Previously in the auction hall, even though Gu Yancheng was sitting beside her, it was still a public place with fresh air and a wide view, so Su Mei didn’t feel too uncomfortable.

At this moment, the two of them sat in the car, facing each other in silence.

It was stifling, extremely stifling!

It was even more suffocating than when Su Mei first started livestreaming, performing awkwardly in front of the only two silent, unmoving viewers in her livestream room.

Su Mei had almost despaired, thinking that this stifling atmosphere might continue all the way to Xishan Residence.

Fortunately, midway through, Gu Yancheng received a phone call. It seemed that someone from some company had arrived early and he had to rush back to the office.

“Vere Corporation specializes in marine engineering. At the end of last year, Gu Group secured the Jinzhu Bay project, and I plan to start it soon. It will be a key project for the company in the second half of the year.”

Seeing Su Mei’s ‘doubtful’ gaze, Gu Yancheng offered a brief explanation.

Upon hearing that, Su Mei’s expression turned puzzled.

Why was the male protagonist telling her all this?

The key was that although it was somewhat related to her major, she didn’t really understand such high-level matters.

Doubt? It didn’t exist.

The reason Su Mei had glanced at Gu Yancheng earlier was simply to consider whether, since he was so busy, he might let her out of the car.

Gu Yancheng did go to the company midway, but he instructed Wang Qin to take Su Mei back to Xishan Residence.

With the male protagonist, who had been a constant pressure, suddenly gone, Su Mei felt much more at ease.

“Your CEO Gu seems quite busy.” Su Mei said, noticing that Wang Qin, who was sitting in the front seat, seemed to be observing her, either intentionally or unintentionally. She cleared her throat and started a conversation on a casual topic.

Most of the novel’s content is filled with melodramatic stories of love, hate, and conflict between the male and female protagonists. It also depicts how the male protagonist and the secondary male main character become enemies and clash over the female protagonist.

As for other matters about the male protagonist, they were summarized with a few impressive adjectives, but not much was written about them. There was even less mention of how the male protagonist, despite having the halo of a protagonist in this world, was still so busy.

“Because it’s the middle of the year and there were issues with the equity restructuring, there have been more matters recently.” Wang Qin explained upon hearing Su Mei’s words.

“The Jinzhu Bay project is a key project for the company, so many matters need to be handled personally by the CEO.” Wang Qin added.

If it were just minor issues, he could handle them himself.

“Regarding the company’s recent and upcoming project details, would you like me to prepare a summary for you, Ms. Su?” Wang Qin asked seriously after a moment’s thought.

After all, Su Mei was the second largest shareholder of Gu Group, and she was unlike the other shareholders.

Earlier, the CEO taking the time to explain tonight’s schedule to Su Mei was, in itself, a form of acknowledgment.

Therefore, as a company shareholder, if Su Mei needed to understand the company’s recent projects and operational status, Wang Qin thought it would be entirely reasonable.

However, upon hearing Wang Qin’s words, Su Mei’s expression suddenly changed.

“No need, don’t give it to me.”

In the story, didn’t the male protagonist’s fake stepmother meet her end so quickly because she coveted Gu Group and the male protagonist’s wealth?

She definitely didn’t want to make the same mistake.

However, realizing her reaction had been too intense, Su Mei gave a sheepish smile and added, “I’ve been quite busy recently, so even if you give it to me, I won’t have time to look at it.”

Busy?

Su Mei was now financially independent and self-sufficient, so what could she possibly be busy with?

As for the travel plan, Su Mei was hesitant. She feared that a cheap tour package might force her to buy junk, while a more expensive one left her uncertain about whether to spend that amount of money.

It couldn’t be helped. Having suddenly become wealthy, Su Mei’s spending habits and values hadn’t yet adjusted smoothly.

If it hadn’t been for the male protagonist and his assistant forcing her to attend Gu Group’s shareholders’ meeting, and then being persuaded by Mrs. Yu to participate in this crucial plot point auction event in the evening, Su Mei could have happily spent the entire day lounging in her big villa, doing absolutely nothing.

Of course, there was also her daily, punctual one-hour livestream every afternoon.

Upon hearing Su Mei’s words, Wang Qin didn’t say anything more.

After dropping Su Mei off at Xishan Residence, Wang Qin got out of the car with her and handed her a card.

“Ms. Su, this is what the CEO asked me to pass on to you. The item and related certificates should be delivered by the auction agency tomorrow.” Wang Qin said.

At the same time, there was a hint of surprise in his heart.

Aside from the unpleasant memories from the past, Su Mei was indeed a woman who was hard to dislike. Wang Qin did not deny this.

Moreover, Su Mei’s recent actions have indeed been commendable.

So, Wang Qin wasn’t surprised that the CEO accepted her presence.

