C17 The Truth

"Is this necklace truly from you?"

Su Miao eyed him with skepticism. "But when I called to confirm with you last time, why didn't you own up to it? Instead, you sold me a counterfeit for 490,000."

Wei Mingdong felt a flush of shame. At that time, he was out of his depth, left with only 200 yuan in his pocket. Selling the Sky City imitation seemed like the only way to recoup some of his losses.

He was determined to keep the whole truth from her.

Scratching his head, he admitted sheepishly, "It's not that I didn't want to admit it, I was just afraid you'd be angry with me."

"Why would I be angry with you?"

Gazing at Su Miao with heartfelt emotion, Wei Mingdong confessed, "I knew how much you loved this necklace, but my means were limited. All I could afford was a replica. Later, I realized that when you truly care for someone, you're willing to give your all to make them happy."

He pulled out his phone, opened the photo album, and continued, "To raise the money, I sold everything—my company, properties, and cars. It still wasn't enough, so I took out loans from the bank. It was a struggle, but I finally managed to scrape together enough to buy the necklace. If only I had more money, I wouldn't have had to go through such hardship."

The album showed the equity transfer agreement with Wei Mingdong's signature and his bank loan documents.

His shares had been completely reclaimed by the Chen family, and the bank loan agreement was one he had previously signed.

The mystery that haunted him was that he still had no clue who he had managed to cross, to the extent that not even the Chen family could shield him.

"Why would you do something so foolish?" Su Miao's lips quivered, at a loss for words.

"It was all done willingly."

Seizing the moment, Wei Mingdong took Su Miao's hand. "For you, I'd gladly give everything."

A shiver ran through Su Miao, her eyes reflecting a storm of emotions. Though moved, she withdrew her hand and stood up quickly, grabbing her bag and leaving.

Wei Mingdong let her go without interference, watching her elegant retreat. In his heart, he was certain—she was meant to be his.

The corners of his lips turned up ever so slightly, as he indulged in the fantasy of Su Miao rushing into his embrace.

Meanwhile, at Muse's Bar, Chen Yang had been on the receiving end of a series of toasts from Zhou Youming and others, and he was feeling the buzz of alcohol. It had been ages since he'd last been drunk, but today, he was genuinely elated.

"It's been years since we've seen you, and yet your capacity for liquor is as impressive as ever," Zhao Heqiu commented, lifting his glass in tribute.

"Please, don't call me Elder Young Master anymore," Chen Yang replied, downing his drink in one go. "I'm not fond of that title."

Two years ago, when Chen Yang's cousin conspired with the rest of the Chen family to oust him, he ceased to be the Elder Young Master of the Chen clan.

Remembering the day he was cast out like a stray, Chen Yang's heart still churned with unease.

The 20 million he had poured into Jiangnan Energy was his own savings, not the family's wealth. Yet, his cousin, hungry for power, falsely claimed that Chen Yang had embezzled the funds for personal gain.

Chen Yang's protests fell on deaf ears, and just like that, he was exiled from the Chen household in the dead of night.

Deep down, Chen Yang understood that his cousin's actions were driven by a desire to inherit the family's reins, with Chen Yang being the most significant impediment.

"Then, we'll address you as Young Master Chen from now on," Zhou Youming suggested after a moment's consideration.

Chen Yang shook his head, musing over how alcohol could indeed dull the senses, bringing to mind past sorrows.

"That will do," Chen Yang decided after a pause.

Zhang Liren took a seat beside him, a glass of wine in hand, and murmured, "There's something I've been meaning to tell you."

"Speak," Chen Yang said, pouring another glass and clinking it against hers before emptying it in one swallow.

"It concerns your cousin," Zhang Liren whispered close to Chen Yang's ear.

"Let's hear it."

Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, Zhang Liren began slowly, "Last July, your cousin sent someone to find me. He wanted my assistance."

In the heart of Xichuan City, along the bustling Binjiang Walking Street, lies the most vibrant area of Nishikawa.

Su Miao, fresh from parting ways with Wei Mingdong, was out shopping with her bestie, Suen Xue.

"You seem preoccupied," Suen Xue inquired with concern. "Is something bothering you?"

Su Miao shook her head, "I'm okay."

Truthfully, she wasn't in the mood for shopping; her thoughts were consumed by Wei Mingdong and his astonishing willingness to liquidate all his assets just to purchase a necklace for her.

"Have you heard about the latest makeup craze?" Suen Xue asked, attempting to distract Su Miao.

Snapped out of her reverie, Su Miao brightened up. "Are you referring to the Natural Beauty Series by Beauty?"

"That's the one!" Suen Xue affirmed with a nod.

What topics are perennial favorites among girls? Cosmetics, fashion, and designer handbags, of course.

Beauty's cosmetics line had been selling exceptionally well, setting a trend across the nation.

With Valentine's Day on the horizon, Beauty launched a special edition of the Natural Beauty Series to capture the market.

Only 1314 sets were available worldwide, each priced at a staggering 520,000 yuan!

This hefty price tag not only showcased Beauty's lofty aspirations but also their desire to become the premier brand in the cosmetics world.

To many affluent individuals, particularly wealthy women, 520,000 yuan was a trivial sum when it came to beauty, a price they were willing to pay at any cost.

However, acquiring this exclusive makeup set wasn't just a matter of having deep pockets.

Without the right connections, one could only watch in envy as the coveted cosmetics were snapped up by other women.

"Imagine getting a set of Beauty's Natural Beauty for Valentine's Day," Suen Xue mused dreamily, clutching Su Miao's hand. "How wonderful that would be."

"You can dream," Su Miao responded with a wry smile.

Given the raging popularity of the Natural Beauty Series and its limited release of just 1314 sets, it was likely already in the hands of the most influential and wealthy clans.

Despite the black market price soaring to 1 million yuan per set, those who could afford this makeup weren't exactly strapped for cash.

"Let's not dwell on that for now. Come with me to pick out a couple of outfits. Grandma's birthday is in just two days, and I need to look my best."

"I excel at choosing clothes," Suen Xue assured Su Miao, taking her hand. "Trust me, I'll make sure you turn heads. Men won't be able to take their eyes off you."

The following day at Huanyu Group, Chen Yang awoke in the chairman's office lounge. He had finished drinking late into the night, not returning home until three in the morning. Instead, he had himself brought straight to the company.

Rubbing his temples, he checked his phone, which was flooded with missed calls and messages.

"So, you've taken to staying out all night now, have you? If you're not willing to be at home, then don't bother coming back at all."

That text was from his mother-in-law, Tang Jing.

"Day after tomorrow is Grandma's birthday. Make sure you've got a gift ready. I don't want you to embarrass me again."

This one was from Su Miao.

As Chen Yang contemplated whether to return her call, a knock came at the office door.

He quickly dressed and stepped out of the lounge to find a statuesque beauty in a business suit waiting in the office—his personal secretary, Mi Xue.

"Someone from the Su family is here," Mi Xue informed him. "They're interested in signing our rising star, Liu Rui. Su Hai has been waiting in the conference room for quite some time."

"Tell him to get lost," Chen Yang said, settling onto the sofa and pouring himself a glass of water to soothe his parched throat. With a dismissive gesture, he added, "And let the Su family know that as of today, Huanyu is severing all ties with them."