The moment the bracelet came into contact with the drops of blood, it emitted a deep, blood-red glow. Each bead turned crystal clear, with thin streams of red flowing inside like veins. It looked as if what connected the beads was not a red string, but living strands of blood.
"A blood jade bracelet? How is that possible? My grandfather is the only one in the entire family who owns one." Wang Nianlin stared in shock at the bracelet on Ye Qingxue's wrist. Just moments ago, it had looked like a cheap trinket from a street stall—now it had transformed into a priceless treasure.
The price of blood jade itself wasn't high; with his family's wealth, buying several would have been trivial. But the true value of blood jade lay in its rarity. Once it appeared on the market, it was immediately bought up and never resold.
Blood jade was said to have remarkable effects on the human body. Women who wore it would see improved skin and detoxification, while the elderly could delay aging and strengthen their health.
Because of these rumored properties, blood jade was considered an extraordinary treasure. Hearing Wang Nianlin's words, everyone at the scene began to speculate about the bracelet's nature. Even those unfamiliar with it could see the faint red glow emanating from it and sense its value.
"It's beautiful," Bing Xin said in awe, gazing at the blood-red bracelet on Ye Qingxue's wrist. Ye Qingxue had told her about Xia Tian's situation, and she could hardly imagine how he had obtained something so rare.
Just a while ago, Wang Nianlin had boasted about the value of his gift, mocking Xia Tian's for being worthless. But now the tables had turned—how could a diamond ring compare to a blood jade bracelet?
Every other present seemed dull in comparison; all the gifts in the room were overshadowed by Xia Tian's. Ye Qingxue was completely stunned. She knew Xia Tian better than anyone—he had always refused to take money from her mother and worked part-time to pay for his studies. How could he afford something like this?
Although she loved the gift, she couldn't help but worry that Xia Tian might have done something illegal to get it.
Wang Nianlin's gift had lost its luster, leaving only the bouquet of flowers in his hand.
At this moment, no one dared to look down on Xia Tian anymore. At first, his plain clothes had made them dismiss him as a poor boy. Now, they realized he had been hiding his strength—pretending to be weak while concealing a tiger's claws.
A bracelet worth millions, and now flowers too.
"It's your birthday. How could I not give you flowers?" Xia Tian said with a faint smile. He could guess what Ye Qingxue was thinking, but this wasn't the time to explain. Just then, a message from Grandpa Xu appeared on his phone.
Moments later, over ten people entered the banquet hall carrying enormous bouquets. They arranged the flowers on the floor into a giant heart that encircled Xia Tian and Ye Qingxue.
9,999 roses.
Wang Nianlin, who had mocked Xia Tian earlier for not even bringing flowers, was now speechless. He had sent only 99 roses, yet Xia Tian had arranged for nearly ten thousand—a display that cost no small fortune.
"Qingxue, look out the window."
Xia Tian held Ye Qingxue gently in his arms. In that moment, she felt like a shy young woman in love. She truly felt happiness—though the man beside her was, after all, her cousin.
Outside the window, fireworks exploded across the night sky—hundreds of them at once, bursting in dazzling colors.
At that moment, not only Ye Qingxue but every woman present was moved. If diamond rings and flowers were romantic, then countless roses and fireworks together could melt any woman's heart.
Jealous whispers filled the room.
"How romantic! I wish I could marry him.""Qingxue is so lucky. I'd gladly get fat if it meant having someone like that."
Even women who were far from beautiful were swooning. No woman could resist such a scene.
As the fireworks faded, everyone thought the surprise was over—until the lights on the nearby high-rise buildings suddenly went dark. Then, bright lights flickered to life across four connected towers, forming glowing words:
Quingxue, I ♥ U.
The heart symbol in the middle shone brilliantly. Screams and gasps echoed through the banquet hall. Even a notorious flirt like Wang Nianlin had never been this romantic.
The lights came back on, but no one could forget what they had just witnessed. Xia Tian's display had outshone everyone. Wang Nianlin slipped back into the crowd, his pride completely crushed.
