"Cough, cough, cough..."
The grape lodged in her throat made Zhou Qingyu choke violently, and Yan Xi quickly patted her back to help her catch her breath.
"Why are you eating so fast? No one’s fighting you for it."
Zhou Qingyu laughed in exasperation, "Could you first listen to what you just said?"
She reached out, touching Yan Xi’s forehead and then her own. "No fever… So why are you talking nonsense?"
Yan Xi was both amused and frustrated. "I’m serious!"
Zhou Qingyu sighed helplessly, "So am I! What do you think the Meng family is? Some small company like Xingyao? They’re a top-tier luxury brand! Even if they’ve declined in recent years and are now at the bottom of the high-end market, their foundation is still solid! If you said we could acquire Tianhui, I might actually consider it!"
If the Meng family were just some small business, would Meng Yingrong have had the chance to arrange a marriage alliance with Zhou’s Father? Zhou Qingyu might not know much about business, but she had basic common sense.
"To acquire the Meng family, you’d need a conglomerate on the scale of Zhou Corporation at the very least!"
Yan Xi blinked. "Exactly—I meant for Zhou Corporation to do it! Well, an outright acquisition might be too complicated, but we could take a controlling stake! Become the largest shareholder! I have dirt on the Meng family—once this gets out, their stock will plummet by at least half. You should discuss it with your father. I think he’d be tempted. This is an opportunity as big as the Zijing Garden project!"
Zhou Qingyu froze for two seconds. Yan Xi was currently a VP at Xingyao, so she had assumed Yan Xi was speaking from that perspective—an impossible scenario. But if viewed from Zhou Corporation’s standpoint… For a conglomerate of that size, taking control of the Meng family wouldn’t just be feasible—an outright acquisition would be no problem.
Skeptical, Zhou Qingyu lowered her head and flipped through the documents Yan Xi had given her. The more she read, the more shocked she became. She had always thought she was reckless with money, but compared to Meng Xuanyu, she was practically frugal!
"Meng Xuanyu has lost his mind, hasn’t he?" Zhou Qingyu instinctively lowered her voice.
This was too big. There were other people in the old mansion, and she didn’t want word getting out.
"Absolutely!"
Considering how the Meng family ended up in the later parts of the novel, Yan Xi was certain the information Lin Zhi had dug up was at least 90% accurate.
Zhou Qingyu felt a growing excitement. If this scandal broke, the Meng family’s stock would inevitably crash. Buying up shares at that point would be an insanely profitable move!
Yan Xi coaxed her further, "Think about it—Zhou Corporation takes the lion’s share, and we follow behind for the scraps. With the funds you have, buying some Meng family shares shouldn’t be a problem, right? Once they weather this crisis, their stock will definitely rebound!"
"Since you proposed this acquisition, your father will surely hand the Meng family’s management over to you in the future!"
"My father wouldn’t agree, would he?" Zhou Qingyu frowned. "They were practically in-laws before. He wouldn’t want people criticizing him for this."
Seeing that Zhou Qingyu was already swayed, Yan Xi pulled out another document—a DNA test report for Meng Xuanyu and Meng Yingrong. "Show this to your father. He’ll definitely agree."
Zhou Qingyu skeptically flipped through the report. When she reached the final result, she gasped.
"No wonder she doted on Meng Xuanyu so much—he’s her biological son! This is disgusting. Does a child from a business alliance marriage not count as her child?"
She slammed the file onto the coffee table. "Zhou Yanci is so unlucky to have a mother like this!"
The Meng family had three children on paper: Meng Xuanhao, Meng Yingrong, and Meng Xuanyu.
Meng Xuanhao was the child of Meng Huaigu’s first wife, while Meng Yingrong was from his second marriage. Zhou Qingyu had always assumed that Meng Yingrong and Meng Xuanhao, being half-siblings, simply didn’t get along.
But now it was clear—this wasn’t about conflict. It was about pushing her own son into power!
"If your father finds out about this, there’s no way he won’t side with us," Yan Xi said seriously.
Zhou Qingyu tapped her fingers against the coffee table, deep in thought.
