In this generation, J town was not like the modernized city it would become 20 years later.
There were still some traditional buildings in the old town, and they went by a few antique stores before arriving at an old-fashioned jewelry store.
Ye Qiao walked towards the jade section once she arrived at the store. She remembered that Madam Du loved jade the most in her previous life, but she could not afford it yet!
"Hey, are you thinking of buying a jade for her? Don't spoil her!" Lu Beixiao walked towards Ye Qiao and pulled her away.
Was he really her son!? Ye Qiao was speechless.
This girl was really afraid of meeting her mother-in-law. Perhaps she was traumatized when Madam Du brought Gu Xueyan to visit his grandparents. It was all Madam Du's fault!
Meanwhile, Lu Beixiao was found frustrated again.
"Then, why did you bring me here?" Ye Qiao was confused.
Lu Beixiao brought her to the wooden stairs and went all the way up to the third floor.
"Leader Lu is here!" A man in a traditional gown stood up and welcomed them with a smile.
Lu Beixiao greeted him and went in with Ye Qiao.
Ye Qiao was immediately amazed by the pieces of jewelry in the room. The work was extremely intricate.
An old jewelry maker in a white short-sleeved t-shirt was sitting next to a working desk with his reading glasses. He was adding some enhancements to the item in his hand.
"Mr. Xu is a former royalty jewelry maker!" Lu Beixiao introduced him to Ye Qiao.
Another expert! But why did he bring her here?
Mr. Xu opened a safe, took out a ruby ring, and placed it in front of them. Lu Beixiao took it and smiled with satisfaction. Then, he grabbed Ye Qiao's left hand and put the ring on her middle finger.
The blood-red ruby was three carats - not small but not too big either. It was embedded in an intricate platinum ring. The ring was both extravagant and elegant.
Ye Qiao's fingers were slender and fair, matching with the ruby ring perfectly.
He held her fingers in his big hand and admired it endlessly. "Babe, doesn't this ruby look like the cinnabar nevus on your chest? I bought the raw stone and asked Mr. Xu to enhance it for our engagement ring! Do you like it?"
Ye Qiao took her hand back and looked at the engagement ring on her middle finger. It took her a while to realize that three carats represented infinite lifetimes of love, unbounded by time and space.
Moreover, the ruby really did look like the nevus on her chest. It was as though they were fated to be together!
Her eyes turned red in an instant as she said, "I like it! How thoughtful of you!"
Lu Beixiao smiled. "When we get married, I'll get you a diamond ring!"
His words moved her and reminded her of their previous lives. He loved her so much but had never expressed it in front of her, so she thought he did not love her and had misunderstood him.
She loved how they interacted in this lifetime in stark contrast - saying everything on their mind without any misunderstandings. It was just pure, passionate love! Ye Qiao hugged his neck and wanted to kiss him, but she realized that Mr. Xu was still present. She quickly let go of him and blushed as she accidentally publicly showed off their love for each other again!
***
On the first floor of the Cui Gong Hotel, Madam Du was drinking tea in the hall next to the floor-to-ceiling windows. She was waiting for Ye Qiao and Lu Beixiao as well as Comrade Lu.
Comrade Lu said that it would be more appropriate to wait for their daughter-in-law in the hall for their first meeting, so Madam Du did not say anything.
"Lu Zhensheng, who is the boss in our family? How much did you hide from me about this? He didn't even go on any special mission! He went to train with Ye Qiao! He is a Special Operations officer!" Madam Du spoke in a slightly lower volume, and Comrade Lu smiled apologetically. To the others, it looked like they were chatting happily.
"It's our son's business. Of course, in such matters, he is the boss! Beixiao suffered for one whole year. Isn't it normal to give him a break? Men want to date too!" Comrade Lu laughed.
"Lu Zhensheng! Don't try to laugh it off; you knew it from the beginning, right?! And there I was trying to matchmake him with Yanzi!" Du Yin was angry.
"That's all your fault. You arranged it without asking Xiao! As his mother, don't you know him well enough?"
"Hey! Lu Zhensheng, you've gotten braver! How dare you tease me!?" Madam Du said angrily.
Comrade Lu quickly apologized, and his bodyguards laughed silently.
"Wifey, isn't that your useless brother!? Did you invite him?" Comrade Lu said in despise when he saw Du Jun.
"Lu Zhensheng, don't look down on my brother! Junjun's net worth is increasing rapidly! Our land is now being turned into an international business center. The renovation is almost done! The surrounding land has benefited too. I took a look when I went to N town! He was lucky to be advised by some expert. Even his dying hotel attracted investments after some renovation!" Du Yin said quickly. She was not lying. In fact, she had just returned from N town.
"But this rascal would not tell us who the expert is!" Du Yin spoke again.
"Lu Zhensheng, look! The people standing next to Du Jun is Chairman Jiang and his wife. They are Du Jun's partners!" Du Yin said and tidied up her appearance. She wanted to greet them as she was very close to Mrs. Jiang.
Suddenly, she saw her brother pull over a slim, pretty girl.. They were talking to Chairman Jiang and his wife.