This was ridiculous. Utterly ridiculous.
Zhang Sujuan walked into the living room and asked her son, Xu Yun, "What's going on? Where are Mengyao's things? Why is it just your stuff here?"
"She moved out."
Xu Yun knew his mother would find out the moment she arrived, so he hadn't planned on hiding it from her.
"Why?" Zhang Sujuan asked, concerned. "Did you two fight?"
"Yeah."
Xu Yun nodded. "Something unpleasant happened yesterday. We've broken up."
"You broke up?"
Hearing this, Zhang Sujuan lost her cool and immediately tried to reason with him. "You can't just break up over a single fight. She's the woman, you should be the one to give in a little. You're about to get married, for goodness' sake."
"This isn't about giving in."
Xu Yun said firmly, "In any case, I'm calling off the wedding. Mom, don't try to change my mind."
Zhang Sujuan was speechless.
Her son had always been agreeable. For him to suddenly act like this was very out of character.
Thinking back to Huang Mengyao's attitude toward her when she visited their hometown, Zhang Sujuan felt like she was starting to understand.
The color drained from her face, and she asked in a low voice, "Be honest with Mom. Is it because of me?"
"It's not. I just don't like her anymore."
"Is it about the apartment?"
Ignoring him, Zhang Sujuan continued to speculate, "Is it that she doesn't want me to live with you two?"
Xu Yun shook his head. "No, Mom, don't overthink it."
"It has to be because of this. It has to be. The last time she called me, I should have picked up on it then."
Zhang Sujuan muttered to herself for a moment, then fell silent before saying, "Xu Yun, marriage is one of the most important events in life. You can't just call it off like this. Don't be so impulsive.
Sigh... It's all my fault. I've put you in such a difficult position.
Since she doesn't want to live with me, that's fine. I'll just go back to our hometown. The landlord probably hasn't rented the old place out yet.
The only thing is, I won't be able to help you raise your children in the future."
"Go back? Go back where? Mom, this is your apartment! If anyone's leaving, it's her."
Xu Yun couldn't believe Huang Mengyao had actually gone behind his back to call his mother and drop hints.
'That bitch!'
Since his mother had already guessed the truth, he stopped trying to hide it.
He said angrily, "Mom, you're the one who bought this apartment. Her family didn't contribute a single penny. On what grounds can her parents come live here, but you can't?
What kind of logic is that?!
She's always threatening to call off the wedding. Fine, then let's not get married! How's that?
I, Xu Yun, am not such a scumbag that I'd choose a wife over my own mother!"
"Xu Yun, don't be rash. Don't say things in the heat of the moment."
Zhang Sujuan tried to comfort him. "I'm really fine. As long as you're happy, that's all that matters. It doesn't matter where I live, it's your thought that counts."
"Mom, Dad died young. You raised me all by yourself for so many years and put up with so much. I don't want you to suffer any more grievances for my sake!"
Xu Yun said patiently, "Besides, I see a woman like Huang Mengyao for who she really is now. Compromising and giving in won't lead to happiness; it will only make her more demanding.
If I marry a woman like that, do you really think we could have a happy life together?
It's better to end things now than to regret it later. This will prevent any future trouble."
"But…"
"Mom, there are no buts."
Xu Yun smiled confidently. "I'm your son—I'm handsome, young, and I'm going to make lots and lots of money in the future. What kind of daughter-in-law do you think I won't be able to find for you?"
Seeing how mature her son had become, tears welled up in Zhang Sujuan's eyes.
"Alright. If you don't want to get married, then we won't. My son is so wonderful; plenty of girls will like him."
Zhang Sujuan wiped her eyes and said, "You must be hungry. I'll go make your favorite braised pork ribs."
"Yeah, thanks Mom."
Xu Yun went out onto the balcony by himself, took out his phone, and posted a status on his WeChat Moments:
[The wedding's off! And I'm serving tea.]
He even attached a thirst trap.
A man never posts on his Moments for no reason.
There's always a purpose behind it.
Xu Yun did this to tell all his friends that his wedding was canceled.
It was also an indirect way of telling Huang Mengyao that they were over for good!
However, there was still one problem: the betrothal gift money he had given Huang Mengyao. He had to find a time to get it back.
After all, it was highly unlikely she would return it of her own volition.
Even though he had a system now, who would turn down a little extra money?
Besides, he had worked his ass off to save that money. Why on earth should he let Huang Mengyao get away with it?!
...
Meanwhile, out on the street, Huang Mengyao had no idea that a certain someone had already packed up her things and mailed them to her home.
She thought it was just a normal argument and that if she ignored him for a few days, Xu Yun would come running back to apologize and make up.
At that moment, she was out shopping, taking the opportunity to vent to her best friend, Wang Qing, about how wronged she felt.
"Qing, you were right. The poorer and more useless a man is, the bigger his temper!"
Huang Mengyao fumed, "He's the one who's incompetent and can't make any money, yet he has the nerve to yell at me. What right does he have to yell at me?"
"I told you a long time ago, but you didn't believe me."
The vain and materialistic Wang Qing said sarcastically, "You were the one who didn't listen to me and insisted on being with him.
Regretting it now, aren't you? What's the point of a man being handsome? He needs to have money."
"I just thought he was a growth stock."
Huang Mengyao said with disappointment, "Who knew that after three years of him working overtime day in and day out, his salary wouldn't go up one bit, and he wouldn't get a promotion. He's just useless.
I've had to compromise on everything for this wedding, and now he blows up just because I said I don't want his mom living with us."
"So what are you going to do? Why not use this fight as an excuse to just end it!"
"Not yet," Huang Mengyao said. "As long as he's willing to make it up to me, I'll give him one more chance."
"Oh."
Wang Qing pursed her lips and scrolled through her phone, suddenly spotting the post Xu Yun had just made on his Moments.
She froze for a second, then said, "Mengyao, your Xu Yun just posted on his Moments."
"What did he post?" Huang Mengyao smiled smugly. "Is he full of regret now? Feeling all emo?"
"No." Wang Qing shook her head. "He says he's calling off the wedding."
Huang Mengyao: "???"
"Don't believe me? Look."
Huang Mengyao snatched the phone, and as she looked, her face instantly grew cold, her expression complicated.
A moment later, her own phone rang. It was a delivery driver, calling to let her know that her things had arrived.
Huang Mengyao asked, "What things?"
"It looks like some clothes and personal belongings."
The driver said, "Someone named Xu Yun packed them and mailed them to you. When can you come pick them up?"
"!!!"
'No way, is he actually being for real this time?'
'What right does Xu Yun have to treat me like this?!'
'I was willing to marry him; he should have been overjoyed.'
'Now he actually dares to kick me out and dump me!'
Huang Mengyao was furious.