The crowd was abuzz as the table for calligraphy was being set up. Someone from among them exclaimed, "I've seen the calligraphy written by Ms. Saun before.""Where have you seen it before? How was it?""Her work was among the calligraphy exhibition Mr. Marco set up."Someone else pitched in and said, "I've seen the group photo of them in Mr. Marco's house. He must have personally taught her.""Oh my. Personal tutelage? Wouldn't Stella lose face if Ms. Saun's writing is that good?""She's the one who suggested writing calligraphy. If anyone would be embarrassed for failing after trying so hard, it would just be her.""With that frivolous look of hers, it doesn't look like she has any experience with arts. I seriously wonder if she even knows how to hold a pen. Wouldn't she do better if she danced instead? Why is she so insistent on this?""She's still a previous in-law of the Kane family. Wouldn't she lose face if she danced in front of everyone? It's no different from acting at
Comparing both writing motions, Vermont whispered to Keegan who was next to him,"Stella's hands are shaking so much, and she looks like her words are too squiggly. Are you sure it's not her tenosynovitis acting up?"Keegan scowled and rudely responded, "Could you just keep that ominous talk to yourself?"Meanwhile, Jaylene, having practiced for a while, elegantly moved her pen, swiftly finishing her part of the couplet.Vermont leaned in to get a better view. Jaylene wrote with a flowing semi-cursive style, infusing meaning into every stroke. Even Vermont, who wasn't knowledgeable about calligraphy, couldn't help but acknowledge the skillful writing.He then glanced at Stella, noticing her hands were still trembling. 'That's it. She's definitely going to lose,' he thought.Vermont pondered before he said, "Why don't you pretend to slip and spill wine over your wife's calligraphy? Getting through this is much better than losing face."Keegan scowled, took a glass of wine from a
Everyone started laughing after she spoke. Mrs. Chapman added fuel to the fire and said, "My youngest doesn't have the same confidence as Ms. Jewell."Cordelia frowned. She did not want to lie, but she was also unable to say it out directly either. She raised her eyes and met Keegan's, hinting at Keegan to do something about this. "Keegan, what do you think?"Vermont's eye twitched. 'Grannies are fearsome, throwing the blame back to Keegan.'Keegan had a serious look on his face. looked at the two calligraphies, raised his head, and said, "Ms. Saun's calligraphy vividly portrays the free spirit and elegance in her writing. Stella's, on the other hand, is unconventional and unique. Each of them has their own merits and is equally as good."The crowd went silent with many wondering if he was blind for saying that both were equally good. Stella could not help but wanted to laugh. She thought, 'Keegan must have cracked his head, thinking about how he could praise my writing.'Stella w
When Cordelia had finished speaking, Baldwin was asked to gift each of them a money pouch. Stella received the pouch with a "Thanks".Jaylene, on the other hand, declined and said, "I'm afraid I'm not worthy of the money pouch Madam Kane is giving. I lack talent."Stella paused then smiled immediately. She said, "Ms. Saun, this is not a competition. We wrote the calligraphy to congratulate Cordelia. Will it matter who is more talented as long as Cordelia feels blessed?"Baldwin added, "Ms. Saun, please do keep it. Take it as a blessing from Madam Kane."Jaylene hesitated a little before finally taking it. "I'm sorry for my narrow-mindedness."Stella did not reply to that, and she kept her thoughts to herself. 'I felt something fishy when Jaylene proposed to write calligraphy together. There were a lot of ways for her to be in the limelight, but she insisted on doing it together with me. It felt like she was using me as a steppingstone. Maybe her thought process isn't as innocent a
Stella took out the money pouch and pinched it gently. It was a little thick. She raised her eyes and said to Vermont, "There's at least two thousand in it."Vermont also pinched it and said, "It should be more than two thousand. A minimum of three thousand in it if the money is new.""New money of three thousand isn't this thin.""It must be three thousand. Otherwise, the money pouch wouldn't be so big."Keegan was speechless. Suddenly, he felt a little ashamed to stand beside these two people.Instigated by Vermont, Stella opened the money pouch quietly. She opened it with a racing heart and trembling hands and found nothing. There was another smaller money pouch inside.Stella was left speechless.Vermont stroked his chin and said, "In that case, it may be like what you said. It's two thousand."Stella opened this layer of money pouch. However, there was another layer of money pouch inside.Both of them were silent now.Vermont pondered and said, "It can't be one thousand,
As soon as Stella had left, Vermont looked at Keegan with a smile and said, "Giving photos is so boring. Next time, pack yourself as a gift and send it over. Maybe she'll accept it."Keegan glanced at him. "Did you watch too many cheesy dramas?"Keegan knew nothing about the money pouch. He was also surprised when Stella took out the photo. However, Keegan felt that it was in line with Cordelia's usual style when he thought about it.Vermont said, "Stella still likes your face. Didn't you see her expression when she looked at the photo just now? Her eyes lit up."Keegan paused and said, "Really?""If she doesn't like it, her first reaction should be disgust when she sees that it's you. But, she glanced at the photo five times just now! Stella is a face-judger. Look at the accounts she follows. They are all people with good looks and good figures. Isn't your appearance miles ahead of those internet celebrities?"Keegan frowned. "Are you comparing me to those people?"Vermont was
Stella was a bit surprised. 'Doesn't Trevor have a sister complex? Why does this sound like he's siding with me?'Stella pondered, 'Maybe Trevor is just being polite. After all, these words can also be understood as an apology to me for Jaylene's recklessness.'With that in mind, Stella politely said, "Even if I really practiced, I might barely be on a par with Ms. Saun. Her handwriting is really beautiful."Trevor's eyes softened. 'Stella isn't only well-taught, but kind too.'"Mrs. Chapman said you can play the piano. When you have a chance next time, play it for me too."After being missing for over 20 years, Trevor wanted to get to know her better.Stella just took a bite of the mango pie. She could neither swallow nor spit it out. Once again, she wondered if Trevor was trying to rule her out. What he said was too strange.Obviously, Trevor also realized that what he had said was causing a little misunderstanding. So, he then coughed and said, "Only by fully understanding th
It did not take long for Rainee to discover the collusion between Stella and her buddies. So, she beat her up. Rainee was still reluctant to hit her. So, she just hit Stella's palm with a ruler."Then, my mom found out that I'm really not cut out for piano. Besides, she is busy with work, so she no longer pushes me."She thought to herself, 'My family's condition improved later on, and we moved to a bigger house. But, I was never as happy as I was back in my childhood time.'Trevor's eyes softened a little. "Since you hate practicing the piano so much, didn't you think of a way to break the piano? That way, you don't have to practice or get beaten."Stella smiled. "I can't. You probably don't understand. At that time, my family's condition was only average, and the piano was nearly 14,000 dollars in our country currency."It was really expensive 20 years ago. My mother could have bought a car, but she spent the money on me."She had a big fight with Albert for me. I would rather