Volume 1, Chapter 149: As Long As You Like It!

While in the car, Lou Ye had already noticed that Sang Wan was enveloped in a warm, fragrant scent. It wasn't until they were inside and he helped her off with her coat that he caught sight of the bracelet on her wrist. Thinking back, he realized that although he had filled her cabinets with all sorts of jewelry, she had never worn a single piece. This bracelet, however, was the one she wore most often.

Lou Ye set down his glass, turned his head, and asked, "Do you like this bracelet that much?"

It was thanks to this bracelet that Sang Wan had been able to sleep peacefully these past few days. At first, she had thought it was a coincidence, but whenever she suffered from nightmares at night, that natural, rich fragrance felt like her mother’s gentle patting. Just as she was about to step into an endless, pitch-black abyss, it would pull her back, bit by bit, to the refreshing shade of a great tree. Her vanity seemed to transform into a lotus pedestal; every time she sat there, her restless, sorrowful negative emotions would peel away layer by layer. She felt a sense of peace and serenity from the inside out. Within a few days, she realized it was the bracelet’s doing. Since then, she had barely taken it off, except when showering.

"Mm, I love it!" Sang Wan replied.

Seeing the somewhat complex expression on Lou Ye’s face as he stared at the bracelet, her heart skipped a beat, and she misunderstood his reaction. She was his girlfriend, yet she was wearing a bracelet given to her by another man day and night. It did seem inappropriate, even if Jiang Huai was his good friend and had no ulterior motives. Lou Ye was so petty; he must be bothered by it, right?

"Then... I won't wear it anymore." The private room was noisy, but Sang Wan leaned close to Lou Ye’s ear, speaking in a tiny voice as if afraid Jiang Huai might hear. "I saw those bracelets in the drawer. From now on, I’ll wear the ones you gave me."

"It's fine, keep wearing it," Lou Ye said, his lips curling up. "As long as you like it."

With that, Lou Ye tilted his head and brushed a kiss against her lips. The lighting was dim. The room was filled with people drinking, shaking dice, and singing, while in the brightly lit area behind them, others were playing billiards or mahjong. It was unlikely anyone would notice them, yet Sang Wan still pulled away quickly, her face flushed.

"Sister-in-law..." Jiang Huai’s voice rang out.

Sang Wan practically bounced up from the sofa. "Yes?"

Jiang Huai lifted his chin. "That bracelet—my brother gave it to you. I was just borrowing flowers to offer to the Buddha. The agarwood alone cost a hundred million. Not to mention, it was carved by my grandfather himself and blessed by Master Juekong at Wanfu Temple."

Seeing the shock in Sang Wan’s eyes, Jiang Huai laughed. "Sister-in-law, that is the pride of the Sang Garden. If you ever decide you don’t want it, please tell your brother-in-law which trash can you threw it in before you do, so I can go pick it up!"

Sang Wan: "..."

She looked back at Lou Ye. The man was clearly pleased, his eyes and brows crinkling with smiles, but his words were insincere. "Big-mouthed! Did I ask you to make excuses for me?"

"That’s a must!" Jiang Huai straightened his back. "Ask around in this circle; who doesn't know that I, Jiang Huai, am famously honest? Sister-in-law, I owe you a welcoming gift! I’ve already prepared it and will have it sent to your home later. Please, you must accept it!"

"Young Master Jiang, you're too polite!"

"Sister-in-law, you're the one being truly polite! We’ve known each other for so long; calling me 'Young Master Jiang' is just a slap in the face to your brother-in-law!"

"...Ah Huai!"

"Got it! Sister-in-law, if you need anything in the future, if you can’t find my brother when you're checking up on him, just call me. I’ll go through fire and water for you!"

Wherever Jiang Huai was, there was never a dull moment. With a few words, some laughed and scolded him for being a bootlicker who climbed the ladder the moment he saw a chance to cozy up to the sister-in-law, while others gave him a thumbs-up in admiration.

