Chapter 203 - 201: Just Consider It Loving the House and the Crow

Not only was Saul Thorne handsome and well-off, he was also thoughtful and considerate. Jasmine Sterling was thoroughly pleased.

"I should let Cecilia know. She told me to tell her if I was going out."

Jasmine Sterling didn’t refuse. ’Saul came all this way,’ she thought. ’And it’s not like I have anything better to do at home anyway.’

Saul Thorne nodded. "Alright, I’ll give her a heads-up too. Ma’am, why don’t you get ready? I’ll wait for you downstairs."

About half an hour later, Jasmine Sterling was ready and came downstairs.

"I’m ready, Saul Thorne. Shall we go?"

Saul Thorne stood up. Seeing that Jasmine Sterling was only wearing a cotton sweatsuit, he offered her the overcoat in his hands. "Ma’am, you’re not wearing enough. Put on my coat, it’ll be warmer."

Jasmine Sterling took it and asked with concern, "Aren’t you cold?"

Saul Thorne was wearing a coffee-colored sweater underneath. He smiled and shook his head. "I grew up in Lorcain. It’s not even the coldest part of the year yet. I’m used to it."

"By the way, Ma’am, I also brought you some of Lorcain’s local specialties. I left them in the cabinet by the door. Remember to take them when you leave. I prepared two sets of everything, one for your sister’s family as well."

Hearing this, Jasmine Sterling couldn’t suppress a happy smile. "Oh, my, look at you. You’re making me feel a bit embarrassed. Why are you being so polite?"

"This isn’t just me being polite; it’s what I should do. Ma’am, you can just think of it as me loving everything about Cecilia."

He really had a way with words. But hearing them from Saul Thorne wasn’t off-putting in the slightest. In fact, she loved hearing it; it made her happy.

They left the house and got into Saul Thorne’s Jeep. As they drove toward the SKP mall, Saul Thorne said casually, "Ma’am, I’ll take you to the mall first to buy a suitable warm overcoat. After that, you can tell me where you’d like to go, and I’ll take you there."

"Don’t be fooled by the fact that Hearthstone Villas is a villa district. Its location is actually a quiet oasis in the heart of the bustling city. It’s close to everything, so it’s convenient to get anywhere."

Jasmine Sterling listened and nodded along. In any case, she was happy to go along with whatever Saul Thorne had planned.

"Ma’am, is the God Jumps Over the Wall on your stove okay? We wouldn’t want it to burn."

Jasmine Sterling laughed. "It’s fine. This is only the second day, it won’t stick to the pot."

Besides, her daughter’s gas stove had a pilot light mode—no open flame—which completely eliminated the risk of a fire. You could leave something simmering on the stove and go out with complete peace of mind.

Once they arrived at SKP, Saul Thorne patiently accompanied Jasmine Sterling as she browsed the mall. Although the goal was to buy a warm overcoat, since they were already there, he was determined to let her shop to her heart’s content and buy anything she liked.

"Saul Thorne."

As they were browsing, Jasmine Sterling suddenly spoke up. "I have to make something clear first. I’m very grateful that you’re willing to take the time to bring me out shopping, but if I decide to buy clothes or anything else today, you have to let me pay for it myself."

Jasmine Sterling knew she couldn’t spend Saul Thorne’s money.

It was true that Saul Thorne was her daughter’s boyfriend, but for now, that was his only title. He had no real relationship with her. Therefore, Jasmine Sterling understood that she absolutely could not let him pay for her. Otherwise, it might throw his relationship with her daughter off balance.

Besides, it wasn’t a matter of money. It was a matter of principle, a matter of stance.

Saul Thorne was very smart; how could he not understand what Jasmine Sterling meant?

And mother and daughter were really alike, because what she was thinking was exactly the kind of thing Cecilia would think about.

Both of them had a clearly defined, principled way of thinking, and they would both express it without any coyness.

Saul Thorne chuckled and nodded. "No problem, Ma’am. Whatever you say. But you have to at least let me pay for our meal, right? I ate a meal you personally cooked yesterday, so you have to let me treat you in return, don’t you?"

This time, Jasmine Sterling didn’t refuse. "That’s fine. Isn’t Lorcain famous for its roast duck? I’d like to try it."

"Great. I’ll take you for roast duck right after we’re done shopping."

Cecilia had given her mother a card with one thousand dollars on it. Jasmine Sterling had never touched the money on the card, and this shopping trip was the first time she used it.

As she browsed, she discovered that the clothes in this mall were not cheap. A branded cashmere coat started at just a few dollars, with many others costing ten-something or even tens of dollars.

In the past, she definitely wouldn’t have been willing to spend that much. But now that she had seen her daughter’s success with her own eyes, she was starting to feel the desire to spend money, and the courage to do so.

"Ma’am, this size is almost sold out. This is the last one we have. If you want it, you’ll get a twenty-percent discount. The original price is twelve dollars, so it comes down to nine dollars and sixty cents. Plus, this coat is part of our mall’s double discount event. If you spend twenty dollars in the mall today, you’ll qualify for an additional twenty-five percent off. The final price would be just seven dollars and twenty cents."

Jasmine Sterling ultimately chose a khaki cashmere overcoat. She looked at herself in the mirror again and again, quite pleased with it.

She used to think that the high price of these designer clothes was just a markup, but once she actually put it on, she could truly feel that you get what you pay for. The texture and cut were on a completely different level from cheaper items.

But the salesperson’s talk about the event gave Jasmine Sterling a headache. She had to spend twenty dollars to qualify for the double discount. It was obviously a tactic to get customers to spend more money. But even though she understood this, Jasmine Sterling couldn’t help but feel like she’d be losing out if she didn’t get that extra discount.

This is how people normally think. They spend more money just to get a discount, thinking they’re getting a good deal, when in reality they’re spending even more.

But if you don’t get the lowest possible discount, it always feels like you’ve overpaid.

Saul Thorne stood patiently by her side, not a hint of impatience on his face. But just then, a charming figure suddenly appeared beside him, along with a surprised voice, "Saul Thorne?"

It was Jane Sterling!

"Jane?"

Saul Thorne was also surprised to see Jane Sterling. After meeting her at his grandfather’s birthday celebration, their families had gotten together occasionally, and they had become somewhat familiar with each other. Because Saul knew that his grandfather and Mr. Gardner intended to set the two of them up, he had deliberately kept his distance from Jane at first.

But as they interacted more, he found Jane Sterling to be a very straightforward and open person. After learning he had a girlfriend, she never once crossed any lines, and gradually he became comfortable enough to chat with her a bit more.

"It really is you! What are you doing here?"

As Jane Sterling spoke, she couldn’t help but glance around, assuming he was out with Cecilia. ’Doesn’t Cecilia have exams today?’ she wondered.

’She couldn’t have chosen her boyfriend over her friend, ditching me to sneak out shopping with Saul Thorne, could she?’

"Are you with your girlfriend?"

Saul Thorne smiled. "No, she has exams these couple of days. Her mother just came to Lorcain, so I’m showing her around."

’Her mother?’

Only then did Jane Sterling’s gaze fall upon Jasmine Sterling, who was standing in front of the dressing room mirror. ’Cecilia’s mother?’

"Hello, Ma’am!"