C22 The Gifts You Gave Were All Trash

"Yeah, Shuyu, your aunt has a point. A little sacrifice for the company is no big deal! We're living in an open society, and we're all young—it's really nothing!"

"Besides, it's a waste on your spineless husband. A beautiful flower like you stuck in cow dung! You and Young Master Zhao are truly a match made in heaven!"

...

All the busybody aunts swarmed around Lin Shuyu, completely ignoring Xia Ming.

They were essentially trying to cuckold Xia Ming!

Xia Ming stood by Lin Shuyu's side with a chilly demeanor, waiting for the chatter to die down before he spoke up, "Are you all finished? Now that you've had your say, I have a suggestion... Auntie, since it's all about family sacrifice, why don't you spend the night with Young Master Zhao? After all, it's not like you'd be losing any parts!"

Turnabout is fair play!

Zhang Lan's face turned ashen, "Xia Ming, what are you spouting?!"

Xia Ming was not someone to mess with. Zhang Lan knew better than to provoke him, especially since Lin Feng had already been bested by Xia Ming. She shot Xia Ming a venomous look and quietly stepped away from Lin Shuyu.

Xia Ming then addressed his uncle, "Uncle, if Aunt won't go, perhaps your wife would? I'm sure Young Master Zhao would be quite pleased!" His words were accompanied by a pointed glance at his fashionably dressed aunt in her short skirt and black stockings.

"Scoundrel!" Uncle Zhang Yu hissed before storming off!

One by one, the second uncle, the little aunt, and the rest of the relatives dispersed, leaving Lin Shuyu's side in peace.

Xia Ming stepped forward, his gaze icy as he surveyed the crowd, "Hmph, so much for family sacrifice. You're all willing to let someone else pay the price in your stead, but when it's your turn, you balk. Hear me well—if anyone dares to target my wife, I'll fight you with everything I've got!"

Xia Ming's voice was calm, but the commanding presence in his words left everyone present momentarily taken aback.

Xia Ming was a force to be reckoned with!

Seeing that the situation was at a standstill, the matriarch at the head of the table signaled to Zhao Chengyi and quickly intervened, "Enough, everyone. Young Master Zhao's offer was well-intentioned. Since Shuyu is not interested, we should respect her wishes. If Shuyu finds herself in a bind, I'm sure she'll seek out Young Master Zhao. Now that we're all here, let's move on to dinner!"

Grandma spoke with precision, not a word out of place.

Yet, her favoritism towards Lin Feng and Zhao Chengyi was evident, as she barely acknowledged Xia Ming and Lin Shuyu.

But that was of no consequence to them. Xia Ming didn't need the approval of anyone from Lin's family!

Having been with the Lin family for many years, Xia Ming was truly grateful to only two people. One was his late grandfather, who had taken him in. The other was his wife, Lin Shuyu.

Xia Ming's subservience over the years, and his obedience to Lin Shuyu, stemmed not only from her being his wife but also from a more significant reason. Years ago, when Lin Shuyu was just four, Xia Ming had a life-saving blood transfusion with her. Perhaps Lin Shuyu and the Lin family patriarch didn't remember the event vividly, but that transfusion had helped Xia Ming survive a brush with death.

Zhao Chengyi's plans were thwarted by Xia Ming once again, leaving him quite displeased. Nevertheless, he managed a strained smile for Grandma and said, "Grandma, there's no need to rush. I'm here to celebrate your birthday and have brought a gift for you! Bring it in, men!"

Following Zhao Chengyi's command, several bodyguards carried in large boxes. Inside the hall, they revealed a towering coral, a jade bracelet of the purest emerald green—each item worth millions.

"Grandma, please take a look. These are just small tokens of my affection. I insist you accept them! If I have the fortune of being with Shuyu in the future, I promise to take even greater care of you!" Zhao Chengyi's words were blunt, his intentions clear—it was a transaction.

With assets worth tens of billions, the Zhao Corporation wouldn't flinch at gifts worth tens of millions. But for Zhao Chengyi, securing Lin Shuyu was non-negotiable.

The secret of Lin Shuyu's lineage was unknown to others, but Zhao Chengyi was well aware. The value of Lin Shuyu's bloodline couldn't be measured in mere millions or billions.

The items Zhao Chengyi brought quickly formed a small mountain beside the table. As Grandma's eyes took in the sparkling array of jade and coral, her face lit up with joy. "Oh, Young Master Zhao, you're far too generous. I'm almost embarrassed to accept such lavish gifts!"

Grandma had taken quite a liking to Zhao Chengyi, the more she saw him, the more she wished he were her grandson-in-law.

Lin Shuyu sat next to Xia Ming, visibly upset, "This is outrageous! You just gave a pair of earrings worth 30 million, and Grandma wasn't nearly as thrilled!"

Xia Ming gently patted Lin Shuyu's hand, reassuring her, "Don't worry, my wife. We'll do what's right. Let's eat, and afterwards, we can go out for a walk to clear our minds."

However, before Xia Ming could even pick up his chopsticks, Zhao Chengyi decided to provoke him once again.

"Xia Ming... oh, you think you're so great? Have you ever seen coral over a meter tall? Can you afford it? I'm really curious, what gift did you give Grandma? Are you even brave enough to show it?" Zhao Chengyi taunted him with a sneer.

The room fell silent, remembering that Xia Ming had just presented a pair of chicken blood stone earrings valued at 30 million, authenticated by Elder Gu himself!

It was unclear whether Zhao Chengyi's array of gifts totaled more than 30 million, but they certainly appeared to dwarf Xia Ming's offering in size.

Xia Ming set down his chopsticks, a frown creasing his brow, but before he could respond, his phone rang. He answered the call and the voice on the other end spoke with urgency, "Young Master, it's me, Liu Tianxiong! Today is your grandmother's birthday, and I was concerned that our gift might not suffice, so I had additional items prepared. They're now outside the Lin Family Villa. Shall I let them in?"

Liu Tianxiong had certainly put thought into his actions.

Xia Ming shot Zhao Chengyi a look and pondered for a moment before deciding, "Let them in."

Xia Ming preferred to keep things understated, but there were times when he needed to demonstrate his capabilities. After all, people tend to take advantage of the kind, and a good horse is often ridden hard.

Zhao Chengyi, mistaking Xia Ming's silence for defeat, grew even more smug, "What's the matter? Did I hit a nerve? A worthless wretch picked from the trash heap who thinks he's something special... Listen, Lin Shuyu will be mine sooner or later! If you want to avoid more pain, you'd best just quietly get a divorce..."

Zhao Chengyi was still rambling on when Xia Ming snatched up a chair next to him. Striding forward, he snapped, "Shut up! Are we really fussing over a few gifts? Humph, I gave my grandmother chicken blood stone earrings worth thirty million without batting an eye. Do you think I care about this? The gifts you've brought, as far as I'm concerned, they're all junk..."

Xia Ming approached the heap of presents Zhao Chengyi had brought, chair in hand, and with a few forceful swings, he began to smash it down onto the collection of corals and jade.