Xu Zifan had just received his salary and treated everyone to a meal at a mid-range restaurant. All his local relatives, all his acquaintances, as well as his parents' colleagues, classmates, and students were present—fifty tables in total!
Wu Xuefei and Wu Lidong were dumbfounded as soon as they entered the restaurant. Wu Xuefei grabbed Xu Zifan and said through gritted teeth, "Didn't you say you were only inviting colleagues and relatives?"
Xu Zifan said apologetically, "Originally, we only planned to invite two tables, just for family members to get to know each other. I didn't expect the news to spread, and my parents' friends all said they wanted to come. Don't worry, they'll all give red envelopes, so it's like our wedding banquet. Many people gave 500 yuan each, so we won't lose money on this meal; in fact, we'll make a profit. It's a pleasant surprise, isn't it?"
Surprise? More like a shock! Wu Xuefei and Wu Lidong exchanged a glance, their expressions not very pleasant. Just as they were about to make an excuse to leave, Xu Zifan grabbed one of them by the hand and dragged them onto the stage. For some reason, his grip was incredibly strong; the two struggled several times but couldn't break free. In front of everyone, they could only force a smile and go on stage.
Xu Zifan took the microphone and politely said, "Thank you all for gracing this dinner with your presence. As you all know, I'm not very good at speaking, so I'll just get straight to the point. This is my wife, Wu Xuefei, and this is my father-in-law, Wu Lidong. My wife and I were high school classmates and college classmates. We got our marriage certificate last month, and now Xuefei is pregnant with our baby. I feel very happy, so I've specially invited everyone here today to share my happiness."
Everyone applauded enthusiastically, offering their blessings with kind smiles. Xu Zifan handed the microphone to Wu Xuefei, saying with a smile, "Wife, say hello to everyone and say a few words."
Forced into a corner, Wu Xuefei reluctantly said, "Hello everyone, thank you all for coming today. I hope you enjoy the food and drinks."
Xu Zifan's colleagues at the table cheered, "Sister-in-law, wait until the baby is a month old before calling us. We're all waiting to give the little one a gift."
Wu Xuefei forced a smile and agreed, "Definitely, we'll invite everyone to celebrate when the baby turns one month old."
Xu Zifan then handed the microphone to Wu Lidong and said, "Dad, you should say a few words too."
Wu Lidong quickly declined, "I won't say anything, I... I don't know what to say..."
"Dad, just tell me how you hope I will treat your daughter. That's what other fathers-in-law say."
Everyone was amused by Xu Zifan, thinking he really didn't know how to say polite things, every word he uttered was so honest. But thankfully, he wasn't stage-frightened in front of so many people, which was better than before. Everyone was a little surprised by Xu Zifan's father-in-law; he was so well-preserved! The bride and groom were both thirty, but Wu Lidong looked like he was under forty; no wonder he could have such a beautiful daughter. It's just that the father and daughter don't look alike; perhaps the bride looks more like the mother.
Mr. and Mrs. Xu had already spoken at the beginning, and now they smiled and advised, "In-laws, why don't you say a few words? We'll all be family from now on. Tell us what the elders expect of the young couple."
Wu Lidong had no choice but to bite the bullet and say, "Well, I just hope that Zifan and Feifei are both doing well. I'll be happy if they're both doing well. Zifan is a good kid, honest and responsible, but he's not very good at socializing. I hope everyone will give him a helping hand in the future, and I also hope that the two of them will always live happily together."
Xu Zifan successfully got the two men to admit their identities in front of everyone. He glanced at the cameramen on both sides of the restaurant, raised his glass and said, "I won't say any more. Everyone, eat and drink well, cheers!"
Cheers! Cheers!
Everyone raised their glasses and drank the first toast together. Music started playing in the restaurant, and Xu Zifan and his group came down from the stage to sit down and begin eating. After a while, Xu Zifan led Wu Xuefei from table to table, toasting each table and solemnly introducing her to everyone. Throughout the meal, he had a happy smile on his face, making everyone feel that he truly loved his wife and was looking forward to their baby. Everyone was happy for them.
