Qiao An bought the pair of rings without blinking an eye, despite their hefty price tag of over a hundred thousand. His companion, Chen Ke, was a bit surprised, but what followed was a hint of sweetness and anticipation. She looked at the butterfly earrings and matching pendant in the pink velvet box, adorned with ribbons and flowers, exuding a romantic and luxurious charm.
After trying them on, she looked in the mirror and found them truly beautiful. They complemented her pink coat for the day, giving her a delicate and dreamlike feeling like a fairy tale, making her reluctant to take them off.
The jewelry store staff also praised them endlessly, persuading her to make the purchase. Chen Ke was tempted, looking at the price tag of only two thousand eight hundred for the earrings and a slightly more expensive four thousand for the pendant. It was within her budget, but she hoped that her date, Qiao An, would make a gesture.
After all, they had followed the proper procedures in front of their parents, officially started dating, and were even considering marriage in the future. If Qiao An truly liked her, he would surely understand her hints. These days, she consistently visited Qiao’s home, always bringing a pile of gifts to please his parents, playing the role of a dutiful girlfriend. Therefore, she hoped that, as a token of appreciation for her efforts, Qiao An would also buy her a gift to make her happy.
If Chen Ke hadn’t witnessed Qiao An confidently paying for the expensive ring earlier, she wouldn’t have these expectations and thoughts. However, seeing Qiao An generously buying a pair of rings with a price tag of over a hundred thousand, she couldn’t help but feel a bit moved.
Moreover, compared to the rings, the earrings and pendant weren’t that expensive…
She looked at Qiao An with a shy expression, and the jewelry store staff also looked at Qiao An expectantly, saying, “Sir, could you take a look? These two pieces of jewelry seem perfect for this young lady. Her skin is fair, and this lively pink suits her very well. The young lady likes them a lot. Sir, what do you think?” Having worked as a store employee for a long time, she knew that young men and women who came to jewelry stores were usually couples getting married or in a relationship. It was quite normal for the man to buy gifts for the woman.
Qiao An, holding the packaged ring box, glanced at them indifferently and said, “They suit her well.” That was all, and he showed no intention of paying for the jewelry on behalf of his companion.
Chen Ke felt a bit disappointed. She reluctantly took off the pendant, awkwardly placing the jewelry back in its original position. After being rejected by Qiao An, she didn’t want to buy them anymore. She said to the store employee, “Thank you for your help.” With that, she began to pick up her handbag again, intending to walk around Qiao An. However, he stepped aside before she could, leaving her arm hanging in the air. She froze for a moment.
Qiao An didn’t notice this detail as both his eyes were focused on the screen of his phone. He was texting Zhou Jinheng, informing him that he had bought a gift for him.
So, he didn’t see Miss Chen, who suddenly stopped and asked the store employee, “What size were the rings that the gentleman bought just now?”
Because it happened recently, the employee promptly replied, “One was size 18, and the other was size 20.” Both sizes were for men.
Different sizes? But Qiao An didn’t seem like someone who would wear two rings on one hand. Chen Ke, looking at the man with a refined and clear temperament who was engrossed in editing his message, appeared thoughtful, with a faint suspicion in her heart. She hoped it wasn’t just her being overly sensitive.
Qiao An, striding ahead, remained unaware that his companion had grown suspicious. He continued with his routine attitude. Both he and Miss Chen were of the same age. Chen Ke, eager to get married, sought a relationship with marriage as the goal. Naturally, she could be a bit clingy in their daily life and even a bit controlling, which made Qiao An even more impatient. He really wanted to break up with her. However, he knew that if Chen Ke were gone, his parents would introduce him to others like Wang Ke or Liu Ke1Not actual names, basically his parents would find another Chen Ke.
To avoid becoming a fluttering butterfly in the blind date market, Qiao An had to compromise. While he casually entertained his companion, using her to appease his parents, he started making arrangements to meet Zhou Jinheng.
As for actual work, he hadn’t done a thing.
In the company, he had formed a clique with a few returnees who had spent several years abroad. With a shared background and common topics, lacking impressive talents and qualifications on their resumes, they liked to gather and praise each other. Their conversations revolved around topics like “Broadway musicals,” “reliefs on theater architecture,” and “the Eiffel Tower and fountains in Paris, France.” To avoid being outdone and appearing mediocre, the returnees exaggerated their experiences more and more.
