Chapter 51: Three Grand Gifts from the Tycoon

Facing Li Feng's provocation, Ling Tian merely smiled, displaying remarkable composure. He did not even speak to Li Feng, for true contempt is shown by ignoring the other's existence. Ling Tian simply walked over to Lin Yuyah, drew from his pocket a bracelet—the very jade one he had chosen. The subtle green hues seemed to twine like distant mountains, its texture was exquisite, and its luster gentle.

“Happy birthday, Yuyah. This is our family’s heirloom, passed down especially to daughters-in-law. Let me put it on you,” Ling Tian said, taking Lin Yuyah’s hand and gently slipping the jade bracelet onto her wrist. The gleaming jade against her delicate wrist was flawless, an exquisite sight.

“Thank you,” Lin Yuyah said with a smile, though inwardly she cursed Ling Tian. An heirloom for the daughter-in-law? Did he really think she would believe that? Still, the bracelet was of fine quality, respectable enough to show, and its worth was likely not less than the carat diamond ring Li Feng held.

“As long as you like it,” Ling Tian was delighted. With Lin Yuyah wearing the bracelet, she was now family; there’d be no backing out.

“A mere bracelet? As Lin Yuyah’s boyfriend, isn’t that a bit lacking?” Li Feng remained dissatisfied. Although Ling Tian’s bracelet was decent, he still believed himself superior.

“Our family tradition is to give at least three gifts. That was just the first. Now for the second,” Ling Tian continued to ignore Li Feng, producing another small box from his pocket. It was similar in size to Li Feng’s earlier box, but appeared even more luxurious.

“There’s more?” Lin Yuyah was surprised. What else could Ling Tian have prepared? Today, he seemed unfamiliar to her.

“Yuyah, this is an 8.88 carat diamond ring. Happy eighteenth birthday! May you always be happy!” Ling Tian opened the box, revealing an exquisite ring. The diamond was large and dazzling; the quality and craftsmanship were exceptional. Some diamonds are large but lack clarity and brilliance, diminishing their value, but this one was not only sizable, its clarity, luster, and cut were all superb.

“Wow! Brother-in-law, you’re amazing!” Song Xiaomei looked at the diamond ring with envy. Such a ring was worth at least eight figures. She realized she had underestimated Ling Tian.

Others murmured, speculating on Ling Tian’s identity. To produce such valuable gifts, he clearly wasn’t an ordinary young man. In this world, some families are very low-key, known only to a select few. Many aren’t even qualified to know they exist, and perhaps the Ling family was one of these.

Li Feng was speechless now—Ling Tian’s diamond was bigger than his. He began to wonder: had he really underestimated Ling Tian? But from his usual impression, Ling Tian seemed like a nouveau riche. Shouldn’t someone truly impressive, like himself, live in a villa rather than crowding into an apartment with several others?

He didn’t doubt the authenticity of the ring—everyone present could tell it was real, and the jade bracelet was undeniably valuable.

“Thank you,” Lin Yuyah tried to suppress her surprise, appearing calm, though her mind was far from settled. Where had Ling Tian gotten such a large diamond ring?

“Let me put it on you,” Ling Tian said, slipping the ring onto Lin Yuyah’s right index finger. Under the dazzling lights, the diamond sparkled even more. Lin Yuyah wore a happy smile—part genuine, part for show. Since she had claimed Ling Tian as her boyfriend, she had to let others see her happiness.

The crowd erupted into enthusiastic applause. Ling Tian’s display of wealth astonished many, and several went to congratulate Lin Yuyah’s parents and grandfather, celebrating their luck in finding such an outstanding son-in-law.

The other girls envied Lin Yuyah—her boyfriend was handsome and wealthy, truly a high-class gentleman. His gestures were extravagant, and he was generous with his spending.

“Brother-in-law, you said you prepared three gifts. What’s the third?” Song Xiaomei was excited and curious.

Everyone else fell silent, waiting for Ling Tian’s answer. What could this young man have prepared? Even Lin Yuyah’s grandfather and parents realized they had underestimated Ling Tian. They had thought their own family background was superior, but it now seemed Ling Tian’s was at least equal to, if not better than, the Li family’s.

“Yuyah, I’m rather rustic. I sometimes don’t know how to spend money, and honestly couldn’t think of a third gift. So I decided to simply give you money,” Ling Tian said candidly. The crowd was shocked—he was just going to give her money?

Such a straightforward gesture—how much would he give, and how? If he handed her a card, who would know the amount inside?

