The words struck like a thunderbolt from the sky.
In over two years, except for that one time borrowing money, Tang had never asked Luo Zhou for money.
This time, Luo Zhou was completely stunned.
[Well done! That's exactly what should be done!]
While others were still processing the scene, Ji Fei was already celebrating internally with metaphorical fireworks. After all, Tang had previously appeared to be hopelessly love-struck in Ji Fei's eyes, but unexpectedly, she had awakened and suddenly learned to protect her own interests.
"You... you're asking me for money?" Luo Zhou asked in disbelief.
[Hey, hey, watch your words! She's not asking for money, she's demanding you pay her back!]
"Why shouldn't I ask you for money? Isn't that what you swindled from me in the first place? Both morally and legally, I have the right to reclaim it. I don't want to take advantage of you or covet your money, but don't think you can take advantage of me either. I won't ask for a penny more, I just want what's rightfully mine," Tang said calmly.
[Ah, why not ask for more? Emotional damage compensation and such - make him pay! You deserve it!]
Ji Fei was so excited she almost jumped up. Qin Xian amusingly patted her back, silently helping her calm down. Ji Fei didn't even notice anything unusual, as if she had unconsciously grown accustomed to Qin Xian's touch.
Qin Xian could understand Tang's approach. Not asking for additional compensation, only requesting what was rightfully hers - it was her way of showing final respect to her investment in that false relationship.
Tang's words naturally made Luo Zhou's face darken. After all, Xuan Yi had distorted his view of love, making him believe that a poor girl willing to spend money on him must truly love him. He had enjoyed this, and now Tang's demand to reclaim everything from before felt like she was completely withdrawing her previous love, negating their relationship.
"That money is insignificant. I can give you more. All my wealth will be shared with you. If we just go back to how things were, you won't need to work hard as a makeup artist. Just be my wife at home, and I'll cherish you, love you, support you, I..."
"Luo Zhou, even after the deception is exposed, you still look down on me from your high horse," Tang suddenly realized with insight. "I just remembered, during those two years when I was working hard as a makeup artist's assistant, I always complained to you about not having good clients. If you had just... if you had just once secretly used your status and resources to arrange a client for me, I wouldn't have had to work so hard to support you. You had so many people around you who knew you were deceiving me - would it have been so difficult to help put on an act? Would it have been so hard to make things a little easier for me? You wanted to test me... but you only enjoyed my dedication, remaining cold and detached like an observer from start to finish. You never once thought about using your position to help even a little bit... Heh, Luo Zhou, you're lying. You never loved me, not even a bit."
Tang's revelation came abruptly, as if it were just a small detail.
Yet somehow, it struck a deeply melancholic chord with everyone.
Indeed, Tang had been nothing but a joke for the past two years.
Pretending to be poor to test someone was wrong, but if during this time, Luo Zhou had used his influence to arrange some small strokes of luck to help Tang when she faced difficulties, it would have proven that he loved her and cared for her, just struggling with some awkward insecurity after being hurt before.
Surely, given Tang's love-struck nature, if she had learned the truth under such circumstances, and if Luo Zhou had sincerely apologized, she would have forgiven him.
But Luo Zhou had done nothing, allowing hardships to crush Tang, even becoming one of those hardships himself - was that really love?
Wasn't it just his own twisted psychology, a pathological way of venting?
Put this way, no one could find excuses for the so-called 'pretending to be poor to test true love' anymore.
Luo Zhou seemed to realize this too, his face gradually losing color as he trembled, staring at Tang.
Tang smiled contemptuously and said, "So what you just said about cherishing, loving, and supporting me, about not letting me work as a makeup artist and just being your wife - that's nothing but the generosity of someone in power. I don't need your handouts. Those bills aren't insignificant... they mean a lot to me. I just hope that after this, we can be completely done with each other, never meet again, and you'll stop bothering me."
As if having his deepest thoughts - ones he hadn't even recognized himself - laid bare, Luo Zhou's gaze became vacant.
[My... goodness, after being cured of love-blindness, did she turn straight into clear-headed mode? At this moment, Tang, you're my sister!]
