Chapter 107: Miss Y, the Design Genius Who Burst Onto the Scene

Although Jiang Ciyou’s heart was turbulent, she did not let it show. After a moment of silence, she said, "Can you reserve a room for me here?"

Yin Ruyun was stunned for a moment, then her face lit up with extreme delight. "Yes, yes, of course! I’ll go tidy up a room for you right now."

This apartment was a small three-bedroom unit. Aside from the master bedroom and the room belonging to Jiang Xiaoxiao, there was one guest room available. Yin Ruyun finished cleaning it quickly. "Miss Jiang, this room is yours from now on. Whenever you want to eat my cooking, just come over anytime."

Jiang Ciyou nodded. "Thank you."

As soon as Jiang Ciyou left the Jinxiu Garden complex, she received a call from Jiang Jinhui.

"Xiaoyou, come home for dinner tonight. Your mother misses you very much."

"I had Auntie Yu prepare your favorite durian egg custard. It’s been such a long time since Dad has seen you."

This was the first time Jiang Jinhui had called her since she severed ties with the Jiang family. His tone was incredibly gentle, even carrying a hint of ingratiation.

Jiang Ciyou’s voice, however, was strangely calm. "Mr. Jiang, I have no relationship with you all anymore. Please do not call me again."

"Xiaoyou, why are you so stubborn? It’s been so long. I know I wronged you on your birthday, but surely that’s not reason enough to truly cut ties?"

"You grew up held in the palms of your parents' hands. Just think about it—how have we treated you all these years? Can't your parents make a single mistake?"

"Besides, we didn’t end up adopting Xia Ling, and we even made Xiaoxiao apologize to you. What more could you possibly be dissatisfied with?"

"Don't be so willful. Come back tonight; Dad has things to tell you."

Jiang Ciyou hung up the phone directly. She had already guessed what Jiang Jinhui wanted to say. The registration for the Paris Design Competition was about to close. Every year at this time, Jiang Ciyou would enter under the name of the brand "Qing Ben Jia Ren." Even during the three years she had been away from the Jiang family, Jiang Jinhui would seek her out at this time every year.

Jiang Ciyou knew that Jiang Jinhui would never give up. After all, "Qing Ben Jia Ren" had not produced a hit product in years. Every year, they relied on Jiang Ciyou winning international awards to gain visibility and boost their reputation. Jiang Ciyou remembered that whenever she won an award, the stock for "Qing Ben Jia Ren" would surge for a period.

The next day, Yan Chengye called Jiang Ciyou, inviting her to dinner in a private room at the Grand Hyatt Hotel. The reason given was that it was his and Feng Yuping’s wedding anniversary. Jiang Ciyou did not refuse; she even prepared a gift for them.

However, when Jiang Ciyou arrived at the private room at the Grand Hyatt, she saw not only Yan Chengye and Feng Yuping but also the entire Jiang family. And, of course, Yan Feng.

Jiang Ciyou hadn't seen Yan Feng for over half a month. He looked much darker and thinner. He sat quietly in his seat. When Jiang Ciyou entered, he looked up briefly but did not greet her, quickly averting his gaze. A deep sense of exhaustion seemed to linger between his brows.

Seeing Yan Feng wasn't surprising, as it was his parents' anniversary. But with Jiang Jinhui, Feng Yuping, and even Jiang Xiaoxiao present, Jiang Ciyou understood the situation immediately.

Yan Chengye stood up as soon as he saw her. "Xiaoyou, it’s a rare opportunity today, so I invited your parents to join us. Come, take a seat."

Feng Yuping rolled her eyes at Yan Chengye but said nothing. After all, the Yan and Jiang families were long-time friends, and Yan Chengye and Jiang Jinhui had grown up together. Since Jiang Jinhui had personally come to beg Yan Chengye to help mend the father-daughter relationship, Yan Chengye had no reason to refuse.

In truth, all of this was within Jiang Ciyou’s expectations. She walked in gracefully. "Mom and Dad, happy anniversary." She handed the gift she had prepared to Feng Yuping.

Feng Yuping opened it and gasped in amazement. "Isn't this the customized bracelet from QUEEN? It’s a limited global release. Mrs. Li is a VIP client of theirs and couldn't even get one. How did you manage to buy this?"

The price of this bracelet wasn't astronomically high, but the rule for its release was that only the top 100 VIP customers of the year were eligible to order it. Even then, they had to race to snag one through a sales associate the moment it was released. Because the quota was so limited, even for a VIP, the chance of successfully purchasing one was only about ten percent. Simply put, for this design, the price was just a formality; it was meant to showcase the financial power and status of their VIP clients. Anyone wearing this bracelet was known to be one of their top 100 big spenders, requiring an annual spend of at least 100 million. Wearing it out was a symbol of status and wealth.

Feng Yuping was captivated, but she found it strange. "This is only available to super VIPs. I’ve never seen you buy QUEEN jewelry before."

Jiang Xiaoxiao sneered from the side, "Jiang Ciyou, you didn't buy a fake to fool Auntie Feng, did you? If she wears that out, she’ll be a laughingstock."

Feng Yuping was instantly displeased. "What are you saying? I’ve been shopping for years; do you think I can’t tell a fake from the real thing? QUEEN’s jewelry uses a unique cutting technique that only they possess; no one else can imitate it. This is clearly authentic."

Jiang Xiaoxiao’s expression soured. "Even if Jiang Ciyou isn't short on money, there is no way she is a super VIP client of QUEEN. Where could she have possibly gotten this bracelet?"

QUEEN’s jewelry wasn't something ordinary people could buy. It was absurdly expensive and incredibly scarce. When she had sent that eight-million-dollar necklace to the old matriarch, she had to purchase millions in other goods just to qualify for an entry-level piece. If she couldn't buy it, how could Jiang Ciyou get her hands on such a high-end item?

Feng Yuping said protectively, "Don't say that. I can tell this is authentic at a glance. Even if it were a fake, as long as it was a gift from Xiaoyou, it’s a treasure, and I would love it."

Feng Yuping knew it was authentic, but she also knew Jiang Ciyou couldn't possibly be a super VIP. For a moment, she wasn't sure how Jiang Ciyou had obtained the necklace—perhaps not through standard channels. To avoid giving Jiang Xiaoxiao any leverage, she had to say it that way.

Jiang Ciyou smiled slightly. "I’m friends with Miss Y, one of the designers at QUEEN. I got this bracelet through her."

The world chased after QUEEN, often forgetting that it was actually a new brand that had only been established for three years. It was rumored that there were very few designers there, and they were all mysterious, identifying themselves only by letters. X, Y, and Z were the three highest-ranked designers at QUEEN and were also the brand's partners. Miss Y, in particular, was known for her unique and distinct style, characterized by a low-key luxury that was highly sought after by the nobility. In recent years, her pieces were always the most expensive.

Jiang Xiaoxiao didn't believe it at all and scoffed, "Everyone knows QUEEN's headquarters is in the capital. How could someone like you, who has lived in Rongcheng your whole life, be friends with Miss Y? Miss Y is a design genius who appeared out of nowhere and became world-famous. Is someone like that someone you can just climb up to and claim as a friend? How shameless."