Zhang Yang Guessed Right

Cheng Dongxue's second sister, Cheng Lin, was relatively polite to Zhang Yang. Though she disliked him, her younger sister loved him, so she kept her contempt to herself.

At Yang Su's previous birthday dinners, Zhang Yang had always dressed casually. Today, he wore a suit and carried a rosewood box.

He had dressed with care. He was finally taking their mother's birthday seriously.

The rosewood box was finely made, so the gift inside was probably valuable too, or at least worthy of its packaging. Still, Cheng Lin wondered where Zhang Yang had found the money for an expensive birthday gift. He had no job and was treated almost like a housekeeper at home. He had probably spent another sizable sum of Cheng Dongxue's money.

"Second Sister, is something wrong with what I'm wearing today?" Zhang Yang asked when he noticed Cheng Lin studying him.

Cheng Lin smiled, patted his shoulder, and stepped back. "Well, you actually look presentable today!"

"Second Sister!"

Cheng Dongxue's voice carried a playful reproach.

"I'm joking. You're always so quick to defend him." Cheng Lin covered her mouth and giggled.

The three Cheng sisters were gathered together now, each more beautiful than the last. The eldest, Cheng Dongyu, might have been the trial run, with a few rough edges in the making, but she was still breathtakingly beautiful. Her character and temperament, however, were cut from the same cloth as Yang Su's.

Then there was Cheng Lin, the second sister. She was beautiful too, but more importantly, her temper was a hundred times better than Cheng Dongyu's, and she was modest.

As for Cheng Dongxue, who held Zhang Yang's arm, she was the beauty of the Cheng Family. Cheng Lin had once joked that Zhang Yang must have earned several lifetimes' worth of good fortune to marry her.

Cheng Lin glanced at Lin Xiaofei. Her outfit was stunning today, bold and sexy enough to outshine even Cheng Dongxue.

And Lin Xiaofei had arrived holding one of Zhang Yang's arms while Cheng Dongxue held the other. Yet Cheng Dongxue wasn't jealous or angry. How strange.

If Cheng Lin's own husband showed up like that, she would probably kill him.

"Cheng Lin, since you're here, show us what you bought Mom!" Cheng Dongyu felt she had already outdone Cheng Dongxue. If she outdid Cheng Lin too, she would come out on top today.

In her love of money and vanity, Cheng Dongyu might even have surpassed Yang Su. Zhang Yang was beginning to see this family in a whole new light.

"What could I have bought Mom, Big Sister? Just some ordinary jewelry. I couldn't compare with you when you're so generous," Cheng Lin said. She had no desire to compete. It was a gift for their mother, after all.

"You can't say that, Cheng Lin. It's Mom's birthday today. We have to make her happy." Xia Shiying, standing nearby, could no longer hold back. His vanity had flared up too.

Xia Shiying and Cheng Dongyu knew that, of the three couples, they were Yang Su's favorites. If their gift was the most valuable today, she would be delighted and might favor them even more in the future.

"There's no need to look. I'm taking it straight to Mom." Cheng Lin looked toward Yang Su, who sat in the center waiting to receive everyone's birthday wishes.

"Come on, let us see!" Xia Shiying insisted.

Cheng Dongyu simply snatched the gift from Cheng Lin and opened it. Inside the box was a large ring with a platinum setting and a jadeite face.

Everyone gasped, their mouths wide enough to hold an egg.

The jadeite face was not especially large, but its quality was exceptional. Its green was so vivid that anyone seeing it at a glance might mistake it for a fake.

Zhang Yang leaned in for a look and immediately estimated the ring's value.

"Second Sister, this ring is beautiful. It must be expensive, right?" Cheng Dongxue asked. At the same time, she reassured herself that Zhang Yang had spared no expense this time and bought the White Jade Antique Hairpin for five hundred thousand. Otherwise, their gift would have been embarrassing.

"A gift's value lies in the thought behind it, not its price," Cheng Lin replied. She was adept at handling people through her work, and her answer was tactful without being improper.

Zhang Yang picked up the ring. When he saw Cheng Dongyu and Xia Shiying grow uneasy, he smiled.

"Second Sister, leaving aside the platinum's craftsmanship and material, the jadeite face is unusual. It's Old-Mine Icy Jade. It may not be top-grade jadeite, but it's still worth a considerable amount."

Zhang Yang had begun appraising the Jadeite Ring.

"Oh? Since when did you know about jewelry, Zhang Yang?" Cheng Lin was simply curious. Zhang Yang, who had seemed to know next to nothing before, could suddenly speak about it with some authority. That was quite a surprise.

"Tch... There you go showing off again. If you don't know anything, stop pretending you do." Xia Shiying snatched the ring from Zhang Yang's hand and nearly dropped it.

"Zhang Yang, you don't know about jewelry. Don't say things that'll make people laugh at you." Cheng Dongxue was afraid he would embarrass himself and hurried to stop him.

"Exactly. Dongxue has some sense. If you don't know, keep quiet instead of running your mouth," Xia Shiying added, taking the chance to put Zhang Yang down.

Zhang Yang shook his head with a cold smile. Cheng Dongyu and Xia Shiying truly were made for each other. After years together, they had grown strikingly alike.

"It really is beautiful. It must have cost several hundred thousand, right?" Lin Xiaofei was dazzled by the jadeite ring too and made a casual guess.

As soon as Lin Xiaofei ventured an estimate, Xia Shiying retorted, unwilling to let it stand. "You shouldn't pretend to be an expert either. This ring may be unusual, but it can't be worth more than a hundred thousand. A hundred and twenty or thirty thousand at most. It's nowhere near as valuable as the gold-inlaid jade I bought."

Having said that, Xia Shiying lifted his head proudly, ready for everyone's admiration.

Cheng Lin let out a laugh but said nothing.

"Second Sister, this ring couldn't have been that cheap. Even if you bought it through someone you know, it would still cost at least three hundred thousand. The jadeite face alone would be over two hundred thousand. Add the platinum and a master craftsman's work, and the total would be about three hundred thousand," Zhang Yang said, breaking down his estimate.

Cheng Lin froze and stared at Zhang Yang. She remembered every step of the ring's design, material selection, and production. Zhang Yang had been nowhere near any of it. How did he know?

Did Zhang Yang really know about jewelry?

"Second Sister, did Zhang Yang guess right?" Cheng Dongxue asked, startled by Cheng Lin's expression.

Cheng Lin was lost in thought. What Zhang Yang had said today left her unable to make sense of him.

"Uh... Your brother-in-law's company designed this ring, and he oversaw it himself. He had someone select the materials, then specially invited a master craftsman to make it. The jadeite face cost nearly two hundred and ten thousand. The platinum wasn't expensive, but the workmanship cost a lot. Altogether, it came to about three hundred thousand."

Now that Cheng Lin had revealed the price, everyone was shocked. Zhang Yang had somehow guessed right. But no one would believe that Zhang Yang had changed, becoming someone who seemed to know everything. After a thousand years of devoted cultivation, Zhang Yang had mastered knowledge they could not have learned and mastered in ten lifetimes.