"Alright Mom, you should rest early." Ling Yuchen, seeing her worry, said this before heading upstairs.
Mom, seeing this, gave up on the idea of bringing noodles up to him.
He reached the second floor.
Xia Wantang's door was shut tight. Ling Yuchen paused, gazing at it for a moment, then returned to his own room.
Tomorrow, the Xia family's villa would be confiscated. Getting the household registration booklet from Xia Yichen should not be difficult.
Then, he and Xia Wantang could get their marriage certificate.
…
As the lights of the city began to glow, painting the night with enchanting colors, the Xia residence blazed as brightly as day.
The living room on the first floor was filled with items.
Designer bags, shoes, watches, and more.
Xia Yichen sat on the sofa, watching several people come and go, appraising and clearing out the belongings.
He had no idea of the market value; as long as it could be converted into cash, it would suffice.
He felt that these secondhand items wouldn't fetch much.
Wang Hewen, with little interest in organizing, kept his eyes roving around the surroundings.
He had been here for most of the day and still hadn't seen Xia Wanfu. He had come this late specifically to see her.
He had waited so long for this day. Though Xia Wanfu hadn't called him, he was already filled with anticipation.
He casually tossed aside a bag from a few years ago.
With a pleasant smile, he said to Xia Yichen, "As old classmates, I'll buy these items at ten percent above market price."
No one would refuse extra money. Xia Yichen immediately beamed, "Thank you so much."
"No need to be so polite." The smile on Wang Hewen's face didn't reach his eyes. He asked, "By the way, I've been here for a while, why haven't I seen my old classmate?"
Xia Yichen replied without a second thought, "You mean Xia Wanfu? She's not here. She's staying at her boyfriend's place."
Boyfriend?
Wang Hewen's expression stiffened for a moment but was quickly concealed.
However, his smile vanished, and upon closer inspection, his face looked rather grim.
He continued to clear out the items in silence, his heart filled with displeasure.
No wonder. If she hadn't gotten involved with someone richer, why wouldn't she have called him?
Why would she let Xia Yichen sell off these shoes and bags so cheaply?
These items were all impeccably maintained, clearly showing how much their owner cherished them.
But now, it seemed, no matter how well they were kept, they were out of favor.
Xia Yichen clearly had no understanding of this trade, so the price would be whatever he decided.
He certainly wouldn't let himself be at a disadvantage. After all, he couldn't get Xia Wanfu now.
A single phone call had disrupted his mood, dangling him for so long, only for him not even to see her.
Once the clearing was mostly done, he took out a small notebook and began to settle accounts with Xia Yichen.
"Six bags in near-new condition, all this year's models, well-maintained. Four of them retail for over fifty thousand each, and two around twenty thousand. I'll offer you fifty percent of the price for them.
And seventeen from last year, seventy percent new, I'll offer you thirty percent."
Wang Hewen spoke while glancing at Xia Yichen's expression.
Seeing no reaction, he felt assured that Xia Yichen truly had no clue, and thus the accounts were indeed in his hands.
If Xia Wanfu inquired later, he could claim the items were carelessly left in the living room and had minor dirt and damage, affecting their valuation.
His current offer was already exceedingly generous.
A starving camel is still larger than a horse.
After totaling everything up, it came to around a hundred to two hundred thousand.
If bought at market price, it would have been well over three hundred thousand.
Wang Hewen suppressed his thoughts and said to Xia Yichen, "The estimated total is around one hundred and eighty-six thousand. I'll give you one hundred and ninety thousand."
Upon hearing such a sum, Xia Yichen couldn't help but be overjoyed. He had only expected tens of thousands.
The sheer delight on his face was unmasked, truly believing he had gained a windfall.
"Thanks, buddy."
Seeing this, Wang Hewen couldn't help but feel contempt in his heart. This was a case of being sold and then helping to count the money.
Without showing it, he directly took out his phone to transfer the money.
"Come, come, money for goods. Once I pay, I'll take everything."
Xia Yichen, with a brilliant smile, displayed his payment QR code on his phone.
Wang Hewen transferred one hundred and ninety thousand without a word, then had his people load all the items.
Xia Yichen, in a good mood, looked at the string of numbers and opened a shopping platform, finally purchasing the shoes that had been sitting in his cart for days.
Late into the night, the Xia residence finally regained its quiet.
Xia Yichen, yawning and exhausted, slumped onto the sofa and sent a WeChat message to Xia Wanfu.
(Sold the stuff. Totaled 190,000.)
After sending it, he tossed his phone aside and fell asleep on the sofa.
Xia Wanfu lay awake in the unfamiliar room, staring at the ceiling, lost in thought.
It was already past eleven thirty.
Jiang Zexi had gone out and hadn't returned.
She dared not call or text him, fearing he would be annoyed.
Alone, she couldn't help but overthink.
She wondered.
Had Jiang Zexi gone to a party again?
Surrounded by beautiful women, with one in each arm.
The mere thought of that scene sent her heart into a piercing pain, her chest feeling heavy and aching.
"Ding dong."
Beside her pillow, her phone screen lit up.
Xia Wanfu's heart skipped a beat, a flicker of anticipation on her face.
Was it from Jiang Zexi?
She picked up her phone and was almost furious.
Nineteen thousand for so many items? Impossible.
The bag she bought the day before yesterday, barely used, cost over twenty thousand. It should be bought back at least at a ninety percent valuation.
There were three or four other items in near-new condition, worth over fifty thousand, which should fetch at least seventy percent.
No matter how she calculated, it couldn't be less than nineteen thousand. Every bag was meticulously maintained.
"Idiot."
Enraged, Xia Wanfu tossed her phone aside and sat bolt upright, a knot of anger constricting her chest, making it difficult to breathe.
And this Wang Hewen, truly not a good person.
To cheat her like this. She had trusted him a little, just because he was an old classmate, and asked him to handle the sale.
As she was fuming, a few more messages came in.
Xia Wanfu took a deep breath, her expression extremely grim.
She thought it was still Xia Yichen, but to her surprise, it was Wang Hewen.
(I've bought the items. Total 186,000. I gave your brother 190,000.)
(It's a shame about those good things. They were worth at least 300,000. He left them in the living room in a mess, with some minor damage and stains, which affected the valuation.)
(Sorry, I couldn't help it. I was just doing a job for someone.)
Xia Wanfu pressed her temples, her head aching, and cursed Xia Yichen hundreds of times in her heart.
How could she have such a foolish brother?
The room was unlit, with only the moonlight filtering in from the window providing a dim glow.
The phone screen was glaringly bright. Xia Wanfu suppressed her irritation and replied: Thank you.
Wang Hewen quickly responded: No, no, no, I should apologize for not being able to help you more.
Xia Wanfu had no inclination to reply further. She turned off her phone and collapsed onto the bed, feeling utterly drained.
She was truly defeated.
Over a hundred thousand!
Just gone like that.