I'm A Math Idiot, So What? - Chapter 71

Chapter 71: Guard Against Greed and Anger (4)

The door clicked shut, and my room door swung open.

Mom stood awkwardly in the middle of the living room, looking at me. “Xiaomeng,” she began, “I have to say, what was supposed to be a beautiful proposal turned into a fight? Was it my fault?”

I shook my head. “Mom, I’ll find someone better for you later.”

Brother Sun was right. A whole group of men at the Information Management Center were waiting for me. Why should I let a man summon me at his whim, treat me like a stranger in public, and then come to me for comfort and jokes? And then expect a ring to seal the deal for marriage?

Am I just an AI robot programmed to orbit him?

Besides, Fang Congxin had only half-heartedly been with me from the start.

How could I believe his claims that he’d always loved me, not Tong Xiao?

I’d long cured myself of romantic delusions. This was probably another Xu Zheng situation, where he was projecting feelings onto the wrong person.

To Fang Congxin, I was just his amusement.

When I’m coddling him, tolerating him, and letting him have his way, of course he thinks liking me is a decent choice.

But the moment I ruffle his feathers, he shows his true colors, turning on me in an instant.

With that temper, I told him he should just go back to the Ming Dynasty and be a prince again.

Even if the Holy Mother’s gilded image is worth a fortune, if I can’t lift it, I’d rather smash it to pieces and be done with it.

The more I thought about it, the angrier I got. Realizing my family’s also loaded with millions in the bank, why should I put up with this crap? I turned to my Esteemed Mother and said, “Mom, can you lend me some money?”

“What’s wrong?” Mom asked, looking worried.

“Just give it to me.”

“How much do you need?”

“Two thousand yuan should do.”

Mom immediately transferred three thousand yuan.

Look at our family’s style! I thought. Back then, I used to bend over backward for you, cooking meals, driving you to work, even laying out a “love ladder” for you—all for a measly thousand yuan. No wonder I’ve been molded and manipulated like clay.

I’m telling you, the Chinese people have finally stood up!

I generously transferred two thousand yuan to Fang Congxin’s account.

Memo: Tuition fee + tip.

After reassuring Mom, I headed out to meet Zhang Ziqin and Wang Ziqi.

They received my summons in our girls’ group chat and immediately responded, ready to comfort me as ordered.

Zhang Ziqin had just finished her night shift, and a wad of kelp had been twisted into a grotesque, unrecognizable mess. It sat before me, so pathetic I couldn’t tell whether I should console her or let her console me first.

I’d initially thought a breakup was a grand, dramatic affair, best handled with drunken revelry in a bar—more meaningful, somehow.

But Fang Congxin and I had argued too early; it was only a little after seven, and the bars had just closed. There wasn’t even a decent place nearby to chat.

After searching for ages, I remembered I needed to visit Yuan Chongfeng later. So, I ended up treating my friends to soy milk at a breakfast stall across from the hospital, sharing my heartbreak with them.

“Did Fang Congxin beat someone half to death, guaranteeing him a life in prison, so you broke up?” Zhang Ziqin asked as soon as she sat down.

I shook my head.

Wang Ziqi snapped open a pair of disposable chopsticks. “Then it must be that femme fatale Tong Xiao finally showed her true colors and stole your man, right?”

I shook my head again.

“Then what happened?”

Drawing my breath deep into my dantian, I declared with forceful clarity, “Because he proposed.”

Wang Ziqi and Zhang Ziqin made as if to stand up and leave. “Let’s go, let’s go. We’ve had our fill of early-morning lovey-dovey nonsense.”

“Are you kidding me? I’m practically dead from sleep deprivation, and you’re here flaunting your romance in my face?”

I hastily pulled them back down, one on each side, and called out to the owner, “Boss, three bowls of shepherd’s purse wontons and five youtiao, please!”

After placing our order, I recounted the entire argument to them in excruciating detail.

Zhang Ziqin propped her chin on her hand. “You two aren’t pendulums, are you? Why does your relationship have to swing between extremes—either marriage or breakup?

If he proposed, it means he likes you, right? What’s there to be angry about?”

What infuriated me was—Wang Ziqi twirled her chopsticks. “I understand Lin Meng’s perspective here. Relationships need to progress gradually, don’t they? He’s only been with her for a short time—is there really any need to rush into marriage?

Besides, the whole situation with Fang Congxin and Tong Xiao is still murky. If he suddenly proposes, who’s to say it’s not just because he was rejected by Tong Xiao and came to Lin Meng, desperate for family warmth in a moment of impulsive weakness?”

