Qin Mei leaned closer to Jie Jingchen, a smile like the winter sun—warm and pure—gracing her face. "Jie Jingsi, I've thought of another brilliant plan."
"What plan?" Jie Jingchen asked, sounding uninterested.
"You could use Xu Jiali's stepmother," Qin Mei suggested, earning a deep look from Jie Jingchen. She didn't dwell on it, trying to persuade him. "Stepmothers don't just have malicious hearts, they have greedy ones, too. You can use her stepmother's greed to demand a bride price from the Gao family."
'With his grandparents retired, it would be a bit much for Jie Jingchen to be the one demanding a bride price. But it would be perfectly justifiable for Xu Jiali's biological father and stepmother to do it.'
'The stepmother wouldn't have so many scruples. All she'd care about is getting a bigger bride price. She'd be shameless, and no one would be able to handle her. She might just make such a fuss that the Gao family gives up on marrying Xu Jiali altogether.'
