Chapter 4: I should feel at ease if the house is in my name, right?
Qin Ce had no expression at first, but after hearing her words, his eyes showed a subtle change.
He stared at her with a half-smile, as if watching a performance she had directed and starred in herself.
After a moment, Qin Ce asked with a slightly sarcastic smile, "Are you short of money?"
His gaze made Qiao Xing feel ashamed. She realized she had asked for too much and quickly changed her mind, "Of course, if you think it's too much, 200,000 is fine, but it can't be less than 200,000."
With 200,000 yuan from Lin Yu's side, plus a loan of 100,000 yuan, she could buy the house.
“Three hundred thousand isn’t outrageous. So what about you? What’s your dowry?” Qin Ce leaned back on the sofa, staring at her with an inscrutable expression.
"You can live in this house, or add your name to it. Anyway, it's close to Grandpa Qin's house, so we can take good care of him."
Qin Ce didn't rush to speak; he just stared at her, and time slowly passed between them.
Qiao Xing had been on blind dates before, but she had never been this nervous. This didn't feel like a blind date at all; it felt more like a negotiation.
Only by buying this house can they continue to live here, so his 200,000 yuan is crucial.
If we buy the house and add his name to it, then he won't be at a loss if he pays 200,000.
Without knowing why, Qin Ce stood up, put his hands in his pockets, and looked down at her, "Then it's decided. I can pay 300,000. As for my name, there's no need to add it."
Qiao Xing waved his hands repeatedly, "No need for 300,000, just give me 200,000. I know you must have had a hard time too."
Qin Ce glanced at her sideways, but didn't try to negotiate with her. "When are we getting our marriage certificate?"
Qiao Xing was taken aback. "Huh? Are you in a hurry?"
"Since we're going to get married sooner or later anyway, I might as well take advantage of my free time these next couple of days and get the marriage certificate sooner rather than later."
Qiao Xing was silent for a moment. Since he was so straightforward, she didn't want to drag her feet. "Okay, once you transfer the money, we'll get our marriage certificate right away."
Qin Ce said no more. He nodded, indicating that the matter was settled, and then left Qiao Xing's house.
As soon as he opened the door, he saw Old Master Qin standing there, prying at the door and eavesdropping. The door suddenly opened, and the old man almost fell over.
Qin Ce reacted quickly and caught him on the shoulder, preventing the old man from falling.
What are you doing here?
The old man was a little embarrassed. He cleared his throat and asked, "How did the talks go?"
Qin Ce raised the corners of his mouth in an ambiguous manner, "This is the girl you've taken a liking to?"
"Of course, what's wrong?" The old man frowned, and it was hard to tell what he meant by that.
Qin Ce didn't explain much. He helped the old man up and said, "Let's talk about it when we get back."
Qiao Xing is quite cunning, completely unlike the simple and kind person the old man described. She managed to charm the old man while simultaneously asking him for 300,000 yuan, and forbidding him from telling the old man.
The method was indeed ingenious.
Qin Ce didn't tell the old man about the bride price; he only told him that the deal had been reached. Seeing the old man's radiant smile, Qin Ce felt that spending 200,000 yuan to make the old man happy was not a big deal.
But he also told the master, "Please don't make a big fuss about the wedding; I don't want too much trouble."
The old man's laughter faltered halfway through, his face falling. He was displeased. "Why? A wedding requires a big banquet, with all the relatives and friends coming to celebrate?"
After Qin Ce entered the house, he closed the door and helped the old man sit down on the sofa. He patiently explained, "The banquet can be held anytime. The key to getting married is getting the marriage certificate. Besides, you have to give me some time to get used to her and understand her."
"What if we don't get along and get divorced later? Having such a grand wedding banquet will make it difficult for her to remarry, don't you think?"
"You brat!" The old man angrily punched him, but although he used a lot of force, it didn't really hurt Qin Ce. "We're not even married yet, and you're already thinking about divorce!"
Qin Ce said, "Anything can happen. Just because you like her doesn't mean everyone has to like her. Besides, I'm only saying 'what if,' not 'absolutely.' You're overthinking it."
The old man listened to his eloquent explanation and began to think about it.
"Alright then, you two can work on your relationship first, and then hold the wedding banquet once you've gotten used to her."
...
After Qin Ce left, Qiao Xing finished the glass of water he hadn't drunk in one go. She didn't know if her decision was right or wrong, but Qin Ce seemed like a decent person.
Unlike Lin Yu, who is good at sweet talk, he is a decent person. If he can bring 200,000 yuan, the house can be saved.
Before this, she never dared to think about it, always feeling that marriage was sacred and should not be associated with money.
Now she realized that she had been too naive. This is a money-driven society where even lovers will scheme against each other; there is no such thing as pure love.
Qiao Xing couldn't sleep all night. She tossed and turned in bed until the sky began to lighten.
She sighed, resignedly got out of bed; it was Monday, and she had to go to work.
When Qiao Xing came out after washing up, her phone rang. It was a message from Qin Ce asking for her bank card number.
Qiao Xing didn't hesitate and sent the card number directly.
Once she boarded the bus, a text message arrived on her phone announcing a money transfer. Looking at the string of zeros, Qiao Xing finally realized that she seemed to have made some terrible decision.
Qin Ce sent her a transfer receipt on WeChat, along with a message: "At 2:30 PM, bring your household registration book and meet me at the Civil Affairs Bureau."
The concise and to-the-point statement directly determined the future of the two.
Qiao Xing's fingers trembled slightly. She suppressed the complex emotions in her heart and typed a reply: Okay.
After receiving the money, Qiao Xing immediately called her uncle, but no one answered, presumably at work, so she had to give up.
Qiao Xing's job is quite busy except for the beginning and end of the month. So when she has free time, she secretly does some part-time work online, writing short scripts and copy for others.
On a good month, she could earn five or six thousand, and on a bad month, only one or two thousand. That's how she saved up 100,000.
The script she received last week is finished, and she sent it over after the morning meeting.
Just before she was about to leave work, she received a call from the front desk saying that Lin Yu was looking for her.
Lin Yu used to pick her up from get off work every day, so he naturally knew about her company. Qiao Xing didn't really want to see him, but she was afraid he would cause trouble at the company, so she went anyway.
She arrived at the company's front desk, where Lin Yu was waiting on the sofa in the lobby, holding a bouquet of roses.
Upon seeing Qiao Xing emerge, he immediately approached her with a bouquet of roses, saying, "Xingxing."
“Let’s talk outside.” Qiao Xing pulled him to the company’s outer corridor, looked at him coldly, and didn’t even take his roses. “Let’s talk here.”
Lin Yu, holding the flowers, felt a little awkward. He looked around and, seeing that there was no one in the corridor, took Qiao Xing's hand and whispered, "Are you still angry? Let's talk it over."
"What should we talk about?"
“I discussed it with my parents last night, and they compromised. The house will be in my name. Now you can rest assured, right?”
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