17: Vacheron Constantin

These five words were like a heavy hammer, smashing ruthlessly into her heart. Her face instantly turned pale, and her fingers tightened around her phone.

A bone-chilling cold rushed from the soles of her feet to the top of her head, making her break out in a cold sweat.

Unwilling to give up, she sent another message, only for a heartless red exclamation mark to appear next to it. Yes, Zhang Yixi had deleted her... At this moment, her heart was like dead ashes. Chen Li had seen her friend request long ago; it wasn't that he hadn't noticed, but that he simply didn't want to respond.

In his eyes, she had already become 'trash' that wasn't worth recycling.

Only at this moment did true fear pour down like ice water, making her whole body tremble.

She realized clearly—she might lose Chen Li forever. Overwhelming regret flooded her heart, but it was too late to say anything now... Liu Manman's low mood didn't affect anyone else; only Meng Yu, who was paying attention to her, noticed her abnormality.

After a moment of hesitation, Meng Yu decided to mention this to Chen Li—

"Hubby, Manman went with me to pick up the car today... the salesperson mentioned you."

"Looking at her reaction then, she probably guessed we're together. She looks like she's in a pretty bad state right now."

"Don't pay her any mind. This woman was desperately trying to add me back on WeChat before."

"I ignored her. Whatever happens to her now has nothing to do with us."

"Sigh, alright then," Meng Yu sighed softly.

"By the way, are you free tomorrow? Drive your new car and accompany me for a stroll." Chen Li took the opportunity to ask her out.

"Of course I am! When do you want to go? I can take some time off."

"Then let's make it tomorrow morning. Accompany me to buy some things."

"Okay."

...Also distracted was Liu Yu. Ever since she met Meng Yu today, she had been wanting to contact Chen Li.

She craved that kind of life too much—driving luxury cars and enjoying the envious gazes of everyone.

She didn't have a family background like Li Tingting's; she could only rely on her own efforts or find a wealthy partner.

Although she had found Chen Li now, she knew very well that she was at most 'number three,' and perhaps her ranking was even lower.

How could a wealthy man like Chen Li only have one or two women by his side?

When Li Tingting asked about Meng Yu's background, she naturally didn't tell the truth, not wanting another strong competitor.

One must know that Li Tingting was superior to her in both Appearance and Figure.

Combined with her well-to-do family background, she was simply the ideal candidate for a perfect match.

Upon learning that Li Tingting planned to invite Meng Yu to join their small circle, Liu Yu knew all too well what kind of circle that was—

A small group composed of second-generation rich and wealthy people, exchanging resources and facilitating cooperation; it was a shortcut to leap across social classes.

She had never desired so strongly to be a part of it as she did now.

In the past, she didn't dare to dream, but now, through her relationship with Chen Li, she seemed to see a glimmer of possibility.

People are just like that; desiring more is a nature etched into their bones... On the second floor of MixC, the air was filled with a faint fragrance, and the smooth, mirror-like floor reflected the brilliant lights.

Exquisite luxury items were displayed in meticulously designed windows, silently exuding a cold aura that warned commoners to stay away.

For the vast majority of ordinary people, every item here was something to be viewed from afar but never hoped for.

Meng Yu held Chen Li's arm. In such an environment, she felt both excited and a bit timid: "Hubby, what do you want to buy today?"

"Buying watches," Chen Li smiled slightly. "Let's buy a couple's set."

"Huh? Cou... couple's watches?" Meng Yu was stunned for a moment, and then an indescribable joy instantly flooded her entire body.

The words 'couple's watches' meant far more than just a valuable gift.

It was a declaration, a binding, meaning that her name, Meng Yu, would be closely linked with Chen Li as his publicly acknowledged partner.

[Meng Yu]

[Affection Level: +58]

[Figure: 73]

[Appearance: 68]

[number of times kun: 0]

[number of kunners: 0]

Noticing the numbers jumping on the system panel, Chen Li understood—couple's watches had clearly hit the mark with Meng Yu's emotions, making her feel valued from the bottom of her heart.

Buying couple's watches was indeed a decision Chen Li had made after careful consideration. Famous watches were expensive and were a logical choice for completing high-spending goals.

Not only was it a reasonable expenditure, but it also further consolidated the emotional bond between him and Meng Yu, killing two birds with one stone.

Vacheron Constantin—Les Cabinotiers 'soaring swallow' couple's watches.

This series could be considered the pinnacle of Vacheron Constantin, a custom field created specifically for top collectors.

Each watch condensed months or even years of effort from master watchmakers; they were not just timekeeping tools, but artistic treasures worth passing down.

Because they used completely customized designs and incorporated a large amount of complex craftsmanship and rare materials,

Their prices were naturally high, often with no clear upper limit.

Chen Li had already browsed images and introductions of this series on the official website—on a low-key and restrained deep blue dial,

The elegant posture of a soaring swallow was outlined using fine micro-carving and mother-of-pearl inlay techniques, reflecting delicate gradient lusters under the light.

It wasn't overly flashy, yet it exuded the aesthetic depth of high-end watchmaking everywhere. He liked it very much at first sight.

According to the reference prices he found, the men's model was about five million yuan, while the women's model was slightly lower, at about four million yuan.

Calculating based on Meng Yu's current Affection Level, he would be able to obtain a cashback of over 240 million yuan.

Compared to those previous small-scale expenditures, this truly could be called a meteoric rise, an explosive gain that crossed social classes.

He suppressed the excitement in his heart and looked up to see his destination—the elegantly decorated Vacheron Constantin boutique.

He led Meng Yu straight inside, and a staff member in formal attire immediately stepped forward with a professional smile.

"Good morning, Sir, Madam. How may I help you?"

"Hello, we'd like to take a look at the 'soaring swallow' series couple's watches."

A flash of surprise crossed the staff member's eyes, and her attitude became even more respectful: "Please wait a moment. This series needs to be brought out by the manager for your viewing."

She spoke a few words softly into her walkie-talkie.

A moment later, a middle-aged man who looked like the manager personally wearing white gloves carefully took out a pair of watches from the inner safe,

Placed them on a tray covered with black velvet, and solemnly presented them to them.

"Sir, Madam, please take a look. These are the 'soaring swallow' series couple's watches you asked about."

The manager put on his white gloves and carefully removed the watches from the tray, his voice carrying an irrepressible pride.