Chapter 148: What a Joke!

Bao Mu indeed revealed a satisfied smile: "Thank you, Second Miss of the Gu Family. I like your gift very much."

"This Ru Kiln porcelain isn't cheap, is it?"

"This should be a Ru Kiln Sky Blue Glazed Cup… probably acquired at some auction."

"I remember it was at an auction last year, and the price was indeed very high!"

"Second Miss of the Gu Family… really knows how to win the Bo Family Head's mother's favor. This color is especially hard to fire!"

"So… it must have taken quite a lot of thought. A piece of this quality would be extremely expensive… you couldn't get it for less than a million."

"A million? Probably even an underestimate! Anyway, the most important thing is the thought behind it!"

"I wonder what kind of gift Gu Wenyan can produce—will it be as thoughtful as hers?"

Ru Kiln pieces surviving today are extremely few, so Gu Mianmian's ability to produce such an important gift inevitably became a topic of discussion and amazement among the crowd.

A faint, proud glint flickered in Gu Mianmian's eyes.

She was of course well aware that she had succeeded now. Acquiring this porcelain had cost her a great deal of money; not long ago, she had failed to win that Kashmir Blue jeweled necklace at auction.

But… the money had already been exchanged out, so she simply made a special point of finding the time to ask someone to get this gift into her hands.

To give to Bao Sihan's mother, and thoroughly slap Gu Wenyan in the face!

If Gu Wenyan, as Bao Mu's daughter-in-law, couldn't produce a gift more precious than hers… she would be laughed at by everyone!

Gu Yechen said nothing. This gift was prepared by Gu Mianmian herself, and he couldn't say anything about it. As for Gu Wenyan…

The corner of his mouth lifted slightly. He could almost guess that Gu Wenyan must have made excellent preparations.

Gu Wenyan wouldn't possibly come to today's banquet empty-handed.

What kind of gift would she have?

Gu Yechen was also very curious, wanting to know what kind of reaction the people around would have once her gift was brought out.

Just then, someone arrived fashionably late.

The crowd looked over, and both Gu Yechen and Gu Mianmian were especially surprised.

Gu Yechen even asked: "How did you get here?"

Gu Yeting had come with a certain family's young lady, appearing here as her male companion.

Gu Yeting had truly done as he said… he had his own way of making it happen.

Although he hadn't gotten an invitation, if he wanted to come, he indeed still had the ability.

Gu Yeting smiled faintly, and when he walked to Gu Wenyan's side, he asked: "Do you need my help?"

Gu Wenyan glanced at him sideways: "Do you think I would need it? I don't need it at all."

"That's true too—your gift is surely quite different."

So Gu Wenyan sincerely expressed her admiration for Gu Mianmian, saying that being able to spend so much money on such porcelain meant that no one at today's venue was more generous than Gu Mianmian.

Although this effort might not necessarily bring a corresponding return, since Gu Mianmian had done it, it showed she didn't care about the ultimate loss.

Of course, being able to use this opportunity to leave a good impression on Bao Mu would bring plenty of benefits in the future.

If Gu Mianmian wanted to start some new business, cooperating with the Bo Family could easily lead to success.

One could say the Bo Family only needed to toss out a tiny bit of what they had—even just scraps and leftovers—and it could give many people unprecedented opportunities for development.

Gu Mianmian's decision this time was indeed very clever.

"Sister, I'm also very curious what you can give Madam this time. It should be a particularly special gift, right? It must be even more meaningful than what I gave Madam…"

Gu Mianmian snorted: "After all, you are Madam's daughter-in-law—that status is different from ours."

As Gu Mianmian spoke, she could barely contain herself. She had finally gotten such a chance to mock Gu Wenyan—how could she possibly hold back?

But she had also gotten too carried away with pride. The moment those words left her mouth, Gu Yechen beside her frowned and reminded her: "Don't go too far."

"…Sorry, Big Brother, I just—I just said the wrong thing…"

Gu Mianmian also secretly warned herself: with these older brothers of the Gu Family present, she must never let her pride run away with her, lest she lose their support in the future.

And Gu Yeting…

He merely watched coldly from the side, without speaking up to remind her.

He looked at Gu Mianmian, once again confirming that the her now…

Felt very unfamiliar to him.

Gu Yeting felt as if he had never truly known this sister.

At this moment, he gained an even clearer awareness that this sister of his was completely different from what he had imagined.

He wasn't sure exactly when the change in his past judgments of Gu Mianmian had occurred.

Beyond disappointment, Gu Yeting's heart held another, more complicated emotion—as if a weight had been lifted, because from now on… he no longer had to agonize over it for himself, nor be caught in the middle, struggling to handle the conflict between the two sisters.

He could already make his choice.

But there was no need to decide certain things yet. Gu Yeting withdrew his gaze from Gu Mianmian and likewise looked at Gu Wenyan.

Gu Wenyan gave Bao Sihan a wink. The gift she had prepared today she hadn't even told him about—it could be said to be strictly confidential.

"Auntie, I know the gift my sister just gave was already extremely admirable, but today I…"

Gu Wenyan took out the box she carried with her; it was so small it was even hidden by the handbag she was holding.

At this moment, everyone saw Gu Wenyan open the box, and a faint, delicate fragrance drifted out…

Everyone saw what was inside…

It was a string of prayer beads?

And judging by the quality, they were Huanghuali prayer beads?

Huanghuali is now a scarce resource on the market, though for the wealthy, such Huanghuali is nothing they can't get their hands on.

But… what Gu Wenyan said next was enough to astonish everyone.

"These are prayer beads blessed by the eminent monk Daoyuan. I give them to Bao Mu, hoping Auntie will have peace and smoothness in all things from now on."

What did Gu Wenyan say? Who?? The eminent monk Daoyuan — that's a major figure!

This eminent monk is quite renowned among all the elite and nobility of the entire Jingcheng.

Many people who pray to gods and worship Buddha, seeking peace of mind, go to find this eminent monk Daoyuan, and after seeking his help, many difficult problems can be solved with ease...

But just getting an audience with him is no easy matter!

He doesn't help people resolve their troubles at just any time — no matter how much money is offered, he won't necessarily grant that favor!

Even some people of high rank and great power don't dare speak loudly in his presence — he is deeply revered.

Yet Gu Wenyan opens her mouth and just...

This prayer beads were personally consecrated by the eminent monk Daoyuan — what kind of joke is this?