Chapter 143: The Ear Stud

"Earrings," Lu Wenchuan replied. "I noticed your phone screen featured a little black cat, so I had them custom-made."

"Little black cat earrings?" Sang Yijia arched her brows in surprise. "That is something I truly didn't expect."

"But I like them very much." Sang Yijia had always been fond of character merchandise, but due to financial constraints in the past, she had never been able to bring herself to buy any. Later, when she finally had the money and could afford them, she had already entered the workforce, and those items no longer felt suitable for her. She would only add the things she liked to her online shopping cart, never intending to actually purchase them. It was a significant sum of money, and she felt that if she saved it and donated it to an orphanage, the children might get an extra storybook or a new set of colored pencils. Eventually, she lost the desire to shop altogether, buying only the daily necessities required for life.

After transmigrating into the book, Sang Yijia had been preoccupied with completing missions and escaping the original plot and her predetermined fate; she had hardly taken the time to think about what she truly wanted for herself.

"Thank you." Although she hadn't received the gift yet, Sang Yijia imagined that such earrings must be quite adorable.

Hearing her thanks, Lu Wenchuan didn't feel particularly happy. "I will give you another gift once we return," he said. "As compensation." He then asked, "Would you like a necklace to match the little black cat?"

"Of course," Sang Yijia replied. "No one can resist a cute little black cat."

Lu Wenchuan thought to himself that he could resist them, but he could never resist a request from Sang Yijia.

The top-floor suite had been booked by Lu Wenchuan specifically for Sang Yijia, and it now belonged to her.

"Do you need anyone else to come up?" Lu Wenchuan knew she had brought Housekeeper Guan along. "There are two spare rooms here; your housekeeper could rest here."

"Thank you." Sang Yijia looked around the room, feeling quite satisfied with the overall atmosphere. Her gaze then landed on a painting on the wall. "What is this?"

Lu Wenchuan looked over and recognized it immediately. "It's a painting by Mr. Chen Xia."

"Really?" Sang Yijia studied it. "I think I have something similar at home, though I can't quite remember what it looks like." She figured a painter wouldn't just keep painting the same thing.

"Chen Xia is very fond of lychees, so almost all his works feature them—all different kinds," Lu Wenchuan explained. "In his early years, his lychee paintings sold for only a hundred yuan each."

"And now?" Sang Yijia asked, intrigued. "How much are they now?"

Lu Wenchuan held up a number. "Around several million, I suppose."

Sang Yijia understood. "It's quite beautiful." However, it didn't quite match the mood and decor of the room. "Why is it hanging here?"

Lu Wenchuan was momentarily stumped. "I honestly have no idea."

"I'll have someone take it down later." Lu Wenchuan truly didn't know how the room had been arranged, and his temples began to throb with pain.

Sang Yijia scanned the room one last time and found nothing else to comment on.

"You should get some rest." Lu Wenchuan thought she must be exhausted, having been out since the morning. "A waiter will bring up some food shortly."

"Mm." Sang Yijia didn't ask why he wasn't staying to eat; she assumed he had other matters to attend to.

Lu Wenchuan did indeed have business to attend to, though it wasn't work-related. He was calling Zuo Fei to ask why the gift had been mixed up. When Zuo Fei saw Lu Wenchuan's name on the caller ID, she was terrified to answer, but she had no choice. Under the prayerful gazes of her colleagues, she picked up. "Mr. Lu."

"Where is the gift?" Lu Wenchuan asked. Earrings and clothing were two completely different things; how could his staff possibly have mixed them up? He realized immediately that something must have gone wrong.

"Mr. Lu, I am so sorry," Zuo Fei said, her heart trembling. "I packaged the earring box that way because I saw those trendy 'surprise gift boxes' online—the ones with layers you have to peel back to find the real gift inside. I thought it would be a nice surprise."

As it turned out, the two boxes were too similar, and Zuo Fei had mixed them up. When she flew back at noon and left the gift on the table, her boyfriend, thinking it was a surprise, opened it to find a pair of cartoon earrings. If they hadn't been cartoon-themed, she wouldn't have known how to explain it.

"Mr. Lu, I know I was wrong," Zuo Fei said, on the verge of tears. "I promise I won't try to be clever with 'surprises' ever again."

Lu Wenchuan took a deep breath and rubbed his temples. "Send the earrings by courier. And prepare a matching necklace."

"Understood." Zuo Fei let out a long sigh of relief.

Li Siyi, who hadn't gone on leave yet, was busy organizing her workload. She watched Zuo Fei and the documents in her hand, then suddenly spoke up. "Zuo Fei, bring the gift over to me."

"???" Zuo Fei was confused. "Chief Secretary, what do you need it for?"

—

Elsewhere, Lan Qing had just stepped off a plane. As soon as she exited the airport, she ran into Shen Jin, whom she hadn't seen in a long time, and stood there in a daze.

When Shen Jin saw Lan Qing, he noticed she appeared much more alluring than before. Recalling the recent rumors, a cryptic glint flashed in his eyes.

"Lan Qing, long time no see." Shen Jin had been caught up in his own share of scandals, but he was thick-skinned. Besides, since a production crew was currently filming nearby, if he pretended not to see her, there would surely be unwanted gossip by evening.

"Yes, long time no see." Lan Qing truly hadn't expected to run into Shen Jin here. She remembered the days when she was in trouble and he had refused to take any of her calls; she had held a grudge and was waiting for the right moment to pay him back.

"I really didn't expect us to work together again this time." And as the lead actors, no less. Shen Jin honestly hadn't thought Lan Qing would still have the ability to reclaim the lead role.

In front of the cameras, Lan Qing maintained a smile. "Yes, I didn't expect we would have another chance to collaborate either."

"I'm really looking forward to this time," Shen Jin said, extending his hand.

Lan Qing looked at it for a moment before slowly shaking it.

As soon as their hands touched, Shen Jin scratched her palm and leaned in closer. "That old man is definitely no good. Why don't you come over tonight?"

"Get lost!" Lan Qing was stunned that he dared to say such a thing at a time like this; it seemed he hadn't learned his lesson. But then, she reconsidered—who was Shen Jin? He was the most pampered young master of the Shen family. What was a little reckless behavior to him? Thinking of this, Lan Qing gritted her teeth in hatred.

There were always a few people in this world who could get things done without doing anything at all, and a few who could commit wrongdoings without ever having to apologize, remaining active in the public eye regardless. Yet she had to submit herself to an old man just to keep her opportunity to appear on screen.

It was truly ironic.