Chapter 5: The Master’s Radiance

The store manager couldn’t help but reach for a tissue to wipe the sweat on his forehead. He had been managing the Qiu Sheng Jewelry store for over a decade and had seen quite a few celebrities in Mo City. He had also experienced various situations, but a person like Su Ziceng... The last time she came, Su Ziceng was only sixteen years old, dressed in flashy clothes that made her look a decade older than her actual age. Those who come to "Qiu Sheng Jewelry" are either buyers or those seeking maintenance and appraisal of jewelry. Since the Su family doesn’t operate a jewelry business, that was why Su Ziceng had come knocking. As soon as she entered, she threw a glass stone made to mimic a diamond ring in front of the chief appraiser of Fei Sheng. The appraiser didn’t even use professional tools to definitively state, "It’s fake." Little did he know, upon hearing this, the young lady’s pretty face fell, and she slammed the glass countertop loudly, "Are you blind? I paid five hundred thousand for this, and you dare say it’s fake. Look again." The chief appraiser’s face showed an insulted expression, which the store manager still remembers clearly to this moment. The appraiser repeated, "It's fake," and perhaps out of provocation or something else, he stressed, "Not even worth five yuan. Even the ring’s body is just plated with scrap metal and junk." "Three hundred thousand." Who knew the dame would throw the ring again? "I wore it for two days, so I’ll give you a discount and sell it to you. It’s normal for something worn by Su Ziceng to go up by one hundred or eighty thousand. I won’t quibble over the difference; consider it a gift from me." In the end, it was the store manager who told Su Qingzhang to take her and the ring back, which finally calmed the "fake goods storm." When she pushed the door open this time, Su Ziceng still felt slightly uncomfortable. Ever since her failed cosmetic surgery, she seldom left the house and spent her days drinking, and the shiny gold lights in the store brought back memories of the flashlights at the auction, her complexion turning pale again. Customers are always right, so the store manager finally managed to put on a smile. Today, Su Ziceng wore a simple T-shirt and denim shorts, revealing her long, straight legs. She had rushed out, so her hairstyle was simple—a tied ponytail. She looked less arrogant and aggressive than last time, quite approachable; if it weren’t for the signature mole by her mouth, one might not even recognize her. Upon greeting, the mole by Su Ziceng’s right mouth vividly tucked into her dimple, her cheeks showing no sign of discomfort or stiffness. She adjusted her gaze and saw the silhouette in the oval trial mirror. "Miss Su," the store manager asked warmly, "What are you here for today?" "I want one of your jewelry store’s masters to appraise this ring." She lovingly took off the "Red Love" from her finger. The store manager clearly heard himself swallow, hesitantly saying, "The chief appraiser is really busy today, you see; perhaps you could try another shop." Su Ziceng’s smile faded as her eyebrows involuntarily furrowed, her nostrils suspiciously flaring, indicating her quick and fiery temper. She also picked up on the store manager’s clear evasion. The security guard outside was also ready for action, about to curse, but the swear word got stuck in his mouth. Su Ziceng’s eyes widened; covering her mouth was... a red ribbon. It was no longer bright red but had turned into a youthful rose-red color; those ribbon strips, thin like cut seaweed, not only covered her mouth but also stopped her from rushing forward. Inside the jewelry store, it was dead silent; all the clerks were staring at Su Ziceng, who had suddenly stopped moving. Her mouth was open, a mole like a butterfly paused at the side of her face, and her eyelashes fluttered innocently. Did no one notice the ribbon wrapped around her mouth and feet? Su Ziceng smelled a sweet fragrance, the air-conditioning in the jewelry store blowing cold air; between warmth and coolness, she felt her anger gradually being soothed. That butterfly disappeared into a small dimple. "Just find any appraiser then; I just want to know some information about this ring." The color diamond yellow diamond necklace appeared on the market seventeen years later, auctioned by an anonymous seller at Subi Auction House, and looking it up now was rather difficult. Looking at the ring in Su Ziceng’s hand, although the design was somewhat dated, the manager quickly recognized that this ring was definitely not a counterfeit; eventually, he called out the chief appraiser. It was indeed the chief appraiser of the Fei family. Although he had some grievances with Su Ziceng, after seeing the "Red Love," he immediately let go of his grudges, first breathed on the diamond, and as the white mist instantly disappeared under the red light, he then brought out a full set of assorted appraisal magnifiers. "Mussen’s Blessing," the appraiser muttered, "rainbow luster, no wear, top-notch cut—this is the genuine 'Red Love,' Miss Su. Congratulations, this ring is worth..." "I’m not selling it, thank you." Su Ziceng paid no mind to the appraiser’s flattery. "Please, what is Mussen’s Blessing?" The chief appraiser, a highly priced international expert hired by Qiu Sheng Jewelry, aside from a somewhat cold personality, also had a high reputation internationally, being the Fei Family’s living logo in the jewelry business for many years. The manager seldom saw him so excited. The appraiser carefully set down the ring, his eyes clearly reluctant to part with it. "There are many famous jewelry masters internationally, but no one like Mussen, who personally participated in everything from mining to cutting to designing," said the appraiser, sighing. He had studied jewelry appraisal for many years and was fortunate to see a Mussen creation once in his late years, thinking it was the last one, but unexpectedly encountered another one today; his life was now fulfilled. Everyone who had seen Mussen’s creations was attracted by their unique designs and perfect craftsmanship. "Mussen was a European noble; he once owned the world’s largest diamond mine. Decades ago, in his mine was discovered the world’s largest batch of colored diamond raw stones, said to contain all seven colors of the rainbow, known as God’s Light. Mussen personally crafted the first and his last batch of creations as a gift to his bride, Mrs. Yenati Yenati from the East." The appraiser led Hu Ya into a separate appraisal room; with two steaming cups of coffee in front of them, Su Ziceng quietly listened, watching the unusual gleam in the appraiser’s eyes. Just as he was about to continue, the manager came in again. "Sir, there’s a guest outside who needs your personal attention." Outside Qiu Sheng Jewelry, a lemon yellow Ferrari, the latest limited edition, was parked, and on the seat rested a bunch of pink roses.