Chapter Two: The Sister Who Sacrifices for Her Brother

Wang Ying had fair skin and striking beauty, always impeccably dressed—she could have passed for a celebrity on television. Zhao Fan had to admit, his taste back then was not half bad.

But no matter how beautiful she looked, it could not disguise the fact that beneath the glittering surface, she was rotten to the core.

“What are you doing here?”

Just seeing her made Zhao Fan feel a surge of irritation. He didn’t wish to dwell on the past, but that didn’t mean he could forget.

Wang Ying, noticing the edge in his voice, furrowed her brows and raised her tone unintentionally. “Why shouldn’t I come? You promised to give me the betrothal money within a week. I’m asking you—where’s the money? Zhao Fan, do you even want to marry me or not?”

Money, money, money. It was always about money.

Zhao Fan’s head throbbed. How could he have been so smitten with her in his previous life and failed to notice she was nothing but a gold-digger?

And it wasn’t just Wang Ying; her whole family were greedy, insatiable parasites, treating Zhao Fan like an endless cash machine. In his past life, Zhao Fan had supported his mother-in-law’s entire household. Even the betrothal money for Wang Ying’s brother, Wang Qiang, had come from him. Yet when his own daughter fell ill, the Wang family hadn’t contributed a single cent. Instead, they warned him never to show up at their door again. Remembering all this, Zhao Fan felt his heart turn cold.

He said icily, “You know my family’s circumstances. My parents have spent their entire savings to buy a new house. Where am I supposed to find another two hundred thousand for a dowry?”

Wang Ying shrugged it off and replied self-righteously, “If you don’t have the money, borrow it. If that’s not enough, take out a loan—even from loan sharks! I heard your mother’s been asking around about selling a kidney. Let her go do it! My mother’s made it clear—if you can’t put up two hundred thousand for the dowry, forget about marrying me!”

Zhao Fan’s fists clenched, his anger boiling over.

So she knew about his mother’s plan to sell a kidney, and could so brazenly suggest it herself?

People have hearts of flesh, but this venomous woman clearly had none.

Zhao Fan, no matter how desperate, would never allow his mother to sell her kidney.

He blurted out, “To hell with you! I have no money, and as for the wedding, do as you please. Stop bothering me!”

Wang Ying froze for a moment, then planted her hands on her hips, glaring at Zhao Fan. Her fair fingertips jabbed at his face as she cursed, “So you’re getting tough with me now? You think I want to marry a loser like you? No money, no connections, can’t even land a decent job, and now you want your parents to sell a kidney for your bride price!”

“If I hadn’t been blind, there’s no way I’d have picked a pauper like you! Cut the nonsense and hurry up—make your parents get the dowry together. Otherwise, I’ll break up with you. I’d like to see where you’d ever find someone as good as me.”

She folded her arms and looked at him with haughty disdain, completely unaware that Zhao Fan was now thoroughly disgusted.

Recalling her actions in his previous life only filled him with revulsion.

After marrying Zhao Fan, Wang Ying’s arrogance only grew. She forced his parents out of their home to rent a tiny apartment, claiming she and Zhao Fan needed their own space. She forbade him from visiting his parents, insisting that during holidays he could only bring gifts to curry favor with her family.

Whenever Zhao Fan showed the slightest wish to be filial, Wang Ying would resort to tears, tantrums, and threats, keeping a tight hold on their finances and never allowing him to spend a penny on his parents.

So Zhao Fan could only provide for his parents in secret. Each time he saw them cramped into a dingy apartment less than thirty square meters, guilt gnawed at him.

Thinking back, he wondered if he hadn’t been under some evil spell in his previous life.

Zhao Fan gave a cold laugh and said, “Don’t think I don’t know why you’re so desperate for the dowry. Isn’t it because your brother owes money to loan sharks, and the collectors are threatening to break his legs?”

“Our Zhao family is a humble temple and can’t afford to worship your kind of idol. Since you look down on me, I don’t owe you any face. I won’t marry you, and I won’t give you a cent. You can just wait and watch your brother get his legs broken!”