"Moreover, if you buy it today, there’s a discount. Don’t miss this great opportunity." The clerk spoke as she reached into the counter and pulled out the gleaming gold bracelet, placing it before Jiang Wan. Jiang Wan was completely stunned. She truly hadn’t expected that merely letting her gaze linger on the gold bracelet for a moment would allow the clerk to easily discern her inner thoughts. Now, after hearing the clerk’s words, Jiang Wan felt embarrassed, and her fear was predominant. Afraid that Zhou Kuangyu would be displeased because she liked the gold bracelet. The words from the jewelry store clerk indeed made Jiang Wan feel awkward. Jiang Wan was caught in a dilemma with no way to advance or retreat. The atmosphere was thus tense, and even though she liked the big gold bracelet, Jiang Wan didn’t dare to speak openly about it. After all, the person actually paying wasn’t her, but Zhou Kuangyu. What with the unpleasantness at the jewelry store entrance earlier, Jiang Wan really lacked the courage at the moment. Jiang Wan looked at Zhou Kuangyu with confusion and quickly checked his expression. Sure enough, upon turning her head, she saw Zhou Kuangyu’s face looking a bit displeased. This gold bracelet weighed quite heavy today, almost about forty grams. Considering the current price of gold, it wouldn’t come cheap without several thousands. And today, they had decided to visit the Department Store on a whim. Even though Zhou Kuangyu could buy it for her, Jiang Wan was unsure if he had enough money in his wallet. Seeing Zhou Kuangyu remaining silent, Jiang Wan felt even more uncertain. She bit her lip and left the counter, rushing over to Zhou Kuangyu’s side and tugging on his shirt sleeve: "Kuang Yu, that... I..." Jiang Wan spoke briefly, and Zhou Kuangyu’s gaze immediately swept over, causing her unfinished words to halt. Jiang Wan’s timid appearance didn’t please Zhou Kuangyu. He glanced at the big gold bracelet the clerk mentioned, his face cold, and then spoke to Jiang Wan: "If you like it, let’s come back to buy it in a couple of days." "We left in a hurry today, and I didn’t bring enough money to pay for this bracelet." "Look at the earrings or something, the lighter ones; we can talk about the gold bracelet in a few days." Kuang Yu directly rejected Jiang Wan’s idea of buying the gold bracelet. Suggesting Jiang Wan look at some lighter weight accessories; how could Jiang Wan not understand the implication in his words? Essentially, thinking that the gold bracelet is too expensive, suggesting she buy something cheaper. Seeing the situation was fine, Jiang Wan nodded to Zhou Kuangyu, planning to turn around to look at gold earrings and rings. However, she felt that Zhou Kuangyu still needed some coaxing, and she softly said to him: "Kuang Yu, you misunderstood. I didn’t want to buy the gold bracelet; I just glanced over there, and the clerk presumed I liked it and brought it out." "There’s also a reason why I looked at the gold bracelet for a few extra seconds." Jiang Wan began to appeal for sympathy, playing on her hardships: "Kuang Yu, you know my family’s situation is average. My brother is almost thirty and still hasn’t married, so my family is very anxious." "Recently, a matchmaker arranged a marriage for my brother, but the girl’s family wanted a small western-style house in town, plus a big gold bracelet." "But you understand, my homeroom teacher has told you about my family’s situation—it’s even hard for us to have enough to eat." "With the demands from the girl’s family, how could my family meet such conditions?" "But my parents can’t bear to give up this marriage, considering in the village, if my brother, over thirty, can’t marry, he might remain single for life." Read full story at 𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹·𝖿𝗂𝗋𝖾·𝗇𝖾𝗍 "So they took my scholarship for university and bought the big gold bracelet for my future sister-in-law." "They also used up the family savings to buy my brother a house in town, and I’m afraid I won’t even have money for living expenses for university." "That’s why my eyes lingered on that big gold bracelet for a few seconds; recalling these things made me feel really sad." "I guess it was a case of touching something that brings sorrow to the heart." "If it weren’t for you, without your sponsorship for us poor students, I might not even have had the chance to attend university." As Jiang Wan spoke she even sobbed a couple of times. Zhou Kuangyu heard this and, not being a man with a stone heart, naturally felt some sympathy for Jiang Wan. He hadn’t realized there was such a story behind it. So his earlier thoughts about Jiang Wan leading him to the jewelry store and thinking she was overly calculating were temporarily set aside by Zhou Kuangyu. Moreover, Zhou Kuangyu learned about Jiang Wan’s family situation from her homeroom teacher. Thus, he naturally assumed that Jiang Wan’s words hadn’t been embellished. In rural areas, it’s not uncommon for families to favor sons over daughters, like Jiang Wan said about using a daughter’s scholarship to help the eldest son get married. While Zhou Kuangyu might not feel heartache, his expression wasn’t as dark as before. Smoothing his tone, he comforted Jiang Wan: "Then check out some gold earrings first; when I have time in a few days, I’ll bring you to buy the gold bracelet." "Regarding your studies in the provincial city, there’s no need to worry. I’m here to assess sponsoring poor students this time." "If your family situation is genuine, you’ll be funded until you graduate from university; you needn’t worry about that." "All done through official channels, making it relatively fair, and it won’t make others suspicious." "Plus, since you’re with me, you won’t be shortchanged financially." Zhou Kuangyu spoke, knowing Jiang Wan was a young unmarried girl, and naturally the fewer who knew of their relationship, the better. Now reassured, Jiang Wan felt much more at ease. She thought to herself, should Zhou Kuangyu eventually tire of her and cast her aside, his current guarantees meant she needn’t worry about how tough her four years at university might be.