"We need to change our tune and make him cough up a little."
Luis said, sounding both amused and exasperated.
"You little rascal, co inside first."
It was a typical dormitory setup. The small western-style villa wasn't lavish. It was decorated in an antique, solid wood style, full of Chinese elegance, tasteful and understated.
Once seated on the sofa, Ye said with a smile, "Daughter-in-law, don't listen to him, just call Dad."
"Dad!!"
Lily's obedient call made Ye's face crinkle into a wide smile. He quickly patted his pockets and pulled out an envelope, saying, "Co here, co here. Dad had this ready long ago, no need for this rascal to remind ."
The envelope felt hard, as if there was a jewelry case inside. It was quite heavy, though he couldn't tell what it contained.
Lily accepted it graciously, her face flushing as she said, "Dad, first, please see if you like your birthday gift."
"Good, good!"
Ye imdiately opened the box and pulled out a woolen scarf. The style was slightly rustic, clearly not a mass-produced, machine-made item.
A white scarf, along with a black woolen vest, both unmistakably hand-knitted.
"You made these??"
Ye's eyes lit up.
By then, Luis had already carried the boxes into the kitchen and was unpacking them. Lily said with a gentle smile, "I hope you don't mind, my hands are rather clumsy..."
"Not at all, not at all, this shows a clever and thoughtful hand. This boy is fortunate."
This was called catering to one's preferences. For soone of his stature, things like gold, silver, jewels, luxury cars, and grand mansions were rely fleeting clouds. In contrast, this gesture of familial affection, seemingly humble, was what truly touched the heart.
"Dad, you sit and relax, I'll go help!"
As she spoke, Lily hurried into the small kitchen.
"Just keep it simple!"
Ye was in high spirits and followed them to the kitchen to watch the lively scene.
He had a live-in housekeeper, a driver, and a secretary, but he had sent them all ho today. He wanted to spend so quality ti with the young couple and finally celebrate a birthday he had neglected for years.
Many of the ingredients were already prepped, so the dishes were all on the table within half an hour.
Delicacies from land and sea surely held no interest for him. The soup was a simple free-range chicken and bamboo shoot broth that Lily had stewed in advance—utterly ordinary, yet Ye praised it endlessly.
The dishes were even simpler: roast chicken, shredded, Luis stir-fried so cured pork with chili peppers, Lily stead an egg custard, and stir-fried a plate of wild vegetables she had specially gone to the countryside to get.
Besides that, there were various side dishes, including salted duck eggs and pickled vegetables.
"Dad, how do these little side dishes taste?"
Lily asked expectantly.
"You made all of this?"
Ye, ever the shrewd man, imdiately countered with a question.
"Yes!"
Lily replied a bit shyly, "I just like making my own pickled vegetables at ho. These duck eggs were also cured at ho."
"Excellent, excellent. With skills like this, you could be a head chef."
Naturally, Ye was full of praise and absolutely delighted. He eagerly brought out a bottle of old liquor whose brand was unrecognizable, saying with a grin, "Son, let's you and finish this bottle tonight."
"Alright!"
Luis agreed readily.
"Nannan even rolled these longevity noodles herself."
After the al, Ye said the dishes could be left for soone to clean up tomorrow, but Lily insisted on clearing the table anyway.
Ye said with heartfelt concern, "She's heavily pregnant, how can she not sit still for a mont?"
"That's just her nature."
Ye asked, seemingly offhand, "Can you two stay here tonight?"
Despite his stubbornness and inability to express it well, the hope in his eyes was impossible to hide at that mont. Luis figured, since they were already here, they might as well stay the night with him.
But then, looking around at this seemingly serene yet heavily guarded environnt, Luis shook his head and said, "No, let's do it another ti."
"Alright then. But since you've been drinking, don't drive. I'll call my driver over."
"No need, I'll just call a ride service."
"No, I wouldn't feel at ease."
Ye still had his overwhelmingly forceful side. He insisted, making one call to summon his driver—a middle-aged man who appeared very steady and was tall and powerfully built.
He was responsible for driving Luis and Lily all the way back to Bathek City. The car ca to a smooth stop in the garage. The driver nodded and handed over one of his business cards, saying, "Young Master, you can call directly if you need anything."
"Okay, thank you."
Back ho, they opened the envelope. Inside was a very plain-looking jewelry box.
Opening it, Lily couldn't help but exclaim, "How beautiful!"
Inside the box was a string of jadeite beads. The entire necklace was a gleaming, crystalline purple—if mory served, it was called violet jadeite—utterly transparent and flawless.
The color and luster were perfectly uniform. Even beads cut from the sa piece of rough jadeite would rarely achieve such perfect consistency.
Even soone who knew nothing about jade would, upon seeing this beaded necklace, think of the phrase "round as pearls, smooth as jade." Its opulence was palpable even to the most untrained eye.
"Husband, this is far too valuable!"
Lily even felt a bit apprehensive.
"Nonsense, it's just a eting gift. For all we know, it's a knockoff or even just glass."
Naturally, anything Ye gave wouldn't be ordinary. Luis said this to soothe his wife, who was both flattered and overwheld.
Lily shook her head, stroking the beaded necklace, and said, "Absolutely not. Even if soone doesn't know better, how could sothing so beautiful possibly be fake."
"Let put it on for you."
"No, I'd rather put it in the cabinet, husband. I think you should buy a safe."
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