The pendant on the necklace was the “Star of the Ocean”—one half of the Fu family crest.
Shang Yu was five years older than Fu Jinzhou and had been by his side since childhood. For as long as he could remember, Fu Jinzhou had worn it. There was no way he could mistake it for anything else.
The only thing was, when Fu Jinzhou was thirteen, a little girl had traded a single White Rabbit White Rabbit cream candy for that very Star of the Ocean.
That necklace was meant solely for the future lady of the Fu household. Shang Yu had been right there next to him at the time; he had warned him, yet Fu Jinzhou had handed it over anyway.
And now, after disappearing for so many years, the Star of the Ocean had suddenly resurfaced.
Could it be that his master had been bedded by that very same girl from all those years ago?
Worried that something amiss might be going on, Shang Yu offered, “Sir, let me look into this.”
“No need.”
Fu Jinzhou held the necklace between his fingers, examining it closely.
It had been kept in pristine condition—not a single scratch marred its surface, and the facets of the diamond remained as crystal-clear as ever. The only flaw was the clasp, which had deformed slightly over years of continuous wear, its tension loosened considerably.
It had likely fallen off last night because of this warped clasp. He would have to get a new one crafted and replaced.
Meanwhile, having lost her necklace, Ye Fanxing felt a hollow ache in her chest. After parting ways with Su Tang, she headed straight back to the Ye family villa.
The Ye family had been in business for three generations and possessed deep roots among Northern City’s elite. Mrs. Ye had given birth to two sons first and had always longed for a daughter, but failed to conceive for years afterward. As she grew older, just when she was ready to give up, she unexpectedly fell pregnant again.
To her utter delight, her third child fulfilled her wish—a baby girl was born.
Thus, the little princess of the Ye family came into the world and was named Ye Fanxing. The entire family cradled her in the palm of their hands as she grew up.
Seeing her daughter return, Su Yun, Ye Fanxing’s mother, walked over and took her hand. “My baby’s back! Did you have fun?”
“Yes, Mom, I did,” Ye Fanxing replied, leaning softly against her mother’s shoulder.
“Are you tired out?” Su Yun asked with gentle concern.
“Mm, a little bit.”
Su Yun patted her daughter’s back softly. “Then go up to your room and get some rest. I’ve placed all the birthday gifts everyone sent in your room. You can unwrap them after you’ve rested.”
“Thanks, Mom.”
Returning to her bedroom, Ye Fanxing glanced at the mountain of presents piled beside the floor-to-ceiling window before turning to walk into the bathroom.
Steam billowed up, rapidly filling the room and fogging the mirror.
As she submerged her body into the bath, the water rippled gently, reflecting soft, red marks of varying intensity scattered across her fair skin. Every single trace served as a silent reminder of how wild things had gotten last night.
She thought of that man.
The heat of his body, the power behind his movements, the warmth of his breath against her ear as he leaned down…
Hmph. It’s all his fault for being so handsome and tempting me—and now I’ve gone and lost my necklace!
The more she thought about it, the more flustered she became. Her fingers splashed heavily through the water, shattering the warm glow reflected on the surface.
Right then, her phone rang abruptly on the counter, the screen flashing with the caller ID: Tangbao.
Ye Fanxing reached out, grabbed it, and answered, “Hello?”
“Star, that guy last night… did he… use protection?” Su Tang’s voice sounded laced with anxiety.
Ye Fanxing paused for a second. “A condom? Yeah, he wore one.”
Just as they were about to get down to business, he had suddenly stopped and made a quick phone call. A moment later, someone knocked at the door to hand something over.
Ye Fanxing recalled watching him kneel on the bed, meticulously reading through the instruction box from top to bottom before tearing open the wrapper with a slick slide of his fingers. She had been utterly intimidated by him at the time.
“Thank goodness,” Su Tang sighed, her tense nerves relaxing a bit.
They chatted for a few more minutes before ending the call.
Since it was her first time and he had pushed it for so long, she felt a lingering soreness down there. Ye Fanxing crawled into bed and drifted straight off to sleep.
The next day, Ye Fanxing went to her personal studio.
She had been fascinated by jewelry and diamonds since she was a child. After her college entrance exams, she went abroad to study jewelry design, graduating just this year.
Upon returning to the country, Ye Fanxing announced her intention to open her own studio, only to face unanimous opposition from her family. But she remained stubborn, and in the end, they all caved.
They had wanted to back her financially, but Ye Fanxing refused. She insisted that her dreams had to be achieved through her own efforts. One day, she would become the top jewelry designer and show the world the true beauty of Oriental aesthetics in her own way.
