Nie Teng

"Wenxue, aren't you spending this birthday at home with your parents?"

On the way to Gathering Immortals Pavilion, Su Yi asked casually.

"I'm already sixteen. Since today is my birthday, of course I should be the one to decide."

The girl beside him blinked her pretty eyes and said with a beaming smile, "Still, when evening comes, I'll be with my parents."

After a pause, she said, "Besides, the day after tomorrow is Grandmother's eightieth birthday. That's a major birthday celebration. My parents and the other clansmen are all busy with that, so how would they have the time to bother with me?"

Su Yi's eyes narrowed slightly, and he nodded.

Wen Lingxue's grandmother was the Wen Family's Old Madam, Liang Wenbi. Her position in the Wen Family was extraordinarily lofty; even the clan head, Wen Changjing, did not dare defy her will.

For her eightieth birthday celebration, no one in the Wen Family would naturally dare show the slightest neglect.

"Brother-in-law, hurry up. It's almost noon."

Wen Lingxue was clearly rather impatient.

"All right."

Su Yi smiled and followed her.

At the end of the day, his sister-in-law was still only sixteen.

An age as poetic and picturesque as a painting, brimming with youth.

Gathering Immortals Pavilion.

The highest-standard and largest restaurant in Guangling City, known as the number one pavilion of Guangling.

Those who came and went there were either rich or noble.

There was a joking saying that a single cup of wine in Gathering Immortals Pavilion was worth ten years of savings for a poor family!

It was no exaggeration.

When Su Yi and Wen Lingxue arrived, an attendant led them in with warm respect, bringing them to an elegant room on the third floor decorated with an antique, fragrant charm.

Seven or eight figures were already seated inside the private room. Aside from one youth, all the others were girls, each around fifteen or sixteen years old.

When Wen Lingxue arrived, she was immediately greeted with enthusiasm.

"Lingxue, you're so pretty today. This is the gift I specially prepared for you. I wish you success in getting into Clear River Sword Mansion as soon as possible!"

"Hehe, if those classmates of ours knew today was the birthday of Pine Cloud Sword Mansion's number one beauty, I'm afraid they'd all line up to bring gifts."

...As those girls handed over the gifts they had prepared long ago, they chattered away with Wen Lingxue. Their expressions and manners were all very proper and warm.

Su Yi swept his gaze over them and immediately saw a great many things.

These classmates of Wen Lingxue's were all extremely particular in their clothing and adornments. It was obvious they all came from extraordinary origins and illustrious families.

Some were lively and generous, some gentle and reserved, some valiant and spirited... Their looks and bearing were all quite outstanding as well.

However, perhaps Wen Lingxue's attire today was simply too beautiful and dazzling.

When these female classmates chatted with Wen Lingxue, more or less, they all carried a trace of envy and jealousy that was difficult to detect.

They concealed it very well, but it could not escape Su Yi's discerning eyes.

He could not help finding it amusing. Friendships between girls seemed close and inseparable on the surface, but in truth, each of them hid her own little thoughts.

Fortunately, none of this was of any real harm.

"Nie Teng, why are you here?"

Wen Lingxue suddenly turned her gaze toward the sole young man present. Her brows furrowed slightly, and her expression turned much colder.

The originally lively atmosphere became somewhat stifled.

The youth wore a jade robe, with sword-like brows and starry eyes, a dignified and handsome bearing.

He smiled and stepped forward, saying, "Lingxue, today is your birthday. This is a little token of my regard. Please accept it."

With both hands, he took out a treasure box inlaid with gold and jade, and gently opened it.

A pale purple jade hairpin appeared before everyone's eyes.

The jade hairpin had been carved with an exquisitely skillful hand into a luan bird spreading its wings as if about to take flight, vivid and lifelike. At a glance, it was clearly the work of a master-level artisan.

"The Purple Luan Wing-Flapping Jade Hairpin! This is a proud work of Cloud River County's Master Mo. It's said the material is a piece of natural Purple Cold Spirit Jade, and this jade alone is worth three hundred gold!"

"And after being carved by Master Mo's pair of divine hands, the value of this jade hairpin is already worthy of the words 'a thousand gold'!"

A girl with delicate makeup had light shining in both eyes as she recognized the origins of the jade hairpin.

"This... isn't this far too expensive?"

Some of the girls from illustrious backgrounds could not help clicking their tongues, shocked by Nie Teng's lavish gesture.

Nie Teng was very satisfied with this effect. He smiled faintly and said in a gentle voice, "Wenxue, do you like it? I specially prepared this for you."

Hearing this, the expressions of the girls nearby all underwent subtle changes, and they could not suppress the envy they felt toward Wen Lingxue.

Nie Teng.

The legitimate son of Nie Beihu, the City Lord's Mansion Guard Commander, outstanding in talent and grace, elegant as a jade tree in the wind.

At just sixteen, he was already a prominent figure in Pine Cloud Sword Mansion, admired by who knew how many female classmates.

Who wouldn't wish for a scene like this to happen to them?

But Wen Lingxue's brows furrowed even harder, and her expression grew colder. "This gift is too valuable. You should take it back."

Nie Teng's expression froze, and a trace of embarrassment flashed between his brows.

Before he could speak, Wen Lingxue had already invited everyone to take their seats one by one, and she deliberately had Su Yi sit beside her.

From beginning to end, she left Nie Teng completely hanging off to the side.

