Chapter Ten: Things Are No Longer as They Once Were

For a moment, the atmosphere grew rather delicate.

Xia Xin gazed at Chen Fan with a complicated look and asked, “Since you’ve already guessed everything, why are you still willing to marry me?”

“If I truly want you to be my wife, would you believe me?”

“Believe you? As if. You’re just after the ten million!”

“Then why bother asking? Ten million is no small sum, you know!”

“Heh!” Seeing the look of greed on Chen Fan’s face, Xia Xin couldn’t help but feel a little contempt. To think that, for a fleeting moment, she almost believed what he’d said earlier. Looking back now, she found herself utterly ridiculous.

What could possibly be more tempting than ten million?

On the way, Xia Xin stopped by the supermarket to buy some health supplements and tea, passing them off as gifts from Chen Fan.

When they arrived at the Xia residence and parked the car, Xia Xin turned to him and reminded, “Just remember this—no matter what unpleasant things my parents might say, don’t talk back. Just endure it.”

“Alright. Basically, I just need to act madly in love with you. No matter how tough things get, I mustn’t back down,” Chen Fan replied, nodding and giving Xia Xin a half-smile.

The corners of Xia Xin’s mouth twitched as if she wanted to retort, but she had to admit, that interpretation wasn’t exactly wrong. She shot Chen Fan a glare before stepping out of the car.

Entering the house, Xia Xin called out warmly, “Mom, Dad, I’ve brought Chen Fan home for dinner!”

On the sofa, Xia Jianye looked up from his newspaper and responded with a noncommittal hum. But when his gaze landed on Chen Fan, who was following behind carrying the gifts, his expression turned even more sullen.

“Xin’er, it’s fine for you to come home, but why did you bring so many things?” At that moment, a well-dressed middle-aged woman approached with a smile, though her tone carried a mild reproach.

“Mom, these are gifts Chen Fan brought for you both to mark the occasion. Aren’t you going to greet them?” Xia Xin explained, casting a pointed look at the dawdling Chen Fan.

Chen Fan finally smiled and said, “Hello, Uncle, Auntie. This is my first time visiting and I didn’t know what you liked, so I asked Xia Xin for advice and bought some health supplements and tea for you. I hope you’ll like them.”

“I think you’re less concerned about whether we like these gifts and more about whether we’ll accept you as our son-in-law,” Yang Li’s expression darkened as soon as she learned the gifts were from Chen Fan.

Hearing this, Chen Fan inwardly thought that Xia Xin’s parents were indeed a tough crowd. Judging by their unwelcoming attitude, it seemed he had completely disrupted their plans, hence their anger.

Sensing the atmosphere becoming tense, Xia Xin couldn’t help but complain, “Mom, what are you doing?”

“Xin’er, Chen Fan, both of you come here,” Xia Jianye said coldly, signaling for them to sit and talk.

Exchanging a few glances, Xia Xin and Chen Fan sat down, one after the other. Xia Xin took the initiative, “Dad, if you’re going to say we shouldn’t get married, then say no more. If you and Mom don’t approve, Chen Fan and I can leave right now.”

“My child, your father and I are just looking out for you. Right now, several heirs from East City’s top families are interested in you—why waste your time on Chen Fan?” Seeing Xia Xin’s firm resolve, Yang Li began to reason with her, making no effort to spare Chen Fan’s feelings.

Xia Jianye waved his hand and said, “I know you’re stubborn, but as your parents, it’s our responsibility to ensure your happiness. At the very least, we need to understand Chen Fan’s current circumstances.”

With that, he fixed his gaze on Chen Fan and, after a brief pause, asked, “Chen Fan, what did you do for work in the past?”

“I worked as a laborer on construction sites,” Chen Fan blurted out without hesitation, his face brimming with pride.

This answer made both Xia Jianye and Yang Li’s expressions darken.

Xia Xin, unable to watch, covered her forehead in embarrassment. Forcing a smile, she leaned toward Chen Fan and whispered, “Couldn’t you be a bit smarter? Even if that’s true, can’t you use a more respectable title? Like site manager, supervisor, or even foreman—anything would sound better.”

But Chen Fan replied earnestly, “I can’t lie to Uncle and Auntie. It wouldn’t be sincere.”

“Then how many years have you done that work? How much have you managed to save?” Yang Li pressed on, her eyes full of disdain.

“Let me think... At three hundred a day, I suppose I’ve nearly saved about four hundred thousand,” Chen Fan replied after a moment’s consideration.

Sensing something was off, Yang Li immediately objected, “That can’t be right. Jianye told me that at the old master’s birthday celebration, you presented a check for two million. Are you trying to hide something from us?”

“Oh, that did happen. The money was lent to me by a friend. Last night, I was actually intending to use it to honor the marriage agreement between our families, but I happened to run into Xin’er. She’s so virtuous and gentle that she didn’t want too much for a dowry, so I returned the money to my friend the next day.”

“What? That money was borrowed?” Yang Li’s eyes widened in displeasure.

Xia Xin was also surprised. Thinking it over, if Chen Fan had come to fulfill the marriage agreement, that meant he truly intended to marry her. Was she, in fact, playing straight into his hands?

Chen Fan nodded and continued, “Don’t worry, Auntie. I still have some money left, enough to hold a wedding. I promise I’ll make Xin’er happy!”

Yang Li was about to respond sharply, but Xia Jianye stopped her with a look. “Chen Fan, at this point, there are some things I have to say to you. It might sound blunt, but don’t take it to heart,” he said.

“Dad, you don’t have to—” Xia Xin, knowing her father was about to try to dissuade Chen Fan, wanted to intervene.

Xia Jianye shot her a fierce glare. “Quiet!” he ordered.

Xia Xin could only fall silent, inwardly hoping Chen Fan wouldn’t give up too easily.

“Don’t worry, Xin’er. I trust Uncle isn’t the type to be shallow or materialistic,” Chen Fan said as he took her hand, giving it a reassuring pat.

“Save the flattery. Let me finish,” Xia Jianye said sternly, looking Chen Fan straight in the eye. “It’s true that you and Xin’er have a marriage agreement. But as you know, your family is nothing like it once was—to put it bluntly, it’s on the verge of collapse. To be frank, several heirs from East City’s prominent families are interested in marrying Xin’er. Compared to them, you’re at quite a disadvantage. As her father, I want the best for my daughter—surely that’s understandable?”

He paused deliberately to observe Chen Fan’s reaction, only to find that Chen Fan seemed completely unfazed, as if he didn’t care in the least. This left Xia Jianye even more disappointed, so he continued, “However, I realize that simply canceling the marriage agreement would be unfair to you. So I’ve thought it over and decided to set a few conditions. If you can meet them, I won’t object to this marriage.”