After Teasing the Crazy Mermaid, He Actually Deceived Me into Marriage - Chapter 43

The minor incident was quickly brushed aside.

The waiter soon announced the result to the crowd. “This gentleman is indeed the mysterious individual.”

“How is that possible?” The crowd murmured in disbelief. He Moheng shot a meaningful glance toward a particular direction in the crowd.

The person who received the signal immediately spoke up loudly.

“Was it stolen? An invitation letter doesn’t prove anything.”

“Miss Si should take a closer look at the person she’s pointing to. Randomly selecting someone of unknown identity, she might regret it later with no chance to turn back.”

“That’s right. What evidence is there to prove that this Mr. Fan Yi is the mysterious person?”

8856 covered her face. Were these people blind?

At the center of the storm, the protagonist finally spoke.

“You’re right. My identity does need verification. So, how would you like me to prove it?” Fan Yi said calmly, his head lowered as he avoided looking at the crowd. In his palm, he idly toyed with a ruby badge that, under the light, resembled the hue of pigeon’s blood. It accentuated his exquisitely refined and gentle features. Though his expression was serene, there was an undeniable air of severity about him.

For some reason, the crowd fell into a hushed silence all at once.

After a long pause, someone timidly spoke up.

“Since Mr. Fan has donated thousands of artifacts, the birthday gift for this occasion must surely be something remarkable. If its value exceeds one million, we will believe that this gentleman is the mysterious person.”

As soon as these words were spoken, others felt it was an unreasonable demand. After all, few in attendance would give a gift worth over one million to someone they weren’t closely related to.

Yet Fan Yi remained unperturbed. He glanced at 8856, who promptly took out her phone and tapped a few times. Shortly after, a stand draped in red velvet was wheeled into the banquet hall.

“This is the birthday gift I’ve prepared for Miss Si Tang. I hope it meets your expectations.”

Fan Yi raised his hand in a gesture, and the attendant pulled off the velvet cloth, revealing a pearl the size of a palm resting inside a glass display case.

It was like a fragment of a severed galaxy, its luminous surface enveloped in what seemed like liquid moonlight.

The crowd was struck speechless. Though they were all well-traveled and knowledgeable, none had ever seen a pearl of such form. It didn’t resemble any known variety of pearl and seemed almost otherworldly.

They couldn’t help but circle the glass display, murmuring in awe.

“I’ve never seen such a treasure in my life!”

“This gentleman is incredibly generous! If this were to appear at an auction, wouldn’t it fetch hundreds of millions?”

“A treasure like this is nothing short of a miracle!”

Si Tang stared intently at the pearl, finding it strangely familiar, as if she had seen it somewhere before.

A vague memory flashed through her mind a chest full of rare treasures, many of which resembled this very pearl. She shook her head, feeling that not only was she having bizarre dreams every night, but she was now experiencing hallucinations as well.

The crowd’s attitude shifted instantly, and they clamored to befriend Mr. Fan Yi.

“I’ve traveled far and wide, but this is the first time I’ve seen such a treasure. May I ask, Mr. Fan Yi, what is the historical significance of this gem?”

“Mr. Fan Yi, in which museum will the artifacts you donated be displayed? I must admit my ignorance earlier, I failed to recognize a truly remarkable person.”

“Mr. Fan Yi, would you have time to visit my home in the next couple of days? You mentioned you’re in the jewelry business, and coincidentally, our Yan family has been in jewelry for generations. Perhaps we could exchange ideas and explore potential collaborations in the future?”

Fan Yi felt extremely annoyed by the noise around him. Companies, partnerships, what did any of it matter? He had no desire to work like some corporate drone among humans. He wished he could just shoo these human-turned-flies away!

But out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Si Tang sizing him up, so Fan Yi suppressed the urge to sweep them aside.

He pretended to be polite and magnanimous, letting bygones be bygones.

“This pearl comes from the lost civilization of Atlantis. My ancestors lived by the sea and salvaged many such items, which have been passed down through the generations.”

“You’re too kind. It’s nothing much just a small company. I leave it all to my younger brother, Xiao Liu, to manage.”

The young man appeared refined and elegant, as polished as jade, making everyone feel somewhat ashamed. They secretly thought that Mr. Fan Yi was truly broad-minded and exceptionally visionary.

“Miss Si truly has an eye for talent. The two of you standing together are like an immortal couple, a perfect match of brilliance and beauty,” many offered their blessings.

Fan Yi loved hearing that. The feigned smile on his face grew even more radiant.

Meanwhile, the small group watching Si Tang and Fan Yi surrounded by the crowd seethed with envy, their eyes burning with resentment. Especially Sixi and He Moheng they never expected this man to have such a mysterious and powerful background.

He Moheng gritted his teeth in anger, eventually storming off in a huff, but inwardly vowing to make Si Tang regret her choices one day.

As for Sixi, she trembled with rage when a venomous voice suddenly sounded beside her.

“That little bitch is so damn lucky!” Chen Yue shot a glance at Sixi, her resentment growing even stronger. “Useless thing! If you weren’t a girl, you’d have long secured shares in Sichenfeng. How could you let that bitch Si Tang trample all over you? If it weren’t for that, I might have already replaced that dead bitch Yun Wan, why would I have to wait around for her to die?”

Sixi lowered her head without a word, pretending to be chastised and obedient.

Since it was a public setting, Chen Yue didn’t make a scene. She merely slammed her glass down fiercely, not caring about the expression on her daughter’s face, and stormed off in a rage.

Only when the figure in front of her disappeared did Sixi lift her head. Her innocent, pure face was now expressionless. Her gaze swept over Si Tang, who was being showered with attention, and she couldn’t help but bite her lip tightly.

It’s all her fault! Everything is her fault!

On the other side, Si Tang noticed a few hostile glances but paid them no mind.

Listening to the flattery around her, she felt somewhat distracted.

Si Tang couldn’t take it anymore and decided to put an end to the endless socializing.

“My fiancé and I must excuse ourselves for a moment.”

Si Tang linked arms with Fan Yi and headed upstairs.

Closing the door to the room, Si Tang turned to take a proper look at the man before her.

Behind him was a massive transparent porthole window, with the shimmering sea serving as his backdrop, like a scene from a slow-motion film.

The man was very tall, and when he blocked the light, his gentle, refined face carried a startling sense of intimidation.

“Please, have a seat,” Si Tang gestured politely.

Fan Yi nodded slightly, his demeanor courteous and gentlemanly, but his eyes remained fixed intently on Si Tang.

Si Tang noticed that his eyelashes were long and thick, but not the usual black they had a silvery-gray tint, casting a faint shadow beneath his eyelids.

Gazing into those peach-blossom eyes that seemed to shimmer with a hint of blue, Si Tang felt an inexplicable, familiar magic and couldn’t help but say, “Nice contact lenses.”

Fan Yi, who was about to sit on the sofa, paused slightly.

Only then did Si Tang realize her remark might have been a bit too forward.

Although they were already nominally engaged, they had only exchanged a few words so far.

“No… I mean, your eyes are very beautiful,” Si Tang said awkwardly.

Fan Yi had already taken a seat. Just as he instinctively started to lean back casually, he seemed to remember something and quickly shifted into a more gentlemanly, standard posture.

“It’s fine. Thank you for the compliment.”