Chapter 91: What Have We Done to Deserve This?
Next, under the stunned gazes of Jiang Ruolin and her friends, Liu Shang placed the laptop on the desk in front of Jiang Ruolin.
"Hey, didn't you have an important email to reply to?"
"Coincidentally, this can connect to the internet."
Was it really a coincidence?
Though she had been shocked by Liu Shang so many times today that she was at a loss for words, Jiang Ruolin did as he suggested and turned on the computer. She ran her hand over the exquisite keyboard and the smooth, comfortable surface of the machine, letting out a soft sigh.
At that moment, Yang Dandan and Dong Hong erupted with excitement.
"This computer is so beautiful!"
"Oh my god, is that an Apple laptop?"
"I heard those are super expensive, right?"
As for Song Sha, she looked as if she had seen a ghost. Wasn't this the latest Apple laptop that her cousin, Song Jia, had been dreaming of buying?
Also, what kind of family did this Liu Shang come from? Who was he, really?
Even Song Jia couldn't get her hands on this laptop, yet he was already using one?
After calming herself, Song Sha asked slowly, "Liu Shang, this is Apple's latest laptop, isn't it?"
"As far as I know, it hasn't been officially released in China yet."
"A friend of mine has been wanting one for a long time but couldn't get it. How did you manage to?"
Under everyone's gaze, Liu Shang just scratched his head with a smile.
"Huh? Really?"
"I don't know, I don't really pay attention to these things. An elder in my family gave it to me, so I just started using it."
Regardless of whether Liu Shang was playing dumb, one thing became certain in the minds of Dong Hong, Yang Dandan, and Song Sha: the information they had on him was seriously flawed. Liu Shang's family background was clearly not as ordinary as they had been led to believe.
Jiang Ruolin was just as dumbfounded.
First, there was the high-end Giant bicycle. Then, he paid 7,000 yuan for the class party dinner out of his own pocket. Now, he had several high-value shopping cards and an unreleased Apple laptop that was nearly impossible to buy.
All of this proved that even if Liu Shang's family wasn't astonishingly wealthy, they were at least far from mediocre or ordinary.
And here she had been, so carefully trying to protect the pride of this infuriating guy, worrying that he couldn't afford his phone bill or that he might go hungry.
It turned out she had been worrying for nothing.
Of course, it wasn't really Liu Shang's fault. All her information about his family's financial situation had come from the student union or from Song Sha. She had never taken the initiative to ask Liu Shang himself.
But no matter what, for Jiang Ruolin, who truly wanted to build a future with him, the better his family's circumstances were, the more confidence and resources they would have for the challenges ahead. All in all, this was definitely a positive development.
***
Unsurprisingly, it wasn't long before Song Jia, who was still at home, received a message from Song Sha about the unreleased Apple laptop.
Ever since this beloved laptop had been brought home, Song Jia had treated it like a precious treasure. Besides doting on it, she had begun outfitting it with a protective case and the most advanced anti-radiation screen protector. She wanted to have it perfectly accessorized before taking it to school to show her friends.
But now, she received a message from Song Sha: that very same unreleased Apple laptop was already being used at school, and the person using it was Jiang Ruolin's boyfriend, Liu Shang.
The moment she heard Liu Shang's name, a surge of pure rage shot through Song Jia's heart.
There was no doubt about it—this had to be her father's company's doing! While buying the computer for her, they must have also gotten one for Liu Shang!
This was simply outrageous!
Why did they have to buy one for *that guy*? The one thing she had been dreaming of, the one thing she wanted for herself!
This utterly hateful Liu Shang—from the ruby necklace to this Apple laptop—why did he always appear to torment her like a recurring nightmare?
Immediately, brimming with fury, Song Jia stormed into the living room with the laptop. Then, under the completely shocked and astonished eyes of her parents, Song Guangyuan and Wu Caiyun, she slammed the computer she had previously treasured onto the coffee table with a loud crack.
"Dad!"
"When the company bought me this laptop, did it also buy one for Liu Shang?"
"Why? The one laptop I've been dreaming of, my absolute favorite, the only one I want—why did you buy him one too?"
"You've always hated him the most, so who was it that approved the purchase order for his laptop?"
Facing Song Jia's furious barrage of questions, Song Guangyuan felt a wave of dizziness.
"Hehe, Jiajia, I was the one who personally approved Liu Shang's laptop."
"You saw it yourself when we had dinner at the company. Liu Shang has been working incredibly hard since he joined us."
"His contributions to the company are far greater than you can imagine."
"I saw that he was having to manage and direct work at so many construction wells simultaneously, but he was still using a little notebook to keep track of everything. So, I bought him one while I was at it."
"This was my fault for not being more considerate, Jiajia. I forgot about your desire to be the only one at school with this laptop."
"How about this? Dad will buy you some other gifts to make it up to you, okay?"
After hearing her father's explanation, Song Jia suddenly felt that something was very, very wrong.
Hadn't her father always despised Liu Shang? Wasn't he worried about Liu Shang getting too close to her, to the point that he wanted to kick him out of the company?
But now, his every word was filled with sympathy and praise for Liu Shang.
Immediately, Song Jia shot her father an angry glare.
"Dad, are you treating me like a three-year-old?"
"Even if Liu Shang is working hard and desperately needs a laptop, you didn't need to buy him the latest unreleased Apple model that costs over 10,000 yuan, did you?"
"A Shenzhou, a Lenovo, even a ThinkPad for a few thousand would have been enough."
"Your excuse doesn't make any sense at all!"
At this point, Song Jia's mother, Wu Caiyun, also sighed softly.
"Jiajia, I also happened to meet Liu Shang recently."
"He really is a good boy."
"You don't have to worry about all those old rules and restrictions your father set for you before."
"University is a time for youthful vigor and freedom."
"If you really have a crush on a boy, your parents won't object."
Until that moment, Song Jia, her mind swirling with confusion, finally understood.
She had been secretly relieved that her parents had inexplicably stopped trying to pair her up with Liu Shang. But it turned out they hadn't given up at all—they had completely reversed their strategy!
At this realization, Song Jia slapped a hand to her forehead, utterly speechless and exasperated.
"You spent over 10,000 yuan to buy Liu Shang the exact same laptop as me… you were just trying to test my attitude by changing your approach, weren't you?"
"Oh my god, I'm seriously going to lose my mind!"
"I will say this one last time: I am not familiar with him at all, and I do not have the slightest interest in him!"
"Even if I were to find a boyfriend, I would definitely find someone from a family with a similar background to ours. It is absolutely, positively impossible for me to be with Liu Shang!"
"Are you satisfied now? Are you relieved?"
"I'm going back to my room! I don't want this laptop!"
After finishing her tirade, Song Jia turned angrily and stormed back to her room.
In the living room, Wu Caiyun and Song Guangyuan looked at each other and sighed in unison.
"What have we done to deserve this?"
---
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