Xia Tian silently admired Grandpa Xu's resourcefulness. He had always believed the old man to be shrewd, but tonight's arrangement far exceeded his expectations. When he had first read the text message, he had been completely stunned.
Overwhelmed, Ye Qingxue threw herself into Xia Tian's arms. Every woman longs for a moment like this—it's just that most never meet the right person. At this moment, she truly felt she was the happiest woman alive. If only Xia Tian weren't her cousin.
"He's… actually not bad," Bing Xin thought to herself, before quickly blushing. "Oh, Bing Xin, what are you thinking? How shameless!"
She remembered their first meeting—how Xia Tian had somehow guessed what she was wearing beneath her clothes—and everything that had happened since then.
"He must have a lot of secrets. I want to find out what they are," she vowed silently.
Beside them, Huo Wen, the Fire-Kissed Girl, felt a storm brewing in her heart. She had never liked any man and had never known what it meant to be touched by someone emotionally. But seeing what Xia Tian had done tonight, she finally understood why women chased after such "vain" gestures. She could see that Ye Qingxue's happiness was genuine.
The banquet officially began, but everyone's attention remained on Xia Tian. He had stolen the spotlight from every guest, even the proud young master Wang Nianlin.
Meanwhile, at Jianghai City First Hospital—
"Liusha? What's so special about this kid that Liusha would protect him?" Xu Qinghua frowned. He couldn't understand what Liusha was thinking. They were an assassination organization—why would they protect anyone?
"It's almost impossible for Liusha to protect someone unless that person is extremely important to them," said Ah San. "Either he's related to someone high-ranking in Liusha, or he possesses something they want."
Xu Qinghua didn't blame Ah San for retreating earlier. On the contrary, he had asked repeatedly if Ah San was injured. He trusted him completely. If Ah San hadn't captured the boy, it meant something serious had happened. Xu Qinghua valued him greatly—more than his own brothers.
"The first possibility is unlikely," Xu Qinghua said slowly. "Which means he must have something Liusha wants. It seems we've underestimated this high school student. Investigate him thoroughly."
"What about Xu Shaocong, sir?" Ah San asked, glancing at the young man lying unconscious on the hospital bed.
"Ask Mr. Wang for help. The price will be high, but it's better than losing our lives," Xu Qinghua said coldly. He never made losing trades.
Back at the banquet, the celebration ended joyfully for everyone except Ye Qingxue, who remained distracted the entire night.
Afterward, several people offered to drive her home since she didn't have a car.
"No, thank you," she said politely. She knew they were all Wang Nianlin's friends. Although he had been humiliated by Xia Tian earlier, they would surely try to cause trouble afterward.
Xia Tian's clothes were simple, and there were no car keys in sight—everyone assumed he had no vehicle.
"Qingxue, let me drive you," Wang Nianlin said gallantly.
"No, thank you. I'll go with Xia Tian," she replied, wrapping her arm around his. Whether intentionally or not, her soft curves brushed against him as she did.
"It doesn't look like he even has a car," Wang Nianlin sneered.
Just then, Xia Tian spotted a car pulling up in the distance. Smiling faintly, he took Ye Qingxue's hand and walked over, with Bing Xin following behind. Huo Wen stood watching, puzzled, as the three stopped in front of a BMW.
A man in a Tang suit stepped out, opened the door, and respectfully invited them in. The car drove off smoothly, leaving Wang Nianlin and his friends frozen in place.
Today was the worst day of Wang Nianlin's life. He had been humiliated by Xia Tian over and over again. He had called him poor—yet Xia Tian's gift was worth dozens of times more. He had mocked him for lacking romance—yet Xia Tian had brought fireworks, roses, and lights.
And now, just as he tried to boast about his car, Xia Tian once again crushed him—the reason Xia Tian carried no keys was because he had a driver.
"Damn it," Wang Nianlin muttered through clenched teeth, watching the BMW disappear into the distance. "I'll never let you go."