Qiu Junze and Gu Shaoting egged each other on, fanning the flames.
The others present, while outwardly whispering, actually raised their voices to mock,
"There are too many people showing off these days. We may not earn much, but we're not fools."
"Does he think this is a TV drama? A broken comb worth hundreds of thousands, what a show-off."
"I once had an old friend who resembled you, now the grass on his grave is five feet tall."
Just as everyone was badmouthing Zhou Jinbai and Lin Xingwan, an aged voice rang out.
"This is... this is Kynam agarwood at thirty-one thousand per gram?"
Immediately after, an elder leaning on a cane, seemingly forgetting his infirmity, strode swiftly onto the stage.
"Professor Gao?" Liu Xinxin's attitude turned respectful as she looked at the white-haired elder before her.
The elder was the most reputable professor from their alma mater, a national first-class archaeologist, and a seasoned antique appraisal expert!
"Let me see this comb."
Professor Gao's cloudy eyes were filled with a sudden brilliance.
His voice, even, carried a palpable excitement.
Liu Xinxin quickly handed the comb to Professor Gao.
The elder took it, examined it closely, brought it to his nose, sniffed it repeatedly, and murmured, "Excellent, excellent, it is indeed Kynam agarwood. In my eighty-plus years, this is the first time I've seen such a premium piece of Kynam agarwood. It's worth it!"
Everyone was bewildered by the elder's behavior.
Qiu Junze, in particular, had a huge question mark above his head. "Professor Gao, what fragrance was that? This is a comb, not incense!"
Has this old man lost his mind?
"This comb is made of Kynam agarwood. Currently, Kynam agarwood on the market costs around thirty thousand per gram. The better the material, the higher the price. The agarwood for this comb is absolutely top-grade, worth seventy to eighty thousand per gram! A comb like this would weigh at least fifty grams."
Professor Gao's voice grew more agitated as he spoke, and the people below the stage were astonished.
"Professor Gao, are you saying... this broken comb is worth over three million?"
"He's bluffing, isn't he? I don't believe it!"
Liu Xinxin couldn't help but interject, "Professor Gao, when we were at school, Lin Xingwan was your most valued student. But you don't need to deliberately fool us just to save her face, do you? How can a comb be so expensive?"
Liu Xinxin refused to believe Lin Xingwan would give her such an expensive wedding gift. They had a falling out in college.
She had invited Lin Xingwan to her wedding purely to show off in front of her.
"Are you implying I'm senile and disrespectful?" Professor Gao was angered by Liu Xinxin's words. He raised his hand, revealing a string of wooden beads, "This bracelet I'm wearing is a Kynam agarwood bracelet. I bought it three years ago for two million. And the scraps used to make this bracelet were from top-grade Kynam agarwood."
As if to make everyone see clearly, Professor Gao took off the bracelet and placed it next to the comb for comparison. "Look at their color and structure. If I speak a single lie today, may lightning strike me and may I die a horrible death."
"Looking closely, they are indeed identical."
"A bracelet made from scraps alone cost two million, and this comb is not made from scraps."
"If someone questioned a gift I gave and spoke with such disdain publicly, I don't think I'd need to be friends with them anymore."
Gu Shaoting and Qiu Junze's faces turned very unpleasant.
Sheng Yuanbai and Liu Xinxin, standing on stage, were also extremely embarrassed.
"Liu Xinxin, as former teacher and student, I have a few words for you: When people attend your wedding and give you gifts, regardless of the reason, do not mock their gifts. Some things are more important than money. Do not underestimate anyone. Perhaps a street cleaner might be worth over a hundred million, and the vegetable-selling grandmother you look down on might own several buildings."
Zhou Jinbai, seated, removed his gloves.
"Come with me." He took Lin Xingwan's hand and walked onto the stage.
Soon, the two reached Liu Xinxin and the others.
"Elder, please give me the comb." Zhou Jinbai's tone was respectful. He understood why this elder was so revered.
Professor Gao handed the comb to Zhou Jinbai, who played with it.
"Xingwan has always told me you are her good friend, which is why she chose a Kynam agarwood comb as a wedding gift, wishing you a lifetime of happiness together, as one couple for life. But who would have thought you would think of her this way. Even the elder who vouched for her is so despicably thought to be deliberately fooling you."
Zhou Jinbai's icy gaze fell upon Sheng Yuanbai and Liu Xinxin.
He allowed the intimidating aura emanating from him to spread, making him appear like a deity from on high.
Even Lin Shirou, seated in the audience, couldn't help but wonder if Zhou Jinbai was truly a pauper. Could an ordinary family raise such a man?
Yet, as far as she knew, there were no prominent wealthy families named Zhou.
Looking at Gu Shaoting beside her, who was gawking, Lin Shirou suddenly felt that this man was no match for Zhou Jinbai.
"This is the receipt for this comb. If anyone still doubts, they can go to the largest department store in Rongcheng and find the Kynam agarwood store manager. He will tell you whether this comb is indeed a cheap trinket."
