Chapter 76 Birthday Necklace (Part 2)

Upon opening the box, Yu Ling's mind went blank! All her mental preparations were shattered at that moment! This wasn't glass! This couldn't possibly be glass! This pink diamond... the light and aura it exuded carried a soul-shaking, oppressive feeling of a rare treasure!

She had once seen from afar a carefully guarded pink diamond at a top jewelry exhibition. It was hailed as a "priceless treasure", but its brilliance and color were not even one-tenth of the one in front of her!

The huge impact made her almost unable to breathe! She subconsciously looked up at Zhao Chen.

Zhao Chen was still standing beside her, with that sincere expression of "Look how good I am at picking bargains" on his face, even with a little pride.

He seemed completely oblivious to the frozen air in the living room and the shocked gazes of the crowd. He only focused on Yu Ling, his amber eyes filled with pure anticipation. "How is it, Lingling? These 'glass beads' are quite sparkly under the light, aren't they? I think they'll go perfectly with your champagne-colored dress!"

Glass beads? Perfect with a skirt?

Yu Ling looked at his innocent and handsome face, and then at the rare pink diamond in the box that shone brightly and was enough to buy dozens of villas. She felt that her facial nerves and language function were completely paralyzed!

At this moment, the screen of Yu Ling's mobile phone placed on the corner of the table lit up wildly!

Buzz buzz buzz——!

It was Su Xiao's WeChat bombardment! A series of messages with exclamation marks came like a hurricane!

【Su Xiao is not Xiao Xiao Xiao: !!! !!! !!! !!! !!! !!! !!! !!! !!! 】

【Su Xiao is not Xiao Xiao Xiao: Ling Ling! !!! !!! !!! !!! !!! !!! !!! 】

[Su Xiao is not Xiao Xiao Xiao: Look at the picture I sent you! ...

【Su Xiao is not Xiao Xiao Xiao: [Picture]】

[Su Xiao is not Xiao Xiao Xiao: That thing on your neck! ! ! ! !]

Su Xiao is not Xiao Xiao Xiao: It’s it! It’s it! It’s it!!!

[Su Xiao is not Xiao Xiao Xiao: The 'Rose Heart' (Pink Star Rose) that has been missing for almost a hundred years! ! ! ! ! !]

[Su Xiao is not Xiao Xiao Xiao: The last Sotheby's auction failed because the reserve price was too high!!! The unsold price was 80 million US dollars!!! US dollars, sister!!!]

Su Xiao is not Xiao Xiao Xiao: Zhao Chen calls these glass beads?! Two hundred yuan after the discount?! And free shipping?!

[Su Xiao is not Xiao Xiao Xiao: Where is my ventilator now? ! ! Call an ambulance for me! ! ! !]

Eighty...eighty million...US dollars?!

Yu Ling's eyes were fixed on the picture Su Xiao had sent her on her phone screen—a blurry black-and-white photo from an old auction catalog. The pink diamond in the photo had the same outline and unique rose-cut pattern as the one in the necklace box in her hand!

She felt her vision go dark, and her hands holding the velvet box shook even more violently, and she could hardly hold the box that was light yet weighed over a thousand pounds!

"Lingling?" Zhao Chen's concerned voice sounded in his ears, with just the right amount of doubt, "Why are your hands shaking? Don't you like it?" He leaned over slightly, his handsome face close, and his warm breath brushed Ling's sensitive earlobe.

Yu Ling snapped back to her senses and met his amber eyes, which were so close to her, filled with innocent questioning. Deep within them, there seemed to be a faint, barely perceptible, mischievous smile.

The huge sense of absurdity, the ecstasy of being cherished, and the helplessness towards his poor acting skills, rolled in Yu Ling's chest like boiling magma!

She looked at Zhao Chen's impeccably sincere face, and then at the "glass bead" in the box that was worth half a small target of US dollars. A strong impulse, mixed with sweetness and sadness, suddenly rushed to her throat!

My eyes instantly turned red! Hot tears welled up without warning, blurring my vision.

She sniffed hard, trying not to let the tears fall, her voice was heavily nasal and a little choked up: "...I like it."

Trembling, she carefully, almost reverently, took the necklace out of the box. The cold platinum chain and the hot pink diamond fell into her palm, bringing an extremely unreal touch.

Zhao Chen looked at her red eyes and the way she was trying to hold back tears. The smile in his eyes deepened, filled with deep doting and satisfaction. He reached out his hand very naturally, took the necklace, and walked around behind Yu Ling.

His warm fingertips accidentally brushed against the delicate skin of Yu Ling's neck, sending a subtle shiver through her. Gently, he brushed aside the strands of hair at the nape of her neck and looped the cool platinum chain around her slender neck. The platinum clasp made a subtle click.

That stunning "Rose Heart," like the brightest pink star in the universe, rested steadily between Yu Ling's smooth and graceful collarbones! The warm pink light complemented her fair skin, emitting a breathtaking beauty!

Zhao Chen didn't leave immediately. He leaned forward slightly, his hands still resting on Yu Ling's shoulders, his chin almost touching the top of her head. His warm lips brushed against her sensitive earlobe, and his deep, magnetic voice, with a burning breath, clearly filled her ears:

"As long as you like it."

