Qin Jing stopped in front of Yao Tang. “Sister Tang! I’m so happy you’re. This is the best gift I’ve received today!”

Then, she turned to address the crowd. “Everyone, thank you for coming here tonight. Let the party begin!”

Her announcement was met with loud cheers and clapping.

The music changed into a livelier beat, and couples began to flock to the dance floor.

Qin Jing plopped down on the massive chair up front and watched her guests enjoy themselves.

Her friends took this opportunity to give her their well-wishes.

“Happy Birthday, Jingjing!” Lin Xin was the first to speak. “Here, please accept my gift.”

Up next was Meng Yang, who directly put his present on the gift table just a little to the side. “Sister Jing, I know we argue a lot, but you know that we’ll always be good friends, right?” He flashed her a cheeky grin. “Happy Birthday! If anyone dares to bully you in the future, they would have to go through me first.”

“And us, too! They’ll also have to go through us!” Chu Yao and Xian Pang squeezed between the others to hand their presents to Qin Jing.

She stared at their offerings with visible surprise.

“How strange,” Qin Jing remarked. “I never thought you guys knew how to properly wrap a gift!”

At most, she expected the boys to stuff whatever items they bought into a gift bag and leave it at that.

Meng Yang scratched the back of his head and chuckled sheepishly. “Well… You’re right, we know nothing about gift wrapping. Lin Xin saw the presents we initially prepared and thought they were too simple, so she offered to help us wrap them.”

“Right, right,” Chu Yao nodded. “It’s all thanks to Lin Xin.”

Qin Jing shook her head helplessly at her friends, then promptly burst out laughing. This caused the people around them to laugh along at the absurdity of the matter.

However, the pleasant atmosphere was rudely interrupted by another female voice chiming in from the sidelines.

“I wish you a happy birthday, Qin Jing. Please accept the gift that my Mom and I have carefully selected for you. I hope you like it!”

Yao Ran appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, holding up a gift box in her hands.

Qin Man was right behind her, her lips stretched out into a wide smile.

Qin Jing had frozen the moment she heard Yao Ran’s voice. Her jovial expression turned sour in just a matter of seconds.

She distinctly remembered looking through the guest list before sending out her birthday invitations. Yao Ran and her family were not among the invited, yet they had somehow maneuvered their way into the party.

They were like flies that kept coming back, no matter how many times one drove them away. How annoying!

Qin Jing’s face turned even darker.

Madam Qin was passing by just then, and she didn’t fail to notice her daughter’s foul mood. This was bad. Qin Jing had specifically told her that she wanted nothing to do with the Yao family.

“Jingjing, let me fix your hair!” Madam Qin called out as she hurried over. Then, in a voice that no one else could hear, she added, “Guests are guests, Jingjing. Let’s not stoop to their level, okay? Don’t let this ruin your party.”

She knew how stubborn her daughter was, of course. Qin Jing had never been the type to stand down and suffer abuse.

But this wasn’t the time or place to act recklessly. Qin Jing would have to swallow her anger for now, otherwise, people might misunderstand and slander her.

Even so, Madam Qin was unable to stop herself from shooting Qin Man and Yao Ran a look of disgust.

These two were no amateur schemers, that much she could tell. If she or Qin Jing had been slow-witted, the other mother-daughter pair would have easily manipulated them to their advantage.

Fortunately, Madam Qin’s words seemed to brighten up Qin Jing, if only a little.

She looked at Yao Ran tentatively and reached out to take the gift.

Then, without missing a beat, she placed the box on the gift table without even bothering to glance inside.

Qin Man gritted her teeth, feeling offended by Qin Jing’s actions.

She forced a tight smile and stepped forward. “Jingjing, Ranran and I went to great lengths to find the perfect gift for you. Why don’t you open it and take a peek? I have a feeling that you will love it.”

“That’s right, Jingjing!” Yao Ran nodded earnestly. “Open it. You won’t be disappointed, I promise. Quick, open it!”