Chapter 36: First Marriage, Then Love: A Side of Scumbag Crushing 14 PART 1
One of the fan girls finally came to her senses and waved her sign, trying to get the idols up front to look their way.
However, the boy band members, led by Cui Yu, were far more interested in taking photos with Ning Qingqing and her family.
After a few more shots, Tan Xizhou was finally satisfied.
He excitedly showed Ning Qingqing the photos. “Am I the most handsome one in the picture?”
Ning Qingqing laughed and pointed to Gu Youchen beside her. “I think he’s the most handsome.”
“Nooo, I’m not your favorite little cutie anymore!” Tan Xizhou clutched his chest, feigning a heart attack.
Beside Ning Qingqing, however, Gu Youchen turned to look at her, the corners of his lips lifting in a quick, irrepressible smile. He tried to suppress it to maintain his composure but failed.
And so, his smile grew even wider.
Fortunately, no one noticed. Tan Xizhou called out to the other boys, “Alright, let’s go! Off to the hotel.”
The boy band members quickly fell in step with him.
Shen Zhiyu finally saw her chance and rushed forward. “Cui Yu!” she called out, her eyes filled with anticipation, a signature book in her hand.
But the idols merely gave her a slight nod, gesturing that they had more important matters to attend to, before waving goodbye and leaving.
“Zhiyu, what’s going on?” one of her friends asked, her eyes filled with disappointment. “Who was that boy?”
He looked to be only sixteen or seventeen, someone they had never seen before and clearly not a famous celebrity.
“I don’t know!” Shen Zhiyu snapped, her tone sharper than she intended.
Her gaze was locked on Ning Qingqing’s group. She watched as the boy walked beside Ning Qingqing, the two of them chatting and laughing. Her beloved idols seemed to be looking out for him, following his lead the entire time. Meanwhile, Gu Youchen walked alongside the middle-aged man, deep in conversation.
Why was it Ning Qingqing again? What was so special about that woman?!
“So we’re not getting a single autograph?” One of the girls was on the verge of tears. “I flew all the way here from Beishi for this!”
“Zhiyu, didn’t you say your brother is really influential and could help us out?” someone else piped up. “Well, call your brother now.”
Shen Zhiyu’s face stiffened.
Shen Zhiqian had just cut off her allowance. What good would calling him do now?
Seeing her hesitation, the expressions of the others turned suspicious. “So you were lying to us?”
Shen Zhiyu didn’t know how to explain. “My brother is very influential, but he’s been in a bad mood lately…”
“Heh.” The group sneered. “We made you the vice president of the fan club, not so you could play with our feelings. A lot of the girls came from out of town today because you promised you could get autographs and photos. Now we don’t even have a single signature, let alone a photo. You should pay up!”
“Yeah, pay us back!”
A chorus of demands erupted. Theirs was a friendship of convenience, and now that things had gone south, they all turned on Shen Zhiyu, demanding she reimburse them.
Shen Zhiyu’s eyes reddened. “I-I’ll pay you back, don’t worry. Just wait until I get my allowance next month…”
“Next month?” Their faces darkened. “We came from out of town. Are we supposed to come all the way back just to find you next month? Pay us for our travel and hotel fees right now. If you don’t have the money, write an IOU!”
Shen Zhiyu had no choice. The beautiful signature cards she had prepared were now used to write IOUs. She was used to spending money lavishly and had no concept of how much plane tickets or hotels cost. When someone claimed they had spent 7,000, she didn’t question it and wrote it down.
There were many of them, and several saw her as an easy mark, so everyone joined in.
By the time she had used up all the cards, she was unknowingly over a hundred thousand in debt.
After handing out the IOUs, she had to leave her phone number before watching the same girls who had been flattering her just moments ago walk away with cold expressions.
Alone in the vast arrivals hall, she felt the urge to cry. She tried calling Shen Zhiqian again.
The line was busy. She tried sending a WeChat message, but it wouldn’t go through.
Had he… blocked her?
An unprecedented wave of panic washed over Shen Zhiyu. She immediately called Xue Wenlan.
Xue Wenlan picked up instantly.
After Shen Zhiyu explained everything through tears, she sobbed, “Auntie, please help me. My brother doesn’t care about me anymore…”
An ominous feeling crept into Xue Wenlan’s heart. She first comforted Shen Zhiyu with a few words before trying to call Shen Zhiqian herself.
She wasn’t blocked, but Shen Zhiqian only answered just as the call was about to automatically disconnect.
“What is it?” he asked coolly.
“Zhiqian,” Xue Wenlan said quickly, “Zhiyu told me you two had a little disagreement. She’s young and doesn’t know any better, don’t hold it against her…”
Before she could finish, Shen Zhiqian cut her off coldly. “Mom, it’s a good thing you called. I was about to contact you.”
Xue Wenlan’s heart sank.
“Starting next month,” Shen Zhiqian stated, “your living allowance will be 6,000 per month. I’ll deposit it into your account on the first of the month. I hope you’ll learn to budget accordingly.”
“What?” Xue Wenlan’s voice shot up. “Only 6,000? Zhiqian, I’m your mother, not a beggar!”
“5,000,” Shen Zhiqian said flatly.
Xue Wenlan’s breathing grew ragged. Just as she was about to protest again, Shen Zhiqian warned, “Think carefully before you speak. For every word you say, I’ll deduct 1,000. I’ve looked into it. For an average family in Dicheng that cooks at home and eats out on weekends, 4,000 is more than enough. That leaves you with 1,000 to save.”
Xue Wenlan clutched her phone, wanting to argue but terrified he would actually keep deducting. She knew her son well. Ning Qingqing was his Achilles’ heel. That was why Xue Wenlan had never dared to show even a hint of disdain for Ning Qingqing in front of him. All her schemes had been carried out behind his back.
Understanding the root of the problem, the ever-pragmatic Xue Wenlan immediately changed the subject, no longer mentioning money. She forced a laugh. “Alright, Zhiqian. I agree, my spending habits have been terrible.”
“Are you still angry with me? The reason I said those things in front of Qingqing that day was because someone was bad-mouthing me while we were playing cards. I was upset and spoke without thinking.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll go apologize to Qingqing right now. She’s such a good person, even if she hates me, she won’t take it out on you!”
Hearing this, Shen Zhiqian let out a cold laugh. “Is that so?”
“Yes,” Xue Wenlan earnestly vowed. “Your mother is willing to swallow her pride. I’ll even serve her tea and water if that’s what it takes!”
The sarcasm in Shen Zhiqian’s voice deepened. “Heh. As expected. For money, you truly are willing to abandon everything.”
With that, he hung up the phone.
Xue Wenlan gripped her phone, momentarily at a loss. Her previous monthly allowance was 50,000, which allowed her to be generous when playing cards with her friends. On top of that, she used Shen Zhiqian’s card for her shopping sprees. All told, she easily spent over a hundred thousand a month.
To suddenly be cut down to 5,000… how was she supposed to live?
Xue Wenlan took a deep breath. She decided she would apologize to Ning Qingqing. Just as Shen Zhiqian said, she would do anything for money. So what if she had to lose face? Could pride put food on the table?
With this thought, she sent a message to Shen Zhiyu: Zhiyu, your brother has cut my allowance too. I’m going to apologize to Ning Qingqing tomorrow and won’t stop until she forgives me. If you want to come, join me.
After sending the message, she felt a sense of relief. Where there’s a will, there’s a way. She knew her son. The day Ning Qingqing and Shen Zhiqian reconciled would be the day her allowance was restored.
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