The jade pendant resting in the palm of her hand was a translucent, vibrant imperial green.
Under the light, the splash of green seemed to come alive, so rich and deep that it looked as if it might liquefy and flow away.
The pendant was carved into the shape of a tiny, curled-up, snoozing kitten. Its expression was lazy and utterly endearing; even the tiny toe beans on its paws were sculpted with lifelike precision.
Most importantly, the kitten looked exactly like the cat plushie Jiang Yunlu hugged to sleep every single night.
A gentle tickle brushed against Jiang Yunlu's heart.
She recalled that during Chu Lintian's birthday, Lin Mo had also gifted a piece of imperial green jade.
She just hadn't expected to receive a piece herself.
But thinking about it this way, perhaps they both had one now.
Even though they weren't the exact same item, that sense of unique exclusivity felt as if it had been split in half.
Without her even realizing it, the upward curve of her lips quietly flattened just a fraction.
A subtle sourness at the bottom of her heart, one she was too embarrassed to even admit to herself, began to slowly ripple outward, like a lemon seed dropped into a glass of clear water.
It wasn't full-blown jealousy, but it was still incredibly tart.
"Hmm?" Lin Mo's gaze landed on her face, catching that fleeting look of disappointment.
He lowered his head, a teasing smile playing on his lips.
"What's wrong? You don't like it? If you don't like it, I'll just take it back."
As he spoke, he actually reached out, making a show of snatching the pendant from her palm.
Jiang Yunlu reacted lightning-fast. Like a little beast guarding its food, she yanked her hand back, clutching the jade tightly in her fist, while her other hand swung out to hit him.
"Hmph! You want to take back a gift you already gave? Have you no shame?!"
Her fist was soft, landing weakly against Lin Mo's firm chest. Rather than a punch, it felt more like a flirtatious caress.
"It's mine now! Mine!" she announced with a touch of bossiness, tilting her face up at him.
Lin Mo chuckled softly, letting her hit him, his eyes filled with indulgence.
Just then, Jiang Chengshan walked over carrying a small cake.
His eyes immediately caught the breathtaking flash of green in his daughter's hand, and his gaze narrowed slightly.
Imperial green jade. It was priceless.
However, given Lin Mo's background and influence, bringing out such a treasure wasn't entirely shocking.
Besides, he felt his daughter was more than worthy of it.
What concerned him more was the blatant, oblivious intimacy shared between the two kids.
"This jade pendant took me quite a bit of effort,"
Lin Mo suddenly said, his voice losing its previous teasing tone and turning serious. "I carved it myself. You have to wear it close to your skin; it will keep you safe."
Jiang Yunlu stopped hitting him and abruptly looked up.
He carved it himself?
Her fingertips brushed over the kitten's rounded back. Beneath the smooth, warm texture of the jade, it felt as though the heat of his fingers and the depth of his devotion were still hidden within.
A precious gift was instantly endowed with a meaning that money could never measure.
Her cheeks immediately burned up, and her heartbeat accelerated out of control. Even the tips of her ears flushed a suspicious shade of pink.
She lowered her eyes, her voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz. "Then... put it on me."
Lin Mo took a matching chain out of the box.
Even though it was a jade pendant, Lin Mo naturally wasn't going to string it on some cheap red thread.
It was a silver chain with a minimalist design. Paired with the classical jade pendant, while perhaps not a match made in heaven, it exuded a uniquely elegant and refined charm.
Seeing this, Jiang Chengshan said nothing. He simply took a few silent steps back, leaving the space entirely to them. Though he was annoyed, he knew that interrupting a moment like this would surely earn him their resentment.
Holding the necklace, Lin Mo didn't step around to her back. Instead, he approached her from the front.
He leaned down, wrapping his arms around her neck and shoulders to fasten the clasp.
This posture practically enveloped her entirely in his embrace.
His crisp, pleasant scent, mixed with the sweet aroma of the cake, wrapped around Jiang Yunlu so tightly she could barely breathe.
Her breath caught in her throat. She could clearly feel the warm pads of his fingers occasionally brushing against the sensitive skin at the back of her neck, making her heart pound wildly.
"One gift, split into a necklace and a pendant,"
Lin Mo's breath brushed against her ear, his voice deep and magnetic. "And I even have to personally serve you and put it on. Am I getting the short end of the stick here?"
"Then take off your watch, and I'll put it on for you," Jiang Yunlu replied, her heart fluttering from his teasing. She tilted her face up and smiled at him, her eyes sparkling.
Lin Mo fastened the clasp but didn't step back immediately. "That could work. From now on, I'll always come to you to put it on."
"Okay!" she agreed without a second thought.
Amidst their playful intimacy, Jiang Yunlu's gaze inadvertently fell upon Lin Mo's thin lips, which were hovering just inches away.
They were beautifully shaped, and when he spoke, they held a distinct, captivating allure.
An uncontrollable thought popped into her head.
I really want to... stand on my tiptoes and kiss him.
