**Chapter 33 – Birthday Present**

Far away in Yuncheng, He Lingji was attending a science and technology symposium.

Dressed in a black formal suit with only a silver wisteria-shaped collar pin for decoration, he sat listening to the speaker on stage. His expression was indifferent, his gaze calm and distant. With an air of natural elegance and nobility, he became an unintentional focal point for many in the audience.

But He Lingji himself seemed completely unaware.

That is, until he glanced down at his vibrating phone. For a brief moment, an unusual emotion flickered in his usually tranquil eyes—clear gray-blue irises glowing faintly under the dim lights.

It was a message from the butler:
A bill.
And a transaction notification.

Finally, he understood the meaning behind Qin Yan’s cryptic message.

The man absentmindedly fiddled with the wedding ring on his ring finger, twisting it around and around. His movements were casual and unhurried.

Then, the screen lit up with a call—
It was his wife.

Qin Mang held a newly acquired gemstone in her hand, admiring its clarity and brilliance even under ordinary light.

Whether buying once or for a lifetime, Qin Mang knew the difference.
Naturally, she needed to please her financial backer.

The moment the call connected, her sweet voice came through, soft and extra coquettish today:
“Darling hubby, I may have spent a *tiny* bit more today, but—”

“They were *all* essentials.”

She couldn’t live without them.

Thinking of the bill from the butler, He Lingji chuckled faintly, “So?”

Qin Mang giggled sweetly, “I saw a sapphire I really liked. The collector doesn’t want to sell, but can I spend just a *little* more to buy it?”

A *little* more, or a *billion* more?

Wu Yuxi glanced at her, quietly judging her shameless “money-grubbing.”

“Might need another hundred million,” Qin Mang added.

“I really wasn’t planning to spend more, I swear. I know making money is hard for you, honey, but the sapphire is *just like your eyes*! I can’t let someone else own your eyes. Absolutely not!”

Qin Mang could stretch or bend however she needed. When it came to her beloved gems, sweet talk came naturally.

“A hundred million?”
“Alright.”
“If it’s not enough, tell the butler.”

He Lingji had no issue parting with money—not this amount.

As for her sweet words? Ninety-nine percent nonsense.

Qin Mang didn’t care whether he believed her or not. She just needed that *one line of permission*.

“Kisses, hubby! You’re seriously the one and only, matchless, invincible, perfect husband in the whole wide world!”

It was hard to believe she’d cursed him as a “refined scumbag” just last time.

She hung up immediately after saying that—
Without hesitation.

She had a planet-blue sapphire to secure—
No one was taking it from her.

Recently, several new projects from the He Group R\&D team had reached completion.

One of them: a lie detector.

Due to prior issues with the device, and with the overseas project lead Lou Tingdai having returned to China, she was sent to the symposium alongside He Lingji.

Sitting to his left and right were her and Cong Zhen.

Lou Tingdai wasn’t the aggressive beauty type—more like a gentle stream in a hot spring, warm and harmless.
Dressed in a tailored skirt suit, she exuded intelligence and grace—clearly a trusted assistant.

When she heard He Lingji’s absurdly indulgent phone call, she remarked softly, as though casually chatting:
“What did your wife buy that cost *a hundred million*?”

“That amount could fund a new lie detector project.”

He Lingji toyed with the edge of his phone, not even glancing at her as he responded lazily,
“She bought a sapphire.”

His lips curled faintly.
“A sapphire the color of my eyes.”

Lou Tingdai didn’t quite get it, but Secretary Cong understood perfectly.

Mr. He was—
**Showing off.**

As for the lie detector…

He Lingji’s voice turned cold:
“A mere lie detector—how much money has already gone into it?”

“If there’s still no result, cancel the project.”

Lou Tingdai hadn’t expected that.

Suppressing her reaction, she quickly said, “Don’t worry. Now that I’m back in the country, I’ll personally oversee it.”

“You’d better.”

His tone was icy and detached—
Gone was the warmth and amusement he’d shown on the phone.

—

Qin Mang knew none of this.

After successfully securing the sapphire, she was down to less than 100,000 yuan.

In the presidential suite of the hotel, neon lights painted a stunning cityscape outside, calming both body and soul.

Especially—

She had laid out the exquisite little boxes she’d brought back.

Under the lights, the gemstones sparkled, each vying for attention.
Every one of them could be the centerpiece of a luxury brand’s collection.

Now, they were all *hers*.

If the venue hadn’t been ultra-private, she would’ve already made headlines.

Still, word had leaked:
Some woman from China had spent billions over two days, buying more than 50% of the best gems at the top-tier jewelry exhibition.

