006 Jewelry Lady Says

Su Ziceng was suddenly choked by that remark, his face going deathly pale, mouth agape, frozen in place as he looked at the appraiser. The appraiser, who had a gaunt, Santa Claus-like face, hastily waved his hands saying, "No, No. I was talking about the woman just now."

The almost childishly innocent relationship between Hang Yishao and Su Ziceng, due to Hang Yishao's strong opposition, had never been made public. It was not until Su Ziceng entered university and after the "incident of Hang Yishao cohabiting with the department belle" that Su Ziceng insisted on going public with it, so the outside world still thought that the two families were just relatively close noble families.

"The young man by her side is quite something though. He might look disrespectful, but his thoughts are meticulous. That woman, within two months, will be dumped," said the appraiser. As a qualified jewelry appraiser, one not only needs to understand how to inspect the grade of various jewels but also comprehend the psychological changes of buyers. The young man did not cherish money, but he valued the cultivation of his female companion highly.

"Why?" Su Ziceng, seeing no more of that red ribbon that had masked her mouth, asked with difficulty. The appraiser in front of her, much older and having experienced worldy love, was someone who saw through the facades. Regrettably, even after living for some years before her rebirth, Su Ziceng still couldn't see through the slightest of matters.

"Men are creatures in search of novelty," observed the appraiser, looking at this delicate Miss from Mo City who had a reputation for being pampered, seeing layers of confusion in her eyes as if a shadow had clouded her vision, "such women are like clothes to be changed. A woman should be like the 'Red Love', permanent and captivating," he couldn't help but bring the conversation back to his trade, his gaze once again falling upon the Red Love gem, "only a jewel of a woman can always exude an enchanting luster."

That layer of grey slowly faded away, and a delicate nuance appeared in Su Ziceng's eyes, reminiscent of a mother-of-pearl, "Thank you," she said, knowing what to do now. Her once shadowed glass heart seemed to have been sculpted, gaining a trace of translucence.

"Can you tell me more about Mussen's Blessing?" she asked, as outside the jewelry store, a lemon-yellow sports car had already sped away into the distance, leaving behind rose petals stripped from their delicate blooms by the wind, leaving only a few bare stems.

"To talk about Mussen, one cannot help but mention Yenati. To the jewelry world, she is both loved and hated, because she created a genius like Mussen, but also because of her, Mussen had fallen like a shooting star soon after stepping onto the stage of the jewelry world," the appraiser curiously examined Su Ziceng's eyes that shimmered more than diamonds as he dutifully explained. In the jewelry world, anyone who had the chance to witness Mussen's miraculous work should convey that enduring love that lasted decades to the generous owner.

"What kind of woman was Yenati?" Having heard the appraiser's explanation, Su Ziceng imagined the woman who once possessed the entire set of "Mussen's Blessing." She was a woman of noble Eastern descent, with hair dazzlingly blacker than the starry sky, skin as delicate as snow, a slender neck, like... a sacred swan singing for people's admiration. But she also had the most bewitching dark pupils, voluptuous lips, seducing like a Night Elf, her story incomplete as the appraiser sighed.

He regretted that the world only knew of seven pieces of Mussen's Blessing, but after Yenati left with them from Mussen, no one had ever seen her or the jewelry set again.

"One thing I can be sure of," the appraiser volunteered to maintain the ring for Su Ziceng: "Mussen's Blessing is not just a set of jewelry; it embodies Mussen's love and his resentment," he respectfully slid the ring with the red diamond onto Su Ziceng's finger, where it rested warmly on her skin. A faint sigh, light as a down feather, brushed through the depths of Su Ziceng's heart.

After thanking the appraiser once more, Su Ziceng drove to a crossroads, where the red traffic light stubbornly illuminated. Cars from the opposite direction passed one after another outside the window. The Ferrari did not continue all the way back to the Su Family's villa in the hillside area but instead took a detour towards the city center.

The entire city of Mo City is shaped like a six-petaled lotus, with the city's main thoroughfares being two parallel one-way streets. Including the Su Family, several emerging families were located on the second petal, also known as Zone 2 of Mo City.

Zone 1 is home to the city's two oldest families and government officials. Zone 3 is the city's administrative center and upscale shopping district, while Zone 4 houses the ordinary citizens and Zone 5 is the entertainment district. The Sixth District, however, is the slums.

Isolation zones are set up specifically for Zone 1 and Zone 2, where entry and exit require specialized vehicles or identity verification cards. The remaining zones allow free movement, except for the Sixth District, which suffers from poor security.

The central area that all six districts connect to is the high education district, where Mo City houses only two schools, Daoquan University and Kelly Women's College. One of these universities was recently founded by the government, while the other is a renowned private school established by the founder of the Wen Family, Mo City's most ancient clan, and has a history of more than two hundred years.

The wheels spun rapidly. As they approached the avenue of the high education campus, the steering wheel turned right, and the car became a red shadow slipping onto the black-veined marble paved street leading to Daoquan, soon coming upon a stone archway.

Kelly Women's College and Daoquan University occupy a large part of the city center. As the old Wen Family's status in Mo City is increasingly challenged by several new and rising families, the position of Kelly Women's College has also become shaky, leading to its educational area being halved to that of its original size, now only nestled in the north-central part of the city.

Su Ziceng's only visit to Kelly Women's College was thanks to "Mussen's Blessing." Chang Chi's alma mater was Kelly Women's College; it is said that Chang Mei's was, too, which consequently diminished Su Ziceng's favorable impression of the school. It was the only time that Chang Mei, risking a fallout with Su Qingzhang, decided on a school for Chang Chi.

Su Qingzhang disliked Kelly Women's College because the Wen Family, with their haughty old lineage, was known to look down on others. They publicly criticized the Su Family's ostentatious displays of wealth more than once. Moreover, when Su Qingzhang got drunk one time, he shouted: "All private schools can go to hell; in this era, rich and poor should have access to the same level of education." The words of Su Qingzhang still echoed in Su Ziceng's ears, her heart uneasily pondering the ripples her forthcoming actions might cause.

July was still within the university summer break, which was also the time for Daoquan University to recruit new students and provide consultations for parents. A stream of students bustled at the black-gold gates of Daoquan University, each one standing tall and proud with an air of superiority. Some drove their cars, roaring their wild engines down the campus avenues.

Once, Su Ziceng had been the same, frantically pressing down on the gas pedal, honking furiously at Hang Yishao and his female companion ahead in the crowd, startling the campus security who gathered around. Remembering these moments, she couldn't help but crack a smile. The memories were like bitter coffee, tart yet leaving a lingering aftertaste.

The parking spaces were full, with many enthusiastic parents accompanying their children who had just finished their exams, crowding the recruitment office of Daoquan University's affiliated colleges.

In two months, she would need to report to the freshman department on campus. Su Ziceng halted her hand on the horn, watching a sanitation worker slump his shoulders, listlessly sweeping a leafless avenue. The road ahead narrowed in her eyes into a vanishing point.

The car door opened and then closed again. After a thought, she walked toward the City College's row of recruitment consultation desks, where behind it sat a third-year student from Daoquan University.