Quan Jiu looked provocatively at Weng Yin, her voice soft and sweet, "A Rong, I want the grilled fish you made for me, the Sichuan peppercorn flavor."
"Okay, I'll make it for you when we get back," Chu Rong said, looking at Quan Jiu with doting affection, and fed her another spoonful of fruit salad.
Quan Jiu leaned lazily against Chu Rong's shoulder, smiling at Weng Yin, and suddenly said, "Forget it, I don't want grilled fish anymore. I want seafood in broth, with small lobsters, scallops, conch, octopus tentacles, and all sorts of shrimp."
Chu Rong's slender fingers gently tapped the tip of Quan Jiu's nose. "Okay, I'll make whatever you want."
Quan Jiu twitched her nose and affectionately rubbed against Chu Rong's shoulder, like a pampered Ragdoll cat.
Weng Yin's eyes were almost bleeding with hatred. Nothing was more torturous than seeing the person she liked dote on another woman. At that moment, she was so choked up that her breathing hurt.
"Ah..." Weng Yin couldn't take it anymore. She grabbed anything within reach and threw it to the ground, yelling as she threw, "Bitch, a bitch who seduces men! I don't envy you, what are you? Worthy of my envy? I don't envy you at all. So many men are lining up for me, I don't care."
She smashed the cups on the table, then her bag, and when that didn't suffice, she smashed her phone. She was acting like a madwoman, attracting quite a crowd.
"Isn't that Weng Yin? What's wrong with her?"
"I don't know, she looks like she's gone mad."
"She must be so embarrassed today, wearing a fake necklace and accusing the real owner, only to be exposed."
"This mother and daughter duo are utterly disgraced today. And the Yun family, oh, I saw that video, tsk tsk... that Yun family daughter probably won't dare to go out for a long time."
"Don't just talk about her, their whole family probably can't show their faces in public."
The crowd buzzed with gossip. After her outburst, Weng Yin looked at the strange glances around her and wished she could disappear into the ground.
She had never felt so humiliated and useless in her life.
"Get lost! What are you looking at? Blinded by your dog eyes." In her rage, she could only force a calm demeanor and direct her anger at the onlookers.
The onlookers, insulted, became displeased. Someone stepped forward and sneered, "Madwoman, look at yourself. You've disgraced the entire Weng family."
Chu Rong, his face grim, shielded Quan Jiu and called security.
"Resting area B, there's a disturbance."
Security arrived quickly. Upon seeing the mess, they immediately pushed and yelled at Weng Yin, escorting her away.
The crowd was still scolding. Some even blamed security, "People like her shouldn't be allowed in. They're ruining the fashion week."
Security had no words, only demanding Weng Yin leave the venue.
Weng Yin, driven away, had her dignity shattered. She started to throw a tantrum, "Do you know who I am? I'm the daughter of the Weng family. My father is Weng Zhongming, and my grandfather is Weng Yangfeng. Why are you kicking me out? The one who should be kicked out is that bitch, that pretentious bitch."
"Yinyin." Li Wei finally found her daughter, only to see her disheveled and being escorted like a prisoner by several security guards.
Enraged, she rushed forward and yelled, "Take your pig trotters off! What are you doing?"
Weng Yin cried in anger, "Mom, these people are crazy! They're kicking me out. Call Grandpa and have him deal with them."
Li Wei's expression faltered. The anger that had just subsided flared up again. She quickly pulled her daughter, "Let's go back quickly. Your father wants a divorce from me."
"What?" Weng Yin couldn't believe it.
"We'll talk when we get back." Li Wei knew that lingering would only lead to more embarrassment. She grabbed Weng Yin and hurried away.
The small commotion ended.
Security left, and the onlookers dispersed. Quan Jiu lifted her head from Chu Rong's shoulder, her expression returning to normal.
Chu Rong nonchalantly scooped a spoonful of yogurt and offered it to Quan Jiu's mouth again.
Quan Jiu glared at him, annoyed, but took the fruit salad and started eating it herself.
Chu Rong didn't insist. He took out a bank card from his wallet and put it into Quan Jiu's handbag. "The password is your birthday. Buy whatever you like. I'll cook when I get back."
Quan Jiu instinctively said, "I was just teasing her. I'll eat something simple for lunch, you don't need to go to the trouble."
Chu Rong smiled, "I'm happy to." Without giving Quan Jiu a chance to refuse, he got up and left.
Quan Jiu's words were stuck in her throat, neither here nor there. Finally, she could only sigh.
After finishing the fruit salad, Quan Jiu called Yuan Zijun.
"Mom, did you reach the airport? Have you seen Dad?"
Yuan Zijun, panting on the phone, cursed, "That brat, he went to great lengths to keep me and his father apart. I thank him for it. When I get back, I'll have your father write a will, leaving the inheritance to you and the two children, not a penny to him. That brat, he's making me so angry, I haven't had enough time with my grandchildren."
Quan Jiu was torn between laughter and tears. "Mom, don't say such unlucky things. You and Dad will surely live to be a hundred. Don't worry about Grandpa, I'll leave Mimi and Tutu with him to keep him company."
Yuan Zijun blew a kiss over the phone, "Good daughter, when Mom and Dad come back, we'll bring you delicious food."
Quan Jiu felt warm inside. She obediently agreed, reminded them to be careful, and then hung up.
...
Leaving the resting area, Quan Jiu went to the temporary office of the Embroidery Bureau. Although she had an entry ticket, Bai Jing had invited her in a personal capacity, so she had to say hello.
"Excuse me, where is Teacher Bai Jing?" she asked an employee.
The employee, seeing her stunning beauty, didn't ask many questions and led the way.
Quan Jiu followed to an office area. The door was not closed.
After the employee gestured, he turned and left.
As Quan Jiu was about to knock, she heard an argument inside.
"Since you know her, then you should contact her. To be frank, given the status of the elder Wang, her works could be considered national property. That piece should not have been considered private property in the first place.
Moreover, private collections, apart from gathering dust at home, have no value. Works that were once priceless become worthless."
Quan Jiu's eyebrows slightly raised. She didn't rush in but stood at the doorway to listen.
She heard Bai Jing retort, "That's unreasonable. The item belongs to someone else, I can't say anything about confiscation. I don't have the face to ask, nor the ability to persuade."
"You should put pressure on her. Our Embroidery Bureau is large, and the director back then was a close friend of the elder Wang. It's not too much to ask for a piece of work from us."
After that, two others nodded in agreement. One of them added, "The elder Wang's works have great learning value. Anyone with public spirit wouldn't want to hoard it. If she's selfish and unwilling to hand it over, then we don't need to be polite."
"Yes, this landscape embroidery must stay with the Embroidery Bureau."
The three spoke one after another.
Bai Jing was speechless and didn't want to talk. She simply said with a stern face, "This matter is not to be discussed again."
Quan Jiu knocked on the door at the opportune moment, smiling, "What are you arguing about? I could hear it from a distance."