Ha... it may look beautiful, but in the end, it's just an ornament. What's the use of that?
"Although it's said that the thought behind a gift is what matters, it shouldn't be too cheap," Sun Miaomiao said, tapping her nose as if contemplating her own words. Her voice was just loud enough for everyone present to hear, clearly intentional. She was indirectly mocking Bai Nuanxi's gift as being overly 'sentimental'—lacking any true value. Just a piece of wood, crafted into something barely worth a hundred dollars, and that's including the cost of labor!
"Exactly, just look at this chessboard. Not only is the craftsmanship subpar, but even the wood is so rough. Tsk, tsk, tsk."
"Well, she comes from a small company. What kind of money could she possibly have to present anything valuable? Ha, let's not make it too hard for her. Otherwise, she might get upset and have Mr. Huo teach you a lesson!"
"Haha... I'm so scared!"
They had no fear of Bai Nuanxi whatsoever. The idea that Mr. Huo would punish them on her behalf was laughable. What nonsense! It was utterly absurd to think he would follow her every command.
This was madness at its finest—a total delusion! Presenting such a gift at such an important birthday celebration, especially as the wife of Huo Muchen, was downright embarrassing for him!
Sun Miaomiao turned to Old Master Huo with an apologetic expression. "I'm sorry, Grandpa. I didn't expect Miss Bai to prepare something like this. I thought her gift would be at least better than mine. I intended to set the stage, but... Alas, it's all my fault. Blame me if you must, Grandpa—I won't hold any grudge!"
Tears welled up in Sun Miaomiao's eyes as she bit her lip, looking utterly remorseful.
Before Old Master Huo could say anything, Old Madam Huo, unable to bear Sun Miaomiao's pitiful state, immediately spoke up, "Miaomiao! What does this have to do with you? You're just too kind-hearted, unable to stand seeing others suffer, trying to take the blame for her! But you should consider who you're helping!"
"Someone who only knows how to take and never gives back, a worthless person—do you think she'll remember your kindness? Do you think she'll return what rightfully belongs to you?"
"No, she won't!" Old Madam Huo answered her own question with unwavering certainty. "She's nothing but an ingrate!" Though she was speaking to Sun Miaomiao, her words were clearly directed at Bai Nuanxi.
Bai Nuanxi rolled her eyes. Was this about her constantly taking money from the Huo family while giving back only a cheap gift? How laughable!
Old Master Huo did not involve himself in the chatter around him. He simply continued examining the chessboard that Bai Nuanxi had given him, his trembling hand brushing over it, lifting a chess piece, and feeling the texture of its surface with his thumb.
"This wood..." Old Master Huo's voice trailed off, seemingly uncertain, as he felt it again.
"Grandpa, is there something wrong with this wood? Could it be... she didn't use a single piece of wood?" Sun Miaomiao chuckled, suggesting the chessboard might be made from smaller pieces of wood glued together rather than a single block.
After all, a chessboard, regardless of its size, required a large block of wood to carve. Smaller pieces would result in a much smaller chessboard, and any mistake would be irreversible. The difference in cost between a single block of wood and joined pieces was substantial!
Glued wood was much cheaper than a single block, and if it really were made from pieces, this chessboard might not even be worth ten dollars!
"No..." Old Master Huo's voice trembled.
"This wood is Dragonwood?" he asked.
"What?!" Sun Miaomiao couldn't hold back her gasp, immediately covering her mouth. "Grandpa, are you sure? How could this wood possibly be Dragonwood? I had to search high and low to find my piece of Phoenixwood. Dragonwood is far rarer—how could it show up here?"
Huo Muchen, seeing the chessboard for the first time, furrowed his brows at Old Master Huo's words. No wonder it seemed a bit unusual. This wood turned out to be...
"Moreover, Dragonwood has been extinct for a long time! The only piece left is still in Brother Muchen's collection!" Sun Miaomiao's crisp voice fell, and everyone's hearts tightened! Even Old Master Huo stared wide-eyed at Huo Muchen!
Huo Muchen's collection consisted of his most cherished items, and an extinct wood like Dragonwood, with only one piece left... had been used by Bai Nuanxi to make a chessboard.
Bai Nuanxi blinked, perplexed. "What's wrong?" she asked, tugging at Huo Muchen's sleeve, her eyes full of confusion.
Huo Muchen looked down at Bai Nuanxi's innocent face.
Bai Nuanxi had merely stumbled upon the wood by chance. Knowing Old Master Huo's fondness for woodcraft and noticing the intricate grain of the wood, she took it without asking, planning a surprise. She hadn't even told Huo Muchen while making it. But now...
Huo Muchen sighed deeply, as if releasing a pent-up breath, "Forget it."
As soon as those words left Huo Muchen's mouth, everyone present heaved a sigh of relief!
Heavens!
Just a moment ago, Huo Muchen might have exploded in rage—his precious keepsake destroyed. With Huo Muchen's temperament, how could he possibly endure such a thing?
But instead of an outburst, Huo Muchen simply sighed, seeming more frustrated with himself than anything else. What on earth was going on?
Pampering Bai Nuanxi was one thing, but wasn't this going too far? For such a cold and stern man to react this way was truly unbelievable, yet here was Huo Muchen, doing just that!
"Did I do something wrong?" Seeing everyone's expressions of relief, and remembering Huo Muchen's illness and the piece of Dragonwood she'd taken from the room, Bai Nuanxi started to feel uneasy.
Since her rebirth, life had been too smooth. She'd become a bit reckless!
Being spoiled by Huo Muchen, she had forgotten her place... Perhaps she had indeed made a mistake.
With that thought, tears welled up in Bai Nuanxi's eyes. Had she caused trouble for Huo Muchen?
A reborn woman who couldn't do anything right—what a failure she was!
Bai Nuanxi sank into an unprecedented sense of guilt.
Sun Miaomiao interjected, "That was Brother Muchen's cherished piece of Dragonwood, and you made it into a chessboard. Do you think you did nothing wrong?!"
Huo Muchen glanced at Sun Miaomiao, and the cold, piercing intent in his gaze silenced her immediately. Gently wiping away Bai Nuanxi's tears, his voice was soft, "You are my true treasure."