C22 A Hypocrite with a Dagger in His Mouth.

Upon hearing his words, Soong Wan's brow furrowed, and she turned around, her voice tinged with displeasure.

"Qin Shou, I'd prefer you address me as Miss Soong. Let's not be so familiar; we hardly know each other."

Her response left the sharply dressed young man, Qin Shou, momentarily stunned.

Jiang Hao couldn't contain his laughter when he heard Soong Wan mistakenly refer to Qin Shou as a 'beast.' He had encountered the term in novels but never expected to meet someone with such a name in real life.

His laughter caused Qin Shou to stiffen once more. Jiang Hao quickly composed himself and offered an apology.

"My apologies, that was inappropriate of me."

Qin Shou recovered, maintaining his smile as he regarded Jiang Hao.

"No harm done. My name does lend itself to misunderstandings, much to my chagrin. But it was chosen by the Old Master of my family, and there's little I can do about it. What's your name?"

"I'm Jiang Hao, Wan'er's classmate."

"Oh, you're Miss Soong's classmate? Then that makes us classmates too. I'm in Grade 12, Class 1. Pleasure to meet you!"

Qin Shou's gaze lingered on Jiang Hao, his smile carrying an unsettling chill.

The moment he noticed the modest gift box in Soong Wan's hands, Qin Shou's curiosity piqued.

"Is that a present from Student Jiang Hao for Miss Soong? It must be quite valuable, I presume? May I have the honor of taking a look?"

Concerned that Soong Wan might decline, Qin Shou raised his voice, drawing the attention of the onlookers. Their curiosity piqued, they began to gather around.

Upon seeing Qin Shou speaking with Soong Wan and Jiang Hao, who was dressed unusually for the occasion, the crowd started to murmur.

"Hey, isn't that Young Master Qin? What's going on?"

"Wow, a gift that's caught Young Master Qin's eye? I've got to see this!"

"Miss Soong, please, let's have a look!"

"Mr. Qin, what kind of gift did this gentleman give that you're so eager to see?"

"Really, is the ancient zither that Mr. Qin gifted not impressive enough?"

At that moment, Soong Wan's face betrayed her displeasure. She was well aware that Qin Shou was attempting to embarrass Jiang Hao.

Uncle Hai had filled her in on Jiang Hao's background; she was conscious of his family's modest means and that he couldn't afford to present her with lavish gifts.

But to her, the price tag on Jiang Hao's gifts was irrelevant; her joy came from personal sentiment.

Yet, here she was, cornered by Qin Shou's antics. She felt compelled to unveil the gift, though she dreaded wounding Jiang Hao's self-respect.

She was truly at a loss.

Meanwhile, Jiang Hao stood by, seemingly indifferent to Qin Shou's taunts, exuding an air of serene confidence.

Internally, he was brimming with glee.

"I was pondering how to draw some attention, and lo and behold, this guy comes along and gives me a boost. I couldn't be more grateful!"

Qin Shou was oblivious to Jiang Hao's inner jubilation, his smug grin still plastered across his face as he watched Jiang Hao.

"Mr. Jiang, we're all eager to catch a glimpse of the treasure you've brought. Would you mind if we took a look?"

Jiang Hao responded to Qin Shou with a slight smile.

"It's hardly a treasure, just a modest trinket."

Turning to Soong Wan, he continued.

"If everyone's so curious, Miss Wan'er, please go ahead and open it. I hope it brings you joy!"

With Jiang Hao's encouragement, Soong Wan found it even more difficult to decline. She had been hoping to sidestep the situation with a different excuse.

"Alright then."

Reluctantly, Soong Wan consented. She would have to offer Jiang Hao her apologies later.

Holding the boxes with one hand, she pulled the ribbon off the gift box with the other, as the onlookers crowded in closer, eager to see the unveiling.

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