A crowd had gathered at the end of the red carpet, with Old Mrs. Bo standing at its center. She was dressed simply in a traditional Chinese-style tunic and trousers, looking as if she had just returned from practicing tai chi in the park. Though her hair was silver, she was full of vigor, her face far younger than her years. Her eyes were bright and clear, the wrinkles at their corners faint. A touch of roundness in her cheeks spoke of collagen not yet lost to time. *The picture of vitality despite her age,* Jiang Ciyou thought to herself. Behind Mrs. Bo stood a platform laden with birthday gifts from the guests. Boxes of all shapes and sizes were already piled into a small mountain. At that moment, Jiang Xiaoxiao was presenting a square brocade box. "Old Mrs. Bo, this is a birthday gift from the Jiang family of Rongcheng. A high-jewelry set from QUEEN, valued at eight million yuan." QUEEN was an internationally renowned luxury jewelry brand. Though it had burst onto the scene only three years ago, its exquisite, masterful designs had made it a favorite among the world's elite. The old matriarch glanced at the jewelry inside the box and offered a polite smile. "Thank you, Miss Jiang." Jiang Xiaoxiao pressed on, her voice gushing. "I'm so glad you like it. The price is hardly the point. As everyone knows, QUEEN only works on private commission, so every piece is one-of-a-kind. It took me a great deal of effort to acquire this necklace, because I felt only something as unique as QUEEN could possibly be worthy of your status." The matriarch simply raised a hand, signaling for an attendant beside her to take the gift. Before Jiang Xiaoxiao could say another word, the box was whisked away and placed unceremoniously among the heap of other presents, disappearing instantly into the pile. "Next to present their gift is the Zhao family from Jingcheng," the head butler announced, reading from a gift registry. Guests had their names recorded at the door upon arrival and presented their gifts in order. Jiang Xiaoxiao, who had much more to say, was cut off by the butler’s announcement. She could only retreat to her mother Yao Shulan’s side, her heart stinging with resentment. She couldn't understand it. The Jiang family had prepared such an opulent and precious gift, yet it had failed to create even a ripple of excitement. She hadn't even heard a whisper of praise from the surrounding guests. But soon enough, she understood. The great families of Jingcheng were presenting gifts that were truly priceless. An imperial green jade Ruyi scepter, a blue-and-white porcelain from the Xuande period, a Kangxi-era "peach-bloom" glazed apple zun vase, not to mention antique scrolls and paintings—each was worth well over ten million. Suddenly, her eight-million-yuan jewelry set seemed rather paltry. "Next to present their gift is the Yan family from Rongcheng." Jiang Ciyou and Yan Feng stepped forward together. Jiang Xiaoxiao's gaze fixed on Jiang Ciyou, a sneer playing on her lips as Jiang Ciyou presented her gift. Jiang Ciyou opened her own brocade box. Lying on the red velvet lining were neat rows of small, finger-length incense sticks. "Old Mrs. Bo, this is a birthday gift from the Yan family. I hope you like it." Jiang Xiaoxiao knew about Jiang Ciyou's hobby of incense making. How could such a pretentious, artsy little hobby hold its own on an occasion like this? She was so full of herself. Every gift the matriarch had received was worth a fortune. How could something so worthless be presented in such a grand hall? Old Mrs. Bo picked up the box and held it to her nose, a genuine smile gracing her lips. "Thank you, Miss Jiang." Jiang Ciyou paused, slightly taken aback. How did the matriarch know her surname? She had clearly registered as Mrs. Yan. Just as Old Mrs. Bo was about to have the gift put away, Jiang Xiaoxiao stepped forward. "I hear Mrs. Yan has a flair for incense making. Surely this isn't something you made yourself?" Jiang Ciyou had already noticed her. She smiled faintly. "Yes, it's a small hobby of mine. This particular blend is called 'Rose and Royal Agarwood.' It's crafted from rose petals, agarwood, and various spices, following an ancient recipe…" A triumphant glint appeared in Jiang Xiaoxiao's eyes. She cut Jiang Ciyou off before she could finish. "Mrs. Yan, to pass off some little trinket you made yourself as a gift for the matriarch's