In a bizarre "breakup dispute" that has gone viral on Chinese social media, a man from Heilongjiang province in northeastern China has sued his former fiancee, demanding the return of approximately US$7,000 (around 50,000 yuan) he spent on gifts and dates during their relationship.
"Woman eating too much"
According to a report by The South China Morning Post, the man, surnamed He, whose family owns a malatang (spicy hot pot) restaurant, accused the woman, surnamed Wang, of "eating too much," claiming she frequently consumed large amounts of food from his family's business.
Boyfriend demands refund for underwear
The couple, from the same village, had been engaged and were planning to marry. He sought repayment of a 20,000-yuan bride price (a traditional betrothal gift) and an additional 30,000 yuan in personal expenses. These included intimate items like black tights and underwear, as well as meals and other dating costs.
He complained that Wang "ate our malatang every day," insisting that what the restaurant sold wasn't enough for her appetite. He also criticised her for taking only "easy jobs" and placing an unfair financial burden on him.
Didn't you enjoy the tights and underwear you bring for me? woman asks
Wang fiercely defended herself in court, calling He "overly calculating" and reminding him that she was his girlfriend at the time. In a pointed rebuttal to his list of purchased items, she asked, "You did not enjoy the tights and underwear you bought me?" She argued that the expenses were part of a normal romantic relationship.
The court ultimately sided largely with Wang, ruling that most of the claimed 30,000 yuan in dating expenses were non-refundable gifts carrying emotional and sentimental value for both parties. Such expenditures, the judge noted, are typical in relationships and not akin to loans. Details on the bride price repayment were not fully specified in reports, but the case highlighted that voluntary gifts during courtship are generally not reclaimable post-breakup.
Why did the case spark social media storm in China?
The lawsuit, first reported in early December 2025, sparked widespread online mockery and scorn across Chinese platforms. Netizens branded He as "petty" and "stingy," questioning whether dating costs could ever be reasonably demanded back, especially over something as trivial as eating habits.
Many ridiculed the idea of suing over food consumption, with comments flooding social media about the absurdity of treating romance like a financial transaction. This case reflects ongoing cultural debates in China around bride prices, relationship expectations, and gender roles, often amplified in trending stories. While some similar disputes over large betrothal gifts have succeeded in court, petty claims like this one rarely do, and often lead to public humiliation for the plaintiff.