Friday was China's traditional Qixi Festival, a day celebrated with romance and symbolic gestures. Yet on the same day, a newly disclosed court ruling sparked widespread discussion.
According to a judgment released on Aug 22, a 25-year-old man surnamed Shao met a woman surnamed Li through an online game in 2022. After Li ended a previous relationship in early 2024, Shao began pursuing her. Shao claimed Li never rejected him outright but asked him to demonstrate his "sincerity" through spending.
In August, he reimbursed her 1,440 yuan for a flight. On the eve of Qixi, he purchased a gold bracelet worth 20,692 yuan, telling her it was "with marriage in mind". Later that year, he also bought a gold ring valued at 1,088 yuan as an engagement token. However, the relationship quickly deteriorated.
Their romance lasted less than eight months. After the breakup, Shao sued Li, seeking the return of gifts totaling 23,220 yuan, arguing that she had misled him by "accepting gifts without marrying him".
The Longmen county people's court in Guangdong province rejected the claim, ruling that the gold bracelet and other items were voluntary gifts given in the course of a relationship, not conditional on marriage. The expenses, the court said, fell within the scope of normal dating costs and were not refundable. The judgment is final.
微信开放七夕520大额红包
值得注意的是，七夕这天，微信同往年一样将个人红包的限额从200元提升至520元，这个老传统一直延续了9年有余。
北京市岳成律师事务所高级合伙人岳屾山表示，对于一些特定的日子，比如情人节、七夕支出“520”“1314”等具有特殊含义的金额，在没有其他证据的情况下，法院通常也会认定是双方相互之间的赠与，付款之后一般要不回来。
Commenting on the case, Yue Shenshan, a senior partner at Beijing Yuecheng Law Firm, noted that transfers in symbolic amounts such as "520" or "1314" are typically regarded by courts as unconditional gifts unless supported by additional evidence. "Once paid, they're usually not recoverable," he said.
来源：中国青年报 中国裁判文书网 @看看新闻knews 新闻晨报
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