Lin Liqiang and Xue Wanyun exchanged a glance and couldn't help but smile wryly.
So many guests had come today, yet their daughter's eyes were fixed on Zhao Yuan alone...
They say you can't keep a daughter at home once she's grown. How true that is.
Seeing that Zhao Yuan was still in a daze, Wu Yan quickly nudged him with his elbow and whispered, "Third Brother, Lin Xue is calling you. Hurry up and answer."
Zhao Yuan finally snapped out of it. He scratched his head and said a little sheepishly, "Lin Xue, you're so beautiful today. I was completely stunned."
His dopey expression amused Lin Xue, making her chuckle, and at the same time, she felt a little pleased with herself.
As the old saying goes, a woman adorns herself for the one who delights in her.
Making the man she loved lose his composure over her appearance was, in itself, the greatest compliment.
Lin Xue suddenly had the urge to tease Zhao Yuan. She deliberately put on a straight face and, feigning unhappiness, said, "So, am I not pretty usually?"
Zhao Yuan quickly explained, "No, no, you're always beautiful. It's just that you're even more beautiful today."
Lin Xue couldn't hold it in any longer. Her beautiful smile blossomed once more as she gave Zhao Yuan a flirtatious look, chiding gently, "Look at you, being so silly."
At that moment, Zhao Yuan and Lin Xue only had eyes for each other.
But in reality? There were still quite a few people standing in the villa's living room.
The Lin Family's relatives were one thing; they just huddled together, whispering and judging Zhao Yuan.
As for Ye Feng and the others with ulterior motives, their faces had turned green with anger. They even felt the shame and fury of being cuckolded—that's right, even though they had no relationship with Lin Xue whatsoever, in their hearts, they already saw her as their private property.
Zhao Yuan and Lin Xue flirting was, in their eyes, absolutely unbearable! If this weren't the Lin Family's home, and if it weren't Lin Xue's birthday, they probably would have rushed up to teach Zhao Yuan a lesson long ago.
Lin Liqiang took in everyone's expressions. He cleared his throat and spoke, pulling the couple lost in their public display of affection back to reality. "Xiaoxue, Zhao Yuan isn't the only one here to celebrate your birthday today. You should also greet these uncles and aunts."
Only then did Lin Xue notice that there were many other people in the living room, and her pretty face immediately flushed red with embarrassment.
Her shy and bashful appearance had a unique charm, causing Ye Feng and the others to stare, their eyes wide.
After Lin Xue came downstairs and greeted everyone, a young man named Chang Yun couldn't wait any longer. He darted forward with a grin and said to Lin Xue, "Xiaoxue, happy birthday. This is my birthday gift for you, a limited-edition LV handbag."
As he spoke, he took a beautiful handbag out of the bag he was carrying.
Before Lin Xue could even reply, another young man nearby started laughing and said mockingly, "Chang Yun, are you serious? You're giving Xiaoxue a handbag? Don't you know she has zero interest in things like this? Or are you just using the same old tricks you use to pick up those trashy bimbos on Xiaoxue?"
Chang Yun's expression instantly turned incredibly ugly.
The thing was, he and this young man were supposedly friends, but now, it was clear they were done with the pretense.
Chang Yun gritted his teeth and said, "Zhan Lin, don't spout nonsense. When have I ever been with other women? This is slander!"
"Whether I'm slandering you or not, you know the truth in your own heart!" Zhan Lin didn't even look at him. He stepped forward, holding a large, beautifully wrapped gift box, and said with a smile, "Xiaoxue, I know you like small animals. This beautiful British Shorthair cat is my gift to you!"
As he spoke, he pulled the bow on the gift box and lifted out a beautiful British Shorthair. He said, not without a hint of showing off, "This cat not only has a pure pedigree, but its parents are both champions. I had a friend go to great expense to buy it in the United Kingdom and bring it back for me."
"Thank you for the cat," Lin Xue said politely. Then she turned to Chang Yun and added, "And thank you for the handbag."
Hearing Lin Xue's words, Chang Yun immediately puffed out his chest. Meanwhile, Zhan Lin's face was also filled with a proud expression.
Lin Xue accepted their gifts and handed them to Yang Zi to be put aside.
Seeing Chang Yun and Zhan Lin steal the show, the other two young men, not to be outdone, also presented their birthday gifts to Lin Xue one after another.
Without exception, they were all expensive, big-name brand items.
After receiving Lin Xue's thanks, they all made sure to shoot a provocative glance at Zhao Yuan. The meaning was clear: 'Hey kid, see the birthday gifts we gave her? Any one of them probably costs more than you could save in several years, even if you didn't eat or drink! Let's see what you have that can possibly compare to us!'
After the four of them had presented their gifts, Ye Feng also stepped forward, saying with a wide smile, "Happy birthday, Xiaoxue!"
Lin Xue asked with a blank expression, "You are...?"
The smile on Ye Feng's face froze instantly. He almost burst into tears. "I'm Ye Feng."
"Ah? Ye Feng? How did you end up looking like this?" Lin Xue asked in surprise.
Ye Feng was too embarrassed to explain what happened yesterday. He gave a dry laugh and said, "I fell, clumsy me. Thanks for your concern."
"You're really something else, to fall and end up looking like that," Lin Xue marveled, clicking her tongue.
Ye Feng nearly coughed up blood from anger. He quickly changed the subject. "This is my birthday gift for you. See if you like it." As he spoke, he took out a beautiful jewelry box, opened it, and pulled out a gorgeous Diamond necklace.
HISS!
A wave of sharp intakes of breath sounded through the hall.
Everyone present knew their luxury goods. They could tell at a glance that this Diamond necklace was incredibly valuable, worth at least several hundred thousand.
The previous four had already been generous, with their gifts valued in the tens of thousands to over a hundred thousand, but compared to Ye Feng's offering, theirs paled in comparison.
It seemed the Ye Family had truly spared no expense to outdo everyone else today and leave a good impression on Lin Xue.
Lin Xue was also surprised, but she quickly composed herself and shook her head, saying, "This gift is too expensive. I can't accept it."
"Not at all, not at all! For you, I would be willing to pluck the moon from the sky!" Ye Feng said, feigning deep emotion. Unfortunately, his current appearance didn't match the "deeply affectionate" expression he was trying for. On the contrary, it just looked comical.
Lin Xue still refused.
Lin Liqiang also said, "Old Ye, your gift is too extravagant. We can't accept it!"
Father Ye, naturally wanting to back up his son, quickly said, "President Lin, it's just a necklace. How could it be considered extravagant? Please, accept it. If you don't, it means you're looking down on us."
Since he'd put it that way, Lin Liqiang had no choice but to let Lin Xue accept the necklace for now, intending to find an opportunity to return it later.
After presenting the necklace, Ye Feng glanced triumphantly at the other four rivals, then finally turned his gaze to Zhao Yuan. He said with a smirk, "I wonder what kind of birthday gift Ye has prepared? Why not take it out and let us broaden our horizons? Oh dear, you didn't see our gifts and get so intimidated that you don't dare show yours, did you?"
Lin Xue's brow furrowed slightly, and she shot Ye Feng a displeased glare.
Zhao Yuan, however, just smiled and said, "A moment ago, Ye offered to pluck the moon for Lin Xue. There's no need to trouble yourself, because I've already plucked the moon and put it in this box."
As he spoke, he took out the sandalwood box containing the Moonlit Stars Necklace.
PS: Third chapter of the day! Please vote with your monthly tickets! More to come, the marathon continues!