Whoever Falls in Love First is the Dog - Chapter 42

Chapter 42: In the Past, This Wouldn’t Be Called a Warehouse, It Would Be a Treasure Pavilion…

Shen Mengke was not a good actress. A good actress wouldn’t be influenced by external distractions—be it real gold and silver, or even priceless treasures.

The Xia family arrived in Jiangcheng in the afternoon. Xia Lingxuan, eager to meet Shen Mengke, asked the others to go to the hotel first while she and Chen Yanxing went ahead.

“Aunt Xia, I’ll go with you,” Shen Jingli offered.

Since Xia Jihe couldn’t leave the province casually, Shen Jingli volunteered to accompany Xia Lingxuan. Of course, she had her own reasons for coming. After all, it was she who recommended the doctor treating Xia Lingxuan’s leg. From any angle, it made sense for her to come along.

Xia Lingxuan nodded. “Lin Qian, bring all the gifts. Don’t forget any.”

“What gifts?” Chen Yanxing couldn’t help but glance at the boxes Lin Qian was picking up.

Xia Lingxuan smiled. “It’s our first time meeting her, so of course we should bring some presents. We didn’t have time to prepare anything too fancy, though.”

Chen Yanxing nodded. As long as it wasn’t too extravagant. Right now, she wasn’t inclined to accept anything from the Xia family. Since she had chosen to leave, it was better not to leave any hope behind.

Chen Yanxing had wondered how Shen Mengke would act. But when she actually saw her, she was still taken aback.

Shen Mengke opened the door wearing pajamas. Without even looking at anyone, she turned around and went back to the living room, leaving Xia Lingxuan and Lin Qian in an awkward silence.

Chen Yanxing walked in first, slinging her arm around Shen Mengke’s shoulder and whispering something. Only then did Shen Mengke lazily look back, scanning the room.

“Disposable slippers are in the shoe cabinet…”

She trailed off when her gaze landed on Shen Jingli.

“Shen Jingli? What’s she doing here?” she immediately whispered to Chen Yanxing.

“Oh, she’s supposedly my sister-in-law,” Chen replied.

Shen Mengke frowned. “You want me to act in front of her? I might be ruined by tomorrow!”

They were all in the same industry—one wrong step and someone could hold something over your head. Who knew if this would be the straw that broke the camel’s back?

“Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered. Just ignore her.”

“You?” Shen Mengke looked up at her with disdain. “You’re not acting like a Chen family heiress or a Xia family daughter. What makes you think you can say that?”

Chen Yanxing smiled. “Don’t forget, I’ve got a powerful friend.”

“Relax. I’ll make sure you always have a strong backer in this life.”

Shen Mengke glanced at her again. Why suddenly talk about ‘this life’?

“Xixi.” Xia Lingxuan suddenly called to Chen Yanxing. She had been watching the two whispering and felt quite uneasy.

Chen Yanxing turned around. Seeing they had already changed their shoes, she gently nudged Shen Mengke. “Let’s go.”

Shen Mengke sneered and flopped onto the sofa, picking up her phone. “Sit wherever. Oh, Chen Yanxing, I’m hungry.”

“I’ll cook then.”

With a bright smile, Chen Yanxing went into the kitchen. The two of them carried on like nobody else was in the room, making Xia Lingxuan and Lin Qian exchange complicated glances. Only Shen Jingli stood silently with folded arms, watching them.

No mother wants to see her daughter being bossed around like that. Xia Lingxuan was no different.

So she nudged Lin Qian toward the kitchen, and Shen Jingli helped wheel her to the sofa.

Shen Mengke glanced up from her phone just briefly before her gaze involuntarily landed on Shen Jingli again. But Shen Jingli remained a silent observer, saying nothing, doing nothing—just sitting quietly.

Xia Lingxuan forced a smile as she opened a red gift box. “Mengke, right? We came on short notice and didn’t have time to find out your preferences, so we brought a few things.”

The box was angled toward Shen Mengke, who could clearly see rows of wooden jewelry cases inside.

She only glanced at it, then quickly looked back at her phone. She was curious, yes—but she remained professional.

Xia Lingxuan wasn’t offended. She calmly opened each box one by one and placed them on the table.

“Not sure what style you like, so we brought a bit of everything.”

Shen Mengke looked up nonchalantly—but once she saw what was inside, she couldn’t look away.

Different colored jade bracelets, all laid out in front of her.

Her hand clenched tightly around her phone. She wasn’t some saint—faced with such temptation, she couldn’t pretend to be unaffected. So she immediately stood up and walked toward the kitchen without a word.

In the kitchen, Lin Qian and Chen Yanxing were busy. It was clear that Chen Yanxing really liked Shen Mengke. But Lin Qian didn’t approve of Shen Mengke’s brash style, so she kept dropping subtle hints.

