Chapter 57: Will the Broken Her Get Married?
["If someone like her went to a matchmaking corner, the old folks would chase her away, cursing."]
["That move was so savage of the host."]
["If you make her uninstall Xiaohongshu, where is she supposed to meet a guy with a nine-figure net worth?"]
Someone in the comments actually guessed what the girl was thinking.
After hearing Zhang Zhe’s advice, the woman’s first reaction was:
"Huh? What’s wrong with Xiaohongshu? That’s the main place I connect with potential dates. It has to be better than the people in the park, right?"
"SIGH—"
"I’m going to ask you a question. Look me in the eye and answer me."
"What kind of guy, with a net worth of over a hundred million, would waste the prime of his life running a Xiaohongshu account and looking for a blind date with someone whose identity can’t even be verified?"
"Just think about the guys you’ve been finding..."
"Are you some kind of Gold miner? You think you’ve dug up all the hidden rich guys on Xiaohongshu?"
’It was a good thing the system registered this woman as a matchmaking client, providing intel and promising a reward later.’ Otherwise, Zhang Zhe really felt like this woman should be paying him for emotional damages.
"Look, you were born in ’99, you’re 26. Your life still has room for error."
"Even if your thinking is messed up, you still have a chance to turn things around."
"Honestly, if you were 35, I wouldn’t even bother talking to you. I’d just tell you to get lost."
Zhang Zhe waved his hand dismissively and, without caring if she wanted to say more, disconnected the call.
["The host must be a saint."]
["Her attitude was actually pretty good, so it’s hard to just curse her out."]
["She came for advice, and the host gave her advice. Now it’s up to her to sink or swim."]
["By the way, do people really believe in finding dates on Xiaohongshu?"]
"You can actually find dates on Xiaohongshu. The key is to find a reliable host."
Zhang Zhe almost forgot he was developing his brand on two platforms at once. He quickly tried to smooth things over.
"I also stream on Xiaohongshu at night. Anyone who’s interested can go follow Granny Xu’s Matchmaking."
"Why not ’Brother Zhang’s Matchmaking’?"
"Good question. Because that’s Xiaohongshu. You’re one of the ’sisters’ over there. Would you click on a stream at night from a host named ’Brother Zhang’? You’d have to be pretty desperate."
...
Maybe he’d built up some good karma. After that weirdo in the morning, everyone Zhang Zhe connected with was normal.
This continued until just after 4 PM, right around quitting time, when a girl connected to the stream who was, finally, not normal.
"Hello, Brother Zhang—"
As soon as the girl’s voice came through, Zhang Zhe froze for a second.
’Why would someone be crying when they call in?’
"I was born in ’03, and I’m graduating next year. I have a regular bachelor’s degree. As for work, I haven’t found anything yet..."
"Wait a minute, are you crying?" Zhang Zhe couldn’t help but ask.
"No, no, this is just how I sound when I talk."
"Okay, then continue."
’She must have quite a story,’ Zhang Zhe thought.
A gentle girl with a naturally tearful voice like hers, if she was even slightly attractive, would be absolutely lethal to chauvinistic men.
At the very least, a lot of guys wouldn’t be able to resist her when she acts cute.
"Um, I’m 5’6", 109 pounds, and I’m currently in Chang’an."
"My parents are divorced. They divorced when I was a junior in college. My mom... I think she has some kind of mental illness. According to my relatives, she was divorced once before, when she was 20. Her marriage to my dad was her second."
"Otherwise, with my mom’s looks, she never would have married my dad, let alone had a daughter and a son with him."
"I actually think my mom is pretty mentally stable, but when I was little, she did do some strange things, like listening to music by herself all night long..."
"My brother and I both think my dad drove my mom crazy, because not only did he not give the family any money, he also went out and saw other women..."
’This was the first time Zhang Zhe had heard a girl describe her life story and felt, ’This girl has really had it rough.’’
The girl before, the one with four younger siblings, hadn’t made him feel this way.
["This poor girl has really had it rough."]
["Isn’t this the classic ’cheating dad, sick mom, student brother, and broken her’ story?"]
["This one sounds real. Normally, people don’t just bring up mental illness like that."]
["A girl from a family like this really should get married young. If she gets older, she’ll never be able to get married."]
["I’m just afraid no one will dare to marry her!"]
"Host, with my situation, is it true that there aren’t any good marriage prospects for me?"
"Yes." Zhang Zhe nodded with some difficulty. "The foundation of matchmaking is finding a match of equal social standing."
"In your situation, the ’equal social standing’ option is pretty much off the table."
"Furthermore, your mother’s mental illness is a huge red flag in a marriage, because there’s no guarantee your children will be healthy."
"I know..." The girl’s voice, already tearful, now sounded like it was about to shatter. "So if I find someone much older than me, then I’m not the one at a disadvantage, right?"
"You already have someone in mind?" Zhang Zhe could tell.
This girl had come with a problem, looking for an answer.
There were many people like her.
Making a decision alone can be difficult. Sometimes, a little push from an outside force makes it simple.
"Yes. I met a man in 2023 when I was working part-time."
"He was born in the ’80s—in ’86, specifically."
"Born in ’86... so he’s 39. Seventeen years older than you."
"Yes. His parents are also divorced, so his situation is similar to mine, but the environment was better back then for him. He’s a first-generation entrepreneur and has made a lot of money in business..."
’A first-generation entrepreneur, 17 years her senior... HSSS—’
Zhang Zhe sucked in a sharp breath.
’This girl was about to make a life-altering decision, and she wanted him, a matchmaking host, to give her the final push? Was she overestimating him, or had she completely lost her mind?’
["Host, choose your words carefully. This girl is about to make a decision that will affect her entire life."]
["I don’t see a problem. Given her circumstances, it’s reasonable even if she becomes a mistress."]
["It’ll be hard for her to get a proper marriage. Might as well make some fast cash for a couple of years."]
["This girl must be really good-looking."]
"During my internship, I had just broken up with my boyfriend. I was feeling really down at the office, and he came over to talk to me."
"He found out about my family situation, too."
"He said he never married because of his own family issues. We talked a lot, and then he said he was willing to marry me."
"He’s willing to pay a large betrothal gift and buy me a house before the wedding."
"Was it an unexpected breakup?" Zhang Zhe asked curiously. "Or did you break up with your boyfriend for him?"
"It wasn’t on purpose. It was because my ex-boyfriend couldn’t accept my mom."
"And this boss is willing to accept her?"
"Yes. He said as long as I’m okay with it, it’s fine. He also showed me his property deeds. He really does have houses in Shencheng City, Chang’an, and Chengdu."
"He said he would have one of the houses notarized and transferred to me before the marriage."
"Now I’m a little hesitant..."
"Wait, from the sound of it, you two are already planning to get married?" Zhang Zhe felt the story wasn’t going the way he’d thought.
’The girl is on the conservative side, so the guy promises marriage, has his fun, and then disappears. That’s the standard script, right?’
’But this boss actually wants to get married?’
’Just because she’s young and beautiful?’
"Young lady, for a rich man, the best way to enjoy a beautiful flower that withers easily is to rent it, not buy it and take it home."
"Are you sure he wants to get married?"
"I’m sure," the girl said with conviction. "Before I came on your stream, I also consulted another host."
"That host said that for someone from a family like mine, it’s inevitable that they’ll end up going down this path. He said he’s personally dealt with over a hundred cases like mine."
"As long as I protect myself, he thinks I can give it a try."
"Host, do you think he’s right?"