Shi Mei acted as though she hadn’t heard what they were saying and tilted her head towards Bai Yuejie with a smile, "Mhm, yes, it’s a gift Sister Bai wanted me to give to grandma!"
Bai Yuejie’s smile deepened as she nodded gently in acknowledgment.
What she had selected for Shi Mei to give was a pair of exquisite Green Ruyis.
They were ice-type yang green Ruyis that looked so vibrant and juicy, captivating anyone who beheld them.
Carved from a single piece of raw stone, the patterns were almost identical—a genuine set of Mother-child Ruyis.
They were very valuable, costing her several million.
Giving such a present meant that everyone would know it was she who had thoughtfully prepared it, and naturally, the credit would be given to her.
And this fool would only be highlighted as even more unsuitable by comparison.
After all, she was a fool.
Shi Mei struggled to pull the box from her bag with considerable effort, "Sister Bai said that grandma will definitely like it!"
Seeing their mysterious demeanor, even Old Mrs. Shi couldn’t help but feel some anticipation, her eyes falling on Shi Mei’s bag.
For a moment, all eyes were on them.
But the box was stuck too tightly, and Shi Mei had to pull very hard; when she finally managed to take it out, it dropped to the floor with a ’thud’.
Shi Mei cried out, "Ah," crouched down, and patted the red box, even blowing on it twice.
This scene drew plenty of rolling eyes and scorn.
Indeed, she was a fool.
Yet Shi Mei, completely unaware of these looks, bounced back up and said, "I wish grandma happiness as vast as the eastern sea, safe and long life, and may everything be as you wish, this is a jade Ruyi as a gift to you!"
Then, Shi Mei opened the box.
Everyone looked at the box, and after seeing what was inside, their expressions changed, and they started whispering to each other:
"How is this a jade Ruyi, oh my, this kind of thing is too inauspicious to give to an elderly person celebrating their birthday!"
Old Mrs. Shi’s face fell immediately, looking at the Ruyi in the box, she asked Bai Yuejie, "Did you help pick this out?"
Bai Yuejie was originally standing behind Shi Mei, waiting for the admiring gazes and various compliments from around her.
But she never expected such a reaction, and a sense of foreboding instantly filled her heart.
Stepping forward, Bai Yuejie saw the item in the box and gasped in shock.
It was indeed a pair of Ruyis, except they had broken into two pieces, and the fractures were very fresh. Besides, there were other fragments left inside the box.
It looked... like it had just been broken?
Bai Yuejie’s complexion shifted slightly, "How could this happen?"
Shi Mei seemed to realize something was wrong only then and leaned in to look at the box before exclaiming, "Oh, it’s broken," then puffing her cheeks, she looked at Bai Yuejie, "Sister Bai, what do we do? The gift is broken."
Bai Yuejie’s face changed, "How did you handle it, how did it break ?"
Shi Mei immediately shook her head, "No no, Shi Mei didn’t play with it, Sister Bai said to treasure it carefully before giving it to grandma, Shi Mei remembers!"
"How could this have happened, are you sure what you bought was jade?" Shi Yuanyuan spoke up, stepping forward, "Jade is the king of stones, with a Mohs hardness ranging from 6.5 to 7, and a density ranging between 3.33 and 3.34; how could it just break like that?"
"Could it be that the gift Miss Bai prepared for Shi Mei, is a fake?"