Chapter 232: I Was Waiting for You to Say That
Beatrice Donovan fought the urge to roll her eyes. ’Forget whether that scoundrel’s words are true or not, this wild boar absolutely has other intentions for our sweet girl!’
Beatrice Donovan wanted to be the one to slaughter the boar, but she had important business to attend to today. With a stern face, she could only remind her, "Didn’t you say Grand-uncle needed you for something? You should head back soon after eating. It’s getting late. Go home early, and don’t just wander around outside."
Arabella Donovan, who was also thinking about the uncut stone at home, nodded and agreed, "Okay."
Seeing her reaction, Beatrice Donovan frowned, adding worriedly, "Text me when you get home."
Caspian Rhodes was speechless. ’This little one’s relatives really are all guarding against me like I’m a thief!’
Arabella Donovan, suspecting nothing, just thought Beatrice was worried she’d get carried away having fun and not go home on time. So, she obediently nodded and agreed again.
The moment Beatrice Donovan left, Caspian Rhodes drove Arabella Donovan back to Dennis Donovan’s house.
When they arrived at the door, Caspian Rhodes learned that Arabella had asked Dennis Donovan to arrange for a Gem Cutter. He immediately thought of the large stone from last night, the one said to still contain a precious raw stone. He shamelessly followed Arabella inside.
Dennis Donovan had heard that Arabella was back and came out to greet her, a broad smile on his face. But when he looked up and saw Caspian Rhodes beside her, his smile instantly vanished.
"What are you doing here?!" ’Why is it always you?’
Caspian Rhodes understood the disdain in Dennis Donovan’s words and rubbed his nose awkwardly.
Seeing the situation, Arabella Donovan quickly explained on his behalf, "Grandpa, Mr. Rhodes drove me home."
"Giving someone a ride all the way into their house." Dennis Donovan’s cane twitched, as if he was about to beat the man out the door with it in the next second.
Arabella Donovan was speechless. ’Help me, Grand-uncle’s attitude toward Mr. Rhodes changed way too fast, didn’t it? Wasn’t everything fine yesterday? Grand-uncle, you’re so two-faced!’
Dennis Donovan was speechless. ’Silly girl, who do you think I’m doing this for!’
Caspian Rhodes was amused by Arabella Donovan’s inner monologue and struggled to hold back his laughter.
Dennis Donovan saw right through him and shot daggers at him with his eyes.
"Serena said you helped her hire a Gem Cutter. She wants to see if any other treasures can be cut from the rough stone left over from last night. I happened to be there yesterday when this stone was being cut, so I’m quite curious about it myself and followed her in. A magnanimous person like Elder Donovan wouldn’t mind, right?"
The subtext was: I was there last night. I know there’s another treasure hidden in this stone, so you don’t have to be secretive with me.
How could Dennis Donovan not understand his unspoken meaning? That just made him even more furious!
Although Arabella Donovan didn’t know what conflict was between the two, she could sense the strange atmosphere. She quickly changed the subject to smooth things over.
"Grandpa, where is the Gem Cutter you hired? Let’s get down to business first."
In Dennis Donovan’s eyes, Arabella’s attempt to mediate was a deliberate defense of Caspian Rhodes. Disappointed in her, he shot her a look of frustration and said irritably, "In the backyard."
Without another glance at their reactions, he turned and walked back.
Arabella Donovan, an innocent bystander caught in the crossfire, blinked in confusion. She pointed at herself, then in the direction Dennis Donovan had left, her face a mask of bewilderment.
"What did I just do? Did I make Grandpa angry?"
Caspian Rhodes couldn’t help but chuckle. "No. Maybe he was still groggy from waking up and took the wrong medicine by mistake."
Arabella Donovan: !!! ’Mr. Rhodes, Grandpa is really going to throw you out for saying things like that!’
The Gem Cutter Dennis Donovan had found for Arabella was named Master Keane. He was even older than the one at the auction house last night, with a square, honest-looking face that made him seem kind and simple.
Even though he didn’t believe that a rough stone which had already yielded one raw stone could possibly hide another treasure, he still smiled and asked for Arabella Donovan’s opinion.
"This stone... How does the young miss want me to cut it?"
"Hmm, you’re the master, you have more experience. You can decide how to cut it." After speaking, Arabella seemed to recall something and added, "Just be a little careful near the bottom."
It sounded as if she was certain there was something at the bottom—which, in fact, was the truth.
Last night, while watching the gem cutting at the auction house, Arabella had faintly seen two spots on the stone glowing under the lights—one on top and one on the bottom. The light from the bottom spot was even larger.
At first, she thought it was just a trick of the bright store lights. It wasn’t until the Blessing, Fortune, Longevity, Joy Original Stone was fully extracted that Arabella suddenly realized the glow was probably the spiritual marrow. The larger glow at the bottom meant the raw stone there was likely even bigger than the one that had already been taken out!
Master Keane didn’t pour cold water on her hopes. He picked up the stone, examined it carefully, and only after he had a good look did he begin his work.
The gem cutting process was a storm of rolling dust and flying debris. Considering Guinevere Preston’s health, the others had her wait inside the house.
Dennis Donovan, however, felt he was in great shape. He stood next to Arabella, leaning on his cane and craning his neck to watch Master Keane’s hands, curious to see what this remaining treasure looked like.
Master Keane cut five or six centimeters down from the previous cut made by the master at the auction house. Layer after layer of waste rock fell away, and his heart began to sink.
Just as he was about to conclude that there couldn’t possibly be any treasure left in the stone, the grinder in his hand suddenly hit something different. The sensation was extremely subtle, but the highly experienced Master Keane noticed it immediately, and the tool in his hand slipped.
Even so, he unavoidably shaved off a corner of the jade underneath.
"It’s... it’s showing green! It’s really showing green!"
Hearing this, Dennis Donovan quickly leaned in and asked nosily, "It really is? What’s the quality? How big is it?"
The cross-section of the uncarved stone was a bit dull, as if covered by a layer of dust, making it hard to see the quality.
Master Keane washed it with the clean water prepared in a basin nearby, and an emerald-green raw stone, clearly no ordinary piece, came into view.
"This is Vivid Green. It’s a high-grade jadeite, just a step below Imperial Green. It’s just..."
"Just what?"
"It’s just that Vivid Green has its own range of quality. Some are just white jadeite with a bit of Vivid Green in the middle. If the texture and translucency are good, it’s still decent. But if even the texture and translucency are poor, then it’s not worth much. On the other hand, the more pure green there is and the better the texture and translucency, the higher the value."
"So you’re saying we can’t tell much from this little spot, we have to look at the whole thing. The more green like this, the better, preferably with no other colors mixed in. If the entire piece is this green, and it’s exceptionally clear and translucent with excellent quality, then..."
"Then it would be almost indistinguishable from Imperial Green. Even if it’s slightly inferior, it would still be a priceless treasure!"
Dennis Donovan was speechless. ’That’s what I was waiting to hear. It’s in the bag!’