As for the remaining 50%, rumor had it—
She just didn’t like them.

Seeing Qin Mang lost in her gemstone paradise, Wu Yuxi casually scrolled through Weibo and suddenly said,
“Not buying a gift for your sugar daddy?”

“Mr. He’s birthday is next week.”

“Who’s birthday?” Qin Mang finally looked up from her treasures.
“He Lingji?”

Wu Yuxi recalled the dramatic phone call she’d witnessed earlier and said teasingly,
“Isn’t he your one-and-only, matchless, invincible perfect hubby?”

“And you don’t even remember his birthday?”

Qin Mang hesitated for a second—then answered boldly,
“I’ve just been really busy lately!”

“Totally normal to forget!”

Then she asked more seriously,
“What day next week?”

Wu Yuxi: “…”

“November 18th. Wednesday.”

Under Mr. He’s latest Weibo post, his fans had all changed their profile pictures to celebrate—and as his *wife*, she knew *nothing*?

Well, maybe that aloof, icy, mysterious man liked clueless little lionesses.

Feeling the guilt of spending his money, Qin Mang eyed her remaining 100,000 yuan.
What kind of birthday gift could she get him?

She thought for days without finding a good idea.

Cufflinks, shirts, ties—
All too perfunctory.

Eventually, Wu Yuxi couldn’t take it anymore and offered a *very* practical suggestion:
“Why don’t you just give *yourself* to him?”

“100K can buy a *lot* of sexy lingerie. Mr. He would *love* that gift.”

“No no no no no—!”

Just moments ago Qin Mang had been lazing around admiring her gems, now she reacted with a string of “no”s like she was traumatized.

Wu Yuxi’s eyes lit up.
Her gossip senses tingled.

“What happened?”

“…”

“No gossip. Just trauma.”

Qin Mang had finally managed to forget *that night’s incident*, but Wu Yuxi, who had grown up with her, was a master at coaxing out secrets.

In the end, Qin Mang spilled the truth.

Wu Yuxi’s face turned bright red:
“Ahhh! Should I even be hearing this?!”

Qin Mang reached out to pinch her cheek.
“Stop pretending to be innocent, you little perv!”

The two friends ended up wrestling on the bed in a giggling heap.

Eventually, Wu Yuxi grinned and said, “You got hurt that night, right? What if—hear me out—what if Mr. He is, like, *naturally gifted*?”

Qin Mang raised an eyebrow.
She sensed no good could come of this.

Sure enough, Wu Yuxi whispered sneakily in her ear:
“Maybe he’s been holding back all this time.”

“A man like that? Scary.”

Qin Mang clicked her tongue.
True—
**Terrifying.**

His self-control was insane.

Despite having a gorgeous, delicate, fair-skinned wife in his arms, He Lingji *always* stopped before going too far, ending things quickly only after making sure *she* was comfortable.

Sometimes, he didn’t even finish—just quietly headed to the bathroom to deal with it himself.

Qin Mang finally understood—

Why He Lingji had chosen to use her little lace back then…

“Your situation, hmm…”

“You’ll need to…”

Wu Yuxi, who had no practical experience but loads of theoretical knowledge, leaned in close and whispered a barrage of information into Qin Mang’s ear.

He Lingji had been on a business trip for a full week.

He arrived at the airport a little after 9 p.m.

Shencheng was already deep into the night. The wind was biting cold, and a thin layer of frost had even begun to form in some places.

Luo Tingdai looked out at the dark night through the airport window and hesitated. “President He, would it be too much trouble to ask the driver to drop me off?”

Compared to his elegant and refined demeanor at the seminar, He Lingji—just off the plane—now wore a colder, more impatient expression.

Secretary Cong, who was skilled at reading the room, immediately stepped forward. “Director Luo, the driver needs to take President He. He doesn’t have time. I’ll take you instead.”

Luo Tingdai smiled and nodded. “Then I’ll trouble you, Secretary Cong.”

She pursed her lips and didn’t say more. Throughout, she had maintained a proper distance from He Lingji—never once crossing the line.

…

Penthouse in the city center.

Qin Mang wasn’t asleep yet.

Over the break, her schedule had flipped—sleeping by day, gaming all night with Gu Qiyang and Wu Yuxi.

The moment He Lingji walked in—

He saw Mrs. He sitting energetically on the living room carpet.

Both hands clutching her phone.

Completely focused.

“Little lion, quick, lick—the loot bag!”

A young man’s voice came from the phone.

In the dim light.

The girl parted her red lips slightly. “Licked it.”

