Chapter 100
Anna's fifth birthday is coming soon. Bei Bitang buys her a gift every year on her birthday.
Anna's fifth birthday is coming soon, and Bei Bitang buys her daughter some jewelry on her birthday every year.
A heavyweight piece can be used for collection and appreciation, while the other small pieces can be worn daily or used for fun.
Bei Bitang has already seen the most precious gem and plans to buy it during her winter vacation and bring it back home.
It was impossible for Gu Wangxi not to remember his daughter's birthday. He called Bei Bitang a long time ago to ask for her opinion on what Anna liked.
When she learned that Bei Bitang was going to buy some jewelry for her daughter, she begged her to go with her.
Bei Bitang had no choice but to agree as she didn't want to receive Gu Wangxi's "coquettish" calls every day.
In a jewelry store on Nanjing West Road, five storefronts were connected to form one. There were huge floor-to-ceiling windows that could reflect people's shadows. The young salesperson, who could make a living by her looks, had a graceful figure and was dressed more decently than many pedestrians on the street outside.
The large lights and countless small lights illuminated the jewelry in the glass cabinet, making it so dazzling that it was daunting to look at.
As soon as Bei Bitang entered the door, she was greeted by a discerning salesperson who enthusiastically asked her what she wanted to see.
Bei Bitang briefly explained her needs. She always had clear goals when buying things. She would just tell the salesperson what she wanted to buy and rarely went through the shops one by one on her own.
The salesperson's smile deepened a little, and she asked Bei Bitang to follow her. Gu Wangxi followed closely behind, carrying an ivory-white ladies' bag.
Passing by a counter, she saw a man and a woman talking. The man's voice made Bei Bitang feel nauseous and wanted to vomit. She frowned slightly and looked up. It was indeed Xu Zeli.
The woman who was close to him looked to be in her early twenties. She wore a gaudy colorful cheongsam, ten-centimeter high heels, and had her face painted with rouge and powder, which made her pretty face, which was a little green, look unfamiliar.
The most important thing is that her belly is slightly bulging. Looking at her slender limbs, it is impossible that she has gained weight suddenly.
Even if Zeng Linlin took a magic pill, she wouldn't have turned out like this.
Quan Lijuan looked down at the diamond rings in fascination, wishing she could reach in and stuff them all into her hands.
Li Yanzi, who had come to take care of her daughter while she gave birth, curled her lips and said, "What's so good about diamonds? I've lived most of my life and have never heard of such a thing. They only fool young people. Juan, listen to mom, let's go to the gold shop to buy some jewelry."
Quan Lijuan carefully glanced at Xu Zeli's face, which had turned very unpleasant. Xu Lijuan hurriedly tugged at Li Yanzi's arm and said softly, "Mom, stop talking. You don't understand. Listen to Zeli."
Li Yanzi then remembered that Xu Ze was standing next to her. She pretended to slap herself on the mouth and said flatteringly, "Son-in-law, don't mind what I said. I just feel sorry for you for spending too much money and getting ripped off."
Quan Lijuan, who knew Li Yanzi's character well, couldn't help rolling her eyes. She felt sorry for Xu Zeli's money and wished that Xu Zeli would spend as much money on her as possible, even if he had to borrow it.
After all, if her daughter gets the benefit, she can also eat and take it for free.
Because of her son's status as a mother, she finally coaxed Xu Zeli to take her to the jewelry store, but her mother insisted on coming along.
Come on, come on, and act like you don’t know what’s going on. Listen to my expression and say it out loud. Don’t you see that the sales clerks’ faces are already looking very unhappy?
Even Quan Lijuan, her own daughter, felt ashamed, let alone Xu Zeli, who was very concerned about his reputation.
Xu Zeli asked impatiently, "Have you made your choice?"
Quan Lijuan smiled gently and pointed at a ring, saying, "I think this one is good. I like its design very much."
Li Yanzi looked over and objected, "No, this one is not good. If you want to choose, choose this one."
