The Billionaire's Hidden Affection-Chapter 634 - 631: Missing 8_1

"I told him I already had a small apartment and didn’t want to buy another one. But then he asked if I could sell mine so we could pool our money for a bigger one. I refused outright, saying that was impossible. He didn’t take it well, and we parted on bad terms that day. A few days later, he asked me again. He said I didn’t have to contribute to the purchase, but could I chip in for the renovations? I was speechless. The house wouldn’t even be in my name; it had absolutely nothing to do with me. Why should I help pay for renovations?"

"And then?"

"The day before yesterday, he told me to just forget about it. I asked why. He bluntly told me he’d been introduced to another woman. This woman earns over 10,000 a month, and her family is willing to pay half the down payment..."

A woman who can pay half the down payment clearly has the upper hand. She can help with the mortgage and renovations... so, naturally, he’d choose her.

Yan Xixi chuckled bitterly. Self-interest is understandable in this world, after all. You can’t blame men for being selfish; if you put yourself in their shoes, you wouldn’t want to take on a burden either.

"Forget about him. He’s not worth your time."

Xu Xiaoya smiled. "Do you think I’m upset? Xixi, I’m not upset at all. I genuinely don’t care. Besides, we can’t even say we broke up, because nothing had even started..."

She genuinely didn’t seem to care; Xu Xiaoya’s tone was incredibly lighthearted.

"If he knew I owned this shop, he would definitely pounce and choose me in a heartbeat. But would I choose him? Honestly, I don’t think women absolutely have to get married. Remember when I was with Zhong Minghui? What kind of life was I living then? TSK! And now, after breaking up with him, look at the quality of my life! I have food, clothes, a house, and a car. In my spare time, I go to the gym, get beauty treatments, travel, and even learn new things. I spend all my money on myself. With this kind of quality of life, who would willingly tie themselves down with marriage? I think at least seventy to eighty percent of women find their quality of life dragged down after getting married..."

Before Yan Xixi could reply, there was a knock at the door.

"Come in."

It was Meng Li, an employee from the shop.

Meng Li had been working at the shop since it first opened, so she was considered a long-time employee.

"Sister Xu, I’d like to request a couple of days off."

Xu Xiaoya was surprised. "Why?" 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

Her eyes were red-rimmed. "My boyfriend and I are discussing our marriage plans, so I need to go back to my hometown. His family bought a marital home, but we’ve run out of money for renovations. My boyfriend hopes my parents can contribute 50,000, but my parents refuse. Instead, they want his family to provide 50,000 as a betrothal gift, which they would then return as dowry. However, his parents countered that if the groom’s side provides a betrothal gift, the bride’s dowry must be double that amount. This means my parents would have to provide a dowry exceeding 50,000. Both families are now very upset and constantly arguing about it..."

Xu Xiaoya and Yan Xixi exchanged glances. See? This is what marriage is like. The moment it’s on the table, it’s about betrothal gifts, renovations... every single thing is tied to money.

"Later, my boyfriend’s parents said they’d figure out the renovation costs, and suggested my family forgo the betrothal gift. My parents agreed and even promised to include a car as part of my dowry. But then, this car became the problem. My boyfriend wants the car registered in his name. He says it’s for his image, claiming that otherwise, he’d feel like less of a man, lacking dignity. I didn’t want to register it in his name. Then he argued that since he paid for the marital home and I hadn’t contributed a single cent, I was essentially living there for free. And now, because I’m unwilling to put the car in his name, he claims he’s losing out too much..."

Once again, the two women exchanged a look of dismay.

Getting married really is just too much trouble.