CHAPTER 120: CHAPTER 120 GIFTS

As everyone watched with anticipation, Xia Liang slowly opened the box.

Inside was a necklace crafted from platinum. It featured an angel with its wings spread, adorned with dozens of diamonds of all sizes. These details weren’t the main attraction, however. At the center of the necklace, cradled in the angel’s arms, was a single yellow gemstone. Under the restaurant lights, it glittered like a distant star.

"Wow! So romantic!"

All the women present couldn’t help but shriek with delight. Their faces flushed red, each wishing they could trade places with Zhou Ruo. Just as men adore cars, women have a natural weakness for shiny, beautiful things like this.

Although none of them could afford such an item, they were all familiar with the prices from seeing them in magazines. If this necklace was genuine, then the one Xia Liang had just given Zhou Ruo was worth at least two hundred thousand Yuan!

As for the possibility of it being fake, the three friends didn’t even consider it. Could a man of Xia Liang’s stature possibly give a fake gift? The thought was absurd. That was the irony of it. When a poor person spends their entire fortune on a luxury gift, the recipient will often suspect it’s a fake or a high-quality replica. They might even take it to a boutique to have it appraised.

But when it was Xia Liang, things were different. Even if the gemstone he gave her was fake, everyone would treat it as real.

"Here, let me put it on for you," Xia Liang said, looking at Zhou Ruo tenderly.

"Mhm," Zhou Ruo nodded gently.

Xia Liang fastened the necklace around her neck. "It’s called Angel’s Wings. From now on, I’ll protect you like an angel."

"Aww..."

CLAP, CLAP, CLAP, CLAP!

Xia Liang’s words were met with a round of teasing and envious applause from her friends. Amid the clapping, Zhou Ruo felt like the happiest woman in the world. The reality that she was just his mistress stung, but as she touched the necklace, she was incredibly moved.

Just when everyone thought the surprises were over, Xia Liang held up a second finger.

"And now for the second gift."

His words immediately recaptured everyone’s attention. They watched, curious about what he would do next. Xia Liang took out his phone and navigated to the candid photo he had taken of Zhou Ruo the other day.

SNAP!

With a snap of his fingers, a waiter brought out the easel Xia Liang had been using earlier. As the others watched in confusion, Xia Liang walked over to it.

"This is the second gift I prepared for you: a portrait of you at your most beautiful."

He stood before them and held his phone up. "Watch closely!"

With a sudden swipe, his phone screen went dark. While everyone was still confused, Xia Liang pointed a finger toward the ceiling. A canvas materialized out of thin air above them.

"HISS!"

Everyone’s eyes widened in disbelief. They had been so captivated by the gemstone that they hadn’t paid much mind to Xia Liang’s earlier "magic." But this time, they were genuinely stunned.

"How did he do that?"

"Am I dreaming?"

"Zhou Ruo! Is your boyfriend a Mage?"

They all gasped in astonishment. Even Yuying was stunned beyond words. She had seen the painting before and had simply thought it was a very thoughtful gift. She never expected the reveal to be so magical. It was maddeningly enviable.

The canvas, suspended in the air, slowly descended before their eyes. Xia Liang was quietly guiding it with his Spiritual Power, his hand miming the action of holding it from afar. Though he was actually manipulating it, to the onlookers, it looked as if Xia Liang was hanging the canvas on the easel with nothing but a gesture.

Once it was in place, Xia Liang smiled again. "This is my second gift. A portrait of you at your most beautiful, painted by my own hands."

On the canvas was the image from the candid photo he had just shown them. What was most stunning was that the entire portrait was composed of the characters for Zhou Ruo’s name, written over and over again to form the image.

Gazing at this masterpiece, everyone was left utterly speechless.

"This..."

"That’s just unbelievable."

"Xiao Ruo, you are so incredibly lucky!"

While her three friends were filled with envy, Yuying kept her head bowed low, terrified that someone might see her twisted expression.

Why? Why did *she* get to find such a good man? Why?! Is it just because she’s a little prettier than me?

Yuying’s heart felt as if it were being gnawed by vipers, and she made no effort to conceal the raw jealousy twisting her features. Fortunately, no one was paying any attention to her. Everyone was too busy marveling at the sheer thoughtfulness of Xia Liang’s gift.

Finally, after admiring the artwork for a full ten minutes, the group began to calm down.

Chu Xia looked at Xia Liang. "Brother Xia, there can’t be more, can there?"

Wei Wei clutched her heart beside her. "I don’t think I can take any more surprises."

Hearing this, Xia Liang just chuckled. "And how do you know there isn’t?"

"Huh?"

"What?"

"There’s another gift?"

They had only been asking half-jokingly. They never imagined Xia Liang would actually have another one.

Xia Liang gestured for them to follow him. "For this gift, we’ll have to go outside."

He led the group out of the private room. A bright moon hung in the night sky, surrounded by sparkling stars. The women looked around, confused.

Clutching her heart dramatically, Chu Xia pleaded, "Brother Xia, please, no more shocks. Our hearts can’t take it."

"Yeah!" the other two chimed in, nodding.

Xia Liang remained silent, simply gazing up at the sky. Seeing this, the others followed his lead and looked up as well. Seizing the moment, Xia Liang quickly dialed a number on his phone.

「Meanwhile, outside Youlan Community.」

The security captain who received Xia Liang’s call jolted. He shouted, "It’s time! Light the fuses!"

At his command, the dozen or so people with him lit the fireworks. They had already rigged the cheap fireworks by connecting all their fuses into one long strand.

「Back inside Youlan Community.」

Xia Liang lowered his gaze from the sky and turned back to the group. He spread his arms wide.

"Xiao Ruo, this is the third gift I’ve prepared for you!"

The moment he finished speaking, a series of whistling sounds pierced the air.

WHOOSH, WHOOSH, WHOOSH!

Fireworks soared into the sky.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

They exploded in a cascade of light, bathing the ground in a myriad of colors.

"Wow..."

Everyone, except for Zhou Ruo, stared up at the sky with eyes full of longing.

If only someone would set off a firework display like this for me...

The fireworks continued to burst for a full twenty minutes. It wasn’t just Zhou Ruo and her friends; everyone near Youlan Community who could see the explosions was watching the stunning display. No one grew tired of the sight.

Finally, as the show was winding down and everyone thought it was over, Xia Liang suddenly dashed forward. Another firework appeared in his hand—a special one rewarded by the System.

As Xia Liang lit it, a whistle far louder than any before pierced the air.

WHOOSH!

This single firework shot into the sky like a rocket, climbing for a full ten seconds.