The moon... in a box?
Zhao Yuan's words left everyone stunned. All eyes fell upon the sandalwood box as they wondered what could possibly be inside.
What could possibly be described as the moon?
Ye Feng curled his lip and snorted in disdain.
He didn't believe for a second that Zhao Yuan could offer any decent gift. He'd already done his research on the manβa broke loser from some backwoods mountain village.
'How could someone like that have any money? What kind of decent gift could he possibly give?'
Ye Feng sneered, "The moon? Heh. Don't tell me you got her some little moon-shaped trinket? That kind of thing might work on some naive girl who's never seen the world, but if you think you can fool Lin Xue with it, you're dreaming!"
The other four men formed a temporary alliance with Ye Feng.
They weren't blind; they could see that Lin Xue had a thing for Zhao Yuan. The guy they had initially dismissed was, in fact, their greatest threat.
So they all chimed in with sarcastic jabs.
"He didn't just draw a picture of the moon, did he? Haha, that's one way to save money!"
"Maybe it's a moon-shaped clay sculpture. That's cheap, too."
"Come on, guys, don't be so harsh. Maybe he just gave her a cookie bitten into a crescent shape?"
"Could be a postcard. Anyway, just look at him. There's no way he could afford to give anything valuable!"
Hearing their words, Liu Zhu, Yang Zi, and the others were furious. Lin Xue was too, and she turned to shoot the men a vicious glare.
Zhao Yuan, however, remained perfectly calm. He had absolute confidence in the Moonlit Stars Necklace.
This was a rare treasure that had left even Cheng Yunlong speechless, a man who had been willing to pay ten million for it!
Diamond necklaces, designer bags, champion-line purebred cats... Compared to the Moonlit Stars Necklace, they were all trash!
"Lin Xue, open it and see if you like it," Zhao Yuan said with a smile.
"I'll love anything you give me," Lin Xue said, blushing. She took the sandalwood box but didn't rush to open it. She was worried Ye Feng and the others would try to embarrass Zhao Yuan.
Zhao Yuan guessed her thoughts and said with a smile, "It's alright. Go ahead and open it. I guarantee my gift is better than all of theirs!"
Ye Feng and the other four sneered in unison, thinking he was just bluffing and being stubborn.
But Lin Xue's eyes lit up.
Ever since she'd known Zhao Yuan, he had never failed to deliver on a promise.
Lin Xue was suddenly overcome with curiosity about what was inside the sandalwood box.
She gently pressed the clasp on top of the box. With a soft CLICK, the box sprang open on its own.
"This..."
The moment she saw the Moonlit Stars Necklace, Lin Xue was utterly captivated by its beauty.
Her stunned, mesmerized expression immediately piqued everyone's curiosity. They all crowded around, craning their necks to see what could possibly be in the box to make a paragon of wealth and beauty like Lin Xue lose her composure.
After all, Lin Xue hadn't even bothered to give the designer bags and expensive jewelry a second glance!
Lin Liqiang and Xue Wanyun were right beside Lin Xue, so they only had to lean in to see the Moonlit Stars Necklace in its sandalwood box.
Even for a couple as worldly and knowledgeable as them, they were still utterly stunned by the necklace's transcendent beauty.
As a woman, Xue Wanyun was powerless against the allure of the Moonlit Stars Necklace. She was instantly mesmerized, murmuring, "Can a necklace this beautiful really exist in the world? Am I dreaming?"
Lin Liqiang wondered with a sigh, 'Where on earth did this kid get a necklace like this? Xiaoxue already likes him, and now with this necklace... I'm afraid her heart will be completely his.'
Aside from the few people standing closest, the rest of the crowd, despite craning their necks, couldn't get a clear view of the Moonlit Stars Necklace.
But the reactions of Lin Liqiang, Xue Wanyun, and the others made them realize that whatever was in the box, it was no postcard, clay sculpture, or cheap trinket. Their curiosity was completely stoked. It was unclear who started it, but someone shouted, "Hold it up so we can see!" The call was immediately echoed by everyone else.
Lin Liqiang gave Lin Xue a gentle pat on the back, rousing her from her trance. "Hold it up and show everyone," he said.
Lin Xue nodded, then carefully lifted the Moonlit Stars Necklace and held it high for all to see.
In an instant, the previously bustling living room fell deathly silent. Not even a single gasp could be heard.
It was as if the necklace had bewitched them, or as if they'd been struck by a petrification spell. Everyone stood frozen in place, their eyes glued to the necklace.
Ye Feng and the other four were utterly dumbfounded.
They never imagined that Zhao Yuan would give Lin Xue a necklace like this.
It was breathtakingly beautiful, absolutely perfect.
Compared to this necklace, the gifts they had presented earlier were worse than garbage.
This was especially true for Ye Feng.
He had also given a necklace. But his diamond necklace, worth hundreds of thousands, seemed dull and lifeless compared to the Moonlit Stars Necklace.
'How could this be happening? Where did he get a necklace like that?' Ye Feng felt the strength drain from his body in an instant. His legs gave out, and he collapsed onto the floor.
But at that moment, all eyes were on the Moonlit Stars Necklace. Never mind him collapsing to the floor; he could have stripped naked and run around screaming and no one would have spared him a glance.
Just as everyone was reeling, captivated by the Moonlit Stars Necklace, Zhao Yuan decided to fan the flames and push their astonishment to a whole new level.
He then gave an order: "Close the curtains and turn off the lights!"
Lin Liqiang was taken aback and asked in confusion, "Xiaozhao, what are you doing?"
Zhao Yuan replied with a mysterious smile, "I'm going to show you the moon."
Hearing this, it suddenly dawned on the crowd. That was right. The necklace was beautiful, enchanting even, but calling it the moon still seemed like a bit of a stretch.
Could it be hiding another secret?
Their interest piqued, people scrambled to pull the curtains and switch off the lights.
Soon, the once-bright living room was plunged into darkness.
"Watch closely now. Don't blink."
Zhao Yuan's voice rang out in the darkness.
And with his voice came a beam of light.
It was brilliant and bright, yet not blinding, carrying a cool clarity and a gentle softness.
Just like moonlight.
No, it *was* moonlight!
Lin Xue held the Moonlit Stars Necklace out fully.
The moonlight emanated from the crescent-shaped pendant. And all around it, the myriad tiny stars twinkled with their own dazzling light.
Starlight clustered around the moonlight, and the moonlight mingled with the starlight, each enhancing the other's beauty.
The scene was like something from a fairyland, or a dream. It was a fairytale, a vision of paradise!
Everyone was lost, mesmerized by this wondrous, unprecedented sight.