The real shock had yet to strike. Just as Shen Yiran thought the situation couldn't get any more absurd, Wu Qingyi's soft, calm voice rang out clearly across the silent hall. "I'll pay by card," she said gently, then added without hesitation, "and please raise the property agent's commission from five percent to ten." The air froze and everyone stared at her as if she had just turned the world upside down.
Lin Xi froze and the air around her felt hollow, as though every sound in the showroom had been sucked away. She stared at Wu Qingyi in disbelief, her fingers trembling slightly against the tablet in her hand. "Why…...?" The word escaped her lips almost unknowingly. Any client no matter how wealthy they are had never asked to increase the commission. People fought to lower it, clawed at every yuan. And yet this girl, who looked so soft, so simple… was calmly offering more.
Lin Xi's heart tightened as she wondered… Why would someone be this kind? Why would someone willingly give more, when the world only ever wanted to take? All eyes fell on Wu Qingyi and they now held their breath waiting for the answer as they also wanted to know why?
Wu Qingyi understood the unspoken confusion in Lin Xi's eyes and answered lightly, her voice soft yet clear, "When everyone in this place looked at me with disdain and turned their faces away, you were the only one who welcomed me. Just like the others, you might have thought I couldn't afford it, yet you never mocked me, never insulted me, and still walked me through everything patiently."
She paused, her gaze gentle but sincere. "You didn't just show me the models. You listened to me, respected my wishes, and even protected me when others tried to humiliate me. When I asked to change the commission, you didn't argue or belittle me. You simply stood by me." A faint smile curved her lips. "That kindness deserves to be rewarded."
With that, she reached into her bag and placed a card on the table. It was a black diamond card - a legendary, invite-only card possessed by only a handful of people in the world, a symbol of wealth so vast it was measured in countless billions. The room froze in deadly silence as every gaze locked onto the card and in that instant, no one dared to look down on her again.
The showroom fell into a heavy, suffocating silence. Every agent's face burned with shame, while regret gnawed at their hearts like silent thorns, why hadn't they been the ones to welcome her? But regret, once born, had no cure. One by one, they quietly returned to their posts. Only Lin Xi and the manager remained behind, as they stood there calmly by the personal order of the CEO.
Once the procedure was completed, Shen Yiran stepped closer, his sharp gaze settling on Wu Qingyi. "Are you… truly willing to marry Wang Lingxuan?" he asked, his voice low and probing.
Wu Qingyi tilted her head slightly, a soft smile curving her lips. "Why wouldn't I be? He is very handsome…"
A flicker of doubt crossed Shen Yiran's eyes. He leaned in slightly, his words turning colder.
"Handsome? Are you certain? Have you really seen what he looks like now? And what if… he never walks again?" He paused, watching her carefully. "Or are you marrying him for his money?"
Wu Qingyi's eyes darkened, the softness in them replaced by a quiet fury. Her voice, usually light and gentle, turned cold as frost. "You are his best friend… and this is how you speak about him?" She took a step closer, her hands clenched tightly at her sides. "So, what if half of his face is burned?" she continued, her words trembling with restrained anger. "His eyes are the most beautiful I've ever seen. His jawline is sharp and dignified. His skin is flawless. You dare to judge him by scars?" Her lips curved into a bitter, wounded smile. "And what if he can't walk? Aren't friends supposed to become their legs when they can't stand? Aren't you supposed to protect him when he's weak instead of mocking him when he falls?"
She looked at Shen Yiran as if he had deeply disappointed her. "Marry him for money?" she scoffed softly. "Didn't you hear what I said? He doesn't have power anymore. He doesn't have wealth. He lives in a small, old, shabby single-room house. There is no garden, no luxury, no comfort. Yet I still chose him." Her gaze grew sharper, almost painful in its honesty. "You knew all this… and you still didn't think of reaching out to him. You still didn't think of helping him." A quiet realization flickered in her eyes, followed by hurt. "Oh… I see now," she whispered. "Now that he is weak… now that he has nothing… you no longer care for him." The words fell into the air like shattered glass.
Shen Yiran stood completely speechless. He had only wanted to test her and to see whether she was another greedy woman clinging to Lingxuan for wealth. But in the end, it was he who found himself cornered, questioned, and stripped bare.
She… truly believed he was poor.
She believed he was weak, broken, abandoned by the world.
And yet, she still chose him.
A realization struck him like a bolt of lightning. She used her own money…?
His gaze subtly shifted to the black diamond card resting on the table with her name on it. If that was real… then this girl was anything but ordinary. Before he could recover from the shock, a soft but firm voice cut through the heavy air. Lin Xi stepped forward again, unable to remain silent anymore.
"Mr. Shen Yiran," she said, her voice trembling but not with fear, it trembled with anger. "You have no right to judge others when you yourself can't tell who is good and who is bad." The room went breathless. "If you keep treating sincere people like dirt," she continued, lifting her chin despite the threat to her own career, "then don't blame fate when your company collapses."
Lin Xi's words were meant as sharp mockery, a warning wrapped in anger, but Wu Qingyi didn't hear the sarcasm hidden inside them. She took them to heart. In her simple, earnest mind, the thought settled like a stone sinking into deep water - Shen Yiran's company was truly on the verge of collapse and she saw that he might no longer be a powerful CEO.
The manager, who had been standing nearby all this while, had heard every single word from start to finish. By now, cold sweat had soaked through her back. She finally understood that she hadn't just offended an ordinary girl, she had offended a client powerful enough to overturn her entire future with a single sentence. Panic gripped her heart. Her mind spun rapidly, searching for a way to save herself. She could already imagine the consequences if this reached the CEO's ears and then, as if fate itself had handed her a lifeline, she noticed something.
The client… and that shameless junior girl… were openly speaking against the CEO. A sharp glint flashed through the manager's eyes. This is my chance. If she could take advantage of this moment… if she could prove her loyalty… she might not only escape punishment but she might even rise higher in his favour. Clenching her fists, she straightened her posture, a calculated look replacing her earlier fear as she prepared to step forward.
The manager hurried to Shen Yiran's side, her eyes already rimmed with fake tears, her posture lowered in a picture of false humility. Her voice softened deliberately, carrying the tremble of a woman pretending to bear a heavy burden. "CEO Shen Yiran… please don't be angry at Lin Xi. She… she is still young and ignorant," she said, pressing a hand to her chest as if pained. "I failed to discipline her properly. It is all my fault." She lowered her head, biting her lip as if struggling with shame. "I originally wanted to personally serve this client with the highest respect… but she and Lin Xi were… they were mocking you behind your back," she added hesitantly, as though the words hurt to speak. "They said terrible things about you… about your background… about you being… an orphan…"
Her shoulders shook lightly "I couldn't accept anyone disrespecting you, CEO. I thought… if a client has no respect for the head of our company, then… servicing such a client would only insult you further." She clenched her fists, acting as if she was swallowing injustice for his sake. "It is my failure that my subordinates spoke out of line. I should have controlled them better. Please… punish me instead. Please don't take it out on them…"
Her act was flawless, every word carefully crafted, every tear precisely timed. She was certain that this performance would make her the loyal one in Shen Yiran's eyes… and turn Lin Xi into the perfect scapegoat. But what she didn't know was that she had just dug her own grave.