“Licked what?”

A low, cold voice suddenly sounded by her ear.

*Plop—*

Her phone slipped from her fingers and fell onto the carpet.

Qin Mang spun around and grabbed onto He Lingji’s sleeve to pull herself up:

“Ahhh!”

“You scared me to death!”

Not only her—her gaming buddies also heard He Lingji’s cold, emotionless voice.

Knowing his usual temperament, they were afraid of getting caught in the crossfire and quickly logged off without a trace of camaraderie.

As for winning the game?

Who cares.

Continuing would be suicide!

He Lingji wore a well-tailored black coat that highlighted his outstanding physique—tall, long-legged, with a sexy waistline.

Still carrying the chill of the winter air.

He scooped up the girl in her soft, fragrant nightdress.

Qin Mang, with her warm-body constitution, loved the icy sensation.

Her panicked heart slowly settled down.

He Lingji looked down, his gaze falling on the enticing little red mole on her nose. His voice was as calm and steady as ever.

His cool-white fingertips brushed over her moist lips, his voice trailing off at the end, “Hm?”

“What?”

The proper gaming term—

Sounded strangely improper from his mouth.

Qin Mang clutched his sleeve.

She inhaled lightly, just about to respond—

When her face suddenly stiffened.

Inhaling his scent, she picked up on a faint trace of women’s perfume mingled with his usual icy, elegant fragrance.

She had showered.

It definitely wasn’t her scent.

Besides collecting gemstones, Qin Mang was quite the perfume connoisseur.

She was absolutely certain—that scent came from another woman.

Her playful mood instantly vanished.

She shoved He Lingji away.

“You reek of some woman.”

“Gross!”

He Lingji, tugging at his tie, was caught off guard by her sudden outburst. He barely managed to grab her wrist in time. “Trying to flip the blame again?”

What woman? He hadn’t touched anyone else.

“Oh?”

“Then where did the perfume come from?”

Qin Mang had always been hot-tempered and never bottled things up. She wore her emotions on her face. Only recently, mingling in the entertainment industry, had she started learning a bit about restraint.

But if her bottom line was crossed, it didn’t matter who you were—she’d confront you head-on.

“He Lingji, don’t think—”

Just because he spent a little money on her, he had the right to test her limits however he pleased.

Cheating was absolutely not okay!

Seeing her icy little face, He Lingji suddenly chuckled. He grabbed her lips and kissed her.

“He—”

“Stop it.”

“I can barely afford you.”

“And that perfume… smells awful.”

He Lingji picked her up bridal-style. It was his first time here, but he went straight to the master bedroom and entered the bathroom. “Then wash it off for me.”

“You wish.”

Go flirt outside and come back expecting the main wife to clean him up?

Is that something a human being would say?

“There were no flings. Everything is reserved for you.”

Qin Mang: “…”

That’s *not* what she meant!

Soon, Qin Mang forgot all about the perfume.

Temporarily, at least.

Thanks to her messed-up sleep schedule, she still couldn’t fall asleep. Her phone was left in the living room, and she didn’t feel like getting it.

Her bright eyes were wide open in the dark, totally alert.

That unfamiliar perfume scent kept swirling in her mind.

It wasn’t that she didn’t trust He Lingji—

But—

Anything that belonged to her should *only* have her scent.

She had been hesitating about giving He Lingji his birthday present.

But now—

All hesitation vanished!

Qin Mang quietly opened the bedside drawer.

Moonlight filtered through the curtains, casting a dim light on her hand holding the gift.

A finely crafted stainless steel cage—an artistic piece in form, but with unmistakably suggestive implications.

Seeing that He Lingji was asleep—

Qin Mang’s lips curved up slowly. She sat upright and studied the mechanism, determined to get it right the first time. If he woke up, things would get complicated!

This was a custom-made birthday gift just for He Lingji—

A **chastity lock**.

A proper man *must* wear one of these.

Once she got familiar with how it worked—

Qin Mang carefully pried it open.

Then locked it on perfectly.

He Lingji felt a chill.

His brows furrowed as he slowly opened his deep, dark eyes. “Mrs. He…”

“What are you doing?”

The faint clicking of the lock echoed, followed by Qin Mang’s soft, sweet voice, “Giving you your birthday gift\~”

“Ta-da, hubby.”

“Happy birthday!”

“Surprised? Unexpected?”

He Lingji looked down—and even in the dark, he clearly saw the metal cage nestled in her robe, glinting silver.

His light-colored lips slowly curved into a dangerous smile.

“Well then—”

“This is definitely the biggest surprise I’ve ever received in my life.”