Chapter 14: The Missing Ring

A luxurious black Mercedes pulled up outside Qinglang Hotel. Out stepped two young ladies dressed in all their finery.
After a disdainful glance at the guards on either side, I swept through the middle of the entrance with all the grandeur of a princess arriving at court. Jiajia followed close behind.
The staff began whispering.
“Isn’t that the girl who was always in the general manager’s office?”
“Tang Yijun. That’s her.”
“She certainly looks important. Rich, too.”
“If she’s with Miss Jiajia, she’s probably from a wealthy family.”
“No wonder…”
“You haven’t offended her, have you?”
“Fortunately, no.”
At reception, I produced my ID.
“Your best room.”
The receptionist greeted me with a professional smile. But something about my murderous expression made her hand tremble.
Room key secured, I stepped into the elevator with a wicked little smile. The doors slowly closed.
Ji Feiyang, here I come.
Jiajia and I sprawled across the bed.
“What are you planning?”
“Wait and see. Let’s order something first.”
A call to room service soon brought dish after dish to our table.
“Wait.”
One mouthful was enough to stop the attendant before she left.
“How are we supposed to eat food this cold?”
Jiajia tried a piece of meat.
“It isn’t—”
“If I say it’s cold, it’s cold. Replace everything.”
The attendant looked taken aback.
“Miss, these dishes have just come from the kitchen.”
“And that means they’re hot? What kind of service is this? All these excuses over replacing a few dishes, and you call yourselves a five-star hotel. I could make a complaint.”
She obediently collected the food.
Next, the television remote disappeared beneath the covers. All the disposable toothbrushes and toothpaste in the bathroom went into the bin.
Then I called to complain.
Before long, someone introducing himself as one of the hotel managers came to sort things out. After a puzzled look around the room, he spoke with impeccable courtesy.
“I’m sorry. Our staff must have overlooked them. We’ll have replacements brought up immediately.”
“Immediately? How soon is that? I want to brush my teeth now. I want to watch television now. Nothing’s here. What’s going on?”
“They’ll be here right away.”
My temper sent him hastily out to find a remote and toothbrushes.
Jiajia and I doubled over laughing.
After a while, she said, “This isn’t much fun.”
A moment’s thought.
“Then let’s do something bigger.”
Out in the corridor, I hammered on door after door.
“There’s a bomb in the hotel! Everyone, get out!”
Men, women, old people, children—everyone came rushing out. Some hadn’t even finished dressing.
From floor to floor I went, knocking and shouting, ducking out of sight whenever staff appeared. Downstairs soon descended into chaos.
Just as I was enjoying myself, a turn in the corridor brought me face-to-face with Yan Rong.
Ji Feiyang’s mother.
Well, she hadn’t seen me do anything.
Putting on the air of someone merely passing through, I made to stroll past.
“Miss Tang.”
She stopped me.
“Do you find this amusing?”
That voice could have rivaled Abbess Miejue herself. Cold as the tiles on the wall.
“Are… are you talking to me?”
Her hand closed around my wrist.
“Come downstairs.”
Until meeting her, I’d thought myself quite fierce and formidable. Now I knew what it meant to meet your match—and then some.
She pulled me into the lobby, where Ji Feiyang and Jiajia were already waiting. Jiajia stared at me in terror, both her plump hands clutching her bag.
Yan Rong drew me into the middle of the noisy, frightened crowd.
“Was this the young woman knocking on your doors?”
“Yes, yes. That’s her.”
“Definitely her.”
Before a word could leave my mouth, she cut off any argument.
“We have the security footage, too.”
Nothing to say to that.
It had only been a prank, a way to get back at Ji Feiyang. The cameras overhead had never crossed my mind, let alone the possibility of bringing Yan Rong down on me.
“It was a false alarm. Please return to your rooms. There’s nothing to worry about.”
Smiling, she reassured the guests and sent them upstairs.
Once the crowd had dispersed, she turned a cold face toward Ji Feiyang.
“She’s your classmate’s younger sister. Deal with her yourself.”
For a moment, I thought she was letting me off.
Then she came close and spoke into my ear.
“Cause trouble in this hotel again, Miss Tang, and don’t expect me to be so civil.”
Only then did she leave.
Jiajia let out a long breath and rushed over.
“You scared me to death! Absolutely to death!”
My composure had returned. There might have been a tiny flicker of fear earlier, but it was gone now.