As she spoke, she pointed to the largest diamond ring.
Quan Lijuan frowned tightly. She had asked many people before coming here. She learned that the most valuable diamond is not the biggest one. The clarity, color and cutting craftsmanship should be considered.
As soon as Xu Zeli agreed to buy her a ring, she secretly came to the store the next day to find out which one was the most expensive.
Xu Zeli pretends to be a successful person. He knows a thing or two about cigarettes, alcohol, tea and watches, but he is a complete layman when it comes to jewelry.
He and Li Yanzi had the same idea, that the bigger the better. Although he felt a little sorry for his wallet, if Quan Lijuan wore it, it would make him proud.
Seeing that Xu Zeli was about to decide on Li Yanzi's style, Quan Lijuan said, "Zeli, I'm hesitant again. I want to take a closer look."
Xu Zeli said angrily, "Then you watch it yourself. I'm going to go out and smoke a cigarette. Call me when you're done."
Quan Lijuan nodded quickly and said, "Okay, go smoke. I don't need you to accompany me. I know you don't like shopping."
As she spoke, she lowered her head and touched her belly, then smiled sweetly and said, "It's good to have the baby with me. When I choose one, I'll call you, husband."
Seeing Quan Lijuan's coquettish look, Xu Zeli's anger subsided a lot. He reached out and pinched Quan Lijuan's cheek, then turned and left.
As soon as Xu Zeli left, Quan Lijuan's face immediately turned cold. She looked at Li Yanzi, who was like a nanny, and complained, "Mom, you don't understand. Can you please stop talking? Before I called home and asked you to come to Shanghai to take care of me, I agreed that you had to listen to me in everything."
Li Yanzi glared at him fiercely and said rudely, "Ah, bah, I'm your mother! Even though you've climbed up the social ladder, you're still my daughter. I'm doing this for your own good. The one I chose is the biggest. The stones on it are twice as big as the one you asked for."
Quan Lijuan's eyes were red with anger. She stamped her feet and said, "Mom, if you're like this, I'll ask Xu Zeli to send you back home and hire a nanny to take care of me."
Hearing this, Li Yanzi's shoulders immediately slumped, and she said with a calm expression, "Don't worry. No one else can be as devoted as a mother like me, and everyone is counting on your belly. You can choose whatever ring you like. We still have a long time to live, and Xu Zeli will buy you some jewelry."
Then Li Yanzi started nagging about Quan Lijuan's belly again, saying dissatisfiedly, "You're pregnant with a baby, yet you're still wearing such tight clothes and such thin shoes. What if something happens to the baby? If you want to be beautiful, you can't wait until the baby is born. For now, son, just bear with it."
Quan Lijuan shook her hands painted with pink nail polish and said unhappily, "Mom, what do you know? Do you think I wear these to look pretty? No, I wear them because Xu Zeli likes to see me. He even wants me to wear high heels to go to bed. That's when he feels good."
Quan Lijuan spoke the last sentence in a very low voice.
Li Yanzi knew that her daughter relied on her body to get close to Xu Zeli. When she heard that Xu Zeli liked her to dress like this, her face did not blush, but she said proudly: "You are the best at pleasing men. Mom will not say anything more. My daughter is capable of making men's hearts fall on others."
Quan Lijuan snorted proudly, pointed at the ring she liked, and whispered, "Mom, I tell you, the one I chose is the most valuable. If you don't believe me, wait and see."
Li Yanzi couldn't bear to see Quan Lijuan happy, even though she was her own daughter. She was too happy, a little blinded by it. She hadn't even owned a silver ring in her life, and Quan Lijuan's father hadn't even said a single kind word to her in decades, let alone given her jewelry.
She turned her head to look at Xu Zeli, who was smoking outside the window. She frowned and whispered, "We can't get married, and we can't have a small banquet. In the past, when masters took concubines, they would hire a troupe of opera singers and set up several tables of banquets. I'll be satisfied with buying you a broken stone."
