Chapter 266 Her tenth birthday present was placed on Shen Aizhu's neck.
It turned out that Mr. Liang had already remarried, and the smugness of the third Miss Shen just now seemed very ridiculous.
Shen Aizhu's smile froze completely, as if she had been slapped in the face in public, her eyes filled with embarrassment and resentment.
After exchanging a few pleasantries with Madam Shen, Pang Shijun took the opportunity to invite Liang Yizhi to the backstage to appreciate some of the valuable donated items that had been delivered in advance.
As soon as they walked away, Shen Aizhu couldn't wait to turn her attention to Ji Ying.
She raised her voice to make sure everyone around her could hear her.
"Ji Ying, your dress is quite unique, but it looks somewhat familiar..."
She pretended to recall something, then showed a surprised expression.
"You didn't actually have a designer, so you rented the dress, did you?"
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone's attention immediately focused on Ji Ying's dress.
Wearing a rented formal dress to such an occasion is inappropriate, and even somewhat impolite.
Having achieved her goal, Shen Aizhu touched the necklace around her neck, her tone boastful.
"To show how much I value this charity gala, I specially brought this necklace that my mother gave me. It's a unique piece made by a famous artist. To attend an event like this, one needs to have some real substance so as not to embarrass my brother Yizhi."
Ji Ying's gaze fell on the necklace around Shen Aizhu's neck, and she gasped for breath.
She recognized the necklace.
At the center is a moonstone with a soft blue glow, adorned with some small diamonds.
What makes this necklace unique is not the gemstones, but the extremely rare memory metal used in its chain, which gives it exceptional durability and a distinctive texture.
The moonstone was a gift from Liang Yizhi when she was a child. Seeing that she loved it so much, Madam Shen asked her husband to find a special metal material and commissioned a specialist to design and make it into a necklace, which she gave to her as a 10th birthday present.
At this moment, Shen Aizhu is wearing her unique birthday gift around her neck.
A feeling of coldness and bitterness gripped Ji Ying's heart.
This relic, which carried the weight of the past, was so easily given away by her mother to Shen Aizhu.
Therefore, the maternal love she once cherished could be so light and easily given to anyone.
Truly... a mother's love knows no bounds.
Ji Ying revealed a mocking smile. At this moment, Madam Pang walked over, stood beside Ji Ying, and looked at Shen Aizhu.
“Miss Shen is mistaken. Charity galas are about good intentions, not about showing off wealth. If this is to be used as a stage to flaunt jewelry, then the point is being backwards. I believe Mr. Liang is not so narrow-minded.”
These words drew nods of agreement from the surrounding guests.
Shen Aizhu's face flushed red and then turned pale. Finally, she couldn't hold back any longer and turned to Madam Pang, scolding her in a low voice: "A woman who is supported by her husband, if it weren't for your husband's sake, who would come to your lousy banquet?"
After saying that, he left dejectedly.
Although Ji Ying disdained Madam Pang for helping her out of a predicament, she still gave her a grateful smile.
"Thank you, Madam Shen. It's best to ignore someone like Shen Aizhu."
However, Madam Pang stared at her blankly and softly called out, "Are you... Ruoheng?"
Ji Ying's heart skipped a beat, but her face showed no surprise. Instead, she asked with just the right amount of doubt, "Who is Ruoheng? I'm sorry, I don't know this person."
The expectant light in Madam Pang's eyes dimmed instantly, and she said dejectedly, "I'm sorry, I was being presumptuous. You look so much like a childhood friend of mine. She disappeared when she was twelve and was later presumed dead. I heard recently that she might still be alive, and I thought..."
She didn't say anything more, but just shook her head bitterly.
Ji Ying then vaguely remembered that she did have a playmate who was inseparable from her during her childhood.
She suppressed her emotions and gently comforted her, "I hope for a miracle, that she can... return soon."
"Thank you, you are such a kind person."
Mrs. Pang quickly composed herself.
At this moment, the charity donation ceremony was about to begin, and she quickly walked towards the stage.
Ji Ying watched her retreating figure, her eyes filled with a dark vortex.
The kind-hearted Shen Ruoheng is dead and will not come back.
She then picked up a glass of champagne and waved to the waiter expressionlessly.
"Excuse me, I can't drink it cold, could you please heat it up for me?"
A few minutes later.
On the stage, Madam Shen was introducing the Shen family's donation, which was a valuable bracelet.
Below the stage, Shen Aizhu was surrounded by several socialites, and she whispered boasting, "Although my necklace is not gold, it is more expensive than gold. This material is not something that ordinary people can get."
No sooner had she finished speaking than a glass of champagne was splashed through the crowd, landing precisely on her neck.
To be precise, it was sprinkled on the necklace.
"It's so hot!"
Shen Aizhu exclaimed in surprise, her gaze fixed on Ji Ying, and immediately accused her, "Ji Ying, what are you doing!"
"Sorry, the carpet was uneven, I almost tripped. I didn't mean to."
Ji Ying looked panicked and grabbed the white towel with ice crystals from the waiter's tray.
"I'll clean it for you!"
"Don't touch it with your dirty hands..."
Before Shen Aizhu could stop it, the icy cold towel was already pressed firmly against the metal necklace that had just been soaked in hot wine.
Instantly, she was shivering from the cold.
Ji Ying knows this metal material very well.
By utilizing the intense thermal expansion and contraction to generate destructive stress inside the necklace, the most delicate clasps and adhesive joints instantly disintegrate.
The huge moonstone shattered and fell off its base, along with some broken diamonds, crashing to the ground with a "crash," beyond repair.
Shen Aizhu was stunned.
Madam Shen rushed forward, saw the necklace shattered on the ground, and turned to stare at Ji Ying.
At the same time, Liang Yizhi arrived and stepped in front of Ji Ying, blocking her sharp gaze.
"The gemstone isn't broken; we can make a new one."
“Yizhi,” Madam Shen said, barely suppressing her surging anger, “do you understand the significance of this necklace? It’s not an ordinary piece of jewelry!”
Ji Ying slowly walked out from behind Liang Yizhi, her gaze calmly meeting that of Madam Shen.
“Since it’s so valuable, it shouldn’t be worn out so easily to show off. Besides, the so-called ‘meaning’ that you can just give away casually… probably doesn’t have any real sentiment in it, it’s very cheap.”
Madam Shen looked at Ji Ying, and an indescribable emotion welled up inside her.
If it were anyone else, she would have slapped them across the face.
But she couldn't bring herself to do it to Ji Ying.
Snap!
This slap, delivered in an act of emotional catharsis, ultimately landed on Shen Aizhu's face.
"Mom!" Shen Aizhu covered her face and screamed in disbelief, "She broke the necklace, why did you hit me?"
Madam Shen was panting and did not answer her question immediately.
Ji Ying took over the conversation lightly, her words as if laced with poison.
"You haven't practiced enough, which is why you don't recognize your place, disgracing the Shen family and showing off your intelligence in front of outsiders. Before you want something, think about whether you deserve it. If you insist on coveting what isn't yours, that's just overestimating yourself and inviting humiliation!"
Perhaps it was because she was too imposing at that moment, but Shen Aizhu was so angry that she trembled all over, yet she couldn't utter a single curse.
But Ji Ying had no intention of letting her off the hook.
She turned to face all the guests, her voice clear and pleasant.
"Just now, Miss Shen had some reservations about the rented dress I was wearing. She's right, tonight is Mrs. Pang's charity gala, and I really shouldn't be wearing a rented gift, but this is because..."
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