In the jade shop next door.

Looking at the pile of waste on the ground, Ming Xiaoxiao's frenzied mind finally calmed down a little.

There was a chorus of sighs and lamentations all around; so far, very few people have managed to cut any good material from the stone.

Some people did see gains, but only small ones; most of them ended up with nothing.

Ming Xiaoxiao got off to a good start, finding some jadeite in the rough stone she selected, which resulted in a small profit, and she sold it on the spot.

Because of this cushion, the boys in her group all had high hopes for her.

Ming Xiaoxiao didn't know why, but she started buying things like crazy, and even Jiang Yifan and the others' wallets were emptied because of her support.

As a result, it all went down the drain.

The most unlucky one was the acne-prone boy. He refused to believe in bad luck and was determined to win over Ming Xiaoxiao. In his excitement, he gave her all the pocket money he had saved up for several years, losing 60,000 to 70,000 yuan in one go.

Ming Xiaoxiao bit her lip, her expression filled with self-reproach and unease: "I'm sorry, I've dragged everyone into this..."

She clenched her fingers tightly, her eyes reddening. How could this happen...?

The total amount of money lost by the six or seven people was close to 300,000 yuan, which was an astronomical figure for her.

Jiang Yifan: "Xiaoxiao, it's not your fault, it was all our own choice..."

The boy with acne looked somewhat dazed. His family was the poorest among this group. The sixty or seventy thousand yuan wasn't all his money; some of it was money his mother paid for his tutoring classes.

Ming Xiaoxiao lowered her head, her voice trembling with tears: "I was wrong, I... I can take responsibility! Give me a few years, I'll work and earn money to pay you back, okay?"

The girl stood ramrod straight, her fragility tinged with stubbornness. "I can tutor, wash dishes, hand out flyers. If one job isn't enough, I'll take on several. I'll always be able to earn the money back!"

Jiang Yifan immediately felt sorry for her: "Xiaoxiao, what nonsense are you talking about! You are a student, isn't a student's main task to study?"

They came from wealthy families and couldn't possibly imagine what Ming Xiaoxiao was talking about. How could they let such a delicate girl like Ming Xiaoxiao suffer so much?

Jiang Yifan scanned the group with a serious expression. "I'm making this clear: the money you just spent was voluntary and has nothing to do with Xiaoxiao!"

"Anyone who dares to ask Xiaoxiao for money is not a man!"

No one dared to utter a sound; everyone remained silent.

But this silence also represented a subtle attitude, which Ming Xiaoxiao keenly noticed.

She pursed her lips, wanting to say that she could take responsibility, but then she felt wronged. Yes, the money was given to her voluntarily by these people, so how could it all be her fault?

This money was just pocket change for these well-off boys, but it was a mountain for her.

A sense of justice and a feeling of being wronged battled within her, and in the end, she quietly clenched the jade pendant in her pocket, choosing to say nothing.

This matter was thus tacitly accepted.

From the moment Jiang Yifan spoke, the acne-ridden boy kept staring at Ming Xiaoxiao's face.

He liked Ming Xiaoxiao because he was deeply attracted by her strong and independent personality.

In this situation, Ming Xiaoxiao would definitely not agree with Jiang Yifan's approach and would be the first to jump out and take the blame herself.

Didn't you see how enthusiastic she was towards Xie Li, who had repeatedly put her down? Not to mention her friends who had always supported Ming Xiaoxiao.

Moreover, Ming Xiaoxiao just won the top prize in the poetry challenge competition, and in addition to the prize money, she also received a jade pendant worth 500,000 yuan.