The meal was very enjoyable, and a total of 60,000 yuan in gifts was collected. After deducting the cost of the meal, 45,000 yuan was left. Exhausted, Wu Xuefei returned home and, thinking of the 45,000 yuan she had earned, calmed her anger a little and said, "Zifan, leave the money with me."
Xu Zifan replied naturally, "The wedding gift? I gave it to my parents. That's good, we've returned some of the money. Speaking of which, twelve tables of people came today because of my parents, so the wedding gift should actually belong to them. But we're family, so we don't care about such things. Consider it our repayment." He smiled and asked, "Aren't your parents wonderful? You must be very happy to have such wonderful in-laws."
Wu Xuefei barely managed to refrain from cursing, gritting her teeth as she said, "Happy? Of course I'm happy."
"Xuefei, what's wrong? You seem unhappy."
"No, I'm just tired."
Xu Zifan nodded knowingly and stretched his limbs. "Then get some rest. You've had enough exercise today, so don't bother cleaning. It's not dirty anyway, you can clean it tomorrow."
Wu Xuefei was furious when she saw him so confidently ordering her to do chores, but she couldn't find any reason to refute him. Xu Zifan kept praising her for being understanding and flattering her, so she couldn't even throw a tantrum. She suddenly felt that choosing him to mess with her was just asking for trouble.
That evening, Wu Xuefei and Wu Lidong discussed it for a long time and decided that they could no longer tolerate Xu Zifan and would resign in a couple of days.
Xu Zifan read through their chat history in the living room, thought for a moment, and then posted a Weibo message: "I introduced my wife and father-in-law to some friends and relatives, but they didn't seem very happy. A friend said my wife is still thinking about divorcing me, which is why she doesn't want to meet my friends. I'm a little panicked..."
These days he's been posting on Weibo constantly, occasionally showing affection, but most of it conveys a sense of confusion and helplessness. His followers are growing rapidly, now reaching 160,000, with each post receiving 20,000 to 30,000 comments, making him more popular than some celebrities. At first, people were just enjoying the sweet moments, but now they're starting to worry about him. Some are even sharing their own experiences, telling Xu Zifan not to be so foolish, as his wife doesn't seem like she wants to settle down with him.
Fans' opinions of the "father-in-law" were growing stronger, with some radicals even calling the father and daughter shameless. The incident continued to escalate, and Xu Zifan felt it wasn't going to get interesting; a twist was about to happen. Unexpected twists and turns were what truly captivated audiences, attracted the most attention, and made the two famous throughout the country.
He didn't make any plans; he just went along with the "father and daughter's" scheme. It would be most interesting, and most regrettable, for them to dig their own grave.
For the next two days, Wu Xuefei went to work, enduring all sorts of rude phone calls. Her mood was terrible, and her complexion grew increasingly unpleasant. Her colleagues were all young women, at the most self-centered age, and seeing her like this, who would want to be friends with her? Moreover, every time Xu Zifan picked her up, he would say that she was exceptionally capable and would definitely get a bonus, etc. Now, the way they looked at Wu Xuefei was somewhat disdainful, and Wu Xuefei was practically isolated in the customer service department.
Xu Zifan has been looking dejected at work these past two days. When his colleagues asked him what was wrong, he didn't say at first, but after being asked many times, he finally said it was about Wu Xuefei's work.
"Xuefei complained that the work was too hard, and my father-in-law also criticized me, saying I wasn't a real man for letting my pregnant wife work." Xu Zifan wiped his face in anguish. "I really didn't mean that, you know that. I was just worried she'd be too bored at home. She herself said before that she didn't like being cooped up at home and wanted to go out more often, and that she wanted to work to prove her abilities. I only found her a job because I heard her say that. I see those young women are quite happy every day, so why is Xuefei always angry? I really don't understand women's minds. I haven't slept well these past few days, tossing and turning on the sofa, feeling like I can't figure anything out."
