This Girl Wins Three Hundred Million Dollars

Chapter 9

"Long time no see."

Meng Xulin didn't recognize her at first. As he walked closer, he suddenly realized this was an unexpected reunion.

Yu Shu smiled, "Long time no see."

Compared to before, Meng Xulin had gained some weight, but he was tall, so it made him look sturdily built like a grown man. He had lost the elegant handsomeness and youthful tenderness of his younger years, and had become gentle and refined.

The unattainable beauty from the past had unexpectedly descended into the mundane world and taken on an earthly air.

When their eyes met, Yu Shu's heart suddenly skipped a beat.

Meng Xulin also greeted Zhao Zhuo and Lin Fangyu. He said to Zhao Zhuo, "My TV at home is broken. Can you send someone to take a look tomorrow?"

As the two of them talked about fixing the TV, Lin Fangyu nudged Yu Shu in the waist and whispered, "You two are still so well-matched."

Yu Shu glared at her. "It sounds to me like you're saying we've gotten fat."

"Fat? What fat? You two look full-figured."

"Who's 'you two'? Watch what you say."

"Weren't you the one who said it first?"

"I didn't. I didn't say anything. Don't make things up."

"..." Lin Fangyu was speechless.

After finishing discussing the TV repair with Zhao Zhuo, Meng Xulin prepared to leave. Afraid of peace and quiet, Lin Fangyu clapped her hands together and suggested, "A chance encounter is better than a planned meeting. Let's go eat hot pot together - my treat!"

The corners of Yu Shu's mouth lifted slightly, but her eyes remained cool and indifferent - the signature look of a queen bee.

"Thanks, but not today. It's my grandfather's birthday so I have to head home now." Meng Xulin declined with a shake of his head. "Next time I'll host and treat you all to a meal."

Looking back at Yu Shu, his eyes were calm and steady. "Sounds good. Next time."

Next time meant some unknown future date, next time meant maybe another life if fate allows.

Meng Xulin nodded and left with a gentle smile.

The three of them still ended up eating hot pot for lunch, going to their favorite hot pot restaurant from high school.

The decor was a little outdated but the taste was just like they remembered - so delicious that Yu Shu sighed contentedly.

As they cooked meat in the simmering broth, Lin Fangyu started gossiping, "Why did you two break up back then?"

Yu Shu shamelessly snatched a slice of cooked tripe from her chopsticks. "It's in the past, don't bring it up. Bad luck."

Lin Fangyu's gossip flames burned fiercely. She scratched her head in frustration, "Just tell me! You were so good together but suddenly broke up. What happened? I'm dying of curiosity!"

She clearly remembered that night after the college entrance exams. The two kissed in the karaoke hallway. Ah, the beautiful, romantic scene of the talented scholar and the beautiful lady.

It outshone any idol drama or romance novel!

Everything was so perfect back then. When they broke up, many female classmates cried out "unfair!" and "I'll never believe in love again!"

Yu Shu didn't want to say much about the past she'd put behind her, but Lin Fangyu kept asking. Zhao Zhuo was also very curious, "Is there no chance you'll get back together?"

Yu Shu swallowed her tripe and slowly recounted what happened between them.

Like all couples, they were inseparable at first, as sweet as honey. Then after the honeymoon phase ended, countless petty annoyances crept in. Yu Shu was busy with school and her part-time job. With limited monthly expenses, she felt bad that Meng Xulin always traveled from another city to see her. She indulged him a bit to make up for it.

Retelling those trifles sounded melodramatic. Not talking about it meant swallowing grievances. Many issues that could be resolved with a hug when together had to be explained and reconfirmed again and again over the phone.

It was an exhausting, heart-wearying process. But what Yu Shu found unforgivable was Meng Xulin's cold violence towards her after every fight. He would block her on everything and disappear without a trace, leaving her anxious at the sight of red exclamation marks on their chat.

Yu Shu told him more than once - if he needed time to cool down, she wouldn't bother him as long as he told her directly. But she really disliked when he blocked and deleted her.

Yet it happened again and again.

Yu Shu was drained physically and mentally.

"That's it?" Zhao Zhuo sounded a little disappointed. He expected some juicy cheating drama.

Lin Fangyu slammed the table. "What do you mean 'that's it'? Isn't that serious enough? Cold violence! Completely ignoring someone - how's that any different from slapping them in the face? If Chen Xiao ever dares treat me like that, I'll chop his dick off!"

Zhao Zhuo shuddered reflexively and clamped his mouth shut, not daring to speak.

What Yu Shu told was only half the story. Cold violence and long distance were only part of why she lost faith in love.

The other reason came from that fight and period of silence. On a sweltering June day, Yu Shu squeezed out time and money saved over two weeks for buses and transit to get to Meng Xulin's school after 6 bumpy hours.

She saw with her own eyes him give a junior classmate an Estée Lauder gift set worth nearly 3,000 RMB as a birthday present. Yet two months prior on her own birthday, his gift to her was a 300 RMB set from Innisfree.

For the first time, she clearly realized everyone was secretly ranked by price in his heart.

It wasn't that she demanded Estée Lauder. She just didn't want to be the unimportant cheap goods in his eyes.

Yu Shu didn't approach or let him see her. She turned and went back the way she came. On the bus without AC, hot and stuffy and reeking of nauseating mixed odors, she sat in the last row drenched in sweat, watching people come and go...

Some disheveled, some polished and gleaming.

Who didn't want an easy life if they could have it?

Later Yu Shu dated two more boyfriends, but neither lasted longer than a month. As soon as she sensed any sign of not being the most important and precious to him, she decisively ended things.

So-called love was just men and women sizing up what they could get from one another.

As the server brought more tripe, the icy water almost dripped onto Yu Shu's bag. Lin Fangyu quickly helped move it out of the way.

"Wow, your bag looks so real. Send me the link?" Lin Fangyu admired as she stroked the bag. "The one my cousin got for 800 yuan looks way worse than yours."

Today Yu Shu carried a classic Chanel diamond quilt bag, priced at 68,000 RMB.

"I'll give you one as a birthday gift," Yu Shu offered.

Lin Fangyu's birthday was easy to remember - the fifth day of the lunar new year.

Counting, there was just over a month until the new year.

After hot pot, Zhao Zhuo went back to his shop. Yu Shu took Lin Fangyu to go house hunting, checking out two developments for sale in the county city.

In the afternoon, Yu Shu got a call from Yi Manager saying he'd contacted the orthopedic director of Huaxi Hospital and booked an appointment for Yu Shu's father next Monday.

Yu Shu jumped up in excitement. Just getting an appointment at Huaxi Hospital was impossible with half a year waitlist. Scalper tickets went for over 10,000 RMB!

At dinner, Yu Shu shared the good news at the table.

Yu Feng pinched at his clothes. "It'll probably cost a lot right? I'm doing fine as is now."

Ye Ping rolled her eyes. "Fine my ass! Whimpering and groaning all night on windy rainy days, keeping even me awake. Can't let me sleep a wink!"

She looked meaningfully at Yu Shu, "Having a lame dad will be a disadvantage when it's time for you to marry. At the wedding making you limp up the stage on crutches, taking the grandkids to preschool hobbling on crutches..."

Yu Shu buried her face in her rice bowl, not daring to speak. In her mind she thought - hoping for grandkids, it'd be faster to hope that Yu Yang amounts to something and lets them hold his grandchildren sooner.

After dinner, Yu Shu went to her parents' room to get her dad's medical records. In the top drawer of the wardrobe were all the family's important documents.

Yu Shu raised her brows and called out, "Mom, I'm taking both of your ID cards for when we need to register and book a hotel."