Zhou Qinyao exhaled in frustration, snuffing out his cigarette. He couldn’t help but dial the number he had seen so many times before, only to hear—

“Sorry, the number you have dialed is switched off.”

…

The fire was instantly extinguished.

It felt as though cold water had been poured over it.

Zhou Qinyao’s brows furrowed, and he instinctively looked toward the window of the second floor. At the moment the call was made, the lights in the room went out.

It felt as if something inside him had suddenly dropped, empty and sinking deeper.

No one slept well that night.

The next morning, Tang You, who had been up all night, was woken by Fang Lai.

Fang Lai, with a sudden change of plans, had taken two days off from work to take Tang You back to Haicheng for the Tang family’s signing banquet with Mo On the following evening.

“Why do you need to take me?” Tang You asked, puzzled.

“Mom wants you to meet the most prominent families in Haicheng.”

…

This held no appeal for Tang You. As she sat down at the vanity, she said flatly, “I don’t want to go.”

Fang Lai wasn’t angry. She walked over to Tang You, placing the sapphire necklace from last night around her neck and asked in the mirror:

“Y You, do you know how much this necklace costs?”

Tang You remained silent.

“Six million,” Fang Lai said lightly, arranging the necklace and smoothing Tang You’s hair. “Y You, what will make your life as dazzling as this necklace won’t be some Y Ge but the young and elite scions at tomorrow night’s banquet. You haven’t met enough men yet, don’t let yourself be distracted by—”

“Mom, stop.” Tang You felt an irrational resistance to Fang Lai’s mention of Zhou Qinyao. She paused, then said, “I’ll go, but when I come back, can you give me my phone back?”

Knowing that her mother responded better to gentle persuasion, she softened her tone and added, “Mom, I really haven’t done anything wrong. You always want me to trust you—can you trust me just once?”

Fang Lai bent down, scrutinizing Tang You in the mirror.

Her daughter’s eyes remained as innocent and obedient as ever.

After a moment, she relented in her heart.

Perhaps it was just her own sensitivity. She knew Tang You’s character all too well.

The matter of early romance—Tang You wouldn’t dare, and it was impossible.

“Okay,” Fang Lai finally relented. “Be good, and when we return from Haicheng, I’ll have Rong Yi give you an hour of phone time each day, as appropriate.”

“……”

Tang You knew that if she continued to negotiate, she might end up losing even that hour.

Reluctantly, she agreed. “Got it.”

So, without informing anyone, at eleven in the morning, the mother and daughter took a flight to Haicheng.

The Tang family had made their fortune in Haicheng two years ago. This time, they expanded their reach by partnering with the renowned jewelry brand Mo On, becoming a hot topic of discussion in the entire circle.

That evening, almost all the notable figures in Haicheng’s business world were invited to the Tang family’s event. The banquet was packed with guests. Tang You, dressed in a high-end gown prepared by Fang Lai, appeared on arm with her father, Tang Yuanxiao.

Mo On was a brand of the Zhou family in Haicheng. Both the chairman, Zhou Zelin, and his nephew, Zhou Yan, the brand director, were present.

Zhou Zelin, who had a late son in recent years, had rarely been seen in public since then. With tonight’s event, reporters had flocked in to get an exclusive interview with him.

After the signing ceremony, the reporters surrounded Zhou Zelin.

Tang You, bored, followed her mother’s lead and made a round of toasts. Fang Lai, with a smile in her eyes, quietly asked her:

“Did you find anyone you liked among those people?”

Tang You hadn’t really looked at them.

She shook her head. “No.”

Fang Lai observed for a moment, then pointed to Zhou Yan, who was surrounded by reporters. “What do you think of Zhou Yan? He’s the one who helped Mom in South Africa.”

Tang You reluctantly glanced over and shook her head again.

After thinking for a moment, Fang Lai suddenly laughed softly to herself. “Well, that’s true.”

She took a sip of her drink. “The most outstanding man from the Zhou family isn’t here; these are just makeshift options.”

Tang You was momentarily puzzled and turned her head to ask, “The most outstanding?”

“Yes. We came to Haicheng late, but I heard that Zhou Zhan, the eldest son of the Zhou family, is the most distinguished in the city. He skipped straight into an Italian jewelry design school at sixteen, grew up surrounded by diamonds, with an eye for them as good as any instrument. He’s still studying abroad, but when he returns, he’ll inherit Mo On’s diamond empire.”

Fang Lai looked at her meaningfully and added:

“Y You, a man like that is worth your affection. As for that Y Ge, please promise Mom you won’t bother with him anymore, okay?”