Chapter 60: Teasing Lin Xiyan
“Jiang Che, I will kill you!” Ye Chen’s face turned livid with anger, his eyes filled with undisguised murderous intent. He longed to rush over and kill Jiang Che on the spot.
“How about it? Are you satisfied now?” Shen Qingqiu asked Jiang Che somewhat helplessly.
“Hehe… satisfied…” Jiang Che chuckled, having achieved his goal of infuriating Ye Chen to his core.
Jiang Yun’er and Gu Yunqi looked at Shen Qingqiu with odd expressions, finding it unusual to see her so gentle. When Shen Qingqiu was feeding Jiang Che, the tenderness in her eyes was unmistakable.
“I didn’t expect you to be so gentle, senior sister,” Jiang Yun’er teased Shen Qingqiu, her tone full of mockery.
Shen Qingqiu glared at Jiang Yun’er but didn’t respond. The group was chatting when Lin Xiyan approached. Initially, she wore a warm smile, but it dropped upon seeing Jiang Che next to Shen Qingqiu.
“Oh, Jiang Che is here too?” Lin Xiyan’s tone was sarcastic, causing Jiang Che to frown, feeling an urge to react violently to her voice.
“Old Lin’s birthday is an important occasion. I should be here by all means,” Jiang Che replied.
“You two know each other?” Shen Qingqiu asked coolly, sensing something more complex in the situation.
“Of course, I’ve heard of Lin Xiyan, the famous campus beauty,” Jiang Che explained, to which Shen Qingqiu nodded, aware of Lin Xiyan’s university connections with Jiang Che.
“Thank you, everyone, for taking the time out of your busy schedules to attend my 70th birthday celebration…” Lin Canghai thanked the guests gathered in the living room.
“It’s our honor to be here,” the guests replied, wishing Lin Canghai good health and a long life.
Hearing the flattery, Lin Canghai nodded in satisfaction.
“Please take your seats… the gift-giving ceremony will now begin,” the butler announced.
Various distinguished guests presented their gifts, including precious jade, longevity pills, and imperial jade bracelets, all aiming to gain favor with the Lin family for potential future collaborations.
“What gift have you prepared?” Shen Qingqiu looked curiously at Jiang Che beside her. Gift-giving at such banquets was often a subtle competition. The value of the gift represented one’s wealth and status.
Shen Qingqiu was eager to know what gift Jiang Che had prepared, as it would reflect the prestige of the Jiang family. A cheap gift would be inappropriate and lose face.
“Wait and see,” Jiang Che replied with a mysterious smile. He had prepared a gift for Lin Canghai, as such gestures were customary in their circles.
“Jiang family’s young master Jiang Che presents ‘The Picture of the Heavenly King Granting Sons’…” announced the butler, his voice betraying his shock.
Jiang Che’s generosity was apparent; a legendary painting like ‘The Picture of the Heavenly King Granting Sons’ was incomparable to ordinary gifts. Such art was rare and not easily acquired, even with wealth.
“Jiang family’s young master?” Lin Canghai furrowed his brow upon hearing the announcement. He knew of Jiang Che but couldn’t recall any significant interactions with him. The presentation of such a painting made him wonder about Jiang Che’s intentions.
Was he seeking a closer relationship with the Lin family? Considering their usual business relations, this gesture seemed excessive. Lin Canghai suspected it might be related to Jiang Che taking over Jiang’s business interests.
Despite understanding Jiang Che’s motive, Lin Canghai felt obliged to respond formally. He spotted Jiang Che and said, “You shouldn’t have, young master Jiang. Such a valuable painting, I cannot accept…”
“Old Lin, you worry too much. Today is your 70th birthday, and since I’m friends with Lin Xiyan and our families have business relations, you should accept this painting,” Jiang Che responded with a smile.
“But ‘The Picture of the Heavenly King Granting Sons’ is too precious…” Lin Canghai hesitated, finding it difficult to accept such an expensive gift.
“I’ve long heard of your love for paintings, Old Lin. This is a small token of my respect. I hope you won’t refuse,” Jiang Che insisted, internally dismissing the painting’s value.
His study was filled with such art, all collected by his father. The painting he gifted was one of the least valuable in his collection. He also felt it was a small compensation for selling fake Winter Ling grass to the Lin family, which would cost them billions in losses.
“Alright… Thank you, young master Jiang,” Lin Canghai finally accepted, realizing he couldn’t refuse without offending Jiang Che. He truly admired such art, which wasn’t easily bought with money.
Lin Xiyan looked at Jiang Che, surprised by his generosity.
“Do I have something on my face, Miss Lin?”
“No, I just didn’t expect you to be so generous,” Lin Xiyan replied seriously.
“If I said I did it all for you, would you believe me?” Jiang Che whispered in her ear, making sure Shen Qingqiu and others didn’t notice or hear.
“I…” Lin Xiyan blushed, feeling overwhelmed by his words. This scene, although unseen by Shen Qingqiu, was noticed by Ye Chen from a corner…