Liu Ruo didn't want to listen to Xia Liang, but Xia Liang's voice, like a devil's whisper, etched itself deep into his mind.
"Stop lying to yourself. If Nana really wanted to spend her life with you, she would be considerate of the man accompanying her through it, not order you around when you're physically and mentally exhausted. Demanding a TV today and an air conditioner tomorrow... she's just treating you like an ATM."
"An ATM? Treating me like an ATM?"
Liu Ruo stopped shaking his head and stared blankly ahead, his mind replaying the events of the past six months.
From the initial one-cent bride price to buying the house, and then the renovations and furnishings, the home that was supposed to be built by two people became his burden alone. In all that time, she never offered a single word of encouragement. The most common phrase she used over the past six months was, "You have to buy this, or the wedding's off."
Seeing Liu Ruo's state, the audience in the livestream chat grew uneasy.
[What's wrong with Liu Ruo?]
[Damn! Did the Anchor go too far?]
[The Anchor is right, but can Liu Ruo handle this?]
[Liu Ruo, say something! Don't scare us like this.]
…
Seeing Liu Ruo's condition, Xia Liang swallowed the scolding he was about to continue with.
"Forget it, I won't say any more. Whether you listen is up to you. If you can't find the right person, why settle? Is it so bad to be on your own? You've compromised for others for so long; can't you let it all go for your own sake?"
After that, Xia Liang fell silent, simply watching Liu Ruo.
Hearing Xia Liang's words and recalling every detail of the wedding preparations over the last six months, Liu Ruo's tears began to stream down his face uncontrollably. The twenty-eight-year-old man cried like a child, leaving the livestream audience feeling unsettled.
[Damn it! I don't know why, but seeing a grown man cry like that breaks my heart.]
[Liu Ruo, the Anchor is right. Live for yourself, for once.]
[If love has become this exhausting, it's time to let it go.]
…
After crying for about half an hour, Liu Ruo was exhausted, but his head had cleared considerably. He wiped away his tears and spoke with self-mockery.
"How embarrassing. A grown man getting scolded by a younger Anchor, and then crying in front of tens of thousands of people. I've completely lost face."
Seeing Liu Ruo's improved state, Xia Liang felt a sense of relief.
"What's so embarrassing about it? I bet many viewers in the stream can relate. There's nothing shameful about it."
With Xia Liang's encouragement, Liu Ruo's mood improved significantly. He composed himself and said seriously, "Thank you, Anchor. And thank you to my friends in the livestream. I know what I have to do now. I'm going to live for myself."
With that, he bowed to the screen. Xia Liang chuckled.
"Good. All my talking wasn't in vain. Since you've made up your mind, go and do it."
"Yes!"
Liu Ruo nodded vigorously and took out his phone. He now fully understood that this wasn't the wedding he wanted; it was the wedding his girlfriend and her mother wanted.
He picked up his phone from the ground and went down his contact list, one by one. He canceled the banquet hall, the cars, the furniture and appliances, and even the reserved jewelry.
After finishing all that, he took a deep breath and dialed his father's number.
"Hello, son. What is it, so late at night?"
Hearing his father's aged voice and thinking of how the man, already in his fifties, was still working so hard for his wedding, Liu Ruo's voice caught in his throat again.
"Dad, I'm calling off the wedding."
Hearing this, Father Liu was stunned. "Son, what happened? Didn't you say you'd marry no one but her? Why the sudden change of heart?"
Liu Ruo's voice trembled. "Dad, it's not the marriage I want. I'm not going through with it. I'm sorry, Dad… I've let you down. I couldn't let you hold a grandson sooner."
Unexpectedly, his father didn't have a strong reaction. Instead, he seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.
"It's fine. As long as you don't do anything against the law, your dad will always support you."
"Dad… I'm sorry."
Liu Ruo couldn't hold it in any longer, and fresh tears streamed down his face.
"It's okay. If you don't want to get married, then don't. I'll handle our relatives and friends on this end; I'll let them know. Okay, I'm hanging up now."
After his father hung up, Liu Ruo let out a long sigh. There was just one more call to make, and everything would be settled.
Without hesitation, he dialed Zhang Na's number. After a long wait, she finally answered.
"Hmph! Liu Ruo, you've got some nerve, calling me after so long? I'm telling you, the store is closing soon. If you don't buy the TV today, I'm not marrying you."
Zhang Na waited smugly for his reply, fully expecting him to grovel and beg for forgiveness like he always did. Then he would rush over to buy the television. Afterwards, she could even pretend to still be angry to make him buy her a new set of cosmetics.
As Zhang Na reveled in her thoughts, she had no idea that this call wasn't to beg for forgiveness, but to announce the end. She only heard Liu Ruo say calmly, "The TV? I'm not buying it."
"Huh?"
Clearly, the unexpected response baffled her. Her voice rose sharply, "What did you say? Liu Ruo! You don't want to go through with this marriage, is that it?"
"Yes, that's right. I don't want to anymore."
Hearing his calm tone, so contrary to her expectations, Zhang Na started to panic.
"Liu Ruo, what do you mean? Are you messing with me? Say that again, I dare you!"
"I said, I am not marrying you. Is that clear enough?"
Without waiting for a response from the stunned Zhang Na, he hung up. Not even ten seconds later, his phone rang again. It wasn't Zhang Na; it was his would-be mother-in-law.
"Liu Ruo! Have you lost your mind? Calling off a wedding just like that? I'm telling you, if you don't get married, we're not returning a single point of the bride price! And that apartment—my daughter gets half!"
Hearing this, Liu Ruo let out a cold laugh.
"Not returning it? Fine. See you in court. I didn't marry your daughter, so on what grounds would you keep the bride price money? As for the apartment, has your family contributed a single point? From the down payment to the mortgage to the renovations, has your family paid anything at all? Demanding the house just like that? You people truly have no shame."
"You! You!"
On the other end of the line, she was clearly speechless with shock. She couldn't imagine how the normally compliant and timid Liu Ruo had turned into this person.
"Heh. Alright, that's it then. I expect the Two Cents bride price to be returned to me quickly. Otherwise, you can wait for a court summons."
With that, Liu Ruo hung up the phone. He felt a wave of relief wash over him from head to toe. The only word to describe the feeling was: exhilarating.