Even if she and Zhou Yanci didn’t get along, if Zhou Corporation took control of the Meng family, their father’s inheritance would be split equally after his passing. Zhou Yanci would get half—so this would actually benefit him. Their father would never refuse.
But she had just promised Qu Yan she’d invest in her project… Five million wasn’t a huge sum, and Qu Yan’s project choices were usually terrible. Zhou Qingyu had originally thought it wouldn’t hurt to make her aunt happy, but now, faced with such a massive opportunity, she wanted to buy as many Meng family shares as possible. Money had to be spent wisely!
Zhou Qingyu gathered the documents Yan Xi had given her. "After dinner, I’ll talk to my father. Let’s make sure we secure this deal!"
.
After parting ways with Zhou Qingyu, Qu Yan headed straight to the Victoria Club.
Her circle of friends was holding an event there today.
Most of the women in the group were wealthy young ladies around Qu Yan’s age, and the majority were already married. Only a handful, like Qu Yan, remained single.
Tonight’s gathering was a bachelorette party for one of the girls, who was getting married tomorrow.
The private room was bathed in neon lights, with expensive champagne bottles scattered across the floor. Qu Yan found an empty seat and sat down. When she looked up, she saw the bride-to-be—none other than Fang Ruoran, her longtime rival—showing off her five-carat diamond ring to the others.
"Honestly, I didn’t even want a ring. You all know I don’t like wearing jewelry—it’s so inconvenient! But my fiancé insisted. He said, ‘If other women have it, you must have it too~’"
Fang Ruoran’s father was from Taiwan, and she had spent part of her childhood there. Her speech carried a sweet, girlish lilt that men found irresistibly charming—but women found unbearably affected.
Qu Yan shot Fang Ruoran a disdainful glance. A five-carat ring—was that really worth bragging about?
Besides, she had met Fang Ruoran’s fiancé before. They had even been set up on a blind date once. Qu Yan had turned him down because she found him unattractive, and now he had ended up with Fang Ruoran.
Over the past two years, Qu Yan’s father had arranged countless blind dates for her, but she hadn’t taken a liking to any of them.
Perhaps it was because she had met someone who stirred her heart when she was young—after that, it was hard to feel the same way about anyone else.
The Qu family’s status was inferior to the Meng family’s. The marriage alliance with Zhou Hongsheng had only happened because Zhou Hongsheng’s father and Qu Yan’s father were old friends. When Qu’s father’s business failed, and Zhou Hongsheng had just divorced Meng Yingrong, he decided to lend the Qu family a hand.
At the time, Qu Ying was 20, and Qu Yan was only 11. The marriage naturally fell to Qu Ying.
At first, Qu Yan hadn’t thought much about her older sister marrying a wealthy, divorced man. But her sister became incredibly rich—and generous—so Qu Yan often visited the Zhou family to see her.
Yet the stirrings of a young girl’s heart emerge in those years. While the boys around her were all immature troublemakers, there was one man before her who exuded charm and sophistication.
At that time, Zhou Hongsheng was in his early thirties, with a face as fair as jade and looks rivaling the legendary Pan An. Before marrying Qu Ying, he wasn’t yet the wealthiest man in Haicheng, but over the years, he seized the real estate boom, propelling his career to new heights.
Qu Yan found herself drawn to her brother-in-law.
Perhaps because she was young and knew it was impossible, she buried these feelings deep in her heart.
Over a decade later, those emotions gradually faded. Even after Qu Ying passed away, Qu Yan never entertained any thoughts about Zhou Hongsheng again—after all, there was a twenty-year age gap between them.
But fate had other plans. While staying at the Zhou household to care for Zhou Qingyu, Qu Yan crossed paths with seventeen-year-old Zhou Yanci.
The young man, not yet an adult, already stood over six feet tall, with broad shoulders and long legs. His crisp white school shirt was neatly tucked into black trousers, accentuating his lean waist. His strides carried a quiet, steady strength.
At the time, Qu Yan was only twenty-four.
Zhou Yanci, even in his youth, was polite and refined, treating everyone with courtesy. Though his gaze held a hint of aloofness, his demeanor was effortlessly pleasant.
When he saw Qu Yan, he stepped forward to help with her luggage.