Chen Yanxing understood, but stayed quiet—until Shen Mengke appeared.

Seeing guests working in her kitchen made Shen Mengke feel awkward, but remembering her agreement with Chen Yanxing, she pretended not to see it.

“I can’t keep this up,” she whispered. “Your mom just gave me a bunch of bracelets.”

Chen Yanxing: “???”

“Aunt Xia’s way too generous.”

Back in the living room, Shen Jingli, seeing Shen Mengke abruptly walk off, couldn’t help but comment, “Look at her—she doesn’t even try to show respect. Why bother?”

Xia Lingxuan just smiled faintly and continued unpacking another box. “You see, she doesn’t look like someone who’d be money-hungry at all…”

“Wow!”

Before she could finish, they heard a genuine gasp. They looked up to see Shen Mengke walking back with an apple in hand, eyes locked on the new batch of jewelry.

Bracelets, earrings, necklaces, rings…

An entire table full of sparkling, expensive gold and gemstone jewelry. Who wouldn’t be dazzled?

And Shen Mengke’s role right now? A gold digger! Someone who was with Chen Yanxing for money!

So Shen Mengke returned to the sofa, picked up a sapphire teardrop earring and held it to her ear in front of her phone, her face glowing with excitement and satisfaction.

No acting required—she genuinely loved it.

Though the behavior was a bit impolite, Xia Lingxuan was delighted. “Do you like it? Let Auntie help you put it on.”

Without waiting for a reply, she took the earring from her and clipped it on.

Sitting in her wheelchair, she leaned forward awkwardly to reach Shen Mengke. It was both exhausting and risky, prompting Shen Mengke to subtly shift to make it easier for her.

As she sat up, the earring dangled beside her neck, the blue gem reflecting the sunlight, casting sparkles on her pale skin. Stunning.

“Beautiful!” Xia Lingxuan gushed. She grabbed the other earring to put it on, but Shen Mengke quickly removed the first one.

Her heart was racing. She was dangerously close to giving in.

Tossing the earring back into its box, she looked away from the glittering table and asked Xia Lingxuan, “Are there more?”

“Huh?” Xia Lingxuan blinked, glanced at the table overflowing with jewelry, then quickly nodded. She pulled out her phone. “All of this is in our warehouse. Take a look—if you like anything, I’ll have it delivered tomorrow.”

Shen Mengke took the phone. Before she looked at the screen, she still had her arrogant expression. But when she saw it—she couldn’t hide her surprise.

It wasn’t just photos. It was like an online catalog—each item neatly listed, complete with descriptions. From different dynasties, with every detail included. It had more treasures than some museums.

In ancient times, this wouldn’t be called a warehouse—it’d be a treasure pavilion…

She blinked, tried to stay calm, and casually scrolled through the catalog. She picked two Tang dynasty vases and a Ming dynasty jewelry set. She thought she was pushing her luck.

But Xia Lingxuan just laughed. “Didn’t expect you to have such good taste! That jade vase is part of a set. Xixi broke one as a child—there are nine left. And that jewelry set has a matching headpiece I never catalogued. I’ll send it with a wedding dress later.”

Shen Mengke: “???”

Wait—she wasn’t being too greedy?

A disrespectful junior acting aloof toward a generous elder, and she still gets what she wants?

She felt guilty accepting it all, but she couldn’t reject it outright either. So she once again dragged Chen Yanxing into the bedroom.

SLAM. The door shut.

“I can’t do this! Is she stupid or what? I ask, and she gives? Or is my acting really that bad?”

For the first time, Shen Mengke doubted her own professional skills. Frustration colored her face.

Chen Yanxing silently processed her words, just as baffled.

Shen Jingli, having seen the whole thing, was also confused. As someone in the same industry, she could tell Shen Mengke was acting.

But… did Xia Lingxuan see through it?

“Aunt Xia,” she couldn’t help asking, “why are you indulging her like this? She clearly only loves money.”

Xia Lingxuan chuckled. “If she didn’t love money, I wouldn’t know what to do. But we’re not short on money, and since Xixi likes her so much, if loving money helps her stay with Xixi, I’d give her everything we have.”

“Besides, Xixi doesn’t want to come home. If this girl’s greed for money brings her back, I won’t consider it a bad trade.”

“She’s pretty and doesn’t look like a bad person. Loving money is just a hobby.”

Shen Jingli agreed Shen Mengke didn’t look evil, but as for the rest…

“Aunt Xia, maybe you should think it over. Someone like her might hurt… Xixi… for money.”

That gave Xia Lingxuan pause. “Ah, right. I shouldn’t give her all the money.”

Shen Jingli: “…”

She used to think the welcome gift she got when she first dated Xia Jihe was already over the top.

She hadn’t imagined this level of extravagance.

Is this a family tradition or something?