Chapter 50: The Prince of My Dreams

Ling Tian stared in astonishment at the various jade bangles before him, each differing in color and style but all of exceptional quality. His mind struggled to process the realization that his family didn't just possess an abundance of gold and money, but also so much jade—his mother simply never wore it.

"A gentleman wears jade, commoners wear gold," he mused with a sigh. "My mother really is just a common soul."

It took Ling Tian quite a while to recover his composure. Then, somewhat surprised, he asked, "Mom, did Grandma give you all these? Aren’t these supposed to be family heirlooms for the daughter-in-law? Aren’t there usually just one in a family?"

"Silly boy, our family isn’t like others. How could we only have one? We’ve always had plenty. These hundred pieces symbolize harmony and obedience. Take them and find yourself a wife. But tell me, whose daughter have you set your sights on? Is she beautiful?"

Li Meijun was very interested in the girl her son fancied, knowing her son's taste was surely extraordinary.

"Her name is Lin Youya. She’s especially beautiful. I’m going to her birthday party as her boyfriend—it’s also her eighteenth coming-of-age ceremony. I want to pick one from here as a gift for her, so that she may become our family’s future daughter-in-law." Ling Tian spoke as he started rifling through the bangles, finally selecting a top-grade glassy jadeite piece, full of luster.

"Lin Youya, what a beautiful name. But son, you really are too stingy! Why only give one? Take them all! They’re all meant for your wife, after all," Li Meijun protested, thinking her son too miserly—how could he hope to win over a girl like this?

Ling Tian grinned slyly. "Mom, you don’t get it. I’m looking for more than one daughter-in-law. So, I’ll give one to each, and keep searching. Thankfully, Grandma gave you a hundred—more than enough."

"You really have more than one? Who else?" Li Meijun perked up immediately. Although a woman might not wish her husband to have more wives, when it came to her own son, the more the merrier—especially since their family was so wealthy. Many sons and grandsons were a blessing.

"I’ve already won over one more: Li Youran, a very classical beauty. She’s a teacher in the Chinese Department at my school, four years older than me—she’s already mine. There are two more I want to pursue: one’s a beautiful policewoman named Han Bing, whom I’ve only met once; the other is Song Ziyue, whom I haven’t met yet. As for the future, I’ll see whoever I like along the way."

He listed his targets in one breath, leaving Li Meijun dumbfounded. Ever since her son had awakened to romance, his transformation was astonishing. His fickleness was no ordinary playboy’s—he’d even seduced his teacher! Impressive indeed!

"Son, who do you like best?" Li Meijun asked, curiosity piqued.

"I like Li Youran the most, because she was my first woman. But I like Lin Youya a lot too. Honestly, I love all my women." In Ling Tian’s heart, Li Youran held a special place—perhaps because of her unique constitution, or because of her complete devotion to him.

Li Meijun nodded, then smiled. "Even if you like Li Youran best, you can’t just bring one bangle to Lin Youya’s party—that’s too shabby. Prepare more gifts! These days, it’s fine to be a bit extravagant—what matters is not to be seen as stingy. Our family must never be stingy."

"Alright, I’ll get more things ready!"

Ling Tian then spent a long time discussing gifts with his mother, finally settling on a plan after much deliberation.

...

The Grand Hotel’s lobby shone with golden brilliance, filled with elegantly dressed guests.

Lin Youya, dressed like a princess, slowly descended the staircase accompanied by Song Xiaomei. Her white lace gown sparkled under the lights, a dazzling diamond necklace at her throat. A delicate tiara adorned her flowing brown hair. At that moment, she resembled a princess from a Western palace—her flawless features radiant, her graceful bearing enchanting all present.

Graceful, noble, beautiful.

A burst of applause greeted her. Many men stared in awe, captivated by her beauty—including Ling Tian, who was seeing her in a gown for the first time. Compared to her usual appearance, she seemed even more elegant, yet still noble and alluring, with an extra touch of womanly charm.

Lin Youya’s father was the first to speak: "Thank you all for attending my daughter’s birthday party. Today is also her eighteenth coming-of-age ceremony. To see my little girl grow up brings me immense joy as a father. I hope everyone enjoys a wonderful evening."

Applause rang out again. Lin Youya beamed at her father, deeply grateful for her parents’ love and care.