“Um, it’s really unnecessary. The bracelet and ring are already very valuable. If you can’t think of anything, don’t worry about it,” Lin Yuyah was speechless at Ling Tian’s approach. Few people give cash as a birthday gift—it wasn’t a betrothal gift, after all.

The thought of a betrothal gift made Lin Yuyah blush. Why was her mind wandering there? She almost forgot Ling Tian was meant to be her shield, not a true boyfriend. Perhaps she had gotten too caught up in the act, or maybe real feelings were stirring. Either way, Lin Yuyah’s feelings for Ling Tian were changing.

“I’ve already prepared it. There’s no reason to take it back,” Ling Tian said, taking out his phone and dialing a number. “You can come in now,” he instructed.

Seconds later, thirty-six men entered, each pair carrying a large chest—eighteen chests in total.

Everyone was stunned. Eighteen chests—could it be...?

Many recalled a recent news story about a wealthy suitor in Zhejiang who brought 8.88 million yuan in cash, carried in eighteen containers as a betrothal gift. Was Ling Tian emulating that extravagance?

“Ling Tian, what are you doing?” Lin Yuyah asked curiously. Ling Tian had mentioned giving cash—could all these boxes be filled with money? That would be a staggering sum; the boxes looked substantial.

“Ha, it’s your birthday gift. You’re eighteen, so I brought eighteen chests of money. Open them!” Ling Tian ordered, and the men opened the chests. Everyone was speechless—a fortune lay before them.

But to everyone’s surprise, not all the chests contained yuan. Only one did. The others each held a different currency: one filled with dollars, another with euros, another with pounds, another with yen...

Even the less valuable currencies like Vietnamese dong and Zimbabwean dollars filled two chests, leaving the crowd at a loss for words.

Even Lin Yuyah’s grandfather and parents were stunned. They had never seen gifts given in such a way. The scale was enormous—even exchanging all that cash would take time. Ling Tian was certainly thoughtful.

But was his family really that wealthy? Did they own a bank?

Last time Lin Yuyah’s parents asked, Ling Tian had only said he was in business. Clearly, his business was vast. This time, Ling Tian’s display of wealth once again won the support of Lin Yuyah’s family.

Lin Yuyah herself was in a daze. The gifts were overwhelming: the heirloom bracelet for the daughter-in-law, the eight-carat diamond ring, and eighteen chests of foreign currencies. Although Ling Tian hadn’t explicitly proposed, the intent behind each gift was unmistakably matrimonial.

Suddenly, Lin Yuyah felt immense pressure. She realized she had entangled herself with someone she shouldn’t have. She wasn’t a gold-digger—otherwise, she wouldn’t be single at her age—but by accident, she had encountered this tycoon. She couldn’t tell whether it was fortune or misfortune.

“Yuyah, do you like the gifts? Or is there something else you want? Just tell me—I can bring you a hundred kinds of currency. Since it’s your eighteenth birthday, I brought eighteen chests,” Ling Tian explained the reason for the number.

Everyone understood now—it had nothing to do with betrothal gifts, just her eighteenth birthday. Lin Yuyah breathed a sigh of relief. As long as he didn’t propose, she could play dumb.

Unbeknownst to her, Ling Tian had no intention of proposing in such a setting. He still had lingering feelings for Li Youran, and pondered over Han Bing and Song Ziyue. If he really proposed, what if Lin Yuyah’s parents insisted on immediate marriage? For now, dating Lin Yuyah was enough; they were young, no rush. He would treat her as a true wife, cherishing her.

Lin Yuyah’s parents and grandfather, however, felt a little disappointed. They had hoped Ling Tian would propose then and there—they highly approved of him, especially after he saved Lin Yuyah’s grandfather, displaying both martial arts prowess and medical expertise, and now such a distinguished family background. Such a young man was rare indeed; they would urge Yuyah to seize the opportunity.

“Thank you for your gifts. I like them very much, though they are too valuable,” Lin Yuyah replied. To say otherwise would be too pretentious—the gifts were thoughtful and costly, leaving little room for dissatisfaction.

Moreover, since Ling Tian was acting as her shield, he had done so splendidly, giving her face. Lin Yuyah smiled brightly at Ling Tian, and to onlookers, the two appeared deeply in love.

As the pair basked in their sweet moment, a tall and handsome man strode in through the door, instantly drawing everyone’s attention.

He was strikingly handsome, his mature features exuding masculine charm, his posture upright, appearing about twenty-seven or twenty-eight. He possessed the allure of an experienced man, distinct from Ling Tian’s youthful aura. In the eyes of many women, that kind of man held a fatal attraction.