At long last, they arrived at the company entrance. Ye Feng hastily dismounted the scooter, straightened his slightly rumpled shirt, and strode toward the building.

  Just then, a brand-new Porsche Panamera pulled up beside the scooter, its engine's roar drawing the attention of nearby onlookers.

  Su Qing stepped out gracefully, a smile on her face, though a flicker of disdain crossed her eyes upon seeing Lin Xue.

  "So, you're Mrs. Ye," Su Qing chuckled softly, the watch on her wrist gleaming under the sunlight. "I came by to deliver a gift to Feng and thought you might like to see it." She raised her wrist elegantly, showcasing a Patek Philippe Celestial watch. "This is the latest model, limited to just ten pieces worldwide. It took quite an effort to acquire one." Her tone was laced with pride, her gaze challenging as she looked at Lin Xue.

  That wedding three years ago had caused quite a stir in Jiangcheng. Everyone knew that Ye Feng, the heir to the Ye Group, had married an ordinary woman with no background. There was no grand ceremony, no luxurious gown—Lin Xue had become Mrs. Ye in the simplest of ways. For the past three years, she had silently endured the ridicule and skepticism from the outside world.

  Lin Xue glanced at the watch but said nothing. She was no stranger to luxury; once, she had been the cherished daughter of the Lin family, surrounded by countless jewels and limited-edition items.

  But Su Qing wasn't finished. "Mrs. Ye, your wrist looks rather bare. Perhaps I could recommend a few pieces for you. Though, you might need to save up for quite a while to afford them." Her words dripped with sarcasm, drawing curious glances from the surrounding crowd.

  With that, Su Qing retrieved a beautifully packaged watch from her bag and handed it to Ye Feng. "Feng, this is for you. It may not match mine, but it's still worth a million." Her eyes were tender, as if awaiting his praise.

  Ye Feng looked somewhat embarrassed. Suddenly, Lin Xue stepped forward, snatched the watch, and threw it to the ground. "Ye Feng, we don't need gifts from others," she said firmly. "If you like it, I'll buy you a genuine one." Her voice wasn't loud, but it resonated clearly amidst the noise.

  "Lin Xue, you...!" Ye Feng's face darkened instantly. "I can refuse the gift, but your actions were too impulsive." He wasn't upset about the damaged watch but was concerned that this scene might jeopardize his business discussions with Su Qing.

  Su Qing's expression also changed, a cold smile forming on her lips. "Mrs. Ye, it seems you're jealous and trying to cause trouble. But honestly, someone like you could never afford such high-end items." She crossed her arms, looking dismissive.

  The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  Before she could finish, Lin Xue crouched down, picked up the watch, and examined it closely. A subtle smile played on her lips. "Miss Su, this watch is a counterfeit. The real Patek Philippe Celestial has hand-carved star patterns on the dial, each star differing in angle and brightness. Yours clearly shows signs of mass production, and the bracelet's links are poorly crafted, lacking even the basic anti-counterfeit markings." As she spoke, she displayed the watch's details to the onlookers.

  Su Qing's face turned pale. She never expected that the woman she looked down upon could identify the watch as a fake. "You're... you're lying!" Su Qing tried to maintain her composure. "You're just making things up because you can't afford it!" Her voice trembled, a hint of panic in her eyes.

  "Fine, let's have it authenticated," Lin Xue approached Su Qing, her gaze icy. "Or perhaps you already know the truth and just wanted to show off in front of my husband." Her eyes were sharp, piercing through Su Qing's facade.

  Ye Feng looked at Lin Xue, a trace of doubt surfacing in his mind. This wife he had always thought of as ordinary—how did she know so much about luxury items? He opened his mouth to speak but found no words.

  "You..." Su Qing was trembling with anger, but she had nothing to say. She turned, got into her car, and sped away.

  Douhai Corporation, General Manager's Office

  Ye Feng sat in his chair, troubled. Su Qing was from a new media company, backed by the influential Su family of Jiangcheng. His Douhai Corporation was in dire need of a ten-million investment. Su Qing's visit was supposed to alleviate this urgent need, but now...

  He knew he couldn't blame his wife for how things turned out. In hindsight, he shouldn't have let the two women meet.

  Downstairs, a few women in professional attire and high heels approached. They were employees of Ye Feng's company, gossiping about Lin Xue.

  "Hey, isn't that Lin Xue, President Ye's wife?"

  "That's her! I attended their wedding."

  "So embarrassing, riding an electric scooter to bring her husband to work..."

  The women laughed among themselves. One of them stood up, animatedly saying, "You won't believe this. This morning, I heard Lin Xue talking about buying a Patek Philippe for President Ye!"

  "Haha, that's hilarious!"

  "Seriously, look at her shabby appearance, riding a scooter. That watch costs millions—she'd need to work several lifetimes to afford it!"

  As they continued their chatter, one of the women turned around and saw Ye Feng coming downstairs, possibly to see his wife off. In that instant, their faces turned pale.

  "Sorry, President Ye, we'll get back to work..." they mumbled, quickly scurrying back to their desks.

  Ye Feng merely shook his head, a hint of contemplation in his eyes.

  Three years ago, he couldn't understand why his grandfather insisted he marry an unknown woman. She seemed like nothing more than a pretty face. Even more puzzling was his grandfather's dying wish for him to treat Lin Xue well and never wrong her.

  After three years, Ye Feng still couldn't see what made his wife so special in his grandfather's eyes. If not for the family's reputation, he would have divorced her long ago.

  Meanwhile, Lin Xue paid no attention to them. She took out her phone and dialed the steward's number.

  "This is Lin Xue. Terminate all collaborations between the Lin and Su families. Also, send that Patek Philippe to the address I provided."

  Just as she ended the call, her phone chimed with a new message from Ye Feng: "Lin Xue, tonight is the Ye family's annual gala. Go get a dress and accompany me."