However, she would still like to preserve her reputation. There was no way that she would start a fight with Xiang Caiping here.
She could only take the time to think of a way to teach this woman a lesson after what happened today.
While she was still thinking of a way to do that, Madam Luo, who had been standing at a corner to watch the unfolding drama, suddenly let out a shout.
âWhatâs wrong? Auntie?â
âT-The necklace I had been wearing around my neck is gone!â
When Madam Luo called out, Xiang Caiping had already reached the entrance. Her shout was a little louder than expected â Xiang Caiping mightâve heard it but she never thought of stopping.
âWasnât your necklace here earlier?â Madam Song quickly asked. âI saw it just now.â
âYes. Where did my necklace disappear?â Madam Luoâs face was filled with panic. She lowered her head to search for the necklace but did not find it.
âKeep looking for it. Didnât Mr.Luo give you this necklace? Itâs worth millions, right?â
âYes.â Madam Luo was in a total state of panic. She patted her body a few times. The pockets in her clothes had been turned inside out, but the necklace was nowhere to be found.
She blabbered on in panic: âDid you see me wearing it just now? Was I still wearing it when I entered the shop? I didnât notice. Could it have fallen off in the car?â
Su Peizhen watched the alarmed look on Madam Luoâs face, and from the corner of her eye, she spotted Xiang Caiping, who had already walked out of Bo Gu Zhai. Suddenly, in an incredibly quiet tone, she suggested something in a would-be artless manner.
âAuntie. You were standing next to that woman earlier â could it possibly have accidentally fallen into her hands?â
Su Peizhen had suggested that it was accidental, but the meaning behind her words implied that Xiang Caiping was the one who took the necklace.
The shopkeeper of Bo Gu Zhai observed this sudden scene in silence. As a mere owner of a jade accessory store, he couldnât possibly have the power to interfere in the dealings of these people.
Madam Song reacted with an âah!â as if she had received a reminder. âThatâs right. You were standing so close to her just now, who knows â it mightâve accidentally dropped into her bag, right?â
Xiang Caiping was carrying an extremely big bag. It was an eye-catching, sheepskin bag of an unknown brand.
Su Peizhen was done with dropping hints. There was no need for her to say anything else.
She simply watched as Madam Luo and Madam Song walked out together to block Xiang Caiping off.
Xiang Caipingâs mood was initially affected by the appearance of Su Peizhen and her entourage. However, now that the jade pendant she intended to get for her daughter was in her hands, she was feeling pretty good.
There was a subway station nearby, but she thought of getting a cab. It wasnât that far anyway.
However, before she could get to a cab stand, her path was blocked.
âLet me see your bag.â
Madam Luo couldnât be bothered with her manners when she said this.
Xiang Caipingâs brows locked tightly. She clutched the two bags in her hands and took a step back.
âWhat do you mean?â
âWhat do I mean? The necklace Madam Luo was wearing was her most favorite one. Her husband had given it to her for her birthday.â
Now that she saw Xiang Caiping clutching at the bag, the two women couldnât help but think that .she must have stolen it.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
âMy necklace is missing and I think itâs in your bag. Hand it over so I can check.â
Earlier, Madam Luo and Madam Song had stopped her from leaving by gripping each of her arms. Xiang Caiping wasnât very happy about that, to begin with.
The two of them were really pushing it too far right now. How dare they suggest that she stole something? Xiang Caipingâs face darkened, looking extremely sour.
âStep aside. You wonât find your necklace in my bag.â
âIf you donât let me check, that simply means youâre guilty.â When she saw how Xiang Caiping reacted, Madam Luo was even more convinced that she was behaving very suspiciously. âDonât think that youâre rich just because you swiped away a few hundred thousand when buying that jade pendant. Iâm warning you â my necklace is worth millions. If youâre a smart person, hand it over right now. Otherwise, Iâm calling the cops.â
âCall the cops?â Xiang Caiping felt like chuckling. âCall the cops if you want to. I already told you â I didnât take it.â
âHow unwise.â Madam Luo was done holding back. She shared quite a good relationship with Li Qianxue, and since this woman was the homewrecker from back then, she would like to teach her a lesson â that would be helping Li Qianxue out.
âJust because you deny taking it, does it really mean that you didnât? Hand over the bag â I want to check.â
âSorry. You donât have the right to do that.â Xiang Caiping had seen a fair share of such people during the years while she dabbled in business. She naturally knew what the likes of Madam Luo were up to.
She was the type who bullied the weak and feared the strong. The type who would put on a pretty facade but who were actually empty on the inside. Once you saw through them, it, they would simply try to ride it out with their feigned bravado.
âI donât have the right?â Madam Luo didnât even care that she was already standing on the tarmac. âMy necklace is missing, and I think that itâs in your hands. If you donât let me check, that simply means that you have something to hide.â
Madam Luoâs attitude was incredibly overbearing. Xiang Caiping remained calm and composed.
Watching from the side, Madam Song stepped forward. âMadam, if you insist that you didnât take the necklace, why wonât you let us check your bags? We just want to have a look, thereâs nothing wrong with that, right? With you hiding your bag away from us like that, isnât that more suspicious?
Xiang Caiping threw a chilly glare towards Madam Song. She had no doubt that these two ladies were here intentionally to give her a hard time.
She glanced at Su Peizhen, who was watching the drama unfold from the sidelines. She suspected that this particular Miss Su might have played a part to encourage this.
She really disliked this girl. She was obnoxious, narrow-minded and petty. Most importantly, she always had the intent to stir up something but had no guts to follow it through.
Clearly, Su Peizhen was the one who couldnât stand her, yet she chose not to face her herself. Instead, she sent two women who were almost her motherâs age to help her settle the score.
How could a highly capable person like Li Qianxue have a daughter like this? The more she thought about it the more she found it intriguing.
âI repeat â I didnât take it. I donât have your necklace and I donât know what happened to it. Step aside please.â
She had already placed the jade pendant and bangle into the bag carefully. Between the two bags, one contained the yarn for Su Qingsangâs scarf, and the other for Huo Jinyaoâs.
Of course, she had nothing to hideâ she just really didnât want these people to touch her things.
Madam Luo never imagined that Xiang Caiping could be so hard-headed. Anger flared in her heart. âHmph. It must be in your bag. Hand it over.â
Xiang Caiping had not expected that the woman would actually dare to make a move on her. Desperately wanting to protect her bags, she attempted to hide them behind her back.
She never thought that Madam Song, who was watching from the sidelines, would interfere too.
In a panic, Xiang Caiping dodged backward.
Since she had done her fair share of labor during her youth, she was much stronger than Madam Luo and Madam Song.
The two women were standing by the side of the road. However, when Xiang Caiping saw Madam Luoâs outstretched arm lunging towards her, she stumbled towards the middle of the road without thinking much about it.
It wasnât a peak hour, but there were still many cars on the road. At a short distance, there was a car coming towards their direction.
Xiang Caipingâs back was turned to the road, so she couldnât see that the car was closing in. The only thing she saw was Madam Luoâs wide-open eyes and Madam Songâs horrified expression.