Chapter 9

Youjia: "Naturally, there are no necklaces or rings, but I have been with Yutao for six years, and I have bought him countless clothes, shoes, and socks. Shouldn't these also be taken into account?"

She discovered that once her identity changed and her stance shifted, she could perceive things in many details that she had not noticed before

Her words were devoid of any warmth, yet the gaze she directed at Yu Tao and his mother sent chills down their spines. Yu's mother quickly pulled her son back a few steps, while shouting, "You must not act recklessly"

Mother Yu's reaction was swift: "Jiajia, as far as I know, you have never bought any necklaces or rings for Xiaotao!"

Yu's mother: "Since we are all here, let us help you tidy up together"

Upon hearing her sharp tone, Yu Tao furrowed his brow and kindly advised, "Xiao Jia, please do not throw a tantrum. Shangfang is a large company, and as a girl, being there is more stable than in other places. Why do you want to resign? I truly do not want to see you jeopardize your future because of our personal matters..."

Youjia turned her body to the side to let him in

"Why can't you bring it up!" Mother Yu glared at him, "That was clearly something you bought. Now that we have broken up, it is only natural to want it back!"

"Aunt." You Jiazhai's mother nodded slightly, her expression淡淡地 greeting.

Youjia interrupted him: "What future do you think a person who has been an ordinary customer service representative for four years at Shangfang can have by continuing to stay there?"

The Yu family is not local; Yu's parents have always lived in a small third-tier city. Aside from the last time when Yu's mother underwent surgery, they rarely come to City G. It is usually during the holidays that You Jia accompanies Yu Tao back to their hometown to visit them. This time, however, Yu Tao's parents traveled a great distance to help him move.

Yu Tao paused his speech, not continuing further, and turned to shout outside: "Mom, I'm almost done packing, you don't need to come in!"

In the end, one can only draw a conclusion: at that time, it was probably due to a lack of insight; fortunately, now the insight has grown wings and flown back on its own

With a clang, metal struck the glass tabletop, creating quite a commotion, unexpectedly startling Yu Tao

Upon hearing her address, Yu Mu smiled awkwardly and quickly turned to Yu Tao, reproaching him: "Why has it taken so long to tidy up? Your father and I were starting to think something had happened!"

"Mom, I have already told you not to bring this up again, let's go!" Yu Tao saw that his mother seemed to want to say something more, so he quickly interrupted her and pulled her along, wanting to leave.

Yu Tao initially felt a bit guilty, but when he heard You Jia's increasingly unpleasant remarks, that sense of guilt vanished without a trace

You Jiawei smiled faintly, disregarding him, and directly walked over to sit on the sofa in the living room, then threw the fruit knife onto the coffee table

Yu Tao quickly finished his previous statement: "Please don't misunderstand, I didn't mean to disturb you on purpose, I just want to take my things and it will be done shortly!"

After some thought, Yu Tao tentatively asked, "Xiao Jia, how have you been these past few days? I heard that you resigned?"

Aunt's words are very reasonable. Youjia originally thought she would be angry, but her mood is surprisingly calm now, and she can no longer recall the despair and rage that made her want to commit suicide that day. However, since Aunt has said so, I think I should also settle accounts with her properly.

He has been with Youjia for six years, believing that he has contributed a lot and has not treated Youjia unfairly. However, when he talks to her at this moment, he inexplicably feels a sense of guilt.

Yu Tao stood outside, feeling somewhat awkward. If possible, he would prefer not to run into You Jia directly upon returning.

Yu Mu was furious: "I originally thought you were quite decent, but now it seems that it's a good thing Xiao Tao broke up with you. Otherwise, with a troublemaker like you marrying into our family, it would definitely cause chaos. You are truly someone who has not been raised properly by your parents!" After saying this, feeling unsatisfied, she deliberately provoked her: "If you ask me, Xiao Tao's new girlfriend is a hundred times better than you. Not only is she gentle and considerate, but her family background is also good, and her upbringing is even better. Just look at her, and then look at you. How could Xiao Tao waste six years on a woman like you!"

You Jia, I have been in a relationship with you for six years. I believe I have not owed you anything. Cooking is something you willingly do, and tidying up the house is also because I am busy with work and have no time. However, I earn more than you and contribute more to the household expenses. You have more time, so you should do more housework. Is this really worth mentioning?

