Supremely Talented Tyrant

"I'll just go back home to open it," Zhao Yating said with a smile.

"Zhao Yating is simply trying to spare you the embarrassment by saying she'll open it at home; it seems she also knows you can't afford anything decent," Yin Donghan laughed heartily, his laughter growing increasingly mocking.

"Yin Donghan, would you shut your mouth? If I'd known this would happen, I wouldn't have invited you!" Zhao Yating said angrily, regretting inviting Yin Donghan in the first place.

Yin Donghan and the others were not from Hao Jian's class. The sole reason for their presence was that Yin Donghan was Zhao Yating's friend, and their families had been friends for generations.

Knowing that today was Zhao Yating's birthday, Yin Donghan had suggested celebrating it, and Zhao Yating, feeling uneasy to refuse, allowed him to come.

But who would have thought that Yin Donghan would cause such a mess at her birthday celebration? Had she known, she would not have brought him along.

Yin Donghan snorted but had no choice but to shut his mouth obediently.

"Go ahead and open it; it's okay, see if you like it." However, Hao Jian gave Zhao Yating an encouraging look, as if to say the gift certainly wouldn't disappoint her.

"All right then," Zhao Yating could only smile bitterly as she opened the gift box and pulled out a simple and unadorned teapot.

"Damn, giving such a lousy teapot as a gift? You really don't mind giving this away? You might as well have given nothing and spared yourself the embarrassment!" Yin Donghan sneered as soon as he saw the teapot Hao Jian had given, immediately revealing his mean streak.

"I think this teapot would only fetch about twenty to thirty dollars on the street," he added.

"This gift really is interesting. What is a girl supposed to do with such a lousy teapot?"

Yin Donghan's friends joined in the mockery, clearly looking down on Hao Jian.

"No matter whether this thing is good or bad, as long as it's a gift from Teacher Hao, I like it. How about that!" Zhao Yating haughtily said, staunchly taking Hao Jian's side as the kind girl she was.

"Zhao Yating, you're just too kind. This thing is obviously junk, he's deceiving you with it, and yet you still defend him?" Yin Donghan said somewhat furiously.

"Just because you say it's junk, it's junk? Maybe you just don't recognize what's valuable?" Zhao Yating retorted sharply, yet chose to ignore Yin Donghan and the others.

Hearing this, Hao Jian couldn't help but feel a wave of warmth mixed with helplessness surge in his heart; warmth because of Zhao Yating's kindness, and helplessness because it seemed there was no one here who recognized the teapot's worth.

"Not recognizing the value? This looks nothing but a lousy teapot, okay?" Yin Donghan persisted with his opinion.

"Wow, Hao Jian, you gave a million-dollar painting as a birthday gift before, but now a teapot for someone else's birthday. You really spare no expense, huh? Or is this just your old trick for winning girls over?" Che Xiaoxiao suddenly spoke up, her tone dripping with sarcasm.

But Hao Jian knew that the girl was just trying to help him save face by bringing up the million-dollar painting.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Yating and others couldn't help but gasp. Hao Jian had given Che Xiaoxiao a painting worth millions? Really?

"Psh, keep dreaming. He could come up with a million-dollar painting? With his bear look!" Yin Donghan couldn't help but burst into laughter as if he had heard the funniest joke ever.

"Look, little sister, even if you like your teacher, you don't have to tell such outrageous lies. Do you realize that your lie lacks any credibility?" he taunted.

The taunts followed one after another, and Zhao Yating's expression grew increasingly unpleasant.

"I'm not lying. He really did give me a painting worth millions, and he painted it himself," Che Xiaoxiao said calmly.

"Did you all hear that? This girl said that poor guy painted a painting worth millions for her!" Yin Donghan sneered loudly.

"Heard it. Oh my God, I'm dying of laughter. A painting worth millions? Holy shit, then he must be a master-level painter, right?" a companion replied.

"Oh dear, a master-level painter, that's truly terrifying. Then why didn't he gift a painting instead of a lousy teapot? Does he think Zhao Yating isn't worth such an expensive gift."

Yin Donghan laughed mockingly, his laughter particularly grating.

"How do you know he only paints?" Che Xiaoxiao retorted sarcastically. Yin Donghan was really looking down on people. Even she wouldn't dare claim to fully understand Hao Jian, so on what basis did Yin Donghan make such premature judgments?

"Are you trying to tell me that this lousy teapot is also worth millions?" Yin Donghan scoffed disdainfully:

"If this lousy teapot costs millions, then I'll chop off my head!"

"Then get ready to chop off your head."

At that moment, a light voice came through. Four-Eyed, who was in the classroom earlier, stepped out from the crowd, looking indifferently at Yin Donghan.

"What are you?" Yin Donghan looked at Four-Eyed challengingly, thinking, who is this greenhorn pretending to be?

"Me? I'm nothing special, just someone who understands pottery art." Four-Eyed sneered, then turned to Zhao Yating:

"Zhao Yating, could you lend me your teapot to check?"
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"Of course."

Zhao Yating passed the teapot in a daze, also utterly shocked. Could it be that this teapot had something extraordinary about it?

Four-Eyed carefully took the teapot, treating it like an artwork, attentively examining it.

"A lousy teapot, what's there to look at." Yin Donghan muttered.

But Four-Eyed seemed like he didn't hear Yin Donghan's words, focusing intently on the teapot.

After a long time, he finally exclaimed with a smile, "Although it appears simple and unadorned, within its simplicity lies a calm and imposing aura, its feel warm and material excellent, its compact size just right, holding it feels like embracing a woman's slender waist, an extraordinary sensation.

And the engraving is also exquisite, each stroke seemingly rough and hastily done, yet containing finesse within crudeness, sharpness within coarseness, like iron painting with silver hooks, such fine quality, not visible to the untrained eye! Teacher, if I'm not wrong, this teapot must be worth at least three million, right?"

Everyone gasped in shock. How could such a simple, compact teapot sell for so much?

Zhao Yating was stunned too. She and Hao Jian were not even close, and Hao Jian had given her such an expensive gift?

"It's not that expensive, only about 2.5 million at most." Hao Jian said with a smile.

"Mine's not that expensive." Che Xiaoxiao giggled, satisfied.

"Whatever." Zhao Yating frowned unhappily.

"Are you joking? Just because you say it's worth three million, it's worth three million? Who do you think you are?" Seeing Four-Eyed spouting nonsense, Yin Donghan got angry.

"Zhang Jia's father is the most famous ceramic teapot artist in Hua City; one of his tea sets once sold at auction for a high price of a million. Do you think he's not qualified to appraise this teapot?"

Luo Tong coldly sneered in response to Yin Donghan, mocking his ignorance.