Afterward, her parents accompanied her to greet the guests, many of whom offered generous presents. Young men, in particular, presented lavish gifts, each hoping to win her favor, but she accepted them all with the same polite smile, never showing special interest.

Among the crowd, a man who fancied himself particularly charming stepped forward. Opening a box, he revealed a diamond ring—its stone much larger than usual.

"Youya, happy birthday. This diamond weighs 6.66 carats. I hope you like it, and that you’ll let me be your boyfriend," Lin Feng said with confident pride. Not everyone could present such a diamond ring.

The room hushed. A six-carat diamond ring was worth at least four or five million, possibly over ten million if branded—a true display of wealth.

Many girls looked at Lin Youya with envy. Lin Feng was handsome and generous—despite his reputation for being a playboy, he was considered a fine choice for a husband. After all, how many sons of officials or wealthy families were truly faithful these days?

Loyalty, they reasoned, was simply a matter of insufficient temptation; no betrayal meant the stakes weren’t high enough. Lin Feng had enough capital—making such a man faithful was nearly impossible. To be liked by him was already enough, many girls thought.

Meanwhile, many men envied Lin Feng—his willingness to spend so much was unmatched. Most of them, even with parental support, couldn’t compete. It seemed Lin Youya was out of their league.

Even Dai Jin looked worried, whispering to Ling Tian, "What should we do? That guy’s giving such a huge diamond ring—it’s deliberately making things hard for you! We can’t possibly buy a bigger one now; those usually have to be custom-made."

Ling Tian, however, remained calm. "Don’t worry; let’s just watch the show. No matter what tricks he pulls, he’s just a clown in my eyes. He’s nowhere near qualified to compete with me for a woman."

Sure enough, Lin Youya showed no interest in Lin Feng’s diamond. She smiled politely, saying, "I’m sorry, I already have a boyfriend. Your gift is too precious and too special; I really can’t accept it."

Receiving a ring wasn’t something to be taken lightly, especially when the giver requested to be her boyfriend. In truth, Lin Youya had intended to use Ling Tian as a shield mainly against this particular Lin Feng.

Fortunately, Ling Tian had come today; otherwise, she doubted this man would give up easily.

Her words sparked an uproar. Except for Lin Youya’s parents, grandfather, and aunt, no one else knew she had someone in her heart. Last time, Ling Tian had attended as her classmate, but her family knew he liked her and believed they’d end up together.

Lin Feng was not deterred by her refusal. He put away the ring, sneering, "Is your so-called boyfriend that country bumpkin Ling Tian? Dressed in cheap clothes—where did he even come from?" Lin Feng truly disdained Ling Tian from the bottom of his heart.

Lin Youya frowned. Though she had often scorned Ling Tian herself, even saying harsher things, she couldn’t tolerate others belittling him. She fixed Lin Feng with a stern look and said, "My boyfriend doesn’t need your judgment. In my eyes, he’s the best there is."

Lin Feng was left speechless. "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder," he thought sourly. He couldn’t understand what these women saw in Ling Tian—his own sister Li Youran had fallen for him too!

Ling Tian was inwardly delighted. Hearing Lin Youya’s words, he knew it was time to make his entrance. Smiling, he walked forward, step by step, all eyes on him as he approached Lin Youya.

Lin Youya’s eyes lit up at his appearance. For once, he had not embarrassed her with his usual casual clothes and gold accessories. Today, he looked every bit the refined tycoon—albeit one with taste.

He wore a custom Italian suit that accentuated his tall, handsome figure. His features were striking, his bearing refined, like a prince out of a fairy tale. On his wrist, a Patek Philippe watch exuded understated luxury.

Lin Youya gazed at Ling Tian in a daze. At this moment, he was flawless—just like the prince of her dreams. Song Xiaomei was equally stunned: When did Ling Tian become so handsome? Thank goodness he hadn’t worn his gold chain and watch, or he would have ruined the ensemble.

Even Lin Feng was momentarily taken aback. He hadn’t noticed when Ling Tian had arrived, nor when he’d acquired such taste. Surely, the suit and watch must be rented, he thought. Lin Feng simply couldn’t believe Ling Tian could be this refined.

Jealousy flared as he sneered, "Ling Tian, don’t think that dressing up makes you part of high society. A bumpkin will always be a bumpkin. Where’s your gift? Don’t even think about passing off some cheap trinket!" He was eager to see Ling Tian make a fool of himself.