After Rebirth, I Became the Richest Woman - Chapter 8

Seeing that Han Qiuzi did not respond, Wang Jing mocked, “I thought Eldest Miss Han was supposed to be beautiful, charming, and tasteful. Yet you came to someone’s birthday banquet wearing such a shabby bracelet. The paint is even peeling off.”

“Priceless treasures are easy to find, but a devoted lover is rare.” Han Qiuzi’s words were directed at Wang Jing, but her eyes were fixed on Yu Qing. “As long as it was given to me by the person I love, even if it’s cheap, I’ll wear it every day like a treasure.”

Wang Jing snapped angrily, “I’m talking to you, yet you’re looking at someone else. Are you looking down on me?”

Han Qiuzi glanced at Wang Jing impatiently. “What I mean is, I already have someone I like, and I’m not interested in anyone else. So stop bothering me.”

“You!”

Before Wang Jing could flare up, Han Qiuzi grabbed Yu Qing’s wrist and pulled her more than ten meters away.

After they had walked for a while, Yu Qing said coldly, “Let go.”

“Miss Yu’s attitude toward me is terrible. I don’t like it.” Han Qiuzi tilted her head, her tongue circling her teeth, looking exactly like a local thug. “A night as husband and wife brings a hundred nights of grace. No matter how you put it, we’ve slept together for more than one night. At the very least, we should be able to sit down and have tea from time to time, right?”

“Why did you wear this bracelet today?” Yu Qing lowered her eyes.

“Do I need to report to Miss Yu about what I want to wear? Who are you to me?” Han Qiuzi stepped forward and looked straight into Yu Qing’s eyes.

Yu Qing’s eyelashes trembled lightly as she said coldly, “This bracelet doesn’t match Miss Han’s status. Throw it away.”

“Something that has already been given to me is no longer something Miss Yu has a say in. Whether I keep it or throw it away is my own business. Even if I wear it every day to remind myself of a foolish past, it has nothing to do with you.”

After Han Qiuzi finished speaking, she brushed past Yu Qing and walked a few meters away. Then she turned back and said, “Also, the reason I haven’t had a new relationship all these years isn’t because you’re so special. It’s because no one is better than you in bed.”

Yu Qing stared at Han Qiuzi’s back, completely unaware that her nails had dug into her flesh. Hearing the other woman compare her with others in that matter made her heart feel as if it had been blocked by a stone.

But she had been the one who gave up first. How could she blame Han Qiuzi?

Han Qiuzi went straight to the restroom and hid inside a stall to calm herself.

She fanned her face with her hand. “That was close, that was close. I almost couldn’t hold it together. But it feels like I dug a pit for myself. If she asks me to explain what’s going on with other people in the future, could I clear my name even if I jumped into the Yellow River?”

“The Yellow River is full of sand, so I imagine you couldn’t wash yourself clean.”

Han Qiuzi instinctively shrank backward. “Is this toilet so advanced that it even has a chat function?”

Outside the door, Ye Xinuo fell silent, thinking that the person inside was probably joking.

Han Qiuzi opened the stall door and looked Ye Xinuo up and down. “You’re kind of perverted. Why are you following me even to the bathroom?”

“If we’re talking about following someone, it should be Miss Han, who came in later, following me.”

Han Qiuzi shrugged. “Meeting by chance is fate. Want to go out and have a drink together later?”

“No. It wouldn’t be good if others saw us interacting too closely.” Ye Xinuo tidied her hair in front of the mirror.

“That’s true. If Yu Qing found out she had been sold out, her reaction would probably be very exciting.”

Ye Xinuo chuckled. “If she didn’t like you, I wouldn’t sell her no matter how much money you gave me.”

“Still likes me…? Why can’t I feel it at all?” Han Qiuzi let out a heavy breath. “I think I’ve been the one in unrequited love all along.”

Ye Xinuo only smiled without speaking.

Han Qiuzi said helplessly, “I’ve met Miss Ye twice, and the expression I’ve seen most often is a smile. At least comfort me a little and give me some confidence.”

Ye Xinuo’s expression did not change. “There are many kinds of smiles: happy smiles, polite smiles, awkward smiles. Right now, this is a smile that means I want to end the conversation. If you insist that I say something, then I can only wish Miss Han victory at the first attempt and immediate success.”

“Hehe.” The corner of Han Qiuzi’s mouth twitched a few times. “Miss Ye really is honest.”

Ye Xinuo put away her smile and said sincerely, “I genuinely want to be friends with Miss Han, so let’s skip the business flattery. How about that?”

Han Qiuzi smiled knowingly and nodded. A true confidante was rare in life. Although she had not known Ye Xinuo for long, she knew their relationship would not stop at being business partners.

After leaving the restroom, Ye Xinuo gathered her energy and began searching the venue for her prey. Her main purpose for coming here today was to get to know Lu Mingqi, the young heir of Tiansheng Investment, one of Hucheng’s four major investment institutions.

When her father was alive, he regularly spoke through a private line with Lu Haotian, the head of Tiansheng Investment. As a junior, Ye Xinuo naturally did not have that qualification, so she had no choice but to first build a good relationship with someone from her own generation.

Ye Xinuo muttered quietly, “Everyone says Lu Mingqi likes to appear halfway through events. I’ve waited so long and still haven’t seen him. What a big shot!”

Speak of the devil, and he appears. Some people really could not withstand being mentioned. Just as Ye Xinuo finished muttering, she spotted her target.

Unfortunately, that fellow Qin Moyan took the lead and went over first to greet Lu Mingqi. They even seemed quite familiar.

