I was exposed for adding my female boss to my group of female friends.

When Chen Ya said "your Lu family," Lu Qingxuan felt a slight sting.

Chen Ya had been somewhat evasive and half-truthful with the Lu family before, but today, in a fit of anger, he finally spoke the truth.

He was angry not only at Lin Yumeng's rudeness, but also at the Lu family's attitude towards his aunt and at Chen Sheng.

He had just realized that Gao Jinliang knew nothing about his aunt's wedding, and no one cared about it.

His aunt was so careful about her wedding, one of the few times in her life she could be the star, that he couldn't help but feel sorry for her.

His aunt shouldn't be so humble.

After Chen Ya finished speaking, Lu Qingxuan stared at his face for a long time.

After a long pause, she finally said, "You've never considered yourself a member of the Lu family, have you?"

"Of course, isn't that obvious?"

"So you don't consider yourself part of the family, nor do you consider me a family member, right?"

When Lu Qingxuan got to this point, her mood had changed, and her voice became indifferent, cold and aloof.

“Yes,” Chen Ya said, “I grew up on my own, and I never felt the existence of a family. In this world, I have always been alone. There is no such thing as a family in my life.”

"Okay, I understand." Lu Qingxuan nodded.

She also discovered this.

Lu Qingxuan grew up under the protection of her family and never left her family for a single day.

From the day they were born, the two of them lived in different worlds, like a fish and a bird, completely unable to understand each other.

Of course, this is neither Lu Qingxuan's fault nor Chen Ya's fault.

He's just different from me.

Lu Qingxuan will never know how much suffering he endured while living alone in this world. Chen Ya will also never know what it was like to grow up under the protection of his family.

Just as fish are unaware of the vastness of the sky, and birds are unaware of the depth of the sea.

After a long while, she finally spoke softly:

"You know what? What you just said really hurt me."

"What are you sad about?" Chen Ya asked in surprise.

“I consider you a member of the family,” Lu Qingxuan said.

After he finished speaking, there was a long silence in the car.

"Thank you," Chen Ya said.

……

……

On the other side, Lin Yumeng was so angry that her fingers were trembling after being hung up on.

This is the first time she's been this angry since the beginning of the year.

She gripped Su Yeqing's phone tightly, her knuckles turning white. Su Yeqing was even a little worried that she would crush his phone.

"So what if I don't leave?" Lin Yumeng tried her best to keep her voice steady. "So what if I touch this outfit? It's just a wedding dress, right? I'm not only going to touch it, I'm going to step on it!"

She casually tossed the phone to Su Yeqing, who was standing nearby.

Before Su Yeqing could stop her, Lin Yumeng rushed to the clothes rack and forcefully pushed the wedding dress to the ground.

Then, she stepped directly onto the wedding dress, the sharp heels of her high heels shattering the exquisite but fragile pendants into pieces.

Su Yeqing was stunned.

Everyone thought she was just saying it casually, and no one thought to stop her, let alone dare to.

Who would have thought that this woman would actually dare to step on it!

Lin Yumeng, standing on her wedding dress, said to the dumbfounded Zhu Hongbao:

"Boss Zhu, now that's the case, no one will be competing with me, right? Don't be afraid, I'll buy this dress in full, no matter the price. I won't let your Fireworks Restaurant suffer a single penny of loss."

After saying that, she turned around and waved to her assistant, saying, "Take out your card and pay."

Zhu Hongbao stammered, "But...but...this kind of wedding dress is very difficult to repair..."

Lin Yumeng said, "Why fix it? I want it to be tattered like this. Hmm, it looks really good. Anyway, I don't wear it; I just hang it up at home."

"Get out of the way."

Su Yeqing stood gracefully to the side and suddenly spoke to her in a chilling tone.

Lin Yumeng looked at her: "Boss Su, I've already bought this wedding dress. Whether I walk on it, sit on it, or use it as a mat on the bed is none of your business."

"I told you to get out of my way!"

Su Yeqing pushed Lin Yumeng aside with force, and Lin Yumeng stumbled and almost fell.

"What are you doing!" Lin Yumeng shouted hysterically. "Do you know I almost twisted my ankle? Can you take responsibility for that?"

Zhu Hongbao also shouted loudly to Su Yeqing:

"Su Yeqing, what are you doing? How are you treating our VIP guests? Let me tell you, show some respect, or you won't have a place in this restaurant anymore!"