Her family had no choice but to indulge her, though they still worried. Her eldest brother, Ye Xun, ended up forcing an assistant onto her.
A month ago, “Fanxing Jewelry Design Studio” officially opened its doors.
When choosing a location, Ye Fanxing hadn’t picked a high-end office tower, opting instead for an old Western-style townhouse nestled in a quiet historic street. It was peaceful, and best of all, she didn’t have to wait for elevators.
Arriving at her office, Ye Fanxing took off her coat and sat down.
Her assistant, Xiao Mei, walked in. “Boss, the seats for tonight’s auction at Treasure Pavilion have been booked.”
“Mm. Has the leasing information for Global Hub come out yet?”
“Boss, I asked around… Global Hub isn’t opening up for public leasing.”
“Not opening for public leasing?” Ye Fanxing blinked in surprise. “Then what are they putting in there?”
“That’s… unclear. The mall management is keeping tight-lipped; they won’t leak a single detail. But I did manage to find out that Global Hub belongs to the Fu Conglomerate.”
“The Fu Conglomerate?” Ye Fanxing nodded. “Got it. You can head out.”
Xiao Mei stepped out of the room.
Global Hub was set to become a national landmark for top-tier luxury—the absolute pinnacle of high-end shopping. Countless major brands were eyeing it hungrily.
Ye Fanxing was eyeing it too.
However, her brand had just been registered and had zero track record to show. She knew securing a spot would be tough, but she hadn’t expected them to refuse public leasing altogether.
Well, that’s just a little bit rude!
Still, she was never one to back down from a challenge. Anything she set her mind to, she made happen.
Treasure Pavilion was tucked deep within a network of traditional alleys—a serene sanctuary of blue bricks, black tiles, and sweeping, upturned eaves.
The three-story drum tower was constructed strictly according to ancient architecture. On the first floor, eight vermilion-lacquered pillars supported an intricate coffered ceiling, connected seamlessly by mortise and tenon joints without a single nail. The second floor featured private VIP booths that ordinary people couldn’t access, while the third floor was an open-air pavilion viewing deck decorated with hanging mahogany lanterns.
Accompanied by Xiao Mei, Ye Fanxing walked into the main hall and took her seat in the middle of the third row.
Up in one of the second-floor VIP booths, the lights were warmly lit. A pot of Dahongpao tea simmered on the tea table, its rich aroma filling the air.
Fu Jinzhou sat on a leather sofa to one side, his long legs loosely crossed as he flipped through a catalog resting on his lap.
Shang Yu stood beside him.
Jewelry and diamonds were typically preferred by wealthy heiresses and socialite wives, but his master shared the same interest. For the past few years, Fu Jinzhou had attended every single auction, bidding on mountains of gems and diamonds.
The booth door swung open from the outside, and a man strolled in with one hand buried in his pocket, looking thoroughly relaxed.
“I knew I’d find you here.”
Without even raising an eye, Fu Jinzhou kept turning the pages of his catalog.
The newcomer was Gu Jue, Fu Jinzhou’s childhood friend.
Sitting down on the sofa opposite him, Gu Jue teased, “Look at you—a bachelor living all on his own. What’s the point of buying all these jewels?” He paused, eyes narrowing slyly. “You haven’t secretly kept a canary locked away in a golden cage, have you?”
Fu Jinzhou finally lifted his eyes, cast a flat glance at him, and then casually shifted his gaze out the window.
In the very next instant, his eyes locked onto something below.
Gu Jue turned to Shang Yu. “You’re with him twenty-four seven, so you definitely know. Come on, spill the tea—is he hiding someone behind our backs?”
“Uh… Master Gu, I’ll leave you two to chat,” Shang Yu stammered, slipping out the door without hesitation.
“Boring.” Gu Jue tapped his fingers lazily against the armrest of the sofa, keeping time. “Hand me the catalog. I might place a few bids too.”
The man across from him gave no response.
“What are you staring at?” Gu Jue followed Fu Jinzhou’s line of sight and peered down at the main floor. “Tsk, isn’t that the Ye family heiress? Are you looking at her?”
Fu Jinzhou glanced at him sideways. “You know her?”
Gu Jue slouched back, swinging his crossed leg casually. “She’s one of the top beauties in all of Northern City. You’re probably the only guy around who doesn’t know her.”
Fu Jinzhou replied in a flat, matter-of-fact tone, “I know her.”
Gu Jue froze, visibly taken aback.
A guy like Fu Jinzhou only recognized wall-to-wall financial text and endless streams of data numbers.
Since when did he ever recognize a woman?