seventieth birthday… isn't that incredibly disrespectful? What could a little box of incense like this possibly cost? A thousand yuan? Ten thousand?" In an instant, all eyes were on Jiang Ciyou and Yan Feng. Jiang Xiaoxiao shot a deliberate glance at Yan Feng. "Has the Yan family fallen so low that they can't even afford a proper gift?" Yan Feng's expression soured. He had caught a cold from the air conditioning last night and had been feeling dizzy all morning, so he had left the task of preparing a gift to Jiang Ciyou. Just last night, his grandfather had stressed how crucial this meeting was for the Yan family, giving her an unlimited budget for the gift. He couldn't believe she had decided to fob them off with a box of homemade incense. If they offended the Bo family with such a paltry offering, their resort project would be dead in the water. His face grim, Yan Feng was about to reprimand her when Jiang Ciyou spoke, her voice unhurried. "I heard that the reason Old Mrs. Bo came to Rongcheng to recuperate three years ago was due to insomnia. This particular incense has a calming effect that aids sleep. I was hoping it might help alleviate the matriarch's sleeplessness and headaches." She had done her homework at the company that afternoon, learning of the matriarch’s ailment. Jiang Xiaoxiao let out a mocking laugh. "It's just incense. Don't talk it up like some miracle drug, Mrs. Yan. If aromatherapy could cure illnesses, what would we need hospitals for?" At that moment, a woman with striking red hair standing beside the matriarch leaned over the box and took a sniff. "This isn't the traditional 'Rose and Royal Agarwood.' I detect a faint medicinal scent." Jiang Ciyou replied calmly, "I've altered the traditional ratio and added a few calming herbs like calamus and fleeceflower vine. That would be the source of the medicinal aroma." The red-haired woman smiled at Old Mrs. Bo. "Grandma, I quite like this fragrance. If you don't want it, I'll take it." The speaker was Bo Xinyi, the matriarch’s granddaughter, who had flown in from abroad especially for the birthday celebration. "Who said I don't want it?" Old Mrs. Bo looked at Jiang Ciyou, her eyes appraising her from head to toe before breaking into a benevolent smile. "I took one breath of this scent and already feel refreshed. Old Zheng, take this to my chambers. Best keep it safe from prying hands." The butler, Old Zheng, nodded quickly, carefully taking the brocade box from Bo Xinyi's hands and immediately turning to leave. Seeing this, Jiang Xiaoxiao’s face froze. The matriarch hadn't given her eight-million-yuan jewelry a second glance, yet she had not only taken a liking to Jiang Ciyou’s homemade incense but had it set aside personally. Were all these rich people out of their minds? The gift ceremony continued, but many who had already presented their gifts began to disperse. Having just made a fool of herself, Jiang Xiaoxiao had no desire to stay. She turned to leave, but had only taken a few steps when she overheard people talking about her. "I think that's the real daughter the Jiang family found three years ago. Grew up in the countryside, I heard." "No wonder she has such a country bumpkin air about her. Announcing the price of her own gift… couldn't she see the imperial green jade bangle on the old lady's wrist is worth two hundred million? And anyone could tell that necklace was just an entry-level piece from QUEEN. I was embarrassed for her when she emphasized the eight million." "You're not from Rongcheng, so you wouldn't know. The one who just presented the incense? She was the Jiang family's original daughter." "Well, that explains it. Trying to humiliate her on an occasion like this… how vile. I thought that Mrs. Yan was graceful and elegant. A natural air of nobility about her, like someone destined for a good life." "And seriously, that incense smelled divine. Even from a distance, I could tell the fragrance was pure class. That's real luxury, not like some people who only know how to talk about price." Hearing their words, Jiang Xiaoxiao's fingers clenched so tightly her knuckles went white. Everyone loved Jiang Ciyou. But everything about her—her elegance, her composure, the innate nobility that radiated from her—all of it had been stolen from her. One day, she would rip off that exquisite, polished mask and show the world what Jiang Ciyou was truly supposed to be.