Chapter 28: Mirror Tables

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Lu Jiaxin was also very fond of jade, showing little interest in diamonds and gold, which led her friends to label her as quite the eccentric. Due to her passion, she had collected quite a number of fine jades, the most valuable of which were a Hetian jade bracelet and a Mutton-fat white jade bracelet. As for imperial green, she had only seen it in her wealthy friends' collections. She never thought that she could now possess a bracelet made of imperial green and a necklace with one hundred and eight beads.

Su Heming saw her smile as brilliantly as a blooming flower and asked, puzzled, "Do you really like these ornaments made of stones?"

Calling them stone-made ornaments! That was just too lacking in appreciation. But judging by his attire, it was apparent that the guy didn't have much of an aesthetic sense. Jiaxin generously forgave his shallowness.

Laughing, Jiaxin said, "I love them. When I have more money, I'll collect even more."

She had a substantial allowance for university and even took part-time jobs; whenever she had money, she would buy various jade ornaments. Later, when jade became popular, the value of the pieces she collected increased significantly.

Seeing her genuine affection for the jade, Su Heming said with a smile, "A friend previously chalked up a big debt with me and ended up not having the money to pay it back because his goods were stolen. He paid off the debt with a set of stone ornaments claimed to be inherited from ancestors. Out of consideration for our past relationship, I accepted them. Since you like these stones, I'll give them to you as a gift for our meeting."

Jiaxin tactfully refused, saying it was not right to accept rewards without merit. Mainly because they were barely acquainted and this was only their second meeting, she couldn't accept such valuable gifts from someone else.

Su Heming generously said, "Don't be coy about it; if I'm giving it to you, just take it."

Seeing that Jiaxin still refused, he added, "My aunt was already in poor health before giving birth to Dusty, she nearly lost her life. Lucky to survive, she can't have more children. Since your mother saved Dusty, it's as if she saved my aunt's life. A set of jade ornaments really isn't much in return."

After finishing, he also mentioned, "My girlfriend prefers gold jewelry and doesn't like these stones, or I wouldn't have anything to give you."

Although Jiaxin liked jade, she didn't like complications: "If your girlfriend changes her mind and wants them, knowing that you've given them to me, she might come to me with troubles."

It could lead to misunderstandings, and clearing up romantic scandals is the most troublesome.

Su Heming waved his hand, explaining that he and the girlfriend had broken up more than a month ago and they were no longer involved: "If you consider me a friend and are willing to associate with me, then accept it. If you don't see me as a friend, then pretend I never mentioned it."

Jiaxin thought he seemed a bit showy but appeared loyal; a person like that was worth getting to know: "Then I'll take it without reserve."

Su Heming urged her to keep the gifts safe before preparing to leave.

Jiaxin called after him, "The current security crackdown is very intense, so you and your boys better lay low. If something really happens, even if Madam Xie can save you, you'll still suffer a heavy loss."

She was someone who disliked trouble, but Su Heming had been so generous, she felt she had to warn him out of conscience. Of course, if he didn't heed the warning after that, it was none of her business.

Su Heming was initially startled, then asked with confusion, "Where did you get the information from?"

Jiaxin looked at him like he was a fool. This kind of information wasn't to be shared! She decided it was necessary to investigate the Su family's background, wondering how he could be so oblivious to the current situation.

Su Heming instantly understood and thanked her with a gesture: "Thanks a lot, little sister."

He needed to ask his aunt later if things were really as this girl claimed. If it was true, well, then he truly needed to lay low.

"Little sister," what an odd form of address! Jiaxin was too worn out to complain. She pointed at Su Heming's wrist and said, "Do you know why they say 'keep a low profile and prosper'? It's because the leading bird gets shot first. When you're envied and resented by too many, death isn't far away."

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"I'm not sure about the market price, but this gold watch of yours would demand seventy to eighty thousand. Nowadays in the Forty-nine City, the average worker's salary is just seventy to eighty, and you're wearing such an expensive watch..."

She left the rest unsaid, letting Su Heming think it over for himself. Sometimes, people won't listen no matter how much you say; they only exercise restraint when they realize the gravity of the situation themselves.

Su Heming burst into hearty laughter and said, "Do I look stupid? How could I wear a Rolex gold watch worth more than one hundred thousand? Little sister, this is fake, a gift from a friend, just for fun."

Lu Jiaxin looked at the watch with suspicion: "Fake? Take it off and let me take a look."

Her rich friend's partner was a demolition relocator with a monthly rental income of five to six hundred thousand. That flashy guy deliberately bought a Rolex gold watch to wear. And indeed, he became the center of attention wherever he went.

Su Heming took off the watch and handed it to her: "If you like it, I'll give it to you."

Lu Jiaxin examined the watch closely. Rolex watches have a unique pattern design, and their anti-counterfeiting features include patented technology that is hard to copy and very advanced.

If it were thirty years later, she wouldn't be sure whether the watch was real or fake due to the perfected techniques in counterfeiting, but the technology wasn't that advanced at present. Lu Jiaxin, looking at the anti-counterfeit mark, asked, "You just said this watch was a gift from a friend?"

Su Heming nodded with a smile: "I got this watch from a childhood friend for my birthday the other day. How about that, dazzling, isn't it? If you like it, I can give it to you and buy another one for myself."

Lu Jiaxin handed him back the watch and said sincerely, "Big Brother Su, this watch is real."

It was suspicious that someone would gift such an expensive watch while claiming it was fake, and she wondered what their motive could be. It was fortunate that he had run into her, or else Su Heming would have certainly fallen for it.

Something clenched in Su Heming's heart: "What did you say? This watch is real?"

"I'm telling you with certainty, it's real. If you don't believe me, you can go to an expert for verification."

Su Heming's face turned pale. He asked Lu Jiaxin for paper and a pen, wrote down a phone number, and then said, "Keep the stuff safe. I'm going to have this watch authenticated. If you need anything, just call this number and ask for Brother Su."

After saying this, he hurried away. Once out of the alley, he sent his two underlings away and then rode his motorcycle to find an old man.

He took off the gold watch and handed it to the old man, saying anxiously, "Please help me check if this watch is real or fake?"

The old man examined it for a moment and smiled: "Rest assured, it's real."

Even a finely crafted fake watch just costs a few hundred, but a real one fetches more than one hundred thousand in the market. Su Heming tended to show off a bit, but he wasn't foolish. Flaunting such an expensive watch in public was certain to draw unwanted attention. Especially now with the crackdown on security, getting caught would mean... just as Lu Jiaxin had said, he wouldn't get out of it without losing some skin. It was unclear whether the person scheming against him was targeting him and his father, or aiming at his younger cousin.

Knowing the gravity of the situation, Su Heming called Madam Xie right away.

After learning about the matter, Madam Xie pondered for a moment and then said, "I'll have someone look into this. For now, you need to buy a fake gold watch and stop all your business dealings."

"Okay."

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