Qiu Mang looked at him in astonishment: "Are you sure you want to buy this for her? This necklace costs 100,000 yuan! Your monthly salary is only 10,000 yuan. Even if you don't eat or drink anything, you'll only have 120,000 yuan a year. How are you going to buy it?"
Ji Lun nodded shyly, "It's nothing, it's nothing. Didn't we go through just as much hardship when we were in college? Her birthday is coming up soon, and I want to give her a surprise."
After Ji Lun finished speaking, he turned and strode into the store. Seeing this, Qiu Mang hurriedly reached out to grab him, but Ji Lun was too fast, and Qiu Mang's hand waved in vain, missing its mark.
"Why are you stopping him?" Lu Yanting frowned slightly and asked in a low voice.
Qiu Mang stamped her feet in frustration, "Didn't you see that price? He's always so stingy when he buys things for himself, comparing prices at three different stores for everything, and he never misses a single coupon. He's dressed head to toe in high-quality counterfeit goods. But look at him, when he picked out a necklace for that girl, he spent 100,000 yuan in one go, without even blinking an eye. That's almost half a year's salary for him!"
Lu Yanting shrugged nonchalantly and retorted, "So what?"
"Did you even hear what I just said? That necklace, he would have to work hard for half a year to afford it!" Qiu Mang widened her eyes and raised her voice to emphasize.
Lu Yanting raised his hand and gently flicked her forehead, saying with a hint of doting affection, "This is ultimately his own business. He's not a child anymore. Adults know their limits and what they're doing."
What, you feel sorry for him? Maybe he's doing it willingly and even enjoying it.
Upon hearing this, Qiu Mang's shoulders slumped. It would be fine if her senior and that girl had a good outcome, but she was worried that her senior would be deceived.
"Alright, stop overthinking!" Lu Yanting's voice grew even deeper and gentler as he looked at her.
As the two were talking, Ji Lun came out carrying a delicate bag.
After wandering around for a while, Ji Lun raised his wrist to check the time, scratched his head, and said with a hint of apology, "I moved a while ago and now I live a little further away, so I have to go ahead."
"Huh? You moved? Why so suddenly? Didn't you say before that your place was pretty good, close to the company, and convenient for commuting?" Qiu Mang asked, frowning.
Ji Lun's gaze unconsciously fell on the bag in his hand, and the corners of his mouth turned up slightly. "I want to create better living conditions for Jingjing, so I'll have to work harder in the future!"
"So where have you moved to now?" Qiu Mang continued to inquire.
Ji Lun waved his hand nonchalantly and replied indifferently, "It doesn't really matter where I live. I spend most of my days working and only go back to sleep at night. For me, as long as I have a bed to rest in, that's fine."
Qiu Mang understood his thoughts. Since it was his own decision, it wasn't appropriate for others to interfere too much. A bitter smile appeared on her lips, and she sighed softly, "What you said makes sense."
Several people accompanied Ji Lun to the bus stop, watched him board the bus, and then turned around and walked back.
In the darkness, Xu Jingyan stood there quietly, her gaze fixed on Lu Yanting and Qiu Mang standing together. In an instant, she was consumed by jealousy, and a raging fire seemed to burn in her heart, which she could not suppress.
She went through a lot of trouble to move into Shuiyue Huating, and even chose to live across from Lu Yanting, hoping that she could take advantage of this proximity to win Lu Yanting's favor first.
But who could have predicted that ever since Lu Yanting returned from his business trip abroad, the lights in Shuiyue Huating's home had never been turned on again. Every time she stepped into Lu Yanting's house, she was greeted only by a deathly silence and darkness. She even mistakenly thought that Lu Yanting was still abroad.
Only now did she realize with a start that he had already quietly moved in with Qiu Mang.
"Qiu Mang, you just wait!"
Xu Jingyan whispered, her fingers tightly curled together, the tips of her fingers gradually turning white from the force.
When Qiu Mang returned home, her phone pinged. It was a message from Xu Jingyan, inviting her to go shopping together the next day.
Qiu Mang glanced subconsciously at Qiu Li beside her, her fingers tapping lightly on the screen as she replied: 【Sorry, Ms. Xu, tomorrow is the weekend, I have to take care of my child. How about we meet again another time?】
A moment later, Xu Jingyan's message popped up again, this time with a smiling emoji and the text: "[It's okay, I love kids! Bring your child out to play!]"
The child is a bit shy around strangers, and I'm worried they might throw a tantrum. Ms. Xu, perhaps we could reschedule for another day?
Xu Jingyan replied again, 【No, Qiu Li and I have met before, haven't we? The little girl seems to like me quite a bit! It's okay, bring her along too!】
Qiu Mang had a strange feeling. After all, she and Xu Jingyan were not really familiar with each other. However, the repeated invitations from Xu Jingyan made her feel that it would be inappropriate to refuse them all. After much deliberation, she finally agreed.
The next day, the sunlight gently shone through the thin clouds, and the two met in a high-end shopping mall.
On a spring day, a gentle breeze blows through the streets. A young girl neatly ties her hair into a high ponytail, her clean-cut face radiating youthful energy.
Qiu Mang wore a simple white t-shirt, casually tucked into light blue jeans, with a slightly pilling blue knit cardigan over it, and a backpack slung across her back. From a distance, she looked like a female college student who had just finished class, radiating simple and vibrant energy.
Xu Jingyan walked over gracefully in high heels. Even from a distance, when she saw Qiu Mang and Qiu Li, she slowly took off the sunglasses that covered half of her face, and smiled slightly, saying softly, "You're here so early?"
"It's convenient since I live nearby, so I came over early," Qiu Mang replied with a smile.
Xu Jingyan wore a long, beige-gray coat made of soft, high-quality fabric. Underneath the coat was a white dress with a flowing hem that swayed gently as she moved, resembling a blooming white cloud. The fabric itself was clearly of considerable value.
The elegant and understated colors made her look like a noble lady who had stepped out of a painting. Every gesture she made exuded gentleness and nobility, and she had the air of a wealthy heiress.
The two stood facing each other, the warm spring sun shining on them, outlining their distinctly different profiles: one youthful, one mature; one pure, one elegant.
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