But her dad was still watching from a short distance away.
The mere thought made her cheeks burn even hotter.
To hide her guilty conscience, her eyes instinctively darted away before she boldly began to study him.
Over the past year, he seemed to have grown taller again.
They used to be roughly the same height when standing side by side, but now she had to tilt her head much higher just to see his face clearly.
"What are you looking at?" Lin Mo sharply caught her staring.
"You've grown taller again," she mumbled softly.
"Yeah, I'm about half a head taller than you for now." Lin Mo took a step back, watching her with a relaxed, amused expression. "I'll try my best to grow a full head taller than you in the future."
Suddenly, Jiang Yunlu leaned in close to his ear. With a breathy whisper that only the two of them could hear, tinged with a hint of frustration and a subtle, flirtatious pout, she complained,
"Why do you need to be so tall?"
"I won't even be able to kiss you when I stand on my tiptoes."
The Old Geezer watched the two of them being all lovey-dovey. Feeling rather displeased, he could only stuff his face with massive bites of strawberry popping boba cake.
Meanwhile, Uncle Zhao stood off to the side, happily enjoying his cake.
He occasionally glanced at the web novel in his hand, The Return of the City's War God as a Wealthy Heir.
He was just having a grand old time.
The two finally separated, and Lin Mo picked up a slice of the cake he had made himself to take a bite.
He asked casually, "By the way, where is your aunt? Isn't she coming to celebrate your birthday?"
Jiang Yunlu sighed. "She went on a business trip last week and hasn't made it back yet."
It didn't matter; Lin Mo was just asking in passing anyway.
As he ate his cake, he looked up at the sky, then glanced at the tent, and finally looked over at the Old Geezer.
Then, he casually asked, "Alright then, I still owe you one wish. What kind of wish do you want to make?"
Hearing this, the Old Geezer finally found an opportunity to interject.
"That's right! I'll agree to whatever wish you make."
Jiang Yunlu narrowed her eyes, flashing a mischievous Anya smile.
"Really? My dearest daddy?"
Oh no. The Old Geezer suddenly had a very ominous premonition.
Jiang Yunlu smiled and said, "My request is very simple. I want to sleep in the tent tonight."
Uh oh. The true motive had been revealed.
His sweet little girl was about to throw herself right into another man's arms.
ions, keeping it grounded and realistic】 After quitting his job, office worker Su Yang accidentally binds with the "Enjoy Life System." As the name suggests, simply by indulging in life's pleasures, he can earn random rewards from the system—no need to spend money on beautiful women or grovel before anyone. Just enjoy, and the money follows, making it all about effortless fun. The system comes with a scanning feature, allowing him to establish a favorability bond with women rated 85 points or above. Every 20-point increase in favorability unlocks additional rewards. After suffering through over twenty years of hardship, Su Yang trembles with excitement, his dull eyes suddenly gleaming with newfound hope. "Enjoy life? How hard could that be?"
e school belle recognized by the whole school, a genius girl from the kendo club. She also has a hidden identity, the youngest legendary demon hunter. Chen Shuo just transmigrated and found himself turned into a weak, helpless little vampire. He was caught by Su Xiyen and taken home at the very beginning. Since then, Chen Shuo's life creed only had two items. "First, classmate Su Xiyen is always right." "Second, if classmate Su Xiyen is wrong, please refer back to item one." Many years later, Chen Shuo, who had turned back into a human, led a pair of twins to appear in front of all the vampires to share the secret of how he turned back into a human. "It's simple, I tricked a female demon hunter into becoming my wife!"
uld barely embark on the path to immortality. Just as he was on the verge of death, his golden finger awakened. No matter whether it was poison, drained blood and vital energy, diminished lifespan, or any other physical debuff caused by paying a price—once midnight passed, everything would be refreshed. From then on, whenever someone asked what kind of person Chu Ran was, the answer was simple: Forbidden arts that other cultivators dared not learn? Chu Ran would learn them. Prices that even demonic cultivators dared not pay? Chu Ran would pay them. Lifespan that even righteous cultivators dared not burn? Chu Ran would burn it. All the blood essence in his body? Take it. Want both his hands and feet? He would cut them off and send them to you. You say he’s finished? He wasn’t built to sit idle. You think he’s gone mad? No—he was simply waiting for midnight. From that day onward, Chu Ran would respect neither Heaven nor Earth, bow to neither gods nor ghosts. He had only one wish: For midnight to arrive a little sooner.
tions: attribute allocation, analysis, proficiency, and simulation. Specializing in mechanical alchemy, from crafting sorcerous battle armor to handcrafting mechanical maidens, his mechanical legion conquers endless realms... Relying on his wits, he begins with a student-teacher romance, wins over a female director, enslaves a female assassin and a underworld queen, becoming the husband of a Grand Duchess... He enslaves the Goddess of Magic from the divine realm, developing his power simultaneously in both the Wizard World and the Realm of Gods...