To be honest, after being together with You Jia for six years, Yu Tao has a certain understanding of her. He is very worried that You Jia will take this opportunity to cling to him, saying things about wanting to reconcile. However, by the time he had almost finished packing his luggage, he had not heard a single word from You Jia. Looking at You Jia again, she was sitting in the living room watching television, as if she did not even notice his presence.

Haha, look at what this child is saying! Upon hearing this, Mother Yu felt a wave of embarrassment and forced a smile: "It is like this, I heard from Xiao Tao that he gave you a necklace and a diamond ring..."

Yu Tao coughed lightly and said, "Um, could you please put the knife away first?"

The quilt was taken back to the room again

She immediately spotted Youjia sitting in the living room, first taken aback, and then awkwardly smiled and said, "Jiajia is here too!"

Although she has broken up with Yu Tao, she believes that this is a matter between the two of them and there is no need to vent her anger on Yu Tao's family

The key just kept turning outside for a long time without being able to open the door, because You Jia had already anticipated that Yu Tao might return and had directly locked the door from the inside.

This sound is equally familiar to Youjia

Youjia first felt a surge of vigilance, but then realized that it must be her ex-boyfriend at the door. Although he had moved out, he still had the key to this apartment.

After returning home in the evening, You Jia reflected on her experiences of the day, feeling that describing it as a series of twists and turns would not be an exaggeration. A job that was originally a sure thing was nearly lost due to Ren Jing's interference, but was ultimately salvaged thanks to Bai Ze. In the end, she also had Bai Ze to thank for a renewed understanding of herself

Mother Yu furrowed her brows and said, "Jiajia, what you are saying is just unreasonable. I know that Xiaotao has broken up with you, and you must be feeling upset about it. I have also spoken to him, but this is a matter for you younger ones, and as an elder, I shouldn't interfere. I cannot force him not to break up with you. However, since the breakup has already happened, discussing it further is pointless. Xiaotao earns significantly more than you, and he spends quite a bit on you each month. If we really consider it this way, you are the one at a disadvantage!"

Yu's mother said: "Why not take it back? This is clearly what you bought. Now that you have broken up, you should naturally retrieve it. These two items together are not cheap!"

As for the matter of Bai Ze needing her to pretend to be his girlfriend, You Jia did not have any overly romantic thoughts, nor did she entertain the idea of taking advantage of the situation to climb the social ladder. Essentially, she is not someone who enjoys creating trouble. She is simply fulfilling a request and being loyal to her commitments. The significant gap that exists between the two of them is evident even to a pig, and You Jia is not so lacking in self-awareness. Once the task is completed, the favor will be considered repaid. It is said that monetary debts are easier to settle, while debts of gratitude are harder to repay, and this is precisely the reasoning behind it.

Yaojia retorted: "So what if it is?"

Of course, I haven't forgotten to take the luggage

Youjia smiled and said: "If you really want to calculate, I don't mind at all, go ahead and calculate. In the end, I will definitely not be the one at a loss! It's true that Yu Tao's salary is higher than mine, but aside from the necklace and ring you mentioned, I have never used his money to buy anything for myself. All the living expenses he provides have been used entirely for daily necessities. Don't tell me your son doesn't eat or sleep; those daily expenses are all borne by me alone!"

How could I have been so determined to marry into such a family back then

Youjia was not in a hurry, estimating that it had been nearly five minutes since the knocking outside began, and only then did he leisurely go over to open the door

Yu Tao felt a bit embarrassed: "I won't take it back, you don't need to bring it out."

Mother Yu was taken aback, rushing forward, but was still a step too late, only able to watch helplessly as the necklace and ring vanished from sight

How am I?

Wait! Youjia called out to them, then walked into the room, took out a necklace and a ring, and asked Yu Tao: "Take a good look, are these the two items you gave?"

This is the fifth floor, not high; if something is dropped down, one can almost hear the crisp sound of it hitting the ground

You Jia let out a cold smile, pretending to stand up.

After cooking some porridge to finish dinner, Youjia first removed her makeup, then followed the method taught by Boze, cracked two eggs, separated the egg whites, poured some honey into a small bowl and stirred it, and then took a small knife to prepare to cut the aloe vera.

"Xiao Tao, have you finished tidying up?" The voice came from outside.

Yu Tao finally reacted: "Xiao Jia, how could you do this!"

Without waiting for Yu Tao to speak, she smiled at You Jia and said, "Jiajia, don't you think this is the case?"