“I’ve had conversations with several international music maestros along the Rhine River. Their insights into musical art are truly beyond the reach of ordinary people, astonishing to the point of being deafening.”
“I went to Iceland to see the Northern Lights. The scenery that everyone praises isn’t that impressive. The canyon and geysers are nothing special. I’d rather enjoy the sea breeze and indulge in sunlight spa in Sicily. Ah, you can’t find such good sunlight back in China.”
“Since you’ve been to Iceland, you must have visited Thingvellir National Park, right? The glacial natural lake there is absolutely fantastic. Following that cable down, you can even see drifting ice blocks. The lake bottom is truly unfathomable. Unfortunately, the guide didn’t let me go down; otherwise, I could have made some good money.”
“Yes, yes, I remember that.”
As they continued boasting, these returnees began to believe their own stories. They felt that they had shaken hands with international maestros, attended fashion weeks in Paris and Milan, witnessed the Northern Lights in Iceland, and their lives were colorful and diverse. Their footprints spanned Europe, Asia, and Africa. While their tales seemed like random chatter, there was an element of showing off, especially when they deliberately spoke in front of Yin Minglu.
Within the company, everyone knew the backgrounds of these returnees before they went abroad, including Qiao An. Each one of them came from humble beginnings, either their families sacrificed everything to send them overseas or, like Qiao An, they were sponsored by kind-hearted individuals. How could they afford to travel around freely? Unfortunately, after going abroad and witnessing the advanced prosperity there, they felt humble and insignificant. Consequently, they started refining themselves, trying to present a more polished image. Despite lacking significant accomplishments, their skill in boasting was top-notch. They completely forgot their original intention of going abroad to showcase their talents.
Yin Minglu couldn’t be bothered with them. He stayed in his position, flipping through magazines, and occasionally took out his sketchbook to draw. Thanks to his outstanding drawing skills developed over several worlds, he could quickly translate the images in his mind onto paper, adding variations that made it seem like an art textbook for aspiring artists.
However, in the eyes of the several returnees, this senior colleague fell short. They believed that true designers should immerse themselves in their work for hours on end, as quality takes time. Unlike Yin Minglu, who would change his paper in less than fifteen minutes, accumulating a stack of drawings quickly.
They couldn’t help but wonder how many discarded drafts were hidden within that stack. Did someone with intern-level skills dare to teach them? It was truly laughable!
“Hey, with our outstanding qualifications and overseas backgrounds, even if the headquarters isn’t doing well, they shouldn’t send a newbie to teach us. I bet he’s not even proficient in the basics, just buried in his drawings all day. If this continues, I might have to protest to the higher-ups.” One returnee sneered a few times, sitting in a chair, casually swinging their legs and looking at the young man with disdain and annoyance.
“It’s obviously a case of the right person in the wrong position. Without solid skills, he’s taking on delicate work. It’s a waste of our time. I really want to get started and take on some projects. Following an intern with this skill level and no connections is really bad luck.” Another person chimed in. If it were someone else, knowing they couldn’t teach, they might at least introduce them to a few clients to make up for it.
The young man remained unfazed, completely unresponsive to their comments. The returnees naturally concluded that “the young man lacks the ability even to attract clients,” and their mockery intensified.
Qiao An was no exception; he joined the clique of other returnees, specifically targeting the young man. As the young man was the target of Zhou Jinheng’s affections, Qiao An often pretended to be acquainted with the young man, speaking in a “friend’s” tone, while actually prying into the young man’s personal life. For example, he would claim that the young man could bring them along because the boss favored him or insinuate that the young man was financially supported by a wealthy friend who bought him houses and cars. Mixing truths with falsehoods, Qiao An successfully convinced several returnees, creating a biased view against the young man.
So, when the young man assigned tasks to them, they would respond with sarcasm and half-hearted efforts. Today was no different. As the young man handed out assignments, they huddled together, chatting idly.
Lou Wang, who was on a call with an American client, noticed the group chatting while the young man remained quietly flipping through a book. It was evident that this group was up to something underhanded, deliberately excluding the young man.