Su Yeqing silently straightened the clothes and carefully examined them. She found that the clothes had many hidden damages and were in a terrible state.

High-end wedding dresses and formal wear have a limited lifespan; each time they are worn, their lifespan is shortened.

Foreign luxury brands rent dresses to female celebrities for red carpet appearances, charging tens or even hundreds of millions of yuan per day.

That's because those clothes are expensive to make, and their design doesn't take washing into account, so each time they're worn, their lifespan is shortened.

This wedding dress is the same; it's far less durable than ordinary clothes. Just wearing it for a short time at the wedding banquet will cause countless hidden injuries, let alone being stepped on by someone wearing high heels.

Su Yeqing said in a deep voice, "Do you know that this wedding dress is not just a wedding dress, but can be considered an antique, having been passed down for nearly a hundred years?"

Just as Lin Yumeng was about to say something, Su Yeqing added:

"Do you know that Li Qiuyu was a patriotic female writer and her husband Lin Jueming was a revolutionary martyr? On the eve of their wedding, Lin Jueming left behind his last letter, 'A Letter to My Wife,' and went to participate in the uprising. As a result, he sacrificed his life, and their wedding turned into a funeral."

"Li Qiuyu never married Lin Jueming, but she insisted on holding this wedding without a groom, and she wept bitterly at the wedding. Afterwards, she also devoted herself to the revolution."

"The fabric and technology used in this garment are far inferior to those foreign luxury goods, but its historical significance is priceless. By trampling on it like this, do you know that you are desecrating the martyrs and history?"

Su Yeqing was aggressive, but after she finished speaking, Lin Yumeng showed no remorse on her face, instead looking at her coldly:

"Are you finished?"

“Now that you’ve finished talking, it’s my turn to speak,” Lin Yumeng said coldly. “What do I care about how much historical significance it has? What do I care who Li Qiuyu wore it or whether it was worn by me? I bought it because it looks nice. If someone else had worn it, I would complain that it’s secondhand.”

"No matter how much you hype it up, it's still up for sale, isn't it? You keep calling it priceless, but if it were truly priceless, why put it up for sale?"

"Since you've put it up for sale, I'll buy it. The ownership is mine now. Whether I sell it or burn it is none of your business. I have money, I can do whatever I want, what can you do about it?"

After saying that, she pushed Su Yeqing aside: "Get out of the way! Boss Zhu, give us the bill and settle the account!"

Su Yeqing said coldly, "This dress has already been sold to another customer. What you should be doing now is not settling the bill, but negotiating with that customer and getting compensation."

"Tsk," Zhu Hongbao's expression changed, "Su Yeqing, why are you so stubborn?"

……

Seeing that things had escalated, Li Jiayi and Miao Aoxue had already retreated to the side.

That's enough stirring up trouble; now we can just watch the show.

Miao Aoxue whispered in Li Jiayi's ear, "Honey, you're amazing. This way, Lin Yumeng can help us slap Chen Ya in the face without us having to lift a finger. How wonderful!"

Li Jiayi said with a smile, "Yes, and Lin Yumeng's temper is not just about losing face. She is someone the Lu family cannot afford to offend now. Chen Ya will be punished by the Lu family later."

Miao Aoxue turned around in confusion and asked, "Why can't the Lu family afford to offend her? She's just a celebrity."

Li Jia asked, "Do you know who's behind her?"

"Who?"

“Cao Kunguan,” Li Jiayi said slowly.

"Cao Kunguan? Is it that famous director Cao Kunguan?" Miao Aoxue's eyes widened.

This name is known to everyone in China. He was the first Chinese director to win an Academy Award in the United States, and he has global recognition.

Moreover, he was especially wealthy and powerful. It was rumored in Beijing that he owned four or five courtyard houses, and that he grew up with many children from wealthy families, with an astonishingly wide network of connections.

Miao Aoxue said, "Lin Yumeng actually managed to get involved with Cao Kunguan? No wonder she's been so popular lately."

“Right? No one becomes famous for no reason. People online are saying she’s Xu Xiangxiao’s successor. Ha, do you believe that?” Li Jiayi said, “It’s all thanks to Cao Kunguan’s connections that she was made a star.”

"She's...the other woman?"

"Yes, and Cao Kunguan likes her very much. He is very generous to her. She has a villa in Yunshang Tiancheng in the capital, which was bought for her by Cao Kunguan. Seven or eight servants serve only her, just like a princess."

