Lin Jiujiu hurried after him. Where was the trace of weakness she had shown earlier?
Qin Jiming, however, failed to notice.
They soon arrived at the jewelry counter Qin Huaizhou had mentioned, and Qin Jiming spotted Shen Nianyi sitting beside it at a glance.
But only Shen Nianyi was there.
He suddenly let out a sigh of relief.
Shen Nianyi was seated in the lounge area, casually flipping through the advertising brochure on the table.
Huo Yuqing had received a call and had to attend to something at the last minute, so she had volunteered to stay behind and wait for the rings to be engraved.
When Shen Nianyi saw that even the brand’s cheapest plain band cost six figures, she fell silent for a moment.
Huo Yuqing was being far too good to his fake wife. Or perhaps lavish spending was simply customary for the Huo family…
The rings had been chosen on the spot, and the initials of both their names had even been engraved on them.
What would they do with the rings when their fake marriage ended?
“What about that so-called husband of yours?”
The question, laced with anger, pulled Shen Nianyi’s attention back.
She slowly raised her eyes in the direction of the voice and saw Qin Jiming standing before the table, looking down at her from above.
Lin Jiujiu followed behind him. As they approached, she stumbled, and Qin Jiming instinctively caught her around the waist. He only let go after making sure she was steady.
Shen Nianyi caught the fleeting smugness in Lin Jiujiu’s eyes and immediately felt sick. She had no desire to respond to her.
Qin Jiming surveyed the surroundings but saw no one else, and the probing look in his eyes grew even more pronounced.
In a cold voice, he said, “Shen Nianyi, your tricks for deceiving people are getting more and more sophisticated, aren’t they? You even dare to tell a lie like this?”
The news from that day had clearly been suppressed. Shen Nianyi must have been unable to save face and was now trying to clean up the mess. But what right did she have to keep throwing a tantrum?
When his eyes met Shen Nianyi’s, Qin Jiming’s back stiffened faintly.
She had never looked at him so coldly before, as though he were a stranger.
Lin Jiujiu brushed her slender fingers over her cheek and spoke in a sorrowful, aggrieved tone. “Exactly, Secretary Shen. Brother isn’t holding the wedding against you anymore, so why are you still making a fuss?”
She had seen the photograph Qin Huaizhou sent. Shen Nianyi had actually found a man and tried to pull a trick!
Thinking of Qin Jiming’s restlessness and irritation, Lin Jiujiu secretly clenched her teeth, afraid that Shen Nianyi’s scheme would succeed.
Shen Nianyi let out a cold laugh. She could not be bothered to ask how they had found her here and deliberately said, “I’m only waiting for our rings here. My husband went to answer a call, but he’ll be back soon. Don’t rush.”
Thinking of Lin Jiujiu’s provocation, she turned toward her with a bright smile. “I’ve already set you free, so why don’t you cherish it? And you, former sister-in-law—how could you come along with him and make a scene too? Don’t you know that an hour of spring night is worth a thousand pieces of gold? The two of you ran out here together and are wasting all that time in bed.”
Qin Jiming had intended to explain, but when he noticed the curious looks from those around them, he said stiffly, “What nonsense are you talking about? Stop making trouble for no reason.”
Afraid that Qin Jiming would explain, Lin Jiujiu cried out in surprise from the side and very naturally tugged at his clothes. “Brother, isn’t that the watch you wanted to give me before?”
Her delicate, soft voice made Shen Nianyi’s stomach churn.
Qin Jiming, however, seemed to enjoy it. He turned his eyes toward her. “What?”
“This one. It’s the sakura limited edition. You said before that you wanted to give it to me, but it was never in stock. I didn’t expect to find one here.”
She blinked at Qin Jiming, her eyes sparkling. “Can you give it to me today? I never thought I’d still get to fulfill this wish.”
“Of course. Try it on.”
At that, Shen Nianyi turned her head to look at them and gave a mocking smile.
What was there to try? Even if Lin Jiujiu wanted the moon in the sky, Qin Jiming would pluck it down for her without hesitation.
Lin Jiujiu, however, had no intention of letting Shen Nianyi off. As she tried on the watch, she raised her wrist and said softly, “This one feels so springlike. It’s perfect for couples in love.”