"Auntie, are you staying in the room next to Qingyu’s? Let me carry this for you."
Qu Yan was momentarily stunned.
Zhou Yanci called out to her again, his voice deep, laced with the lingering huskiness of adolescence.
Snapping out of her daze, Qu Yan murmured, "Thank you."
After setting her luggage down in the guest room, Zhou Yanci turned to her, his tone earnest. "Father didn’t visit the cemetery yesterday, which upset Qingyu. She’s overthinking things—would you mind comforting her?"
It was only then that Qu Yan remembered she’d spoken ill of Zhou Hongsheng in front of Zhou Yanci at the cemetery. Yet he hadn’t shown the slightest irritation, remaining impeccably composed.
A flush crept up Qu Yan’s cheeks, her heart racing.
Part embarrassment, part exhilaration.
Ten years. She’d hidden it well—Zhou Qingyu and Zhou Hongsheng had no inkling of her feelings. Only Zhou Yanci seemed to know.
At least he was still single.
She still had a chance.
"Qu Yan? Qu Yan?"
Fang Ruoran called out, and when Qu Yan didn’t respond, she deliberately sat beside her, folding her hands over her lap—her pigeon-egg diamond ring glaringly conspicuous.
"Qu Yan, you’re the only one in our group still single~ You’re not getting any younger, it’s about time you found someone!"
Qu Yan snapped back to reality, forcing a smirk. "What’s wrong with being single? I can date whoever I want, no one to answer to!"
Fang Ruoran chuckled.
The "young pups" Qu Yan referred to were those good-looking but penniless men. With enough money, any man could be kept—and they were obedient, too.
"That’s not the same~" Fang Ruoran twirled her pigeon-egg ring, smiling. "Puppies are just for fun. You need a man who truly cherishes you, someone willing to spend on you!"
Qu Yan took a deep breath. "Hah! A pigeon-egg? I can buy my own!"
"Our Yan Yan is loaded!" another friend chimed in. "Zhou Corporation’s heiress is her niece—what couldn’t she get?"
"If I had a niece like Zhou Qingyu, why would I need a man? I’d just keep a celebrity!"
"Right! Some of Tianhui’s actors are quite the catch!"
"Exactly! That Shen Xinghe, or Si Ye—so handsome, and I bet they’ve got stamina!"
The group burst into laughter, their conversations revolving around the usual topics: jewelry, accessories, bags, and men.
One of the heiresses, whose family owned an auction house, perked up at Qu Yan’s claim.
"Yan Yan, there’s an auction in Haicheng tonight. My family has a few proxy bidders there. The highlight is a five-carat yellow diamond—estimated under ten million. Interested?"
Qu Yan’s eyelid twitched. Before she could think of a polite refusal, the others egged her on.
"Ten million? Pocket change! Didn’t you see Zhou Qingyu’s show? She casually gifted her best friend a twenty-million-yacht!"
"True, if she’s that generous with friends, imagine how she treats her aunt!"
"A ten-million pigeon-egg? Yan Yan probably wouldn’t even blink!"
Qu Yan thought spending ten million on jewelry was frivolous.
But her gaze flickered to Fang Ruoran, whose smile had vanished, her face a kaleidoscope of emotions. This party was supposed to be her moment, yet the mere mention of Zhou Qingyu had everyone fawning over Qu Yan.
Fang Ruoran gritted her teeth, fingers clutching her skirt, eyes burning with resentment.
A thrill shot through Qu Yan. Suddenly, ten million for a diamond didn’t seem so bad.
After all, she’d be getting fifty million from Zhou Qingyu tomorrow!
Lifting her chin, Qu Yan declared haughtily, "Tell your proxy to bid. That yellow diamond is mine!"
The moment the words left her lips, the message reached the auction house. The professional bidder took it as a mandate—if the boss wanted the diamond, it would be secured!
At that moment, the yellow diamond’s bidding began, starting at seven million.
Its color, clarity, and cut were exceptional, drawing fierce competition. Within minutes, the price soared to nine million, forcing many to drop out.
Qu Yan held firm, her limit at ten million.
But when her proxy called out ten million, another bidder countered, "Eleven million."
