Lan Jin emerged from the bathroom and noticed that the four men were gone; they must have stepped out.
This was a relief, otherwise she would have felt rather awkward.
Relaxed now, she flopped onto the couch in a slovenly big boss pose, cockily crossing one leg over the other.
She took out her phone, planning to scroll through Weibo, when a figure hurriedly ran in, their voice tinged with urgency—
"It's terrible, Xiao Jin, you need to look at Weibo right now. Everyone's calling you a murderer, they're doxxing you, saying you deserve to go to hell."
Lan Jin looked up calmly, her eyes lighting up slightly at the sight of a pretty girl, decked out and dolled up.
From her memory, she identified this "good friend" as an outsider named Tang Yue.
Following her was a sidekick, Zhang Man, a friend of Tang Yue's.
The pair would come here every few days, solely to catch a glimpse of those four men, hoping to snag an opportunity to hook up with them.
One second they were frantic, the next, they started looking around.
Tang Yue pursed her lips, "Are you the only one at home?"
Why was it that every time she came, she never encountered those four handsome men?
She had spent five or six hours getting ready today, confident enough to charm all those men.
Unfortunately, with no one here, it was another wasted trip, utterly frustrating!
Lan Jin observed their disappointed expressions and, with a slight raise of her eyebrows, coolly glanced at Tang Yue, her tone indifferent and distant:
"You've come at just the right time; when will you return my bracelet to me?"
"Ah? What... what bracelet?"
Tang Yue was taken aback for a moment, and once she recovered, a flicker of panic and guilt was evident in her eyes.
"Heh..."
Lan Jin chuckled softly, wickedly curling one corner of her lips, leaned back lazily and slightly squinted her eyes.
In her hand, somehow, appeared an exquisite lighter, which she fiddled with absentmindedly, radiating a sense of disdain for the world.
The face was the same, that distinct one, yet it somehow felt different.
Especially when her gaze fixed on you, like an X-ray, seemingly capable of penetrating the soul and laying bare all pretenses.
Tang Yue's heart skipped a beat, her complexion turning a few shades paler as she blurted out with less conviction:
"You gave me that bracelet as a gift, didn't you? You aren't having second thoughts and asking for it back now, are you?"
She feigned annoyance, pouting and furrowing her brows, knowing that Lan Jin dreaded losing her friendship.
Every time she got upset, Lan Jin would eagerly appease her, taking her shopping for various high-end clothes and bags.
For instance, the Chanel outfit Tang Yue was wearing at that moment, the latest Cartier La Dona watch, and the limited edition Hermes bag.
All together, the ensemble was worth at least several hundred thousand.
Including the clothes Zhang Man was wearing, all paid for with her money.
Lan Jin did not plan to quibble over these expenses with them, her only desire now was to retrieve the heirloom left by her mother.
It was an old pit glass type jadeite bracelet with floating flower patterns.
It was worth a great deal, valued at no less than 30 million.
However, the outsider had lent this valuable item to Tang Yue without a second thought, fortunately as a loan rather than a gift.
Possibly Tang Yue assumed it was hers now since so much time had passed without Lan Jin asking for it back.
Lan Jin was grateful for the memories of the outsider; otherwise, she'd still be clueless about the bracelet's whereabouts.
"Are you sure it was a gift from me? Since your memory is failing, it seems I need to help remind you."
As Lan Jin spoke, she suddenly stood up from the couch, her whole aura shifting with her, causing hearts to race.
She swiftly extended her arm, abruptly grabbed Tang Yue by the collar, and yanked her closer, as easily as picking up a chicken.
Her amber eyes flashed with a terrifying ferocity, a chilling, almost bloodthirsty smile on her lips.
"Remember now? Was it a gift or a loan?"
Her tone was quite mild, even temperate, but it sent a shiver down the spine all the same, icy and authoritative.