Nan Siya glanced at Sang Ning, then blushed and coquettishly said to Chen Zheng, "Oh, my sister is still here."
Only then did Chen Zheng "notice" Sang Ning's presence and turned to look at her. "Miss Nan is here too."
Sang Ning smiled faintly. "Mr. Chen."
"Just call me Chen Zheng. You're Siya's sister, and I'm Siya's fiancé—we're practically family." Chen Zheng's tone was polite, but his words carried an air of arrogance.
Sang Ning raised an eyebrow slightly. Ah, so she’d brought a man to back her up.
She was curious to see just what kind of scene Chen Zheng could help Nan Siya put on.
"Tonight's charity gala is mainly for the elite circle's charity auction. Though it's for a good cause, the attendees are all from high society," Chen Zheng said with a faintly dismissive smile. "You might as well broaden your horizons."
Sang Ning remained composed. Did she really need to "broaden her horizons"?
As the eldest daughter of the Xie family for eighteen years, what kind of grandeur hadn’t she seen? She had lived in the Phoenix Algae Palace for half a year, attended imperial banquets and spring hunts hosted by the emperor since childhood.
Processions stretching three streets long, golden halls paved with gold bricks and jade, dragon-carved pillars, walls inlaid with luminous pearls—she had witnessed it all.
And now, this little gala was supposed to impress her?
Sang Ning chuckled lightly, her tone casual. "Yes, just here for the spectacle."
Chen Zheng's smile stiffened slightly, a hint of frustration flashing in his eyes—as if he’d tried to show off but failed.
How pretentious. No wonder Siya couldn’t stand her.
Without further pleasantries, Chen Zheng led them inside to their seats.
The gala was set with round tables, as it wasn’t a formal auction but more of a gathering for the younger elite to socialize. Later, an auctioneer would take the stage for some high-end bidding.
Chen Zheng escorted Nan Siya and Sang Ning to their table, where most of the guests were his and Nan Siya’s friends. They exchanged warm greetings.
"Let me introduce everyone—this is my sister. She just returned and isn’t quite used to things yet, so I brought her out to relax," Nan Siya said sweetly.
The group’s eyes swept over Sang Ning, their gazes laced with condescension. Though Nan Siya introduced her affectionately, they all knew—this lost heiress of the Nan family had just crawled out of the countryside.
A man in a white suit smirked. "This treasure appraisal gala is really losing its standards. Anyone can just tag along now."
Beside him, a woman in a cocktail dress with long, straight black hair glanced at Sang Ning and scoffed. "Can’t stop people from pretending, can we? Our circle’s getting more and more cluttered. Do you even understand what’s going on here?"
Chen Zheng stepped in to mediate. "Come on, give me some face."
"If it weren’t for you, I’d have walked out already," the black-haired woman sneered.
These treasure appraisal auctions were exclusive events for the wealthy to appreciate and acquire rare items. Naturally, they despised outsiders—especially those who knew nothing but came just to show off, dragging down the event’s prestige.
Nan Siya stole a glance at Sang Ning, who remained silent, and inwardly reveled in the moment.
Even she only dared to attend such high-profile events because of Chen Zheng. After all, the Nan family were nouveau riche—what did they know about fine art and antiques?
Sang Ning had acted so high and mighty before, but now, faced with real sophistication, she didn’t dare utter a word.
Nan Siya even feigned concern. "It’s okay, sis. If you don’t understand, just watch quietly. No need to say anything."
The black-haired woman added icily, "And don’t take photos. If I catch you posting our pictures online to boost your own image, my lawyers will be at your door. The only reason I’m tolerating you is my ten-year friendship with Chen Zheng. Don’t push your luck."
Nan Siya was practically giddy, eagerly waiting for Sang Ning to lose her temper like yesterday—to slap someone or flip a table.
But these people weren’t as forgiving as her. If Sang Ning dared to act up, she’d be crushed.
That woman was Zhan Yijun, the infamous heiress of Wuyou Media. Crossing her would be suicide!
All eyes were on Sang Ning, mocking and expectant, waiting for her to embarrass herself.
After a brief silence, Sang Ning finally spoke, her voice calm. "Your so-called ‘standards’ include wearing fakes?"
Zhan Yijun’s face twisted in outrage. "What the hell are you talking about?!"
Sang Ning’s gaze dropped to her wrist. "That gold-inlaid gem bracelet looks familiar. Is it the one worn by the Queen of Southern Qi Dynasty?"
Zhan Yijun’s eyes flickered with surprise—how did this country bumpkin recognize it?
She scoffed, a hint of pride creeping in. "At least you’ve got some taste. Then again, even peasants watch the news. This bracelet’s famous—no surprise you’ve heard of it."
Sang Ning shook her head. "It’s beautiful, but…"
"But what?"
Sang Ning met her eyes, her expression unreadable. "It’s a counterfeit."
Zhan Yijun’s face turned ashen. "What do you know?! This is my family heirloom! You think I’d wear fakes like you?!"
Chen Zheng snapped, "How dare you question the Zhan family’s treasures?! Sang Ning, I only brought you here out of respect for Siya—not to let you ruin everything!"
Sang Ning remained unfazed.
"The Queen of Southern Qi Dynasty’s gold-inlaid gem bracelet was a gift from the king upon her coronation. The outer layer is set with gems, the inner ring carved with nine-tailed phoenixes, symbolizing ascension. But its true value lies in the pearls—not ordinary eastern pearls, but southern pearls from the Western Continent. They’re rounder, warmer in hue. The pearls on your bracelet are too glossy. Clearly, they’re fake."
What’s more, she knew this bracelet intimately.
At seven, she had stayed in the Phoenix Algae Palace to tend to her aunt, the queen. One day, playing around, she had dropped the bracelet, chipping one of its pearls.
Her aunt hadn’t scolded her, simply had it repaired. But by then, centuries had passed since the Southern Qi Dynasty. The Western Continent no longer produced such pearls, so a substitute had to be used—one that differed slightly in color.
Zhan Yijun’s bracelet, however, had pearls so uniform they looked machine-made.
Zhan Yijun’s face cycled through shades of fury and humiliation. She had flaunted this bracelet countless times, boasting of its royal lineage, the phoenix motif that elevated her status.
And now, this nobody from the countryside was calling it fake?!
Chen Zheng hurried to console her. "Yijun, don’t listen to her. She barely even went to school—what does she know?"
Sang Ning shrugged. "If you don’t believe me, check the history books. The Queen of Southern Qi Dynasty’s bracelet was prized for its Western Continent pearls. Yours clearly has eastern pearls."
"You—!"
Zhan Yijun was seething, her pride in tatters, yet she couldn’t refute a single word.
She had never been so humiliated in her life.
Nan Siya was utterly stunned. How dare Sang Ning spout such nonsense here! What would a country bumpkin like her know about eastern pearls or southern pearls?
"Sister, stop talking nonsense! Do you even realize what kind of occasion this is? Hurry up and apologize to Miss Zhan!"
Sang Ning turned to look at her. "No need to fret, little sister. Miss Zhan has Chen Zheng to protect her. Why bother yourself? They’ve shared over a decade of camaraderie—who knows, their bond might even run deeper than yours."
Nan Siya froze on the spot.
Zhan Yijun nearly exploded, her voice shrill as she shrieked, "What nonsense are you spouting!?"
Sang Ning smiled politely. "What I meant was, Miss Zhan and Chen Zheng share a very close relationship. Of course, I understand that someone of Miss Zhan’s status would never stoop to fancying him. At most, she’d just keep him around as..."
She paused, carefully recalling a term she’d recently learned, then landed on the perfect word:
"A backup."
