The Golden Trophy

December had arrived.

A cold front swept through the capital, making the weather even chillier.

Yet, Song Yanxi's heart burned with enthusiasm like a raging fire.

After calling Song Wu and confirming she was still playing the role of a beggar, she drove her Bentley to find her.

Her cousin, Song Shuiqing, was with her. Shuiqing loved watching film shoots whenever she had free time.

Back in the day, Song Shuiqing was quite friendly with their family—at least, she was always respectful to Chen Pingsheng.

Whenever she was around, her little mouth never stopped calling him "Brother-in-law" in the sweetest tone.

Adorable.

Seeing her again now, Song Yanxi naturally felt more fond of her.

"Big Sis, what brings you to the set so suddenly?"

"I'm here to consult you on something."

Song Yanxi said, "Your brother-in-law just gave me another fifty million, plus the dividends from the fruit shop and Shuiyun Residence. I can't even spend all this money! So, I thought I'd bring you along to pick out some gifts."

Money she couldn't even spend?

Sis, have some pity on me.

I'll kneel and knock my head on the ground twice—just throw me a tip!

For a moment, Song Wu didn't know how to respond. It felt like her sister was flaunting her wealth, yet there was no way to argue against it.

It was Song Shuiqing, the fresh-faced beauty in her early twenties, who asked, "Cousin, are you picking gifts for yourself or for Brother-in-law?"

"Of course, for your brother-in-law!"

Song Yanxi replied, "I don't lack anything. Your brother-in-law, though… He might seem carefree, but he barely spends money. He doesn't drink or party, doesn't socialize much—just earns money and hands it all to me."

"As his wife, it's only right that I buy him some nice gifts."

"Sounds good to me." Song Shuiqing happily got into the Bentley.

As for Song Wu, still playing the beggar role, she had just thrown herself to the ground as an "enemy cannonball" landed nearby.

Someone in the background even shouted, "Italian cannon incoming!"

She dropped down.

But not fast enough—so, she was "killed off" just like that.

She had planned to showcase seven or eight different acting styles, but the director wouldn't let her.

It felt like all her acting talent had nowhere to shine.

Still, she got her 200 yuan and was promptly sent on her way.

Song Wu wanted to try driving the Bentley. "Sis, you're pregnant. Let me drive!"

"Sure, you'll be driving one soon anyway."

Song Yanxi blinked her pretty eyes. "I got your brother-in-law a Nautilus watch last time, but he doesn't seem to like it much. Honestly, he's quite shallow—other than cars, he doesn't even look twice at celebrities like Yang Mi."

Her husband-flaunting skills had reached an expert level.

Masterful.

Sis, I already know Brother-in-law is amazing. No need to keep rubbing it in.

Meanwhile, Song Shuiqing was listening with great interest. "Cousin, Brother-in-law met Yang Mi?"

"Not just met—he invited her to my Shuiyun Residence to shoot a small commercial."

"Speaking of Yang Mi, her influence is insane. Your brother-in-law had a genius idea—he got her to endorse our breast care product. In just a few days, I made over thirty million! Tell me, doesn't your brother-in-law deserve a reward?"

Song Yanxi smiled. "Men, sometimes they're just like kids—you need to reward them when they do something good."

Song Wu had heard a bit about this but wasn't too familiar.

After all, there had been some trending searches about it before they were quickly taken down.

Even Yang Mi herself was probably confused.

"I agreed to endorse Shuiyun Residence, but when did I agree to promote your breast care product?!"

"Using my… assets as a selling point? Did you pay extra for that?"

Yang Mi was furious. She felt like that straight-laced man had completely ruined her "queenly" image.

So, she had her team urgently suppress the trending searches.

But Song Yanxi didn't care about that. What's the point of hiring celebrities if not to make money? If they can't bring in profits, then why even bother?

"Brother-in-law is incredible," Song Shuiqing clapped excitedly, looking like a little fangirl.

She was genuinely impressed. She had always heard that her cousin's family had struck gold this year.

She wasn't jealous, just a little envious.

And now, hearing how much money Brother-in-law could make, she was practically in awe.

Almost ready to kneel in admiration.

Seeing her so happy, Song Yanxi said, "Shuiqing, you're in your second year of college, right? Your wrist looks a little bare. I'll get you a Longines watch next time."

…

Song Wu was speechless.

Sis, this is too much. So, whoever praises your man gets a gift now?

Gritting her teeth, Song Wu said, "Brother-in-law is amazing!"

"Nice try, but don't bother next time."

