Chapter Twenty-Three: Make You the Center of Attention!

“Yichen, what’s wrong?” Sun Ling and the others also noticed Jiang Yichen’s odd expression and asked curiously.

By this time, Xiao Chen had already returned to his seat.

“You…” Both Sun Ling and Xu Qianran were startled. “How did you make it back? Where are Young Master Zhou and the others?”

Xu Qingran, too, was surprised to see Xiao Chen unharmed.

“I reasoned with Zhou Tian and then sincerely apologized to him. He left after that,” Xiao Chen replied with a smile.

“Reasoned… with him?” Whether it was Sun Ling, the others, or Jiang Yichen, all of them looked at Xiao Chen as if he were an oddity.

That Zhou Tian was clearly someone arrogant and domineering. He had just been threatening violence—could reason have worked on him?

Yet, they truly couldn’t imagine what other method Xiao Chen might’ve used to make Zhou Tian let the matter go. Perhaps it was the sincerity of Xiao Chen’s apology—maybe he even knelt to beg forgiveness… That was all Jiang Yichen and the others could guess.

Secretly, they all thought it was a pity; they hadn’t expected Xiao Chen to escape unscathed.

Xu Qingran, on the other hand, let out a faint sigh of relief, though she still didn’t show Xiao Chen any kindness on her face.

Before long, after the meal, everyone went to the front desk to settle the bill.

“Hello, your total comes to three million and forty-seven thousand. We’ll waive the small change for you—just three million even,” the cashier said politely.

After all, there were only a handful of people in Linzhou who could spend so much on a single meal; the guests before her were certainly distinguished.

Jiang Yichen’s face turned ashen when he heard the amount.

Over three million?

Had it not been for Sun Ling, Xu Qingran, and the others being present, he would have argued fiercely. He hadn’t ordered anything—every dish had been sent out by the restaurant itself. Why should he pay?

But now, with everyone watching—especially Xu Qianran, who gazed at him with admiration—Jiang Yichen could only grit his teeth, swipe his card, and pay the bill before making a hasty exit.

Since he had chosen to play the role of the wealthy young master, he now had no choice but to keep up the act.

“Have a pleasant evening, Mr. Xiao!” As Xiao Chen and the others exited, two rows of attendants at the restaurant entrance bowed respectfully.

“Hmm?” Xu Qingran frowned slightly at these words, then turned to Xiao Chen. “Xiao Chen, were those restaurant staff calling out to you?”

Among their group, the only one with the surname Xiao was Xiao Chen.

What was going on?

In fact, ever since Xiao Chen had gone outside with Zhou Tian and returned unharmed, Xu Qingran had felt that he was hiding something from her.

That was why she asked now.

“You must have heard wrong,” Xiao Chen replied, his heart skipping a beat. “Or maybe they were greeting someone else. There were plenty of people leaving with us just now—perhaps one of them was also surnamed Xiao.”

Sun Ling and Xu Qianran had also heard the attendants, but didn’t connect it to Xiao Chen. They sneered, “It was Yichen who paid the bill for us—who does Xiao Chen think he is?”

Then, with some dissatisfaction, “Honestly, the staff at Tianhai Restaurant are something else. Yichen spent three million on one meal—there can’t be many in all of Linzhou that would spend so lavishly. Now that we’re leaving, they couldn’t even be bothered to say ‘have a pleasant evening.’ It’s really rude.”

Though Sun Ling and the others spoke thus, Xu Qingran still felt that something was off.

But she knew what kind of person Xiao Chen was. How could someone like him receive such respect from the Tianhai Restaurant?

She must be overthinking it.

“Ever since meeting President Xiao of Hongyu Entertainment, I’ve become too sensitive to the surname Xiao,” Xu Qingran mused with a bitter smile. “What am I even thinking? For three years, Xiao Chen’s been a useless layabout—if he’s not loafing around, he’s doing the laundry and cooking.”

“How could he possibly have such capability?”

After that, the group wandered through the city for a while.

At that moment, Xiao Chen’s gaze sharpened slightly. As Xu Qingran passed Linzhou’s Eastern Plaza, she glanced several times at a large poster in the distance.

Xiao Chen’s attention had been fixed on her all along, so he naturally noticed.

He looked at the poster too—it was an advertisement for a jewelry exhibition in Linzhou. The images displayed many rare jewels, the most dazzling of which was a necklace called “Starlit Night.”

The necklace was crafted from seven top-grade gemstones of different colors, sparkling brilliantly and capturing every eye.

Moreover, there was only one such necklace in all of Linzhou.

In fact, there were only nine of them in the entire country.

Its price, however, was staggering—a full hundred million.

So although Xu Qingran was clearly drawn to it, after a few lingering glances, she forced herself to look away.

Their family could still manage a few million, but a hundred million was out of the question.

At home that evening, while Xu Qingran was showering, Xiao Chen picked up his phone and made a call. Once it connected, he simply instructed, “I want the ‘Starlit Night’ necklace from the Linzhou Jewelry Exhibition.”

“When?” The reply was just as succinct—no mention of price, just a single question.

“Tomorrow. Have it delivered directly to the Xu residence, for Xu Qingran,” Xiao Chen said after a moment’s thought.

Tomorrow happened to be Old Madam Xu’s birthday, and the entire Xu family would be gathered.

At past family gatherings, the other Xu girls would always flaunt their designer brands before Xu Qingran and taunt her with biting sarcasm. Though Xu Qingran never complained, Xiao Chen knew she felt aggrieved and envious inside.

She was just a young woman, yet she bore the weight of her entire family’s responsibilities and dared not touch the company’s funds—after all, the whole Xu clan watched her every move, hoping to catch her in the slightest misstep so they could ruin her for good.

Thus, Xu Qingran had little spare money to spend on herself.

“Qingran, this time, I want you to be the most dazzling woman in the room. I want all those who once mocked you to look upon you with envy,” Xiao Chen vowed silently after hanging up.

That night, as usual, Xu Qingran slept in the bed while Xiao Chen took the floor.

The night passed without incident.

The next day, after everyone made themselves presentable, they set off for the Xu residence. No one dared to be careless on the old lady’s big day.

“Xiao Chen, have you prepared a gift for Grandma?” Xu Qingran asked.

Xiao Chen waved a box before her. “Don’t worry, it’s ready. It’s a calligraphy scroll—Grandma will definitely like it.”

Xu Qingran nodded, reassured. She knew the old lady was a connoisseur of art, so Xiao Chen had made a wise choice.