However, he hadn’t expected the CEO to be so highly accepting of Su Mei.

He hadn’t gone into the auction, so he didn’t know exactly what had happened.

He only wondered if the CEO’s gift was a bit too extravagant.

Or perhaps, he hadn’t quite grasped the value system of wealthy people?

What does Wang Qin mean?

Taking the item from Wang Qin, Su Mei looked completely bewildered, and his words only added to her confusion.

Before Su Mei could ask for clarification, Wang Qin had already said his goodbyes, got into the car and left.

Su Mei was left standing at her doorstep, looking completely puzzled.

She glanced at the card in her hand, which was the size of a business card and had only a string of numbers and Gu Yancheng’s name on it. Su Mei furrowed her brow.

Was the item Wang Qin mentioned something that was auctioned off earlier?

At the auction, adhering to her principle of pretending to be poor for safety, Su Mei hadn’t bought a single item she liked.

So, did Gu Yancheng buy this ‘item’? And it was for her?

But if her memory served her right, it seemed Gu Yancheng hadn’t bid on anything either.

Except for that ring meant to ‘humiliate’ the female protagonist, of course.

No matter how Su Mei thought about it, even after drinking two bottles of Erguotou^[1]a style of qingxiang baijiu (a colorless Chinese liquor typically coming in between 35% and 60% alcohol by volume) originating in Beijing and primarily made in the surrounding region, she would never have imagined that the male protagonist would give her that ring. The one in the story that was crucial and far surpassing any cannon fodder’s in significance.

As a result, the next day, when Su Mei received the auction item delivered by the agency’s staff and opened the box to see the ring lying quietly inside, she was so shocked that she almost threw the ring and the box together.

It wasn’t until Su Mei realized that the item in her hand was essentially worth 90 million that she managed to steady her hand and, with a cautious expression, tightly gripped the ring.

“Eternity?” Su Mei asked, looking at the staff in front of her.

The response from the staff completely shattered Su Mei’s last shred of hope.

“Yes, this is the ‘Eternity’ that was auctioned off yesterday. It was purchased by Mr. Gu and given to you, Ms. Su. The relevant certificates and auction proof are all here. Would you like to verify them, Ms. Su?”

“No, that won’t be necessary……”

“Then, since there’s nothing else needed, we won’t disturb you any further, Ms. Su.” One of the staff said.

Seeing the dazed expression on Su Mei’s face, they even had the illusion that they were delivering not a 90 million yuan ring, but a court’s enforcement decision.

……

After sending the staff away, Su Mei placed the ring on the coffee table in front of her and stared blankly at it for a long time.

Su Mei had no idea about the details of how the male protagonist managed to acquire the ring on the day of the auction and publicly ‘humiliate’ the female protagonist.

But this ring was indeed meant for the female protagonist.

Why did it end up in her hands now?

Could it be that due to an unexpected incident yesterday, the intended plot didn’t unfold, and the male protagonist missed his chance to ‘humiliate’ the female protagonist, so the ring was temporarily left with her?

But she didn’t dare take on such a hot potato.

With a conflicted expression, Su Mei picked up the 90 million yuan ring and instinctively tried it on her finger.

After all, it’s a novel, and some logical inconsistencies are naturally covered up by fiction. So, in the story, the ring seemed to fit just right on the female protagonist’s left ring finger.

Trying it on, Su Mei found that it fit perfectly on her middle finger.

The elegant and exquisite ring adorned Su Mei’s slender, fair fingers, making them look even more beautiful.

With a price tag of 90 million, it was indeed something extraordinary.

Su Mei muttered to herself.

The next moment, as if the ring were truly scorching hot, she quickly removed it and put it back into the box.

This thing belongs to the female protagonist, it belongs to the female protagonist! It’s destined for the female protagonist!

After repeating that in her mind three times, Su Mei managed to suppress her restless heart.

Thinking of this, Su Mei’s mind automatically played out a scene where the male protagonist, to prove his sincerity, retrieved the ring from the cannon fodder who then suffered because of it.

She couldn’t be blamed for overthinking.

After all, she was now in the world of a melodramatic novel, where anything was possible.

Should she return the ring to the male protagonist now? Or call him to ask why he gave it to her?

This seemed unreal just thinking about it.

Before being slapped in the face, the ring still needed an explanation. However, this matter required careful discussion.

With a sigh, Su Mei finally returned the ring to the box, along with the certificates and proofs. She took them upstairs and carefully locked them in the safe.

In the novel, when the male protagonist tossed the ring to the female protagonist, it was as if he was tossing a cabbage—no, a cabbage stalk. Later, upon discovering the ring’s value, the female protagonist seemed rather nonchalant and casually tossed it onto her kitchen’s chopping board.

Su Mei, however, couldn’t be as indifferent as the protagonists and treat money like dirt.