Young Master Fang smiled triumphantly, “All’s fair in love and war. Honestly, to chase you, I specially bought a copy of Sun Tzu’s Art of War. How could I easily let go of a girlfriend I worked so hard to get!”
Xia Yuluo didn’t know whether she should be touched or scared, but it seemed more like she was touched. Who doesn’t want their boyfriend to put in effort for them!
“Yuluo, come down to eat with your classmate!” The housekeeper called from outside.
The reason for the birthday treat seemed unconvincing.
“I don’t know. Maybe because I let your little brother stay overnight last time?” This reason seemed more plausible.
Xia Yuluo came downstairs with him. Today’s atmosphere was different, and even her stepmother’s smile was abundant.
“Simple meal, Young Master Fang, please don’t look down on it,” Ma Jiao said flatteringly.
“Auntie, you’re too kind!” Fang Yuzhe wasn’t used to calling her auntie because she looked just over thirty, more like an older sister.
“Xiao Zhe, can you drink?” Xia Dahao asked.
“Uncle Xia, I can’t hold my liquor,” Fang Yuzhe declined.
“What kind of man doesn’t drink? Have a drink with me!”
“I’ll drink a little. I drank too much last night and made Yuluo unhappy, almost breaking up with me!”
Fang Yuzhe mentioned last night’s events to avoid drinking, and Xia Yuluo glanced at him sideways, not liking him to bring it up again!
“You manage even his drinking? I didn’t realize my Yuluo is so powerful!” Ma Jiao’s words immediately changed in tone!
Fang Yuzhe drank a little with Xia Dahao. Yuluo felt something was off, but her father was extremely enthusiastic, chatting with him about everything, looking like they were becoming close friends.
“Xiao Zhe, I heard your dad’s nightclub has several places that need renovation?” He finally got to the point.
I usually don’t get involved in my dad’s business,” at this point, Fang Yuzhe still didn’t understand his intention.
“Oh, I was thinking, if something needs renovation, someone has to do it. Wouldn’t it be more reassuring to give it to someone we know?”
Now Fang Yuzhe understood, “Uncle Xia, are you in the renovation business?”
Xia Dahao smiled, “I have some business in this area. The construction teams are ready, and we’ve always cooperated with big companies. The quality is absolutely guaranteed!”
“I understand. I’ll go back and talk to my dad tonight. If it hasn’t been contracted out, we’ll let Uncle Xia do it!”
Xia Yuluo was the last to understand her father’s meaning and then her chopsticks stopped moving. Her father was actually using their relationship to help Fang Yuzhe get the job.
Dad, Fang Yuzhe doesn’t get involved in his father’s business affairs at all. You can talk to his father directly about fair competition.
Xia Dahao looked at his daughter in surprise, and Ma Jiao’s face immediately darkened.
Fang Yuzhe quickly tried to smooth things over, “It’s okay, Yuer. Anyway, it’s work for anyone, and it feels more reassuring to give it to someone you know! Besides, I’ll go back and ask my dad first to see if it’s even been handed out!”
“That’s right, even little Zhe knows how to handle family matters. How can you be so clueless!” Ma Jiao said with veiled sarcasm.
Xia Yuer didn’t speak, but her head was lowered, looking unhappy. Fang Yuzhe gently kicked her under the table, but she still didn’t react.
After finishing the meal and staying at the Xia family’s home for a while, Fang Yuzhe got up to leave. Before departing, Xia Dahao urged him to ask his father about the matter, and Fang Yuzhe agreed.
Xia Yuluo completely broke down, not returning to the classroom when the class bell rang, and instead hiding in a deserted place to call Xia Dahao.
“Dad, did the project you took on cause trouble, making Fang Tiancheng lose hundreds of thousands?”
“Oh, this matter has two sides – they also have their own responsibility—”
“So it’s true?”
“Didn’t Fang Yuzhe tell you? You’re just pretending not to know!”
“How can I pretend not to know! Dad, if it’s your responsibility, you should compensate Fang Tiancheng, we can’t owe them a favor—”
“Have you gone crazy! Should I rob a bank to pay hundreds of thousands?”
“Why did you cause trouble? Everyone said it was trustworthy, how can you be so irresponsible!”
“You’re just a kid who doesn’t understand. Don’t get involved in this matter. I support you, clothe you, send you to school, and you still say things that make me angry!”
“I don’t want to attend the elite school anymore.”
Save the money and compensate the Fang family!”
“What nonsense are you talking about? I’m busy, don’t bother me!” Xia Dahao hung up the phone.
Xia Yuluo completely broke down. She calculated that if she earned 1,000 yuan working part-time each month, it would take forty years to repay 500,000! But no matter what, debt must be repaid, even if it takes a lifetime. So she decided to repay the money for Xia Dahao.
Xia Yuluo secretly went to work at a restaurant again, of course not letting Fang Yuzhe know, but she couldn’t hide it for long. After making excuses to avoid walking together in the evening several times, Fang Yuzhe began to suspect something.
“Yuluo, I haven’t done anything to make you angry recently, right? I just feel something’s off—” He definitely felt something was wrong.
So Xia Yuluo confessed to him, handing him a promissory note. “Keep this. I’m repaying the money for my father.”
Fang Yuzhe opened it in surprise, laughing, “The amount is wrong. It’s 700,000, why did you reduce it by 200,000?”
“700,000!” Xia Yuluo almost fainted. “You never told me the exact amount, so I just wrote something random. I’ll change it to 700,000.” She reached out to take back the note.
Fang Yuzhe dodged her hand, looking disdainful. “Tell me first, how are you going to repay?
“I’m already working.”
“You’re waiting tables again?! Xia Yuluo, are you addicted? You could work in a restaurant your whole life and still not repay 700,000!”
“I know. I’ll earn more after graduating college.”
Fang Yuzhe leaned against the corridor window, counting on his fingers – “Assuming you earn 5,000 a month, that’s 60,000 a year, 600,000 in ten years, and that’s if you don’t eat or drink and I don’t charge interest” – he shook his head sympathetically, “How miserable!”
Xia Yuluo sighed, “Then what should I do?”
“How about this – first kiss is 30,000, first night is 300,000!” he whispered playfully in her ear.
Xia Yuluo’s face turned green, looking at him in horror.
Fang Yuzhe gently patted her head. “Please, can’t you take a joke? I was afraid you’d overthink it, so I didn’t tell you. I’ve already settled things with my dad. You don’t need to repay the money!”
Fang Yuzhe meant well, but he would never understand Xia Yuluo’s feelings. With these 700,000 between them, she could no longer love him as she did initially.
“Fang Yuzhe, I will definitely repay you these 700,000, whether or not we stay together.” Although he didn’t want her to bear this debt, Xia Yuluo still made a solemn promise.
“Okay,” Fang Yuzhe was nonchalant. “You can repay later, but you can’t work now.”
If my girlfriend goes to wait tables, it would be embarrassing.”
“But your girlfriend has always been a poor wretch. You should have thought about being embarrassed and shouldn’t have been with me in the first place.”
Fang Yuzhe studied her expression. “Are you angry with me? I’m not really afraid of being embarrassed. You study so hard, working at night would exhaust you! And with final exams coming up, which do you think is more important – grades or earning money? Don’t do something counterproductive.”
Xia Yuluo was discouraged. He would always look out for her, always be too good to her. “Yuluo, I know you’ll feel uncomfortable, but it’s not your fault—” Fang Yuzhe continued to comfort her.
