Chapter 76: I don’t spend money on men
Lian Li’s slender, clean fingers leisurely flipped through a brand magazine, and a recently popular male celebrity’s face appeared in her line of sight.
Xue Shufan said that Chen Wei Qi had a new boyfriend. It seems to be him.
The male celebrity was wearing a light coffee-colored suit, worn in a very bold, vacuum-sealed style, revealing a large expanse of smooth chest and abdominal lines. It was a very eye-catching outfit… but his physique, appearance, and temperament were not as good as Jin Shi Yue’s.
Jin Shi Yue didn’t need to dress up; just standing there made him exceptionally noticeable.
Jin Shi Yue and Jin Yan Ting’s Mother, Chen Shifei, was the third young lady of the Chen Family in Hong Kong.
Chen Wei Qi’s father was Chen Shifei’s second elder brother, and her mother was the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs. Due to their work, her parents lived in different cities year-round, and apart from important occasions requiring them to appear together, they basically had no contact.
Chen Wei Qi’s father had a son and a daughter with the mistress he kept outside. Her mother, worried that she would be bullied in the Port Area, brought her to the Capital City from a young age and doted on her.
In Chen Wei Qi’s opinion, canaries and mistresses were no different; both were third parties who destroyed other people’s families.
The courtesans of ancient times were a thousand times better than them. At least courtesans were forced by circumstances and possessed singing and dancing talents, while canaries only had outward appearances and no substance.
Due to her parents’ separation, her elders doted on Chen Wei Qi from a young age, which to some extent made Chen Wei Qi spoiled and willful. She was also a Duan Shiqing-type sister complex enthusiast. Seeing Lian Li lounging lazily on the sofa, she adjusted her earring and said with annoyance:
“What nonsense are you talking about? My elder cousin is self-disciplined and upright, always pure and noble, and never keeps canaries. She’s just the daughter of a Jin Family driver. My elder cousin took pity on her and kept her by his side, giving her a little money as alms.”
“Not a canary, a nanny?”
“Definitely. The Jin Family and the Duan Family are already in a marriage alliance, so there’s no room for anyone else.”
They lacked the ability to stir Lian Li’s emotions, and they kept repeating the same few sentences. Lian Li’s ears were about to grow calluses from listening.
She withdrew her gaze and continued to sip tea and flip through the magazine.
Seeing her composed demeanor, the group of people looked embarrassed, suddenly feeling like ridiculous clowns trying to attract the attention of onlookers, but the onlookers remained unmoved.
Chen Wei Qi was already accustomed to Lian Li’s reaction. Her expression didn’t change much as she walked to the largest sofa in the VIP lounge and sat down.
A store assistant brought over the new season’s lookbook. The store manager respectfully knelt before Chen Wei Qi, opened the lookbook, and pointed to a sapphire necklace, introducing it to Chen Wei Qi.
Her girlfriends were looking at the newly arrived jewelry that the store assistants had brought out.
Lian Li remained oblivious, engrossed in her magazine. Suddenly, a question sounded in her ear: “What are you looking at?”
Lian Li turned her head. Duan Xingyu stood behind her sofa, leaning down close, her face almost touching Lian Li’s.
Duan Xingyu’s eyes were fixed on Lian Li, her expression one-third dazed, not at all like the fiery and spoiled girl she was before.
“A magazine,” Lian Li handed her other brand magazines from the coffee table.
Duan Xingyu stared blankly for a moment before slowly taking them. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
“Xingyu, what are you talking to her about?” Chen Wei Qi saw this and came over to grab Duan Xingyu’s arm. “She’s Sister Shiqing’s enemy, which means she’s our enemy too.”
“Where did Sister Shiqing get an enemy?” Duan Xingyu asked innocently.
Given that other socialites were present, Chen Wei Qi couldn’t speak directly. “Never mind, just stay away from her. Sister Shiqing and Brother Yan Ting are a match made in heaven; no one can break them up!”
Duan Xingyu: “Oh.”
Lian Li glanced at the scene over there. The store’s top sales assistants were kneeling beside the young ladies’ legs, their faces plastered with smiles as they introduced jewelry products to them one by one.
The lively atmosphere and the quietness were clearly distinct. Lian Li checked the time; it was almost the time the store assistant had mentioned.