However, seeing Nie Teng in such an awkward position, some of the girls couldn't bear it and spoke up one after another, warmly inviting Nie Teng to sit down.

Nie Teng quickly composed himself and sat down with a cheerful smile, as if he had completely forgotten the embarrassing incident just now.

Only, whenever his gaze occasionally swept over Su Yi beside Wen Lingxue, an inexplicable discomfort rose in his heart.

In truth, whether it was Nie Teng or the other girls, they were all deeply puzzled as to why Wen Lingxue had brought Su Yi to this gathering.

But out of consideration for Wen Lingxue, they tacitly said nothing.

From beginning to end, no one took the initiative to greet Su Yi, much less exchange pleasantries.

If not for Wen Lingxue, they likely would never have been willing to sit together with Su Yi at all.

Who would want to have anything to do with a live-in son-in-law everyone mocked?

Thus, although Su Yi sat there, he was like a transparent person, ignored and disregarded.

"Brother-in-law, if they don't pay attention to you, I will. You absolutely mustn't take it to heart."

Seizing a moment when no one was paying attention, Wen Lingxue whispered softly by Su Yi's ear.

The young girl's breath was like orchids, her bright eyes like water, and her little face was full of reassurance.

Su Yi was rendered speechless.

With the state of mind he had from living two lives, how could he possibly care about such things?

Soon, a group of beautiful serving girls walked in, presenting a sumptuous spread of delicacies, all rare treats seldom seen in ordinary times.

Wen Lingxue said in puzzlement, "I didn't order this many dishes."

Nie Teng's spirits lifted, and he said in a clear voice, "Wenxue, today is your birthday. How could I let you spend money? Today's expenses at the Gathering Immortals Pavilion are all on me."

His gaze swept across the other girls, and he said with soaring pride, "Everyone eating and drinking well today is the greatest blessing you can give Wenxue."

The girls all laughed happily.

Although their backgrounds were extraordinary, it wasn't as if they could casually enjoy themselves in a "gold-burning pit" like the Gathering Immortals Pavilion.

Wen Lingxue, however, remained unmoved. Her voice was cool as she said, "However much it costs today, I'll pay you back another day."

Nie Teng chuckled. "Wenxue, don't be so distant. It's just one meal. If you really pay me back, I'll be cursed to death by the male classmates of our Pine Cloud Sword Mansion."

Quite a few girls laughed and chimed in one after another, urging Wen Lingxue not to mind these things too much.

Wen Lingxue hesitated for a moment, but in the end, she said nothing more.

However, she quietly muttered by Su Yi's ear, "That's just what this guy is like. Back at Pine Cloud Sword Mansion, he loved showing off. What I hate most is this sort of person—too vain."

"Also, I didn't invite him to this gathering at all. He came running over on his own. His skin really is thick enough!"

Su Yi smiled.

It was just vanity, a common flaw among young people, hardly anything too terrible.

Just then, Nie Teng suddenly looked over.

He truly hadn't heard what Wen Lingxue had said to Su Yi earlier.

Forcibly suppressing the jealousy and hatred in his heart, Nie Teng deliberately adopted a relaxed tone and spoke curiously:

A faint, almost imperceptible curve quietly rose at the corner of Su Yi's lips.

What kind of person was he? With one glance, he could tell this boy harbored resentment and was clearly preparing to use him to stir up trouble!

Sure enough, the gazes of everyone present all turned over, their expressions varied. They had more or less guessed that Nie Teng harbored thoughts of comparison.

He might even very well seize this chance to make things difficult for Su Yi.

Thinking about it, that made sense. What right did a matrilocal son-in-law have to sit together with people like them?

He didn't even know he was bringing humiliation upon himself!

"This Nie Teng really is annoying!"

Wen Lingxue was somewhat angry. She had long since known that Su Yi had nearly forgotten her birthday; how could he possibly have prepared a gift?

Yet of all things, Nie Teng just had to lift the pot that didn't boil!

However, before Wen Lingxue could speak, Su Yi had already said apologetically:

"I nearly forgot Lingxue's birthday this time, so I didn't have time to prepare a gift in advance. But when we return home tonight, I'll make it up to her."

As he spoke, his gaze turned to Wen Lingxue.

Because these words had been meant for Wen Lingxue in the first place. As for what the others thought, he didn't care at all.

Mm, he had only been too busy and had been careless for a moment, that was all.

Once she thought of it that way, the smile in her eyes and at the corners of her lips gradually spread.

"So you didn't prepare a gift after all..."

And at that moment, Nie Teng, his belly full of jealous fire, finally found a chance to vent. Unable to hold back, he mocked, "Lingxue treats you, her live-in son-in-law Brother-in-law, so well, yet who would've thought you'd even forget her birthday!"

The other girls present also kept shaking their heads.

This Su Yi was simply mud that could not be helped up the wall.

But thinking about it the other way around, he was only a live-in son-in-law eating soft rice in the Wen Family. So what if he did take out a gift?

It was destined to be far, far unable to compare with Senior Brother Nie Teng's "Purple Luan Jade Hairpin"!

They really did not know why Wen Lingxue cared so much about this live-in son-in-law Brother-in-law of hers...

Quite a few girls found this very hard to understand, and in their hearts, they looked down on Su Yi more and more.

Taking all of this in, Nie Teng finally felt much more at ease. He was just wondering whether he should strike while the iron was hot and stomp on Su Yi a few more times when, all of a sudden—

Bang!

The tightly shut door of the private room was shoved open heavily.