Chapter 93

Chapter 8: The Gift

How could it be him?! How could he be Ye Qi...

Linda, who had just recovered from the initial surprise of their first meeting, felt a sense of confusion. The cold and mysterious aura she felt from him on the train, along with a hint of familiarity, had made her curious enough to approach him at her classmates' urging, despite his outright rejection. She had thought that their brief encounter during the Shaker trip would remain a beautiful memory in her life; even her wish last night was merely for a bit of comfort. But when this memory and this wish came true, she was not only surprised but also received some hard-to-accept news.

The rumored mastermind behind the downfall of the Deko family, the lover of the witch, the executioner who brutally killed the church's priests... When these titles were linked to the person in her mind, the intersection of reality and fantasy left Linda feeling lost...

Gale and his wife, who were holding their daughter's arm, immediately noticed something was wrong with their daughter. The matriarch of the clan quickly asked her daughter in a concerned whisper, and Gale also looked at her with worry.

"I'm fine!" Linda slightly shook her head and whispered to her parents, "I was just thinking about how I can't let my friends and classmates attend my birthday party, which is a bit disappointing!"

"Don't worry! I'll rearrange a birthday party for you tomorrow!" Gale smiled and promised, "Of course, it will be at a regular hotel, so it won't cause you any trouble in your school life! Now, darling, let's see what gifts the esteemed guests have brought for you?"

Seeing her daughter nod, Gale and his wife once again held hands and chatted with the surrounding guests. Of course, this time the main focus was on the guests presenting their birthday gifts to the hosts, especially if they could win Linda's favor, which was the dream of the young and handsome men present.

Apart from Ye Qi, everyone present was a prominent figure in the Haibay area, each with substantial assets and high social status. Moreover, attending the birthday party of the Northde family's young lady, the gifts were naturally of the highest quality.

A jade bracelet that emitted a soft green glow under the lights was just one of the many gifts that seemed insignificant. Whether it was the pink diamonds or the century-old artworks, they were all far more valuable.

Ye Qi, who was experiencing true luxury for the first time, had already become somewhat numb to the various gifts—many of which could match the loot he had taken that night, and a few rare items made him realize that money was just a number.

After all the guests had been introduced again and their gifts presented, Ye Qi finally took out his carefully wrapped gift from the black market and walked up. This gift cost Ye Qi 200 gold ponts, and the packaging alone cost 150 gold ponts. In terms of the elegance and beauty of the packaging, it was on par with the few rare items among the previous gifts.

Facing Ye Qi, who was the last to present his gift, the guests' gazes were much more numerous than before. When they saw the meticulously packaged gift, not only did the guests' expressions change, but even Noe Gale was slightly moved—such a gift, with such exquisite packaging, was undoubtedly very valuable. Apart from a guest who had prepared a gift to repay a favor, only the gift prepared by the Northde family's branch could match it.

Gale had a vague impression of Ye Qi, after all, there were many recent rumors about him; even he had heard some, which was why he had specially invited him to this birthday party—encountering a brutal branch president of the Demon Hunter Union, even if he didn't want to act, he would have to consider the interests of the local family and "replace" him.

However, after seeing the ancient noble etiquette and refined manners of the other party, he began to doubt some of the recent rumors; perhaps the "lover of the witch" had some basis—Ye Qi's handsome appearance and elegant manners were indeed attractive to any woman; but the other rumors seemed far-fetched. Although the young man in front of him had a sharp gaze, he didn't believe that someone with such clear eyes could commit such heinous acts.

When the other party presented the gift, Gale had already categorized Ye Qi as a somewhat flirtatious but normal young man—only this could explain why, after sending the invitation in the evening, the other party could present such a valuable gift by nightfall; apart from finding out in advance that his beautiful daughter was having a birthday and preparing it carefully, there was no other possibility. After all, when he was young, he often did the same, and unexpected surprises always won the hearts of girls...

His impressive achievements in his youth were a source of pride for the middle-aged Gale, who often boasted about them to a few close friends. Of course, if his daughter were to become a source of pride for someone else, he would never allow it...

The waiter behind Gale took the gift and, with his approval, carefully opened the silk wrapping. If the exquisite packaging had made everyone around him extremely curious about what was inside, the contents were clearly a disappointment—a fist-sized mermaid statue carved from crystal. Although crystal was considered a rare item by ordinary people, to them, it was no different from glass.

For a moment, the guests around him looked at Ye Qi with a hint of disdain; even Gofa, who had been admiring Ye Qi, couldn't help but lower her head in disappointment...

"How is this possible? How is this possible?"

Compared to the others, Gale, who usually wore a gentle smile, was now excitedly holding the statue; the others clearly saw something from his different expression and all looked at him curiously.

"This is something I obtained by chance. I hope you like it!"

Ye Qi, seeing the other party's excitement, smiled and said—of course, the item he had obtained from the black market was not in its current form; it was originally just a complete crystal, and its current shape was the result of the "enhancement" by the strange wolf. Although he didn't want to admit it, Ye Qi had to acknowledge that the strange wolf had used this 200 gold pont item to achieve an effect that others couldn't match even with thousands of gold ponts...

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