Gu Zechuan instinctively brushed off the hand of the woman beside him that was resting in the crook of his arm. The woman’s expression stiffened.
“Su Qiuyi and I are friends too. Is it strange that I came to her birthday party?” Ruan Chutang looked at him with a half-smile.
“No, I just thought you didn’t like attending these kinds of parties, so I didn’t mention it to you in advance.”
Ruan Chutang sneered inwardly. Was it really because I don’t like it that you didn’t tell me?
Or was it because you deliberately kept it from me so you could bring someone else?
After explaining, Gu Zechuan swept a cold gaze around the room.
His eyes seemed to ask, who invited her?
Su Qiuyi guiltily averted her gaze, not daring to meet his eyes, pretending it had nothing to do with her.
“Hello, you must be Ruan Chutang, right? I’m Chen Wan. You must have heard Zechuan mention me.” The woman who had come with Gu Zechuan stepped forward to greet Ruan Chutang.
Oh, so this was Chen Wan, Gu Zechuan’s first love and White Moonlight.
Ruan Chutang still felt a pang in her heart, her chest tight and uncomfortable. After all, she had been in a relationship with Gu Zechuan for three years, and those feelings couldn’t be erased overnight.
But she masked her emotions perfectly. A faint smile curled at the corner of Ruan Chutang’s lips as she nodded in response. “Miss Chen, I’ve heard so much about you.”
Chen Wan looked at her with a bright smile. “Miss Ruan, has anyone ever told you that we look somewhat alike?”
As soon as these words were spoken, Gu Zechuan’s expression darkened instantly.
Ruan Chutang glanced at him with amusement, then curved her lips into a smile and shifted her gaze to meet Chen Wan’s slightly provocative look.
“Oh? Really?” Ruan Chutang blinked her dewy almond-shaped eyes, speaking with an innocent, guileless tone. “But I don’t think so. You’re not as pretty as I am.”
The onlookers who had been watching the drama were stunned.
Wasn’t Ruan Chutang always known for being gentle and obedient? Why was she speaking so sharply today?
Seeing the awkward atmosphere, Su Qiuyi quickly changed the subject.
“Don’t just stand there, come and sit down.”
Suppressing her irritation toward Ruan Chutang, Chen Wan forced a smile and handed the gift in her hand to Su Qiuyi. “Happy birthday, Qiuyi. This is for you.”
Su Qiuyi took it and was surprised to see that the gift bag looked exactly like the one Ruan Chutang had just given her.
She curiously took out the gift box from the bag and opened it. “Wow, I’ve liked this necklace for a long time. Thank you, Sister Chen Wan.”
Ruan Chutang’s gaze froze. How could it be the same necklace as the one she had given?
Su Qiuyi then opened the gift bag Ruan Chutang had given her earlier. “Wow! Chu Tang, you gave me the same necklace!”
“It must be fake.”
One of Su Qiuyi’s friends behind her declared it counterfeit without even looking. “This necklace costs over fifty thousand. Ruan Chutang is just a small-time lawyer—how much could her monthly salary be? How could she afford to buy such an expensive necklace for you?”
As soon as these words were spoken, the room fell silent.
Suspicious glances converged on Ruan Chutang from all directions.
Clearly, they all agreed with what had just been said.
As an unknown, low-profile lawyer, she wouldn’t be willing to spend that much money on a genuine gift for Su Qiuyi.
Gu Zechuan’s expression turned grim. “Chu Tang, if you’re short on money, you could have told me. I could have helped you prepare a gift. How could you…”
How could you give a fake?
He couldn’t bring himself to say the rest, but everyone present understood.
Ruan Chutang looked at him coldly. “Gu Zechuan, do you also think I gave a fake?”
Gu Zechuan’s face darkened, but he didn’t answer.
He had tacitly agreed.
Su Qiuyi smiled awkwardly, stepping in to smooth things over. “That can’t be. Chu Tang and I are close—how could she give me a fake? Don’t say things like that; it’s hurtful.”
Though she spoke those words, Ruan Chutang still caught a flicker of disdain in Su Qiuyi’s eyes.
Ruan Chutang’s heart sank.
She had spent over fifty thousand on this necklace for Su Qiuyi as a token of gratitude for the kindness Su had shown her in the past.
Three years ago, Ruan Chutang had rebelled against her family to avoid an arranged marriage and fled alone to Haicheng.
Ruan Shaodong froze her cards and cut off her financial support. Without relying on any of the Ruan family’s connections, she managed to land a job at a law firm through her own efforts.
In her first year as a trainee lawyer, Ruan Chutang earned just four thousand a month. Even after obtaining her license the following year, her salary remained modest. In the eyes of this crowd, she was nothing but a pauper.