After several years of interaction, she has gained some understanding of Yu Tao's parents' personalities. Yu Tao's mother is a shrewd person, while in contrast, Yu Tao's father is relatively honest and taciturn

They are Yu Tao's parents. You Jia's parents divorced when she was young, and she has not had much time to truly experience familial affection. After being with Yu Tao, she regards and cares for his parents as if they were her own.

At this moment, the sound of a key being inserted into the lock and turning can be heard from outside the door

Although I have no money, I truly do not regard these things highly; they are not earned by my own hands, and ultimately, they do not belong to me

"Eh, this..." Mother Yu's movements slowed for a moment, and just as she was about to say something, she suddenly noticed You Jia still sitting on the sofa, looking at her. She cleared her throat lightly and smiled, saying: "Jia Jia, there is something that Auntie would like to discuss with you."

He looked around and found that Youjia had already packed her belongings in the corner, clearly also preparing to move out. He couldn't help but feel a bit regretful. This house is in a prime location, and the rent is not high. It is difficult to find a better place under the same conditions. Had he known that Youjia was moving out, he would not have rushed to find a new place. After Youjia left, he could have negotiated with the landlord to extend the lease for another six months and continued living here for a while.

Mother Yu, frightened, did not look back and dragged Yu Tao towards the stairs

At this point, You Jia has no money left. She questions whether she still has a bit of integrity. The reason she hadn't repaid earlier was that she had completely forgotten about it. Now that Mother Yu has brought it up, it is just right for You Jia to recognize some facts early on.

The people outside, unable to open the door with the key, began to knock on it

Xiao Jia, I still have some things left here, this time I came over..." Before he could finish his sentence, he saw the small knife in You Jia's hand, and his expression froze for a moment, leaving him unable to continue speaking

Mom! Yu Tao interrupted her, his tone somewhat anxious and exasperated, "Why are you bringing this up!"

Now that I think about it, Mother Yu has never been an easy person to get along with. It was just You Jia who was one-sidedly devoted, always treating them as family. In reality, a son is ultimately a son; no matter how good You Jia is, she is still an outsider. Even if You Jia marries Yu Tao in the future, given Mother Yu's character, she might even encourage her son to draft a prenuptial agreement.

You Jia coldly finished speaking, walked to the window, and directly threw out the necklace and ring with a flick of her hand

As the saying goes, one is not foolish unless they are young and lacking experience

Youjia was utterly perplexed.

Mother Yu did not have time to pay attention to You Jia, and quickly turned to Father Yu, shouting: "You should hurry down to look for her!"

Yu Tao coughed slightly: "I have told you before, you need to pay attention to building good relationships with your colleagues, avoid being late or leaving early all the time, and integrate more into the collective life; only then will you not be excluded by the leadership"

Yu Tao saw his mother's actions and quickly snatched the quilt back from her hands, saying, "You don't need to take this!"

Youjia noticed his gaze and pretended not to see it, asking, "Is there something wrong?"

Youjia did not fly into a rage; she merely picked up the fruit knife from the coffee table and raised an eyebrow, saying: "You are right, I am uncultured, so you better not take things too seriously with an uncultured person. If I get angry later, one stab will be one too many, and then you won't be able to attend your son's wedding banquet."

Youjia: "Aunt, please go ahead and speak, as long as you do not intend to take my blanket away."

Yu Tao: "It will be ready soon, you all go downstairs and wait for me."

"Then why have you been tidying up for so long? We came up to see if there is anything we can help you move!" The door was slightly ajar, and with a push, it opened. A middle-aged woman walked in from outside.

With two more people helping, the progress of the cleanup was noticeably much faster. As Yu's mother was preparing to take away the blankets from the bed, You Jia observed coldly, tugging at the corner of her mouth, not in a hurry to speak.

Upon hearing this, You Jia did not get angry but instead smiled: "The reason I leave work every day is to hurry back to cook, so that you won't come home to find no food after your work. The reason I leave later than you every day is that I still have to tidy up the house. Has your conscience been eaten by a dog? You have completely ignored my efforts over the years, and now you dare to say such sarcastic things to me? To prevent you from getting the wrong idea, I want to tell you that I resigned because I do not want to continue staying in that place, breathing the same air as you, because now just seeing you makes me feel disgusted"

Her quietness made Yu Tao feel somewhat uneasy. He contemplated how to start a conversation but was at a loss for words. As an engineering student, he was not particularly eloquent. Initially, You Jia appreciated his reserved and steady nature, which led her to consider him a reliable person.

However, all of this is no longer related to her