The excitement on Quan Lijuan's face suddenly faded, and her mood became heavy. She suppressed her sadness and said, "It's too much publicity. It will cause trouble for Zeli. It's better to be careful. Anyway, I have food and drink, I don't have to work, and I don't have to take care of the elderly. My life is much more comfortable than that of the original wife. Now that we have a child, he will never abandon me in this life."
Li Yanzi felt relieved immediately. She said greedily, "Your looks are popular in the city. Why don't you find someone better than Xu Zeli? If you follow Xu Zeli, you'll be afraid of this and that. It would be better to find an older man. At least you can get a wife. Isn't that better?"
Quan Lijuan frowned and retorted, "What's wrong with Xu Zeli? He graduated from a key university, is highly regarded by the leaders, and is good-looking. Everyone I was taken to meet flattered him. Even my former boss was very affectionate towards me because of him."
Li Yanzi sighed and said, "But he's afraid of his wife. He's not powerful enough. How long will you have to wait before you can see the light of day? What if he finds someone younger than you? Even if you have children, it won't help. Every woman can give birth. For those young girls, giving birth is the easiest thing. Look, your mother gave birth to five, and your aunt gave birth to one..."
Li Yanzi said this not to scare Quan Lijuan, but because she couldn't bear to see her happy, she was really worried.
Quan Lijuan interrupted angrily, "Okay, Mom, stop talking. Why didn't you tell me when I gave you the money? Why didn't you tell me when I first hooked up with Xu Zeli? Why didn't you tell me when you asked me to get pregnant as soon as possible?"
Li Yanzi immediately stopped arguing. Quan Lijuan was furious. She was still hoping to get money from her daughter to build a house for the family and let her sons get married.
So, she stopped talking, patted Quan Lijuan on the back, and said whatever nice things she wanted to say. After a while, she coaxed Quan Lijuan, who was soft-hearted towards her relatives, into smiling, and even said that after buying the ring, she would also let her wear it for two days.
Bei Bitang looked intently at the rows of boxes displayed by the salesperson. Gu Wangxi, trying to make small talk, said, "Is there anything you like? How about buying a whole set for Anna?"
The salesperson's eyes suddenly lit up, and she stared at Gu Wangxi fieryly, but the next second she heard Bei Bitang say, "Don't bother me. If you want to buy it for her, go buy it yourself."
Gu Wangxi's shoulders shrank immediately, and he didn't dare to offer any more suggestions. If he really bought it for his daughter, Bei Bitang would definitely be angry.
Bei Bitang has a strong possessiveness towards her daughter. It would be okay for most people, but if Gu Wangxi wants to give her anything, even a piece of candy, he has to get Bei Bitang's permission.
Gu Wangxi calmed down. Bei Bitang took the jewelry that caught her eye, looked at it, and spent more than half an hour picking out a few pieces.
A yellow diamond necklace, two bracelets, one with black pearls and the other with Burmese sapphires.
Seeing that Bei Bitang had made her selection and had the salesperson assemble it, Gu Wangxi said, "I'll pay. You helped me a lot last time by giving me the information. I gave Annie a small team to help her build the golf club, and Dave spoke well of me in front of the boss."
Bei Bitang didn't hesitate and nodded, saying, "Okay, go write a check to pay the bill."
The gadgets she sold for her daughter this time were worth no more than 100,000 yuan in total, which was a small amount for both her and Gu Wangxi, so there was no need to haggle over it.
Although Bei Bitang is a high-level employee, she has been well-informed, bold and careful, and has a steady style over the years. She knows when to stop and has made a lot of money through other investments. Otherwise, she would not be able to support the high consumption of both herself and her daughter.
Xu Zeli turned around outside the door and saw Bei Bitang with her head down and a serious look on her face. He put out his cigarette and was about to go in.
