The next day.
As soon as Wen Ruan finished today's class, she left with her bag.
Lao Zheng was already waiting downstairs. After she got into the car, she told him an address and planned to go pick up the birthday gift for Ji Xi first.
Eventually, the car stopped at a high-end custom jewelry store. She asked Lao Zheng to wait and went in alone. At this time, not many people were in the jewelry store, only a few staff members with smiles standing behind the counter. They greeted her with a smile when she entered, "Miss Wen is here."
"Uh-huh."
Wen Ruan smiled and replied, "How's the brooch I asked you to customize before?"
"It's ready. We were about to give you a call if you didn't come." The shop assistant smiled and said, then had someone bring out the brooch that was already prepared, "This was customized by the best master in our shop."
"In terms of the price for customization, you could have picked two or three in the store, but—"
The shop assistant took the gift box, put on gloves, carefully opened it, and said with a smile, "When we saw the actual piece, we felt that this price was too worth it. Your design is so unique and perfect that this gift is immeasurable in value."
The gift box opened.
The butterfly-shaped brooch with cushion-cut diamonds set in 18K yellow gold and platinum, the wings were cast in gold, which should have presented a heavy feel, but because of the unique design, it looked very thin. It seemed as if the butterfly was gently fluttering in the flowers with its wings.
The platinum inlaid at the front was like the finishing touch to a painting.
Wen Ruan was very satisfied, nodding with a smile, "It's very beautiful. Please thank the master in your shop for me."
The shop assistant quickly responded and re-wrapped the gift, jokingly saying, "With Miss Wen's talent, if you were to pursue a career in design, I'm afraid many designers would be out of a job. Our master has been asking me if he could recruit you."
"I'm afraid that's not possible."
Wen Ruan smiled softly.
The shop assistant assumed that she didn't have time to enter the entertainment industry, so she didn't say anything further and continued to wrap the gift with a smile.
After saying that sentence, Wen Ruan had a thought: Wen Jiaxu hadn't contacted her for a long time, but money had been deposited into her account every month, and she had received a large sum just a few days ago.
She thought for a moment.
She dialed Wen Jiaxu's number, but it was still showing as turned off.
There were other ways to reach him, but considering Wen Jiaxu's habit of disappearing for a period of time at regular intervals, Wen Ruan held back and assumed something had come up for him.
The gift was already wrapped, so she put her phone back in her bag, thanked the staff before leaving.
The birthday party was scheduled to start at seven in the evening, so Wen Ruan went back home to change into an evening gown and put on light makeup before having Lao Zheng take her to Ji's house.
Ji's house in the west of the city, like Lin's house, had accumulated reputation and wealth over several generations.
Today, Ji Xi's birthday party was held at the old mansion of the Ji family. When Wen Ruan arrived, many luxury cars had already been parked, discreetly including global limited-edition commercial vehicles to ostentatiously driven sports cars.
This was the first time Lao Zheng had seen so many luxury cars.
He drove cautiously, afraid of accidentally hitting the cars, and managed to park at the entrance with a sweaty body.
Wiping the sweat from his face, he said in a hoarse voice, "Miss Wen, we, we're here."
"Uh-huh."
Wen Ruan took the handbag that matched her outfit as well as the two gift boxes. Before getting out of the car, she said to Lao Zheng, "You don't need to wait for me, go back first. Someone will send me home later."
The party didn't have a definite end time, so there was no need for him to wait.
"Okay."
Lao Zheng let out a barely audible sigh of relief.
When Wen Ruan got out of the car, many people were already looking at her, perhaps at her car. In the midst of a group of luxury cars, the company-provided chauffeur-driven car seemed rather inadequate.
The guests arriving for the party were all curious about who had come.
Since the party had not yet begun, they decided to stop and watch. When they saw Wen Ruan appear, they were all stunned, as if they hadn't expected her to come.
Although there had been quite a bit of news about Wen Ruan recently, she had hardly appeared in public.
Everyone was speculating that after being "abandoned" by Lin Qinghan, she must be leading a miserable life, otherwise, why would she resort to entering the entertainment industry to make money.
But—
The present Wen Ruan, wearing a high-end black evening gown, hair elegantly tied up, revealing a graceful neck like that of a swan. There was no necklace around her neck, only earrings adorned her ears.
Elegant.
Composed.
It was already dark.
The Ji family's old mansion was brightly lit, the lights on the sides of the small road were as bright as daylight, and as Wen Ruan walked along, despite being observed by the crowd, she continued to smile calmly and gently.
There was no post-divorce melancholy, nor the expected misery. Without Lin Qinghan by her side, not only did she not show any dimness, she even appeared more dazzling.
Before, Wen Ruan and Lin Qinghan were together.
The first thing everyone definitely noticed was Lin Qinghan, and then it would be Wen Ruan.
But now—
With Lin Qinghan no longer by her side to shield her radiance, everyone's first impression was of her. Compared to the elegant ladies just now, Wen Ruan's presence had the most impact.
Those attending the evening party today were all from the past. Wen Ruan was not overly proactive, nor did she appear passive. When making eye contact with someone, she would lower her eyes and give a polite smile.
Her attitude was neither humble nor arrogant, easily leaving a favorable impression on people.
Growing up in the vicinity of the market, during the heyday of the Wen family, she was the princess in everyone's eyes. It was unknown how many people liked her. Even after moving to the Lin family, many still admired her. Seeing her radiant appearance now, many people whispered softly, "She's still so beautiful, I feel like pursuing her."
