Chapter 68: Her? You Must Be Joking

“God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and thus there was day. The goddess said that diamonds are a woman’s best friend, and so the pigeon’s egg was born. With the day came the egg.” Qin Yang gazed about the opulently decorated exhibition hall, idly spinning tales to amuse himself, his words aimless and irreverent. Perhaps word had gotten out, for the venue’s security was exceedingly thorough—so much so that even metal objects hidden in a bra would be detected. Any potentially dangerous items guests carried, even down to their keys, would be carefully kept in special storage.

When security requested that Qin Yang hand over his one-yuan lighter, he finally began to lose his temper, grumbling in protest, “What’s the issue with my lighter? What if I want a cigarette?”

“I’m sorry, sir, but there is no smoking allowed inside the exhibition hall. Please cooperate with us,” the security officer replied politely.

Qin Yang curled his lip. “But what if there’s a power outage? Shouldn’t I at least have something for light? Can you guarantee the power here won’t ever go out?”

“Yes, sir. We have made meticulous preparations for this exhibition. There will absolutely be no power outage,” the guard replied with unwavering confidence.

Qin Yang was about to press the point when Liu Molan tugged at his arm, handed the lighter to the security officer, and whispered, “Could you stop showing off? We’re here to attend the exhibition, not to cause trouble.”

“It just feels off,” Qin Yang muttered as he straightened his tie, sounding disgruntled. “Maybe we should just leave. This is so dull.”

“Stop it. The exhibition has already begun,” Liu Molan soothed him helplessly, linking arms with him as they entered the hall. By now, the place was already teeming with people. Qin Lie had gone all out for his daughter-in-law’s business—countless wealthy merchants and business magnates had been invited, and Liu Yan’s unique charm had attracted a fair number of young heirs, many of whom had chased her all the way from the capital.

The displayed pieces were dazzling in their variety: necklaces, rings, pocket watches, brooches of every kind. Beautiful women with stunning features stood by each display, introducing the jewelry to passing guests. The hall shimmered with jewels and excitement—truly a lively affair. Liu Yan and Qin Lie were determined to launch this venture with a grand start, so the scale of this exhibition far exceeded any previous jewelry show in Haitian City.

Diamonds are forever the supreme talisman for women. The deep yearning in the eyes of the socialites and ladies present made this abundantly clear. Liu Molan, being a woman herself, was no exception. Qin Yang, noticing this, couldn’t help but tease, “I bet the big shots here are cursing the hosts. After all, every woman here is the legitimate wife. Once the mistresses back home hear about this, they’ll insist on buying something too. And if there are third and fourth mistresses—tsk, tsk—women’s money truly is the easiest to make.”

Liu Molan didn’t mind his words. “Diamonds are a woman’s best friend. At the very least, they’ll never go bad.”

“Don’t give me that. I took chemistry too. With the right fire, a diamond turns to carbon—worthless. If you want to buy a diamond, you might as well get a couple kilos of coal—it’s more practical, and you can use it for heat and cooking,” Qin Yang grumbled.

“You really don’t understand romance,” Liu Molan shot him a look, turning her attention to a brooch that had caught her eye.

“How am I not romantic?” Qin Yang muttered under his breath.

Just then, four young men in assorted attire approached—not toward Liu Molan, but directly at Qin Yang. He didn’t recognize any of them, but their mannerisms betrayed that they were not locals, each exuding an air of superiority. The one in front was strikingly handsome, dressed in a tailored suit that suggested noble lineage. He stopped before Qin Yang and asked, “You’re Qin Yang?”

“And you are?” Qin Yang turned his gaze away from Liu Molan’s brooch, puzzled.

“I am Yan Xiaofeng. Back in Yan Capital, I heard much of your reputation in Jianghai City. I wonder if I might have the honor of making your acquaintance?” Yan Xiaofeng extended his hand.

Qin Yang nodded in realization—these must be the ones who’d followed Liu Yan all the way here. He shook Yan Xiaofeng’s hand. “Yes, I’m Qin Yang. Though I wouldn’t say I’m famous—just a bit notorious.”

“Just a bit notorious? Young Master Qin certainly has a unique way of seeing things,” Yan Xiaofeng’s tone was perfectly neutral, without a hint of mockery or admiration. The three men behind him, however, wore openly derisive expressions, making no effort to hide their disdain, posturing insolently as if daring Qin Yang to take offense.

“These gentlemen seem to have taken a dislike to me. Have I wronged them somehow? As far as I recall, I’ve never so much as crossed paths with any of them,” Qin Yang asked with a frown.

Standing close by, Liu Molan also drew nearer, her brows creased slightly.

Yan Xiaofeng smiled faintly, unable to discern whether Qin Yang was truly oblivious or simply pretending. If he was feigning ignorance, his expression betrayed nothing. “Perhaps you’re unaware, Young Master Qin, but your reputation has spread throughout the capital. More than a few scions would grind their teeth at the mention of your name.”

“And what about you?” Qin Yang smiled, eyes narrowing.

Yan Xiaofeng nodded, still smiling. “I’m no exception.”

“So that means, despite your smile, you’d love nothing more than to tear me limb from limb?” Qin Yang raised his brows. “Seems I’ve attracted quite a bit of attention. How many of you from the capital are here?”

“Not many, just over a dozen,” one of the men behind Yan Xiaofeng sneered.

Qin Yang’s eyes widened in mock astonishment. “Wow, she’s got that many admirers?”

“Even so, I doubt any of us could match your luck with women, Young Master Qin,” Yan Xiaofeng said softly. To say his heart wasn’t unsettled would be a lie. Who would have expected Liu Yan to get engaged to some outsider? What stung even more was that this outsider was a notorious troublemaker. Any ordinary man would have been easier for them to accept.

Qin Yang pulled Liu Molan closer and grinned, “Thanks for the compliment. I’ve always been fortunate in love. This is my girlfriend, Liu Molan.”

“Your girlfriend?” The four men were taken aback, not quite sure what to make of his words. Was he joking?

Liu Molan’s cheeks flushed crimson, and she pinched Qin Yang’s palm hard, but she didn’t resist him, instead acquiescing to his claim as if resigned.

Yan Xiaofeng and his companions glanced toward Liu Yan, who was chatting with a group not far away. She seemed to be keeping an eye on Qin Yang, glancing his way now and then, but showed no signs of displeasure at Qin Yang and Liu Molan’s intimacy.

“Qin Yang, what are you playing at?” one of the men demanded, unable to hold back.

“Playing at what? If you mean her—then don’t bother,” Qin Yang shot a glance at Liu Yan, curling his lip. “I’ve not met her more than three times. My impression of her is limited to the fact that she can make a pack of fools lose themselves and chase her all the way to Haitian City. Sure, I’m infamous in Jianghai City, but compared to you lot—traveling a thousand miles to make a scene on someone else’s turf just to look like heroes in front of your beloved—I’m far behind in terms of shamelessness.”