Qin Jiming acted as though he had not heard her. He looked toward Shen Nianyi, his voice low. “Choose a gift too. Consider it an apology gift.”
His lofty tone made it sound like an act of charity.
The smile at the corners of Shen Nianyi’s lips deepened uncontrollably. “An apology gift?”
“Isn’t it enough?” Qin Jiming was already growing impatient, though he restrained himself from making it too obvious. “You’ve carried on long enough. It’s time to stop.”
He had taken the initiative to show her goodwill and give her a way out. What more did she want?
Shen Nianyi drawled out an “Oh,” then suddenly laughed as though she had heard the funniest joke in the world. “I’m not making a fuss. I simply don’t need your apology.”
As long as Lin Jiujiu was around, Qin Jiming could never genuinely change. Besides, she no longer wanted him to.
Qin Jiming opened his mouth, about to say something else, but Lin Jiujiu spoke up again. “Brother!”
He instinctively looked over. “What is it?”
“What do you think of this one?” Lin Jiujiu asked coquettishly, ignoring everyone else around them.
On the other side, Shen Nianyi could not be bothered with them. She stood up and politely asked the sales clerk when her order would be ready.
“It’s ready, ma’am. Please check it, and we’ll package it for you.”
Shen Nianyi looked it over and found no problems. “Just wrap it simply. I have somewhere to be.”
She had no intention of continuing to be a prop in someone else’s little performance.
By the time Qin Jiming had finally helped Lin Jiujiu choose a watch and paid for it, he turned around and realized that Shen Nianyi was gone.
“Where is she?”
Hearing Qin Jiming’s low murmur, Lin Jiujiu felt displeased, but her face remained innocent. “Oh, it’s all my fault for getting too absorbed in the watches! I promise I’ll let Secretary Shen choose a proper gift next time and won’t disturb the two of you.”
Qin Jiming rubbed the bridge of his nose, irritation surging through him.
“Forget it. I shouldn’t have indulged her so much in the first place.”
…
As Shen Nianyi was leaving the mall, she sent Huo Yuqing a message.
She told him that she had already picked up the rings and sent him a photograph as well.
She had already taken off the ring on her own finger, but she did not dare put on the new one right away.
A ring worth eight figures felt a little too hot to handle!
Huo Yuqing seemed to be busy still and did not reply. Shen Nianyi was not in a hurry either. She put everything into her bag and planned to go to Niansi Company.
As soon as she got into a taxi, she received a call from Old Master Qin.
This was the first time Old Master Qin had contacted her since the wedding incident. Although the news had been suppressed, quite a few members of the Qin family had been present. Old Master Qin had probably learned what had happened.
That made Shen Nianyi unsure of how to face him.
After hesitating for a moment, she finally answered. Her tone was as gentle as ever. “Old Master Qin?”
“Nianyi, don’t forget about the family dinner tomorrow.”
“Old Master Qin, I…” Shen Nianyi wanted to refuse. Given her current status, it was no longer appropriate for her to attend a family dinner at the Qin residence.
But before she could finish, Old Master Qin coughed and said, “I know that good-for-nothing Qin Jiming has done something outrageous! You must come to the family dinner tomorrow. I’ll make him apologize to you properly.”
“I still don’t…”
She had barely spoken a few words when she heard Old Master Qin’s suppressed coughing again. When the old man coughed, it sounded like a bellows had broken. Even his breathing between coughs was harsh and hoarse, and he could hardly stop coughing.
The refusal reached Shen Nianyi’s lips, but she could not bring herself to say it.
Regardless of what Lin Jiujiu and Qin Jiming did, Old Master Qin saw everything clearly and had always doted on her.
Every time Shen Nianyi attended a family dinner, he would take her side and emphasize everything she had done for Qin Jiming.
Even when Lin Jiujiu caused trouble, Old Master Qin knew exactly what was going on. It was only a pity that Qin Jiming had always been blinded.
Thinking of that, Shen Nianyi could not bear to refuse him. “All right, I understand. I’ll come tomorrow.”
Let this be the last time she went to the Qin family to make everything clear.