But in a blink of an eye, he saw Gu Wangxi, the flower protector, whose clothes were better than his, so Xu Zeli gave up.
Not long after Gu Wangxi left, Xu Ze immediately approached Bei Bitang.
"Bitang, long time no see."
Last time, Bei Bitang played a trick on him at a class reunion, making him lose his dignity as a man. Now, looking at her beautiful face up close, Xu Zeli forgot all his resentment.
When Bei Bitang looked up, she saw the face of Xu Zeli, a gentleman with a scoundrel look. Her face immediately turned cold and she ignored Xu Zeli.
Xu Zeli rubbed his hands awkwardly, then said with a kind look, "Bitang, what is your relationship with Gu Wangxi?"
Bei Bitang turned a deaf ear and ignored it.
Xu Zeli said to himself, "Bitang, you are so naive. Don't be fooled by those businessmen who are greedy for beauty. They are not good people. Wherever there is business, there is a family. There have been many rumors about Gu Wangxi in recent years. He is a playboy."
Bei Bitang turned slightly, with a smile on her lips, and looked at Quan Lijuan and Li Yanzi who were pulling each other not far away.
Quan Lijuan tried hard to break free from Li Yanzi's hand. Her face turned red with anger and she wanted to rush up and slap Bei Bitang in the face.
"Mom, don't pull me aside and flirt with me in front of me!"
Li Yanzi hugged her waist and persuaded her, "That lady was accompanied by a man. He left. He must be a serious person. Juan, don't go. If there is a commotion, Xu Zeli will blame you."
Hearing this, Quan Lijuan relaxed her strength and stopped struggling. She asked hesitantly, "Really? She has a man?"
Li Yanzi nodded repeatedly and said, "Really? They went to pay and will be back soon."
But he rolled his eyes in his heart. That person looked so much better than Xu Zeli that he would give up everything for Xu Zeli. It was obvious that Xu Zeli wanted to get close to him.
The girl who was talking to Xu Zeli looked like she came from a good family. She had an extraordinary demeanor and it was hard to tell which leader's daughter she was.
Xu Zeli's face changed drastically, then he forced himself to hold on, touched his nose, and said awkwardly, "Whether Bitang believes it or not, that person over there is not my relative. The real owner is not convenient to come forward, so I was entrusted by someone to come and coax his confidante."
Bei Bitang was too lazy to talk to him and snorted coldly. She was also a little puzzled. Xu Zeli was so obsessed with climbing the social ladder, yet now he was marginalized and still had a good face towards her.
After thinking about it, Bei Bitang figured it out. It must be that Xu Zeli's leader was afraid that Xu Zeli would cause trouble for her, so he found another excuse to let Xu Zeli withdraw from the meeting.
Xu Zeli has not been busy with work recently, so he has time to go shopping with his lover. He doesn't know that it was Bei Bitang who kicked him out of the project.
His boss told him that his mother was ill recently, so he should go home to take good care of the patient and hand over the work at hand to other people.
Xu Zeli was so depressed that he cried bitterly in the office, just wanting to get his words into the ears of his leaders so that they would sympathize with him and respect him.
Unexpectedly, it had the opposite effect. His leader reduced his workload and stopped him from taking on important projects. He was really angry about it.
He didn't expect that it was Bei Bitang, whom he longed to reunite with, who did it. If the truth was known, he would want to tear Bei Bitang apart and would not want to lick her anymore.
No matter how important beauty is, it is not as important as fame, fortune and status.
Xu Zeli opened his mouth and wanted to say something nonsense, but he saw Gu Wangxi coming back from the corner of his eye. He said quickly: "Bitang, I'm in a hurry to comfort someone. I'm leaving now. Contact me if you need anything."
Before Gu Wangxi returned to Bei Bitang, Xu Zeli slipped away.
He spoke ill of Gu Wangxi behind his back, but didn't dare confront Gu Wangxi face to face. When the two stood together, Xu Zeli was not even qualified to be compared with Gu Wangxi.
