By this point, even those who had a present ready refrained from giving them to the maiden. Precious and excellent they may be, they still couldn’t compare to the pill and the necklace.
The crowd quietly watched the trio; most prodigies who had a crush on her felt terrible. Unfortunately, they paled when compared to the godchild and the first prince.
One must admit that these two were exceptional, whether it be their cultivation and comprehension. This was before talking about their background and bloodline.
The rest had no chance of competing against these two. One of them was likely to win the maiden’s hand.
Ye Lingyao wasn’t affected by these two gifts. She shifted her attention towards Li Qiye.
“What type of gift do you want?” Li Qiye smiled. His tone resembled that of a rich senior asking a child, as casual as can be.
However, she understood its gravity because Li Qiye was an existence capable of satisfying all of her desires.
Only a few things were out of his grasp in this world. They didn’t include top treasures and invincible weapons.
Lingyao understood how precious this opportunity was. Anyone else would pick an artifact they truly wanted. Alas, she didn’t want to be greedy.
Others didn’t feel the same way as her. Many stared coldly at Li Qiye with disdain.
“What kind of gift can he muster? He’ll only embarrass himself when comparing it with the stoneheart pill and pearl necklace.” Another quietly commented.
“Right? A gift from a poor brat like him will only dirty her hand.” A youth nearby added.
These young ones were utterly defeated by the prince and the godchild. Thus, they took out their vexation on Li Qiye.
Ye Lingyao took a deep breath then spoke in a hushed voice: “Meeting Young Master is already the biggest gift. I am more than satisfied.”
“I haven’t done anything to deserve these precious gifts but I do appreciate the sentiment.” She then turned towards the other two and refused their presents.
“But...” The first prince panicked.
“Your goodwill is more than enough.” Lingyao refused their gifts in a resolute manner.
The prince and the godchild have no choice but to begrudgingly keep their gifts.
Everyone heaved a sigh of relief because this showed that Lingyao wasn’t moved. They still had a chance then.
“Interesting, little girl.” Li Qiye smiled and said: “okay, I won’t force you then.”
Having said that, he casually plucked a wildflower on the grass below. “Here, this flower will be your birthday gift.” He patted it clean before giving it to her.
The crowd was rightfully shaken after seeing this. A wildflower as a present for the maiden? Could there be a cheaper present?
“Ridiculous, what is he trying to do with a wildflower?” One person glared at Li Qiye.
“This is insulting to the maiden.” Another fan of her became indignant.
The necklace and pill from the two geniuses failed to stir her. Now, this guy wanted to give her a wildflower? Some thought that he was purposely insulting her.
“It’s fine not to give anything if you didn’t prepare one, don’t embarrass yourself by doing this.” The frustrated godchild glared at Li Qiye.
“Bah! He’s too poor to afford a good present. Apologize and stop ruining her birthday.” The others chimed in.
It didn’t take long before more criticisms were directed towards Li Qiye. However, her next action stunned everyone.
She didn’t hate it at all and ignored the criticism. She accepted it with both hands and happily said: “Thank you, Young Master. Words can’t express my joy for receiving a present from you, this must be the blessing of three lifetimes.”
These words came from the heart. The actual gift didn’t matter. Even a wildflower from Li Qiye was priceless.
She gently pinned on her head and revealed a kingdom-toppling smile.
“I’ll keep this flower for the rest of my life.” She bowed towards him, satisfied.
“Smart and wise.” Li Qiye nodded approvingly.
Meanwhile, the crowd including the two top geniuses was still stunned for two reasons - the ridiculous present and how beautiful she was right now.
The all-too-common wildflower didn’t look out of place on her hair. On the contrary, she looked even more spirited like the goddess of a forest.
Moreover, they were amazed that she actually accepted his gift because she had refused the precious pill and necklace. These two things would have sold for an insane price. Unfortunately, they lost to a worthless wildflower. The latter was enough to make her smile in this manner.
People started staring at Li Qiye in disbelief; their eyes filled with scorn and jealousy. If gazes could kill, Li Qiye would have died a hundred times over.
They didn’t get it. Why was this nobody lucky enough to earn her grace? He certainly wasn’t qualified.