The old store manager greeted the Su family, then put his gaze back on Qiao Ying.
"This jade was previously deposited in our head office by you. We've carved it according to your request and it just arrived yesterday."
The old store manager carefully opened the box. Inside was a piece of unblemished white jade, much finer than those in the display based on its lustre and translucence.
Mrs. Su realized this was no ordinary piece. "What beautiful jade. It must be rare?"
Store Manager: "You could say it's hard to come by."
Su Lingwei looked at the white jade in the box, only now realizing what a foolish thing she'd done earlier.
The old store manager took out another small box. "Also, these earrings made from the leftover scraps of that piece of jade. Please take them as well, Miss Qiao."
Just then, Su Lingwei said, "I want that piece of jade."
The woman said helplessly, "Lingwei, stop messing around."
Store Manager: "Miss Su, this jade belongs to Miss Qiao."
"She bought it? How could a country bumpkin like her afford it? Stop pretending. You're clearly scamming customers."
The old store manager didn't know what had transpired between them, but Su Lingwei said it was unrelated to their shop. Still, he couldn't ignore it since the young lady was a friend of his boss.
"Miss Su, I think there's some misunderstanding here. Miss Qiao is our guest and important customer." The store manager's smile faded slightly.
Su Lingwei: "Important customer? Her? Just tell me how much the jade costs."
Store Manager: "This jade belongs to Miss Qiao. And it's not for sale even if she didn't want it. We wouldn't sell it to anyone."
Su Lingwei: "What shop doesn't sell its wares? I'm buying it today no matter what. Are you selling or not, Lin Yuxuan?"
Qiao Ying took her things and left, telling Su Lingwei: "They don't have the right to sell it because it was my jade to begin with. Also, this shop used to belong to me too before I gave it back to the boss."
Upon hearing this, the old store manager and young clerk glanced at each other in surprise and deeper respect.
Because the names on their VIP list were no ordinary people.
Su Lingwei scoffed. "You owned this shop? Hilarious. You really lie through your teeth—"
The old store manager ignored Su Lingwei. "Tell your boss to blacklist her. Also, add 500,000 to the price if she wants to buy back that jade."
"Understood. Please take care," the manager said as Qiao Ying left.
Su Lingwei shouted at Qiao Ying's back. "Who do you think you are? What right do you have?"
Old Store Manager: "She has every right."
He told the clerk, "Help the customer pack up the jade."
He no longer addressed her as Miss Su.
Su Lingwei was livid. "Offend our Su family? Are you trying to put Lin Yuxuan out of business?"
The old store manager laughed. "I'm afraid your family doesn't have that capability."
Su Lingwei: "You—"
The woman pulled her daughter back. "Lingwei, stop making a scene. The boss of Lin Yuxuan is very mysterious and powerful. Don't offend them."
_
Headmaster Zhang usually lived alone in a small courtyard near the school, only going home during the holidays.
With so many guests today for his birthday banquet, it was naturally held at the Zhang family home.
Guests continuously streamed in. Zhang Chengyong was quite prestigious nationwide. As a prominent family, paired with the prominent in-law Xu family, many important figures in the capital came to celebrate his birthday.
In the hall, Zhang Chengyong laughed and welcomed guests one second, then complained to his family the next: "I'm busier as the birthday boy than when I'm teaching classes."
He put on an amiable smile again. "Chairman Su, haven't seen you in a while. You came too?"
"As long as people come. No need for gifts."
"Grandpa Headmaster." Su Qingyu followed her father.
Zhang Chengyong: "Good good! How have your grades been recently?"
Su Qingyu: "Why do you and Dad only ask about my grades instead of how I'm doing or if I'm happy?"
Zhang Chengyong laughed. "Oh then, are you happy nowadays?"
Su Qingyu: "Of course! It's your birthday today."
Zhang Chengyong: "Don't randomly make bets with people next time."
Su Qingyu: "......"
