Their gap was so vast; she would only dilute his wealth and lower his social standing.
Without exceptional beauty or talent, how could she accept it?
"Ke Teng, I still feel this is not right."
"I chose to be with you simply because I'm comfortable with you. I don't want anything else from you, and you don't need to feel guilty or indebted to me. It's all by mutual consent…"
"You think I've given you too much?"
Too much? The cochlear implant for her sister alone cost over 300,000, not to mention this large shop.
She couldn't repay this favor even if she worked her entire life.
Ke Teng saw through her thoughts clearly. He found it both amusing and heartbreaking, and couldn't help but pinch her cheek.
"Can you be a little more ambitious, Jian Fei?"
"Many of your university classmates have already leveraged their youth and beauty for their own benefit during college. How can you be so oblivious even now?"
"If we were really in that kind of relationship, I would at least buy you a car, some bags, and jewelry. What do you have?"
"Just a shabby shop, and it's not even in your name. You're already feeling bad about it? You're truly pathetic."
With his subtle guidance, Jian Fei felt that there was some truth to what he said.
When other women got involved with rich second-generation men, they usually came away with bags and jewelry at the end. Why was she so embarrassed about it?
As their conversation reached a midpoint, Ke Teng's phone rang.
He said, "Keep looking at it while I take this call."
Jian Fei didn't know what there was to look at.
She didn't understand and genuinely didn't want to accept his things, so she followed him out of the shop.
She waited on the steps in front of the mall entrance. Soon, two slender and attractive women approached.
One was young, the other middle-aged.
They chatted and laughed as they walked. Their gazes accidentally met hers, and they slowly stopped.
Jian Fei recognized the younger woman.
Though they hadn't seen each other for years, she quickly remembered her high school classmate, Wang Wanfei, who had always boasted about being a little rich girl in class.
It was clear that Wang Wanfei had recognized her too.
After a few seconds of stunned silence, Wang Wanfei smiled and linked arms with the other woman as she approached.
"Are you Jian Fei? Long time no see. I didn't expect to run into you here."
Jian Fei also hadn't expected to see Wang Wanfei walking into the mall arm-in-arm with Jiang Chuan's mother.
Recalling the rumors about Jiang Chuan's impending marriage, she guessed it was likely to Wang Wanfei.
Both came from good families in the county and were attractive. They seemed quite a match.
"Hello, yes, it has been a long time. I didn't expect to meet you here either. Hello, Auntie."
Jiang Chuan's mother sized her up with a glance and nodded faintly.
"I heard you're working in Tongcheng. If I remember correctly, today is a weekday, isn't it? What are you doing here? Is something wrong at home?"
Jian Fei knew very well that Jiang Chuan's mother looked down on her.
But there was no need to be so impolite.
At her age, wishing misfortune upon someone's family?
She and Jiang Chuan had some degree of classmate camaraderie. If it weren't for his mother, perhaps they could have maintained a friendship.
But now, Jian Fei felt it was unnecessary.
"Business trip. Accompanying a client to look at something."
Jiang's mother seemed slightly condescending in her surprise.
"Aren't you a clerical worker at the hospital? Why would you be on this kind of trip?"
"Hospitals have many types of clients. Whatever the leadership assigns, I do."
Jian Fei met her gaze calmly, neither subservient nor defiant.
Jiang's mother smiled meaningfully and turned to Wang Wanfei.
"When she was in school, our Jiang Chuan often praised her, saying she was a good student, always ranked first, and got into a good university. She even pursued postgraduate studies later."
"I thought she would be the most successful among her classmates. But after graduation, she just found an ordinary job. And in such an unremarkable hospital."
"Studying doesn't necessarily change a person's fate. It's actually better to be like you girls. Having a business mind and knowing how to adapt to circumstances. I don't advocate for children to be bookworms."
Could it be that Wang Wanfei was pregnant? Were mother and daughter already considering future educational plans for their child?
Wang Wanfei smiled, "You're absolutely right. I've always thought so. I used to get scolded by teachers all the time back then."
"Look at our school teachers. They teach for a lifetime, and now they're just riding old electric scooters."
"Jian Fei, you might not know this yet, but the chain milk tea shop at the mall entrance is mine. My auntie and I just opened another one on the pedestrian street. You're welcome to visit when you come back to play."
Jian Fei wondered what she had done to offend them, to be so jointly ridiculed by the mother and daughter-in-law.
Bookworm with no ambition? Or were they the ones who knew how to adapt?
They just used their parents' old capital to open a milk tea shop in a small town, yet they were so self-congratulatory!
Although Jian Fei wasn't particularly capable, she had met many talented people and was unfazed by their mockery.
"Why isn't Jiang Chuan accompanying you shopping? Is he too busy with work to get away?"
"Their industry is quite demanding, isn't it? Dangerous too, and the pay isn't high. Actually, an intelligent person like you, Auntie, shouldn't let him do that kind of work."
"As you said, people should know how to adapt to circumstances. Opening a shop casually can earn you enough to spend for a lifetime. Why endure such hardship?"
She actually said Jiang Chuan's job was dangerous and low-paying?
Jiang's mother immediately became displeased.
"Jiang Chuan's profession is very noble. Not everyone can do it!"
"Are you unhappy because I said your job isn't good despite all your education? You're actually comparing yourself to Jiang Chuan."
"Jiang Chuan loves his profession dearly. If he knew you evaluated him like this behind his back, he would be very disappointed."
Whether he was disappointed or not!
If I had a mother like you, it's I who should be disappointed in him!
Jian Fei said, "I didn't say his profession was bad. No job is inherently superior or inferior; what matters is that one loves it. Auntie, you've misunderstood."
Jiang's mother pouted and turned her head away, displeased.
Wang Wanfei, seemingly determined to help Jiang's mother save face, changed the subject.
"In our county, there aren't many people your age who aren't married. Do you have a boyfriend? When do you plan to get married? Will you invite old classmates?"
"Although Jiang Chuan is busy, he usually makes time for classmates. We can go together then."
Jian Fei smiled.
"I don't think so. I don't know when you'll be getting married, and I won't be attending your wedding to accept a gift out of the blue. It would make me seem like I've never seen money before. I appreciate the thought, thank you."
"Ungrateful wretch. Why are you bothering with her? Does she think she's so great just because she has a master's degree? To have my son attend her wedding? She's not worthy!"
Seeing that Jiang's mother had spoken so harshly, Jian Fei felt there was no need for further politeness.
They wouldn't interact again anyway. Why should she endure this insult?