No reconciliation, no forgiveness! Mr. Pei leaves with nothing.

Jiang Hua only knew that the five great families would be here today, but she didn't know that there was also an unknown lady who would make these young men from these families so respectful.

Seeing that Jiang Hua hadn't gotten up, Shen Bao'er stood for a second, then immediately sat down, straightened her posture, and sat obediently next to Jiang Hua.

Bai He, dressed in a dark green haute couture cheongsam, glanced at Jiang Hua sitting in her seat, then at Xia He beside her. Noticing the displeasure in her expression, she wanted to step in and smooth things over, but Xia He's sharp voice rang out.

"As a daughter of a prominent family, don't you even know the most basic manners?"

"That's how your father taught you!"

Xia He suddenly thought of something, and then lowered her tone a bit, saying, "Fine, I'll only allow you this once today. I'll hire a better etiquette teacher for you later to teach you the rules."

Jiang Hua sat in her seat, leisurely peeling an orange in her hand, her gaze not on her, her whole being exuding arrogance and disdain for anyone else. "Is this lady speaking to me?"

"Someone who even hides her identity, how come... this lady is someone you can't be seen in public?"

Xia He: "How dare you talk to me like that? Do you know who I am?!"

Jiang Hua: "Do I need to know who you are?"

"I don't even respect Huo Tingshan, so what are you!"

Actually, when she came, Jiang Hua had already guessed that Xia He's identity was enough to make the five great families give her some face. Currently, besides the Huo family, who are rumored to want to return from abroad, Jiang Hua also thought of other people.

The expressions of those around them changed drastically. Huo Tingshan and Jiang Qingcheng's past had caused quite a stir in the older generation. If it weren't for the ban imposed in the capital that forbade mentioning it, it would probably be common knowledge by now.

"The capital city here is no longer the same capital city that had the Huo family back then. If I had known you were coming, I wouldn't have wasted this time coming here."

"That's so boring."

"Who made you angry again?" Pei Zhan's voice came from behind. Just as Jiang Hua was about to turn around, his hand appeared on her waist. The man's voice was low and soft as he whispered in her ear, "I heard there's a blue dragon worth millions tonight. Don't you want to stay and have a taste?"

Bao'er overheard this and her eyes lit up. She stood up and whispered, "Huahua, I haven't eaten either. Why don't you stay and keep me company? My brother hasn't come yet. It'll be boring for me to be alone if you leave."

As Jiang Hua was trying to come up with an excuse to stay, Pei Zhan immediately understood her thoughts. Bai He noticed the look directed at her and stepped forward, smiling as she took Jiang Hua's hand. "I specifically called your father about tonight's family dinner. You have to come."

"I just want to thank you and Pei Zhan for helping my daughter and Wen Qian in France."

"I specially made a few extra dishes for you today, to suit your taste. Sit down and try them, just to keep me company and have a chat."

Madam Bai's unusual behavior made Jiang Hua more wary. Ever since she recognized Song Qingran as her goddaughter, Jiang Hua had rarely visited the Bai family. There had been several invitations to gatherings before, but Jiang Hua had declined them all, and their relationship had gradually cooled down. But now... Jiang Hua didn't know if it was just her imagination, but she felt that it was directed at her, but something was wrong.

"Alright, everyone, please sit down. It's rare for you all to sit down and have a meal together in such a peaceful manner, so please do me a favor."

Jiang Hua stayed, but changed to a more secluded seat, trying to avoid seeing him.

Pei Zhan, sensing the awkward atmosphere, immediately rushed over.

Jiang Hua: "That's really strange."

Pei Zhan: "What's wrong?"

Jiang Hua rested her chin on her hand, the necklace on her wrist cascading down naturally, complementing her makeup and hairstyle today, giving her an exquisite and stunning beauty. "Such a big occasion, and Song Qingran didn't even show up. I thought today's event was to pave the way for her goddaughter."

This question was like a bomb, and Pei Zhan didn't dare to answer it easily in front of her.

The man pursed his thin lips. "How do you want me to answer you?"

"What else could I say but the truth?"

As she spoke, Jiang Hua exclaimed, "Ah! I forgot, you never tell the truth."

“I know.” Bao’er, who was sitting next to Jiang Hua, leaned closer and whispered, “That idiot Song Qingran came to the Bai family to ask Aunt Bai for a loan in order to help pay off that compensation.”