"You should come to your senses, she's Lin Qinghan's ex-wife. Even if they divorce, she won't spare us a glance."
"Why not? Lin Qinghan has only achieved some success in his career and looks a little more handsome." The person's voice grew quieter and they concluded, "I still think Lin Qinghan is not good enough for Wen Ruan. Look at how much more attractive she has become since leaving him."
The discussions here never ceased.
Yet Wen Ruan, under their gaze, made her way into the Ji residence. Compared to the outside, the atmosphere inside the Ji residence was even more fervent. Men and women in exquisite attire held champagne, and under the reflection of the crystal chandelier, everyone looked dazzling.
It seemed that all the celebrities of the market were here.
It was no wonder so many people were clamoring to attend such a banquet.
Suddenly, some people who were previously talking turned to look at Wen Ruan.
But Wen Ruan didn't mind, allowing them to scrutinize her. She had been the center of attention since childhood, and was long immune to the commotion generated by their gaze.
She was currently looking for Ji Xi.
Unfortunately, there were too many people attending the evening party, and she couldn't see where Ji Xi was. Instead, she caught sight of Mrs. Ji. She was about to greet her, but then saw two figures.
One of them was Ji Yan.
He was dressed in a rare suit today, with blue-black hair dyed back to chestnut, which made his skin appear even paler. He held a glass of champagne in his hand and from afar looked like a young nobleman.
However—
His expression still appeared aloof, even bordering on disdainful. Despite being surrounded by a group of people, he seemed aloof and out of place compared to those around him who were all smiling.
When he saw Wen Ruan appear.
He merely lifted his eyelids for a glance with no expression and then withdrew them without any change in expression.
The other was Xu Zhi.
He wore a white suit, did not wear gold-rimmed glasses, and held a glass of champagne in his hand, chatting with the people around him. For some reason, his peach-blossom eyes revealed a smile, under the reflection of the lights, his eyes shone brightly and dazzlingly.
When he heard Wen Ruan's name.
Xu Zhi turned his head with a smile and nodded at her.
Wen Ruan also nodded at him.
"Xiao Ruan!" Ji Xi's voice came from afar. As the host of today's birthday party and the young lady of the Ji family, when people saw her, they naturally made way for her, still smiling and congratulating and blessing others.
Ji Xi actually disliked this kind of banquet very much.
For her, it was better to spend her birthday with a few good friends rather than these formal gatherings. Unfortunately, she had no choice but to comply with the arrangements made by the elders in her family. Luckily, Wen Ruan had come, otherwise she would have been extremely bored today.
Because it was her birthday.
She had dyed her hair black again, looking like the obedient child in the eyes of the older generation. At the moment, her hair was well-behaved, draped over her shoulders, and she wore a high-end princess gown and high heels. After responding to their greetings, she finally arrived in front of Wen Ruan.
"You finally came, I was getting so bored." Ji Xi squeezed Wen Ruan's hand and complained in a low voice, still wearing a polite smile on her face. After exchanging a few words with the people around her, when Wen Ruan and the older members of the Ji family finished greeting each other, Ji Xi took her directly upstairs.
While the guests downstairs were still discussing.
Some talked about Ji Xi, but more were discussing Wen Ruan.
"I didn't expect her to come."
"She is Miss Ji's friend, of course she would come. I originally thought she would be downcast after the divorce? It seems the rumors were exaggerated."
"I think she seems even more at ease now compared to before."
After a few people had spoken, someone suddenly asked, "Will Lin Qinghan come?"
"How could he possibly come? He despises these kinds of gatherings the most, and I remember he's in Germany."
"That's good then."
Someone sighed, "If they meet later, who knows who will be more embarrassed."
"Mr. Xu, what do you think of my proposal?" Beside Xu Zhi, a man with a flush askes.
In fact, Xu Zhi barely listened to him, but he always had a way to influence others. With some helplessness, he held his phone and said to the man," Sorry, I have an urgent call. What was it you were saying?"
The man hurriedly said, "Go ahead."
"I'm sorry." Xu Zhi showed a apologetic smile to the man, then took his champagne and walked to the balcony. When there was no one around, he leaned against the balcony and dialed Lin Qinghan's number.
Before long, someone answered, and Lin Qinghan's cool voice came through, "What is it?"
"Back already?"
Upon hearing an affirmative response from the other end, Xu Zhi laughed and said, "Today is Ji Xi's birthday. Will you come over?"
Lin Qinghan's voice sounded weary and indifferent, "Not interested." After speaking, she intended to hang up the phone.
"Oh?" Xu Zhi laughed and said, turning the champagne in her hand, "Wen Ruan, are you not coming either?"
There was a long silence on the other end of the phone, before finally came the words, "Address."
After mentioning the old house, the phone was hung up.
Xu Zhi held the phone, took a sip of champagne, and with a curved brow, looked like a fox. She stood outside, looking into the room, anticipating an interesting scene.
***
Meanwhile, in a black commercial vehicle.
Lin Qinghan held the phone, looking at the WeChat interface displaying a prompt. It had been two days, and he couldn't add Wen Ruan back, nor could he view her moments. He couldn't even contact her, and his calls to her phone went unanswered.
Closing his eyes, he said, "Go to Ji's house."
He wanted to see her—