Qiao Yun handed the famous painting to Father Lu and then found it much easier to speak, “Dad, this is your gift.”
“Oh, very good.”
Father Lu hurriedly took it, having seen the example set by Su Mian, he assumed that what Qiao Yun had given him was probably the kind of wall art you could buy at a small store.
However, when he opened it, the surprise in his eyes was unmistakable.
It was actually a painting by the contemporary master Qiao An, which would be worth at least ten million in the auction market.
Qiao Yun lifted her small face, “Do you like it?”
Father Lu replied without hesitation, “I like it.”
The corners of Qiao Yun’s mouth curved up.
Father Lu sighed silently in his heart. Such a convincing forgery must have taken quite some time to find. Regardless, this was the first gift from his daughter, and he couldn’t reveal the truth.
Qiao Yun held a small gift box and turned to look at Lu Jingzhi.
Lu Jingzhi subconsciously straightened his back, his eyes carrying a hint of amusement.
Qiao Yun passed over the gift box, “Your gift.”
Lu Jingzhi didn’t accept it, instead looking at Qiao Yun with some anticipation.
Qiao Yun didn’t speak, her dark eyes staring unwaveringly at him.
The amusement in Lu Jingzhi’s eyes faded, and he felt a sense of disappointment at not hearing Qiao Yun call him “big brother.”
He took the gift, and the gift box was exquisite. When he opened it and saw what was inside, the smile froze on his face.
Though he had guessed that the gift wouldn’t be something very expensive, he never expected it to be an electronic watch.
An electronic watch was one thing, but why a children’s model??
Su Mian, seeing Lu Jingzhi’s gift, felt even more certain that Qiao Yun must have led a hard life before. The cost of these gifts must have been considerable. Look, she didn’t even have enough money for a watch. She needed to find an opportunity to slip Qiaoqiao some money.
Lu Jingzhi, however, was stunned for quite a while.
“Don’t you like it?” Qiao Yun asked with her bright eyes fixed on him.
Lu Jingzhi caught his breath, suddenly unsure of what to say.
Qiao Yun’s eyes moved slightly, scanning over Lu Jingzhi’s wrist, then she hung her head, “Ah, I bought it too small.”
“It’s not small!” Su Mian signaled to her older son, “Not at all small. Your brother has been retaining water lately. Once the swelling goes down, he’ll be able to wear it.”
Lu Jingzhi: “…”
Seeing their mother getting anxious, he slowly began, “Thank you for the gift, little sister. Big brother really likes it.”
Qiao Yun lifted her gaze, then coldly moved it away.
Lu Jingzhi looked at Qiao Yun’s beautiful eyes, a smile involuntarily spreading on his lips, and his displeasure with her decreased a bit.
Even though this younger sister’s character wasn’t all that great, her quiet demeanor was indeed quite endearing.
When Qiao Yun’s eyes finally fell upon Lu Ting, although she herself didn’t expect or even want anything, she still looked at her eagerly, as if she couldn’t wait.
Qiao Yun’s expression was indifferent as she stretched out her clenched fist and opened it, “This string bracelet is for you.”
“…”
Lu Ting looked at the bracelet made of three colored strings, the kind you could buy from a street vendor, with an expression that was quite bizarre.
Although Lu Jingzhi’s gift was also hard to look at directly, at least it came in a gift box. Here she was, just extending her hand?
And the only decoration on the bracelet was a bell, the kind that rang incessantly with every move, as if desperate to attract attention.
Seeing her parents urging her with their eyes, Lu Ting offered a light smile, “The bracelet is very pretty.”
“As long as you like it.”
Lu Ting choked a little. Who said she liked it!
Who would like such a cheap trinket!
Qiao Yun surveyed Lu Ting with no hint of emotion, “I picked it out on the roadside for several hours. One for two yuan, cheap and good-looking, it suits you well.”
Lu Ting: “…”
What does that mean?
She’s worth two yuan??
A two-yuan item, and you spent several hours picking it out?