A Birthday Tribute

The resentment in Father Luo and Mother Luo had been building all along, until it finally erupted during the gift-giving.

The birthday banquet was held in a private room on the second floor, with forty or fifty guests in attendance. Old Master Luo sat in the easternmost seat, with a large longevity peach placed behind him.

Before the feast began, everyone took turns going up to present their gifts.

The Luo family was not a wealthy clan, so the presents were not lavish. Most were worth only a thousand or two; occasionally one would exceed three thousand, and that was enough to make Old Master Luo laugh with delight, praising them over and over as good children who had not been raised in vain.

When Feifei Luo and Lin Qi went up to present their gift, they set down a row of shopping bags on the table. Fine cigarettes, premium liquor, tea, along with ginseng and antler velvet—at a glance, they seemed worth at least several tens of thousands.

Old Master Luo immediately smiled even more broadly. "Feifei, you’ve been thoughtful!"

Feifei Luo wanted to give Lin Qi some credit, so she said at once, "Grandpa, all of these were bought by Lin Qi."

Lin Qi had divorced Yingying Luo and was now with Feifei Luo. Although they were not yet married, they were already living together. It was no secret within the family, and Old Master Luo did not take it seriously either. Smiling warmly, he said, "Lin Qi, you’ve been thoughtful as well."

These days, money and power were enough to offset certain things that might otherwise seem improper; at the very least, no one dared say anything to their faces.

If it had not been for Feifei Luo, Lin Qi would never have attended such a gathering.

And precisely because of Feifei Luo, he said, "Grandpa, may you have blessings as deep as the Eastern Sea and a life as long as the Southern Mountains!"

"Good... good..." Old Master Luo’s eyes narrowed with joy.

The whole room was filled with warmth and merriment, and Father Luo, Mother Luo, and Yingying Luo all felt a surge of pride.

Meanwhile, the elder uncle stood beside Old Master Luo, repeatedly sorting through the gifts Lin Qi and Feifei Luo had brought, frowning as he said, "The colors are wrong. These are fake, aren’t they?"

As soon as Yingying Luo heard this, she jumped up and said, "Uncle, don’t talk nonsense! How could my little sister and my brother-in-law buy fakes?"

"Of course they’re fake. Don’t believe me? Everyone, take a look. We’ve all smoked and drunk before..." The elder uncle called the others over.

The relatives crowded forward one after another, examining the cigarettes, liquor, and other gifts. Some even pulled out their phones to scan the anti-counterfeit codes. In the end, they came to the conclusion that these things were indeed all counterfeit!

Lin Qi and Feifei Luo were also stunned. They had been in such a rush all the way there that they had not managed to hail a car and had even been reprimanded by the traffic police. By the time they remembered to buy a gift, it was already very late, so they could only grab some items from a roadside shop and had no time to verify whether they were genuine.

They were all fake?

The atmosphere in the entire hall changed instantly, and the expressions on Father Luo and Mother Luo became as ugly as could be.

They were utterly humiliated!

The elder uncle was practically overjoyed, and said gleefully, "I knew it. With Lin Qi’s timid little nature, how could he possibly have been Song Qingzhu’s bodyguard? If he isn’t, then he isn’t—why make such a boast? If you don’t have money, then so be it; buy a little less and show some sincerity. Why buy fakes just to save face? Isn’t that slapping Dad in the face, and at his birthday banquet no less..."

Old Master Luo was also furious beyond measure. "Lin Qi, take your fake goods and get out! From now on, you are forbidden to set foot in the Luo family home again. A man who lies as a habit and never speaks a single true word is not fit to come to my house!"

Feifei Luo was so anxious she was nearly in tears. "Grandpa, I went with Lin Qi to buy these things. We were in such a rush that we bought them without checking whether they were genuine, but the money was real enough—we truly never meant to deceive you! We’ll go find that shopkeeper right now!"

"Feifei, there’s no need to speak for him. You’ve been tricked by him. From now on, be more careful! You’re already the deputy manager of a branch of Longyue Group; this boy is not qualified to be with you! Lin Qi, get out immediately!" Old Master Luo ordered once more.

Because he had bought counterfeit goods, Lin Qi had already felt rather guilty. But after Old Master Luo kept up that attitude, a nameless fury rose in him as well, and he said bluntly, "What a rotten gathering. Do you really think I wanted to come? If it hadn’t been for Feifei, even if you carried me in on a sedan chair, I still wouldn’t have come!"

After saying this, Lin Qi turned and left.

"Brother-in-law, I’m leaving with you!" No matter the time, Feifei Luo would always stand beside Lin Qi.

But the relatives blocked her path.

"Feifei, don’t go with him!"

"He’s a con man. Don’t let him fool you again!"

"Feifei, you’re already a deputy manager. Why would you pick up your sister’s worn-out shoes and wear them..."

Feifei Luo was only a fragile young woman; how could she break through such a blockade? She could only keep crying out, "Brother-in-law! Brother-in-law!"

Father Luo, Mother Luo, and Yingying Luo had all originally believed in Lin Qi, but after one mishap after another, doubt had begun to cloud their hearts too. They were no longer certain whether Lin Qi really had been Song Qingzhu’s bodyguard.

After all, everything they knew had only been hearsay; none of them had seen it with their own eyes.

In the blink of an eye, Lin Qi had already reached the private room door.

Just then, someone outside called out, "President Song Qingzhu of the Golden Sun Group has come to pay birthday respects to Old Master Luo!"