"That boss from last time? Didn't you already pay him back the hundred and fifty thousand?" Tang Yun was startled, and looked at her brother in confusion.

"I did give him the hundred and fifty thousand, but he says that was ten years ago, and prices have gone up so many times since, so the hundred and fifty thousand has to go up by interest too!" At this point Xiaowei looked furious. "He says either I pay him back five hundred thousand, principal and interest together, or Xiaodan stays on working at his company, or else I hand over the money..."

"Five hundred thousand?" Tang Yun's eyes went wide. "How can they demand so much, just opening their mouths like that? Turning a hundred and fifty into five hundred in one stroke? Does he have a contract? Why don't we take him to court?"

"What contract?" Xiaowei smiled bitterly. "If there were a contract, things would never have come to this. The only contract is the employment agreement we signed: Xiaodan is to work for him, and if she breaks the agreement she must compensate him for all his losses. And 'all his losses' never says how much, so he can say whatever he likes! Besides, even if we could sue, we can't afford to drag it out... Didn't Uncle Tang's business stay unresolved too?"

Tang Yun sighed. What Xiaowei said was true enough: their family had always been the weak side, so how could they stand against rich big bosses like that? Never mind whether they could win the lawsuit; even if they won, the man would trip Xiaowei up from behind, and it would still be their own family who came off worse.

"But... you tell me, what am I supposed to do?" Tang Yun lowered her head. She understood Xiaowei's meaning well enough: he wanted her to ask Wei Zhao for money. But how could she ask Wei Zhao for money now?

"Yun'er, I happen to have the five hundred thousand Wei Zhao gave me, but isn't that the money for our shop? If we give it away, we won't be able to buy the shop!" Mother Tang cut in just then. "Why don't you see whether you can talk to Wei Zhao and ask him for another five hundred thousand?"

"Ask for what? Do you take him for a money tree?" Tang Yun grew anxious and rose abruptly to her feet.

"What money tree? He's rich; this money is nothing to him..." Mother Tang looked at her daughter in the manner of one despairing that iron would not become steel. "You have the means to ask for money now, so you must ask for a great deal. Once you open your mouth, he will surely agree!"

"Yes, sister, I beg you. You're the only one who can help with this. If you won't go, what is to become of Xiaodan? You can't just stand by and watch her walk into the tiger's mouth!" Xiaowei urged her anxiously as well.

"You don't understand anything! You don't know what's between Wei Zhao and me either. Why do you always force me to ask for money? Why do you always force me?" Tang Yun was beside herself, tears on the verge of falling, and screamed herself hoarse. "I already owe him so much money, how am I supposed to repay it? How am I supposed to repay it? I'm the one who has to go and ask him for money, not you. What am I supposed to do with my life after this?"

Mother Tang looked helplessly at her frenzied daughter. "Yun'er, don't you understand? Wei Zhao likes you, and the fact that you're beautiful is capital! If you don't make good use of it, then when he breaks up with you later, you'll regret it!"

"Breaks up? That's right! We've already broken up!" Tang Yun had not wanted to air her shame, but she was truly driven to the end of her tether and could only say bitterly, "He doesn't want me anymore. Are you satisfied now? The money this morning, that was the payoff he gave me for ending things!"

"What?" Mother Tang was dumbstruck, and Father Tang, Xiaowei and Xiaodan were all dumbstruck as well. "Yun'er, you... what are you saying? Wei Zhao broke up with you? You must be joking?"

"Joking? What's there to joke about? Do I look like I'm joking?" As Tang Yun spoke, thinking of the sorrow of that day piled atop the grievances she was suffering now, her eyes went red and the tears came trickling out, traitorous.

"This..." Seeing her daughter cry, Mother Tang did not quite know what to do. Snobbish she might be, but in her heart she was still on Tang Yun's side, and she hurriedly gathered her daughter into her arms. "Yun'er, there's a good girl, don't cry... if he's broken up with you, then let him. I said long ago he was no good, a spoiled young master, a wolf's heart and a dog's lungs..."

Hearing this, Tang Yun actually found it rather funny, and her tears turned to laughter. "Mom, didn't you say he was wonderful back then?"

"Ah? I..." Mother Tang was instantly embarrassed. "Yun'er, did he take any liberties with you?"

"No..." Tang Yun shook her head. "I told him: not before he takes me to meet his parents..."

"That's good, that's good!" Mother Tang was overjoyed at once. "Since he didn't take liberties, then let it go. We've still pocketed seven hundred thousand for nothing, you could call that a fine profit!"

"Mom, what are you saying? That money has to be paid back to him!" Hearing that her mother meant to keep Wei Zhao's money, Tang Yun grew anxious at once. "How can I owe him that much and not give it back?"

"What of it? He's the one who threw you over, not the other way round. Besides, what he gave you was a payoff for ending things; it's only right that we take it!" Mother Tang said, unimpressed.

Xiaowei was rather struck dumb at this. He had never imagined that his sister and Wei Zhao had already broken up. He had been counting on his sister to borrow the money, but now...

"Sister, then what about my problem..." Xiaowei hung his head, somewhat dejected, and Xiaodan beside him looked utterly despairing.

"Xiaowei, don't worry. Your aunt won't buy the shop; we'll let you use the money first!" Snobbish as Mother Tang was, she was not the cold, heartless sort, and was quite generous with family. "Even if your aunt is hard up, I can't let you and Xiaodan suffer. So — in a little while, you go and deliver the money to them first!"

"Mom! You still mean to touch that money? I told you, it has to be given back to Wei Zhao!" Tang Yun was alarmed at once. She had told Feng Xiaoxiao today that she would repay Wei Zhao, so how could she touch that money?

"A payoff for ending things is yours by right! Or do you want to watch your brother go down a dead end?" Mother Tang glared at Tang Yun. "It's good enough that we don't ask him for another sum — and you want to give it back to him?"

"I..." Tang Yun was at a loss for words. Yes, the money had to be paid back, but Xiaowei's trouble could not be ignored either. So what was she to do? And yet, if she really took this money with a clear conscience, what would Wei Zhao think of her? He would surely look down on her, and Feng Xiaoxiao would surely mock her for being greedy for riches and vain, for putting on airs of purity...

For a moment, Tang Yun found herself caught in a dilemma.

"Yun'er, why are you so foolish? He toyed with you; isn't it only natural that he gives you money?" Mother Tang snorted.

"Toyed with? Mom, why do you have to put it so crudely..." Tang Yun blushed at once.

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