Everyone's all smiles on the surface but secretly cunning, but the junior sister only wants to

Jiang Shiliu took a few deep breaths, trying to calm her heart, which was pounding like a deer. After her emotions had stabilized slightly, she gently raised her delicate hand, grasped the exquisite doorknob of the VIP room, and carefully pushed the door open a crack. Then, like a lithe cat, she tiptoed into the room.

Upon entering the room, Jiang Shiliu first bowed deeply to her master, who was seated in the main seat, and her uncle, performing a standard disciple's salute. After doing so, she straightened up, a bright smile on her face, and then swaggered over to a chair without any hesitation, plopping down on it.

As soon as they sat down, Jiang Shiliu eagerly began a cheerful and lively conversation with Qingyan, Mo Yuchen, and the others. Everyone chatted and laughed, creating a very harmonious atmosphere.

At this moment, Jiang Shiliu suddenly turned her head, blinked her big, bright eyes, looked at Qingyan with curiosity, and asked in a sweet voice, "Senior sister, what were you talking about just now? I could vaguely hear your laughter downstairs!"

Upon hearing this, Qingyan narrowed her beautiful eyes slightly, staring at the bewildered junior sister in front of her with a half-smile, and deliberately dragged out her words: "What else can we talk about? Of course, we're talking about your incredibly brave 'heroic rescue' today!"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Shiliu's fair and delicate face instantly flushed crimson, like a ripe apple. She lowered her head somewhat embarrassedly, fiddling with the hem of her clothes, muttering, "Oh, Senior Sister, please stop teasing me. I did that purely to maintain peace in the world; I had no other intentions!"

Seeing that her junior sister's face was already red to the roots of her ears, Qingyan couldn't help but find it amusing, but she quickly spoke up to help her out: "Yes, yes, our little Shiliu is the kindest and most peace-loving person. Oh right, look at my memory, I almost forgot the important thing. This is a birthday gift that your senior sister specially prepared for you, take a look and see if you like it?" As she spoke, Qingyan took out a small and exquisite brocade box from her bosom and handed it to Jiang Shiliu.

"And here's mine! It's not something priceless, but it's something I've been carefully preparing for a long time." Mo Yuchen said with a smile, his voice gentle and magnetic, like a spring breeze softly caressing people's heartstrings.

Just then, Song Shiyue strode forward, holding an exquisitely crafted box in his hands. The box was inlaid with dazzling gemstones, shimmering with captivating light. Song Shiyue's lips curled into a radiant smile, and he gently handed the box to Jiang Shiliu, softly saying, "Little Shiliu, happy birthday! May you be joyful and have good fortune every year."

Seeing this, Feng Yichen quickly stepped forward and stood with them. He also carefully took out a gift from his pocket, handed it to Jiang Shiliu with both hands, and said affectionately, "Junior nephew, look here, this is a gift that your uncle specially prepared for you, please accept it quickly."

Looking at the people before her and the exquisite gifts in their hands, Jiang Shiliu felt an indescribable surge of emotion. Her eyes instantly welled up with tears, which rolled down her cheeks like a broken string of pearls. Before stepping into this wondrous world of books, she had spent every birthday alone, without blessings or company. But now, everything was completely different. So many people around her cared for and loved her, making her feel a warmth she had never experienced before.

Jiang Shiliu, suppressing her excitement, accepted the heartfelt gifts with slightly trembling hands. Then, she smiled through her tears and said happily, "Thank you everyone! Thank you so much! I really love this surprise; it means so much to me." She then hugged the gifts tightly to her chest, as if embracing the most precious treasure in the world.

Just then, a crisp, rapid knocking sounded in the previously lively and cheerful room. The knocking, like a sharp sword, instantly shattered the joyful atmosphere, causing everyone to stop what they were doing and what they were saying, turning their gazes toward the door.

Jiang Shiliu, who was sitting closest to the door, paused slightly, then stood up and quickly walked towards the door. She gently grasped the doorknob and slowly turned it. With a soft creak, the door was slowly pushed open. Standing outside the door was the manager of "Baiweizhai," who smiled and politely nodded to Jiang Shiliu.

Jiang Shiliu returned the greeting with a friendly smile and asked, "Hello! Is there anything I can help you with?" Her voice was gentle and pleasant, as soft as a spring breeze gliding across a lake.

The innkeeper quickly replied, "It's nothing serious, it's just that all the dishes you ordered have been prepared. Would you like to serve them now?" As he spoke, he bowed slightly to show his respect for the guests.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Shiliu's face immediately lit up with a delighted smile, and she said, "Then let's serve it now! We're both starving. Thank you, innkeeper!"

The shopkeeper quickly waved his hand and smiled, "You're welcome, it's all I should do. Oh, by the way, Miss Jiang, I have a special gift for you." As he spoke, he took out a delicate little box from his pocket and handed it to Jiang Shiliu.

Jiang Shiliu took the box with some doubt and carefully opened it. Inside, she saw a ring that shimmered with a mysterious light. The ring had a simple and elegant design, but upon closer inspection, one could see that its surface was engraved with dense, strange patterns. These patterns intertwined, as if they contained some unknown power or secret.

Jiang Shiliu had never seen such a unique ring before, and for a moment she was completely mesmerized. Both the material and the design style of this ring were exactly what she loved. She unconsciously reached out and gently picked up the ring, feeling its cool, smooth texture.

Just as Jiang Shiliu was immersed in the joy of admiring the ring, the shopkeeper continued, "Miss Jiang, this is a birthday gift specially prepared for you by our master. Please move to the window to check it. In addition, there is a VIP certificate here. As long as you present this certificate, you can enjoy completely free treatment at any store under the Qiankun Pavilion."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Shiliu was both surprised and touched. She could hardly believe she had received such a precious gift and preferential treatment. However, at that moment, she didn't have time to think too much and accepted the ring and VIP certificate without really understanding what was going on.

However, just as Jiang Shiliu slowly walked to the window, the dazzling scene outside instantly caught her eye. Brilliant fireworks bloomed in the night sky, streaking across the heavens like shooting stars, illuminating the entire town. Even more astonishingly, these fireworks cleverly combined to form clearly visible lines of text—"Happy sixteenth birthday, little Shiliu! May you always be loved and always be happy!"

Jiang Shiliu's eyes widened, her mouth gaping open as if it could fit an egg; she simply couldn't believe what she was seeing. In this world, fireworks were extremely rare and precious! Most people here only knew that gunpowder could be used to make weapons, but were completely unaware that it could also create such beautiful and captivating fireworks. Moreover, gunpowder itself was scarce and expensive, so no one was willing to spend a fortune to create such flashy, purely decorative fireworks.

At this moment, Qingyan and the others standing to the side were equally stunned by the breathtaking scene before them, momentarily speechless with disbelief. Although they already knew that Jiang Moqi, the owner of "Baiweizhai," was wealthy, they never imagined he would be so extravagant! This was simply too luxurious and wasteful!