On the third day after news of my father's death reached me, my boyfriend of three years, Gu Yanzhou, proposed to Shen Ruoxue in front of the entire school.
He got down on one knee and held out the money I'd earned through three years of hard work and sweat. "Ruoxue, marry me."
Shen Ruoxue smiled coyly, but her gaze was like a knife, fixed straight on me.
I rushed forward, but Gu Yanzhou slapped me to the ground.
"Lu Wanxing, have you had enough?" His eyes were full of disgust. "Look at how poor and pathetic you are. Just touching you makes me feel dirty!"
I clutched my burning cheek and said in a trembling voice, "My dad... is gone. That money was for his funeral."
Shen Ruoxue walked over and ground the diamond-studded tip of her shoe into the back of my hand, smiling cruelly. "A funeral? For your deserter dad?"
"Sure. Get down on your knees and lick my hundred-thousand-yuan shoes clean, and I'll let you go."
With tears in my eyes, I called the number I'd sworn I would never contact again.
"Grandpa Meng, they called my dad a deserter... They said they'll only give me the funeral money back if I kneel down and lick her shoes."
There was a brief silence on the other end. Then a voice, utterly composed yet holding back a towering rage, said, "Don't be afraid, child. Put me on speaker."
I did, and Gu Yanzhou snatched the phone from me, his face full of disdain. "You old geezer, who are you trying to fool? Do you even know who my fiancée is? Cross us, and I'll..."
A calm, even voice cut him off, carrying an unquestionable authority:
"Tell me where you are. I want to see who could possibly be so audacious!"