“Exactly! I bet my anger stems from something related to this.”

“Fang Congxin doesn’t strike me as impulsive. Marriage is a major life decision for him; he must have thought it through thoroughly beforehand. You can’t just dismiss his motives so easily.”

“True enough.”

“He’s a ‘general manager’ after all, quite mature in his dealings. He wouldn’t propose on a whim.”

“Not impulsive? If he’s so rational, why would he beat up her dad for a casual friend?” Wang Ziqi emphasized “casual friend” with extra force, grabbing my hand.

My other hand was immediately seized by Zhang Ziqin. “He probably didn’t tell you because he didn’t want you to worry. Once he’s resolved the issue, he’ll explain everything.”

“That’s arrogant, macho bullshit! If marriage is the goal, why can’t we face problems together instead of sidelining the woman and letting him handle it alone?”

“Because men fundamentally believe women are weak, incompetent, and sheltered. They pride themselves on ‘protecting’ us, hiding us behind their backs under the guise of protection, when it’s really just a narcissistic display of heroic self-importance.”

“Maybe if a woman took charge, this whole mess could be resolved in no time.”

“I think Fang Congxin’s problem is exactly this. Elites first crush you with their intellect, then manipulate your emotions, gradually eroding your sense of security until they finally trap you through marriage.”

Wang Ziqi slammed her hand on the table and shouted, “This is textbook PUA! Those Peking University types love pulling this crap!”

My jaw nearly dropped.

Me…

Was I being PUA’d?

Zhang Ziqin retorted angrily, “You’re the one throwing around labels like a politician! What does any of this have to do with men or women? When someone loves another person, they naturally want to protect them from fear, to let them live carefree lives, to share the world’s beauty with them. Weren’t you doing the same for Su Xu? Why else would you pretend to be poor in front of him? Wasn’t that just another way of protecting his pride, letting him study peacefully and be with you comfortably? Were you PUA’ing him then?”

“How much is Fang Congxin paying you to defend him so fiercely?”

“Have some conscience, Wang Ziqi! If it weren’t for him back then, we’d still be rotting in the police station, waiting for our advisor.”

“So you’ve been bought off by this one act of ‘rescue’?! You’re willing to betray your sisters?”

“Betray? I’m just calling it like it is.”

After shaking my head like a rattle drum, back and forth, back and forth, I nearly collapsed to my knees. “I was wrong! I was wrong! I was wrong! Sisters! He’s not worth it! He’s not worth all this drama! Calm down first, take a breath. Boss, when will our wontons be ready?”

Wang Ziqi slammed her fist on the table. “No, Zhang Ziqin! There are things I need to say, whether you want to hear them or not. I’ve been putting up with this for too long!”

I grabbed her arm, panic rising. “What are you doing, Wang Ziqi? Let’s talk this through calmly.”

Zhang Ziqin chimed in, her voice rising. “Let her speak. I want to hear what she has to say.”

Wang Ziqi, her face flushed crimson, roared, “Can’t you fucking fix your hair already?! I’ve been putting up with this for ages!”

Zhang Ziqin roared back, “I’ll do as I please!”

“I’ll pay for it!”

“I’ll take a Korean perm and scalp treatment.”

“Okay.”

I: “……”

The wontons arrived, their fragrant steam swirling above the table.

The three of us ate in silence for a while, heads bowed. Zhang Ziqin whispered, “I was nearly scared to death just now. I thought you were going to yell at me or something.”

“How could I ever yell at you?” Wang Ziqi retorted, blowing on her food. “Except for that hopeless hair of yours.”

Zhang Ziqin broke off a piece of fried dough and handed it to her. “You slammed the table so hard earlier, you must be hungry. Eat up.”

“Are your wontons enough? I’ll share some if you want,” Wang Ziqi added.

I sat beside them, looking like a corpse. “Hey! I’m the main character here, okay?! Get back to my story!”

Wang Ziqi turned to me. “Haven’t you figured it out yet?”

“What?”

“If you two really have feelings for each other, someone will eventually swallow their pride and make the first move,” Zhang Ziqin said.

“People who threaten to leave don’t actually want to go. They just want someone to beg them to stay,” Wang Ziqi continued.

“Similarly, someone who claims to have broken up but isn’t crying, hasn’t lost their voice, and can still eat two fried dough sticks? They never really meant it.”

They both turned to me simultaneously. “You two need to sort this out yourselves.”

Watching the two of them act like a comedic duo, I couldn’t help but ask, “Hey, was that a real fight just now, or were you just putting on a show?”