Gu Wangxi took the ringing mobile phone, handed it to Bei Bitang, and said, "Your phone is ringing."
Bei Bitang took it and said, "I'm going out to answer a phone call."
At this time, he called me for no reason. It must be a work call.
After saying that, he walked out of the store with big strides.
Zeng Linlin's heart sank as she listened to the beeping of the phone.
She was holding a notebook in her hand, which Xu Zeli had forgotten to leave at home.
She flipped through the pages casually and came to the page with only a string of numbers written on it. The footer at the bottom was slightly curled up and turned white. It was conceivable how many times Xu Zeli looked at the phone number and stroked it.
Zeng Linlin's arms were pinched so hard that veins popped out, and her face was pale, like a weak patient.
Since the beginning of the year, Xu Zeli's perfume smell has become stronger and stronger, and he is less and less willing to go home. She asked Xu Huiqiu about it, but Xu Huiqiu would just evade her, saying that Xu Zeli was busy with work and slept in the office. This was the same answer every time.
Recently, at home, Xu Huiqiu and Xu Zhengqing had happy expressions on their faces. Xu Huiqiu made chicken soup by herself the next day, but she had never seen it at the dinner table.
"Hello?" A young female voice came from the distant sky.
Zeng Linlin was hit hard and the notebook fell from her knees to the floor.
Seeing no one spoke, Bei Bitang asked again, "Hello?"
Zeng Linlin took a deep breath and said harshly, "Who are you? Why does my husband have your phone number?!"
Bei Bitang frowned, feeling puzzled. Could it be that she was being dragged out to take the blame?
She was just about to explain that she had dialed the wrong number and didn't know her husband.
Suddenly, a voice popped up in her mind. She had heard it in the hospital not long ago. Bei Bitang curled her lips and asked calmly, "Who is your husband?"
Zeng Linlin was so angry at Bei Bitang's calm tone that she trembled all over. She roared, "My husband is Xu Zeli. I'm telling you, you should go with him right now..."
Bei Bitang didn't want to hear Zeng Linlin mention Xu Zeli, so she interrupted and said, "Zeng Linlin, don't you recognize me? We just met in the hospital not long ago."
Zeng Linlin was stunned for a moment, then thought for a long time before she said dully, "Who are you?"
Bei Bitang smiled gently and said softly, "Miss Zeng, I'm Bei Bitang. By the way, as your ex-wife, would you like to go to xxx store to congratulate Xu Zeli? He's here to buy a wedding ring. It seems he's getting remarried."
Bei Bitang listened to the hang-up sound and shook her head, thinking that after so many years, how could Zeng Linlin be so weak? This showed how bad Xu Zeli was as a partner.
Zeng Linlin indirectly helped me escape from the fire pit back then.
She turned her head to look inside the store and saw Xu Zeli smiling obscenely and hugging his lover's waist in broad daylight.
Zeng Linlin, whose face lost all trace of beauty, held back her tears at home and called her, the "third party", to declare Xu Zeli's sovereignty.
The contrast between the two is extremely stark.
Gu Wangxi was driving with an unpredictable expression on his face. He suddenly asked, "Who was the man who came over and spoke to you in the store just now?"
Xu Zeli slandered Gu Wangxi in front of her in a familiar tone, but Gu Wangxi herself had no idea that there was such a person as Xu Zeli.
Bei Bitang just thought it was funny and she actually laughed out loud.
Seeing Gu Wangxi's gloomy face, Bei Bitang suppressed her laughter and said lightly: "An insignificant person."
Anyone who has provoked me will be waiting for my revenge.
Hearing Bei Bitang say this, Gu Wangxi breathed a sigh of relief. Bei Bitang's aura was extremely strong, and she was so beautiful that people felt a sense of distance. It took a manly courage to come up and talk to her.
Bei Bitang had interacted with that man just now. It must be because Bei Bitang was in a good mood that she said a few words to the strange man, and he was making a fuss out of nothing.
