It was nighttime, Zhao Yulu had taken a shower and was lying on her bed, playing with her phone.
Knock, knock.
A knocking sound echoed through the door.
"Yulu, are you still awake?" It was Zhao Yulu's mother, Liu Yujuan.
"I'm getting ready to sleep, Mom. Is there something you need?" Zhao Yulu asked as she put down her phone.
At this time of night, Zhao Yulu believed there should be a reason for the knocking. Otherwise, Liu Yujuan wouldn't disturb her for no reason.
"Come out for a moment, your dad, your brother, and I have something to discuss with you," Liu Yujuan said.
"Alright." Zhao Yulu agreed. In a short while, she came out of her room and sat down on the sofa in the living room.
On the opposite side of the sofa were three people. One of them was a graceful woman who bore some resemblance to Zhao Yulu—her mother, Liu Yujuan.
The other two were Zhao Yulu's stepfather, Yang Tiancheng, and Yang Tiancheng's son, Yang Jingsheng.
Yang Jingsheng was five years older than Zhao Yulu and was a somewhat incompetent person. He worked in the catering group where Yang Tiancheng was the deputy general manager. Yang Jingsheng had secured his position in the sales department due to Yang Tiancheng's influence.
Liu Yujuan also worked in the same catering group as Yang Tiancheng, holding a position in the operations department as a manager.
Zhao Yulu, on the other hand, worked in a bank and specialized in finance.
"What's the matter?" Zhao Yulu asked as she sat down.
"Yulu, how has it been going with Guanglei these past few days? How's your progress?" Yang Jingsheng couldn't hide his eagerness and asked.
Chen Guanglei was someone Yang Jingsheng had introduced to Zhao Yulu. The intention was for Zhao Yulu to marry Chen Guanglei, to win the favor of the second-generation rich kid.
In fact, the Yang family was well-off, living in a villa. However, they were not satisfied with their current status. Compared to billionaires with tens of billions in assets, their wealth was still insufficient. They were not content with their situation. With their conditions, they were considered relatively wealthy, but compared to those billionaires with tens of billions in assets, they were far from impressive.
Chen Guanglei's father was a billionaire, in charge of an investment company. Chen Guanglei was the heir to assets worth tens of billions. Winning the favor of such a second-generation rich kid would bring significant benefits to the Yang family.
It was a decision made collectively by the father and son, Yang Tiancheng and Yang Jingsheng. Liu Yujuan also agreed with this course of action.
"No progress. I consider him just a regular friend," Zhao Yulu replied.
"Yulu, Guanglei's family has assets worth tens of billions. He clearly expressed to me that he really likes you. If you become his girlfriend, he will marry you. Marrying into a billionaire's family means a worry-free life. Yet you're treating him like an ordinary friend. You really don't appreciate your fortune," Yang Jingsheng complained discontentedly.
"Yulu, I think Guanglei is quite a good catch. You can entrust your lifetime to him," Liu Yujuan also tried to persuade Zhao Yulu.
Naturally, Liu Yujuan hoped Zhao Yulu would marry Chen Guanglei. It would improve her life even further. Being the mother-in-law of a billionaire's son would surely result in some generous allowances. That way, she would gain prestige among her peers and no one would dare not to show her respect.
"Mom, I understand," Zhao Yulu said half-heartedly.
"Yulu, you aren't still thinking about that Xu Yang, are you?" Yang Tiancheng said. "He's just a poor guy. He's never going to change his situation.
"He'll spend his life struggling at the bottom of society, working hard to afford a house. He'll be a lifelong bank employee.
"Love can't be your sustenance in this society. You need economic power.
"Only rich second-generation like Chen Guanglei can match your status.
"Think this through carefully. Don't think about Xu Yang anymore."
Yang Tiancheng frowned. He had met Xu Yang before and was just a poor guy.
Although Xu Yang was fine in social interactions and had a spirited appearance, his family background was pitiful. He was from a small county in another province. People like him were abundant in Jaster City. Most of them left humbly, having failed to thrive in the city.
