The waiter froze. This extravagantly dressed, utterly tasteless woman was Xie Ran’s mother?
Since the hotel belonged to Xie Ran, the waiter could only nod and lead them to meet the manager.
Xie Zhi found Feng Chunlan sampling cream puffs in the pastry area.
She snatched the puff from her hand.
“Mom, where have you been? I’ve been looking for you. Why are you eating such high-sugar, high-fat snacks? Didn’t the doctor say you shouldn’t eat these? They could worsen your condition.”
Feng Chunlan, having her cream puff taken away, simply picked up a lotus seed paste and salted egg yolk pastry, nonchalantly popping it into her mouth.
“I only ate one, it’s fine. You’re overreacting. My recent hospital checkups show my indicators are all stable.”
Xie Zhi knew arguing with her mother was futile, so she said no more.
She pulled Feng Chunlan along.
“Mom, these are the gifts from the guests. Let’s go take a look.”
Feng Chunlan’s eyes lit up, and she eagerly followed.
They arrived at the gift area, where staff recorded every gift and the guest who sent it.
Feng Chunlan picked up the gift registry, unfamiliar with the value of many jewels and boxes, but seeing the extensive list, she was overjoyed, constantly asking Xie Zhi the prices.
Xie Zhi herself was tempted; the guests had indeed been generous today.
Even a single gift could cost tens of thousands. If she took a few, perhaps her brother and mother wouldn’t notice.
Su Xingnuo approached in high heels, snatching the registry from Feng Chunlan.
She glanced through it, seeing nearly ten million in value—these gifts were meant for her anyway.
She wrote down an address and arranged for the gifts to be sent there.
Xie Zhi panicked.
“What are you doing? Where are you sending these gifts? This is my brother’s banquet! Are you trying to take everything?”
Feng Chunlan told Xie Zhi firmly,
“Don’t waste your breath. Go call your brother. He needs to teach her a lesson; she clearly doesn’t know her place.”
Soon, Xie Zhi called Xie Ran.
Xie Ran stared at Su Xingnuo.
“You said you were going to discuss a project with Mr. Li. What are you doing here?”
Xie Zhi and Feng Chunlan stood aside, grinning, eager to see him scold Su Xingnuo.
Su Xingnuo raised the registry.
“It’s my birthday. Naturally, the gifts are for me.”
Xie Ran’s face turned cold.
“You said you wouldn’t come. I’ve already turned the birthday banquet into a business event. These gifts aren’t yours.”
Su Xingnuo lifted her chin, voice calm.
“I never said I wouldn’t come. Here’s the deal: if I secure the deal with Mr. Li, I take the gifts. If not, you can have them.”
She casually tossed the registry onto a nearby table.
Feng Chunlan rushed to catch it, as if Su Xingnuo had thrown real gold.
Xie Ran thought for a moment.
“Fine.”
Xie Zhi panicked.
“Brother! How can you agree to this?”
Su Xingnuo wasn’t even qualified for these gifts—they belonged to the Xie family.
Xie Ran frowned but had his own reasoning.
If the deal with Mr. Li succeeded, even conservatively, the company would gain over fifty million. The gifts were worth less than ten million. If Su Xingnuo wanted them, he could let her have them—provided she closed the deal.
He clearly didn’t believe in her ability but hoped Mr. Li would respect her father and agree to cooperate.
He looked at Xie Zhi and Feng Chunlan, tone firm.
“Fine. That’s settled. You two do what you want—or go home.”
Xie Zhi and Feng Chunlan glared at Su Xingnuo, furious, but thinking better of it, realized Su Xingnuo didn’t really have the confidence to negotiate the deal. It was self-inflicted humiliation.
They left, still seething.
Su Xingnuo turned to leave, Xie Ran watching her slim back.
Suddenly, a pang of guilt hit him—he had indeed neglected her over the years.
He called out to her, his tone softer.
“Su Xingnuo, even if you don’t close the deal, I won’t blame you. As long as I know your heart is with me.”
Su Xingnuo didn’t turn around. A fleeting sting rose in her chest but quickly faded. She walked off without looking back.
She called to have the project materials delivered. Once done, a waiter approached, head bowed.
“Miss Su, Young Master Liu would like you to come to the second-floor hall.”
Su Xingnuo frowned. Brother?
“Did he say why?”
The waiter shook his head and ran off.
Su Xingnuo pulled out her phone to call Liu Yancheng, but it was temporarily unreachable.
Frowning, she wondered if something had happened to her brother.
She didn’t have time to think further and lifted her skirt to head to the second floor.
The second-floor banquet hall was smaller than the first, with only partial chandeliers lit, lacking the brilliance of the ground floor.
Su Xingnuo stepped onto the thick carpet, scanning the room, when a pink figure slowly approached.
She tugged her lips, turning to leave.
“Xingnuo-jie.”
Shen Qingya called, hurrying to her side and grabbing her wrist.
“I need to talk to you.”
Su Xingnuo turned, eyes meeting Shen Qingya’s—clear and bright.
But Su Xingnuo knew that behind the clarity lay calculation.
“I have nothing to say to you.”
Shen Qingya blurted out,
“Don’t you want to know why Xie Ran likes me and not you?”
Dropping her innocent facade, she showed a ruthless expression, speaking each word carefully.
“Married to the man you love, not touched once in three years… as a woman, could anything be sadder than that?”
Su Xingnuo glanced at her disdainfully.
“You call that your pursuit as a woman? Every sentence tied to a man. How starved for love are you? I don’t care why a man doesn’t love me. All I know is, his not loving me is his greatest foolishness; losing me is his greatest loss. I should even thank him for not touching me in three years. Losing a single tree gives me an entire forest. You, cling to your tree till death.”
“Hah!”
Shen Qingya sneered.
“You’re jealous because Xie Ran treats me unconditionally well, aren’t you?”
She touched the ruby earrings on her ears arrogantly.
“Xie Ran specially bought these for me. Do you have anything like this? In three years of marriage, has he ever spent over three million on you? You only deny it with words. Seeing your man treat another woman well… it must sting, right?”
Su Xingnuo remained unmoved, voice calm.
“Why must a man buy for me? Can’t I buy what I want myself? Shen Qingya, being love-brained isn’t scary. What’s scary is making a man your everything, losing yourself. Worse, depending on him to live—then when abandoned, all you have left is foraging for wild vegetables.”
She glanced at Shen Qingya’s gown.
“Did no one tell you that ruby earrings with a pale pink dress are utterly hideous? Xie Ran’s taste really is unique.”
Shen Qingya, angered, quickly calmed down.
A strange smile spread across her face, voice low and sinister.
“Then let’s see which side Xie Ran will take. You’re indifferent, but I’m curious.”
Su Xingnuo’s eyes flickered, trying to shake off Shen Qingya’s hand.
But Shen Qingya held on tight. The two struggled, moving toward the second-floor staircase.
Suddenly, a warning shot across Su Xingnuo’s mind—she tried to counter and stabilize Shen Qingya.
It was too late.
Shen Qingya screamed and let go of her hand, falling backward—