“You have no idea how frightening my aunt can be. Thank goodness she let you off. I was terrified for you…”
“What are you afraid of? She wasn’t going to eat me.”
Ji Feiyang approached and gestured toward the exit.
“This way, Tang Yijun.”
He didn’t look angry. There was even a smile at the corner of his mouth. Probably because his mother had already put me in my place.
A few steps toward the door, then I turned back with a sly smile.
“You’ll regret this. Just wait.”
Jiajia had no idea what I meant. She was afraid of Ji Feiyang, too, and hurriedly pulled me outside.
We went to a café and took a table by the window. With a white porcelain cup in hand, I savored my coffee sip by sip, utterly relaxed and pleased with myself.
“What’s made you so happy?” Jiajia asked. “Found some money?”
“Something like that.”
The cup went down.
She brightened at once.
“What happened? Tell me.”
My closed fist extended across the table.
She stared at it eagerly.
“What is it?”
Opening my fingers revealed a diamond ring. The stone in the center glittered brilliantly.
Her face fell a little.
“Just a ring?”
“Wait and see.”
My fingers closed over it again.
Right on cue, Ji Feiyang called.
“Tang Yijun, have you got a ring?”
“Ring? No idea.”
“Stop fooling around. This isn’t something to joke about. An elderly couple are frantic looking for it.”
“What? What did you say? I can’t hear you.”
“Where are you?”
“Me? I’m having coffee. There aren’t that many cafés around here. Ten or so, perhaps. Take your time looking.”
Laughing, I hung up.
“Whose ring did you take?” Jiajia asked anxiously.
No answer from me. My coffee deserved more attention.
Her phone rang. Before she could pick up, I snatched it.
Ji Feiyang, of course.
“I’ll be waiting in a café. Happy hunting.”
Jiajia went pale.
“You… you took my cousin’s ring?”
“Took? I found it. And it isn’t his.”
“Found it? In the hotel?”
“Mm.”
She nudged my hand.
“You’d better return it. Don’t let this get out of hand.”
“As if I want this stupid ring. They can come and get it themselves. Why should I deliver it?”
My coffee was a pleasure. Jiajia seemed unable to taste hers.
Ji Feiyang certainly had his work cut out for him. He searched the cafés one by one, and after more than two hours, he finally found us.
His eyes were blazing.
Out came his hand.
“What?”
I went on drinking.
He took the cup away. His stern expression was enough to frighten anyone.
“Pranks are one thing, Tang Yijun, but there are limits. Taking someone else’s property is against the law. If they press the matter, that makes you a thief. You’re not a minor anymore. How can you not understand that?”
Thief?
That brought me to my feet.
“Who are you calling a thief? Say it clearly. Who’s a thief? Don’t you dare make accusations like that!”
At the sight of my anger, he reined in his own. He still wanted the ring back, after all. A little courtesy would be necessary.
“Miss Tang, I apologize for what I just said. I hope you’ll be generous enough to forgive me.”
Much better.
Retrieving my coffee, I sat down and resumed drinking as though nothing had happened.
“What would it take for you to return the ring?”
“Is it yours?”
One eyebrow rose.
“It belongs to a guest. I have a duty to recover it.”
“Then I’m terribly sorry. I haven’t seen any ring.”
My expression was perfectly innocent.
“How about this? Give it to me, and I’ll owe you a favor. You can decide how I repay it.”
Hands on his hips, he kept his voice low.
Jiajia hurried to help.
“Yes, Yijun. Just give him the ring. My cousin keeps his promises.”
When I showed no sign of moving, she added, “I’ll be your witness.”
Still no ring.
Ji Feiyang sat opposite me.
“It belongs to a couple in their seventies. The husband gave it to his wife for their golden wedding anniversary. She says he hardly ever gave her anything throughout their marriage, except this ring. She wears it around her neck every day. Now that it’s gone, she’s beside herself. People their age can’t take that sort of shock. If something happens to her…”
Pranks were one thing. Doing something truly heartless was another.
Now that he’d put it like that, what if I kept the ring and the old lady died? Wouldn’t that make it my fault?
The ring went onto the table.
“Here. Remember, you owe me a favor. And I found it. I didn’t steal it.”
Ji Feiyang gave me a grateful smile.
On his way out, he tossed back one last remark.
“Oh, there’s no elderly couple.”
“Ji Feiyang!”