"She's really shameless. I would never lend her that money. That's 230 million. That's two years' worth of allowance. I only have that much money if my grandma secretly slips it to me. That's probably why Aunt Bai doesn't like her anymore."

Jiang Hua: "Bao'er, how did you know?"

Shen Bao'er: "I only heard about it, and I don't know if it's true, but... since that annoying Song Qingran didn't show up at the banquet today, it seems to be true."

To keep the conversation flowing, Bai He chatted casually with the female companions of the various aristocratic families during the banquet. When the topic of jewelry came up, Bai He would occasionally mention Jiang Hua, but Jiang Hua remained indifferent, offering only a few words before falling silent.

Jiang Hua was ultimately not used to banquets like this; there were just too many people.

She made an excuse to go to the restroom. When she came out, she looked in the mirror, but Pei Zhan was waiting outside the door. She asked, "You country bumpkin, what time is it?"

"Only half an hour has passed."

"Only half an hour?"

"Let's go back, I can't stand staying here any longer."

Pei Zhan didn't ask for further explanation, "Hmm."

"Actually, the taste of that blue dragon is just so-so, don't you think?"

Jiang Hua washed her hands, and Pei Zhan took out a blue handkerchief embroidered with bellflowers from his pocket and wiped her hands. "Yes, Madam is right. If you don't like it, you don't have to force yourself."

After wiping it clean, it was thrown into the trash can next to it.

Upon seeing this, Jiang Hua raised an eyebrow. If he wasn't mistaken, this handkerchief was also from the Qianhua Century luxury brand. A limited edition handkerchief would cost over 200,000 yuan.

She looked at him amusedly, "When did you become so self-important?!"

"Huh?" He didn't quite understand.

"You country bumpkin, do you even know? You just threw away 200,000 yuan." Jiang Hua looked at him with amusement. She thought Pei Zhan didn't know the price of this brand, so he threw it away so casually. After all, Pei Zhan's background was different from hers. He usually ate leftovers and was very frugal. If he knew the value of this handkerchief, he would be heartbroken.

Little did Jiang Hua know, she didn't see the expression she wanted to see; her eyes were fixed on him with great interest.

Pei Zhan calmly replied, "I know."

"Now, thanks to Mrs. Pei, I'm living a life of luxury. Chairman Jiang is now the richest man in the capital, and I recently got a raise. My status is also very different from before. I have to make some changes to be worthy of Mrs. Pei's status."

"What do you think?"

Jiang Hua laughed out loud, looking at him with no belittling or contempt, just a genuine smile from the bottom of her heart, "You... are getting better and better at talking."

Pei Zhan's lips curved slightly into a smile, his deep black eyes reflecting her every smile and gesture—so captivating, so mesmerizing, that it was impossible to look away. He reached out his hand to her, "Go home?"

"Let's go." Jiang Hua gently placed her hand on his.

As the two were quietly leaving, they ran into Shen Yebai and Shen Bulu, who had arrived late. Shen Bulu couldn't help but tease them, "Hey, buddy, you look pretty good today. Are you leaving?"

"Won't you stay a while longer?"

"You're leaving already? How boring!" Shen Bulu said, reaching out to put his hand on Jiang Hua's shoulder. At the same time, both of them looked at him with dangerous eyes. Before he could even lower his hand, his hand was grabbed and pulled away with a silent struggle.

"The suit fits perfectly, thank you."

Jiang Hua also saw that the suit he was wearing today was the one he bought for her. Even the cuffs on his sleeves were a gift from her. The suit shop she chose was expensive because their styles were never the same, and each one was unique in the world.

As he spoke, Shen Yebai took out an exquisite jewelry box from his pocket and handed it to her, saying, "A return gift."

"What is it?" Jiang Hua was never polite to him when it came to receiving gifts, and she never expected to receive a gift from him. So... does that mean he doesn't mind what happened last time?

"Open it and take a look." Shen Yebai's voice was gentle and warm as he looked at her with a smile.

This scene, as seen by Pei Zhan, was like a thorn, and in a place unseen by Jiang Hua, it had already ignited a cloud of gunpowder...

"Of course, the gift has to be opened at home to be a surprise. Well... I won't bother you any longer. Pei Zhan and I will head back now."

Shen Yebai: "Okay, be careful on the road."

