Lily’s attention was entirely on those emerald earrings; she didn’t notice the clashing of swords around her.
She reached out, barely managing to give her mother the earrings that Ariana had refused to try on.
"Lily, give them here, to Mom." Such an expensive gift, she simply couldn’t accept.
"Mom?" Lily asked, puzzled, but still handed the earrings over to her mother.
Titus Zane had been holding a teacup, sipping tea with boredom, when he saw his mother close the little box and come to her and Jon, looking puzzled.
Ariana had a polite smile on her face, "Jon, this gift is too precious, I can’t accept it!"
nono, Jon," he said, shaking his head and refusing to take it back, "A gift that’s been given has no reason to be returned. That’s the rule by our Banian Crown Prince."
"Ha!" Nathan Moore let out a cold snort, Lily quietly tugged at his sleeve, and Julian took the teacup, clearing his throat pointedly before taking a sip.
Ariana also glanced back at Nathan Moore, her expression serious without any excess emotion, then turned back to Jon and said.
"I’m really sorry, but I cannot accept!" With that, she stuffed the small box containing the earrings into Jon’s hands, then turned and sat back down next to Lily.
"carry, this!" Jon held the small box in both hands; it looked somewhat incongruous, too small in his palm.
Titus Zane smirked, raising his eyebrows, "The gift you sent, my mother doesn’t like it."
"How is that possible?" Jon furrowed his brows in confusion, his fair, handsome face contorting, "These were a gift from my grandmother to me, to give to my wife..." As he said this, Jon suddenly stopped, realizing his words were too rude.
A gift meant for his wife, and he was about to
give it to the mother-in-law...
Disgruntled, Jon tucked the small box back into his suit pocket, his handsome face showing a hint of awkwardness.
"sorry, Auntie, next time I’ll bring an appropriate gift for you."
"No need to, thank you, we’re all family here, no need to stand on ceremony." Ariana replied with a polite smile. Julian, seated on the single-seater sofa, took a sip of his tea, hiding the trace of regret in his eyes.
Such fine things, he had seen them before at the Zane Family...
The atmosphere grew somewhat awkward, due to Ariana’s refusal of the gift.
Lily timely broke the ice with a smile, calling out.
Jon raised his eyes, his brows lifting slightly with a hint of forehead lines.
"May I address you this way?"
Jon smiled, revealing a row of even teeth.
"Of course, in our Banian country, we all call each other by names."
"Good, I’ll call you that from now on." Lily said with a smile, then continued, "Next time you give a gift, don’t send something like gemstones,"
"Gemstones are too valuable. Like us, we are all family, it’s better to give these more common gifts." Lily again picked up the gift Nathan Moore brought for her, her smile faintly defiant.
Jon knit his brows as if thinking, then turned his head, his blue eyes looking at Titus Zane.
"Honey, do you also like these common gifts?"
Alright, Jon’s blunt and crude words were comparable to Nathan Moore’s.
He said he’s not worthy, he said he’s common.
Titus Zane set down his teacup, casting a meaningful glance at the gift bag in Lily’s hand and said, "We are all commoners, of course we like common things!"
"Oh, that’s how it is; it’s my lapse in consideration," Jon sincerely apologized, his long eyelashes appearing even more delicate as he lowered his gaze, then suddenly lifted his handsome face, looking at Titus Zane and saying, "It seems that the stores are closed now, I can only compensate you with another common gift in another way."
After saying that, his slender, fair fingers moved slightly, pinched Titus Zane’s chin, and under everyone’s gaze, he pressed down his handsome face and kissed Titus Zane’s lips directly.