Return to the City: The Strongest King
Chapter 618 - 619: Usury

Chapter 618: Chapter 619: Usury

Song Xiaodong smiled and said, "When two people are together, material things are important, but they are not the only necessary condition. It’s fine as long as life is decent. Having the process of striving together and then building your own little home together gives a very happy feeling. Rich people have their own way of living, and ordinary people have theirs. There’s no need to deliberately pursue the lifestyle of the rich; it’s too exhausting."

Wei Yansong curled his lip and said, "I really don’t know whether to say you’re not ambitious or you’re just sweet-talking."

Song Xiaodong smiled again and said, "You are all Xuanxuan’s classmates, so you should understand her. She’s not a materialistic girl. If you measure Xuanxuan’s happiness by material standards, you’ve already fallen into a trap from the start."

Everyone was stunned for a moment, and then they actually felt that Song Xiaodong made sense. Back in college, many wealthy classmates tried to use their means to pursue Miao Xuanxuan, but in the end, they all ended up sorry-looking.

Wei Yansong wanted to retort, but felt that saying more would make him seem money-grubbing, so he grudgingly smiled and said, "It seems everyone has their own aspirations; I’ll say no more."

However, he thought to himself that if they ever went to Tiannan, he would indeed show them what the lifestyle of the rich was like.

He didn’t believe that Song Xiaodong and Miao Xuanxuan didn’t long for the lifestyle of the rich. What they were saying now sounded nice, but at the end of the day, it was just because they weren’t in that position and needed to comfort themselves.

Today, as they were entertaining classmates, after a while, the food and drinks were served, and Miao Xuanxuan also pulled Song Xiaodong to sit at a table with her university roommates. There wasn’t only Song Xiaodong as a sole male at this table; there were also other girls who had brought their boyfriends.

The group chatted about fun stories from their school days and teased each other occasionally, creating a rather harmonious atmosphere.

"Why hasn’t Sun Ya arrived yet? Isn’t she in Hua Qing?" Miao Xuanxuan asked after they had eaten for a while.

Cui Yu said, "I called her just over an hour ago, and she said she’d come. Who knows why she hasn’t shown up yet. But I feel like Sun Ya has been troubled recently. When I chat with her on WeChat, she takes forever to reply, and when I call her, she hangs up after barely a couple of sentences."

Miao Xuanxuan said, "Could that mean she has run into some trouble?"

Cui Yu shook her head and replied, "I don’t know. I’ve asked her several times, and she won’t say."

While they were talking, a girl walked in. Miao Xuanxuan and a few others immediately called her over. She was the Sun Ya they were just discussing.

"Sun Ya, what’s going on with you? You look so down," Miao Xuanxuan asked.

Everyone was relatively fresh out of graduation, just over two years, and they were still mostly young and vibrant. But Sun Ya seemed older than the rest, as if she were a woman in her thirties, looking dull and listless.

"Nothing... nothing..." Sun Ya forced a smile and said weakly.

Miao Xuanxuan has always been a very enthusiastic and righteous person. At that moment, she quickly said, "Sun Ya, if you have encountered any difficulties, just tell us. We will help you."

The others chimed in, "Exactly, just speak up if you’re having trouble. There are so many classmates here."

Sun Ya shook her head and said, "Really, it’s nothing. Let’s change the subject. Tomorrow is Cui Yu’s big day; she’ll be the first in our class to get married. Cheers!"

Sun Ya clearly didn’t want to talk about it, pretending to joke with everyone as if to cover something up.

Just then her phone rang; it was Sun Ya’s phone, and her face changed color instantly. She quickly said, "I need to step out to take a call. You guys chat." She then hurried out the door.

"I’m going to the restroom." A girl named Tao Lili at the same table immediately followed her out. She was a little gossiper, obviously wanting to eavesdrop.

Listiening in on someone’s privacy is not a good thing, but this time no one stopped her. They wanted to know what trouble Sun Ya was in so they could help her out.

It was not long before Tao Lili snuck back in, with a troubled look on her face, and said, "I know what’s going on. Sun Ya’s mother has cancer, and she has spent a lot of money on treatment recently. Sun Ya borrowed money from high-interest loan sharks for her mother’s treatment, and now someone is pressing her for repayment."

"Wow, while we can understand the motivation to cover medical expenses, borrowing from loan sharks is another problem; it’s a bottomless pit. It could squeeze out every last bit of a person."

Hearing Tao Lili chatting away, people from other tables gathered around as well.

Soon, everyone agreed to help Sun Ya through this difficult time.

When Sun Ya returned, her eyes were still red, clearly having just been begging someone through tears. Suddenly noticing everyone looking at her, she froze for a moment.

Wei Yansong was the first to speak, "Sun Ya, don’t worry. It’s just a high-interest loan, we’ll help you out. Tell us how much you owe." As the wealthiest here, Wei Yansong naturally wanted to take charge, or else it would be embarrassing for him.

Sun Ya was stunned for a moment before Tao Lili said, "I just overheard you on the phone. Don’t be mad that I eavesdropped. You’re in trouble; how could we not help you?"

Tears streamed down Sun Ya’s face as several girls quickly comforted her. Sun Ya finally said, "I only borrowed a hundred thousand, but... with the past few months, I’ve already paid back one hundred and twenty thousand, yet they say I still owe two hundred and fifty thousand. Instead of solving my mother’s medical expenses, it’s going to be the death of me, sob..."

Sun Ya had been enduring alone all this time, and now suddenly a torrent of emotions poured out.

But at this point, everyone looked at each other, not knowing what to do. Two hundred and fifty thousand – to rich people that might not seem like much, but to most families, it’s a significant sum.

They had just started working not long ago and their incomes were limited. If each contributed a few hundred yuan it wouldn’t be an issue, but anything more would be hard to bear.

There were thirty people in their class, and only over twenty came to the gathering. Even if everyone gave a thousand yuan each, that would only amount to over twenty thousand, which was nowhere near enough compared to two hundred and fifty thousand.

Then everyone’s gaze naturally turned towards Wei Yansong.

Wei Yansong furrowed his brow; his family was wealthy, sure, but it was one thing to show off by throwing around a few thousand, and quite another to shell out over two hundred thousand all at once. Aside from whether he was willing, such a large expense would definitely require family approval, and he couldn’t make that decision on his own.

The entire room suddenly fell into an awkward silence. Aside from the sound of Sun Ya crying, no one else made a sound.