Chapter 34: Your Gold Ring Is Fake

The small car, carrying Su Ruan and members of the Jiang Family, left the dilapidated Alley in a grand manner amid envious gazes and the crackling sounds of firecrackers.

The bright red taillights, like two mocking dots, burned Su Yanhua's eyes.

The crowd that had just been crowded and lively in the courtyard now seemed to have lost its backbone, and their complicated gazes fell on the remaining newlyweds.

The clanking old tricycle, compared with the just‑departed sedan, was so shabby it was suffocating.

The few women who had been surrounding Su Yanhua with compliments also fell silent, their eyes drifting.

This huge disparity of being compared and ignored felt like countless fine needles stabbing Su Yanhua all over.

She could not bear becoming an object of pity, especially after losing to Su Ruan!

She took a deep breath, forced down the raging jealousy and humiliation in her heart, and forced a smile that seemed happy yet a little shy onto her face.

She deliberately raised the hand wearing the Gold Ring, brushed her side‑burns—actually not messy—and let the tiny ring sparkle as much as possible in the sunlight.

"Ah, now that the car has left, it feels empty."

Her voice was soft, yet loud enough for the remaining people nearby to hear, with a deliberately light and carefree tone.

"Honestly, when you marry and live together, the pomp is all superficial; what matters most is sincerity."

As she spoke, she gazed affectionately at the still‑unnatural‑looking Liu Wenbin beside her, raised the hand with the ring, gently brushed the ring's surface, and raised her voice a bit, full of emotion.

"Just like our Wen Bin—though he's only an elementary school teacher with no great wealth, to me he's genuinely good! To buy me this ring, he sold the only Old Watch passed down in his family, the one his father left him!"

Her eyes reddened at the right moment, making her especially moving: "This ring may be small and light, perhaps not as hefty as some people's, but inside it holds all of Wen Bin's heartfelt intention! This sentiment is more precious than anything! Do you agree?"

Her heartfelt confession indeed had some effect.

Several older, down‑to‑earth neighbors nodded in agreement one after another.

"Yan­hua, what you said makes sense! Teacher Wen Bin is sincere!"

"Yes, life is lived for oneself; sincerity is the most important!"

"The young couple being harmonious and beautiful is better than anything!"

Listening to these remarks, Su Yanhua felt a little relieved inside, regaining some face.

She smugly glanced toward Su Ruan's departing direction, thinking: So what if you ride in a small car? Jiang Ran, that playboy, has no real affection for you; he's just after novelty!

However, her performance was heard word‑for‑word by someone.

Jiang Ran!

It turned out that just as the sedan burst out of the Alley, Jiang Ran slapped his thigh hard: "Damn! I forgot something!"

He recalled his mother's countless admonitions to distribute Gift Sweets and cigarettes to the neighbors during the wedding reception, a customary gesture of sharing joy.

He had been so busy watching his bride‑to‑be's happiness that he completely forgot the matter.

He quickly ordered the driver to stop, told his parents and grandmother, grabbed several large bags of premium fruit candies and a few boxes of fine cigarettes prepared in the car, leapt out, and hurried back.

As soon as he reached the Su Family's gate, he happened to hear Su Yanhua's bragging "the ring may be small, but the sentiment is priceless," along with the surrounding people's assent.

Normally, Jiang Ran would never bother with Su Yanhua, that attention‑seeking clown.

But she deliberately chose this moment to subtly praise and disparage, implying his feelings for his bride weren't sincere?

How the hell could anyone tolerate that?!

Jiang Ran's face darkened, and he strode inside.

Seeing Jiang Ran return, everyone in the courtyard was stunned.

Su Yanhua felt a sudden "thud" in her heart, an ominous premonition instantly seized her.

Jiang Ran didn't look at anyone else; his gaze fixed directly on the still‑"glittering" Gold Ring on Su Yanhua's hand.

He grew up in a military compound, had seen a lot through his family, and although later he drifted, his eyes were still sharp.

Moreover, a brother's family ran a gold‑silver processing shop, so with a glance he could judge a gold piece's authenticity about seventy‑or‑eighty percent.

The ring's color… seemed a bit too bright yellow, its luster somewhat frivolous, unlike the heavy, warm glow of real gold.

Jiang Ran curled a cold smile at the corner of his mouth and strode up to Su Yanhua.

Su Yanhua, frightened by his imposing aura, stepped back half a step and forced composure: "Jiang… Jiang Ran? Why are you back?"

Liu Wenbin instinctively stepped in front of Su Yanhua, looking at Jiang Ran with some nervousness.

Jiang Ran ignored Liu Wenbin entirely, pointed at the ring on Su Yanhua's hand, and said in a low voice, laced with undeniable sarcasm:

"Su Yanhua, you just said this ring was bought with the family‑inherited watch Liu Wenbin sold you? Supposed to represent all his feelings?"

Su Yanhua felt uneasy, forced herself to answer: "Yes… yes! What's the matter?"

"Heh." Jiang Ran sneered, his eyes sharp as knives, "Then I'd like to ask, which black‑hearted shop did he sell the watch to? And at which GaoMing Gold Store did he buy this ring?"

He deliberately emphasized the words "black‑hearted" and "GaoMing".

"You… what do you mean?!" Su Yanhua's complexion changed abruptly.

"What do I mean?" Jiang Ran scanned the circle of people with perked ears, and said loudly, "What I mean is, that 'all‑heart‑felt' Gold Ring of yours isn't gold at all! It's a copper‑plated fake!"

"Wow—!"

The words struck like thunder on flat ground, instantly blowing the courtyard into a frenzy!

"Fake? That can't be…"

"The Jiang Family youngster must have misread, right?"

"Teacher Wen Bin doesn't seem like that kind of person…"

Su Yanhua, as if struck by lightning, felt a "buzz" in her head and retorted sharply: "You're talking nonsense! Jiang Ran, you're spitting blood‑filled accusations! You just can't stand my happiness! You're jealous of Wen Bin's sincere feelings for me!"

Liu Wenbin's complexion turned paper‑white in an instant, his lips trembling, unable to utter a word, cold sweat instantly breaking out on his forehead.

"I'm jealous of him?" Jiang Ran seemed to hear the world's biggest joke; he grabbed a nearby onlooker, a half‑grown boy, and shouted, "Dog Egg, go! Bring the Magnetite Stone from your mother's stove at home! Quickly!"

The kid called Dog Egg answered and sprinted away.

The courtyard fell silent instantly, all eyes focusing on Su Yanhua's ring and Liu Wenbin's pallid face.

Su Yanhua's heart raced with panic, yet a sliver of hope remained; she shouted with outward bravado but inner fear, "What's the Magnetite Stone for? Stop playing mysterious tricks here!"

Jiang Ran crossed his arms, with time to spare: "Real gold isn't afraid of fire refining, nor is it afraid of Magnetite Stone. If it's fake, it contains iron, and Magnetite Stone will expose it at once."