Reborn Rich: Prices Dropped, My Savings Didn't

"If that happened often, wouldn’t you eventually find it disappointing or get angry?"

Saul Thorne asked this with a rare cautiousness, showing just how much he cared about the matter.

But Cecilia Sterling just shook her head, her expression mild. "I’m not one to completely depend on a man for my emotional validation. You might not like hearing that, but it’s the truth for me."

"Having a partner’s company is wonderful, of course, but if I don’t, I have plenty of other things to do. You can put your work before me, and I won’t make my life revolve solely around you."

She said this with utter frankness, even with a touch of nonchalance.

But in the near future, just as the two of them were having a good time, Saul Thorne would suddenly take a call, get dressed, and leave. Only then would she realize she had spoken too soon today!

’That really was a total buzzkill!’

But at this moment, her words were a great comfort to Saul Thorne.

Before long, the dishes began to arrive. They were all new-style fusion cuisine, some with unique ways of eating. Saul Thorne patiently taught her how to eat them, even thoughtfully peeling her shrimp and picking all the crab meat into the shell before placing it in front of her.

He didn’t say much, but his actions were full of considerate details.

Meanwhile, in a private room at the back of the restaurant, a group of people was walking out, and Shawn Lane was among them.

As if by some instinct, though he could have turned right with his friends and left directly, his gaze inexplicably drifted back toward the window-side corner to the left as he entered the main dining hall. And in that single glance, the only person he saw was Cecilia Sterling.

He froze, his steps faltering unconsciously.

He had barely left his home these days. Ever since Beatrice Lynn had forced herself on him, his condition had worsened. His once-handsome face now looked much more haggard. He had only come out today because it was his childhood friend’s birthday and he’d had no choice.

He never expected such a coincidence.

"What’s wrong, Shawn?"

His childhood friend draped an arm over his shoulder, asking with curious concern.

Just then, Cecilia Sterling also happened to turn her head. For some reason, Shawn Lane’s immediate instinct was to hide. He quickly turned away to avoid her gaze and shook his head, his expression a mixture of dejection and panic. "It’s nothing. Let’s go."

It was as if he had lost the brazen courage he once had to pester her relentlessly. Because he knew he wasn’t worthy anymore!

His friend didn’t notice anything was amiss and just chuckled. "I thought you saw someone you knew. We’re hitting up ’3CC’ tonight. I had the promoter save all the pretty ones for us. You’re single now, so you have to pick one. Don’t be a buzzkill for your bro."

Shawn Lane didn’t hear a single word his friend said. He just wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible.

"I also bought movie tickets for after dinner," Saul Thorne said suddenly, looking at Cecilia Sterling. He hesitated for a moment before asking, "Do you think my date plans are a bit old-fashioned?"

Seeing how seriously he asked, Cecilia found him rather cute at that moment.

"If it’s a horror movie, then yes, that would be a bit cliché."

Saul Thorne quickly replied, "It’s a sci-fi movie."

Hearing this, Cecilia Sterling raised an eyebrow and smiled. "Taking a girl to a sci-fi movie... you’re one of a kind. But you got lucky, because I love them. My favorite movie is *Interstellar*."

Saul Thorne’s eyes lit up. "Me too!"

Their eyes met. In that instant, Saul Thorne felt as if his soul had resonated with Cecilia Sterling’s, and his heart skipped a beat.

It was also the first time Cecilia had seen such a clear change of expression on Saul Thorne’s face. He had very handsome eyes, and that flash of joy made his bright pupils shine like stars in the sky, bringing his whole person to life.

However, during the movie, the two of them really just... watched the movie.

Saul Thorne sat perfectly upright the entire time, so much of a gentleman it was almost astonishing. He didn’t even make a single subtle, romantic move.

Cecilia was exasperated. She had to laugh at herself for undeniably feeling an eager sense of anticipation, but she could have cried at how clueless Saul Thorne was in such a romantic atmosphere.

Finally, as they were saying goodbye downstairs at her dorm, Cecilia looked him in the eye and asked directly, "In the theater just now, were you just pretending to be proper, or are you a true gentleman?"

Saul Thorne looked down slightly at Cecilia, paused, and then said, "Pretending to be proper."

Cecilia broke into a laugh, speechless. But she was happy to hear that answer.

"Thank you for walking me back. I was very happy with our date today."

Hearing this, Saul Thorne’s expression relaxed, and he instinctively asked, "Happy with me?"

Cecilia’s gaze swept over his face before she replied, "Whether I’m happy with *you* is still under review. It’s too early to draw any conclusions."

Saul Thorne froze for a moment before it dawned on him. An intrigued expression appeared on his face. ’Did Cecilia Sterling just tease me?’

Cecilia’s lips curved into a smile. She waved goodbye to him and then turned and ran into her dorm.

Saul Thorne watched her go, the features of his handsome face softening.

Back in her dorm, the first thing Cecilia saw when she opened the door was that Blair was back. But before she could even say hello, Estelle Goodman looked up, her eyes swollen like walnuts and brimming with tears as she stared at Cecilia.

Cecilia was startled. "What’s wrong, Estelle? Why are you crying?"

Seeing Cecilia return, Estelle Goodman started crying even harder. She rushed forward to hug Cecilia, sobbing, "It’s too tragic! She’s so pitiful!"

Cecilia was completely bewildered. She shot a questioning look at Blair, a million questions running through her mind.

’Who’s tragic?’

’Who’s pitiful?’

Blair sighed helplessly and pointed a finger at herself. "She’s talking about me."

"Huh?"

Cecilia blinked, confused. She quickly helped Estelle Goodman stand up straight. "Blair is right here. Isn’t it a bit inappropriate for you to be crying like this?"

Blair shrugged nonchalantly. "She’s the one who insisted on pestering me with questions, so I told her my story. I wasn’t even finished before she started crying and begging me to stop."

’It must be a tragic story, then.’ But judging by Blair’s reaction, it was as if she, the person it happened to, was completely unfazed.

So Blair had to tell the story all over again to Cecilia. In short, Blair had a tragic past. Her parents died when she was young, and none of her close relatives were willing to take her in. In the end, her father’s best friend, Master Coleman of Jade Forest Hall, adopted her.

At that time, her name was Candice Golding. Later, after Master Coleman began teaching her martial arts, he changed her name to Blair.

Martial arts training was incredibly grueling. Growing up, there wasn’t a single day Blair didn’t have some kind of injury. But she never complained, because she knew she had no one to rely on in this life but herself. This was Master Coleman’s original intention for having her train and become strong—so that when she grew up, she could protect herself and no longer be the abandoned child whose fate was decided by others.

But six months ago, her adoptive mother—the woman who had treated her like her own daughter since childhood—was suddenly diagnosed with a rare, terminal illness and admitted to the ICU. The exorbitant medical fees pushed the family to a dead end. Master Coleman was about to sell their ancestral home, and Blair chose to secretly fight in underground matches to earn money.

It was this backstory that had made Estelle Goodman sob uncontrollably.

"Oh, stop crying already. You’re making it sound like I’m the one who died!" Blair said.