"You vixen!" the ferocious woman barked as she grabbed Tian Youyou by the collar, her other hand poised to strike. Xinran clutched at Tian Youyou's arm tightly, preventing her from moving freely. With one arm, Tian Youyou managed to block the aggressive woman's blow.
In a swift motion, Tian Youyou flung Xinran aside, but she wasn't quick enough to dodge the woman's purse as it came flying towards her.
Xinran landed lightly on the ground.
Just as the purse was about to hit Tian Youyou's face, a hand swatted it away.
"Take your ruckus outside!" Zhou Moyan's voice cut through the air, icy and commanding.
Li, the businessman, seeing Zhou Moyan's formidable demeanor, quickly apologized, "Mr. Zhou, I'm terribly sorry for this disturbance. I'll remove my wife from here immediately..." He shot his wife a stern look, "Apologize to Mr. Zhou now!"
His wife, clearly reluctant, lowered her head and muttered an apology.
"Get out!" Zhou Moyan dismissed them with a disgusted glance.
"Moyan, thank goodness you were here. It was foolish of me to try and stop that wild woman from hitting Tian Youyou, and I ended up falling over myself!" Xinran remained seated on the ground, her eyes welling up with tears.
"Ah, my foot, I think I twisted it!" She cradled her ankle, looking pitifully at Zhou Moyan.
What an actress!
Tian Youyou shot Xinran a look, "Miss Xin, it's truly a waste you're not vying for an Academy Award with that performance!"
"Moyan, look at her, she doesn't appreciate kindness..." Zhou Moyan extended a hand to help Xinran up, though he remained noncommittal.
"Miss Xin, weren't you curious about how I got in? Maybe you should ask Mr. Zhou how I came here," Tian Youyou gestured towards Zhou Moyan, suggesting that he was the reason she was at the event.
Zhou Moyan gave Tian Youyou a glance, then looked back at the camellia jewelry series behind her and said, "Wait here for me," before walking off to talk to the staff. He had probably noticed how long she had been admiring that particular set of jewelry.
Tian Youyou could hear Zhou Moyan's conversation with the staff from where she sat, not too far away.
"Mr. Zhou, I'm sorry, but that camellia series has just been reserved. Maybe you'd like to look at our other collections? They are all quite exceptional," the staff member apologized persistently.
Those who could afford to be here were all VIPs, none of whom could be easily dismissed.
Zhou Moyan frowned, clearly displeased.
Tian Youyou thought to herself that wealthy and powerful people like him always sought what they desired relentlessly, much like Xinran.
"Moyan!" Xinran clung to his arm as he returned from speaking with the staff. She glanced back at Tian Youyou with a look of disdain, as if she wished she could erase her existence then and there.
Tian Youyou rolled her eyes in response.
She had only met Xinran twice and knew next to nothing about her.
Yet Xinran knew enough about Li to use him to stage a scene to embarrass her, clearly having done her homework on Tian Youyou's past.
But were those investigations in vain? Zhou Moyan hadn't shown much interest in her.
The world was indeed small; she hadn't expected a simple visit to a jewelry exhibition with Zhou Moyan to turn into such a drama with Li.
Xinran's disdain turned into outright loathing, but she quickly shifted her tone when addressing Zhou Moyan.
"Moyan, why didn't you call me to look at the jewelry with you? I have a good eye for these things, I could have helped you pick something out," Xinran cooed, her voice dripping with sweetness, causing Tian Youyou's skin to crawl.
Zhou Moyan merely smiled slightly, not taking her up on her offer, and asked nonchalantly, "Did you come alone?"
"No, I came with my cousin. Look, there she is," Xinran gestured towards the entrance, trying to draw his attention. Zhou Moyan's eyebrows furrowed slightly, his expression becoming serious.
Tian Youyou looked towards the entrance and felt a chill run down her spine.
Dressed in a white business suit and high heels, with a simple high ponytail and dramatic metal tassel earrings, Tang Wanyi carried an air of regal authority.
Tian Youyou then remembered, Tang Wanyi had once mentioned a cousin from Germany. This must be her.
No wonder Xinran recognized Tian Youyou at first glance and knew of her scandal from three years ago.
If Xinran was a deceptively sweet façade, Tang Wanyi was a venomous beauty.
"Miss Tian, long time no see," Tang Wanyi spoke first, her voice carrying a mix of formal politeness and underlying hostility.
"Long time no see," Tian Youyou replied, maintaining a calm exterior.
She knew Tang Wanyi had no genuine well-wishes for her; if Tian Youyou was doing well, Tang Wanyi would surely find a reason to make her life difficult.
After all, she had "slept with" Tang Wanyi's fiancé.
"Moyan, come walk with me!" Xinran, seeing Tang Wanyi approaching Tian Youyou, probably understood the dynamics at play and quickly pulled Zhou Moyan away.
"Miss Tian, why don't you sit over there? Everything here is very expensive, and you are quite... affordable," Tang Wanyi said with a smirk, her words as cutting as they were deliberate.
True to her reputation, Xinran couldn't compare in malice.
"Wanyi, you're too kind, but I'm not interested in things that aren't mine! Even if you killed me, it wouldn't get you what you want."
A flash of fury crossed Tang Wanyi's controlled face as she stepped closer, lowering her voice threateningly, "What I can't have, neither will you. Don't overstep, the finer things are beyond your reach."
With that, Tang Wanyi turned and walked away elegantly. As a special guest of the exhibition, she had to mingle with the other notable attendees.
Left alone, Tian Youyou found a quiet corner to sit, her interest in the jewelry exhibition waning.
Not far away, Xinran excitedly clung to Zhou Moyan's arm, admiring the camellia jewelry set.
"Moyan, do you want to buy this set?" Xinran asked, hopeful.
"Yeah, it's nice!" Zhou Moyan affirmed her choice.
"Wow, Moyan, our tastes are so in sync! It's perfect for a young socialite, and it matches my style perfectly!"
"Unfortunately, it's already been reserved!" Zhou Moyan expressed slight regret.
"Moyan, you're buying this as a gift, aren't you? To surprise someone?"
"Yeah," he nodded.
"Well, I can make them give it up!" Xinran said mysteriously, confident in her ability.
This wasn't surprising, given her cousin was Tang Wanyi, who had abundant jewelry resources. She could simply offer other limited pieces to the current claimant in exchange.
After speaking, Xinran turned and walked towards the staff as if she were about to skip with joy, her light steps betraying her excitement as if the jewelry was meant for her.
Tian Youyou had no desire to stay any longer. What was the point of Zhou Moyan bringing her here?
She was neither involved in the jewelry business nor could she afford such luxuries, and she had been subjected to humiliation by Xinran and Tang Wanyi for no reason.
Frustrated, she picked up a glass of champagne from a nearby table and took a large gulp.
Why was she still watching Zhou Moyan and Xinran? Was she seeking punishment?
Heh, it seemed Tian Youyou couldn't let go after all.