He took a half step back, his eyes fixed on the radiant pink diamond on her neck. He surveyed it with admiration, then revealed an extremely satisfied, "simple" smile to the still petrified crowd, his tone as relaxed as if he were discussing cabbages at the market:

"It seems this discounted item... well, it suits my wife quite well."

Everyone: “…”

Yu Ling felt the heavy weight of the cold yet hot "glass bead" on her neck, and listened to his "plain and unpretentious" comments. The bitterness and sweetness in her heart almost exploded!

She couldn't hold it back any longer, and the hot tears finally burst out and slid down her cheeks. She hurriedly lowered her head, not wanting her parents and best friend to see her losing control.

Zhao Chen looked at her lowered head and slightly trembling shoulders, the tenderness in his eyes almost overflowing. He reached out and wiped away the tears on her cheek with his fingertips very naturally, his movements were incredibly gentle.

"Silly girl, why are you crying?" He whispered, his voice filled with endless doting. "It's just a two hundred dollar necklace, and you're so moved?"

He paused, leaned closer, and added in a whisper so only the two of them could hear, with a hint of mischievousness in his voice, "Ask David to look for it next time. Maybe there's one for a hundred bucks with free shipping."

Yu Ling was both angry and amused by his "shameless" words. She raised her head with tears in her eyes and glared at him angrily. This look was full of watery light and infinite charm, which made Zhao Chen's heart burn and his Adam's apple rolled unconsciously.

He smiled and rubbed the top of her head, stopped teasing her, turned around and asked everyone to cut the cake, as if he was not the one who just gave away the "80 million US dollar glass beads".

The warm birthday party continued in a strange and subtle atmosphere. The cake was sweet, and laughter was everywhere. The "rose heart" on Yu Ling's neck reflected a dreamy pink halo as she moved, silently proclaiming her master's ultimate love and making Su Xiao and the others dizzy and trembling.

As the night deepened, the guests dispersed happily.

Yu Ling saw her parents and best friend off and returned to the living room. Zhao Chen was standing by the French window, his back to her, gazing out at the twinkling lights in the courtyard. His tall figure seemed a little lonely in the night.

Yu Ling walked over and gently wrapped her arms around his lean waist from behind, resting her cheek against his broad, warm back, feeling his steady heartbeat. The pink diamond around her neck felt cold and real against the fabric of his shirt.

"Thank you," she whispered, her voice overflowing with emotion and happiness. "The necklace is beautiful."

Zhao Chen didn't turn around, but simply placed his backhand on her hand around his waist and patted it gently. His voice was low and gentle in the night: "If you like it, it's worth it."

Just then, very light footsteps were heard in the hallway.

Special Assistant Lin Feng, wearing a black suit and expressionless, appeared at the entrance of the living room. He was holding a thin brown paper document bag with a prominent red "Confidential" label on the seal.

"Mr. Zhao." Lin Feng's voice was steady and he bowed slightly towards Zhao Chen's back.

Zhao Chen then slowly turned around. The gentle smile on his face instantly faded, and he returned to his usual cool and calm demeanor. He let go of Yu Ling's hand and walked towards Lin Feng.

Lin Feng held out the document bag with both hands. "What you requested. The transfer of all patent ownership for Starlight Technology's core nano-coating technology, as well as the global exclusive licensing agreement, have been notarized. All legal procedures are complete."

Starlight Technology? Patent transfer?

Yu Ling's heart skipped a beat! She instantly recalled her own absurd stock trading experience, where her fortune had gone from "hundreds of thousands" to "millions," then back to zero, ultimately becoming a "company anniversary gift"! So his real goal in acquiring Starlight Technology was this very technology?!

Zhao Chen took the thin file bag, without even looking at it, and casually weighed it in his hand, as if it was just an insignificant flyer.

"Yeah," he replied calmly, his tone flat and even. "It's quite efficient." He casually stuffed the document bag with the "Confidential" label into the pocket of his priceless khaki slacks, just like throwing away garbage! His movements were as natural as stuffing a pack of tissues.

Then, as if he suddenly remembered something, he turned his head and gave Yu Ling, who was still in shock, an extremely "normal" smile, even with a hint of "working man's" complaint, and added in a relaxed tone:

"The new printing shop downstairs is really fast. I'll go to them next time I need to make copies."

Print shop...copy things...

Yu Ling's eyes were fixed on the pocket of Zhao Chen's khaki slacks. There, bulging with the priceless "Xinghui Technology Core Patent Transfer Letter," enough to send shockwaves through the tech world, was the...

And look at that sincere expression on his face that says, "The printing shop downstairs is really good"...

Yu Ling felt that her brain CPU was once again crying out in grief as it was overwhelmed!

She took a deep breath, then another. Then, slowly, slowly, she raised her hand, and with an almost tragic determination, her fingertips gently stroked the dazzling "glass bead" on her neck, worth $80 million.

The pink diamond beneath the fingertips is cold and hard, emitting an eternal light.

She raised her head and looked at Zhao Chen's face, which was extremely handsome in the night and full of "ordinary" and "innocent".

Finally, she nodded very slowly and forcefully, squeezing out a word from between her teeth, her voice thick with a nasal tone and a kind of resigned, sweet helplessness:

"...Yeah. Yeah...quite fast."