A gift for my daughter.

Before he could explode, Qin Xi had already snatched her daughter back from her mother, tears streaming down her face: "Mom, how many times have I told you? She's still young, don't scare her like that. Why do you keep doing this? If it happens again, I'll take Xiao Xiao and move out."

Qin's mother, feeling guilty, quickly said, "I was just trying to scare her a little, I wasn't really going to lock her up. If you just divorce that good-for-nothing, everything will be fine."

Qin Xi ignored her mother and turned to Wang Jian, her tone laced with sarcasm: "Young Master Wang, your family is wealthy and powerful, I'm not worthy of you. Besides, I'm already married. Even if I weren't, I wouldn't be with you. Moreover... he's back now, so please stop disturbing our lives. Thank you!"

At this moment, Wang Jian's face turned ugly, but when he saw Qin Xi's stunning beauty, he held back his anger, secretly thinking, *Once I have you, I'll make you pay for this.*

"Xiao Xi, how can you talk like that? Do you not realize how much Young Master Wang has helped us?" Qin's mother scolded Qin Xi, then turned to Wang Jian with a smile, "Young Master Wang, don't listen to her. In this house, what I say goes."

Wang Jian smiled gently, "Auntie, don't worry. I will definitely win Xiao Xi's heart with my sincerity."

Yang Chen's expression grew colder as he listened to Wang Jian openly declare his intentions to pursue his wife right in front of him.

"As expected of the future heir of the Wang family. Look at his grace, it's something certain people could never match."

"Our Xiao Xi is so beautiful. Only a talented young man like Young Master Wang is worthy of her."

"Young Master Wang, when you and Xiao Xi get married, I'll definitely prepare a big gift for you."

The relatives chattered away, openly flattering Wang Jian while making no effort to hide their disdain for Yang Chen.

Qin Xi was trembling with anger, but since everyone present was an elder, she held back. Her gaze briefly swept over Yang Chen, who remained expressionless and silent, neither refuting nor showing any anger. This only deepened her disappointment in him.

If Yang Chen knew what Qin Xi was thinking, he would have been frustrated to the point of吐血. He remained silent precisely to avoid embarrassing her.

At this moment, the housekeeper began serving the dishes, and everyone was invited to the dining table by Qin's mother—except for Yang Chen.

Yang Chen was left in an awkward position, unsure whether to stay or leave.

"Daddy, I want you to hold me while I eat."

The sweet voice of Qin Xiao Xiao suddenly rang out. Her big, sparkling eyes blinked as her tiny arms reached out toward her father.

The moment he heard his daughter's voice, all his anger dissipated, especially when he heard the word "Daddy." His heart melted.

But Qin's mother wasn't having it. She scolded the little girl, "Shut up! He's not your father. Your father died a long time ago."

Qin Xiao Xiao's lips quivered, on the verge of tears.

"Mom!"

Qin Xi's voice was filled with impatience. She picked up her daughter and said coldly, "You sit here."

This was clearly directed at Yang Chen, who gave her a grateful look and quickly took the seat.

"I want Daddy to hold me!"

Sitting in her father's arms, the little girl was overjoyed. She curiously tugged at her father's ears and touched his face, giggling with delight.

Seeing this, Qin Xi's eyes softened slightly.

As everyone gathered around the dining table, before anyone could start eating, Wang Jian took out a beautifully wrapped pink gift box and handed it to Qin Xiao Xiao: "This is a birthday gift from Uncle Wang. Happy birthday, Xiao Xiao!"

So today was his daughter's birthday. Thinking about how he had missed four years of her life, Yang Chen felt a pang of guilt.

Qin Xiao Xiao glanced timidly at Wang Jian. Being only four years old, she was naturally excited to receive a gift. Her eyes were glued to the pink cartoon-wrapped box.

She took the gift and said, "Thank you, Uncle Wang!"

Wang Jian smiled warmly, "Open it and see if you like it."

The little girl, already curious about the pink box, eagerly opened it.

Inside the outer wrapping was another delicate box. When she opened it, a sparkling little bracelet came into view.

"What a beautiful bracelet!"

Qin Yi, Qin Xi's younger sister, exclaimed with envy.

"After I found out it was Xiao Xiao's birthday, I asked a friend in Africa to source some raw diamonds from a large diamond mine. Then I commissioned an internationally renowned jewelry master to create this custom diamond bracelet. It's one of a kind in the world."

Wang Jian spoke with pride, emphasizing the bracelet's uniqueness and the effort he had put into it.

"A diamond bracelet, designed by an international master, and custom-made? It must be worth at least over a hundred thousand, right?"

Qin Yi's eyes sparkled with desire, wishing she could take the bracelet for herself.

