The stubborn her

inexpensive

When Shen Zhitong returned, she saw that the door of the private room was half open. It seemed her dad wasn't there, and there were a few other people inside. From the voices, she recognized them as the friends of Zhou Xingjin whom she had met at the sake bar before.

This restaurant was a frequent haunt for these wealthy young men, so bumping into them wasn't unusual. Shen Zhitong hesitated whether to go in or not. Then she heard a man inside laughing, "I say, President Zhou, are you serious? Why are you still here?". Zhou Xingjin, who had been silent until now, responded indifferently, "Since when did I start dating?"

"Huh? You've met the girl's parents and everything, that's practically dating, isn't it? Are you just playing house?" The man said strangely.

Another moment of silence ensued. Zhou Xingjin remembered that night at the sake bar when the girl deliberately bumped into him with her friends. He recalled how she had been showing up at the bar recently, always coincidentally when he was there.

Being a recent graduate, she seemed to spend her days buying herself coffee, orchestrating encounters at the bar, working late shifts, and so on. With this in mind, he chuckled lightly, "People like to play house. I'm just bored and playing along."

Inside the room, a few people burst into laughter. "Just don't play around too much that you end up taking it seriously. You even brought your dad along."

The air conditioning outside the room was warm, but Shen Zhitong felt a shiver run down her spine. She couldn't tell if it was from the cold or from anger.

Then the man laughed again, "But let me remind you, when you actually want to seriously date someone, as a big shot like you, you wouldn't choose such a cheap girl, would you?" Zhou Xingjin sneered slightly, "If Tao Xinxin can find such a cheap man, why can't I find such a cheap woman?"

Outside the door, Shen Zhitong felt her hairs stand on end, retreating half a step in disbelief, her body trembling uncontrollably. Was it from the cold or from anger?

In the past, she had always kept her distance from those who seemed wealthy and privileged, knowing they were not from her world. How many lower-tier individuals tried to climb up, and how many higher-tier individuals were willing to stoop down?

The long-term condescension would eventually breed arrogance, and the naturally superior would always disregard those beneath them. She had thought Zhou Xingjin was different. He was courteous, dignified yet cultured, aloof yet humble...

Inside the room, the conversation and laughter continued incessantly. "Hey, so are you... attracted to her cheapness now?"

"You always let her sit in the front passenger seat, doesn't her cheap clothes fade and stain your car seats?"

"Hahaha, look at this! The bag on her chair, isn't it the one you gave her?"

The person who spoke the most inside said, "Isn't this the new model of Hermes this year? Three hundred thousand!! My bed partner has been pestering me for this bag lately, I couldn't bear to buy it! But you, you just gave it away?"

"Xinxin doesn't want it," Zhou Xingjin's words cut into Shen Zhitong's chest like a sharp blade.

"Xinxin doesn't want it? Then give it to me! If this bag is on the cheap coat of that girl, I feel sorry for the bag."

Shen Zhitong's fingernails dug into the flesh of her palm, tears swirling in her eyes but refusing to fall. In a daze, she heard Zhou Xingjin's cold voice towards the man who spoke earlier, "It's just a bag I don't want. Do you need these tens of thousands? Don't pretend to be poor."