“Guess.”

They exchanged knowing glances and smiled in unison, their eyes brimming with unspoken meaning.

“Hey—why are you still forming mini-cliques within your group?”

“Just because someone has a boyfriend doesn’t mean we can’t huddle together for warmth, does it?”

“Absolutely not!” I declared, feigning anger. “Unless… you tell me what to do next?”

Zhang Ziqin swallowed a mouthful of soup and said, “What’s bothering you? Whoever wants it more will naturally take the first step back. Fang Congxin’s eager to get married, so logically, he should be the one to compromise first. Just wait for him.”

I shifted uneasily. “While it’s true he proposed, you can both see—from my appearance and personality—that I’m… well, more… that kind of person.”

Wang Ziqi couldn’t help but laugh. “More that kind of person? What does that even mean?”

She set down her chopsticks and looked at me earnestly. “Even though I was just badmouthing Fang Congxin, when I first met him, I could tell he felt differently about you. It’s just that, as your sister, I don’t quite approve of his approach. Plus, you two haven’t been together that long. I’m always worried his affection might be fleeting, like a passing breeze. But how will you know if he’s just a breeze or a steadfast tree unless you try?”

Zhang Ziqin put down her chopsticks as well. “Since Fang Congxin’s an entrepreneur, his maturity should surpass ours.”

“Just give him an out, and he’ll apologize.”

After thinking it over, I realized my sisters were right. Instead of another senseless argument like this morning, where we exchanged harsh words in a fit of anger, we should sit down and talk calmly.

Whoever offers the staircase first matters little. What’s a small loss for someone who cares more?

I pulled out my phone, intending to send Fang Congxin a WeChat message to arrange a conversation.

But the moment the screen lit up, an email notification popped up: “Legal Notice.”

I clicked it open, and wished I hadn’t. What I saw nearly killed me on the spot.

Just how shameless could Fang Congxin be?

He’d actually had He Xiaoping send me an email on behalf of the company, claiming that after “rigorous calculations,” my total outstanding fees had accumulated to over 30,000 yuan. Moreover, after further “weighted adjustments,” my scores on multiple small quizzes no longer qualified for the discounted rate, and I had to pay the full amount.

One day late, and I’d be hit with exorbitant late fees.

Even though I’ve never been in a relationship before, I’ve seen enough movies and TV shows to know that wealthy exes don’t chase after their penniless ex-girlfriends demanding “breakup fees.”

I showed the email to Wang Ziqi and Zhang Ziqin. They fell silent immediately.

“Do either of you have any money? Let’s pool our resources.” I asked, forcing down my anger. “I’m getting paid around ten thousand yuan for a freelance writing project soon, but I still need over twenty thousand.”

“I don’t want to ask Mom for money yet, I don’t want her to worry.

If you guys have some cash on hand, could you lend me a bit? I’ll pay you back in installments.”

Zhang Ziqin tried to soothe me, “Lin Meng, don’t get so worked up, don’t get angry.

Fang Congxin’s just being stubborn with you.”

Wang Ziqi retorted coldly, “I have money.

Go return it to him.

Just because he has a few bucks, he thinks he can push you around? Who does he think you are?

I take back all the good things I said about him earlier.”

Zhang Ziqin kept trying to mediate, “He definitely didn’t mean it like that.”

I snapped, “Wang Ziqi, give me the money right now. And Zhang Ziqin, you don’t need to defend him anymore.

I’d rather lose face than lose my dignity. If I ever get back together with Fang Congxin, I’ll change my name to Mumu Tech, I’m done with being Lin Meng.”

With that, I slammed down the money for my meal and stormed out.

“Hey!

Lin Meng!” Zhang Ziqin called after me.

Wang Ziqi pulled her back. “Let her cool down.

No sane person could tolerate being wronged like this.”

Let others fume, I remain unperturbed, my heart untouched by his anger. If his anger breeds schemes, let it fester into illness—his burden alone. What joy would my fury bring him, save weariness of mind and drain of spirit? The world holds countless things, none perfectly aligning with my desires.

I mentally recited the Calming Mantra ten times, barely suppressing the urge to call Fang Congxin and unleash a torrent of abuse. After ten more recitations, I imagined myself crowned with a golden halo, draped in robes of merit, and holding a jade purification vase—radiant with Buddha’s light. Only then did I transfer the money Wang Ziqi had sent me to Fang Congxin’s account.

This time, I left the transfer memo blank. Let a few tens of thousands of yuan buy me closure, I thought. Not too high a price to pay for a dead heart.