Gu Sang sat next to Chen Yun, silently offering her a box of tissues as she listened to her pour her heart out.
This was Chen Yun's private matter with her boyfriend, and as an outsider, Gu Sang felt it wasn't her place to directly advise them to break up.
Firstly, she would never entrust her money to a man for safekeeping.
Secondly!
It was her own hard-earned money, and they weren't even married yet! If buying a set of skincare products for a thousand yuan with her own money warranted scolding, what was the point of getting married?
A skincare set costing over a thousand yuan was considered mid-range. For a working professional, it was affordable if they liked it and budgeted a bit.
Not to mention, calling the 88,000 yuan bride price "selling a daughter" was way too harsh!
"Sang, I was originally planning to apologize to him. Maybe I didn't consider his feelings. I shouldn't have bought the skincare products without discussing it first, especially when the internet is full of praise for marriages without bride prices," Chen Yun said.
"I was ready to humble myself, but you know what I found on his phone today?"
"I discovered he transferred 66,000 yuan yesterday!"
"When I asked him where the money went, he immediately lost his temper, accusing me of not trusting him, suspecting him, and checking his phone."
"I was so upset, I just ran out."
"Sang, what should I do? I feel like he's started looking down on my education level since he got into graduate school."
"He hasn't said it outright, but I can sense it. It's a woman's intuition, Sang. What do you think he bought with that 66,000 yuan? He wouldn't use our shared savings to buy gifts for another woman, would he?"
Hearing this, Gu Sang understood the situation clearly.
Her disgust towards Chen Yun's boyfriend reached its peak!
She suddenly stood up and retrieved the LV designer bag from her room.
Gu Sang explained with a hint of worry, "Yun, this is the birthday gift your boyfriend forcefully left in my car earlier today."
"I was planning to let you enjoy your birthday today and clarify things tomorrow, but since you're here, I'll give it back to you now."
Gu Sang felt a twinge of concern.
She wasn't sure how Chen Yun would react upon seeing the bag.
Would she misunderstand Gu Sang's intentions?
Sometimes human nature can be quite complex, but regardless, Gu Sang truly considered Chen Yun a good friend and didn't want her to be deceived.
Gu Sang watched as Chen Yun's crying subsided.
After taking the bag from Gu Sang, Chen Yun examined it inside and out, then glanced at the 66,000 yuan price tag. Suddenly, she let out a despairing laugh.
Her whole body shook as she laughed, "Haha! LV, it's LV!"
"So that's where the 66,000 yuan went. When I buy skincare products for a thousand yuan, he thinks I'm materialistic and don't understand his hard work. But he doesn't bat an eye spending 66,000 yuan on an LV bag."
"Waaah... What happened to 'asking for a bride price is like selling your daughter'? What happened to being materialistic? Haha, seven years! These seven years have been nothing but a joke!"
"Sang, it hurts so much! I'm in so much pain!"
Chen Yun broke down in tears.
A year ago, she had vaguely sensed her boyfriend growing increasingly impatient with her.
But she kept deceiving herself, telling herself that he just didn't understand a woman's sensitivities, that he was just being straightforward, that it was all for their marriage and future!
If she hadn't seen the 66,000 yuan transaction on his phone, Chen Yun would have still thought it was her fault.
She should have woken up earlier!
Actually, before her boyfriend's change of heart, there were signs everywhere, but she had been deaf and blind, deceiving herself!
"Sang, do you know what he gave me for my birthday?"
"He gave me a huge box of cheap face masks from Pinduoduo for 69 yuan! But the facial cleanser he uses for himself costs two to three hundred yuan a bottle!"
"I always thought he just didn't understand women's aesthetics, that he was saving money for our wedding and buying a house, that he was just being practical, and the internet was always advocating for refusing bride prices."
"But it turns out... it turns out he understands everything, he just doesn't want to put any effort into me..."
Hearing Chen Yun's heartbreaking accusations, Gu Sang felt a mix of emotions, her chest tight with an indescribable feeling.
She gently hugged Chen Yun, patting her back to help her calm down.
Seven years of a relationship.
Suddenly shattered.
The heart-wrenching pain was beyond words.
Gu Sang comforted her sympathetically, "Yun, it's okay now. Let it all out. Cry out all your pain. It's not too late; this is heaven's way of warning you."
"All that talk about 'asking for a bride price is like selling your daughter' is just brainwashing pseudo-feminism. They want women to be economically independent, accept split bills, and have marriage without property, while also expecting them to be confined to the role of a virtuous wife. They talk about independence and self-reliance in reality, but when it comes to ideology and having children, they revert to patriarchal society. Don't let him manipulate you like this. He's being utterly ridiculous!"
"I can see it clearly now. Your boyfriend labels and prices every woman he encounters."
"Novelty, background, education, abilities, appearance - these are all factored into the price."
"It's not that you're only worth 69 yuan. It's that your sacrifices, patience, and seven years of love gave him the opportunity to treat you as if you were only worth 69 yuan, so he's no longer willing to invest in you."
"It's also not that I'm worth a 66,000 yuan bag at first sight. It's because that day at the hospital, my sister came to pick me up in a multi-million yuan luxury car, carrying a Hermès Birkin bag. He assumed that was my family background, so he fantasized about using this investment to gain entry into a wealthy family."
"And then what?"
"As my sister said, then he would pursue me, marry me, cheat on me, abuse me, have illegitimate children, try to steal the family fortune, and maybe even arrange a car accident for me. So it's not your fault, and it's not my fault. It's that he's not worth it. He's taken your sacrifices and hardships for granted! He's selfish and hypocritical, wanting you to have the economic independence of a modern woman while also expecting the submissiveness of a traditional wife! It's disgusting!"
Indeed.
The same man encounters two women he's attracted to at a gathering.
One from an ordinary family, the other an only child from a family worth hundreds of millions.
When it comes to pursuing these women, would he treat them the same way?
Of course not!
Because at that moment, he's already determined their value. Clearly, the latter could save him several lifetimes of hard work. As long as there's even a sliver of a chance, he'd choose the latter.
Unless, of course, he truly, deeply loves you!
Chen Yun vigorously wiped her nose with a tissue. She had been crying so heartbrokenly that now she couldn't stop even if she wanted to. Between sobs, she spoke haltingly:
"Gu Sang, those divorced sisters on the internet were right. I was foolish, I was naive to think I was an exception, a success story!"
"It turns out... I've ended up being a cautionary tale! I stood by him through hardships, lived in a basement apartment with him. But as soon as he passed his graduate school entrance exam and started making money, the first thing he did was to put me down, fantasizing about finding someone from a better family!"
"You're right, this kind of man doesn't deserve me anymore."
"He's changed now, changed in a way that frightens me. I'm afraid... if this continues, I'll end up like Lin Lin."