"Sofa? Brother Fan, why are you sleeping on the sofa?"
Xu Zifan casually replied, "I was working overtime at the time, and Xuefei told my father-in-law that I was disturbing Xuefei's sleep by coming home late, so they told me to sleep in the living room."
"But didn't you stop working overtime a long time ago?"
"Yes." Xu Zifan paused for a moment. "Xuefei is probably a light sleeper. She can't sleep well with me around."
All the colleagues exchanged glances; it was obvious they were disapproving. It seemed Wu Xuefei really didn't like Xu Zifan, and maybe she even wanted Xu Zifan to pay to get Wu Lidong out of trouble! But how could Wu Lidong, as an elder, be so irresponsible? Instead of advising the young couple, he was stirring up trouble—wasn't that bullying Xu Zifan?
Xiaolin said, "I heard from a friend in the customer service department that the lady doesn't like to talk to them and always keeps to herself. And she shouldn't be tired. My friend said she often goes to the restroom and the break room, and even touches up her makeup from time to time. She's much more relaxed than the other customer service staff."
Xu Zifan exclaimed in surprise, "What? Is that true? She clearly told me that many colleagues kept passing the phone to her, and she didn't get a break all day long, and her voice was almost hoarse."
"Did her voice become hoarse?"
Xu Zifan thought for a moment, then shook his head. "No, not at all."
"That settles it then. She must have exaggerated," the handsome young man said. "Brother Fan, I'm not saying this to be mean, but when it comes to finding a partner or wife, you should look for someone practical and good at managing a household. If she complains about working a 9-to-5 office job, then she probably really wants you to earn your own money."
Xu Zifan frowned. "Then why did she say before that she wanted to go out and work?"
"Why else? I'm just telling you."
They wouldn't have said such blunt things before, but lately they'd realized that Xu Zifan was being bullied terribly by that father and daughter. And Xu Zifan didn't get angry at their words; instead, he was grateful for their analysis. So they became increasingly honest, and their impression of Wu Xuefei and her father worsened. The handsome young man even started to reconsider his relationship with his girlfriend. Her refusal to marry him over the house meant she didn't want to struggle with him. Although she hadn't done anything wrong, he figured such a marriage might not withstand the storms of life, so it was better to end it.
He didn't want to end up like Xu Zifan, who, after marriage, not only had to appease his wife but also his parents-in-law.
As the conversation progressed, some people began to speculate that Wu Xuefei wouldn't be able to work for more than a few days. Xu Zifan sighed and said, "If she really doesn't want to work, then let her be. I didn't originally intend for her to earn money. I just hope she doesn't get bored at home. If she gets prenatal depression or something, that would be terrible."
His colleagues were exasperated, feeling he spoiled Wu Xuefei too much and that she was being bullied. Xu Zifan had also mentioned on Weibo that his wife didn't want to work, and that he had misunderstood her intentions and helped her find a job, which left him feeling frustrated. Fans comforted him, saying it wasn't his fault, but that his wife was just playing a trick on him. With all the groundwork laid, Wu Xuefei simply resigned.
Sure enough, two days later, Wu Xuefei didn't get up for work in the morning. She was very listless and said that her stomach was uncomfortable, she had no energy, and she felt dizzy.
Wu Lidong was scolding Xu Zifan, blaming him for letting Wu Xuefei go to work. While he was yelling, Xu Zifan had already dialed 120 and urgently called an ambulance, making it sound very serious as if the pregnant woman was about to miscarry. He spoke too fast for Wu Lidong and Wu Xuefei to stop him.
Wu Xuefei said, "I don't need to go to the hospital. I'll be fine after a rest. I don't want to go to the hospital."
Wu Lidong said angrily, "Feifei is doing this for your own good. Going to the hospital for a check-up will cost a lot of money."
Xu Zifan said firmly, "No, we have to go to the hospital. I can't let anything happen to my wife and children!"