Song Yanxi shot her a side-eye. Did she think she could fool her into giving out gifts to just anyone?

At least put some real emotion into it!

Did she think her sister was that gullible?

Song Wu felt exhausted, while Song Shuiqing burst out laughing.

At the 4S dealership, Song Yanxi faced a dilemma.

Her husband was easy to please—just one luxury car could keep him happy for months.

But they already had plenty of cars at home, so she wasn't sure what to get this time.

That's why she had brought her sister and cousin along.

"Sis, what exactly are you looking for?" Song Wu asked, feeling numb from all the car shopping.

Song Shuiqing, on the other hand, was thoroughly entertained.

"We have plenty of cars, but after giving away the Panamera, your brother-in-law is missing a high-end luxury ride."

"Should I get a Mercedes S600 or a Maybach? I can't decide."

And you think we can decide for you?

We don't even deserve to look at these kinds of cars.

"Sis, why not get a Rolls-Royce?"

Having grown up watching Hong Kong movies, Song Shuiqing had always admired the "Golden Trophy" hood ornament.

There was just something undeniably cool about successful men stepping out of a Rolls-Royce.

"Price isn't the issue," Song Yanxi said. "But your brother-in-law doesn't like being too flashy."

"If not Rolls-Royce, then the Maybach S680 High Edition—Brother-in-law deserves that."

That car wasn't inferior to a Rolls-Royce at all.

The black-and-gold color combo screamed prestige.

Song Yanxi took one look and knew her husband would love it.

She asked for the price.

It was absurdly high.

The salesman said, "This is a limited high-end model. We only have one in stock. Fully paid, it's 6.9 million. With custom options, it'll be around 8 million."

Luxury cars—just picking a few extras could cost over a million.

Song Yanxi really liked the S680 Maybach.

This kind of car was meant to be ridden in, not driven.

Typically, a car at this level came with a chauffeur.

The 7 million full payment was acceptable. She swiped her card and had Song Wu drive it home.

Waiting for Chen Pingsheng to return, she planned to surprise him.

Song Wu enjoyed the thrill of driving such a grand car.

When she got back to the Third Ring, her mother, Liu Fen, had just returned from playing mahjong.

She didn't seem to have had much luck—her face was sour.

She slammed the door behind her.

"Where have you been? Why are you back so late?" Liu Fen asked curiously.

Song Wu replied lifelessly, "Went car shopping with Sis. She just bought Brother-in-law a Maybach S680."

"That sounds familiar—what kind of car is it?"

"You should know it. Full price, over 7 million. Sis didn't even blink when she paid."

"Gah?!"

Liu Fen's eyes widened. She stiffened up and dropped to the floor.

Song Wu panicked.

Liu Fen grabbed her hand. "Take me to your uncle's house. Now!"

That was Song Shuiqing's family clinic.

Song Wu was confused.

Her mom was way too worked up.

Wasn't Sis buying cars a normal thing?

Liu Fen was about to give her an Oscar-worthy performance—showing her what it truly meant to win a "Golden Trophy."

Song Shuiqing's family lived within the Fourth Ring Road, and their financial situation was neither bad nor particularly great.

They ran a small clinic right at the entrance of their residential area. Over the decades, they had progressed from being wandering doctors to proper licensed practitioners—a significant improvement.

Business was usually average, but today, they unexpectedly welcomed a major guest.

An ambulance dropped someone off at the clinic—have you ever seen that happen before?

Liu Fen had been moaning and groaning the entire way, looking half-dead with unfocused eyes.

Her natural acting skills could easily put young TV stars to shame.

When they arrived at the clinic, she was carried out on a stretcher.

Lying there, she weakly dialed her eldest daughter. "Daughter… I don't think I can hold on much longer…"

Song Yanxi, though confused, still respected her as her birth mother. She had just bought a brand-new Maybach, so she drove over with Chen Pingsheng to check on her.

Inside the clinic, Song Shuiqing's father walked over. Judging by how serious the situation seemed, it must have been critical.

Otherwise, why would she need an ambulance and a stretcher?

They decided to do a heart rate check first—after all, it was just a small clinic with limited equipment.

Once the ambulance crew left, Liu Fen's eyes suddenly snapped open. She waved him away. "What are you doing? I'm not sick."

"You're not sick? Then why did you call an ambulance?"

"Uncle, my mom only acted like this because she heard my sister bought a Maybach for seven million."

Song Wu felt utterly speechless. She never imagined her mother would pull something like this.

A minor incident had truly opened her eyes.

