Chapter 105: Can You Afford It?

Xia Yu, you good-for-nothing—how dare you lie to us!!

Everyone in the Chen Shufen family glared at Xia Yu, convinced that he had deliberately concealed this information in order to deceive them into agreeing that he and Zhao Sijie should be together.

Seeing this, Wang Dong wisely kept silent, though inwardly he was delighted. With such important information exposed, how could Zhao Sijie’s family possibly still agree to their relationship?

Though he was secretly gloating, his expression remained perfectly calm.

Wu Tian, meanwhile, stood to the side looking innocent, with a trace of self-reproach.

Faced with the furious Chen Shufen and the others, Xia Yu replied calmly, "I never meant to hide anything. You never asked."

"Heh, what sophistry," Liu Jing said with a cold laugh. "You mean if we don’t ask, you won’t say a word?"

"If this gentleman hadn’t said it, how would we have known you were so shameless?"

"Something this important, you should have told us right away!!"

Looking at their sharp, petty faces one by one, Xia Yu was at a loss for words. Reasoning with them was no different from playing music to a cow.

When someone already dislikes you, everything you do or say is nonsense in their eyes.

He did not know why, upon first meeting, they had such hostility toward him.

It was Zhao Sijie who stepped forward in anger. "Have you said enough? This is between Brother Yu and me. It has nothing to do with you."

"Besides, we never planned to hide it from you. We were going to tell you later."

"Sijie, why are you still being so foolish?" Cao Xun said bitterly, exasperated beyond endurance. "A divorced live-in son-in-law like him—what do you want with a spineless loser like that?"

"How much longer are you going to be this naive? Can a man like him give you any future?"

"That’s right, cousin. Don’t let his looks fool you. Xia Yu is nowhere near worthy of you. Why waste your time on him?" Liu Jing added. "Look at this handsome man instead."

"He has such bearing, and at a glance you can tell he must be successful. That’s the kind of man who can truly bring you happiness. You should wake up to Xia Yu’s true nature and break up with him as soon as possible."

One after another, they lectured Zhao Sijie, and Xia Yu could not get a word in. In any case, he no longer felt like explaining himself.

They had already decided he was worthless; no amount of explanation would change that.

"Enough!!" Zhao Sijie’s eyes were red with anger. "Brother Yu and I love each other sincerely. Whoever tries to make us break up again will not like the result!!"

No one had expected such a fierce reaction from her, and the room gradually fell silent.

Seeing this, Wang Dong secretly sighed over Zhao Sijie’s devotion. She was not foolish; her understanding of love was simply entirely different from everyone else’s.

A woman so devoted, so unwaveringly in love, was far too rare nowadays.

Who would not want a woman like that? Beautiful beyond compare, and willing to follow you with utter loyalty.

Xia Yu could not help but be moved as well. Originally, he had no intention of arguing with these people.

But seeing Zhao Sijie look so wronged and so angry, he changed his mind.

He could not simply watch his woman burn with anger and do nothing; that would be the mark of a coward.

Xia Yu stood up and walked to Zhao Sijie’s side, speaking softly, "Don’t be angry. I know what I’m doing."

Then he turned back to Liu Jing and the others. "You don’t need to waste your energy trying to tear Sijie and me apart."

"No matter what kind of happiness she wants, I can give it to her!!"

"Heh, easy words. What good is a mouth if all it does is talk?" Liu Jing snorted.

Clearly none of them believed him; in fact, they even doubted whether Xia Yu really had a house.

Seeing this, Wang Dong said solemnly, "Sijie, they’re all your relatives. They’re saying this for your own good."

"You don’t need to be angry. I think you should listen to your elders. After all, ignoring the advice of your betters always leads to losses sooner or later. They would never harm you."

"Shut up. You don’t even know the situation, and you’re already running your mouth?" Xia Yu looked at him coldly. He knew all too well what this man was thinking.

"You shut up. What’s wrong with what he said?" Chen Shufen said angrily. "Embarrassed now? Afraid of being exposed?"

"Are you worried that everyone will tear you open and let Sijie see your true face?!"

Xia Yu sneered. "Heh, I’d actually like you all to see my true face. Is he really that impressive?"

"In your eyes, only someone like him is worthy of Sijie?"

"Let me put it this way: whatever he can give Sijie, I can give her too. And what he can’t give, I can still give her."

"Haha, brother, bragging is one thing, but dragging my brother into this is a little beyond your means," Wu Tian said dismissively. "You’re talking too big for your own good. Aren’t you afraid you’ll choke on your own words?"

"Do you really think you can compare with Brother Dong? His company was only just established after he returned to the country, and in a very short time its value has already risen to twenty million. He has a villa worth several million and even a Porsche."

"Whether in material terms or in spirit, if Sijie were with Brother Dong, he could give her everything she wants."

"Wow, I had no idea he was that impressive."

"So young, and already he has a villa, a sports car, and a company worth tens of millions. He really is a rising star."

Hearing Wu Tian’s words, Chen Shufen and the others looked at Wang Dong differently once more.

His achievements were far more successful than they had imagined. If Zhao Sijie could be with him, then let alone a bride price of one hundred thousand, even asking him to provide a house in the city would not be a problem.

Thinking of this, Chen Shufen asked bluntly, "Young man, since you’re so rich, would you be willing to pay a bride price of one hundred thousand for us?"

Having just been flattered by their admiring looks, Wang Dong’s lips twitched when he heard this. He had not expected her to be so brazen.

Still, he said generously, "Of course. What is one hundred thousand worth? If I were Sijie’s boyfriend, I’d even arrange jobs for my cousin and cousin-in-law at the company. After all, we’re family."

The moment Chen Shufen heard that, she was overjoyed, and even Cao Jun, Liu Jing, and the others brightened up.

But before they could even react, Zhao Sijie said somewhat displeasedly, "Wang Dong, this has nothing to do with you. You don’t need to interfere."

Wang Dong froze slightly. Wu Tian hurriedly stepped in to defend him. "Sijie, you can’t blame Brother Dong for this."

"It was Xia Yu who brought Brother Dong into it first."

"Exactly. Xia Yu, you heard that, didn’t you?" Chen Shufen said coldly. "Compared to him, do you still think you’re worthy of Sijie?"

"Heh, as long as Sijie wants it, I can give it to her any time."

Xia Yu smiled with contempt. Wang Dong’s modest accomplishments might seem impressive to others, but to him they were worthless.

"Damn, your mouth is really something. Are you planning to stay stubborn all the way through?" Wu Tian said in angry ridicule. "What’s the use of talking? Why not do something real?"

"Take this meal, for instance. It must cost at least tens of thousands, right? But there isn’t even a bottle of wine. If it were Brother Dong, there’d at least be a bottle of Louis XIII worth tens of thousands."

"Could you afford that?"