He furrowed his brow and said coldly, “What are you doing? Slacking off?”
Caught red-handed, one of the returnees forced a smile and said, “Mr. Lou, we’re not slacking off; we’re just sharing our insights with each other.” Faced with the boss’s imposing demeanor that seemed capable of firing someone on the spot, he straightened up and tried to explain away their actions.
Qiao An nodded in agreement, and the group gave consistent statements, claiming they weren’t slacking off. Qiao An even cast a meaningful glance at the young man, saying, “We are exchanging insights and experiences, but the senior has been reading magazines during work hours.”
It was insinuating that while they were not slacking off, the young man was openly avoiding work by reading magazines.
“That’s right.” The group nodded vigorously, their faces showing their true colors of backstabbing.
Suddenly hearing himself mentioned by these people, the young man raised his head in surprise. It seemed he hadn’t expected his new colleagues to betray him so openly in front of the boss, putting on a show of disloyalty. The young man’s eyes sparkled with a mixture of shock and mockery.
Lou Wang also found this scene ironic. With a subtle tightening of his lips, he could see that the young man was often “bullied” in this way but had never complained to him.
In response to this, he sneered, walked forward, picked up the magazine, and threw it into the hands of those people. “Open your eyes and take a good look. Check who’s the designer credited in that magazine. How dare you accuse others of slacking off?”
The rebuke left the returnees bewildered. They quickly picked up the magazine, attempting to defend themselves by saying, “Isn’t this a showcase of the new designs by the designer ‘m’? We’ve all seen it.” This emerging designer had recently gained considerable popularity, and his name resounded in the industry. Naturally, they were aware of him.
However, as they glimpsed the designer interview on the last page of the magazine, their pupils suddenly contracted. That discreet designer introduced himself with his real name outside the industry – Yin Minglu. He was the same intern they had ridiculed for days for supposedly having no talent. Moreover, they unknowingly offended him.
Deep shock painted their faces with a spectrum of colors, making them look incredibly vivid. Qiao An even clenched the ring in his pocket, his expression turning grim. He wished he could immediately call his friend to retrieve the ring intended for Zhou Jinheng.
At this moment, the young intern stood up, lowering his head to tidy up his brushes and papers. Calmly locking eyes with the group, he thought it was finally time for him to showcase his own abilities. Taking a deep breath, he stated, “I’ve never been to Broadway to watch a musical, I’ve never seen the Northern Lights in Iceland, and I haven’t sunbathed in Sicily.” In reality, he had been to all those places. When these people were boasting in front of him, he heard all the flaws and loopholes but chose to let them pass, considering their dignity. Little did he know that these individuals would become even more audacious, trying to undermine him and take his place. Yin Minglu decided it was time to put an end to their arrogance.
“But during the summer break, I went to the mountains for practical experience. I know there, at night, they light kerosene lamps; the mountain roads are rugged, and some villages even share a well among over ten households. People there would get into a fight over a sip of water for an extra sweet potato in the field. It’s incredibly challenging for someone from there to make it to college. Once they do, they become the village’s golden phoenix, the precious egg. It’s a source of pride for the whole family. Some of these people even went abroad. Their families sacrificed a lot to send them there, thinking they’d have a bright future. Unfortunately, after a few years abroad, they got lost in the glamour, forgot their roots, spent their time boasting, and completely neglected their responsibilities. They’ve become arrogant and forgot the promises they made to their families before going abroad. Instead of sharing valuable experiences, their priority is chatting in groups, bragging about themselves, and even blaming fate for their misfortunes. The company hasn’t arranged a good mentor for them, but what they need most isn’t just learning experiences—it’s the realization that they should be grounded, focused, and true to their roots. It’s disappointing to see them waste their opportunities.”
“I think, if their families knew, they would probably be disappointed to the point of tears.” The young man sighed, revealing the strong background that this group of people had been hiding. Shaking his head, he said, “For these people, forgive my inability. My skills are limited, and I can’t teach them.”
The few individuals hung their heads, their faces flushed with intense shame.
Author’s note: Thank you to the little angels who voted for me or provided nourishment~
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