Adhering to the principle that the shameless are invincible under heaven, Ye Xinuo went up without the slightest self-awareness and wrapped her arm around Qin Moyan’s. In a sweet, coquettish voice, she said, “Ah Mo, so you’re here! I’ve been looking for you for so long.”

Qin Moyan turned her head, her gaze meaningful.

“This must be Young Master Lu Mingqi of Tiansheng, right?” Ye Xinuo curved her lips into a suitable smile. “I’m Ye Xinuo from Yesheng Group. When I used to attend banquets with my father, I saw you before.”

“Hello.” Lu Mingqi nodded in return. “I know Miss Ye. You are currently the youngest chairwoman of the board in Hucheng.”

Ye Xinuo lowered her head and smiled shyly.

After a while, she said excitedly to Qin Moyan, “Ah Mo, I really had incredible luck. Remember that painting I kept telling you I’d been searching for? I found it in France some time ago.”

Her face did not flush, and her heart did not skip a beat.

Qin Moyan did not expose Ye Xinuo, but she also did not follow her wishes. Instead, she used a tone one would use when speaking to a three-year-old child and said, “Then keep it properly. Don’t tell other people, or it might get tricked away from you.”

“…” Ye Xinuo secretly cursed in her heart. An old fox really was an old fox.

Fortunately, Lu Mingqi joined the conversation and asked with great interest, “Miss Ye also likes collecting paintings?”

“Yes. I may not understand much when it comes to other things, but if we’re talking about paintings, I could talk for days and nights.” A strange light burst from Ye Xinuo’s eyes.

“Miss Ye mentioned just now that you obtained a painting. May I ask which master’s work it is?” Lu Mingqi added, “Though I don’t know much about traditional Chinese paintings.”

“Modiga’s Sister Afei. There are many replicas, and I had someone search for a very long time before finding the authentic piece.”

Lu Mingqi’s eyes instantly lit up. “Miss Ye actually found that painting! I’ve been to many exhibitions, but I never had the chance to see Modiga’s Sister Afei. I heard it was bought by a private buyer, and I regretted it for a long time.”

Ye Xinuo smiled. “Many people don’t understand Modiga’s value. I didn’t expect Mr. Lu to be a kindred spirit. If Mr. Lu is willing to honor me, we can invite a few friends to my place another day to appreciate it together.”

Lu Mingqi said, “Then I’ll respectfully accept. Actually, the reason I like Modiga is because of Moyan.” Then he looked at Qin Moyan with slight confusion. “Moyan, you searched for this painting for so long. Could it be that you were looking for it for Miss Ye? I asked so many friends and still couldn’t find it. Looks like I won’t have the chance to win a beauty’s smile.”

What was going on? Ye Xinuo’s head hurt a little. She had heard that Lu Mingqi was looking for this painting, which was why she had painfully used her own painting as bait, already prepared to give it to him if he liked it. In the end, the other party had also been planning to give it away—and the person he wanted to give it to was Qin Moyan?

Qin Moyan shook her head. “I truly did want this painting. Xinuo simply likes giving me surprises.”

Ye Xinuo’s face immediately stiffened. She turned to glance at Qin Moyan, reacted quickly, and pulled out a smile. “Hahaha, since I’ve already invited Mr. Lu to come see the painting, Ah Mo can only come take the painting after some time.”

“There’s no rush.” Qin Moyan paused. “After Mingqi finishes viewing it, I can pick it up on the way.”

A genuine glimmer of tears flashed in Ye Xinuo’s eyes. “As long as you like it, then my effort wasn’t wasted.”

Lu Mingqi did not notice the undercurrents between the two of them and sighed. “Miss Ye must be an extraordinary person. Moyan and I have known each other for almost ten years, from our school days until now, and I’ve never seen her so close to anyone before.”

Ye Xinuo replied politely, “Then it truly is my honor.” In her heart, she thought, Close? In just a few sentences, she tricked away a painting that money can’t even buy. This is clearly organized and premeditated fraud!

Lu Mingqi took out his phone. “Then would it be convenient for Miss Ye to leave me your contact information? I forgot to bring my business card today, but recently I’ve been using your company’s social app, Xmate. The experience is very good. We can add each other as friends.”

“All right.” Ye Xinuo added Lu Mingqi as a friend, and the stone blocking her heart finally settled a little. At least today’s trip had not been wasted.

After Lu Mingqi left, Ye Xinuo seemed to have had all her strength drained. Her head drooped, and her eyes were lifeless as she said to Qin Moyan, “Director Qin not becoming an actress is truly a loss for China’s entertainment industry. Otherwise, you would have won several Oscars by now.”

“Xinuo changes faces very quickly too. Weren’t you calling me very affectionately just now?” Qin Moyan lowered her head and savored it for a moment. “Ah Mo. The nickname is a little old-fashioned, but it did sound sincere.”

Ye Xinuo: “…” When Qin Moyan talked too much… she was actually quite annoying.

“Miss Ye, don’t put on an expression as if you’ve been bullied. Paying a little compensation for using me isn’t a loss. Tomorrow’s board meeting is very important to both you and me, so Miss Ye should go back and rest early too.” Qin Moyan lifted the glass in her hand. “A toast before you leave?”

Ye Xinuo had also experienced great storms and waves before. She had already adjusted her mindset. Right now, she was only putting on an act.

After clinking glasses, she looked at Qin Moyan with grievance. “You got a bargain! If I’d known earlier, I wouldn’t have listened to Uncle Tang and used this method to get to know Lu Mingqi. That painting was very expensive!”

After saying that, even Ye Xinuo herself felt so disgusted that goosebumps rose on her skin.