Jiang Hua played with Pei Zhan's arm and left. Zuo Xiangnan slowly stopped the car. When they got in, Pei Zhan was surprisingly silent. Jiang Hua opened the black square velvet box and saw a pair of gorgeous diamond earrings inside. The style was quite nice.

Pei Zhan: "Drive."

Just those two words sent a whiff of tension through Zuo Xiangnan. Glancing in the rearview mirror, he saw only a pair of cold, piercing eyes.

"Angry?"

Jiang Hua asked, but he didn't answer. So she simply ignored him. On the way back, the two of them seemed to be sulking, and neither of them paid any attention to the other.

When they returned to Yulong Bay, Jiang Weiguo had just come back from a walk. "You're back so soon?"

"Well, I'm back."

"Aunt Xu, is there any more food?"

"I'm hungry."

Xu Qiulan immediately replied, "There are still some wontons that Young Master Shen just brought in the refrigerator, is that alright, Miss?"

Jiang Hua: "Okay."

"Do you want to eat?" she asked Pei Zhan beside her.

As soon as he finished speaking, Pei Zhan grabbed Jiang Hua's hand and dragged her back to her room.

Xu Qiulan looked at the two people coming upstairs, puzzled. "This... sir, should I cook a bowl for Young Master Pei as well?"

"Keep cooking."

Jiang Hua was led back to the room, and the door was closed in one smooth motion. Jiang Hua looked at him with a light gaze, and when he tried to approach, she stretched out her finger and pressed it against his chest. "What's wrong with you now!"

"You should give me an explanation! You gave him a suit, and he gave you earrings. Is Mrs. Pei treating me like I don't exist?"

Jiang Hua: "It's just a gift. It was given openly and honestly, not secretly. Besides, I don't think it's anything shameful."

"What do you have to be angry about?"

"Friends giving each other suits as gifts? Huahua... isn't that a bit too much?"

Jiang Hua was also afraid that he would keep going on and on. How come she hadn't noticed in her past life that Pei Zhan was so possessive that he would even fuss over a suit? "Okay. If you don't like it, I won't send it to you again."

"Can I skip wearing those earrings too?"

Jiang Hua felt that she had already restrained her temper quite a bit.

Seeing that she was trying to escape, Pei Zhan pulled her back. "Let bygones be bygones, shouldn't Mrs. Pei give me a set too?"

Jiang Hua recalled all the things she had bought for him. Not to mention suits, everything in his life before was personally chosen by her. It was his own fault for not appreciating them.

When she saw Pei Zhan drape that suit jacket over Song Qingran until it got dirty, she said that from now on, she would never give him another gift.

Humans are indeed strange. When they have something, they don't think about cherishing it, but when they lose it, they want it back.

“I’ve helped you choose suits quite a few times before, right? Go and look around again, maybe you can find one. Besides, you already have a lot of clothes. If I buy too many, you won’t be able to wear them all. The one you’re wearing now is just fine.”

Jiang Hua has made her point quite clearly.

It would be pointless for Pei Zhan to continue arguing about this.

Feeling the hand around her waist loosen slightly, Jiang Hua pulled it off and sat down at the dressing table to remove her makeup. "Everyone is the same; things that are too easily obtained are not cherished."

"This will teach you a lesson, since you... didn't take it seriously at first."

"Just like you said, if you do something wrong, you should be punished."

"So... your punishment now is that you won't receive the gift I gave you."

"I want it, but it depends on my mood."

...

In the study, Pei Zhan rubbed his forehead in frustration. He received the surveillance footage that Zuo Xiangnan had retrieved in the shortest possible time. Fortunately, the surveillance footage from the garden was backed up, just in case.

On the phone, Zuo Xiangnan said, "The fire that the young lady set in the garden was for your clothes."

"The rest...it seems there's nothing left, even the photos have been destroyed."

"Even if we wanted to find it, it would probably have been burned to ashes by now."

If Pei Zhan didn't care about this punishment, it wouldn't be a punishment at all to him. It was just a suit, which he could have anytime he wanted.

But ironically, he cared about…

If you care, it will become a lock that punishes him.

Downstairs at the dining table, Jiang Hua was eating wontons while playing with her phone in her other hand.

Jiang Weiguo suddenly spoke up: "Huahua... have you ever thought about what you would do if Pei Zhan left you one day?"

The person who had just come downstairs slowed down and stopped...