Ni Sitian rarely received praise from Jin Rulan, and the corners of her mouth lifted slightly, but she noticed out of the corner of her eye that Xu Tingchuan's face remained calm.
"Mom, happy birthday." Ni Sitian squeezed Xu Tingchuan's hand under the table, trying to make him stop looking so sullen.
"I'll light the candle first." Xu Jiayue took a candle, stuck it in the candle holder, lit it, and smiled at Jin Rulan, "Mom, make a wish quickly."
"I'm not a child." Jin Rulan said helplessly. Seeing Xu Jiayue staring at her, she could only smile faintly: "Okay, I promise. Then I promise that the whole family will be healthy and that Jiayue will get married soon."
"Mom, you're teasing me again!" Xu Jiayue pouted coquettishly.
Seeing how close the mother and daughter were, Ni Sitian couldn't help but feel a little emotional, and her eyes involuntarily glanced at Xu Tingchuan.
It's strange that those who aren't related by blood can have such a good relationship, while Xu Tingchuan and Jin Rulan are so cold and distant.
"Let's eat." Xu Haicheng smiled as he looked at their harmonious scene.
"Let's dig in! Uncle Wang, pour everyone a drink first." Xu Jiayue was still thinking about that bottle of Medusa wine.
Butler Wang poured the wine into the cups one by one. Jin Rulan covered the rim of the cup and said, "Go get me a bottle of tequila."
Upon hearing this, Ni Sitian looked at Jin Rulan. She never drank alcohol, but today she had ordered strong liquor.
"Aru..." Xu Haicheng wanted to say something to persuade her.
"What's wrong? Are you reluctant to part with it?" Jin Rulan looked at him calmly.
Xu Haicheng didn't say anything more and gestured for Butler Wang to go and get it.
In Ni Sitian's view, Xu Haicheng was completely obedient to Jin Rulan.
She glanced at Xu Tingchuan again; he was still the same.
Everyone raised their glasses to toast Jin Rulan and wished her a happy birthday, but he didn't move.
Ni Sitian couldn't help but poke him from below with her hand. Xu Haicheng also looked at him, his deep voice slightly hushed: "Tingchuan."
Xu Tingchuan pushed back his chair, stood up, and said calmly, "I'm full."
After he finished speaking, he walked out of the restaurant and went upstairs.
The cheerful atmosphere in the restaurant vanished instantly. Xu Jiayue took the initiative to break the awkward silence, saying, "Dad, didn't you have a gift for Mom?"
"Hmm." Xu Haicheng looked up at Butler Wang, who understood and went to the living room to bring over the painting.
"I'll help Mom unpack her gift." Seeing that Jin Rulan didn't move, Xu Jiayue started unpacking it herself.
It was a small orchid painting, meticulously detailed and uniquely crafted. Ni Sitian was so engrossed in looking at it that she couldn't help but comment. When she saw the signature, she was genuinely surprised.
This master's paintings are now so sought after that they are practically priceless. Paintings of this size are also quite rare. Aside from galleries, collectors, and auction houses, they are unlikely to be found anywhere else.
Moreover, Jin Rulan's name contains the character "Lan" (orchid), and this painting specifically features orchids. This thoughtfulness is truly remarkable, and it must have taken a long time to prepare for it.
"Dad, you've almost bought up all the orchid paintings by famous artists on the market," Xu Jiayue said with a laugh.
Xu Haicheng smiled and looked at Jin Rulan.
Jin Rulan looked at the painting, took a sip of her wine, and said nothing.
Xu Jiayue immediately took out her gift, took Jin Rulan's hand, and put the white jade bracelet on her wrist, saying, "I'm not as romantic as Dad. Jewelry is the most practical thing. I spent a long time looking for this bracelet with such high purity."
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