A small portion of them managed to buy a house in Jaster City, and even then, they remained bank employees for life. Even if they managed to buy a house, they would still be working at the bank for their entire lives.
As Yang Tiancheng wouldn't allow his stepdaughter, Zhao Yulu to marry Xu Yang. He wasn't helpful enough to the family. Only marrying a rich kid like Chen Guanglei could boost the Yang family's reputation.
In fact, Zhao Yulu had her own reasons for breaking up with Xu Yang. She had grown up in such a family and had become materialistic. When she was still a university student, she didn't care much about those things. However, after graduating from university, it was completely revealed.
It was also because of Zhao Yulu's family. The three people in front of her had been badmouthing Xu Yang every day. They said that Xu Yang was useless and wanted her to break up with Xu Yang.
Due to those two reasons, Zhao Yulu broke up with Xu Yang on the day he proposed.
Hearing Yang Tiancheng's words, Liu Yujuan frowned and said, "Yulu, are you still thinking about Xu Yang? Are you thinking about getting back together with him?"
It was something Liu Yujuan would not allow. She was the one who was most against Zhao Yulu and Xu Yang being together. She believed her daughter was so beautiful and shouldn't marry a poor boy from a small county.
If Zhao Yulu wanted to marry, she had to marry a rich kid whom Liu Yujuan approved of. Or a rich man, the young elite of the business world who started his own business at a young age and was a successful person.
Liu Yujuan's opinion was the same as Yang Tiancheng. They believed a poor boy like Xu Yang could only struggle at the bottom of society for the rest of his life. Even if he could afford to buy a house, he would work for the bank for the rest of his life.
In case something happened to his family, and they couldn't keep up with the economy, they would need financial support from Xu Yang.
Liu Yujuan would never allow that to happen. She constantly discouraged Zhao Yulu from being with Xu Yang, claiming he was utterly useless and urging her to break up with him.
Now that Zhao Yulu had finally broken up with Xu Yang, she felt relieved.
However, hearing Yang Tiancheng's words, Liu Yujuan realized that Zhao Yulu might still be thinking about Xu Yang, and that made her anxious.
"Mom, I'm not. It's impossible for me and Xu Yang to get back together. He's already with my sister, Yuxin!" Zhao Yulu said.
Liu Yujuan, Yang Tiancheng, and Yang Jingcheng were taken aback. They were trying to figure out the situation and couldn't believe that Xu Yang was now together with Zhao Yuxin.
"Yulu, what's really going on? Explain it to me!" Liu Yujuan was the first to regain her senses, quickly asking for clarification.
"It's exactly what I said. Xu Yang and Yuxin are married now. It is not possible for me and Xu Yang to be together again." Zhao Yulu said.
"Holy crap!" Yang Jingsheng couldn't help and cursed. He thought, 'Sh*t, that Xu Yang is so lucky. He had just broken up with Yulu, and now he had hooked up with Yuxin. He just enjoyed the sisters like that. Even a rich heir like Chen Guanglei didn't enjoy such treatment.'
Yang Jingsheng was so jealous that his eyes turned red.
Although Yang Tiancheng was not as obvious as his son, his face was full of jealousy, and thought, 'What's so good about that poor boy, Xu Yang? He had just broken up with Yulu, and now he had hooked up with Yuxin, and even registered their marriage.'
That made Yang Tiancheng's mind a little muddled.
"Yuxin and Xu Yang are together? How could this be? I just pulled you out of Xu Yang's fire pit and Yuxin jumped in again. What was she thinking?" Liu Yujuan asked. Her expression was unusually ugly.
'Both my daughters were linked to Xu Yang. What is that?' Liu Yujuan thought. Even though she was a woman, she couldn't help but be jealous of Xu Yang's luck.
The more it was like that, the more Liu Yujuan felt that Xu Yang was despicable.
"Mom, let's just not talk about it anymore. As for me and Chen Guanglei, I'm still considering it. Even if I do become his girlfriend, it won't happen so quickly. As for Xu Yang, he's in the past now. I won't say more. I'm feeling a bit tired, so I'll go rest in my room."
With that, Zhao Yulu returned to her room.