Qiao Yanze took the wooden box from Qing Yan and opened it. There was a jade bracelet inside. It was easy to recognize the jade bracelet that his mother had worn before.

  Taking out the jade bracelet, he looked at it carefully. “Why do you have this?”


  Qing Yan lowered her head and said, slightly ashamed, “Your mother gave it to me. I was going to use it as a pawn to the bar manager tonight, but you helped me and even gave Young Master Chuo a bottle of wine. I don’t want to owe you anything, so I’ll give back this jade bracelet to you.”


  Qiao Yanze frowned slightly, “Are you short of money?”


  “Yanze, treat it as you have never seen me. I will settle my affairs myself.” Qing Yan bowed to Qiao Yanze. “Thank you for tonight. I have something on, so I will go now.” Qing Yan turned around and ran away. Soon, she disappeared from Qiao Yanze’s sight.

  Cen Xi’s call rang once and when Qiao Yanze did not answer, she did not call again.

  Qiao Yanze did not return the call. He looked at the jade bracelet in his hand. This was what his mother had always worn before and later, she changed to another bracelet for a period of time. He did not think much about it at that time and thought that she wanted to change to a new style.

  He did not expect that she had given the jade bracelet to Qing Yan.

  Qiao Yanze went back to the room and let Tang Xi and Chu Yifan know. “I have something on, let’s meet another day.”


  After Qiao Yanze left, Tang Xi smacked his lips. “He went back to have sex again.”
……

  Qiao Yanze did not leave the bar. He looked around and saw Qing Yan in the bar manager’s office. She was talking to the bar manager.

  “Manager, I can’t give the jade bracelet as a pawn to you.”


  “If you can’t, then don’t think about getting a three-month advance in your salary.”


  Qing Yan nodded. “I understand.”


  “Qing Yan, why are you so arrogant? Swallow your pride. With the advantage of your body, you can earn hundreds of thousands a month.”


  “Manager, I don’t want to earn money using my body.”


  “If that’s the case, don’t sell wine here anymore. How much trouble have you caused me? Something will happen sooner or later if you stay here. Pack your things quickly and scram!”


  “Manager, I……”


  “Unless you’re willing to be the top hostess here.”


  Qing Yan opened her mouth to say something, but the words were stuck in her throat. Suddenly, someone grabbed her arm and pulled her out of the office. The person was so fast that Qing Yan was almost dragged away.

  Looking up, her face flushed red when she saw Qiao Yanze’s figure. She wanted to shake off Qiao Yanze’s hand but was unable to.

  She was pulled out of the bar.

  He then let go of her arm and looked at her coldly. “Since my mother gave you the jade bracelet, it’s yours. I’ll pay for it.”


  “Yanze, I don’t need your charity.”


  “It’s not charity.” Qiao Yanze looked at Qing Yan. It was hard to imagine what she had gone through from being a little princess to a wine seller. “I know how much the jade bracelet is worth. After deducting the cost of the bottle of wine, I will pay you the remaining amount.”


  Qing Yan lowered her eyes and clenched her hands into fists. Qiao Yanze could see that she was struggling inside.

  But in the face of cruel reality, arrogance would sometimes also become fragile……

  Qiao Yanze took Qing Yan home.

  After Qing Yan had gotten into the car, she kept looking out of the window. Qiao Yanze looked at her. “What happened to your family after you went abroad?”


  Qing Yan’s eyes turned red. “I fell out with my family at that time and I don’t know what happened exactly. When I learned of it, my family had become bankrupt, my father was ill and my brother was in prison.”


  Qiao Yanze did not expect the situation of the Qing family to be so serious. He pursed his lips. “How are your father and brother now?”


  “My father is still ill and my brother has come out of prison. Due to his ignorance and incompetence, he has been causing trouble to the family.” Qing Yan’s lips lifted into a mocking smile. “Perhaps my life was too smooth when I was a child and God wants me to experience such things in order to treat everyone fairly.”


  Qiao Yanze felt that what he had experienced was somewhat similar to that of Qing Yan. Inside, Qiao Yanze’s heart felt a little heavy. Qing Yan was like a princess in his heart and in his memory, she was noble and aloof. It was hard to imagine that she would suffer such hardships in her life.

  A sigh left his lips. “It will all pass.”


  When they arrived at Qing Yan’s district, Qiao Yanze got out of the car and opened the door for Qing Yan.

  “Yanze, thank you. Come and visit me with Xiao Xi when you are free.”


  Qiao Yanze nodded before turning to get back into the car after Qing Yan had entered the gate……

  Qing Yan lived on the fourth floor. Coming out of the elevator, she opened the door of the apartment. Seeing that the lights were turned on in the living room and there was a figure standing on the balcony, she hurried in. “Mom, why are you here?”


  Mrs Qing drew the curtains, went into the living room and looked at Qing Yan. “The man who just brought you back looks a little familiar.”


  Qing Yan went into the kitchen and poured a glass of water, not wanting to talk.

  “Although I didn’t see his face clearly, the car he drove is only about $300,000. The conditions in his family must be average. You can’t have any more contact with such people.

  “Now, your father is in the hospital and your brother isn’t married. The Qing family is counting on you. Your father and I raised you and you should find some noble family……”


  Before Mrs Qing could finish, she was interrupted by Qing Yan coldly, “Mom, with the situation in our family, which rich young man would marry a person like me?”


  Slap!

  Mrs Qing slapped Qing Yan, her eyes red as she said angrily, “You liked to make your own decisions since you were young. I asked you not to like that man in the past but you didn’t listen and were abandoned, right? We pampered you and raised you up, not to let you elope with men and embarrass the Qing family!”


  “Mom, can you stop talking about the past? You just want money, don’t you? I’ll give it to you!” Qing yan threw a bank card to Mrs Qing. “The money inside is enough for you to spend for a while!”


  After getting the money, Mrs Qing left. Slipping onto the sofa, Qing Yan covered her face with both hands and tears fell from between her fingers……

  When Qiao Yanze returned to the apartment, Cen Xi had already fallen asleep. She had left a note on the bedside table. “The sober-up tea and supper are in the steamer.”


  Qiao Yanze put down the note. He looked at the woman who was sleeping soundly, bent over and sucked her pink lips.

  Cen Xi opened her eyes in a daze.

  Taking in a breath, she smelled a faint fragrance.

  It did not belong to him.