Miao Aoxue felt a little envious; it would be a lie to say she wasn't jealous of living the life of a wealthy woman.

She turned to look at Li Jiayi and whispered, "You won't do the same thing when you're rich, will you?"

Li Jia pretended to be dumbfounded for a moment: "Huh? Me? How could I be? I'm a good man."

"Hehe, I wish it were true."

After saying that, Miao Aoxue nestled her head in his arms and continued watching the show.

……

Holding the wedding dress in her arms, Su Yeqing said to Zhu Hongbao, who was standing to the side, "This is none of your business. Get out of my way and don't interfere with normal business operations."

Zhu Hongbao retorted angrily, "You're the one interfering with normal business operations, aren't you? You just laid hands on our distinguished guests, and I'm definitely going to report that to Mr. Jia!"

Su Yeqing said coldly, "Zhu Hongbao, have you had enough? You never care about the shop's affairs, I'm the one who manages it all. What are you doing here acting all high and mighty? Even if I quit now and hand it over to you, do you know how to run it?"

Zhu Hongbao was speechless for a moment after being choked up. It was rare to see Su Yeqing so fiercely confrontational.

Fearing that Su Yeqing would reveal more about him and embarrass him in front of others, he quickly ran to Lin Yumeng's side and whispered:

"Miss Lin, are you alright?"

Lin Yumeng sat on the ground, supported by her assistant, her hand constantly stroking her ankle, tears welling in her eyes, and she wailed loudly:

"The prestigious Fireworks Tower actually assaulted someone! This is absolutely not over!"

Zhu Hongbao glared at Su Yeqing and said to Lin Yumeng:

"Oh dear, Miss Lin, you don't have work tomorrow, do you? Don't worry, if your work is delayed, someone will definitely pay the price!"

Hinted at by Zhu Hongbao, Lin Yumeng immediately fell for it, willingly becoming the target, and readily agreeing to the offer, crying out:

"Yes! I have to appear on camera tomorrow, on a variety show. I sprained my ankle, how can I appear on camera? I want your Fireworks Building to take full responsibility! Especially that Su Yeqing, I'm going to remove you from your post!"

Zhu Hongbao quickly chimed in, "That's right, Su Yeqing, you're finished! Tell me, how are you going to take responsibility for this?"

Su Yeqing took a deep breath, holding the wedding dress in her arms, and said:

"Go ahead and report it to Mr. Jia. I will take full responsibility for what I should. Anyway, I will not give this dress to this person. She has no idea of ​​the value of these items."

Su Yeqing is a businesswoman, but she is more than just a businesswoman. If she only cared about money, she wouldn't have built the Fireworks Tower to such a high standard.

The value of this building lies in the everyday life it offers, and that everyday life is precisely what is embodied in the stories encapsulated in these objects.

Su Yeqing is first and foremost a person who loves life, and only secondly a businesswoman. She has no intention of giving anything to someone like Lin Yumeng, who has absolutely no sense of social responsibility.

"Hmph, you think you can take responsibility for what you should? Can you even afford it?" Zhu Hongbao's voice was undisguised in its threat. "If Miss Lin tells Director Cao about this, ruins the reputation of the Fireworks Pavilion, and damages her relationship with Director Cao, do you think you can take responsibility?"

Su Yeqing lowered her head and remained silent.

"Hmph!" Zhu Hongbao snorted heavily and said, "You, Su Yeqing, should also know the importance of retiring at the height of your career."

There must be a reason why Zhu Hongbao suddenly came over today and pressed Su Yeqing so aggressively, taking the opportunity to make trouble.

Not long ago, he went to Aomen and played a small game at the casino, winning a small sum of money.

Then he got addicted, and then he was on the verge of bankruptcy.

Now, if he wants to maintain his life and status, being just a part-time owner or a hands-off manager of the fireworks shop is no longer enough.

He must oust Su Yeqing and bring the entire Yanhuolou under his own control in order to prevent his social class from falling.

Otherwise, given his debts, it's not impossible that he might end up begging on the streets tomorrow.

Lin Yumeng was still sitting on the ground, her voice trembling with tears, saying, "And that Chen Ya, isn't he from the Lu family? Doesn't Committee Member Gao's word carry any weight? I'm calling Committee Member Gao right now and letting him see how he manages this Lu family!"

After saying that, she took out her phone and, sobbing, dialed Gao Jinliang's number.