Jake slightly retracted his neck, feeling a bit embarrassed as he said, "It's your birthday party, and you've rejected everyone. Is that okay?"
"What's wrong with that?" Xenia stood tall and replied, "Because it's my birthday party, I don't care what others think. I'm happy with just being here."
Indeed, after that, no matter who invited her, Xenia would directly refuse. She didn't go anywhere else and stayed by Jake's side the whole time, as if she were Jake's companion.
This led to many people at the scene glancing over from time to time, making Jake quite uncomfortable. Soon it was time for gift-giving, and the guests began presenting Xenia with carefully prepared gifts. It was at this moment that Jake realized the gifts others were giving were quite valuable, making his own necklace, which he had thought was decent, appear rather humble.
"Hmm? Where's my necklace?" Jake saw others giving gifts to Xenia and suddenly remembered the birthday gift he had prepared for her. However, at that moment, he realized that the necklace he had prepared seemed to have disappeared.
"It was here just a moment ago. Where did it go?" Jake hurriedly searched the sofa, but despite checking every corner of it, he couldn't find his jewelry box.
Jake wanted to check under the sofa, but because Xenia was next to him, many people in the room were watching, so he felt awkward about getting down on the floor to look underneath.
At this point, Bill had finished giving his gift and didn't immediately leave. Instead, he looked at Jake and said, "Jake, what gift did you prepare for Miss Xenia? Show it to us." Xenia also looked at Jake, her eyes filled with anticipation.
Jake felt embarrassed and said, "I don't know where the gift I prepared went."
"Jake, you're making it sound boring," Bill sarcastically said, raising his voice deliberately. "Are you suggesting that your gift was stolen? Everyone here today has status and reputation. Accusing someone like this is not appropriate. If you didn't prepare a gift, just say so. Your excuse might lead to misunderstandings."
As Bill spoke about Jake, he intentionally raised his voice, causing many people to look their way.
"There might be some misunderstanding here," Dirk intervened, coming to Jake's defense. He also signaled to Bill not to continue. "Jake's gift might have been left somewhere."
Seeing Dirk's warning gaze, Bill felt a mix of fear and jealousy towards Jake. Dirk was clearly more favorably disposed toward Jake than him. Why was that? Bill felt he had better conditions than Jake and had known Dirk for longer. Why did Dirk value Jake more and look down on him? Bill was feeling very uneasy about it.
"I don't think so," Jude chimed in at this moment, approaching Jake with a mocking tone. "If you didn't prepare a gift, don't be so insistent on saving face. Accusing others of taking your belongings makes you look uncouth, you know?"
"What do you two mean?" Jake hadn't spoken yet, but Xenia couldn't hold back any longer. "Jake is here because I invited him, and him being here is the best gift for me. As for you two, you can leave with your gifts wherever you came from."
With that, Xenia returned the gifts from Jude and Bill, saying, "I'm sorry, but I don't appreciate what you both brought."
No one expected Xenia to defend Jake in such a way. Her reaction left Jude, Bill, and the onlookers stunned. What was the nature of their relationship?
Dirk looked at Jake and then at Xenia, silently wondering if there was more to Jake and Xenia's relationship than just teacher and student. It seemed that many people were thinking the same way now.
Seeing that the situation was becoming awkward, Jude and Bill found it difficult to save face. Xenia's father stepped in to defuse the tension. Bill might not have cared much as he wasn't from a prominent family in J City, but Jude was different. The Jude family was one of the five major families in J City, and though Jude was just a member of the younger generation, his presence here represented the reputation of the Jude family. Giving him face was important.
"Xenia, don't act like a child. How can you speak to guests like this?" Dan scolded his daughter gently. While it was a reprimand, his tone wasn't harsh, clearly showing his deep affection for Xenia. He didn't want to be too hard on her.
"But I didn't say anything wrong," Xenia refused to back down. "It's my birthday, and I'm not satisfied with the birthday gifts they gave me. Is that not allowed?"
Birthday gifts don't always align with the recipient's preferences, but usually, people receiving gifts don't express their dislike as openly as Xenia did. This made Bill and Jude extremely uncomfortable.
While harboring resentment towards Xenia, both of them also held a grudge against Jake. It was because of him that they were being treated this way by Xenia.
Dan wanted to say something more, but at that moment, the villa's front door was pushed open, and three or four people walked in. Dan's actions froze as he saw these individuals, and then he eagerly went to greet them, a delighted expression on his face.
People who recognized these newcomers displayed shocked and envious expressions, while those who didn't know them wore puzzled looks.
At this point, the banquet had been going on for quite some time, nearing its end, yet these individuals had just arrived, which was clearly impolite behavior on the part of the guests.
However, Dan, as the host, not only wasn't angry but instead greeted them with a joyful expression, showing signs of being honored. This left the guests who didn't know these people feeling perplexed.
However, those who recognized these newcomers weren't surprised by Dan's behavior; it was within their expectations. You see, these individuals were none other than members of the Celestial Moon Sect!
The Celestial Moon Sect! It was one of the largest sects in the vicinity of J City, boasting numerous disciples and formidable strength. In the entire J City region, they held significant influence. Of course, such influence might not be apparent to ordinary people, but the guests at the banquet weren't ordinary. They knew the weight carried by the Celestial Moon Sect.