The man loosened his cufflinks and walked behind the girl. Under everyone's puzzled gaze, he lifted the tag on the back of her collar and glanced at it.
"Handcrafted by C.Q," he said calmly.
Everyone looked at each other in confusion.
The woman's expression, however, changed drastically.
Among all her clothes, the most expensive one was just over a hundred thousand—but pieces designed under C.Q were limited editions sold worldwide, with prices starting at no less than three hundred thousand!
If she had known the girl's flashy-looking outfit was this expensive, she would never have chosen to splash water on her!
Ruan Shuqing's expression didn't look any better either.
She had forgotten—although Jiang Heng had seemed indifferent to that little bitch over the years, he had never stopped buying her clothes and bags every season!
That stupid woman—why did she have to splash water on her?!
Wei Yuanxiao glanced at the woman's dress and smiled. "Miss Yu's outfit… I'd say it's just a little over a hundred thousand at most."
The woman's lips trembled so hard they nearly bled. She suddenly turned to glare at Ruan Shuqing, then covered her face and ran out of the restaurant in humiliation.
Seeing this, Ruan Shuqing's face grew even uglier.
And just like that, the farce came to an end.
Lu Jingyuan didn't linger. With a dark expression, he walked toward the exit.
After a few steps, he suddenly stopped, turned slightly, and glanced at the still-dazed Ruan Xingchen.
"Not leaving yet?"
Ruan Xingchen froze for a moment, then hurriedly followed him.
At this point, Wei Yuanxiao felt terrible.
It seemed he had unintentionally offended his good brother.
"Jingyuan, wait for me!" Just as he was about to chase after him, Ruan Shuqing suddenly called out.
"Cousin, wait a second."
Wei Yuanxiao hesitated, then stopped.
Lowering her voice deliberately, Ruan Shuqing asked, "Can I ask… what's the relationship between Ruan Xingchen and that man?"
"Relationship?" Wei Yuanxiao pretended to think seriously, then shrugged with a smile, lying smoothly, "What relationship could there be? That girl is just his niece's best friend. His niece treasures her a lot. Before going back to the Lu residence for the weekend, she even asked her uncle to keep an eye on her—so she wouldn't get bullied."
Only then did Ruan Shuqing remember Lu Xiaobai.
That girl who always sided with Ruan Xingchen against her—and whom she couldn't do anything about.
A cold glint flashed in Ruan Shuqing's eyes. Her hand at her side clenched tightly.
Wei Yuanxiao, who had been watching her closely, didn't miss a single change in her expression. Seeing this, he felt even more that his lie had been a wise move.
…
Lu Jingyuan drove Ruan Xingchen straight back to Wutong Apartments.
The entire ride, his face remained dark, his lips pressed tightly together.
Ruan Xingchen wasn't in a good mood either and didn't try to talk to him.
Who would've thought that going out would bring such bad luck? Not only did she run into Ruan Shuqing, she even got water poured over her head and was bullied by those two women.
It was infuriating!
Soon, the car stopped at the apartment.
Lu Jingyuan unfastened his seatbelt without a word and got out. Ruan Xingchen quickly followed.
For some reason, she felt that Uncle seemed… angry.
But what was he angry about?
She was the one who got bullied, okay?
They entered the elevator. Lu Jingyuan pressed the button for the 12th floor and stood still.
"Uncle, wait for me!" Ruan Xingchen rushed in just as the doors were about to close.
Lu Jingyuan frowned slightly.
After the doors shut, Ruan Xingchen wanted to reach over to press her floor, but he was blocking the panel. Too embarrassed to stretch past him, she said:
"Uncle, could you press the 11th floor for me?"
The man didn't move.
"Uncle?" she called again.
Still no response.
Ruan Xingchen bit her lower lip and said nothing more.
A moment later, the elevator stopped at the 12th floor.
As the doors opened, Lu Jingyuan suddenly grabbed her wrist and pulled her out without explanation.
He took out his key, unlocked the door, and with a slight force, pushed her inside.
Then—with a click—the door shut behind them.
Ruan Xingchen turned back, glaring at him. "Uncle, what are you doing?!"
What was he doing?
A faint curve appeared on Lu Jingyuan's lips as he slowly raised his hand and loosened his tie.
His thin lips parted.
"Take it off."