Chapter Ninety-Four: Evil Deeds Meet Their Due

Outside the door stood a fair-skinned man in a black suit and white shirt, about thirty years old, refined and courteous, carrying an exquisite gift bag. He smiled politely at Lu Hongmei and said, Madam, hello. May I ask if this is the home of Miss Tian Fang?

Yes, yes, she’s here!

Hearing that someone was looking for her, Tian Fang immediately called out toward the doorway in delight.

She hurried forward to welcome the suited man inside, all while smiling at Chen Jianguo and Xu Jinlan. So fast, she said. See that? My son-in-law’s diamond ring has arrived for me!

After entering, the suited man politely nodded to everyone in greeting, then took a purple satin jewelry box from the gift bag, the words Longfengyuan Jewelry stamped in gold across its lid.

When he opened the box, the diamond inside glittered brilliantly. He handed it to Tian Fang and smiled. Please inspect the item, Madam Tian. If everything is in order, please sign this receipt.

The diamond’s dazzling light made Xu Jinlan and Lu Hongmei feel momentarily dizzy, and both were filled with envy.

The signature collection from Longfengyuan Jewelry was truly excellent in every respect, from the quality of the stone to the artistry of the design.

The clean, pure teardrop cut, set in a platinum band of exceptional purity, seemed almost made in heaven, enough to stir the heart of any woman in the world.

No need to make such a fuss, Tian Fang said with a laugh. Longfengyuan Jewelry is a trusted name; they don’t sell fakes. I believe it. Giggling, she studied the ring in her hand, then quickly slipped it on her own slightly plump finger to try it.

Noticing the envious looks on Xu Jinlan and Lu Hongmei’s faces, the suited man seized the moment and deliberately said to Tian Fang, Madam Tian, you truly have excellent luck. This signature collection diamond ring is limited to just ten pieces in all of Qingyang, and this is the very last one. You happened to get it.

As a team leader in sales at Longfengyuan Jewelry’s main Qingyang branch, he knew customers’ minds far too well. He understood that Tian Fang wanted to show off in front of everyone, so he played along with remarkable tact.

Really? Then my luck is pretty good indeed, Tian Fang said, smiling so broadly her mouth would hardly close.

She stroked and admired the diamond ring on her finger, her words overflowing with pride. This is the diamond ring my son-in-law bought for me. I told him not to, but the child insisted on buying it. These young people nowadays, once they have money, never know how to spend it sparingly!

Listening to Tian Fang’s increasingly smug remarks, Xu Jinlan’s expression darkened, and a sour, jealous feeling rose in her heart.

She knew that in this silent contest, she had lost. Though they lived in the same harbor city, Tian Fang’s son-in-law was indeed far superior to hers. A ring worth more than a hundred thousand dollars was something her own son-in-law could never produce.

Still, at least Lu Hongmei was there to keep her from being the lowest one present.

She glanced almost imperceptibly at Lu Hongmei, whose face had grown even uglier, and instantly felt much more balanced.

All right, sister-in-law, don’t go showing off in front of Hongmei, Xu Jinlan said. How upsetting must that be for her?

Oh dear, I wasn’t thinking, Tian Fang replied with feigned regret. That really doesn’t look good, does it? My fault, my fault. Hongmei, why don’t you try it on?

If this had been any other time, she would never have been willing to let Lu Hongmei try on such a valuable thing. But now, with so many people watching, she felt she could not miss this chance to flaunt herself.

Uh... me? It doesn’t seem appropriate, Lu Hongmei said, looking flustered, her expression hesitant and self-conscious.

It’s only a try-on, Tian Fang said with a smile. Have your brother-in-law buy you one later, even if it’s a smaller one.

Forget it. That wouldn’t be right, Lu Hongmei said, instinctively shaking her head and hurriedly covering the ring on her hand.

It wasn’t that she didn’t want to try it on. She was afraid that if she did, her fake diamond ring would be exposed.

Though she felt that the ring on her hand looked even more luxurious and imposing than Tian Fang’s from the outside, a fake was still a fake.

Come on, stop hiding it. I’m not kidding; we already saw the ring on your hand, Tian Fang said with a sly smile. Fake, isn’t it? It’s fine. These days, you can see people wearing fakes everywhere. That’s only normal, after all. Not everyone can afford the real thing.

Her words carried a faint sting of mockery, and beneath them lay a deep-seated arrogance.

Actually, I think even if you’re going to wear a fake, sister, you should choose one that’s smaller. That would look more natural, Xu Jinlan added. She glanced at Lu Hongmei as though looking at a bumpkin and sneered. Such a huge ring on your hand, with more than one stone—anyone could tell it’s fake at a glance!

Lu Hongmei was instantly mortified by the two sisters-in-law’s remarks, her ears burning. She had hidden it so carefully, and yet they had still noticed.

A surge of anger and resentment rose in her heart. She bitterly blamed the useless son-in-law, Su Zheng, for his incompetence, and hated even more the father-in-law who had brought such a worthless son-in-law into their family.

Chen Jianguo, meanwhile, was red with shame and embarrassment. He felt his dignity had once again been trampled without mercy. Clenching his fists, he directed all his fury at Su Zheng as well. That trash really wasn’t even worth comparing to the other man’s son-in-law—not even a toe on his foot.

All right, Jinlan, say less, Tian Fang chided Xu Jinlan with deliberate pretended kindness, then walked over to Lu Hongmei and took her hand herself, her face full of curiosity. Sister, today let you experience what a real diamond ring feels like. Come on, take the fake one off and try this real one.

Seeing that her fake ring had already been discovered, Lu Hongmei no longer bothered to hide it. With an awkward expression, she extended her hand and prepared to remove the ring.

But at that very moment, the suited man, who had been smiling all along without saying much, noticed the ring on Lu Hongmei’s finger. His expression suddenly changed. Madam, this ring on your hand... where did it come from?

As a member of Longfengyuan Jewelry’s main Qingyang branch, he naturally knew the prototype of the award-winning ring his company had designed overseas.

So at a glance, he recognized the ring on Lu Hongmei’s finger as precisely that prize-winning piece countless people had sought after—Starlight.

Lu Hongmei looked bewildered, not understanding what he meant. With confusion in her voice, she asked, What’s wrong with this ring?

A fake? Tian Fang also looked at the suited man in confusion, not knowing why he was so concerned about a counterfeit diamond ring.

Madam, this is not a fake!