After the divorce, my ex-husband's cousin tricked me into getting a marriage certificate.

Meanwhile, Xu Qing returned to their rented villa and told Lin Mengchuan what he had seen and heard. He laughed heartily as he said, "That lady and her husband mistook us for a couple. It was hilarious!"

Lin Mengchuan looked at Xu Qing with a dark expression: "Do you think this is funny?"

Xu Qing: "That's funny, don't you think it's funny? Do we look like a couple?"

Lin Mengchuan subtly distanced himself from Xu Qing, thinking that he should stay away from her in the future, as he didn't want to be misunderstood.

Xu Qing insisted on getting closer, "Brother Chuan, where are you going?"

Lin Mengchuan looked repulsed. "I'm going back to the company. Don't follow me. Stay here and help me find Qiao Ran."

Xu Qing: "Oh, when are you coming back?"

Lin Mengchuan felt awkward hearing this. "Xu Qing, do you even care what time I get off work and go home?"

Xu Qing realized what was happening and said, "Hehe, Brother Chuan, I was just asking casually."

Lin Mengchuan rolled his eyes at Xu Qing and quickly walked away.

The thought of him and Xu Qing being mistaken for a couple gave him goosebumps; it felt utterly absurd.

Lin Mengchuan returned to his office and saw his mother, Shen Qingzhu, sitting inside with a sour face.

"Mom, why are you here?"

Shen Qingzhu said irritably, "If I hadn't come, you probably would have squandered all our family's money. Lin Mengchuan, let me ask you, why did you spend five million to bid on a necklace at a fashion magazine's gala?"

Where is that necklace now?

Lin Mengchuan looked at Shen Qingzhu: "How did you know about this?"

Shen Qingzhu scoffed, "Lin Mengchuan, this is Beijing. Most of the wealthy ladies attending the charity gala know me well. With your generosity, it's hard not to attract attention."

Lin Mengchuan hadn't thought of these things. "I lost the necklace."

"What did you say?" Shen Qingzhu exclaimed in shock. "You lost the necklace? Five million, you just threw it away like that? Are you crazy?"

Lin Mengchuan plopped down. "I took a picture of it because I wanted to give it to Qiao Ran, but she wouldn't accept it, so I threw it away."

"Why is it Qiao Ran again?" Shen Qingzhu's anger flared even more. "You're already divorced, why are you still going to provoke that woman? Did you spend five million to buy that necklace just to please her?"

Lin Mengchuan retorted irritably, "So what if it is? That five million was money I earned myself, why are you interfering with that?"

Shen Qingzhu: "I'm your mother, and I have the right to inquire about your money. Where did you lose the necklace? You're coming with me to the police station now to find it for me."

Lin Mengchuan: "Mom, I threw it away myself. Do you think they'd even listen to us if we went to the police?"

Shen Qingzhu paused, "Where did you leave it?"

Lin Mengchuan: "It's the room where you go to pick up the necklace, the organizer's temporary office, in the trash can."

Shen Qingzhu knew her son wouldn't cooperate, so she called her sister and got the phone number of the organizer's staff, then immediately called to inquire.

The other party had a deep impression of Lin Mengchuan losing his necklace and replied to Shen Qingzhu that the necklace was picked up by the woman who came with Lin Mengchuan, but he did not know the woman's name.

Shen Qingzhu hung up the phone and asked Lin Mengchuan, "The staff said the necklace was picked up by the woman who went with you. Was it Qiao Ran?"

Lin Mengchuan was taken aback for a moment, "It was Lin Fei, Qiao Ran left first."

Shen Qingzhu breathed a sigh of relief. With Lin Fei in her hands, things would be much easier. "Call Lin Fei and tell her to bring the necklace over immediately. I'll wait for her here. I have to get that necklace today."

Lin Mengchuan didn't understand. "Mom, it's just a necklace. She picked it up and that's it. Why do you insist on taking that necklace?"

