Chapter 157

Lin Meng's mind instantly sprang to Ye Chenjing's handsome face.

The Ye family patriarch is already that old; he definitely couldn't be the one.

Ye Chenyu isn't exactly fashionable, and he doesn't seem like the type to craft romance—so this dress certainly wasn't custom-made by him.

That leaves only Ye Chenjing as the possibility.

Lin Meng's heart sank for no reason, and her previously pleasant mood suddenly turned a bit gloomy.

She knew what was happening to her, so she hastily drew a deep breath, trying to shake off those negative emotions.

What does Ye Chenjing's business have to do with me?

If he wants to custom-make a skirt to give to a girl, that's his own business.

Lin Meng didn't want to admit that she felt a twinge of jealousy—it came out of nowhere, leaving her unprepared.

But she also knew that a man as outstanding as Ye Chenjing—rich, capable, and incredibly handsome—was hard not to be attracted to.

Does he already have someone in mind? Is he planning to propose?

Any woman who could marry into the Ye family would surely have a formidable background.

Indeed, in the eyes of the elite, matching social standing is a prerequisite that outweighs love.

Ye Chenjing is a smart man; he surely knows what kind of person would be his ideal match.

Lin Meng drew a deep breath, set aside those improper thoughts, and forced a smile.

Li Sister beside her seemed to sense that Lin Meng's mood was off, didn't dare to guess, and only ventured to say:

"Miss Lin, the manager said that Mr. Ye is the head of Ye Group—the man at the pinnacle of the whole business empire. For him to order a custom skirt like this is just a snap of his fingers, effortless; there's no need for us to envy."

"By contrast, I prefer little romantic gestures; if I accepted a skirt worth a fortune, I'd still feel a psychological burden."

Li Sister thought Lin Meng was envious, so she said that to comfort her.

If Ye Chenjing heard that, he'd surely want to tear out Li Sister's heart.

The skirt he had painstakingly custom-made was dismissed by Li Sister as worthless.

The crucial part is that he said it right in front of Lin Meng.

Unfortunately, Ye Chenjing wasn't there.

Lin Meng heard this, smiled, and said:

"What you say is true—accepting such a gift dress also comes at a cost."

To the elite, there's only business; equivalent exchange is the most basic rule of the game.

Instead of envying the girl who will soon receive this fairy dress, she should consider that the girl's sacrifice might be no less than the dress itself.

No matter what, Ye Chenjing is still a businessman; he couldn't possibly make an unrewarded sacrifice.

If Ye Chenjing knew Lin Meng's thoughts, he'd probably break down in the dead of night—unfortunately he doesn't know...

The manager's remarks left Lin Qianqian feeling embarrassed.

Upon seeing the dress, she couldn't move; a thousand thoughts raced through her mind to buy it.

But she had no money or confidence, so she could only try it on temporarily; even snapping a few photos would be a gain.

Later she could show it to those women, making them green with envy.

"What's the harm in trying? That Mr. Ye you mentioned couldn't be Ye Chenjing of Ye Group, could it? I know him—just tell him it's Lin Meng from Yun Cheng wanting to try it on, and he'll agree."

Just mentioning Ye Chenjing makes Lin Qianqian's heart clench.

It's all because of that jinx; if not for her, I might already have married Ye Chenjing by now.

He's the hottest guy around, and yet I let him slip through my fingers.

Hearing that, the manager felt a pang of suspicion.

But just then, another employee nearby seemed to recall something, his expression suddenly shifted, and he pulled the manager aside.

She whispered to the manager:

"Mr. Ye apparently told the person in charge earlier that the owner of this skirt bears the surname Lin; I happened to overhear the person in charge mention it once."

The manager's expression shifted; he didn't dare decide rashly, so he went out to call and confirm.

Lin Haocheng saw the manager actually go make a call and felt a bit puzzled.

"Sister, the Ye Chenjing you mentioned couldn't be the one our family had a childhood engagement with, could it?"

Lin Qianqian nodded.

"It's him, brother; just thinking about it makes me angry. You say Lin Meng that bitch—does she have a screw loose? Such a good match, and she ruined it!"

Lin Haocheng was also furious, gritting his teeth.

"That bitch—I wish I could kill her; she's utterly stupid! If she doesn't want to marry, she could let you have it—what a great opportunity! Our Lin family's future, ruined entirely by her alone!"

"She's our nemesis! Whenever I hate her so much my teeth itch, I curse her to die early—her being alive is a disaster!"

The brother and sister muttered quietly; nearby staff saw their demeanor and knew they were gossiping, but couldn't make out the details.

But Lin Meng's hearing was sharp; she heard every word clearly.

She approached with a stern expression, and just as the two were cursing her, she suddenly spoke in a cold tone:

"You two, don't you know that badmouthing people behind their backs will rot your mouth?"

This sudden voice startled the Lin Qianqian siblings.

Turning around, they saw it was Lin Meng; both froze, but soon their expressions turned vicious.

"Lin Meng! How dare you show up here?"

Lin Qianqian gritted her teeth, glaring hatefully at Lin Meng; the painstakingly crafted scheming makeup had lost all beauty, destroyed by malice.

Lin Haocheng followed suit, shouting abuse at Lin Meng, utterly lacking any humanity.

Without a word, the siblings displayed sheer malice, leaving the nearby staff and Li Sister dumbfounded.

Li Sister snapped to her senses, stepped forward, and rebutted on Lin Meng's behalf.

"You two little beasts, keep your mouths clean, Miss Lin is a distinguished guest here—what do you think you are?"

Another staff member also walked up to Lin Meng, bowed respectfully, then turned and glared dissatisfiedly at Lin Qianqian and the other.

"You two, please mind your manners! Our studio is an elegant place; we have the right to eject anyone who behaves uncivilized!"

Lin Haocheng heard this and burst out laughing, pointing at Lin Meng.

"Her? Your distinguished guest? Don't think I don't know—the threshold to get in here is as high as a hundred million!"

Lin Meng curled her lips into a smile and looked at Lin Haocheng teasingly.

"A hundred million—is that a lot?"

Lin Haocheng heard this and his heart skipped a beat.

No, what does Lin Meng mean? Looking at her demeanor, she seems completely confident—could it be?

Lin Qianqian hated Lin Meng to the bone; hearing her say that, she immediately felt Lin Meng was putting on an act.

"Lin Meng, who do you think you are? A hundred million is not some petty ten or twenty thousand."

"Don't think that just because you got lucky and made a little money, you're a big shot—you could never get into this place in a lifetime."

"Tell me, how did you manage to get in here? Or are you just here to be someone's lackey?"