"You didn't show affection when you should have, and now who are you trying to impress with your affection?" Xia Qingshan pointed at Xia Wan, his hands trembling with anger.
Xia Qingshan is not a sentimental person. Having been in business for so long, he has long since turned the people and things around him into interests. Gradually, in his world, people are only divided into those who can be used and those who cannot.
Before the dealer's downfall, Gu Qian still had some value in his eyes. Now that the dealer's business is a mess, Gu Qian has become a virus-carrying bug in the garbage dump.
He doted on Xia Wan, after all, she was his own daughter. When he didn't need her, he could respect her ideas and tolerate her willfulness.
However, his tolerance was also limited. As the saying goes, good things don't happen more than three times. Xia Qingshan was a typical patriarch and couldn't tolerate her challenging his authority.
"I've spoiled you too much, that's why you've become so unruly!"
Xia Wan tried to reason with her father: "It's not like our family can't afford to support someone, so why do we have to drive Gu Qian away?"
"Raise?" Xia Qingshan scoffed. "Raising a cat or dog is what you call raising a man. What is that? Besides, do you even know how much trouble he has?"
"It will be resolved in time..." Xia Wan's voice grew softer and softer, losing its previous confidence.
It sounds so easy. Xia Wan and Gu Qian signed a prenuptial agreement. Gu Qian's debts and legal responsibilities will not affect Xia Wan at present, but what about in the future?
The longer you're together, the more things get involved, the closer the relationship becomes, and the more intertwined your interests become, making it difficult to sever all ties completely later.
Xia Qingshan's cold smile provoked Xia Wan: "Dad, is it only about interests in your eyes? You keep those who are helpful to you and throw them away when they're no longer useful? This time it was Gu Qian, will it be me next time? Once Gu Qian and I divorce, will you immediately find me another one? Although Gu Qian isn't as outstanding as you think, at least he's very good to me. Now that I'm married to him, I won't just abandon him like that."
Just like the question the priest asked at the wedding: whether in poverty or wealth, in health or sickness, we shall never abandon each other.
Xia Wan made up her mind, and her eyes no longer darted away.
Xia Qingshan suppressed his sarcasm, looked at her coldly, clenched his fists, and tried hard to suppress the urge to hit her.
It turns out that this is what his daughter thinks of him. It is undeniable that interests come first in the adult world, but he has done his best for Xia Wan.
Xia Qingshan had once taught Xia Wan that you could be attracted to a man's good looks, his wealth, or even his sexual prowess, but the one thing you absolutely shouldn't be attracted to is his kindness towards you.
Love and kindness are both ephemeral things that can be taken away at any time.
Xia Wan had clearly forgotten that both of them were angry, and she wouldn't listen to reason with them at that moment.
A little bit of willfulness can be seen as having personality, but being willful to the extreme is just being unreasonable and annoying.
Some things are useless to just talk about; she'll only understand this when she hits a wall herself.
Seemingly having come to a decision, Xia Qingshan released his grip: "Since you're so reluctant to part with Gu Qian, then you can get out of here with him!"
Xia Wan remained motionless, as if she had suffered a severe brain injury and was experiencing auditory hallucinations.
Xia Qingshan issued an ultimatum.
"If you want to be with Gu Qian, then don't come back. Everything about the Xia family has nothing to do with you, and I'll pretend I don't have a daughter like you anymore."
Xia Wan shook her head, her voice hoarse: "Dad..."
"Don't call me Dad." Xia Qingshan hardened his heart. "Get out now, or I, this snob, will force you to find another family later."
He was forcing her to make a choice: her biological father on one side and her newlywed husband on the other. Xia Wan was torn between them, unable to understand why a family couldn't accommodate two people.
Gu Qian's heart pounded like thunder. This was not the outcome he wanted to see. If Xia Wan really left the Xia family, their marriage would be meaningless.
However, Xia Qingshan probably wouldn't be so heartless as to disown Xia Wan.
As an only child, Xia Wan focused her energy on work and raising her child after Xia Qingshan lost his wife. She did not remarry, unlike Zhuang Zhongming who had affairs and fathered illegitimate children.
Such a large family fortune will eventually be left to Xia Wan. What he said today was just in the heat of the moment.
Having figured this out, Gu Qian decided to hold on tightly to Xia Wan.
"Wanwan..." Gu Qian called out to Xia Wan, his face bitter. "Let's forget it. We'll get a divorce. I'll leave alone. Don't get angry with your father because of me. It's not worth it... From now on, you will still be the eldest daughter of the Xia family. As for me, I can only say that we are destined to be apart."
Xia Wan was moved. She grabbed Gu Qian's hand and stood up: "Dad, I'm sorry, I choose Gu Qian."
Then, under everyone's gaze, the two walked hand in hand out of the Xia family's gate, just like a clichéd plot on TV where love fights against the whole world.
Xia Qingshan was so angry that he could barely stand. He swayed as he sat on the sofa, gripping the armrest tightly with his right hand.
Seeing that he had closed his eyes, the butler quickly poured a glass of warm water for Xia Qingshan to drink.
Xia Qingshan took a couple of sips before catching his breath. He asked, "Am I a terrible father?"
"You have done very well."
"Really..." Xia Qingshan couldn't help but wonder, if he had agreed when Xia Wan said she didn't want to get married, would none of this have happened?
Xia Wan had chosen Gu Qian herself, and they were engaged, wedding invitations were sent out, and the hotel was booked. Wouldn't Xia Wan's sudden cancellation of the engagement just cause him trouble? Running away from the wedding once was one thing, but running away a second time was another. She really treated marriage like a game. So, she was determined to get married no matter what.
This insistence turned out like this, no one expected it to turn out this way, they brought it on themselves...
Xia Wan's decision to run away from home for Gu Qian broke Xia Qingshan's heart.
Xia Qingshan showed no mercy, taking away all of Xia Wan's assets, including her house and car, canceling her credit cards, and even calling and posting on social media to prevent people in the industry from helping Xia Wan.
Xia Wan has a strong sense of self-respect, and after seeing Xia Qingshan's post on WeChat Moments, she was too ashamed to ask her friends for money.
Not only that, Xia Qingshan also had his assistant tell Xia Wan that since she had broken with her family for a man, she shouldn't spend her family's money or use their connections. All the jewelry, bags, and clothes she had bought before were worth tens of thousands of yuan, and those were all given to her by Xia Qingshan. If she was so proud and wanted to share the joys and sorrows with Gu Qian, then she shouldn't go back to him.
In summary, one cannot have everything.
The assistant relayed Xia Qingshan's exact words, but before hanging up, she still advised her, "Miss, Chairman Xia only said those things in a fit of anger. If you apologize to him properly and listen to him, he will forgive you."
Even though she had made herself perfectly clear, Xia Wan still didn't turn around.
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