Stepdaughter of a wealthy family? The little darling of a Beijing tycoon

The camera switched back to the live stream. Shen Jingshu ended her connection with Brother Long, tapped the screen, and sent out a second lucky bag.

The comments continued to scroll, and netizens remained engrossed in the case, discussing it animatedly.

[We used to say that girls need to be careful when renting apartments, but I never realized that there are just as many risks for guys living alone.]

You can know a person's face but not their heart; the landlord seemed kind, but harbored such terrible intentions.

Making a living alone in a big city is too difficult; who would have thought that someone you know well might harbor malicious intentions?

Regardless of gender, anyone renting a place alone must be extra careful and protect themselves.

[Under high-pressure environments, many twisted habits are hidden in daily life, which is terrifying.]

Seeing that everyone was still discussing the matter enthusiastically, Shen Jingshu said softly, "Alright, let's start drawing the second lucky bag."

The comments section instantly became lively:

Master Shen is so thoughtful; he even reminded us of this.

[I'm all set, my hands are ready!]

[Go go go! I hope I'm the one who wins this time!]

After Shen Jingshu hung up the call, she sent out the second lucky bag. In the live chat, everyone was still discussing the incident of Brother Long's dangerous encounter in renting a house, and lamenting that no matter who you are, you have to be wary of the hidden dangers around you when you are working hard alone.

After the discussion subsided, Shen Jingshu reminded everyone to prepare for the second round of lucky bags, and the netizens eagerly got to participate. The lucky bags were quickly snapped up, with the winner's ID being "Most Beautiful Matchmaker."

The video call connected successfully, and a middle-aged woman in her fifties appeared on the other end of the screen, sitting on the sofa in her living room. The background was very homey.

The live stream chat immediately became lively:

[Auntie, this ID looks like you're a matchmaker, right?]

[I think I've seen this lady before! She was on the local news; she works at the Civil Affairs Bureau and was named the most beautiful matchmaker. It's said she's reconciled hundreds of couples on the verge of divorce.]

[Turns out he's an officially recognized good person; no wonder his name fits the role so well.]

However, I have some doubts. Divorce is a couple's right, so how could a staff member really try to force them to reconcile? Something just feels off.

It's hard to say, let's hear what Master Shen has to say.

Shen Jingshu's gaze fell on the middle-aged woman's face opposite the camera. With just a quick glance, she could see through her past experiences through her facial features. Her brows furrowed slightly involuntarily, and she felt a clear sense of aversion and dislike towards the person in front of her.

The middle-aged woman on the other end of the video call was named Liu Meilan. She was 48 years old and would be retiring in two years. Seeing that many viewers recognized her in the live stream, she maintained a smile, her tone tinged with pride: "Haha, it seems quite a few friends still recognize me. Actually, I'm not as amazing as everyone says. I just can't bear to see a good family fall apart. It's a rare and precious fate for two people to come together and get married. Since we've reached the point of divorce, we can't just leave easily. Divorce involves too many things—both sets of parents, children. Often, for the sake of the children, we can't just casually mention divorce. Don't you agree?"

Many older netizens in the live chat echoed and agreed with this sentiment.

Indeed, young people these days are too impulsive; they bring up divorce at the drop of a hat.

There weren't so many divorces among our older generation. Every couple bickers sometimes; if you just put up with it and communicate, it'll all pass.

Sister Liu is such a kind person. My son and daughter-in-law were going through a divorce, but she persuaded them to reconcile. Now the family is doing well, and my grandson has a complete family.

If all civil affairs bureau staff were as responsible as she was, the divorce rate would definitely drop significantly.

The cost of getting married is too high now. The groom's family has to empty their savings to buy a house and a car, hold a wedding banquet, and prepare dowry and gold jewelry, spending hundreds of thousands or even millions of yuan. If they get divorced easily, their entire savings will be wiped out.

Many middle-aged netizens who are now parents lamented that the sunk costs of marriage are so high these days, and the pressure on ordinary families to get married is immense.

However, at the same time, many young women also voiced different opinions in the live chat, directly refuting this viewpoint:

[Why do you say that? Doesn't the woman make any sacrifices in marriage? After marriage, she takes on all the housework, bears the risks of childbirth, may face unemployment if she gets pregnant, carries a child for ten months, gives birth, and then spends many years as a full-time caregiver. After the child grows up, she is urged to go back to work. Her contributions at home are never recognized.]

Most of the bride price is eventually brought back to the young family to supplement their household income. Why should it be a one-sided sacrifice by the man? Marriage is about mutual compromise between two people, not about the woman being expected to endure and compromise.

The live stream quickly split into two camps: the older viewers mostly agreed with Liu Meilan's reconciliation philosophy, while the younger viewers valued individual feelings and fairness in marriage, leading to a lively debate in the chat.

Many young women continued to argue their points in the live chat:

"Even if the man doesn't get married, buying a house and a car are basic necessities for his own life. Why should all these expenses be placed on the woman's shoulders? After marriage, the man may seem to provide material things, but the pain of childbirth and the agony of ten months of pregnancy are all borne by the woman alone. Many houses only have a down payment, and the mortgage and car loan are shared by the couple after marriage. After paying the mortgage, the man has very little left from his salary, and the woman has to subsidize daily household expenses. Don't these contributions count?"

The live stream was filled with heated debate. Some felt that the man was at a disadvantage because of the high cost of marriage, while others felt that women sacrificed more in marriage. Both sides held their own opinions and the argument was very heated.

Shen Jingshu took in all the arguments in the comments section, but her heart remained largely unmoved. Firstly, she herself was not yet married and had not experienced the trivialities and entanglements of marriage; secondly, with her current cultivation level and confidence, she had no intention of getting married and having children. She only wanted to focus on cultivation, improve her skills as soon as possible, and also wanted to see her master again.

She raised her hand and gently pressed it down, signaling the netizens who were arguing heatedly to quiet down for the time being. Turning her gaze to Liu Meilan on the other end of the camera, she asked:

"Alright, everyone, let's not argue about this. You won the lucky bag, so tell me, what do you want to have predicted?"

"Hey streamer, I'd like to have my son's marriage fortune told. My son recently started dating a girl, and our whole family thinks she's wonderful—her family background and looks are impeccable, and she's a good match for my son. I'd like to ask you to help me see if marrying her will benefit my son's future fortune."

As soon as Liu Xiulan finished speaking, Shen Jingshu didn't want to accept the fortune telling, but since the other party had drawn the lucky bag, it was considered fate, so she agreed.

Do you have photos of your son and his girlfriend? Send them to me so I can take a look.

"Yes, I'll show it to you right now."