Wang Jian leaned back comfortably, a smug smile on his face, and said, "The diamonds themselves aren't that expensive. The real cost was hiring the jewelry master. But it wasn't too much—around six hundred thousand in total."

"Six hundred thousand!"

Hearing the price, the relatives gasped in awe.

"As expected of the young master of the Wang family. So generous!"

"Most importantly, he treats Xiao Xiao so well. When Young Master Wang becomes Xiao Xiao's father, her childhood will be so much happier."

"Yes, Xiao Xiao is so lucky to have someone like Young Master Wang as her father soon."

The relatives spoke without regard for Yang Chen's presence. Wang Jian, hearing these words, smiled even wider and shot aprovocations look at Yang Chen.

Qin Xi's face was now extremely dark. Although she was deeply disappointed in Yang Chen, she had never agreed to marry Wang Jian.

"Today is Xiao Xiao's birthday. Don't tell me you didn't prepare a gift?"

At this moment, Qin Yi suddenly asked mockingly. Instantly, all eyes turned to Yang Chen.

"Of course I did," Yang Chen replied.

Hearing her father's words, Xiao Xiao's face lit up with anticipation. For her, any gift from her father would be the best.

Qin's mother frowned. Yang Chen had come empty-handed. If he had prepared a gift, where could it be?

Everyone else was thinking the same thing.

Under everyone's gaze, Yang Chen casually took off a pendant hanging around his neck.

"Pfft!"

Qin Yi couldn't help but laugh, her tone exaggerated, "Yang Chen, is this the birthday gift you prepared for your own daughter? A cracked stone? Did you pick it up from the roadside?"

Yang Chen shook his head and replied honestly, "I found it in the Gobi Desert."

His response immediately sparked a wave of laughter.

Qin Xi, who had held a sliver of hope for Yang Chen, felt her expression freeze. This was the first birthday he was spending with their daughter, and all he gave was a stone he picked up? Moreover, with all the relatives present, this was a direct slap to her face.

No one knew that this seemingly ordinary stone from the Gobi Desert had saved Yang Chen's life multiple times. Each crack on its surface represented a life-and-death moment from his past.

Only Qin Xiao Xiao, upon seeing the pendant, was overjoyed. She tilted her little head up and giggled, "Daddy's gift, I love it! Daddy, put it on me!"

Yang Chen's face softened into a gentle smile as he carefully fastened the pendant around his daughter's neck.

Surprisingly, the small, cracked stone, resembling mutton-fat jade, looked incredibly beautiful on Qin Xiao Xiao, as if it had been made just for her.

But because it came from Yang Chen, no one would admit that the stone might actually be priceless.

"A stone picked up from who knows where—what's so special about it?"

Qin's mother said with displeasure, then turned to Qin Xi, "Put the bracelet Young Master Wang gave on Xiao Xiao. Let some people see the difference between heaven and earth."

While praising Wang Jian, she didn't forget to belittle Yang Chen.

But at that moment, Yang Chen suddenly picked up the diamond bracelet, glanced at it briefly, and tossed it into the trash.

His action left everyone stunned. He had just thrown away a six hundred thousand diamond bracelet?

"What are you doing?" Qin's mother roared in anger.

Yang Chen frowned slightly, "This bracelet is harmful if worn for too long."

"You're talking nonsense!"

Wang Jian, who had always maintained a calm demeanor, was now furious. Seeing Yang Chen throw away the bracelet in front of everyone, he snapped, "I put so much effort into getting this bracelet. How dare you, a worthless man, insult it like this?"

Yang Chen coldly stared at Wang Jian and asked, "You said this red diamond bracelet cost you six hundred thousand?"

Wang Jian angrily retorted, "Do you have a problem with that?"

"If you really spent six hundred thousand on it, then I can only say you're a fool with too much money!"

Yang Chen sneered, not giving Wang Jian a chance to respond, and continued, "Red diamonds are the rarest type of diamonds, so rare that they don't even have a fixed market price. They rarely appear in the diamond market and are usually only seen at high-end auctions."

"In 1987, a 0.95-carat red diamond was auctioned at Sotheby's for 880,000 USD, equivalent to 920,000 USD per carat. Converted to our currency, that's over six million."

"Your bracelet has at least a few carats of diamonds. Tell me, how did you manage to buy a red diamond bracelet for six hundred thousand?"

"These aren't natural red diamonds. They're ordinary diamonds that have been irradiated to change their color. Such diamonds have strong radioactivity and can cause serious harm if worn for long periods. And you gave this highly radioactive bracelet to a four-year-old girl? What exactly are your intentions?"

Yang Chen's sharp questions left Wang Jian speechless. The room fell into complete silence, all eyes fixed on Wang Jian. Qin Xi's expression turned icy.