Shen Bufan had been living under incredible pressure lately. It wasn’t until he personally called off the engagement that he finally felt an unprecedented sense of relief.
Now, all Shen Bufan wanted was to hurry home and eat a hearty reunion meal with his parents, Shen Fanyun, and Su Xiyang. He had been waiting for this day for a very long time.
However, what Shen Bufan never expected was that his decision to call off the engagement would incite another tirade from Ai Jing’s family. As soon as the words had left his mouth, Ai Jing’s mother seemed to go berserk, frantically calling him over and over again.
Shen Bufan had no intention of engaging, but faced with such hysterical harassment, he had no choice but to answer. "Hello, what’s the matter?"
"Shen, are you completely shameless? How dare you call off the engagement? What’s the meaning of this? Is this a letter of divorce, dumping my daughter at the very last minute?
"Is my daughter someone you can just cast aside? You should take a long look in the mirror and see what kind of person you really are!" The caller was Ai Jing’s mother, who unleashed a torrent of abuse while never missing a chance to praise her own daughter.
Shen Bufan had to laugh. "Auntie, I can’t afford your conditions, so it’s only reasonable that we stop here, isn’t it? I truly mean no disrespect to your daughter. It’s just that I, Shen Bufan, have limited abilities and am not worthy of Jingjing."
"Oh, no, no, please! Your daughter may be in her thirties, a genuine spinster, but she’s just that outstanding! What’s a paltry bride price of 500,000? She’s worth at least 1,000,000!"
"Ah, yes, yes, you’re right. I’m scum. I don’t deserve your daughter!" Shen Bufan explained patiently, but the sarcasm in his voice was so thick that even Su Xiyang couldn’t help but let out a snort of laughter. Clearly, the other party had gone too far, pushing even a good-natured person like Shen Bufan to his breaking point.
Qin Lian and Shen Zheng were waiting at the entrance of their residential compound. For the occasion, the elderly couple had dressed up, putting on expensive clothes they hadn’t dared to wear for years.
"I wonder if Ai Jing will agree in the end. Ah, it’s so expensive to get a daughter-in-law these days," Shen Zheng sighed with worry.
"Let’s take it one step at a time," Qin Lian said, her outlook more optimistic. "If it doesn’t work out, then so be it. Let Bufan rest for a while. That child has suffered too much for this marriage. Besides, Fanyun is back now. With his older brother here to look out for him, he won’t let Bufan be ignored." Shen Fanyun’s return had clearly boosted her confidence.
A Bentley slowly approached them. Having been senior employees in their day, Qin Lian and Shen Zheng naturally recognized the luxury car. "Who in our community bought a new car? Such an exquisite Bentley... the owner must be incredibly wealthy."
No sooner had they finished speaking than the car window rolled down, and Shen Bufan called out from a distance, "Mom."
Qin Lian and Shen Zheng were speechless.
By the time Shen Bufan got out and walked over, they were still staring dumbfounded at the Bentley. "Where... where did this come from?"
"It’s Big Brother’s," Shen Bufan replied with a smile. He had already decided to return the car to Shen Fanyun, untouched. As for today? I’ll just enjoy the thrill of driving it.
"Mom." Shen Fanyun also got out of the car, leaving Qin Lian completely bewildered.
"I’ve made a good bit of money over the years," Shen Fanyun explained. "I can certainly afford to give a car to Bufan for him to use. It’ll also be handy for taking you two out for a stroll or to a nice meal."
Before Qin Lian and Shen Zheng could recover from their shock, a sedan screeched to a halt nearby. A short-haired woman emerged and flew into a rage upon seeing Qin Lian and Shen Bufan. "Qin Lian! What is wrong with your family? Is this any way to handle things?"
It was, of course, Ai Jing’s mother.
Qin Lian was completely confused. "What happened?"
"I’m not getting married anymore," Shen Bufan announced with an indifferent shrug. "I just called the whole thing off." Before his mother could say a word, he walked straight up to Ai Jing’s mother. "Auntie, it’s clear Ai Jing and I aren’t fated to be together. You should go home. I wish her the best in finding an outstanding and capable fiancé."
Shen Fanyun’s gaze followed, and he finally saw the woman in question. She was about 1.6 meters tall with slightly dark skin and a chubby build. Her looks were perfectly average.
It’s not that I look down on people, but... with looks like that, they’re demanding a 500,000 bride price right off the bat? Where on earth does their confidence come from? And taking it a step further, even if Shen Bufan did bite the bullet and pay up, what would the Ai Family contribute? Surely they wouldn’t just say, ’We’ve already given you our daughter, what more do you expect us to pay for?’ Over the years, Shen Fanyun had encountered plenty of people whose actions defied all logic, but this level of shamelessness was truly a rare sight.
"Shen Bufan, are you trying to humiliate me?" Ai Jing stepped forward, her head held high as she questioned him word by word.
Shen Bufan scratched his head. "What makes you say that?"
"Then... why did you give up on me?" Ai Jing demanded through clenched teeth.
"I can’t afford the 500,000," Shen Bufan stated plainly. "I don’t deserve you. How’s that for a reason?"
Ai Jing was struck silent.
Initially, they had agreed on a bride price of 300,000. After discussing it with his parents, Shen Bufan had reluctantly agreed to scrape it together. But for some unknown reason, Ai Jing had suddenly tacked on another 200,000. She had probably intended to squeeze him dry, never imagining that he would simply cut his losses and call off the entire engagement.
"No, you can’t! The wedding plans have come this far; you can’t just give up so easily!" Ai Jing’s mother interjected with a decision. "How about this: you give me the 300,000 bride price now, and write an IOU for the other 200,000!"
An IOU?
Shen Bufan’s temper finally snapped. Staring right at Ai Jing’s mother, he clearly enunciated a single word: "Idiot!"
Turning to his family, he said, "Dad, Mom, we’re here to welcome Big Brother home, and we’re late for our meal. Let’s go." His mind was made up. From this day forward, he would have nothing more to do with Ai Jing. If I ever so much as acknowledge her again, I’m a dog! What a bunch of clowns!
CLICK!
Fuming, Shen Bufan pulled open the car door without a second thought, gesturing for Qin Lian and Shen Zheng to get in first, followed by Shen Fanyun and Su Xiyang.
Only after the sports coupe sped away into the distance did Ai Jing’s eyes widen in realization. "A Bentley... that’s my dream car!" she exclaimed. "Shen Bufan... how... how is he driving a Bentley?"
She had sworn to herself that she would one day marry a rich man worthy of her and drive the Bentley she had always coveted. That dream had seemed so close.
But now... a deep sense of powerlessness washed over Ai Jing.