On this side, Charles Yin was flaunting his looks, shamelessly flirting with Cici.
Meanwhile, Eric Jiang was at South Manor Estate, reviewing the accounts with the manager.
Every pot of flowers here was carefully recorded, with detailed logs of those sent out and returned each day.
Eric Jiang read quickly but thoroughly, nodding as he said, "So, there will be enough flowers for Grandma Evelyn Yin's birthday celebration. If not, we can transfer more from other flower farms."
The manager respectfully said to Eric Jiang, "Mr. Jiang, when should we start setting up these flowers in advance? Some of them are very delicate and need special care every day, as you know best. But Grandma Yin likes peace and quiet, so I'm worried that too many people trimming and arranging the flowers might disturb her and Mrs. Yin…"
Eric Jiang's handsome and calm face showed a smile of understanding. "Don't worry, I'll arrange it. Don't send everyone at once—just do it in batches. Grandma Yin gets up early, so go in the morning."
"Yes, yes," the manager replied quickly. "Should we finalize the list of flowers for the birthday banquet now?"
Eric Jiang glanced outside at Cici and Charles Yin among the sea of flowers, his eyes flickering before he lowered his gaze to hide his emotions. He answered softly, "No rush. Let's wait for Cousin Charles and Cici's opinions."
Just then, someone knocked and entered, carrying a tea set, then sat down and started brewing tea.
Eric Jiang didn't look up at the newcomer, focusing intently on the accounts.
He didn't notice that the woman making tea, hidden under her hat, had been secretly watching him for a long time.
"Young Jiang, you stay here and look after Mr. Jiang. I'll be right back," the manager said, standing up quickly as someone entered the office. "Mr. Jiang, I'll fetch the list of rare flowers for you. On the day of the birthday banquet, every flower in the room is worth over a million, so I keep them in a separate greenhouse."
"Alright, go ahead," Eric Jiang nodded, unconcerned.
Soon, only Eric Jiang and the woman brewing tea were left in the room.
Before long, the whole room was filled with the gentle fragrance of tea.
Eric Jiang seemed to remember something, a faint smile appearing on his face as if recalling a happy memory.
He put down the ledger and turned to look out at the sea of flowers through the window.
Ethan Yin and Miles Gu, the two little buns, were happily rolling around in a pile of daisies.
All these daisies were artificially cultivated, meant especially for making pillows.
So these flowers had already been picked and dried, now left out to air.
The two little buns heard that these chrysanthemums were going to be used to make pillows, so they immediately scattered joyfully and rolled around on them.
Eric Jiang watched the two children, lost in thought. The person brewing tea also stared blankly at Eric's silhouette.
She kept her face mask and duckbill cap on, hiding all her features except for a pair of infatuated, longing eyes that stared at Eric Jiang without blinking.
She wanted so badly to rush over and reveal herself, but she couldn't.
Charles Yin was still outside—she didn't dare take the risk!
Eric Jiang withdrew his gaze, and as he raised his head, he caught sight of the intense, direct look from the person behind him.
She hadn't expected Eric Jiang to suddenly turn around, startling her so much that she quickly lowered her head, not daring to look again!
Eric Jiang was handsome and elegant. Since childhood, many girls had admired him. Because of his family's status, he had received the secret affections of countless noble ladies.
So, when this masked woman gazed at him with such adoration, he didn't find it all that strange.
But Eric Jiang failed to notice that, beneath the woman's loving gaze, there was also a fierce ambition burning in her eyes.
"Mr. Jiang, please have some tea." The woman lowered her voice, deliberately muffling her tone as she spoke.
"Thank you." Eric Jiang replied politely but distantly, reaching out to accept the tea she offered.
The woman greedily let her gaze linger over Eric Jiang's features, unable to resist asking, "Mr. Jiang, you're already past thirty—why haven't you married yet?"
Eric Jiang's brows shot up for a moment.
He couldn't believe a stranger would dare to ask him such a blunt question!
Truly... she must not know her place.
Eric Jiang set his teacup down heavily on the table, then turned and left!
His upbringing would never allow him to insult a lady, but he could certainly avoid someone so clueless!
Watching Eric Jiang leave the room, the masked woman instinctively moved, clearly wanting to rush over and grab him.
But the moment her hand touched her face, she forced herself to stop.
She couldn't!
She couldn't appear before him with her old identity!
Otherwise, her end would be miserable!
After Eric Jiang left the room, she finally slowly took off her mask.
If Eric Jiang hadn't left yet, he would have been utterly shocked!
Because this woman was none other than Miss Helen Jiang—the one who, three years ago, ruined Cici and then fled China!
Miss Helen Jiang took the money from her secret benefactor, along with a sum from Mrs. Jiang, who had a moment of weakness, and left China to undergo plastic surgery.
Just when she thought she was finally safe and no one would hold her accountable, she was suddenly fired.
No matter where she applied for work, not a single company would hire her.
It was only then that Miss Helen Jiang truly began to panic.
Charles Yin wasn't done with her—he wanted to destroy her slowly.
He was forcing her into a dead end, making her life a living hell!
The Yin family's influence stretched across Africa, Europe, and the Middle East. For her to find a decent job abroad was nearly impossible!
Eventually, her money ran out. Desperate, she had no choice but to return to her old ways and sell her body.
But as an Asian woman in Europe, she was no match for the locals. Before long, Helen Jiang was forced to sneak back into China, hiding in the slums under a false name.
For three years, she lived like a rat.
Hiding by day, scavenging by night, never having enough to eat.
She had no idea if Charles Yin already knew she'd snuck back into the country. She lived every day in fear, walking on eggshells.
This was N City—the territory of both the Yin and Jiang families!
She didn’t know if she’d end up dead in some unknown alley tomorrow—every day, she lived like a walking corpse.
She couldn’t help but think back to her days as the high and mighty Miss Helen Jiang of the Jiang family, with her life of luxury and glamour.
She even boasted to a few old friends in the circle that she was the Jiang family’s eldest daughter, showing off her glorious past more than once. But all she got in return was ridicule.
No one believed a word she said.
They were right—if she really was the Jiang family’s eldest daughter, how could she have fallen so far, selling her looks just to survive?
Whenever this happened, Miss Helen Jiang would just fall silent.
No one knew what she was really thinking.
She’d been desperate more times than she could count, but hope kept creeping back in, again and again.
Eric Jiang still wasn’t married—did that mean she still had a chance?
When she heard that Grandma Evelyn Yin was turning eighty, and that Eric Jiang would be at South Manor Estate to choose flowers, she paid a female worker to swap shifts, just so she could see Eric Jiang again.
But she hadn’t expected Eric Jiang to ignore her completely and just walk away.
The rejection left Miss Helen Jiang feeling utterly defeated.
But Eric Jiang’s handsome, dignified face made her refuse to give up hope.
What could she do to make Eric Jiang notice her again?
She’d had plastic surgery—Eric Jiang shouldn’t be able to recognize her old face anymore.
This time, she was determined to capture Eric Jiang’s heart—to become his woman, no matter what!
To make it happen, she even had her face surgically altered to look like Yun Nuo!
What she didn’t know was that even if she looked exactly like Yun Nuo, it wouldn’t matter.
After all, what attracted Eric Jiang back then wasn’t just Yun Nuo’s beauty, but her talent and rare, refined temperament.
Tsk tsk, after three years in the flesh trade, Miss Helen Jiang’s temperament had long since faded—now she was marked by the dust and grit of the streets.