Chapter 300: Chapter 300: A Wake-up Call

’Second Brother is so naive! Hasn’t the Hua family suffered enough already?’

"Of course I’m not sick." Hua Yufen rolled her eyes, displeased with her second brother’s words. "How could you talk about Xiao Si’s affairs in front of Zhao Nuanyue? Don’t you know how dangerous it is for him, hiding his identity to carry out such a difficult mission overseas?"

"Of course I know that, but Zhao Nuanyue is our sister-in-law. It’s not right for you to treat her like such an outsider, especially in front of Eldest Brother," Hua Yulin chided, feeling his sister had gone too far. "Now that Eldest Brother is awake, you should respect our sister-in-law even more. Don’t look down on her just because of her humble family background."

"That was when Eldest Brother couldn’t wake up. Now that he’s awake, Zhao Nuanyue really isn’t worthy of him," Hua Yufen said irritably. "And I’m sure I’m not the only one who thinks so. Mom and Dad will probably take my side."

Hua Yulin was somewhat disappointed. He looked at Hua Yufen and said, "How does that make you any different from the Guo Family? In what way is Zhao Nuanyue inferior to a woman from a prestigious family like Guo Dongmei?"

"Heh, you men are all the same. You only care about a woman’s face. As long as she’s pretty and has a good figure, nothing else matters," Hua Yufen sneered. "And yes, Zhao Nuanyue is very beautiful, and she’s extremely loyal and devoted. Guo Dongmei certainly can’t compare to her in that regard. But there’s one thing where she’ll never measure up to Guo Dongmei: her family background. Unless..."

"Unless what?" Hua Yulin wanted to hear what else Hua Yufen could possibly say.

"Heh heh." Hua Yufen chuckled. "Unless Zhao Nuanyue is born again into a new life."

Hearing his sister’s words, Hua Yulin grew even more disappointed. "Is this ’family background’ you speak of really so important? When the Hua family was in peril, the Guo Family kicked us while we were down. As for the Zheng Family, your fiancés, they may not have kicked us, but they stood by and watched without lifting a finger to help. Compare that to Zhao Nuanyue, who helped Eldest Brother complete his work and enabled him to lead the Hua family to a comeback. What use are these so-called women from prestigious families, these powerful marriage alliances?"

"Second Brother..." Hua Yufen’s expression turned awkward upon hearing Hua Yulin’s words.

She understood. When the Hua family was in crisis, she had worried the Zheng Family would break off the engagement. When they didn’t, she felt incredibly fortunate, but at the same time, she was deeply disheartened that they offered no help.

Fortunately, thanks to her eldest brother’s efforts, the Hua family had managed to make a comeback.

She had seen the fickle nature of the world, how quickly people’s attitudes could turn hot and cold. It was just that the concept of marrying into an equal social standing was too deeply rooted in her mind to be changed so easily.

"Yufen, the Hua family has been through too much. We can’t just forget the hardships we faced now that we’ve overcome them," Hua Yulin said earnestly. "We should at least learn something from it, like how to see people for who they truly are."

Hua Yufen fell silent, unable to refute her second brother’s words.

"During this great upheaval, Eldest Brother faced far more danger than you or I did. At the same time, he also gained more than we did during that period," Hua Yulin said slowly, a hint of envy in his voice. "Not only did he gain Elder Gu’s favor, but he also found a true and sincere love. He has a woman willing to sacrifice herself for him, a woman who cared for him and encouraged him when everyone else had lost hope. That is his good fortune, and the Hua family’s good fortune."

Hearing this, Hua Yufen was also somewhat moved.

’Yes, she had to admit she couldn’t compare to Zhao Nuanyue.’

"Second Brother, I understand everything you’ve said," Hua Yufen said in a low voice. "My attitude just now was wrong. The road ahead for the Hua family won’t be smooth. I just want our family to grow stronger and go further."

"I understand," Hua Yulin nodded. "Our goals are the same, but we can’t forget what true sincerity means. Because when we were at our lowest, in our deepest crisis, the ones willing to help us were people who value loyalty and relationships, not these marriage alliances that are only concerned with benefits."

At these words, Hua Yufen nodded. Her second brother’s words struck her like a heavy hammer.

’The Guo Family, the Zheng Family... when they were in trouble, they were truly less reliable than an ordinary woman like Zhao Nuanyue!’

The brother and sister walked side-by-side. Hua Yufen turned her head and said slowly, "Second Brother, I want to break off my engagement."

"Huh?" Hua Yulin was stunned and a little shocked. "Why, all of a sudden? Why break off the engagement?"

"I used to think my love story was perfect. We were a good match socially, and my fiancé is courteous and refined. But thinking about it now, when I went to beg the Zheng Family for help, they didn’t refuse me, but they didn’t agree, either," Hua Yufen said. "They had their own difficulties, I understand that, but they should have told me directly instead of giving me the runaround and stalling for time. You were right. Even if the Zheng Family didn’t kick us while we were down, they still stood by and watched from the sidelines. And I’m certain that if the Hua family hadn’t pulled through, the Zheng Family would have come to break off the engagement, just like the Guo Family."

His sister’s words left Hua Yulin speechless.

He never would have imagined that simply trying to persuade his sister not to be hostile toward their sister-in-law, Zhao Nuanyue, would instead make her see the Zheng Family’s true colors.

"Sigh... Yufen, you saw it yourself. If Eldest Brother hadn’t had his accident and fallen into a coma, do you really think Father would have agreed to his engagement with Zhao Nuanyue?" Hua Yulin said with a bitter smile. "Let me be blunt: impossible. Absolutely impossible."

"Yes, I understand. I understand Father’s thinking. And the facts have proven that Father was wrong, and I was wrong," Hua Yufen nodded. "It’s precisely because I understand that I want to end this engagement even more. Our country is actively engaging with other nations right now, trying to establish diplomatic relations as soon as possible. I can speak the Luo language and the Federal language, so my future prospects are vast. I don’t want to bring benefits to the Hua family through marriage. I want to do it through my own, Hua Yufen’s, efforts."

’Her previous attitude toward Zhao Nuanyue had actually stemmed from her inner anger, from the pent-up frustration she felt from the outside world and the Zheng Family.’

’She couldn’t lie to herself anymore. Wasn’t her rejection and harshness toward her sister-in-law just a way to hide her own insecurity and disappointment?’

’Hua Yulin felt a complex mix of emotions. His sister was very strong-willed. Once she realized her mistake, she would change and try to make amends.’

"Sister, you should still think about this carefully," Hua Yulin said in a solemn voice. "I won’t argue against you or try to stop you. But if you still feel the same way after careful deliberation, then I will support you."

"Thank you, Second Brother." Hua Yufen smiled. Their conversation had helped her understand many things, and the gloom in her heart lessened considerably.

’Only now did Hua Yufen realize how much she truly detested the Zheng Family, how disappointed she was in Zheng Jiabin, and how dissatisfied she was with her current situation.’

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