After being forced into a marriage of convenience, a master of metaphysics manipulates a cold and al

"Hiss, could this be one of the masterpieces of that great Song Dynasty painter, 'Downhill Stream Landscape'?"

"This is a true treasure, not only priceless, but also said to be the only genuine piece in the world, making it extremely rare!"

"The Zhu family is really serious this time, actually willing to give such a treasure as a birthday gift..."

After receiving confirmation, Nangong Kangcheng did not hesitate any longer and had someone open the congratulatory gift belonging to Zhu Daji first.

The names of the guests who gave the gifts were written on them, and even their family backgrounds were clearly written down to avoid mistakes.

After all, the Admiral's birthday is the most important event in the entire Jingzhou.

Many people, though not qualified to be invited to the dinner, dared not not to send a gift.

If all the gifts are added together, even a warehouse might not be able to hold them all.

The Admiral's rule is that he never accepts monetary gifts, so those wishing him a birthday celebration must prepare carefully chosen presents.

The guests who were able to attend the birthday banquet were basically the most prestigious and influential people in Jingzhou. Their discerning eyes and knowledge were extraordinary, and they recognized the origin of the painting at a glance, exclaiming in surprise.

The wealthy in high society not only have no overlap with ordinary people in their social circles, but their lifestyles are also vastly different.

Without the daily toil of supporting their families, they naturally cultivate a variety of hobbies during their ample leisure time, in addition to their extravagant and decadent lifestyle.

Appreciation is only one aspect of it.

In terms of the quality of paintings, the Song Dynasty is undoubtedly dazzling.

The works of those famous artists are almost universally known in high society circles.

Most people have only seen photos or made copies; the originals are extremely rare.

"I think there's no need to look at the Qin family's gifts anymore. In fact, among all the birthday gifts tonight, the value of this painting is probably unmatched!"

Someone gave a very confident conclusion, their tone filled with bitterness.

Many people began to nod in agreement, their expressions turning somewhat grim.

The Zhu family actually offered such a generous gift, leaving them feeling utterly ashamed.

Their carefully prepared birthday gifts, compared to this painting "Down the Mountain Stream," were not exactly reduced to worthless garbage, but they were certainly no longer presentable.

Hearing the exclamations and praises from the crowd, Zhu Daji and Ye Xuanyuan grinned from ear to ear, extremely pleased with themselves.

"Qin Wanqing, now you know the difference between you and me? Everyone used to say you were incredibly smart, but in my opinion, you're just a stupid woman!"

"Because if you had even a shred of common sense, you should have refused to compete with me. Others might not know, but don't you know what my gift is?"

"You know you're doomed to lose, yet you stubbornly refuse to admit defeat. Do you really enjoy humiliating yourself?"

Zhu Daji whispered in Qin Wanqing's ear, beginning her attack on her mind.

There was no other way; after all these years, I was finally able to beat Qin Wanqing once.

This feeling of triumph and triumph is incredibly exhilarating.

"Wanqing, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean for this to happen..."

Ye Xuanyuan also began to feign concern, even putting on a pained expression.

Judging from his demeanor, it seems that these actions were not what he wanted, but were forced upon him by Zhu Daji.

Qin Wanqing was naturally not fooled by Ye Xuanyuan's clumsy acting skills. She didn't even bother to look at this hypocritical and disgusting young master of the Ye family. Instead, she looked at Zhu Daji and asked with a strange expression, "Are you so sure you've won?"

Zhu Daji, oblivious to anything amiss, continued nonchalantly, "Isn't that obvious? Do you think you can produce a painting comparable to 'Downhill Stream Landscape'?"

Given the Qin family's strength, it wouldn't be impossible for them to acquire another famous painting if they had ample time and were willing to pay any price.

After all, while "Downhill Stream" is precious, there are other famous paintings of equal or even greater value.

However, only a little over ten days have passed since she snatched the painting, which is simply not enough time.

Unless the Qin family sends someone to steal the national treasures from the museum, there is no way they can succeed.

That is why Zhu Daji was so confident.

"Wanqing, give up. If you just admit defeat, you can at least save some face."

Ye Xuanyuan spoke again, appearing to be thinking of Qin Wanqing's best interests.

However, the sinister glint in his eyes betrayed his true thoughts.

"You little bitch, just you wait, I'll make you cry your eyes out in a minute!"

Qin Wanqing's constant disregard had thoroughly enraged the eldest son of the Ye family.

"Make me admit defeat? Do you two rotten garlic even have the right to do that?"

Qin Wanqing sneered disdainfully, too lazy to continue pretending any longer.

"What do you mean? Could it be that the Qin family has actually found another priceless treasure?"

Zhu Daji and Ye Xuanyuan were taken aback at first, and then a bad feeling began to rise in their hearts.

Judging from her expression, Qin Wanqing did not seem to be bluffing.

Because both Zhu Daji and Ye Xuanyuan were focused on Qin Wanqing, neither of them noticed a single detail.

When Nangong Kangcheng on the stage first saw the painting "Down the Mountain Stream", he was just as surprised as everyone else in the audience.

But soon, the expression of the chief steward of the governor's mansion became subtle.

He even pulled out a magnifying glass from his pocket and brought it close to his face for a closer look.

"Mr. Nangong, shouldn't we bring out the Qin family's gift? Although the Zhu family should win without any doubt this time, since it's a competition, we should at least make them accept their defeat wholeheartedly!"

“Excellent! Since Miss Qin dares to compete with Miss Zhu, she must have great confidence in her gift. It’s a good opportunity to show it to us and broaden our horizons.”

"If you ask me, it's better to just admit defeat, otherwise it will be even more embarrassing..."

Seeing that Nangong Kangcheng hadn't opened the Qin family's birthday gift for a long time, but instead kept looking at the "Downhill Stream Landscape" painting, some people in the audience couldn't help but urge him on.

These people's words conveyed support for the Zhu family and mockery of the Qin family.

That's normal. As the saying goes, business is like war. You might make real friends in this circle, but you'll definitely encounter more enemies than friends.

Once a competitive relationship arises, the two sides, while not necessarily destined to fight to the death, will at least be unable to coexist peacefully.

The Qin family has become the most powerful family in Jingzhou not only because they have accumulated countless riches over the years, but also because they have countless enemies and adversaries.

Normally, they wouldn't have the opportunity or dare to openly oppose the Qin family, but today's situation has left them with few reservations.

Anyway, it's the Zhu family that's competing against the Qin family, so what does it have to do with them?

"Miss Qin, what's your opinion?"

Nangong Kangcheng put away the magnifying glass, looked at Qin Wanqing, and asked with a smile.