Su Ziceng ran through the dimly lit corridor, still in her nightgown, passing the tall stone columns resembling arches. She ran as if lost within the walls of the old mansion she had left more than a decade ago.
The Su Family's villa was purchased by Su Qingzhang after he made his fortune. In the thirty years since then, aside from necessary internal renovations, the exterior mimicked Baroque architecture, with its excessive crossbeams, potted plants, fountain statues, which fit the Su Family's reputation in Mo City—extravagant and ostentatious, scoffed at by the so-called high society as typical nouveau riche design.
In the center of the separated marble stairways to the left and right, hung a full-length portrait of Su Qingzhang, exuding the authority of the family patriarch.
As the nightgown fluttered down the stairs, Su Ziceng stared blankly at a noticeably younger Su Qingzhang. He looked like a ghost; not a single strand of grey in his slicked-back hair, and the sandalwood cane that she often shook in anger seemed brand new. Su Qingzhang had some difficulty with his legs, rumored to stem from polio in childhood.
"Dad," Su Ziceng's eyes warmed, but seeing Chang Mei by his side brought the memory back, and her gaze fell on Su Qingzhang's hand.
"In two months, you'll be eighteen. According to tradition, the fund your mother left for you, along with this ring, should be handed over for your safekeeping," said Su Qingzhang, emotionlessly handing her the ring, under Chang Mei's watchful eye.
That's right, Su Ziceng bit her lip, recalling the scene, during the summer break after her high school exams, two months before turning eighteen, when she first received the ring.
With its patina-covered band and dark red diamond, she bent her finger to grasp the cold ring, feeling its heavy weight in her hand.
Su Qingzhang's expression was peculiar, for he knew all too well Su Ziceng's preferences—she adored shiny jewelry, but this old ring was not to her taste. Normally, she would have disdainfully accepted it before carelessly tossing it in a drawer. Could it be that she saw something special in this ring?
Su Ziceng heard Su Qingzhang's voice beside her ear, "It's a masterpiece by the renowned jeweler Mussen. You must take good care of it..."
"It was left by mom," Su Ziceng slipped it onto her finger, and under the diamond ring's reflection, even the delicate blood vessels at the joints were clearly visible.
"Red Love," Su Qingzhang involuntarily softened his tone: "It's the engagement ring I gave to your mother." As he spoke, a tender hue shimmered in his eyes, reminiscent of Qiao Chu's expression when she first received "Red Love," much like Su Ziceng now.
"Thank you," Su Ziceng said softly, pressing the ring against her chest. This word of thanks was ambiguous—it was unclear whether it was meant for the ring or for Su Qingzhang, as she felt the spot by her chest, next to the ring, and sensed the strong, vibrant beating of her heart.
"Godfather," Su Ziceng's joy over receiving the ring was swiftly disrupted upon seeing Chang Chi at the entrance. She almost forgot that for her eighteenth birthday, along with the ring, she had also been bestowed with the gift of Chang's mother and daughter.
"Your birthday is close to Xiao Chi's, so I plan to throw a coming-of-age party for you both. At that time, I will announce Chang Mei Aunt as my personal secretary, and I will also declare Xiao Chi as my goddaughter during the ball," Su Qingzhang stated decisively, leaving no room for discussion.
Upon hearing this news, Su Ziceng threw the already-disliked ring into Chang Mei's face, leading to a scuffle with Chang Chi, which resulted in her being grounded for two months, only lifted when university started after the two months passed.
"After all, you didn't leave any room for discussion." Su Ziceng looked at Chang Mei, still dressed as the housekeeper. Chang Mei was of average build, with unremarkable features; it was precisely her plainness that allowed her to insidiously disrupt the already strained relationship between the Su father and daughter, ultimately leading Su Qingzhang to amend his will.
Below the chandelier made of nearly a hundred glass pendants, Su Qingzhang reiterated in no uncertain terms: "I have made my decision."
Actually, Chang's mother and daughter had long since moved into the Su Family home and had never lived in the servant's quarters. Officially Su Ziceng was the young lady of the house, but in reality, Chang's mother and daughter were the true mistresses of the Su Family.
Su Ziceng, playing with the ring in her hand, glanced sideways at Chang Chi, waiting for what was to come.
"I bought each of you a sports car; they're parked in the garage," Su Qingzhang glanced at Su Ziceng whose expression was unpleasant but who, unusually, did not throw a tantrum, mentioned casually to avoid the main issue. He did not specify that, for convenience and to set Chang's mother and daughter's minds at ease, he had bought the same model of a Ferrari sports car.
Chang Chi and Chang Mei mother and daughter exchanged looks, and Chang Mei said with a smile, "Aren't you going to thank your godfather? It's the latest model of Ferrari."
Chang Chi, like a nimble and delicate swallow, immediately flew into Su Qingzhang's arms. She already preferred short hair at that time, her face carried the buoyancy unique to young girls, and she kept sweet-talking.
"The keys," Su Ziceng, not wanting to witness the cloying scene of "father-daughter affection," bluntly asked Chang Mei for the car keys and walked out. By the time Chang Chi got to the garage, only the black Ferrari was left.
Midway up the hillside, the red Ferrari swiftly wove through, with Su Ziceng having changed into casual clothes, one hand on the steering wheel, listening to the engine's joyful roar.
The green trees on the mountain road constantly receded backward, reflecting on the car mirror, as she lifted her head to see the person's reflection in the mirror, she felt a moment of trance.
The Sunshine danced on the bright car paint, everything was the start of something new. She was off to a good start; in the remaining two-plus months, she could look into matters that she had once overlooked, most importantly, the set of Mussen jewelry including "Red Love."
Su Ziceng didn't understand why she, who should have been dead, came back to life, but the breeze in her ears and the warmth of her body told her this was definitely not a dream.
The Second Zone, where the Su Family was located, was a gathering place for celebrities and wealthy businessmen, consisting of more than a dozen undulating hills and slopes. The gradient of the hills was fairly gentle, which was convenient for the usually chauffeured Su Ziceng. Now that she had her first car, the mountain road had become her driving practice ground.
When the brand new sports car pulled up on Xiangye Street in Zone 3, it caught many people's attention. As the only street selling European and American luxury brands in the city, the shiny shop windows displayed luxury goods regardless of the season.
The arrival of Su Ziceng from the car drew a lot of attention; passersby looked on with envy, while the shop assistants next door showed faces of delight.
Who didn't know that Su Ziceng, the number one profligate in Mo City, was notorious for her love of shopping? Unfortunately, her new car was a two-seater sports car, which limited what she could carry. If it had been her previous Mercedes-Benz, she could have easily visited every shop on Xiangye Street.
She passed several shops she used to visit often, stopping only when she reached an old jewelry store.
"Qiu Sheng Jewelry" is under the Qiu Family, and unlike the Su Family which specializes in real estate and mining, the Fei Family is a local big family from Mo City, said to be descendants of a general before the liberation. Old families like theirs did not usually hold the newly emerging big four families, including the Su Family, in high regard.
The manager of "Qiu Sheng Jewelry" also saw Su Ziceng stopping at the entrance of the shop and immediately became nervous. "What is Su Ziceng, this second-generation nouveau riche, doing at 'Qiu Sheng Jewelry' this time?"