People called Xu Hui a spoiled rich second-gen. He didn't mind. With a lazy smile and a long exhale of smoke, he'd shrug and say,
"What's wrong with being a second-gen? Means my family's loaded. Tell me, which one of you can still claim that title these days?"
So yes—Xu Hui's arrogance was well-known, even legendary.
His grandfather had once served as the mayor of S City. His grandmother had been the longtime vice chairwoman of the Women's Federation. His father was chairman of the city's largest real estate conglomerate, and his mother's side of the family owned a national chain of over a hundred hotels.
With a family background like that, the Xus were nothing short of local royalty.
Born with a silver spoon in his mouth, Xu Hui entered the world to the eager anticipation of his entire extended family.
His aunt used to say, "Xu Hui has incredible luck. He must've picked this family out with a flashlight before he reincarnated."
His younger aunt claimed she'd had his fortune read—great wealth and prosperity. "We must raise him well," she insisted. "Anyone dares bully him, they'll have to answer to us."
His mother waved them off. "Don't give him a big head," she said, pulling him close. "He's nothing special. Just my heart, liver, lungs, and kidneys."
His grandmother had gold jewelry made for him before he was even one hundred days old. During the commemorative photoshoot, his wrists, ankles, and neck gleamed with gold. The chubby baby lounged on the couch, head tilted slightly toward the camera, wearing an expression the whole family swore was proof of his "noble destiny."
So it was no surprise that innocent little Xu Hui grew up to be arrogant, bossy, and self-centered.
When he was two, he yanked the braids of his older cousin until she cried for ages. His grandmother scooped him up and patted his chubby little butt, cooing, "You naughty little thing! So mischievous! Oh no, now you're hitting Grandma's face? Okay, okay, no more spankings. Grandma could never hurt you!"
Then she turned to the crying cousin and said, "He's your little brother. What's the big deal about a couple of tugs? You scared him now. Come on, Xu Hui, let's go play with your building blocks."
When he was three, he begged to go to preschool like the other kids. After one day, he threw a tantrum and refused to return. His grandfather sighed and said, "Forget it. We've got enough people at home to watch him. Preschools aren't exactly safe these days anyway. Let's just buy the house next door, turn it into a private playland, and let him grow up at his own pace."
At five, Xu Hui beat up a visiting neighbor's grandson so badly that the boy's nose bled. Xu Hui's aunt, mid-mahjong round, bolted from the back room yelling, "Who made my Xu Hui cry? Do you have a death wish?"
But seeing that it was the other boy who was crying, she breathed a sigh of relief and waved it off.
"Phew, I thought it was Xu Hui. All good, all good. Back to my winning hand!"
At seven, he was slapped lightly on the hand with a pen by a young teacher for acting out in class. That evening, he told his mother about it. The next day, the teacher emerged from the principal's office in tears and was swiftly reassigned to a remote rural school. Before leaving, she had to publicly apologize to Xu Hui in front of the entire class.
At ten, a group of classmates laughed at him for scoring a zero on a test. Furious, he tattled to his parents. Within days, those students were transferred to other classes. From then on, even when he skipped school to play games, his test scores were always "magically" passing.
By thirteen, Xu Hui was already a legendary "boss" at his middle school, trailed everywhere by a group of "little brothers." He loved the attention.
At fifteen, he fell for a girl two years older and relentlessly pursued her in the high school division. A few local thugs, fed up with him, jumped him one night. The case caused a stir in the area, and within 36 hours, all eight attackers were arrested and sent to juvenile detention. Xu Hui, still nursing his wounds in the hospital, wasn't satisfied. He bribed the guards and personally visited the detention center under the guise of a "tour," beating those boys until they cried for their mothers.
At seventeen, Xu Hui led a gang fight outside a KTV and ended up at the police station. His father dragged him out, furious, and raised a hand to slap him—Xu Hui's first real taste of discipline. But before the blow could land, his grandmother rushed in to shield him.
Soon after, the entire family convened for crisis control. His aunt patted his dad's shoulder and sighed, "Big brother, don't be so harsh. He's growing up. As long as he doesn't kill, set fires, or smuggle drugs, let the boy be. What can't our family handle?"
That was the moment Xu Hui learned: as long as he didn't break the law, he could get away with just about anything.
After college, his father placed him in the family business. Less than two weeks into the 9-to-5 grind, he grew bored. Without even filing for leave, he vanished on a road trip with his friends. He ignored all calls from home and the company—except for the occasional check-in with his grandmother.
When he returned half a month later, he was greeted by his father's furious scolding. Xu Hui, full of righteous indignation, talked back. A slap nearly landed across his face, stopped only by the timely appearance of his ever-reliable grandmother.
The rest of the family arrived in waves. After several hours of collective persuasion and emotional appeals, things finally calmed down.
"He's still young," they said. "Give him time. Once he settles down and gets married, he'll grow up."
Eventually, Xu Hui strolled back to work with the same carefree swagger and lazy grin as ever—showing up when he wanted, skipping days as he pleased.
His father grumbled, "That boy is the textbook definition of a spoiled playboy."
His mother beamed, "My Xu Hui is so handsome!"
His aunt proclaimed, "Xu Hui is destined for greatness—we're all counting on him!"
His younger aunt bragged, "He's the most eligible bachelor in the city. At every party, women beg me to introduce him to their daughters."
His uncle said, "Let him study abroad for a few years. Some real-world experience wouldn't hurt."
His grandmother clutched his hand. "Xu Hui is the apple of my eye."
At last, his grandfather tapped his dragon-headed cane and cleared his throat.
"Xu Hui is at the age where he should settle down. Find him a suitable girl and let them start dating."
And so, the matchmaking process officially began.
But what exactly was a "suitable" girl? That was where things got complicated.
First, she had to come from a family of equal standing—hard to find, but not impossible.
Second, she needed education and refinement. No fake diplomas; the Xu family name couldn't be tarnished.
Third, she needed impeccable character: modest, virtuous, respectful to elders, and good at managing a household. Basically, the kind of girl you'd need a lantern to find in broad daylight.
Two years of blind dates later, and Xu Hui still hadn't brought home "the one."
Not that he cared. Xu Hui lived by his own rules: as long as she had a pretty face and a nice figure, dating was fair game. Principles? Who needed 'em?
Then, on his 26th birthday, Xu Hui met someone who caught his eye—and for once, he thought, maybe this one's different.
It just so happened that this birthday, every single family member—his grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles—had gathered to give him a collective lecture.
"Xu Hui, you're not getting any younger. You need a proper girlfriend."
"If you start dating now, it'll take at least two years. Then you'll be thirty—when are we going to see great-grandchildren?!"
"Look at your classmate Fang Gang—he just had his second child! And you? Still no girlfriend. You're going to give me a heart attack!"
And so on…
Xu Hui's ears were ringing. What kind of birthday was this?
He slipped out of the family gathering, turned off his phone, and headed to a restaurant. He hadn't even eaten yet.
Just as he sat down, his childhood friend Liao Shengying appeared out of nowhere with a grin that could only spell trouble.
They'd known each other since diapers—if anyone knew Xu Hui inside and out, it was him. He could probably tell whether Xu Hui's farts smelled sweet or sour.