Early this morning, upon arriving at the company, Su Wanwan immediately recognized the necklace Li Manya was wearing—it seemed strikingly familiar. After a moment's contemplation, she recalled having purchased a similar piece. With so many accessories, she often carelessly tossed them aside after wearing, and it just so happened to be in this very bag.
"Su Wanwan, do you have anything else to say?" Xiaofang demanded.
Su Wanwan responded coolly, "This necklace belongs to me."
Xiaofang seized the necklace, waving it around before everyone. "Come, have a good look. This is clearly the very necklace Manya wore this morning!"
"Su Wanwan, how can you fabricate such a blatant lie?" Xiaofang scoffed.
Su Wanwan smiled ambiguously. "Are you implying that as the eldest daughter of the Su family, I can't afford a mere trinket worth tens of thousands?"
Xiaofang's expression flickered. After all, Su Wanwan had been brought back from the countryside four years ago, yet the Su family had never once appeared in any social columns, let alone attended elite soirées. It was clear she was not favored in the family.
Buoyed by this realization, Xiaofang retorted, "Don't twist the facts! What are the odds of such a coincidence?"
"You've worked here for two years—I've never seen you wear this style before." Su Wanwan met Li Manya's gaze with casual ease. "If you like it, I'll give it to you."
"Caught red-handed and you just say 'gift'?" Xiaofang's tone sharpened. "You clearly stole it!"
At that moment, Li Manya spoke up, "Su Wanwan, if you admired this necklace, why not just say so instead of resorting to such shameful deceit?"
"Next time my husband travels, I'll have him bring you one for free—we've been colleagues for two years now."
Su Wanwan's cold snort cut through the thinly veiled contempt in her words.
Whispers rippled through the crowd.
"This Su Wanwan is outrageously arrogant."
"Right? Even when caught red-handed, she won't admit it…"
"How can someone have such shameless audacity?"
"Manya is clearly offering her a way out, but Su Wanwan is utterly ungrateful."
Xiaofang grinned triumphantly, intent on tearing Su Wanwan's facade to shreds. "You insist this necklace is yours? Fine! I'll call the store myself and have their staff verify it in person!"
"Sales records don't lie, right? That'll slap her down hard!"
Though the jewelry shop was no Sunshine brand, it was well-known nationwide and famous for its exceptional service. Upon receiving Xiaofang's call, they immediately dispatched a staff member to the city.
It was now after work hours, but not a single employee had left, eager to witness the unfolding spectacle.
Within half an hour, the jeweler arrived. After examining the necklace, she smiled warmly. "This is indeed one of our pieces, but it's been out of stock for six months. To acquire it now, one would have to buy it overseas."
Xiaofang sneered, "What, are you going to claim you bought it six months ago?"
Su Wanwan's expression remained serene, a faint, confident smile playing at her lips. Seeing her silent, Xiaofang muttered, "Let's see how long you can keep up this act!"
"Hey, could you please check the purchase records for Su Wanwan?" Xiaofang pressed.
Though slightly annoyed, the employee maintained her composure. "Certainly. Our records are shared across all stores nationwide. Whether purchased domestically or abroad, we can trace it. Miss Su, could you please provide your ID number here?"
Su Wanwan complied, entering her details into the laptop. Then came an agonizing wait. The only sound was the gentle scroll of the mouse wheel.
They expected a swift result, but minutes passed without a word from the staff.
Impatient, Xiaofang asked, "Still nothing? Why the delay?"
The employee responded calmly, "Apologies, but I cannot find any record."
Xiaofang immediately mocked, "What do you have to say for yourself now, Su Wanwan—"
She was cut off.
"Miss Su is one of our top-tier VIP customers with impeccable credit. Her most recent purchase was just three days ago."
"Our purchase logs are sorted by transaction amount, highest to lowest."
"This necklace was a low-priced item for us and was discontinued after its first month on sale."
"Given Miss Su's spending habits, this item would appear on the last page."
A stunned silence fell over the room.
To them, this diamond necklace seemed prestigious, yet here it was dismissed as a trivial trinket.
More astonishingly, Su Wanwan's absence from the record was due to the sheer volume of her expensive purchases.
They rubbed their ears in disbelief, wondering if they had misheard.
One brave soul asked hesitantly, "Could we… see what Miss Su has actually bought?"
The employee flipped the screen toward them.
When they saw the list, a collective gasp escaped.
A casual little accessory worth millions—strawberry brooches, crystal bracelets… millions could buy a house, yet here was the indulgence of the wealthy.
"Is that ring on Su Wanwan's pinky… also from your store?"
All eyes turned to her hand.
The plain, unadorned band accentuated her slender fingers.
The employee nodded.
"This is our latest design this year, priced at a million exactly."
"A million?!"
"Good heavens…"
This was true extravagance—something beyond their comprehension.
A million was a fortune these workers, earning a few thousand monthly, could never dream of.
Had the employee not spoken, no one would have believed the ring's immense value.
In other words, Su Wanwan bought these lavish items without batting an eye.
Why then would she stoop to stealing an insignificant, low-tier necklace?
Some began to understand the meaning behind her earlier retort: "You think I care?"
Those who had defended Li Manya felt their faces flush with embarrassment.