Chapter 215: Does Your Family Need More Relatives?
Arabella Donovan blinked, a little surprised by Ms. Kerr’s inexplicably solemn attitude. "Please, go on."
"This original stone of yours is very rare. After fashioning a pair of bracelets, a jade pendant, and two decorative tags, there will still be some material left over. While the value of these scraps won’t compare to the finished pieces, they can still be put to use—polished into small pieces and inlaid into other jewelry."
Arabella Donovan was stunned to hear this.
’They can do that? Now that I think about it, why not? This is an original stone containing spiritual marrow. Even if we ignore how they look, just polishing the scraps into simple beads to wear would be good for your health.’
Of course, the benefits couldn’t compare to the bracelets and jade pendant she planned to give Dennis Donovan and his wife, but every little bit helps, right?
’If we really do that, I can have Miss Kerr help make them. Maybe that’ll take care of the thank-you gifts for my friends and family for the New Year.’
Brandon Jennings: ’!!! Those beads... it’s not a bad idea! But are they ordinary beads? Of course not!’
’Those are genuine treasures that can protect one’s health and prolong life! If word got out, all those elderly corporate tycoons would be at each other’s throats for them!’
’My little cousin actually wants to give these out as New Year’s gifts, one for each person... This is truly...!’
Caspian Rhodes: ’...’ ’Suddenly, I’m a little jealous of the Donovan Family’s friends and relatives. Are you guys looking for any more family members?’
"These small pieces, you were planning to..."
"If it’s convenient, once these pieces are finished, I hope you’ll let us sell them in our shop. Alternatively, we could buy the leftover material from you directly."
Arabella Donovan rubbed her nose and said awkwardly, "I’m sorry. Logically, I shouldn’t refuse you. But Miss Kerr, you may not know this, but to afford those two plots of land tonight, my parents raised money for me in our family’s group chat. Many of my uncles, aunts, and older cousins generously chipped in. They came through for me when I needed it most, so I can’t be too ungrateful..."
Ms. Kerr paused. After a moment’s thought, she understood Arabella Donovan’s intentions. "You plan to give these to them as gifts?"
"...Yes."
"Since that’s the case, I won’t press the issue."
Ms. Kerr’s understanding made Arabella Donovan feel even more embarrassed.
’I’ve had to borrow money and I’m asking them to do the work, but when it’s all done, I can’t even agree to their small request to sell the finished jewelry in their shop. It really feels a bit unreasonable of me.’
"Miss Kerr and Mr. Kerr helped me a lot tonight, too. I’ll be sure to send a gift your way later on."
"In that case, I’ll certainly look forward to it."
Ms. Kerr assumed the gift Arabella mentioned would be similar to the ones for her relatives, and she truly didn’t mind either way.
Although it was a shame they couldn’t sell the finished pieces in their store, plenty of people had been watching when Arabella Donovan cut the stone. On top of that, Arabella had invoked Master Donovan’s name to refuse those who tried to purchase the stone.
After today, news would spread like wildfire through the upper echelons of Brynn: a rough stone from a Pavilion of Many Treasures auction had yielded a Blessing, Fortune, Longevity, Joy Original Stone worth hundreds of millions, and the jewelry made from it was to be a wedding gift for Master Donovan.
When Master Donovan’s wedding day arrived and that pair of radiant bracelets made their debut, their House of Aethel Jade would be able to ride the coattails of that publicity.
Not to mention, thanks to Arabella Donovan, they were now on the radar of the Vance father and son.
Regardless of whether Arabella Donovan would inherit the Pavilion of Many Treasures in the future, this connection alone ensured that their future collaborations with the Vance Family would be much smoother. That was a benefit that a mere hundred million couldn’t buy.
The mother and son had originally come to Brynn to further develop the market here, but now they had accidentally stumbled upon a better and more effective way to build their brand’s reputation. So, even if Arabella Donovan didn’t give them a gift, they had, strictly speaking, come out on top.
Arabella Donovan didn’t understand all these intricacies. After seeing off the Kerr mother and son, she let out a long sigh of relief, only to turn and meet Caspian Rhodes’s inexplicably complex expression.
"Mr. Rhodes, you’re..."
"Aren’t you scared?"
Arabella Donovan was completely baffled. "Scared of what?"
"Twenty years ago, before you were even born, your master already knew you would come here, enter this auction, and even foresaw that you would bid on that stone. He left this auction house and that very stone for you in advance."
"Isn’t that a good thing?"
Caspian Rhodes was taken aback. "It’s not that it’s a bad thing, it’s just... Aren’t you afraid? It’s as if your whole life was planned out for you long ago..."
’Even though you knew nothing about it beforehand, and he never gave you any hints or reminders, you still ended up following the path he laid out, step by step, exactly as he predicted.’
’It’s like an invisible hand is secretly pushing everything along, and we’re all just marionettes on his strings. No matter how much we struggle, we can’t escape the predetermined outcome... or even a fatal trap.’
Arabella Donovan paused. It wasn’t that she hadn’t considered these things when Man Vance was speaking earlier, it was just that...
"I’m not afraid. There are some things about destiny that are predetermined, but at the same time, it’s not immutable. I know what I want, and I know what I’m doing. So I’m not afraid."
"If my fate makes me happy, I’ll follow it. But if it makes me unhappy, I have no problem defying it."
’For example, according to the original plot in her fourth sister’s book, her fate was to be driven to death by malicious gossip and abuse from Holly Wagner’s parents. But she didn’t die.’
’Not only did she not die, she met her master, grew up safely, found her family, and even changed their predetermined fates.’
’This just proves that these so-called ’arranged’ destinies are not impossible to change.’
’She didn’t care about the past or the so-called future. All she cared about was the present: that she and the people she loved were healthy and happy, far from conflict and harm.’
Caspian Rhodes looked at Arabella Donovan’s somewhat youthful face and realized he had underestimated her because of her age.
Even though Arabella Donovan insisted her incredible master was unreliable, it was undeniable that he had raised her well. She had her own opinions and convictions; she was brave and resolute.
"As long as you have a clear understanding, that’s what matters." Caspian Rhodes let out a long breath and changed the subject. "Um, I have a favor to ask you."
"A favor from me?" Arabella Donovan looked surprised. "What is it?"
"Your Blessing, Fortune, Longevity, Joy Original Stone... besides the pair of bracelets and the jade pendant, there’s enough for two jadeite tags. I’ve often heard that jade can nurture a person’s health. My grandparents are getting on in years and haven’t been in the best of health, so I was hoping you might be willing to part with those two tags for me."
"Sure."
"If it’s not convenient, then... wait, what did you just say...?" Arabella Donovan’s easy agreement caught Caspian Rhodes completely off guard.
"I said, sure," Arabella Donovan replied with a gentle smile, showing not the slightest hint of reluctance.
’Besides, there’s an even bigger one underneath it. Giving Mr. Rhodes those two little jade tags is no big deal.’
Caspian Rhodes and Brandon Jennings: ’What the hell?!’