Qu Yan paled.
Wasn’t it supposed to cap at ten?
The auction heiress grimaced. "Seems someone’s dead set on this diamond! They’re not backing down!"
Fang Ruoran smiled sweetly. "Qu Yan, maybe let it go? Eleven million isn’t small change!"
Qu Yan refused to lose face in front of Fang Ruoran. Being the only single woman in the group was humiliation enough—if she couldn’t even secure a diamond, she’d never live it down. Fang Ruoran would mock her forever!
"Keep bidding! I’m getting that diamond!"
Meanwhile, in the Zhou residence, Zhou Qingyu browsed the auction listings on her tablet before dinner.
She hadn’t planned to splurge, just pick up a few small items. But the five-carat yellow diamond caught her eye instantly.
Who could resist a sparkling diamond?
And with a starting bid of just seven million, Zhou Qingyu estimated ten million would seal the deal.
She contacted her proxy, who confirmed her estimate. Still, out of caution, the proxy asked for her maximum bid.
The question was practically an insult.
Since when did the young miss have a "maximum bid"? If she wanted the diamond, she’d get it—no matter the cost.
Thus, the diamond initially estimated by everyone to be worth no more than ten million began skyrocketing in price: eleven, twelve, fifteen, seventeen, twenty million…
Qu Yan was stunned.
Zhou Qingyu was equally dumbfounded—who on earth dared to compete with her?
In the private booth, the smile vanished from Qu Yan’s face, and cold sweat beaded on her forehead.
The auction house heiress cautiously asked, "Yanyan, the bid’s already reached twenty million. Should we keep going?"
Before Qu Yan could respond, Fang Ruoran cut in, "Just let it go, Qu Yan. Twenty million is no joke~"
Qu Yan gritted her teeth. "Is that person dead set on getting it?"
The auction house heiress nodded. "Seems like it."
Some bidders preferred to remain anonymous, but if they had a good relationship with their proxy, they wouldn’t easily switch representatives.
The auction house heiress recognized this proxy bidder—she was notorious for her aggressive style. Once she raised her paddle, she never lost.
Most would falter at such a reputation, but Qu Yan actually felt relieved.
If the other party gave up at ten million, that was their limit.
If they gave up at twenty million, that was their ceiling.
Since the opponent was determined, why not put up a fight for pride’s sake? Even if she backed out at thirty million, she could always save face by saying, "A true lady doesn’t snatch another’s treasure~"
Qu Yan relaxed instantly, waving her hand with newfound confidence. "Keep going! Don’t stop until thirty million!"
Thirty million!
Gasps echoed through the room. Ten million was already a staggering sum, but thirty? Many in their social circle didn’t even earn that much in a year!
The girls who had been nervous for Qu Yan now gazed at her with newfound admiration, their eyes practically sparkling.
Meanwhile…
"What are you doing?"
Yan Xi, who had been helping Zhou Qingyu with a game, turned to find her clutching a tablet displaying an auction—the bid now at 29 million.
Zhou Qingyu tensed. "N-nothing! Just browsing some little things…"
Yan Xi deadpanned, "29 million. My eyes work just fine."
Zhou Qingyu pouted. "I just wanted a diamond! What’s wrong with a girl buying something nice?"
Yan Xi leaned in for a closer look. "A seven-million base price, and you’re paying 29 million?"
"This diamond is stunning!" Zhou Qingyu defended. "I could turn it into a necklace for Weibo Night!"
"But M House already lent you an archival collection piece. Also, if you blow 29 million on a rock, what about the Meng shares?"
Zhou Qingyu huffed. "It’s just 29 million!"
Yan Xi countered, "Think about it—the Meng Group, haute couture, endless jewelry. You could wear a pigeon egg on every finger, change outfits hourly, even bedazzle your nails…"
"Stop, stop!"
Zhou Qingyu’s imagination ran wild. Though wealthy, she wasn’t that extravagant—but Yan Xi’s words painted such a vivid, luxurious picture that she caved. "Fine! I won’t buy it!"
Yan Xi smiled approvingly. "Much better~"
Back at the Victoria Club’s private room, after the rival bidder called 29 million, Qu Yan’s proxy immediately countered with 30 million.
