True Colors

Xiao Yao’s sarcastic words to Mrs. He were harsh enough, but what truly shocked Xiao Banxia was when he claimed that Zhao Yiming was nothing more than a pretty boy with several girlfriends at once. She was burning with curiosity to ask her brother why he’d say such a thing, but now was not the time. Swallowing her questions, she resolved to ask him when they got home.

Mrs. He, never known for her temperance, found herself stung by Xiao Yao’s ridicule and contempt. She shot back, “So what if we own property? We have two apartments, earned lawfully and through hard work. We want to provide good conditions for our child—is that so wrong?”

Humiliated as never before, Mrs. He was aghast at being openly contradicted by her prospective daughter-in-law and her brother. Anger made her words sharp and reckless. “Our Yiming is outstanding, comes from a fine family, and plenty of good girls want to marry into our Zhao household. As his mother, I have the right to choose carefully. If someone doesn’t want that, she should keep her dignity and stop chasing after Yiming. If such a girl wishes to break up with him, I won’t stand in her way! There are plenty of excellent girls lining up for Yiming—even the daughter of a bureau chief is throwing herself at him. Girls who talk back to elders, have no manners, and rely solely on a pretty face—our family has no interest in such as them.”

Even after that tirade, Mrs. He was not appeased. She pressed on: “The type I dislike most are those from ordinary backgrounds who pretend to be grand, girls who have no money but insist on decking themselves out in designer brands for the sake of vanity. Even if such girls pursued our Yiming, I would never accept it.”

Such scorn was more than Xiao Banxia could bear. She was already upset that Zhao Yiming had so casually told his family about her pursuing him. Now, with Mrs. He showing her not a shred of respect, and Zhao Yiming sitting in silence, all his anger seemingly directed at her brother, she felt utterly betrayed. How blind she had been, so taken in by his handsome face, never realizing how little she truly meant to him.

Yes, she had genuinely liked Zhao Yiming, and throughout their relationship, she had always given more—both emotionally and financially. Yet she believed love should be mutual; even if he loved her less, she could not tolerate being the only one giving. She had her pride.

Only now did she see that all his sweet words had probably been empty. If Zhao Yiming had held her in any regard, he would never have let his mother treat her so.

“At last, I’ve heard the truth from Mrs. He,” Banxia said coldly. “My brother was right to call Zhao Yiming a kept man. The man I love must be devoted to me alone. As for a philanderer, I have no need of such a person.” Since she had already decided to end things with Zhao Yiming, she no longer bothered to hide her anger.

“As for those two apartments you worked half your life for, I do pity you. It can’t have been easy. Half a lifetime’s toil, and yet your two apartments aren’t even as big as our restroom.”

Her look of pity only fanned Mrs. He’s fury. “At least you know you’re not good enough for our Yiming—that’s some backbone. But this habit of boasting doesn’t suit a young lady. A girl should be down-to-earth to be liked.”

Relieved to see his sister take the initiative to break things off, Xiao Yao saw no reason to remain. He stood and said, “At least my sister has seen your family’s true colors today—this meal wasn’t wasted.”

He swept his gaze over the Zhao family. “Even if you agreed, my sister and Zhao Yiming were never going to work out. To be honest, the gap between our families is too wide. My sister was just too naïve, thinking love was all it took, and let herself be fooled by Zhao Yiming’s glib talk. With your circumstances—those two apartments probably aren’t even as big as our bathroom—my sister would never get used to living like that. If she really married a freeloader, never mind whether our parents would approve, she herself would regret it in time.”

Hearing this, Mrs. He and her family couldn’t help but wonder if Xiao Banxia’s background was truly as impressive as they claimed. Zhao Yiming, ever sharp, quickly considered the possibility. From what he knew of her, Banxia was not one to boast. Could it be she was not from an ordinary family after all?

He admitted to himself that there were many girls pursuing him, and two of them did come from very wealthy families. For example, the daughter of the deputy bureau chief—whom his mother had just mentioned—had shown obvious interest in him. If only she met his standards, he’d have gladly accepted her. But unfortunately, she weighed over two hundred pounds and had a face full of acne, far beyond what he could accept. He feared he’d be sick if he even kissed her. He simply couldn’t do it.

Banxia’s family situation seemed average, but she was truly beautiful, and she had chased after him. Yet he hadn’t succeeded in winning her over completely, and he wasn’t about to give up before he did. In truth, he had never planned to marry her; he’d always found excuses to put off meeting her family, dodging the introduction twice already. This time, he had planned to sweet-talk her, using the excuse that their relationship was practically confirmed, so he could achieve his own ends. Until he got what he wanted, he had no intention of breaking up with her—otherwise, wouldn’t nearly a year’s effort be wasted? Now, suspecting Banxia’s family might truly be extraordinary, he was even less willing to let go.

Seeing his mother’s rising anger, Zhao Yiming quickly intervened, worried she’d say something even more hurtful. “This is all my fault—bad timing. My mother must have had a tough day at work and brought her frustrations home. What was supposed to be a happy family meal has turned into this mess.”

“It’s all my fault—really, all of it. Caught between my mother and my beloved girlfriend, how could I possibly please both sides?” he said, turning to Banxia. “Banxia, I apologize on my mother’s behalf. Her temper’s a bit quick, but she’s soft-hearted underneath. She is my mother, after all. For my sake, please don’t take it to heart, all right?”