Bo Mingze erupted with an astonishing will to survive, frantically dashing out of the room.
Qin Yiyang didn’t bother with him any further and took the elevator down to the first-floor banquet hall.
The entrance was in complete chaos.
A woman in a red velvet gown blocked Father Qin and Mother Qin’s path, her expression unfriendly.
“Mr. Qin, someone just lost a necklace, and now you’re in such a hurry to leave? I heard the Qin family is on the verge of bankruptcy, borrowing money everywhere. Who’s to say you haven’t gotten some crooked ideas?”
Qin Yiyang knew her—Mrs. Zhao, a rather snobbish woman.
Mother Qin laughed in disbelief. “How much could a necklace possibly be worth?”
“Do you know whose necklace that was?” Mrs. Zhao curled her lip. “Just in time, the owner of the necklace is here.”
Everyone followed Mrs. Zhao’s gaze.
The newcomer wore a moon-white cheongsam, her figure graceful, her charm undiminished by age.
And Qin Yiyang clenched her fists.
This woman, who had deliberately swapped the infants and made her sleep in a pigsty for twelve years—Qin Yiyang would recognize her even if she were reduced to ashes.
Yes, she was Shen Yan’s biological mother.
Only, the woman before her now was elegant and captivating, with no trace of the poverty and wretchedness from back then.
Back then, she was so poor she couldn’t even afford meat, yet she was willing to spend four or five thousand on high-end face cream, extremely focused on maintaining her appearance.
They had thought she was just vain, but now they realized she was preparing to become a wealthy lady.
Mrs. Zhao switched to a fawning expression, intimately linking arms with Shen Yan’s mother and introducing her grandly, “This is Madam An Rou, also Mr. Shen’s lifesaver.”
“Which Shen family?” someone asked, puzzled.
Mrs. Zhao lifted her chin, looking as if she shared in the glory. “Naturally, the Shen family, the wealthiest in Haicheng!”
“The diamond necklace that was just lost is worth tens of millions—a gift from Mr. Shen to Madam An as a token of gratitude. Who would’ve thought it would be stolen by someone with no eyes!”
The crowd was astonished, scrutinizing An Rou anew.
An Rou waved her hands repeatedly. “It’s just a necklace. Since it can’t be found, let’s forget it. No need to ruin everyone’s harmony.”
Mrs. Zhao patted her hand. “You, always too soft-hearted! No wonder Mr. Shen is always worried you’ll be taken advantage of and asked me to look out for you.”
As she spoke, she shot a sidelong glance at Mother Qin. “Qin Fengyi, I advise you to hand over the necklace quickly, or don’t blame me for searching you!”
Mother Qin’s eyes turned sharp.
She realized today’s farce was no accident.
Beside her, Qin Yiyang’s expression was serious.
【System, the necklace is in Mrs. Zhao’s hand, right? She and An Rou want to frame my mom for theft, correct? But then again, with so many eyes watching, aren’t they afraid of being caught?】
[Don’t you know? Mrs. Zhao was a magician’s assistant when she was young.]
The System gossiped excitedly, [Mr. Zhao was also a magic enthusiast. They hit it off instantly, and one thing led to another. Mrs. Zhao married into wealth thanks to her child.]
Qin Yiyang: …System, you really know how to use idioms.
The System was thrilled. [But here’s the kicker! The child isn’t Mr. Zhao’s—it’s Mrs. Zhao and the magician’s!]
Qin Yiyang: “…”
Father Qin & Mother Qin: “…”
No wonder they’d always thought the Zhao family’s youngest son didn’t look like Zhao Dade—turns out they really weren’t father and son.
How thrilling!
The System added, [Mrs. Zhao thinks she’s playing both men from the stratosphere, but actually—]
Oh my? There’s a twist!
Mother Qin immediately perked up her ears.
The next second, however, she heard her daughter’s serious voice ring out, 【System, is this really the time to be gossiping? I want to change the original text—they can’t wrong my mom like this!】
Qin’s Mom: “…”
Thank you, dear daughter, but could you maybe not worry about Mom right now and let her finish hearing the full gossip?
Qin Yiyang, of course, couldn’t hear her mother’s inner thoughts.
She listened carefully to the original text provided by the System.
[Original text: Amid the tense atmosphere, Mrs. Zhao exclaimed, “What’s that?” and pulled something out of Qin Fengyi’s pocket.
Mrs. Zhao then opened her palm, revealing a necklace.
—It was exactly the diamond necklace An Rou had lost.
The crowd erupted in shock!]
This time, the text was a bit longer.
Qin Yiyang, Father Qin, and Qin’s Mom all listened intently.
At the same time, a glint flashed in Mrs. Zhao’s eyes as she pointed at Mother Qin’s pocket and exclaimed, “What’s that?”
It looked like the original plot was about to unfold.
In that split second, Qin Yiyang had a sudden inspiration.
【System! Change the ‘revealing’ to ‘rusty’!】
With a beep, the plot modification was complete.
The next moment, Mrs. Zhao opened her palm, and an exquisitely beautiful diamond necklace was displayed before everyone.
An Rou covered her mouth, taking half a step back in shock. “Is that really the necklace Mr. Qin took?”
The crowd erupted!
Did Qin Fengyi really steal the necklace?
Mrs. Zhao was triumphant. “Qin Fengyi, what do you have to say for yourself? This is the Shen family’s heirloom necklace, crafted with Colombian oil-free emeralds and South African diamonds forming the chain, with a top-grade Burmese ruby as the main stone, worth millions.”
“Of course, Mr. Shen’s affection for An Rou is priceless.”
An Rou blushed, a hint of shyness showing on her face.
The onlookers exchanged glances, and some immediately chose sides.
“Ms. Qin, you’re a respectable person—how could you steal someone else’s belongings?”
“If you needed money, you could have just told us! We’d have lent it to you!”
Amid the chaos, Qin Yiyang caught the faint, quickly suppressed smile curling at the corner of An Rou’s lips.
Until a woman’s voice drifted lightly through the air.
“Qin Fengyi is someone who values her pride above all else. Asking her to steal would be like asking her to die. Some people haven’t even secured their position yet and already think they can put on airs, as if they’re some kind of delicacy.”
An Rou instantly turned pale.
Qin Yiyang looked up at the woman who had spoken.
This was her mother’s rival, Mrs. Wei.
Qin Yiyang couldn’t help but cheer inwardly.
【I like this Mrs. Wei!】
Immediately after, Qin Yiyang tilted her head and leaned closer to the necklace. “Auntie Zhao, this necklace is an antique, right?”
Mrs. Zhao preened. “Of course! This is the Shen family’s ancestral necklace—it’s definitely an antique!”
Qin Yiyang nodded. “No wonder, then. Even the diamonds have rust on them.”
Rust?
Both An Rou and Mrs. Zhao’s expressions changed.
The crowd also looked closely and indeed noticed a layer of red rust where the diamonds connected.
“Jewelry can rust? It must be fake!”
“The Shen family is wealthy and influential—how could they give a fake gift? Unless… this wasn’t actually given by the Shen family.”
In an instant, everyone’s gaze toward An Rou turned strange.