Chapter 8

“Wow, this bracelet is so beautiful!”

Li Xinyun gazed delightedly at the jade bracelet her mother had given her. “This should be Icy Jade, right?” As the eldest daughter of the Li family, she had some appreciation for jewelry and gemstones.

Fang Junrong’s lips curved slightly. “Yes.”

“It feels even better than regular Icy Jade, somewhat close to Glassy Jade.”

“I’ll give you an even better one for your birthday.” Rather than leaving the money for that father-son pair, she might as well spend more of it.

Li Xinyun’s eyes crinkled into crescents, making her look even more charming. “Thank you, Mom.”

But recalling what had just happened in the living room, her brows furrowed. “Mom, what’s wrong with Dad recently? Ever since Jiang Yage was brought back, he’s been treating me like I’m nothing.”

Being treated this way by her own father naturally didn’t sit well with Li Xinyun. However, her personality dictated that even when targeted, she wouldn’t show weakness but instead push back even harder. This wasn’t the first time she’d argued with her father—there had been several clashes over the past few days.

She felt this home was becoming less and less like a home.

Fang Junrong said lightly, “Don’t mind him. You still have me.”

Li Xinyun thought for a moment. “True.” She continued, “Mom, you have better taste. Zhong Yi is so much better than Jiang Yage—at least she doesn’t constantly act like I’m bullying her.”

Originally, her feelings toward Zhong Yi had been neutral, but with Jiang Yage as a comparison, her favorability shot up instantly.

Fang Junrong smiled. “Don’t bully her too much either.”

“I don’t bully her! I treat her very well.” Halfway through her sentence, Li Xinyun noticed something different about Fang Junrong. “Huh, Mom, did you change your makeup recently? Your skin looks so much better, and your makeup is really flawless today.”

This brat!

She wasn’t wearing any makeup today!

Fang Junrong replied calmly, “It’s nothing. I just had a few beauty treatments recently.”

“Which salon? I want to try it too.” Li Xinyun was quickly distracted.

Fang Junrong coaxed her for a while, finally lifting her precious daughter’s spirits. She planned to let her take the Beauty Pill once the health check results came back without issues, ensuring she’d be the most beautiful at her birthday banquet.

She then asked if her daughter wanted to go on a trip to unwind, but Li Xinyun refused outright. According to her, the weather was scorching, and going out might tan her skin—she didn’t want to turn into a black swan at her birthday banquet. Fang Junrong ultimately deferred to her wishes and agreed.

She stopped by White Crane to meet with Xu Weiwei. Xu Weiwei’s capabilities weren’t just talk—she had already gathered most of the necessary information in these past few days.

Sitting across from Fang Junrong, Xu Weiwei got straight to the point. “The painter who created Li Wangjin’s portraits is named He Ming. He’s been painting for Li Wangjin for ten years. Li Wangjin transfers money to him, which then gets funneled back to another card under his name. Besides He Ming, there was another painter, but that one disappeared three years ago—or maybe he just stopped doing this kind of business.”

“Li Wangjin pays He Ming fifty thousand per painting.”

Fang Junrong’s eyes flickered. “Li Wangjin is too stingy—only fifty thousand per painting?”

Over the years, he must have commissioned at least fifty paintings from this He Ming.

Xu Weiwei pondered for a moment and said, “Speaking of which, the laws in this area have changed in recent years. Producing and selling counterfeit items is illegal if caught, right?”

Fang Junrong nodded, “Although the antique world generally considers buying fakes a matter of poor judgment rather than a legal issue, their unwritten rules are just that—unwritten rules. In the end, it’s the law that decides the outcome.”

With such a large sum involved, it would be enough to put He Ming behind bars for life.

Xu Weiwei said, “If you want to report this to the police, my lawyer is already prepared.”

Fang Junrong shook her head, “Even if we report it and He Ming implicates Li Wangjin, what if Li Wangjin denies it? He could easily claim he was deceived or sacrifice a pawn to save the king by using the head of his firm as a scapegoat.”

She wanted Li Wangjin to cry over his pile of counterfeits after the divorce.

She raised her head, her tone firm, “He Ming is only doing this for money. If he can cooperate with Li Wangjin, he can switch partners. Besides, we have leverage over him. If he refuses to cooperate, we’ll send him to prison.”

“Let’s make a big deal with him.”

Xu Weiwei’s lips twitched, “Aren’t you afraid Li Wangjin might drain the company’s funds by then?”

Fang Junrong replied nonchalantly, “That would be fine too. The money will end up in our hands anyway.”

She didn’t have much attachment to the company. Over the years, Li Wangjin had gradually taken control, with most key positions filled by his people. Even if she fought to reclaim it, the cost would be too high. It was better to take as much money as possible now. Besides, the company’s performance had declined significantly in recent years.

Seeing her resolve, Xu Weiwei didn’t try to persuade her further.