The young masters and heiresses in Gu Zechuan’s circle had always looked down on “penniless” people like her, subtly excluding and isolating her whenever they went out.
While Gu Zechuan turned a blind eye, Su Qiuyi had stepped in to help her out a few times and even initiated conversations.
Chu Tang had thought Su Qiuyi was different from the others, never imagining that she, too, secretly looked down on her.
How laughable.
The night she agreed to the arranged marriage, Ruan Shaodong restored her bank card privileges. Fifty thousand yuan meant as little to her now as five cents.
“Give me the necklace. I’ll make it up to you with another birthday gift later,” Gu Zechuan interjected. “Chu Tang was thoughtless; my apologies.”
Su Qiuyi glanced at Ruan Chutang, then at Gu Zechuan, caught in a dilemma.
If she didn’t hand over the necklace to Gu Zechuan, she would be disrespecting him.
If she did, it would imply she also believed the necklace was fake. On the surface, Ruan Chutang would be humiliated, but since Ruan Chutang was Gu Zechuan’s girlfriend, the embarrassment would ultimately reflect on him.
“If he wants it, just give it to him,” Ruan Chutang said coldly, crossing her arms as she stared at Gu Zechuan.
Su Qiuyi had no choice but to hand him the necklace.
Chen Wan, who had been standing nearby, suddenly spoke up. “Zechuan, don’t blame Miss Ruan. She meant well.”
Gu Zechuan remained silent, his expression dark.
To lighten the mood, someone suggested playing a game.
Chen Wan smiled and joined them for drinks and games.
Ruan Chutang had no interest in such gatherings, so she walked alone to a corner sofa and sat down.
Gu Zechuan approached with a cold expression and took a seat beside her.
Ruan Chutang ignored him, engrossed in her phone.
After a long pause, Gu Zechuan spoke in a low voice, “If you were short on money, you could have given something cheaper. That’s still better than giving a fake.”
“If you think it’s fake, just return it to me,” Ruan Chutang replied, her eyes still fixed on her phone, her tone indifferent.
“Don’t you realize you’re embarrassing me?”
Ruan Chutang closed her eyes, took two deep breaths, and suddenly opened them again.
She turned to face Gu Zechuan.
“How am I embarrassing you? The receipt is inside. Can’t you check it yourself? Do I need to take you to the boutique and ask the staff to verify it?”
Gu Zechuan was momentarily stunned before he lowered his head to search for the receipt.
Seeing it, he finally believed the necklace was genuine. His expression softened slightly, and his tone grew gentler. “Why didn’t you mention the receipt earlier?”
Ruan Chutang snorted. “Couldn’t be bothered.”
With that, she returned to her phone.
After another long silence, Gu Zechuan, sitting beside her, finally murmured an apology under his breath.
“I’m sorry, I misunderstood you about what happened today.”
Ruan Chutang pretended not to hear, fully focused on playing the game.
Gu Zechuan stayed by her side without saying another word, but his gaze remained fixed on the group playing the game.
More precisely, it was fixed on Chen Wan.
When Ruan Chutang finished a round and looked up, she happened to see Gu Zechuan watching Chen Wan.
Chen Wan had lost the game and was being urged to drink as a penalty.
At first, Gu Zechuan restrained himself.
But when he saw Chen Wan down her third drink and reach for a fourth, he abruptly stood up, strode over to her, and snatched the glass from her hand.
“With your stomach problems, you’re drinking this much? Chen Wan, are you trying to kill yourself?”
Anyone could see Gu Zechuan was angry.
The previously noisy private room instantly fell silent.
Everyone’s eyes turned toward them.
Chen Wan, in a fit of defiance, looked up and met Gu Zechuan’s furious gaze. “What’s it to you?”
“You’re not allowed to drink anymore.”
Gu Zechuan swept a cold glance over the group playing the game, his expression darkening as he spoke. “Who dares try to make her drink again?”
Those present averted their eyes, not daring to meet his gaze.
Ruan Chutang sat on the sofa, watching the commotion with a cold expression, a mocking smile curling at the corner of her lips.
Chen Wan stood up, trying to snatch the glass back.
Gu Zechuan raised it high, keeping it out of her reach.
Chen Wan rose on her tiptoes but lost her balance, stumbling into Gu Zechuan’s arms.
Instinctively, he wrapped his other arm around her, holding her tight. “Be careful. After all these years, you’re still so reckless.”
Chen Wan’s cheeks flushed red as she leaned against Gu Zechuan’s chest, tilting her head to look up at him, her voice tinged with a coquettish tone.
“Gu Zechuan, you’re really annoying.”
The people around them started cheering and teasing again.
Just as Gu Zechuan was about to say something, he looked up and unexpectedly met Ruan Chutang’s icy gaze.