her eyes filled with disdain. "Dream on! How could my idol's baby take his surname? Who does he think he is? After we get married, he'll have to take my surname, Qin! And from now on, whatever I say goes. No objections allowed. Plus, I'll be visiting my idol in Beijing twice a month, and you better keep your mouth shut about it. And as for you... don't even think about laying a finger on me!"

Liang Ruotong rattled off a litany of demands, and even Wu Zhichuan found it a bit excessive. But this was the Liang family. As long as they could secure this marriage alliance, a little hardship for Wu Hao was nothing.

"Xiao Hao, Miss Liang's demands aren't entirely unreasonable," Wu Zhichuan said, trying to smooth things over.

Cousin Wu Yanchen and Aunt Wu Yahui quickly chimed in, one after the other.

"This is a golden opportunity to align with the Liang family. Such chances are rare!"

"Just endure a little, and you'll enjoy endless wealth and prosperity in the future."

Listening to their high-sounding words, Wu Hao's anger burned hotter and hotter. Since his parents had disappeared a year ago, his life in the Wu family had gone from bad to worse. He had hoped that the bond of blood would bring him some warmth, but instead, he was met with endless exclusion and disdain.

He had been patient and accommodating time and time again, only to be met with escalating oppression. Now, they expected him to be a mere puppet, manipulated at their whim, even to the point of abandoning his own family name! This had far exceeded the limits of his tolerance.

"If Miss Liang is so wonderful and outstanding, why don't you all go after her yourselves?!" Wu Hao finally snapped, his voice filled with rage as he confronted everyone present.

Wu Yahui slammed her hand on the table, her eyes blazing with fury. "Wu Hao, what kind of attitude is this?"

Wu Zhichuan's expression turned icy, his voice low and stern. "As a descendant of the Wu family, you have no right to refuse this marriage arrangement."

"A descendant of the Wu family?" Wu Hao's lips curled into a mocking smile. "If you truly considered me family, you wouldn't be pushing me into this pit of fire. From today onward, I doubt I'll ever want to step through the doors of the Wu family again!"

His words echoed through the hall, leaving a stunned silence in their wake. Everyone stared at Wu Hao in disbelief, even the usually haughty Liang Ruotong couldn't hide a flicker of surprise in her eyes.

"What... what do you mean by that?" someone stammered.

"It's simple," Wu Hao declared. "I'm cutting ties with the Wu family!"

"You're insane! Absolutely insane!"

"Without the Wu family, you're nothing!"

"Wu Hao, don't be foolish. Leave the Wu family, and you'll be a penniless nobody. It's not too late to apologize now, but if you wait, it won't be so easy to come back later."

Wu Zhichuan's gaze was icy, his voice laced with frost. "You're dreaming!" he spat.

Wu Hao's eyes burned with determination, his voice firm and resolute. Without waiting for a response, he grabbed a pen from the table and swiftly wrote out a letter of severance, signing his name with a flourish. "This is my choice," he declared, pushing the paper toward Wu Zhichuan.

Wu Zhichuan stared at his defiant grandson, fury boiling in his chest. In a fit of anger, he too signed the document. "Hmph, once he blows through what little money he has, he'll come crawling back," he sneered. "He won't last two days. He'll be begging on his knees soon enough."

"Without the Wu family's protection, he won't even be able to put food on the table," someone in the crowd jeered.

To the Wu family, Wu Hao's departure was nothing short of a windfall. With one less person to share the inheritance, they stood to gain more.

Wu Hao calmly folded the paper and tucked it away. "From today onward, I am no longer a part of the Wu family," he announced.

As his words hung in the air, a cold, mechanical voice suddenly echoed in his mind.

[Ding!]

[Day One of Cutting Ties: System Reward - One Billion Dollars]

Wu Hao's phone buzzed with a notification. He casually pulled it out and glanced at the screen, only to freeze in his tracks.

[Your account ending in 5169 has received a deposit of $1,000,000,000. Current balance: $1,000,000,317.]