"Issuing threats on your own birthday is not exactly the height of hospitality, Jiang Man." A booming voice interrupted, cutting through the stunned silence of the hall.
"Indeed, it is quite a fierce way to welcome guests." Another voice added, laced with a hint of amusement.
The guests craned their necks, searching for the source of the interjection. When the speakers stepped into the light, a collective gasp rippled through the room. They were two of the most powerful men in the country, he renowned business tycoon Feng Mong and the highest-ranking officer in the military, the legendary General Long Fei Yi.
Walking a half-step behind them was Long Fei Yi's grandson, Long Hui. He was a man of breathtaking presence, his sharp, handsome features drawing the gaze of every woman in the room. However, Long Hui's eyes were fixed solely on Yu Qi from the moment he crossed the threshold. Following behind them was Feng Yue, accompanied by a group of Feng family members whom Yu Qi did not recognise.
Seeing her best friend standing in the centre of the room, Feng Yue abandoned all decorum. she ran forward and pulled Yu Qi into a tight squeeze. It had only been four days since they last saw each other, but to Feng Yue, it felt like an eternity. She had originally dreaded attending yet another stuffy social function with her relatives, but the moment she heard Yu Qi would be there, she had practically begged to come.
"Happy Birthday, Grandpa Tang!" Feng Yue said, beaming at the old man once she finally let go of Yu Qi.
"Ho! Thank you, Little Yue." Grandpa Tang replied warmly.
"I brought a gift for you. I certainly hope it's to your liking." Feng Yue replied.
"Oh? What is it?" Grandpa Tang asked, curious about it.
"A premium Grinding Stone for your herbs." Feng Yue said, presenting the gift.
Grandpa Tang opened the package and ran a hand over the smooth, high-quality surface. "It's a beautiful piece, truly functional. Thank you, Little Yue."
Inspired by the exchange, the other guests hurried to present their own offerings. Grandpa Tang accepted them with practised, polite formality. One by one, the elite of Finn City and even his own grandsons handed over their treasures. Eventually, the mountain of gifts grew, and the guests realised there was only one person left who had not stepped forward, and it was Yu Qi.
The whispers started almost immediately, sharp and venomous.
"Did she really show up empty-handed? How unfilial can one be?"
"What did you expect? She is just an orphan. What kind of gift could a girl like that possibly afford for a man who has everything?"
"I bet she does not have a single cent to her name. Truly embarrassing."
Yu Qi remained unruffled by the gossip. She turned to the old man with a calm smile. "Excuse me for a moment, Grandfather. I need to fetch something."
She slipped out of the hall and quickly located Steward Hang Ji Chang. She asked to borrow a sturdy trolley, and the steward, ever efficient, provided one immediately. Yu Qi headed to her room, placed her large, carefully prepared gift onto the trolley, and draped a thick silk cloth over it. She was not ready to let the critics see it just yet.
On her way back, she ran into Tang Han Lee.
"Little Sis, are you alright?" Tang Han Lee asked, his brow furrowed with concern.
He had heard the nasty comments from the guests and feared she was hiding away in tears. He had come out specifically to find and comfort her.
"I am perfectly fine, Big Brother Han. Don't worry about me." Yu Qi said, her eyes flashing with a bit of secret mischief.
"What's this?" Tang Han Lee asked, gesturing to the draped trolley.
"Grandfather's present," Yu Qi replied.
"Oh? Now I am curious."
"You will see soon enough."
The two of them re-entered the hall, and once again, Yu Qi became the focal point of the room. A wave of curiosity followed the sound of the trolley's wheels. Yu Qi ignored the stares and pushed the cart directly to the center of the room.
"Grandfather." Yu Qi called out softly.
Grandpa Tang turned, his eyes lighting up. "Yu Qi dear, what have you got there?"
"My humble gift to you, Grandfather." With a swift motion, Yu Qi whisked away the cloth.
A massive glass jar was revealed, standing tall on the trolley. Inside, submerged in a clear, amber-yellow liquid, was a gargantuan ginseng root accompanied by a perfectly balanced blend of rare Chinese herbs.
Grandpa Tang stepped closer, his breath hitching. "Yu Qi... this is..."
"A little something I prepared for you." Yu Qi said, a confident smirk playing on her lips.
"Traditional Chinese medicinal wine!" Grandpa Tang's eyes were practically glowing with professional excitement.
Yu Qi leaned in and whispered just loud enough for a few nearby people to hear, "Grandfather, I forgot to mention... I actually found two thousand-year-old ginseng roots recently. One, I already sold it to you. And the other one..." She tilted her head toward the jar.
"What?! This is a thousand-year-old ginseng?" Grandpa Tang nearly shouted, his composure momentarily vanishing.
The hall went deathly silent. A thousand-year-old ginseng? The guests were dumbfounded. They knew Grandpa Tang was an obsessive collector of rare herbs, and this was arguably the most valuable medical treasure in existence.
Yu Qi felt a wave of satisfaction seeing his joy. It had been worth the effort. After hearing about the birthday from Old Man Feng, she had meticulously prepared this tonic wine, knowing it was the one thing that would truly touch his heart.
Grandpa Tang circled the jar like a child with a new toy, nodding to himself as he identified the supplementary ingredients. "Yu Qi dear, this is a Ginseng Strengthening Tonic, isn't it?"
"You guessed it perfectly, Grandfather. So, I assume you already know the health benefits you will reap from it?" Yu Qi teased.
"Thank you, Yu Qi. Truly... this is the best gift I have ever received." Grandpa Tang said, patting her head with deep, genuine affection.
"Well, we've clearly been outdone." Tang Jin Wei sighed, though he looked impressed.
"But it's the perfect gift." Tang Han Lee added. "Nothing makes Grandfather happier than rare herbs."
The guests who had been insulting her just moments ago suddenly found the patterns on the floor very interesting, their faces flushed with shame. However, the silence was broken by a cold, sceptical voice.
"Master Jiang Man, while the gesture is grand, we have no way of knowing if this wine is actually beneficial or even safe. It should be tested first." An old man spoke up.
The room turned to look at the speaker. Grandpa Tang's expression soured instantly. He recognised the man as Ling Man, a distant relative by marriage to his cousin, Tang Hong Lan.
Grandpa Tang narrowed his eyes. He had never liked Ling Man. The man was overly ambitious and transparent. He knew Ling Man had been trying to push his own spoiled granddaughter onto one of the Tang grandsons to secure a closer tie to the family fortune.
"Are you suggesting that my granddaughter might be trying to poison me?" Grandpa Tang asked, his voice dropping to a dangerous, icy register.
"It is a possibility we must consider. We cannot simply place our absolute trust in an outsider." Ling Man said pompously, casting a disdainful look at Yu Qi.
Ling Man truly believed his status as a "relative" gave him more weight than a newly adopted orphan. He hated Yu Qi the moment she was introduced. Her presence threatened his long-term plan to install his own granddaughter as the favourite of the Tang household. He figured if he could plant seeds of suspicion now, he could volunteer to take the wine for "testing." Once it was in his possession, he could easily add a drop of poison to the sample, frame Yu Qi, and keep the priceless thousand-year-old ginseng for himself.
He looked at Yu Qi and offered a thin, predatory smile, certain he had the upper hand.
***This novel is a contracted work with w e b n o v e l. c o m. If you do not read this novel on w e b n o v e l. c o m, that means it has been stolen. Thank you, from your shameless author, ZerahNeko**
This chapter is edited by Tzin99... Thank you for your help...