In the banquet hall, the magnificent crystal chandelier cast a soft glow. Bella Yang and Maggie Jiang stood facing each other at the table, and the atmosphere was as tense as a taut bowstring, with swords drawn and tension high. The surrounding guests were like magnets, putting down their wine glasses and gathering around, surrounding the two women. Nathan Su stood at the side, looking anxious, wiping the beads of sweat on his forehead, silently cursing under his breath. As the head of the Su family, he knew exactly what Bella Yang's gift was—a glazed jade teapot, worth a fortune! With Maggie Jiang's fiery temper, if she lost face in front of everyone, she might even lash out on the spot. If a scene broke out, the Su family would become the laughingstock of the entire Tianhai city.
While Nathan Su was racking his brains trying to think of a way to defuse the crisis, Maggie Jiang suddenly spoke up, her voice crisp and cold: "Since everyone is so interested, let's see what these two gifts really are." With that, she swiftly cleared the table and placed the two gifts side by side. On the left was Bella Yang's plain cloth bag, and on the right was her own luxurious, exquisite brocade box.
The guests around them immediately erupted in whispers, discussing among themselves.
"This gift from Miss Yang... looks a bit careless. She could have at least wrapped it better."
"Don't say that, maybe there's something important inside, maybe she just likes the contrast."
"Wow, Miss Jiang's box... is that yellow pear wood?"
"Good heavens, how valuable must the item be to be put in a yellow pear wood box! Miss Jiang really spent a lot for Ethan Su!"
"Ah, if only my family could have a son like Ethan Su! The Su family is so lucky to be connected to such powerful 'legs'!"
Bella Yang maintained her calm demeanor, as though the murmurs around her had nothing to do with her. Maggie Jiang, on the other hand, kept up her antagonistic attitude, mockingly saying, "You can leave now if you want, it's not too late. If you make a fool of yourself later, no one will help you! Look at you, so pathetic, what good could you possibly have? It's laughable!"
[Is my performance alright? Is the buildup enough?]
[Hmm... should I add a few more lines?]
[Forget it, I can't think of anything else!]
These thoughts suddenly echoed in Ethan Su's mind, and he looked at Maggie Jiang in confusion. Was this really her inner monologue? What was she plotting?
Maggie Jiang's taunt angered Bella Yang, causing her face to darken. With a cold snort, she grabbed the cloth bag and shook it forcefully. "Hmph, you really have no eye for things!" In an instant, a small, ancient jade teapot appeared in front of everyone.
The guests stretched their necks to take a closer look, and soon gasped in admiration.
"Hiss, it's actually a teapot made of sheep-fat jade?!"
"Judging by the style, this should be an antique, and it's so well-preserved—rare!"
"Miss Yang's background is incredible! A treasure of this caliber isn't something an ordinary person could get!"
"She's so rich and powerful! Who would've thought there was such a rare treasure hidden in this shabby cloth bag!"
The praises came one after another, and Bella Yang's lips curled up into a confident smile. This was exactly the effect she wanted! This jade teapot had been obtained through the Dragon Gate channel, and it was priceless. Not only in Tianhai city, but even in the capital, it would be considered a top-tier treasure. It was enough to give her the upper hand in this confrontation.
However, before Bella Yang could gloat, a burst of exaggerated laughter suddenly interrupted her thoughts. Maggie Jiang laughed sarcastically, holding her stomach: "This is your gift? No wonder it's in such a shabby bag. Turns out, you bought this fake thing at a street market! You dare present a counterfeit to wish an elder a happy birthday, do you think we're all fools?"
Maggie Jiang's words hit like a bombshell, instantly causing an uproar. Fake? If this accusation stuck, it would be a huge joke! All eyes turned to Bella Yang, waiting for her to explain.
Bella Yang was stunned for a moment but soon fumed with anger. "You can't just say things like that! This jade teapot is definitely real! What makes you think it's fake? Hmph, you're just slandering me!"
"Fine, you want proof, right?" Maggie Jiang sneered, shaking her head. "Then let me show you the evidence!" With that, she slowly opened her brocade box and took out a jade teapot identical to the one in Bella Yang's hands.
A gasp went up from the crowd, and everyone was stunned. These rare items were usually one-of-a-kind, so that meant one of these two jade teapots had to be fake, and one of the two women would be utterly humiliated.
"Hiss! This banquet is getting more and more exciting. It's like a drama unfolding before our eyes!" someone couldn't help but sigh.
Maggie Jiang calmly picked up the jade teapot and began to introduce it: "A glazed jade teapot, dating back over 600 years, worth 10.37 million. There's only one in the entire country. Unfortunately, I bought it. Here's the receipt. There's no need to say more—who's real, who's fake, it's obvious. What a clown, so laughable!"
Bella Yang snorted coldly. "Who's the clown is still up for debate! My jade teapot came from a very reliable source. It's impossible for it to be a fake! If you really spent a million, it only shows you're foolish and rich!"
Even though Maggie Jiang had also taken out an identical jade teapot, shocking Bella Yang, she still had absolute confidence in her own jade teapot. After all, it came from the Dragon Gate, the world's top mysterious organization—how could it possibly be a fake?
The guests once again erupted in discussion. Most people found Maggie Jiang's words more credible. After all, her pursuit of Ethan Su was well-known, and spending a million to win over a beauty seemed in line with her style. The receipt she presented was probably genuine. However, some still sided with Bella Yang, partly because of her mysterious background, and partly because they didn't like Maggie Jiang's arrogant attitude and secretly hoped she would be slapped in the face.
Just as the crowd was arguing, someone suddenly called out, "We're just guessing here, and it's not getting us anywhere. Master Chen, Master Zhang, you two are experts in antiques and happen to be here. Why don't we have you both take a look and see which one is real and which one is fake?"
This book is provided by FunNovel Novel Book | Fan Fiction Novel [Beautiful Free Novel Book]