Kerry Phillips glanced at the small pile of valuable jewels and rare items on the table, already accustomed to such sights.
He smiled.
"They just enjoy playing gift exchange games, like opening blind boxes. Let's eat..."
Anthony Ferguson, being pulled towards the dining table, still couldn't quite grasp it.
"No, I mean, are people from that southern circle all so outrageously wealthy?"
Pink and yellow diamonds worth millions of dollars, given out like blind box gifts?
The family of three sat cozily around the dining table, having their meal.
Anthony Ferguson kept the pink diamond and yellow diamond brooch by his side, glancing at Cohen Phillips from time to time, wanting to speak but hesitating.
The two brothers, being somewhat mischievous, ignored his obvious discomfort.
After dinner, they cleaned up together and sat on the living room sofa to watch a movie.
Finally, Anthony couldn't hold back anymore.
He gently kicked Cohen Phillips, who was still sitting on the carpet opening packages, and adopted a stern, parental tone.
"You've received so many expensive gifts. Did you send anything in return?"
Cohen Phillips put down the luxury car key he had just unwrapped.
"I did."
"What did you send? Do you have enough money?"
Roughly estimating, the gifts already opened were worth over ten million dollars, and there was still a third of the packages left unopened...
"I sent them drawings. Personalized chibi-style digital art."
Anthony Ferguson frowned.
"Those silly little cartoon characters? That's so stingy?"
Cohen Phillips shot him a displeased look.
"You're the stingy one."
"You think a little drawing is equivalent to a million-dollar pink diamond?"
He nudged Kerry Phillips, who was trying not to laugh beside him.
"He doesn't understand social etiquette, and you don't either? Who knows what those people are saying behind his back."
Kerry Phillips ruffled his hair.
"Probably not."
Anthony swatted his hand away.
"Why probably not? Cohen, you can't do this. Send proper gifts. I'll pay for it. You can't be this stingy."
Cohen Phillips didn't even look up.
"No. Don't know what to send."
"Tch..."
Anthony Ferguson propped his chin, thinking.
"How about property? I have a high-end apartment complex for sale. Give me the list of gift-givers, and I'll give each of them a large flat."
As the current CEO of TH Group, a leading real estate company in B City, Anthony Ferguson was naturally also rolling in money.
Cohen Phillips refused.
"No."
He glared.
"Hey, you kid, return gifts should be of roughly equivalent value, understand?"
"My drawings are very valuable too, okay? I'm so busy, yet I had to find time to draw a bunch of character designs, and satisfy all their random and strange requests. It takes a lot of effort."
"You still can't just send drawings... and cartoon character drawings at that..."
Kerry Phillips reached out and pinched the back of Anthony Ferguson's neck.
"Stop worrying about him. They play very well in their little circle; they aren't particularly strict about these things. Let him do his own thing."
Anthony pressed his lips together.
In his understanding, there were no permanent friends, only permanent interests.
Sometimes, taking a small advantage could lead to the loss of things immeasurable by money, like trust and reputation.
No one likes to feel shortchanged, especially in an environment filled with transactional relationships.
The more one gives, the more they expect in return.
Cohen Phillips was inexperienced in the world and didn't understand anything.
Why wasn't Kerry Phillips teaching him?
Anthony Ferguson turned to glare at Kerry Phillips.
What kind of older brother are you?
Kerry Phillips leaned over and kissed his lips, chuckling lightly to reassure him.
"Cohen Phillips isn't that clueless. His social circle is maintained and more unshakable than you imagine. Anthony, he calls you 'Sis-in-law'; don't fuss over him like a mother."
Anthony Ferguson quickly glanced at the back of Cohen Phillips's head, a hint of shyness appearing, and pushed Kerry's face away.
"Humph, I can't be bothered to worry!"
Kerry Phillips leaned in again.
Anthony felt very nervous, but also faintly excited.
The sudden silence made Cohen Phillips puzzled.
He turned his head...
??? ......
Is it really okay to be so oblivious to others like this?
Speechless.
Utterly speechless.
Noticing the strange gaze, Anthony Ferguson pushed Kerry Phillips away, looked around awkwardly, and stammered, "O-open... open your packages. Don't... don't look. Don't you get it..."
His face was completely flushed.
Cohen Phillips gave his unfazed brother, who had turned back to the movie, a look that said 'you're impossible'.
He did that on purpose, didn't he?
Also not exactly a saint...
As the New Year countdown sounded, it struck zero.
The new year had arrived.
"Happy New Year."
Anthony Ferguson, having regained his composure, said with slightly narrowed eyes, "Cohen, be healthy and happy."
Cohen Phillips looked up from his phone, smiling.
"Bro, Sis-in-law, Happy New Year. I sent your gifts."
"Happy New Year."
Kerry Phillips said softly.
Anthony Ferguson tapped his phone open and saw two drawings.
One was of himself, holding a wine glass, chin raised, looking very tsundere.
The other was of him and Kerry Phillips affectionately cheek-to-cheek, with little hearts popping up beside them – very cute and exactly to his liking.
He restrained the corners of his mouth from lifting too much.
"You draw quite well. Your New Year's gift is registered under your name – a detached villa at theresort center. It's already decorated. I'll give you the keys in a couple of days. The scenery there is pretty good; you can go stay for a few days when you're free."
Cohen Phillips didn't stand on ceremony either.
"Thank you, Sis-in-law."
"Mhm."
Kerry Phillips turned off the TV.
"Alright, time to rest. Cohen Phillips, clean up all this stuff on the table."
"Got it."
Anthony Ferguson and Kerry Phillips returned to their room.
After showering, Anthony lay on the bed, looking at the chibi drawings, very happy.
Cohen Phillips really could draw.
"Anthony."
Kerry Phillips lay over his back.
"Happy New Year."
He put down his phone, turned his head, and said, "Happy New Year... Baby, let's spend every New Year together from now on."
Kerry Phillips, his eyes full of love, touched Anthony's reddening eye corners.
"Okay."
"Mmm..."
A look of hesitation crossed Anthony's face.
"Baby..."
Kerry Phillips reassured him in a husky voice.
"It's fine. The room is soundproof."
He stopped suppressing himself.
His handsome face, flushed crimson, lost the haughty coldness it carried during the day outside.
Kerry Phillips turned his face and kissed him.
"Baby, my Anthony, I love you."
"Kerry..."
His tears flowed heavily, but his tone tried to sound fierce.
"You are mine. You have to be with me for the rest of your life!"
Kerry Phillips laughed.
"I'll be with Anthony for the rest of my life."
"Baby, I love you..."
In the first early hours of the new year, the bedroom was filled with waves of tenderness.