Su Qingyu's father patted her head affectionately. "Go find Lingwei and your friends. I saw the Huo kids came too."
I'll chat with Headmaster Zhang.
"Oh." Su Qingyu thought: No way would she play with that brownnoser Huo Chengdong.
She had walked two steps when she saw Xu Zhiyi arrive. She was about to greet Xu Zhiyi when she heard him ask Zhang Chengyong: "Grandpa, did you invite Qiao Ying too?"
Zhang Chengyong patted Xu Zhiyi's arm and said softly. "Do your best later and treat Qiao well. Seize this chance."
Upon hearing Xu Zhiyi ask about Qiao Ying, Su Qingyu scowled and humphed before leaving.
Huo Chengdong hated these kinds of occasions, especially at the headmaster's home. He limply followed his grandfather inside.
Stuffing his hands in his pockets sullenly, Huo Chengdong suddenly glimpsed a black luxury sports car at the end of the line of luxury vehicles.
His legs moved unbidden towards it.
"F*ck! F*ck! F*ck! No way, a Koenigsegg One:1?" Huo Chengdong exclaimed the whole way there.
He practically smushed his face against the car, circling it while drooling over it.
Huo senior hobbled over swinging his cane. "I'll beat some human speech into you instead of f*ck this, f*ck that all day. You'll rot your mouth off. Get your ass inside before I beat you under that car."
He swung at Huo Chengdong's legs twice.
Having endured it often, Huo Chengdong didn't react to the pain. His eyes were only for the sports car, feverishly excited as if he wanted to plaster himself onto it.
"Grandpa, this is the One:1 I kept telling you about. The one you didn't get for me last time! It's real!"
He looked around wildly. "Which boss owns this awesome beast?"
Elder Huo was furious at Huo Chengdong's monkey antics. "Obsessed with cars day and night. Why can't you be more like your sister? Come inside with me now or I'll beat you under that car."
"You guys go first. I'll go in later. I'll wait for the owner."
"Do you want to lose your life before going in?"
Qiao Ying tucked the car keys into her pocket and headed inside the banquet hall.
Wearing a comfortable hoodie, sneakers, and casual clothes, she was worlds apart from the formally dressed guests filling the hall.
With a leisurely almost nonchalant air, she was jarringly out of place.
The guests looked her over, curious which family this country girl belonged to and if she was also here for the birthday party.
"Must be Headmaster Zhang's student."
"What a beauty. Sweet and gentle at first glance. Wonder what her background is. I quite like her if it's suitable."
"Why dress like that coming here? No manners."
"It's her again. Why is she here?" Su Lingwei stood up the moment she spotted Qiao Ying entering.
What narrow roads fate has.
"Who?" Su Qingyu followed her line of sight to see Qiao Ying. "An unsophisticated country bumpkin coming dressed like that. You can take the girl out of the country but not the country out of the girl. Nouveau riche without an ounce of class."
"You know her?" Su Lingwei asked.
Su Qingyu: "Schoolmate. New student this year. I lost a year's worth of red envelope money to her in a bet last time."
Su Lingwei: "What bet? She swindled your money too?"
Su Qingyu: "Ugh, I don't wanna talk about it."
Oblivious to the "too" her cousin had uttered.
Su Lingwei: "No wonder she can afford those high-end places. So the money came from you."
Sure enough, she was bad news. Claiming to be the original owner of Lin Yuxuan. How long had Lin Yuxuan existed? And her age?
Those shameless people at Lin Yuxuan were clearly targeting her Su family.
Holding a glass of wine, Su Lingwei headed straight for Qiao Ying.
Su Qingyu: "Sis, what are you doing?"
With the crowd, Qiao Ying saw Zhang Chengyong entertaining guests and figured she'd greet him later. She looked for a place to sit when her nemesis appeared.
"You again? Who let you come here? Do you know what kind of place this is?" Su Lingwei blocked Qiao Ying in front of her.