Zhou Jinbai pulled a receipt from his pocket. Those with good eyesight immediately saw the price.
Four million three hundred and ninety thousand!
Someone had given a sky-high wedding gift at a banquet, only to be ridiculed as a cheap comb worth a few dollars.
"Qiu Junze, are you going to eat this comb now?"
"A comb worth over four million, each bite must cost tens of thousands."
"I'm truly enlightened today. A comb can sell for so much money. I'll never earn enough for a comb in my lifetime."
Qiu Junze's face turned bright red. He couldn't fathom how a broken comb could be worth over four million.
No one dared to underestimate Lin Xingwan and Zhou Jinbai. They became the most dazzling figures in the room.
"We are truly sorry. We had no idea. Please forgive our ignorance."
Sheng Yuanbai quickly apologized, then nudged the stunned Liu Xinxin beside him.
"Xingwan, I'm sorry. I was wrong to misunderstand you. Please forgive me, okay?"
This time, Liu Xinxin no longer dared to look down on Lin Xingwan and Zhou Jinbai. She had also abandoned any intention of making Lin Xingwan lose face.
The gap between them was insurmountable, given that they could casually give away gifts worth millions.
"If all apologies could be forgiven, what would be the need for police? Some people look human but have hearts worse than beasts," Zhou Jinbai said, then threw the comb onto the ground.
The comb, worth over four million, shattered into four pieces in front of everyone.
Liu Xinxin and Sheng Yuanbai's hearts bled!
This was a gift worth over four million!
And it was ruined just like that.
The most painful thing in the world is not that you cannot obtain what belongs to you, but that what rightfully belongs to you is lost due to your carelessness.
"This is for the meal. Xingwan and I don't like to eat other people's food for free."
Zhou Jinbai pulled a stack of money from his pocket and tossed it into the air, causing a shower of pink banknotes to rain down on the stage.
He then took Lin Xingwan's hand again and, under everyone's gaze, left the banquet hall.
The guests below the stage applauded Zhou Jinbai's incredibly chivalrous act.
Lin Shirou and Gu Shaoting, their eyes bloodshot, watched the retreating figures of Lin Xingwan and Zhou Jinbai with resentment.
"This woman is just squandering the money I gave her! Has Zhou Jinbai put a spell on her?" Gu Shaoting was both heartbroken and hateful. "When her money runs out, let's see if Zhou Jinbai will still stay with her! Utterly foolish."
Lin Shirou dug her fingernails deep into her palm. Lin Xingwan, your triumph won't last long.
Inside Zhou Jinbai's car.
Lin Xingwan sat in the passenger seat. Today had been incredibly exhilarating. In her twenty-plus years, she had never experienced anything so electrifying.
It felt like she had a cheat code, and the troublesome NPCs around her were automatically dying and dropping loot.
"Miss Lin, are you satisfied with your trial boyfriend?" Zhou Jinbai asked, his mood lifting as he saw the woman's upturned lips.
Of course, she was satisfied. So satisfied she felt like she was dreaming.
"Absolutely satisfied! I give you five stars!" Lin Xingwan couldn't stop thinking about the looks on the faces of those who had mocked her, their crestfallen expressions enough for her to brag about for three years. "But... was that comb really that expensive?"
"It was just a broken comb. I deliberately forged the receipt. Do you think Sheng Yuanbai and Liu Xinxin would have the nerve to go to the store manager to verify its authenticity? The store manager isn't someone they can easily meet."
Zhou Jinbai shrugged indifferently. Lin Xingwan, however, broke out in a cold sweat. "Aren't you being a bit too bold? You even deceived Professor Gao..."
"If you don't enter the tiger's den, how can you catch the tiger? Besides, don't you dislike Liu Xinxin? If she hadn't intended to harm you, she wouldn't have ended up hurting herself. Alright, let's put this matter behind us. Now, Miss Lin, aren't you going to fulfill your promise?"
Zhou Jinbai didn't want to continue discussing the comb with Lin Xingwan. Delving too deep might reveal too much.
However, he wasn't afraid of Sheng Yuanbai and Liu Xinxin checking with the store manager, because that comb was indeed made of Kynam agarwood.
"Promise? What promise?" Lin Xingwan frowned, recalling what the man had told her yesterday.
He had said he wouldn't let her suffer any grievances and asked her to grant him one request...
At the time, Lin Xingwan had thought he was bragging, but now she felt like she had fallen into a trap.
"You're forgetting me now that you've got what you wanted, hmm?" Zhou Jinbai didn't rush to drive. Instead, he leaned closer to Lin Xingwan. "Have you got such a bad memory, hmm?"
The man's breath filled her nostrils, and Lin Xingwan felt the air in the car rapidly thinning.
Lin Xingwan placed her hands on his chest, trying to stop him from getting closer.
But Zhou Jinbai, as if teasing her, intensified his pressure. "Shall I help you remember, hmm?"
Why did he have to end every sentence with that incredibly alluring 'hmm'? It gave Lin Xingwan goosebumps.
Finally, Lin Xingwan surrendered. "Tell me, what is it..."