C3 A Small Gift

Welcome to the Dahua Real Estate Sales Center.

This is where Xu Fengqiu clocks in every day.

"Fengqiu, you hit the jackpot today! Director Wang didn't even try to negotiate; he just snapped up three houses like that. You truly are the star sales agent of Dahua Real Estate," Li Xiaoya said, her voice tinged with envy as she smiled in her sleek black business suit.

Li Xiaoya wasn't just Xu Fengqiu's colleague; she was also her best friend, which made their bond especially strong.

"With a two thousand dollar commission per house, you're making a fortune today. I say we go out and celebrate big tonight!"

Xu Fengqiu responded with a smile, "I can't tonight, I'm afraid. I've made plans with Jiang Yan to catch a movie."

"Jiang Yan?" Li Xiaoya's lips twisted into a sneer.

"Fengqiu, seriously, what do you see in Jiang Yan? I'm going to be blunt—he's a grown man who doesn't work, just lazes around, and depends on you. He's basically a deadbeat, totally unworthy of you."

"If I were in your shoes, I would've dumped him ages ago. Look at you—you've got the looks, the figure, and even Young Master Han from our own Dahua Real Estate has been making advances. He's clearly into you. Why on earth are you so hung up on Jiang Yan, a dead-end choice?"

Xu Fengqiu frowned, a touch of irritation in her voice, "Xiao Ya, please don't talk about Jiang Yan like that. He loves me a lot, and I love him too. Isn't that enough?"

"Love? Fengqiu, you're not fresh out of college anymore. How can you still be so naive?"

"Is love something you can eat? We live in a material world. Without a solid financial foundation, so-called love is just a sad affair. To be practical, you and Jiang Yan have been married for three years. What if you suddenly get pregnant and can't work? Who's going to provide for the family then?"

Li Xiaoya pressed on, "Once the baby arrives, that's another mouth to feed. Diapers and formula aren't free. And as the child grows, there will be preschool and eventually school fees. The costs will only climb. Do you really think you can support a family all by yourself without getting worn out?"

Xu Fengqiu found herself at a loss for words in response to Li Xiaoya's remarks.

Every woman yearns for a man who can protect her and bear the family's burdens. Yet, Jiang Yan was unwilling to work, and she couldn't bring herself to push him.

"Enough, Xiaoya. I chose Jiang Yan, and no matter how lacking he may be, I can't just leave him."

Li Xiaoya, frustrated, said, "Fengqiu, why can't you see the truth? If Jiang Yan was capable of giving you a happy life, I'd hold my tongue. But right now, he's giving you nothing."

"You're always scrimping and saving, hesitating over a pricey makeup purchase, never indulging in designer jewelry. Why do you insist on shortchanging yourself?"

"Just divorce Jiang Yan, and with your qualities, you could find someone far superior in no time. Are you really going to wait until it's too late to have regrets?"

Xu Fengqiu's expression soured. "Xiaoya, let's drop it. I don't covet fancy jewelry; those are just material things. Without love, a marriage is no better than a tomb. I don't want to damage our years of sisterhood over this. Work's about to end; I'd rather not continue this conversation."

Seeing Xu Fengqiu genuinely upset, Li Xiaoya sighed in resignation, choosing not to press further, though she couldn't help feeling resentful towards Jiang Yan for compromising her best friend's lifelong happiness.

Before long, the workday drew to a close.

Xu Fengqiu gathered her belongings, slung her bag over her shoulder, and headed out of the office.

Jiang Yan had arrived at the entrance of Dahua Real Estate early, eager to surprise Xu Fengqiu the moment she finished work.

"Jiang Yan!"

Spotting him immediately, Xu Fengqiu ran over with joy.

"How long have you been here? Have you been waiting long?"

Jiang Yan greeted her with a smile and a shake of his head, "Not long at all. I timed it just right for your shift's end."

"Feng Qiu!"

A voice suddenly called out, and Li Xiaoya hurried over.

Before leaving work, she had touched up her makeup, adding a layer of powder and red lipstick, enhancing her allure.

She appraised Jiang Yan with a quick glance, taking in his inexpensive street market clothes with a sneer of disdain.

"Where are you two headed?"

Xu Fengqiu answered, "We're going to grab a bite to eat, then catch a movie."

"Why don't we all go together?" Li Xiaoya suggested. "My boyfriend will be here any minute. He can drive us, saving you the trouble of hailing a cab."

That's when Li Xiaoya's eyes landed on the gift box in Jiang Yan's hands, spotting the Patek Philippe logo.

"What's that you've got there, Jiang Yan? A gift for Feng Qiu?"

It was only then that Xu Fengqiu noticed the gift box too, her face mirroring the surprise.

"Yes, I picked up a little something for Feng Qiu on my way here, passing by the mall," Jiang Yan explained.

"A little something? Isn't that a Patek Philippe watch in your box?" Li Xiaoya asked, her face clouding with skepticism. She was always on the lookout for luxury brands, aiming to snag a wealthy suitor, and thus spent nearly all her earnings on designer labels to boost her market value.

She had once eyed a Patek Philippe watch and was well aware of its hefty price tag.

"Are you pulling my leg? Even the most affordable Patek Philippe watch costs upwards of a hundred thousand. You're calling it a 'small gift'? How could a stay-at-home cook like you afford such a luxury? Surely it's not a cheap knockoff?"

Hearing the doubt in Li Xiaoya's voice, Xu Fengqiu's expression soured.

She wasn't concerned about the nature of Jiang Yan's gift, but the thought of him gifting a counterfeit watch—and being called out by Li Xiaoya—was mortifying.

Before Jiang Yan could respond, Li Xiaoya reached for the gift box, eager to seize the chance to mock him. Little did she know, Jiang Yan had unwittingly walked right into her trap.

If she could reveal the truth about Jiang Yan's high-quality fake watch right in front of Xu Fengqiu, maybe that would open her eyes to Jiang Yan's true nature, possibly leading to their divorce.

"You don't mind if I have a look, do you?"

She snatched the gift box from Jiang Yan's grasp, eagerly took out the watch box, and removed the watch.

Xu Fengqiu glanced at it and exclaimed, "Isn't this the same watch I saw before?"

Jiang Yan offered a smile and said, "Yes, you seemed to like it, so I picked it up for you."

Picked it up?

As if he was casually buying groceries at the market?

Li Xiaoya inwardly scorned him, but as she examined the watch, her expression shifted; she couldn't quite pinpoint what was off about it.

"This imitation is quite refined; it's nearly indistinguishable from the real thing."

She was convinced that the watch was a fake, not an authentic Patek Philippe.

Just then, a BMW 5X approached and honked its horn.

Li Xiaoya's eyes sparkled, and she quickly said, "My boyfriend's here. He's the vice president of a publicly traded company, and he also owns a Patek Philippe. I'll have him take a look."

Li Xiaoya gestured to the BMW, and a man in a suit stepped out. In his thirties, he wore gold-framed glasses.

Arm in arm with him, Li Xiaoya boasted, "Fengqiu, meet my boyfriend, Lee Chade. He used to work for a Fortune 500 company abroad and recently returned to Yunzhou. He's currently a deputy president at a company."

Lee Chade gave Xu Fengqiu an admiring look.

"Xiaoya, is this the close friend you've told me so much about? Truly, she lives up to her name, a phoenix among people, radiant as autumn."

Xu Fengqiu nodded with a smile and greeted him, "Hello, Mr. Li!"

Without missing a beat, Li Xiaoya said, "Chad, could you take a quick look and tell us if this watch is a high-quality imitation?"