Qu Zhaojia left, and the people who came to pick up the bride also dispersed. Only Guan Xiaoxiao's relatives remained, looking at each other in the Guan Family's house.
They had collected a wave of red envelopes downstairs and hidden to count the money. How was it that by the time they finished counting and came back up, everyone had left?
“What happened? Why did the groom leave by himself and not take the bride?” Informed people who had witnessed the entire process began to explain on the spot.
The whispers made Guan Xiaoxiao extremely embarrassed; she was both ashamed and annoyed.
She was ashamed to be made a fool of by so many relatives and friends on her big day, and she was annoyed that Qu Zhaojia actually left just like that, and Lin Yichan even chased after him!
The thought that Lin Yichan was someone she had specifically invited made Guan Xiaoxiao's heart even more stifled with resentment.
She and Qu Zhaojia had been together for so many years. Although Lin Yichan liked Qu Zhaojia, she had never paid any attention to Lin Yichan. So what if she was the eldest daughter of a wealthy family? She was practically useless except for her family's money. Otherwise, she wouldn't have secretly liked Qu Zhaojia for so many years without him ever looking at her.
...
The wedding banquet was held in two parts: one for the groom's family and one for the bride's family. Today was the groom's family's banquet.
The hotel was filled with Qu Zhaojia's relatives, friends, classmates, and colleagues.
Although Qu Zhaojia had given instructions early in the morning to have the hotel replace all the photos and change the pictures on the LED screen, everyone knew what the bride looked like today.
Seeing Qu Zhaojia walk in holding Lin Yichan's hand, they were all stunned.
“Weren't they going to pick up the bride? Who is this?”
When Qu Family's elderly couple saw their son walk in with an unfamiliar girl, they immediately felt something was wrong. They suspected there must have been trouble with the bride pickup and hurried over to inquire.
“Dad, Mom, this is Lin Yichan. From now on, she is my girlfriend,” Qu Zhaojia said calmly.
“What's going on? Where's Guan Xiaoxiao?” Qu Father was anxious. What kind of situation was this? How could they change people during the bride pickup?
“It's my fault for being useless. I can't afford a 100-square-meter apartment in S City, and they wouldn't even let me in. I've also thought it through; it's impossible between Guan Xiaoxiao and me. I realize now that I've always liked Lin Yichan in my heart,” Qu Zhaojia said, tightly holding Lin Yichan's hand.
“This... this...” Qu Mother was speechless for a long time. As early as when they were discussing the marriage of the two children, they had felt that the future daughter-in-law's family was difficult to deal with.
They had been all smiles when discussing the marriage.
They could afford the 200,000 yuan betrothal gift, and they could scrape together enough money for a four-star hotel wedding banquet by borrowing a bit. However, the demand for an apartment in the city center was something they truly couldn't afford.
They had finally managed to reach an agreement, but unexpectedly, it changed again today.
But now that things had come to this, was there no chance to salvage it at all?
Qu Father still wanted to struggle a bit, but his son told him the bride's family's plan: they actually wanted them to sell their old family home to buy a new house for their son in the city!
Qu Father was furious, but seeing his son holding Lin Yichan's hand with a determined expression, he thought, “Never mind, it's better not to have such a marriage!”
If he really became in-laws with such people, he and his wife would end up sleeping on the streets.
After comforting the elderly couple, Qu Zhaojia also breathed a sigh of relief.
This wedding would not count. The gifts that had been received would all be returned, and this banquet would simply be treated as a gathering for relatives and friends.
The guests present saw the groom enter the hotel with an unfamiliar girl, and soon after, the cancellation of the wedding and the refund of the gifts were announced. While surprised, everyone began to ask what exactly had happened.
Qu Zhaojia left the hotel with Lin Yichan. Qu Family's elderly couple also looked exhausted, stating that they would buy tickets to return to their hometown soon, as the big city was truly terrifying.
A group of groomsmen remained, enthusiastically recounting what had happened during the bride pickup.
This incident was full of dramatic and melodramatic elements.
Many people immediately opened their phones to post short videos, sharing their bizarre wedding banquet experience today.
Guan Xiaoxiao waited and waited but didn't receive Qu Zhaojia's call of capitulation, feeling an indescribable mix of emotions.
“That boy has quite a temper,” Luo Lifang sneered from the side. If the poor boy had just humbled himself and agreed to sell his old family home to pay the down payment, she would have turned a blind eye. But he insisted on being so defiant today and arguing with her. She might as well curb his arrogance so that he would obediently listen to Guan Xiaoxiao after marriage.
“It's all your fault! If you hadn't spoken so harshly, he wouldn't have left with Lin Yichan!” Guan Xiaoxiao was extremely annoyed at this moment.
Especially after waiting for a long time, even the bridesmaids started whispering, and hearing their low voices made her feel even worse.
“Is my daughter not worth an apartment in the city center?!” Luo Lifang felt that her daughter shouldn't speak up for Qu Zhaojia. Their family was marrying down!
Qu Zhaojia was a migrant worker from the countryside, while their family had S City household registration. When Qu Zhaojia registered his household, it would be under their family's, which, to put it bluntly, meant he was marrying into their family!
Guan Xiaoxiao and Qu Zhaojia did have feelings for each other. She thought Qu Zhaojia was a potential stock; he was a prominent figure in school, and after graduation, he found a well-paying job much faster than his peers.
The sight of Qu Zhaojia and Lin Yichan leaving together was still deeply etched in her mind. Guan Xiaoxiao couldn't help but dial Qu Zhaojia's number, and the call was quickly answered.
“Qu Zhaojia, it's already 12 o'clock, where are you?!”
More than the broken engagement, she was more concerned about whether Qu Zhaojia and Lin Yichan were okay.
“I can't afford the down payment in S City. Haven't we already ended things between us?”
“What about Lin Yichan? I saw you leave with her. Is there something going on between you two?!” Guan Xiaoxiao finally asked the question she cared about most.
“That's none of your business.”
Guan Xiaoxiao keenly sensed that something was wrong. If it had been before, Qu Zhaojia would have directly denied it. The way he was speaking now, they must be together!
Qu Zhaojia clearly felt that the girl beside him was a bit downcast at the moment, so he added, “I hope you find someone you love. Goodbye.”
“Beep beep beep...” The sound from the other end of the phone made Guan Xiaoxiao disbelieving. Her boyfriend, who usually obeyed her every whim, actually dared to treat her like this.
Facing the scrutinizing gazes of her relatives and the uneasy expressions of the bridesmaids, she felt her face burning.
A surge of anger suddenly rose in her heart. This relationship was always her making a downward compromise. With her conditions, finding a rich second generation would be effortless. Without him, she could definitely find someone better!