Then—silence.
"30 million, going once!"
"30 million, going twice!"
"30 million, sold! Congratulations to Bidder 250 for securing this yellow diamond!"
Qu Yan was Bidder 250.
The moment the gavel fell, she froze.
She grabbed the auction heiress’s sleeve. "I thought you said they wouldn’t back down?"
The heiress shrugged. "No idea why they quit. Maybe they saw how determined you were and admitted defeat!"
"Yanyan, congrats! That yellow diamond is yours~"
Qu Yan wanted to cry. Paying 30 million for a diamond worth seven? Nothing to celebrate!
The auction house, located in Haicheng, promised to deliver the diamond within half an hour of payment.
The girls buzzed with excitement:
"I can’t wait!"
"I’ve never seen a yellow diamond before!"
"It’ll look gorgeous on Yanyan!"
They urged her, "Transfer the money! We’re dying to see it!"
Qu Yan was trapped—no way out now.
She consoled herself: At least she’d gotten 50 million from Zhou Qingyu earlier. Even after this, she’d still have 20 million left. Not a total loss!
But she didn’t have the funds on hand. She’d need Zhou Qingyu to wire the money first.
Stepping into the hallway, Qu Yan dialed Zhou Qingyu.
"Sweetheart, remember that project I mentioned earlier? They’re pushing for the investment today. The money needs to go through now!"
Zhou Qingyu, still sulking over the diamond and now focused on acquiring Meng shares, had zero interest.
"Auntie, I’m strapped right now. You handle it yourselves."
With that, she hung up, mourning the lost jewel.
Qu Yan stared at her phone in disbelief.
How could Zhou Qingyu go back on her word?
Thirty million! Where would she get that kind of money?!
Returning to the room, she faced eager stares from the auction heiress and her friends.
Qu Yan flushed with humiliation. "Actually… this diamond isn’t that special. Looks almost like cubic zirconia. I’ve changed my mind."
"Aww—"
Disappointed groans filled the air.
Only Fang Ruoran smirked, twirling her own diamond ring. "Qu Yan, is it really ‘not special,’ or just too expensive? Thirty million’s nothing—you could’ve gifted it!"
Qu Yan stiffened, refusing to engage.
But the others caught on, whispering:
"‘Not special’? More like ‘can’t afford.’"
"With a niece like Zhou Qingyu, and she can’t swing one diamond?"
"Zhou Qingyu’s her niece, not her ATM. Without her, Qu Yan’s nothing."
"The Qu family’s declining anyway. Without the Zhous, they’d have dropped out of Haicheng’s elite long ago."
"Can’t even scrape together 30 million? Some ‘elite’!"
Though spoken softly, the words struck Qu Yan like slaps.
Clutching her purse, she turned and walked out.
The auction house heiress reminded her, "Yanyan, are you sure you don’t want it anymore? I’ll inform the auction house, but just so you know, the one-million-yuan deposit you paid earlier won’t be refunded!"
Qu Yan gritted her teeth in frustration, yet there was nothing she could do.
"Forget it!"
Zhou Residence, Dining Hall
Zhou Qingyu absentmindedly picked at her dinner, still sulking over the yellow diamond she had failed to win at the auction.
The young miss had never lacked material comforts in her life. In the past, she had only suffered the pangs of love—now, she was suffering the agony of missing out on a yellow diamond!
Honestly, thirty million wasn’t even that much… If she really pushed herself, she could still manage it…
Just then, her phone rang. It was her auction proxy.
"Miss Zhou, Bidder No. 250 has withdrawn. The yellow diamond is going for a second auction—do you still want it?"
Zhou Qingyu’s eyes lit up. "Yes, yes, yes!"
This time, even if it cost fifty million, she was determined to secure that diamond!
Ten minutes later, her proxy sent an update: "Eight million—deal done!"
Eight million?!
Zhou Qingyu was stunned. "That cheap?"
"Well, during the first round, you and Bidder No. 250 drove the price up so aggressively that everyone knew you were dead set on winning. In the second round, hardly anyone dared to bid. Once I made my move, the others backed off."
"Congratulations, young miss!"
