Chapter 9: Just a Wedding Ring, If Se Se Wants It, Give It  

Jiang Sesè pretended to dissuade while actually fanning the flames, inciting everyone’s anger toward her.  

Lu Zhenzhu suddenly stopped in her tracks, taking in the triumphant glint in Jiang Sesè’s eyes.  

She glanced at the journalist who had threatened legal action. “If you have the ability, go ahead and let Miss Jiang sue me.”  

The reporter found her arrogant and insolent. After the press conference, he furiously wrote several articles condemning Lu Zhenzhu—not only accusing her of plagiarism but also criticizing her poor character, while praising Jiang Sesè for her beauty, kindness, and outstanding professional skills.  

The public compared the two women side by side, and the comment section was flooded with curses directed at Lu Zhenzhu.  

On her way, she received a call from Curator Chen.  

“Miss Lu, I watched the press conference. Your painting can only be returned to you now.”  

Many plagiarists simply refuse to admit guilt.  

As long as they don’t confess, their fans believe they’re innocent.  

But by openly admitting it, Lu Zhenzhu had made the accusation indisputable, which would greatly impact her future career.  

No gallery would be willing to exhibit her work now.  

Any gallery that did would risk damaging its reputation if discovered.  

This outcome was within Lu Zhenzhu’s expectations. “Curator Chen, thank you for your trouble. I’ll send you an address later—could you arrange for someone to deliver the painting there?”  

Curator Chen knew she hadn’t plagiarized but couldn’t understand why she had admitted to it. With a sigh, she replied, “Of course.”  

Lu Zhenzhu provided Yu Tang’s home address.  

She also arranged for *Bluebird* to be sent to Yu Tang’s place. Soon after, she received a notification that her visa was ready for pickup.  

Holding the visa in her hands, Lu Zhenzhu felt a long-unsettled calm.  

She would take her mother’s keepsakes and fulfill her final wish.  

She had to ensure Gu Huai remained unaware.  

Gu Huai’s birthday was just a few days away. She took the Black Card and went shopping again.  

This time, she bought even more items than before, all in a single transaction so Gu Huai wouldn’t notice.  

After picking out a casual birthday gift for him, she returned home.  

For the next two days, she didn’t see Gu Huai at all, but she kept receiving photos from Jiang Sesè—pictures of the two of them together, either dining or enjoying leisure activities. However, there were no more intimate bedroom shots.  

Lu Zhenzhu printed out all the photos and messages Jiang Sesè had sent and locked them in a small box.  

Once she divorced Gu Huai, these would serve as evidence of his infidelity.  

She had come to a realization: refusing financial compensation would be foolish.  

The money Gu Huai had earned during their marriage was joint marital property—there was no need to act self-righteous and reject it.  

On Gu Huai’s birthday, Lu Zhenzhu, as usual, baked him a cake by hand and brought it to him.  

In the private room of the bar, everyone was engrossed in a game, and no one noticed her arrival.  

She saw Gu Huai’s friends egging him on while he sat at the center of the crowd, smiling at Jiang Sesè.  

Jiang Sesè held a thin, translucent piece of paper between her lips, shyly leaning toward him. The two kissed through the nearly useless barrier.  

Lu Zhenzhu pulled out her phone and snapped several quick photos of them.  

The flash caught their attention. Someone spotted her and immediately stood up, blocking the couple with an unnatural smile.  

“Sis-in-law, what are you doing here?”  

Lu Zhenzhu placed the cake on the table and looked at the man in question.  

Gu Huai sat composed, without a trace of guilt.  

In contrast, Jiang Sesè appeared uneasy. “Sister, we were just playing a game. That’s why Ah Huai and I… Please don’t misunderstand. There was a piece of paper between us.”  

Unable to bear Jiang Sesè’s submissive tone, Gu Huai said coolly, “No need to explain.”

The four words, spoken as lightly as the breeze and clouds, struck Lu Zhenzhu like a hammer to the head.

She nodded. “Yes, no need to explain. There’s nothing to misunderstand.”

The two of them were already involved.

What was there to misunderstand?

Someone vacated the seat beside Gu Huai, but Lu Zhenzhu didn’t take it.

She sat on a single sofa instead, pulling out her phone to upload the photos to her cloud storage.

Noticing she hadn’t come over, Gu Huai frowned. “Come here.”

“I’m fine here,” Lu Zhenzhu said, pointing at the cake. “When are we cutting it?”

His tone sharpened. “A Zhu, come here.”

His displeasure was palpable. Lu Zhenzhu stood and moved to his side, where his hand immediately draped over her shoulder. “Craving cake?”

It wasn’t the cake she wanted—it was to leave.

She smiled and nodded.

Gu Huai had someone unwrap the cake, then took her hand to cut it together. Lu Zhenzhu noticed Jiang Sesè’s expression darken.

“They say eating the first slice given by the birthday person brings luck,” Jiang Sesè suddenly piped up, her eyes fixed expectantly on Gu Huai. “A-Huai, aren’t you giving the first slice to your sister?”

As she spoke, her gaze clung to the cake in Gu Huai’s hands, practically drooling.

Clearly, she wanted that first slice.

Lu Zhenzhu saw right through her and knew her own standing couldn’t compare to Jiang Sesè’s.

Better to feign generosity than face humiliation.

“Don’t give it to me—give it to her,” Lu Zhenzhu said with a faint smile, speaking before Gu Huai could move. “Having you by my side is luck enough. Let her have it.”

Gu Huai handed the cake to Jiang Sesè.

Thrilled, Jiang Sesè gushed her thanks, though frustration simmered inside.

A-Huai would’ve given it to her anyway. Whenever she asked for something, he never refused.

She’d wanted to embarrass Lu Zhenzhu publicly, but with those two sentences, the embarrassment had turned back on her.

After the cake, games began.

Jiang Sesè lost a round and drew a card.

The penalty was to fulfill the first passerby’s request. She stood by the door until a man approached to negotiate. Soon, she returned with a conflicted expression, hesitating before Gu Huai.

Her hesitation made Gu Huai assume she’d been wronged. His sharp gaze shot toward the man at the door. “Did he bully you?”

She’d spoken to the man with her back to them, her voice too low for anyone to hear.

Lu Zhenzhu watched coldly as concern flashed across his face.

Jiang Sesè shook her head, uneasy. “No, he… he asked me to take your ring and wear it myself.”

“That’s your wedding ring. How could I possibly…?” Before she could finish stammering, Gu Huai swiftly slid the band off his ring finger and slipped it onto hers himself.

“It’s just a ring. If you want it, take it.”

All eyes turned to Lu Zhenzhu.

That was a wedding ring!

Her expression remained unchanged, but her fingers clenched tightly over her knees under their mocking scrutiny.

Gu Huai had casually removed his wedding ring and placed it on Jiang Sesè’s finger himself—making it blatantly clear to everyone that their marriage meant nothing to him.

To him, their union was disposable.

Touching the ring on her own finger, she stared down at the glittering diamond, her body and heart turning to ice.

Jiang Sesè, pretending delight at completing her task, hurried over to show the man.

The man’s gaze swept past Gu Huai, landing on the woman beside him.

Sensing a stranger’s stare, Lu Zhenzhu looked up—and locked eyes with him.

The man wore silver-rimmed glasses, leaning lazily against the doorframe. His dark eyes were deep yet bright, his nose high and straight, his jawline smooth. With broad shoulders and a narrow waist, he stared at her for a few seconds before finally extending his hand toward Jiang Sesè, asking for the ring.