Chapter 205 - 203: Hello, I’m Looking for Chairman Jennings

It was a case of one side being eager to give and the other eager to receive. Cecilia Sterling certainly wasn’t going to get involved.

"Let’s go. Do you have anything you need to grab?"

Estelle Goodman shook her head. "Nope. I packed everything up before the break started. Charles Jennings will come help me take it home later."

Cecilia Sterling pursed her lips, speechless. ’Having someone like Charles Jennings so selflessly devoted to her must be nice,’ she thought. ’It certainly saves a lot of trouble.’

After leaving the school and getting into the car, although it wasn’t her first time riding in Cecilia Sterling’s car, Estelle Goodman couldn’t help but sigh in admiration. "Darling, this car is so comfortable. I absolutely love it."

Cecilia Sterling started the car. It was an automatic, so her footwork didn’t seem complicated. Seeing this, Estelle Goodman commented casually, "I think driving seems pretty simple. Everything’s automatic now. As long as you can tell the brake from the gas, you’re good, right?"

Hearing this, Cecilia Sterling gave Estelle Goodman a skeptical look. "Girl, if it were really that simple, would all those people who fail the written test multiple times be idiots?"

"Well, they’re definitely not the sharpest tools in the shed. I’d pass on the first try for sure," Estelle Goodman said with inexplicable confidence.

Her comment made Cecilia Sterling laugh. "Heh, I’ll be grateful if you can even figure out whether to hit the brake or the gas in an emergency."

"If I can’t figure it out, I’ll just step on both, right? One of them has to be correct!" Estelle Goodman said, blinking innocently.

"Both at once? What are you trying to do, take a screenshot of the car?"

Cecilia was shocked. "Do yourself and everyone else a favor and just give up. You’d be better off having Charles Jennings learn so he can chauffeur you around whenever you want. I’m pretty sure he’d be more than willing."

"How is that the same thing? I’m dying of envy seeing you drive such a cool car. Why don’t you teach me? I want to drive your car, too."

"Don’t even think about it. This car is brand new. I’m not ready to see it totaled just yet."

Cecilia couldn’t be bothered with her anymore. Estelle was the stubborn-as-a-mule type; you couldn’t lead her, and pushing her only made her back up. Once she actually started learning, she’d realize she wasn’t cut out for driving.

After returning to the complex and dropping Estelle Goodman off at her home, Cecilia Sterling went back to her own place. As soon as she entered the yard, she saw her mother squatting by the flowerbed, feeding some small cats.

They were the two little orange tabbies she had seen on the complex road a couple of days ago.

"Cecilia, you’re back! Quick, look! Two little cats showed up out of nowhere. We had some seafood scraps from the kitchen, and the little guys are eating so happily."

"Those two are stray cats from the neighborhood. The property management staff feeds them occasionally. I saw them a couple of days ago, too." As Cecilia Sterling spoke, her gaze unconsciously drifted through the French doors to look inside. She then asked, "Where are Saul Thorne and Jane? Have they left?"

Jasmine Sterling smiled and nodded. "Saul Thorne got a call this evening and had to go back to the station. Jane brought me home, but she said she lives far away, so she didn’t wait for you to get back."

Then, Jasmine Sterling did a little twirl in front of her daughter. "Cecilia, what do you think? Is this coat pretty?"

Cecilia had already noticed her mother’s new coat. She nodded in satisfaction and praised her, "It’s beautiful. Mom, you still have great taste. It really brightens up your complexion."

Older people loved to hear such things, so Cecilia deliberately chose her words to make her mother happy.

Jasmine Sterling was indeed happy to hear that, but she didn’t forget to tell her daughter, "It was quite expensive, you know. Over seven dollars, and that was after a double discount. But I paid for it myself. I didn’t use Saul Thorne’s money."

Hearing her mother’s words made Cecilia happy as well. "It’s a good thing that you’re willing to spend money on yourself now. It’s not just me; Lily is starting to earn good money, too. From now on, you don’t have to worry about spending. If you like something, just buy it. A nice coat like this for a little over seven dollars isn’t expensive at all."

Jasmine Sterling understood her daughter’s intentions, of course. They were both very filial. But one’s perspective on spending money had to be changed gradually.

In the past, she might have gone an entire year without being willing to buy a single new piece of clothing. Now, her first purchase was a "high-end item" for over seven dollars; of course, she would feel it was expensive.

But she bought it in the end. Ultimately, Jasmine Sterling wanted to change. She had to learn how to accept good fortune and enjoy life. Her daughters would only be happy if she did—she understood that.

Having had a good time walking around Lorcain today, Jasmine Sterling was overjoyed. She pulled her daughter inside and began recounting the day’s events, praising Saul Thorne profusely throughout the conversation.

Seeing her mother in such high spirits, with no signs of discomfort or trouble adjusting to the new environment, Cecilia simply told her the next day before heading out that she could go for a walk on her own if she wanted. She also mentioned she would be bringing her roommate home for dinner that evening.

Jasmine Sterling just said she would go to the market in the afternoon to buy some fresh ingredients for dinner.

As noon approached, the God Jumps Over the Wall, which had been stewing for a full 48 hours, had finally reached a thick, viscous consistency. The essence of all the top-tier ingredients had been rendered out. The moment the lid was lifted, a rich aroma filled the entire house.

As Jasmine Sterling stirred the God Jumps Over the Wall in the clay pot, she remembered the last time her daughter had eaten it was when she came home for National Day. But the pot at home was small, and with Ethan there, her daughter had ended up eating less than two bowls of it.

’Oh, that’s right,’ she thought. ’The first person to eat the God Jumps Over the Wall that time was Mr. Jennings.’

The sudden thought made Jasmine Sterling’s hand pause.

Mr. Jennings!

’My God Jumps Over the Wall seemed to be very much to his liking. He ate two big bowls that day and even said that it was rare to find such a delicious and authentic version in Lorcain.’

A flash of inspiration struck her. Jasmine Sterling turned and found a thermal lunch box, filling it to the brim with the freshly prepared God Jumps Over the Wall.

She didn’t have Randall Jennings’s business card with her, as she hadn’t expected to suddenly come up with such an idea.

However, she had sent a photo of the card to her daughter before, so she was able to find the picture in her chat history. The address and phone number were clearly visible.

Putting on her coat and shoes, Jasmine Sterling picked up the thermal lunch box and headed out the door.

「Jennings Group.」

Since it was lunchtime, the first-floor lobby was bustling with people coming and going. However, the elevators were behind a set of turnstiles that required a key card for access.

Jasmine Sterling had worked in a five-star hotel before and often interacted with high-society individuals. So, even though it was her first time at the Jennings Group, her demeanor was neither awkward nor timid. Dressed in her designer coat, she looked exceptionally poised.

Holding the lunch box, she first scanned her surroundings, marveling inwardly at the grandeur of the Jennings Group building.

Her gaze then settled on the reception desk in the front lobby, and she walked briskly toward it.

"Hello, ma’am. Who are you here to see?"

The young woman at the front desk was pretty and polite. A major factor was that Jasmine Sterling had been keeping up with her beauty treatments for the past few months and taking daily Dance classes to improve her posture and cultivate her temperament. She was already beautiful to begin with, and today she was dressed elegantly. Lacking neither flair nor a commanding presence, anyone who didn’t know her would subconsciously assume she was a person of high status.

Jasmine Sterling offered a gentle and approachable smile. "Hello," she said softly. "I’m looking for Chairman Jennings."