Five minutes later, a store assistant came out with a black velvet tray and walked up to Lian Li. He lifted the cloth, and in the center of the tray lay a red jade bracelet, refracting a brilliant light under the illumination, making it exceptionally dazzling.
“Miss Lian, the technician has finished. Please check if you are satisfied.”
Lian Li nodded. “It’s fine.”
The store assistant asked if she wanted to wear it now or have it put into an exquisite gift box.
Lian Li refused the store assistant’s suggestion to help her wear it. She took the bracelet and put it on her left wrist with one hand.
As she fastened the chain, Chen Wei Qi’s voice reached her ears: “How much is hers? I want it, and I’ll pay double the price.”
“Miss Chen, I apologize. This bracelet belongs to Miss Lian; it is not for sale in the store.” The store assistant said apologetically.
“Baorui is known as the queen of the jewelry world, how can it not even satisfy Miss Chen’s request?” Chen Wei Qi’s girlfriend said.
“It’s probably cheap stuff, not worth much,” someone chimed in to smooth things over and give Chen Wei Qi an out.
The store manager smiled apologetically. Based on her twenty years of professional experience, Lian Li’s red jade was a rare find, but she couldn’t say it out loud.
People in high society are inherently arrogant and look down on too many people and things. It’s normal, normal.
Lian Li glanced at the store manager and assistants. Not wanting to cause a conflict in someone else’s establishment, she chose to ignore them.
The jade was cool, sticking to her wrist, quickly absorbing the heat from her skin and synchronizing with her body temperature. Lian Li pulled down her sleeve to cover the bracelet, completed the transaction with the store assistant, and then walked out of the jewelry store at a leisurely pace.
The weather outside was clear and sunny, with the sun hanging high in the sky above the bustling, picturesque city, like a runny egg.
Lian Li touched her wrist, ensuring the bracelet was still there. She held her mobile phone and sent a message to Pei Qingji.
「I’m free anytime, it mainly depends on your convenience.」
Lian Li didn’t feel at ease leaving the bracelet with anyone else; she would be anxious if the bracelet wasn’t on her person. Pei Qingji then suggested arranging a time for her and his mother to study the jade together in front of her.
Exiting the chat page, there were other unread messages.
Lian Li’s fingertip slid, and she saw a message from Jin Yan Ting.
…In the past, he was at the top of her list; she didn’t even need to search for him.
Jin Yan Ting: 「Xiao Li, come to my place for dinner tonight」
The next message was from Assistant He, asking where she was today, school or orchestra, and he would send the driver to pick her up.
Lian Li lowered her eyes and replied: 「Brother, I’m not going. I already made plans with Shufan today.」
Making plans with Xue Shufan was a lie; keeping her distance from him was the truth.
Lian Li left the jewelry store and went directly back to the Wen Gang Orchestra.
The interior was as bright as day. She practiced the cello, playing one piece after another, almost losing track of time.
When she got hungry, Lian Li put down her cello and went to the pantry to find food. The refrigerator only had canned bird’s nest congee. She took one can, sat on a high stool, opened it, and ate slowly.
“Lian Li,” Lu Dieyi called out to her, carrying her violin case as she passed the pantry.
“Going back?”
“Mm… Ugh!” Lu Dieyi frowned, distressed. “My mommy has a curfew for me; I have to be home before eight.”
Lian Li expressed sympathy. “The last person with a curfew was Chen Siyang, right?”
“Yes.” Lu Dieyi’s brown eyes sparkled like a lively little deer. “Ruan Ning has a friend named Chen Wei Qi, a young lady from the Chen Family in Hong Kong, with a family fortune of hundreds of billions. You say they both have the surname Chen, but why is there such a big difference?”
“Maybe because Chen Siyang is a man,” Lian Li said.
“That makes sense!” Lu Dieyi waved her phone. “My mommy is calling to hurry me. Let’s talk another day.”
Lian Li: “Goodbye.”
During the day, the orchestra was filled with the sounds of instruments playing at different rhythms. As night fell, it gradually returned to its true silence.
The phone by her hand lit up, and a new message popped up on WeChat.
God of Wealth Master: 「Treat me to noodles」
Still the same four domineering words.
Lian Li wiped her fingers and slowly typed: 「Young Master, I don’t spend money on men.」
