Chapter 52: Mr. Chen

“That jadeite bracelet was just bought for me by Young Master Zhu yesterday. It cost half a million,” Haiqin stood up, her gaze fixed squarely on Chen Yuyi.

Zhu Shaohui nearly lost his breath when he heard this. Since when had he ever bought this woman a bracelet? Was she trying to pin this on that person? His vision went black; he almost fainted. How could she be so foolish? Even if she wanted to do this, why drag him into it? He cursed his own blindness—how could he have gotten involved with such a woman?

Haiqin’s words immediately drew all eyes to Chen Yuyi, suspicion flickering in every gaze.

Zhu Shaohui’s body began to tremble. He couldn’t bear to look at Haiqin even once more. He didn’t have the courage to reveal that Chen Yuyi was the Venerated Chen, nor the nerve to stop this woman’s stupidity. All he could do now was draw a clear line between himself and her; for the moment, he was quietly putting distance between them.

“Miss Hai, please clarify your meaning,” Jin Junmin said, seizing on the first real lead of the night. His heart leaped with joy, though he put on an air of impartiality.

“I couldn’t bear to wear my bracelet, so I kept it in my bag the whole time. But now it’s gone,” Haiqin said, opening her handbag for all to see.

Sure enough, there was no bracelet. Once again, all eyes turned to Chen Yuyi.

Bai Lang seemed on the verge of standing up, but Chen Yuyi spoke up first. “Are you accusing me of stealing it?”

Bai Lang had to swallow back his words and restrain himself. He was somewhat angry, but helpless—shaking his head at the stupidity of the crowd.

“I didn’t say you stole it, but it’s missing. So, would you mind letting us check?” Haiqin’s voice was soft and alluring, beguiling enough that several people nodded in agreement.

Chen Yuyi gave her a faint glance. There was an aura about this woman not unlike that of Ye Mei—she was clearly not an ordinary person. Coupled with her seductive bearing, she truly resembled Ye Mei in more ways than one. Could there be some connection between them?

He chuckled softly at the thought, though it was just a fleeting curiosity—he didn’t dwell on it.

When Haiqin saw him smile at her for no reason, she felt a sudden, inexplicable unease. Still, she dismissed it; what threat could an ordinary man possibly pose to her?

“Will you let us check?” she pressed.

“Yes, will you let everyone take a look?” Jin Junmin eagerly echoed. He wasn’t sure if they would actually find the bracelet on Chen Yuyi, but even if they didn’t, humiliating him would be victory enough.

Xiang Xuerou thought this crowd was laughable. Even someone like Young Master Yan had been forced to pay out a billion by this man—she was truly curious to see how Brother Yu would deal with these self-important heirs.

Facing their suspicious stares, Chen Yuyi merely spread his hands. “Is this the best you can do?”

Zhu Shaohui’s heart gave a jolt. Did he mean…?

Bai Lang also looked at the others with a cold, mocking smile, as if regarding a group of fools.

“What do you mean, is this the best we can do?” Jin Junmin snapped. Even now, the young man was still so at ease—did he truly not care about any of them?

“What if I refuse?” Chen Yuyi’s expression suddenly turned cold.

In an instant, the room was seized by an inexplicable chill, and everyone froze.

Only Bai Lang and Zhu Shaohui understood the source of that coldness, unable to suppress their own shivers.

Haiqin’s face turned pale as well. The power in his presence made her wary.

Jin Junmin recovered after a brief daze, glaring fiercely at Chen Yuyi. He refused to believe that his brief moment of fear had anything to do with this man. Even if it did, he considered it an embarrassment, and hated Chen Yuyi all the more for it.

“It’s not up to you now. Please cooperate!” Though he used the word “please,” his tone was anything but polite.

Tension rippled through the room.

Chen Yuyi glanced at him indifferently. “You’re not qualified.”

Jin Junmin’s face twitched violently. He had never been so insulted; no one had ever dared act this arrogant before him. He could hardly control himself and, forgetting all pretense, rushed toward Chen Yuyi in a fury.

Several people quickly pulled him back. After all, everyone present was a person of status.

“Why not do this: since the incident happened at Dragon Pool Manor, let’s have the staff here handle it,” someone suggested. After all, no one had been caught red-handed, and it wasn’t possible to forcibly search someone. Besides, they’d all been intimidated by Chen Yuyi’s aura and were now eager to extricate themselves—none of them had lost anything, after all.

The suggestion was quickly embraced by all.

Jin Junmin regained his composure, surprised by his own loss of control. After straightening his clothes and regaining his poise, he glanced at Haiqin, seeking her opinion.

For some reason, Haiqin felt a pang of regret. She shouldn’t have been so hasty. Zhu Shaohui seemed terrified of that man—once she stood up, he had edged far away from her. What was going on? Had she misunderstood?

But now she had no way to back down. Besides, she had confidence in her own abilities. Planting evidence without anyone noticing was no challenge. So she nodded. “Very well. We’ll see what certain someone has to say then.”

At once, someone went to fetch Sister Yun.

Chen Yuyi merely smiled. If they wanted to keep playing, he didn’t mind indulging them a little longer.

At that moment, Sister Yun was at another table, drinking and chatting with a group of guests—all renowned tycoons from the Jiangzhong region. Naturally, she was treating them with great courtesy.

A staff member came over to inform her about the situation in Jin Junmin’s private room.

Sister Yun raised her eyebrows slightly. “They really do know how to stir up trouble. Can’t they see I’m entertaining these guests? Just send someone to handle it.”

“What’s the matter, Boss Yun?” a middle-aged tycoon asked.

“Oh, it’s nothing. Just a few young masters from Jiangcheng making a fuss. Apparently, someone among them tried to steal something.”

“Oh, really? Well, you go take care of it. We don’t need you to wait on us personally,” the tycoon replied.

“It’s nothing. I’ve already sent someone. I’d rather hear more from you gentlemen about that incident at the underground exchange. And tell me, has Venerated Chen really vanished?” Sister Yun smiled, raising her glass to the tycoon.

“Boss Yun, that name is taboo. Even if you meet him in person, never call him ‘Venerated Chen’—he doesn’t like it. It’s fine to use it in private, but never to his face!” The tycoon, who had witnessed the events at the exchange, offered this advice out of genuine fear of Chen.

“What should I call him if I do meet him?” Sister Yun batted her eyes, her curiosity piqued by the near-mythical figure.

All the wealthy men looked at the tycoon, eager to know as well.

“Mr. Chen,” the tycoon replied solemnly.

“I wonder if we’ll ever be lucky enough to see Mr. Chen, even from afar. Brother Lu is truly fortunate,” one tycoon sighed.

“Indeed, even a distant glimpse would suffice. If one of our people accidentally offended Mr. Chen, I’d hate to end up like Zhang Kangcheng.”

“Haha, so we’re all thinking the same thing. For someone like Mr. Chen, even the richest are nothing in his eyes. We mustn’t look down on anyone in the future,” said the Lu family tycoon, who had changed after that incident. He had once looked down on everyone, thinking money made him superior.

“Excuse me, gentlemen, I need to step out. I can’t hold my drink like I used to.” The Lu family tycoon stood, excused himself, and headed for the restroom.

The others laughed and urged him to hurry back and continue drinking.

The Lu family tycoon left the room smiling, and after his trip to the restroom, as he passed by a doorway, he suddenly heard a voice that was deeply imprinted in his memory…