Fifty-something Song Jun also understood—this was pure jealousy.

She staged this whole scene just for attention.

"Come on, little sister, Yanxi is your own daughter. Was this really necessary?"

"How was it not necessary?"

Liu Fen flared up like an angry hen. "Do you have any idea how rich my daughter is now? Last month, she took me to buy a watch—it was just a tiny thing, yet it cost over 800,000 yuan! Swiped the card in a second! My heart bled!"

"And today, she took Xiao Wu to buy a car—seven million! She didn't even blink!"

"And let's not even talk about the houses! From the Sixth Ring Road to the Second, wherever you go, she owns property!"

"One day, if she moves into the Forbidden City, I wouldn't even be surprised!"

"As her mother, I raised her with my blood, sweat, and tears. Now, even her bathroom is bigger than my entire home! If I don't pull a stunt like this, I might never get to enjoy any of it before I die!"

The pure-hearted Song Shuiqing was dumbfounded.

So, this whole thing was just an act for some mother-daughter bonding?

Was it really okay to scheme against her own daughter like this?

Song Jun had nothing to say.

Everyone in the Song family knew Chen Pingsheng had become wildly successful.

Back then, plenty of relatives had rushed to give gifts—buying an old hen from the market and calling it a "big countryside chicken from home."

And once they gifted a chicken, they would immediately ask to borrow money—without a second thought.

Eventually, Song Yanxi stopped letting them into her house altogether.

Besides, before Chen Pingsheng got rich, the Liu family used to look down on him, flaunting their Beijing household registration.

Every time they saw him, they'd demand he bring durians.

And when he did, they never even said a nice word in return.

So now, if they were being treated this way, it was well deserved.

Still, he never expected his own mother to take the lead in scheming against her daughter.

People really had no shame these days.

"Little sister, you should just drop this. Doing this will only push them further away."

"Let them be distant, I don't care! Today, I am getting a house—no matter what! You all just pretend you don't know anything."

Liu Fen was firm in her resolve.

Soon, a brand-new Maybach pulled up outside, and everyone knew it had to be Chen Pingsheng's family.

Nowadays, only they had that kind of presence.

Song Shuiqing wanted to say something, but Liu Fen shot her a warning glare.

With no other choice, she cutely covered her mouth and kept quiet.

After all, this was her own mother-in-law. If she was so "sick," it wouldn't be appropriate for them not to show up.

Song Yanxi looked genuinely worried and rushed inside without saying a word.

Everyone crowded into the room, staying silent, watching how Liu Fen would perform.

And she truly was an experienced actress for a woman in her fifties—her skills were impeccable.

She started from when Song Yanxi was a year old and couldn't walk, to how she was still drinking milk at three.

Then she recounted how, at five, she had been bullied by neighborhood kids, and how she, as a devoted mother, had stepped in to protect her.

She had fought off those little brats, making them wail.

She had even single-handedly taken on five entire families, scolding them so fiercely they had no way to fight back.

"Daughter… Mom is dying. My only wish in this life is for you to live even better."

"I've let you down, Yanxi. I don't expect much in my remaining years… If only I could live in a big house and drive a little Benz before I go, I could die without regrets."

Song Yanxi: "Mom, our Wanliu apartment is still empty. Why don't you move in? I'll hire two housekeepers for you."

"Really?"

Liu Fen suddenly sat up straight.

She didn't look sick at all anymore.

Song Yanxi sneered. "You're quite something, Mom. Pretending to be sick in front of your own daughter?"

Liu Fen wasn't the least bit embarrassed. Instead, she argued confidently, "What choice did I have? You forced me to do this! You're rolling in money, but you won't even share a little with your mother!"

Well, now that everything was out in the open, at least they could talk normally.

"I'm hungry. Let's eat first."

Liu Fen dropped the act entirely and got up to look for food.

Song Yanxi handed her a can of Eight Treasures Congee. "You still remember to eat, huh? If you had kept pretending, I was starting to worry you'd actually drop dead."

"As if I'd die before moving into one of your houses."

"Big Sis, Brother-in-law, have you eaten yet?"

Song Shuiqing, being quick-witted, stepped in to smooth things over.

No matter how much they argued, they were still family. Blood ties couldn't be severed.

"Not yet. Let's book a table somewhere. It's on me," said Chen Pingsheng.

"There's a seafood buffet nearby. It's pretty good. Let's go there," he suggested.

"Sounds good."

A fancy meal with her rich brother-in-law?

Song Shuiqing was more than happy.