"What a fake," Mu Fangfei, who had been watching from Ming Qing's side, muttered with a sour expression, her eyes piercing toward Sang Wan like thorns. Turning back to Ming Qing, she said with unconcealed resentment, "Sister Qing, what do you think Young Master Lou sees in her? Just a piece of damaged goods who’s been married and had a child... Even those innocent-looking girls in the circle, or just the eye-candy from the entertainment industry, would be better. Honestly!"

"Fangfei!" Ming Qing stopped her with a look. "Don't talk nonsense!"

Realizing she had spoken out of turn, Mu Fangfei snapped her mouth shut. She had already offended Lou Ye once. The evening gowns she had custom-made for Sang Wan had been completed and fitted, but after Lou Ye got angry, he didn't take a single one when he left. No sooner had he left than Rong Jing sent over a check for 50 million. Since that day, not only Lou Ye, but even Jiang Huai had stopped ordering gowns from her, not to mention anyone else. With Christmas approaching, her shop should have been bustling, but it was so cold that she barely saw a soul all day.

The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. Seeing that Ming Qing also looked displeased, Mu Fangfei held back as long as she could, but after a few drinks, she couldn't help herself.

"Sister Sang..."

At the crisp sound, Sang Wan looked toward the voice. She saw Mu Fangfei glance at her phone. "It’s already 11 o'clock. Aren't you going back yet?"

Sang Wan was stunned.

Mu Fangfei smiled. "Don't the experts say that children need to sleep early to grow taller and stay healthy? If you don't go back so late, won't your son cry for his mother?"

At those words, the room fell silent. Even the two people singing abruptly stopped.

*Thud!*

A billiard ball dropped into a pocket, colliding with other balls—and with the frozen heartbeats of everyone in the room. Sang Wan sensed Lou Ye’s cold, surging anger instantly. She grabbed his arm and interlaced her fingers with his.

Sang Wan smiled and shook her head at him, then looked at Mu Fangfei. "He lives with his father; at this hour, he should be fast asleep."

Mu Fangfei had expected Sang Wan to be embarrassed and awkward, perhaps even to flush red and storm out. She never imagined that Sang Wan would respond as naturally as if they were chatting about daily life, without a hint of anger or distress.

When she met the cold, sidelong glance from Lou Ye, Mu Fangfei shivered; her drunkenness vanished. "Young Master Lou, I..."

*Clack!*

Mu Fangfei’s explanation was cut short as Lou Ye set his wine glass down on the table.

Lou Ye stood up and looked at Sang Wan. "Let's go."

"Okay." Sang Wan rose.

Lou Ye held her hand and walked toward the entrance, just as he had when they arrived. He stopped the server with a look, helped Sang Wan put on her scarf and coat, and then put on his own. Before walking out, Lou Ye looked back at Jiang Huai. "Next time you invite all sorts of miscellaneous people to my place, I’ll kick you out right along with them!"

*Miscellaneous people?*

She... she had become a miscellaneous person? Under the flickering lights, Mu Fangfei’s face drained of color. She could already foresee how the various WeChat groups of the imperial capital’s elite would be buzzing with rumors that she had been cast out of the inner circle by Young Master Lou. And tomorrow, how her "plastic" girlfriends would pretend to offer sympathetic condolences while secretly cheering and celebrating behind her back.

"Brother, I was wrong!" Jiang Huai followed suit, grabbing his coat and chasing after them. "Brother, let me drive you and Sister-in-law. Today was all my..."

The heavy door slowly closed. The sounds from outside could no longer be heard.

Mu Fangfei’s face was deathly pale. A mere arm's length away, Ming Qing’s expression was beyond unsightly. Tonight was supposed to be her welcoming banquet, but from the moment Lou Ye arrived until he left, he hadn't said a single word to her. He hadn't even cast a single glance her way. His words had been a slap to Mu Fangfei, but they were also a slap to her.

Did he hate her that much?