Shen Qingzhu pinched Lin Mengchuan's arm hard in anger, "That was a photo you took at the charity gala, it's very meaningful, you know? I'm taking it back, so I can wear it when I attend events in the future and let my sisters see it."

"I'll tell them then that this necklace was chosen for me."

Having no other option, Lin Mengchuan had to call Lin Fei.

Lin Fei sat on the bed, admiring the necklace with obvious delight.

Her phone suddenly rang. Seeing it was Lin Mengchuan, she quickly swiped to answer, "Mengchuan, you were looking for me?"

Lin Mengchuan paused for a moment on the other end of the phone, then said, "Lin Fei, bring that necklace to Zhuohai Group. I'll be waiting for you in my office."

Lin Fei pretended not to know: "What necklace? I don't know what you're talking about."

Lin Mengchuan's voice turned cold, "Lin Fei, stop pretending. I spent five million to buy that necklace, and I threw it in the trash can in a fit of pique. The staff said you picked it up, so give it back to me right now!"

Lin Fei had no choice but to admit it. "Oh, I understand. I'll change my clothes and go."

Half an hour later, Lin Fei arrived at Lin Mengchuan's office with the necklace and was somewhat surprised to see Shen Qingzhu there as well.

She greeted her politely, "Auntie."

Shen Qingzhu glanced at Lin Fei's slightly protruding belly and said coldly, "Thank you for making the trip. But really, you picked up something so important, why didn't you contact me and bring it to my house?"

"That's the necklace Meng Chuan bought for me, where is it?"

Lin Fei didn't understand. This was clearly taken by Lin Mengchuan for Qiao Ran, so how did it suddenly become taken for Shen Qingzhu?

However, she still obediently took the box out of her bag and handed it to Shen Qingzhu.

Shen Qingzhu opened the box and showed it to Lin Mengchuan: "Look, is this the one?"

Lin Mengchuan glanced at it and said, "It seems so."

Shen Qingzhu rolled her eyes at her son. "What do you mean 'seems like'? But it doesn't matter, I'll take it to a jewelry appraisal center to have someone take a look."

Lin Fei was very unhappy to hear this, feeling that Shen Qingzhu was humiliating her. "Auntie, don't worry, I have no ability to fake it. I picked this out of the trash can. Many staff members saw it."

Shen Qingzhu kept a straight face. "Did I say you faked it? Meng Chuan spent five million to buy this necklace. I definitely have to take it to an appraisal center to be appraised, otherwise I won't even know I've been ripped off."

Lin Mengchuan said impatiently, "Alright, Mom, you've got the necklace. Can you two leave now? Do I still have to go to work?"

Shen Qingzhu glanced at Lin Fei, closed the necklace box, put it in her bag, and warned her son, "Whether it's your own money or the family's money, if you spend this much money in the future, tell the family first."

"So that people won't think our family is a bunch of suckers, with money to burn, spending millions at a time."

Lin Fei knew that Shen Qingzhu was saying this to her, and her hand unconsciously clenched.

Shen Qingzhu took two steps, then turned around and scolded Lin Fei, "What are you still standing there for? Didn't you hear Meng Chuan say not to disturb his work? You really have no sense at all."

Lin Fei bit her lip and glanced at Lin Mengchuan, whose face was cold and indifferent.

She had no choice but to turn around and follow Shen Qingzhu.

As soon as the two left the office, Shen Qingzhu asked abruptly, "Did Meng Chuan take you to the charity gala?"

Lin Fei was about to deny it, but then changed her mind and said, "Yes, Auntie."

Shen Qingzhu asked with suspicion, "Have you two been in contact all this time?"

Lin Fei nodded.

Shen Qingzhu was puzzled, "What exactly is Meng Chuan doing? Didn't he say he wanted to distance himself from you?"

Lin Fei: "I don't know either."

Shen Qingzhu paused for a moment, then said, "He must be worried about his child. In that case, you should go back and take good care of yourself during your pregnancy, and make sure nothing goes wrong, okay?"

Lin Fei: "I know, Auntie. Even if you don't say anything, I will be careful."