Gu Wangxi gritted his teeth and thought, it seems that he needs to hurry up.
Gu Wangxi said softly, "Is Anna going to Hong Kong to learn tennis?"
Bei Bitang nodded and replied casually, "Yes."
Her daughter is so smart, she doesn't want her to miss out on the childhood experiences she should have, but she also doesn't want to let her daughter's intelligence be delayed.
So my daughter only goes to school three days a week, and Anna has the rest of the time to herself. She can go to school if she wants to, or learn other things if she wants to.
Anna has recently become interested in equestrianism and tennis, and Bei Bitang immediately found resources for her daughter.
Equestrianism is not difficult to find coaches and venues in mainland China, but tennis is a bit difficult to find. The ones I can find are either amateurs or have never even held a racket and have only learned theoretical knowledge.
Bei Bitang simply let Anna fly to Hong Kong to study. She also had a good female friend in Hong Kong, whom Anna also knew, and could let Anna stay at her house and ask her driver to pick her up and drop her off.
Gu Wangxi said softly, "How about letting me accompany Anna to Hong Kong to play tennis?"
Bei Bitang's expression suddenly turned cold, and she said as if to keep him at a distance: "Gu Wangxi, don't go too far. I didn't ask you to see Anna less often."
Even though she believed in Anna's feelings and dependence on her as a mother, she couldn't help but feel uneasy. Gu Wangxi was different from Miao Xiuxiu and the others. The four words "biological father" would bring him many privileges in this world.
Gu Wangxi quickly slowed down his voice and explained, "Bitang, don't misunderstand me. I just heard that Jingtian also came to Shanghai to work."
Unexpectedly, Bei Bitang's expression turned even colder. She narrowed her eyes and said in a deep voice, "Gu Wangxi, are you threatening me?"
Jingtian was once Bei Bitang's rival. Bei Bitang was young and energetic at that time, and the sales plan he implemented was a great success in the American market, and he defeated Jingtian's company without mercy.
Jingtian's reputation in the industry is notorious. His opponents, whether from the same company or other companies, will often encounter accidents if they are not careful.
Bei Bitang had already received the news that Jing Tian would become her rival again, but she did not take it to heart. She also had some arrangements for her daughter's trip to Hong Kong this time.
Gu Wangxi's words angered her. First, they questioned her love and concern for Anna. Second, Gu Wangxi wanted to use Anna's safety as a raft to achieve his own goals.
Bei Bitang would not allow anyone to use Anna as an excuse, not even Anna's biological father, because she herself would never do that.
Gu Wangxi looked anxious and explained seriously, "Bitang, I didn't mean that. I accompanied Anna to Hong Kong only for her personal safety and to take this opportunity to cultivate our relationship. That thought never crossed my mind. I originally wanted to ask Anna not to go to Hong Kong, but I felt it was inappropriate."
Although Xu Zeli made Gu Wangxi feel a sense of crisis, he really never thought of using his own daughter.
In Gu Wangxi's heart, Anna is Anna and Bei Bitang is Bei Bitang. He will not use Anna to win Bei Bitang. He just cares about his daughter as a father.
Bei Bitang exhaled, calming down a bit. Seeing the sincerity on Gu Wangxi's face, which didn't seem fake, she immediately corrected herself and said, "I'm sorry. I wrongly blamed you."
Gu Wangxi smiled indifferently and said gently: "It's okay, I know you care too much about your daughter."
Bei Bitang smiled and didn't respond. If she was wrong, it was wrong, and she didn't want to make excuses.
When they returned to the gate of the community, before getting out of the car, Bei Bitang said softly, "You should arrange your work first. I'll leave everything to you while Anna is in Hong Kong."
Gu Wangxi was immediately overjoyed.
Gu Wangxi has more connections in Hong Kong than she does. After all, he made his fortune in Hong Kong first. It would be a waste not to use a man, so as to save her friends from trouble.
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