After their discussion, Fang Junrong called Ning Qing, the owner of the club.

Ning Qing arrived quickly and said, “I’ve had someone look into the matter you mentioned earlier.”

A few days ago, Fang Junrong had asked Ning Qing to investigate the disappearance of Zhong Yi’s business card. Since it was a minor matter, Ning Qing hadn’t refused. Back when Ning Qing was just starting the club and ran into trouble, Fang Junrong had helped her out, so the two had a good relationship.

Ning Qing projected the surveillance footage she had found.

The first scene showed a short-haired girl sneaking into the staff lounge when no one was around. She used a key to open a locker, pulled out Zhong Yi’s uniform, took a business card from the pocket, tore it into pieces, and flushed it down the toilet.

The second scene showed Jiang Yage chatting with the same short-haired girl.

Ning Qing explained, “According to what you told me, only Zhong Yi and Jiang Yage knew about your plan to adopt Zhong Yi’s foster daughter. The girl who tore up the card is Ge Yan, and she spoke with Jiang Yage. But the lounge only has cameras, no audio, so I don’t know what they discussed. Still, Jiang Yage is a suspect.”

“I questioned Ge Yan, but she refused to admit any connection to Jiang Yage. I’ve already had her fired. I can’t tolerate people like that in my establishment.”

Fang Junrong asked Ning Qing to send her a copy of the footage, which she then forwarded to Zhong Yi. She wasn’t trying to stir up trouble—just giving Zhong Yi a heads-up.

After handling this, she smiled at Ning Qing, chatted with her for a while, and then left.

…

Zhong Yi was painting in her room. She had long since quit her job at the club and now spent half a day every two days accompanying Grandmother at the hospital. The rest of her time was devoted to studying painting at the Li family’s home. She had loved drawing since childhood, but her family never had the means to support her interest. Now that she finally had the opportunity, she cherished this new life immensely.

Midway through her painting, her phone vibrated.

Zhong Yi opened it to find a message from Mom—two videos attached.

Ten minutes later, she stared blankly at the screen. Ever since her business card went missing, she had harbored suspicions, partly doubting her friend while also chastising herself for such dark thoughts. How could she suspect her closest friend? Maybe she had simply lost it carelessly.

Why would Yage do this? Weren’t they best friends?

When they first started school, Zhong Yi and Jiang Yage had only been casual acquaintances. Both were considered beauties and often compared to each other. It wasn’t until they accidentally discovered they both worked at White Crane that they grew closer, bonded by their shared secret.

To Zhong Yi, Yage seemed too naive and straightforward, prone to being bullied, which stirred her protective instincts. She often stood up for her.

For a moment, Zhong Yi’s mind went blank from the shock of the revelation, unsure how to face Jiang Yage.

A knock sounded at the door, snapping Zhong Yi out of her thoughts. Jiang Yage’s gentle voice drifted in, “I cut some of your favorite fruits. Could you open the door?”

Zhong Yi opened it to find Jiang Yage standing outside, dressed in the latest season’s C-brand dress, her smile as sweet and innocent as ever.

“You shouldn’t spend all your time painting. You need to relax occasionally—don’t push yourself too hard.”

Her words and tone were as considerate as always.

“Yage, I found out who stole my business card.”

Jiang Yage raised her brows, her expression genuinely puzzled. “Didn’t you just lose it by accident?”

Zhong Yi replied, “I spoke to the boss about it. She checked the surveillance footage—it was Ge Yan who took it.”

Jiang Yage’s pink lips parted slightly, her face twisting in indignation. “I can’t believe it was her. You really can’t judge a book by its cover.”

Zhong Yi stared intently at her, scrutinizing every flicker of emotion on her face. “Ge Yan admitted it. She said you told her.” This was her way of testing Jiang Yage. Deep down, she still didn’t want to believe her friend could be capable of such a thing.

“She must be lying to frame me! Do you actually believe her? I thought you’d always stand by me!” Jiang Yage’s voice trembled with emotion, her beautiful eyes misty. “Ge Yan noticed how happy you were those days and asked me about it. I just told her you’d been adopted by Mom.”

She bit her lower lip with her pearly white teeth, looking wounded and pitiful. “I never imagined she’d take your card out of jealousy.”

“She’s always looked down on you. I thought telling her would help shut her up.”

“I’m sorry. I was too trusting. You have every right to blame me.”

What could Zhong Yi say? The video clearly showed Ge Yan knew exactly where the card was—tucked inside her uniform pocket. Without Yage telling her, how would she have known?

If Jiang Yage had admitted it and apologized, she might have forgiven her. But instead, she put on that aggrieved look of someone wronged… Deep down, she had already made her judgment.  

Jiang Yage’s long lashes were wet with tears. “Do you really not believe me?”  

Zhong Yi closed her eyes briefly. When she opened them again, her voice was calm. “I believe you this time.”  

But it would also be the last.