"Miss Tang, rest assured, if my foolish brother cannot repay your money, I will take responsibility for repaying it," Luo Cheng's voice suddenly rang out.
Everyone turned to see that Luo Cheng had finished seeing off other guests and walked over.
He nodded apologetically to Tang, "I'm sorry that both my brother and my wife have caused you trouble and harm. Our Luo family will provide compensation for this as well."
Tang was startled and was about to say something, but Luo Cheng interrupted, "Miss Tang, don't worry about it. You want to make a clean break with Luo Zhou, right? Then it's better to settle both grudges and debts completely. Our Luo family never owes anyone, and I won't let him bother you anymore after this, you can rest assured."
At this point, Tang didn't know what to say.
"Brother..." Luo Zhou suddenly came to his senses, seemingly still unwilling to give up and not wanting his brother to interfere. However, Luo Cheng had already reached him and directly slapped him, causing Luo Zhou to fall onto the grass.
[Ah, that's balanced now, I'm satisfied.]
The Qin family members almost laughed out loud in this serious situation.
Yes, this slap was something Luo Zhou truly couldn't escape.
Luo Zhou was stunned for a moment, feeling utterly wronged, "Brother, I really didn't do anything with sister-in-law! I didn't know about the things she concealed in the past, I didn't..."
He wanted to say he hadn't done anything to make his brother a cuckold.
But Luo Cheng almost gritted his teeth as he said, "Why didn't you tell me! Why didn't you say anything... from the beginning!"
Luo Zhou froze. He... he didn't know why. It was just that when Xuan Yi had so decisively chosen his brother back then, he wanted to see if she could really separate body and heart, if she could truly be happy with his brother.
He just wanted to see Xuan Yi regret her choice, so... so he hadn't said anything.
He seemed to suddenly realize how much harm his silence had caused his brother and their family.
He could only hang his head timidly, saying sorry.
But he still couldn't help lifting his eyes to look at Tang, clearly not ready to give up so easily.
Luo Cheng seemed to just want to vent and teach his foolish brother a lesson.
At this point, it wasn't appropriate for others to stay and watch anymore.
Ji Fei warmly offered to accompany Tang home.
In the car, Qin Rong, who was closest to Tang, couldn't help saying, "Sister Tang, you should have demanded more compensation from Luo Zhou just now. How could you let that scumbag off so easily? He needs to be taught a lesson."
"That's right! The money you spent supporting him could have earned interest in the bank. It was all wasted on him," Ji Fei chimed in with criticism.
Tang was still quite reserved with their family, "President Luo said he would..."
"That's compensation for their framing you and damaging your reputation, it's different from what that scumbag should pay," Ji Fei said.
Seeing how they were defending her, Tang couldn't help but smile, "As for the interest, I'll just consider it as having enjoyed a high-quality handsome guy for free. I got the better deal."
Only after speaking did she realize the elders were present, and she became extremely embarrassed. It was just nervousness that made her blurt that out.
Actually, she just didn't want to admit she had wasted so much love, so she could only say it this way.
But Ji Fei patted her shoulder and said, "Not bad, that's a great mindset. You were attracted to such a worthless person just for his looks, right?"
Tang was embarrassed - well, that was true. Luo Zhou's face was undeniably handsome.
But when everyone remembered how both of Luo Zhou's cheeks were swollen when they left, they couldn't help but laugh.
"I just hope everything can end here," Tang said, probably thinking of Luo Zhou's shameless, persistent calls as they left, suggesting endless harassment to come.
"It will end," Ji Fei said.
Tang took it as mere consolation, not knowing Ji Fei was speaking the truth.
[It has to end, because Big Brother Luo is about to start cleaning up the trash. Neither Luo Zhou nor Xuan Yi can escape. Hey hey, let's see...]
The Qin family members also became curious about how Luo Cheng would handle this.
At the Luo family home, Luo Cheng didn't fight with Luo Zhou again, but Mr. Luo directly took a rod and started beating.
Finally, after the father had beaten enough and the mother had cried enough,
Luo Cheng announced the arrangements and disciplinary measures for Xuan Yi and Luo Zhou.
