C7 It Blew up

She had chased after this man for so long, only to find out he was interested in someone she considered a vixen. Just because of this so-called expert-certified fake, she was determined to make that woman cry and beg for mercy today, or she’d change her last name.

"That was a gift from Monarch Jiaxi to his favorite consort. How could it not be worth the money?"

Lee Jiayi was taken aback by her response. If that were true, then a million dollars wasn’t too steep a price.

Legend had it that everything Monarch Jiaxi gave to his consort was crafted by masters and made from the finest materials. Some of these treasures were even considered national treasures in the capital museum.

Chiang Ci was also momentarily stunned. No wonder it looked familiar earlier; it did resemble the one Monarch Jiaxi had given her. Unfortunately, it was just a resemblance!

After all, the real one had long been used to intimidate the wives of the officials, grinding the pearls into powder to apply on her face, and the chain had been melted into vapor in molten iron. There was no way it could appear here.

“No big deal, I’ll pay for her!” Lee Jiayi’s words only fueled Ding Lirong’s anger.

She looked Chiang Ci up and down with disdain. “Who would’ve thought, at such a young age, you could charm a man into spending so much on you. Your future is limitless!”

Chiang Ci finally understood the girl’s gaze. It turned out she resented her for stealing her love.

She shook her head with a knowing smile, gently patting Lee Jiayi's arm to have him step aside. Her face was adorned with a sweet, soft smile, making her seem like the epitome of a gentle, easygoing girl.

"First, let me clarify, I didn't break this. It was already broken when I picked it up. You just happened to see me holding it. If you don't believe me, check the security footage."

Chiang Ci paused, glancing at Lirong before continuing, "Secondly, Miss Ding, it's one thing to carry around a fake for your own amusement, but trying to scam money with it is just embarrassing."

Her soft voice sent ripples through the crowd.

"Fake? That can't be right. The Ding family isn't some small-time operation."

"Well, you never know. When was the last time anything from the Jiaxi era was auctioned here? They've all been secretly collected long ago."

The murmurs around her made Lirong uneasy. She bit her lip, a slight sheen of sweat forming on her nose, and her expression stiffened for a moment. But she quickly regained her composure. There's no way anyone could tell if this was real or fake. The forger was top-notch in that circle, having fooled countless experts. This young girl must be talking nonsense to avoid paying up.

"How old are you, really? You think you can just glance at something for a few seconds and declare it's a fake? Aren't you afraid of embarrassing yourself?" Lirong tried to stay calm, her voice full of confidence and her eyes mocking as she loudly retorted to Ci.

"This was bought by my father at the Jieli Auction House. Surely you've heard of Jieli! How could they possibly have fakes?"

"Breaking someone else's belongings and then spreading malicious rumors without even apologizing—what kind of upbringing leads to such a spiteful attitude at such a young age?"

Every social circle has those who love to stir the pot, and sure enough, someone chimed in: "Talking nonsense without considering the setting. The Ding family doesn't need to scam you for money."

"Young lady, just admit your mistake and move on. Jieli would never sell fakes."

"Some people just weren't raised right. Pretending to be an expert without knowing the place."