Reborn Rich: Prices Dropped, My Savings Didn't

After school, Mr. Jennings’s car was already waiting in its usual spot.

This was Blair’s first time in a wealthy residential area, and she stared out the window with curiosity as the car drove in.

"Blair, isn’t it incredibly luxurious?" Estelle asked, looking back at her.

Blair nodded while still looking outside. "It’s not quite what I imagined."

Estelle smiled. "Stop staring. Your master’s martial arts hall isn’t much cheaper than one of these villas."

When the car slowly came to a stop, Estelle Goodman’s mother was already standing in the yard to greet them. Seeing a few pretty girls get out of the car from a distance, she called out, "Estelle!"

"Mom!"

Estelle Goodman waved and ran toward her mother. Cecilia and Blair, however, took their time, thanking Mr. Jennings before following.

"Mom, let me introduce you. This is Cecilia Sterling, and this is Blair."

"Hello, Mrs. Goodman!" the two said in unison, their manners impeccable.

Mrs. Goodman remembered Cecilia, who had visited once before. It was her first time meeting Blair, though she’d heard her daughter mention that she was the new roommate who had just moved into the dorm.

"Hello, both of you. Please, come in. Estelle suddenly told me you were coming, so everything is a bit rushed." Mrs. Goodman had a warm personality, and her every move was filled with an effortless grace. Her voice was lovely, too.

Once inside the villa, the girls sat down in the living room. Mrs. Goodman quickly instructed the housekeeper to bring out chilled juice and a platter of washed fruit. "Have some fruit first. Dinner will be ready in a little while. Please, make yourselves at home."

"Thank you, Mrs. Goodman."

Estelle tugged on her mother’s arm. "Is Dad not back yet?"

"He should be home soon. You never look for him when you come back. What’s going on today?" Mrs. Goodman asked, puzzled.

Estelle raised an eyebrow. "There’s a reason, of course. You’ll find out later."

Mrs. Goodman smiled without saying a word and gracefully sat down on the sofa. Her gaze naturally shifted to Cecilia. "Cecilia, dear, I recall you live in this neighborhood as well, don’t you?"

Cecilia nodded. "Yes, Mrs. Goodman. We live less than five hundred meters away. It’s very close."

"Estelle mentioned you’re living by yourself. Where is your family? Are they not in Lorcain?"

"Mom, are you interrogating her?" Estelle said, looking at her mother with displeasure.

Mrs. Goodman laughed. "I’m just making a bit of friendly conversation with your friend."

"It’s okay, Estelle." Cecilia turned to Mrs. Goodman and explained patiently, "My family is from Veridia. My younger brother is about to take his college entrance exams, so my mother is staying in Veridia with him. She’ll return to Lorcain after he’s finished. I’m not living completely alone, either. I live with my younger sister, but she’s busy filming a show and isn’t at home right now."

"Oh, your sister is an actress?" Mrs. Goodman looked pleasantly surprised.

She was a true high-society matron whose days were filled with shopping, beauty treatments, and afternoon tea. When at home, she loved to binge-watch dramas and read novels.

Cecilia nodded with a smile. "She’s just getting started in the industry. She’s currently on the set of *Heavenly Destiny as Phoenix*."

"Really! I know that show! I’ve read the original novel. Who does she play?"

"She’s playing Flora."

"Oh, I love that character...!"

In an instant, Cecilia and Mrs. Goodman were deep in an enthusiastic conversation. Estelle and Blair glanced at each other, realizing they couldn’t get a word in edgewise and could only listen in silence.

The conversation continued until dusk fell and the sky began to darken. Fragrant aromas wafted from the dining room, and the housekeeper came over. "Ma’am, everything is just about ready. Only the soup is still simmering. You can all head to the table. I just saw that sir’s car has returned."

Mrs. Goodman nodded and called to them warmly, "Dinner is served! Come take your seats, girls."

Just as she said that, Conrad Goodman walked through the door. He looked up, surprised. "Well, now. Why is it so lively in here today?"

"Hello, Mr. Goodman," Cecilia and Blair greeted him immediately.

Estelle rushed over and threw her arms around her father’s arm. "Dad, I invited my roommates over!"

Conrad Goodman chuckled and nodded. "Welcome, welcome."

At the dinner table, Cecilia and Blair sat on one side, with Mrs. Goodman and Estelle opposite them. Conrad Goodman sat at the head of the table.

The atmosphere was not at all formal. Both Mrs. Goodman and Conrad Goodman were very talkative, and they were especially curious about Cecilia, having already heard a little about her. In fact, they had been telling their daughter for a while to invite her over.

"Please, don’t be formal. Treat this as your own home. Eat what you like, and don’t worry about what you don’t. Help yourselves," Conrad Goodman said hospitably.

Cecilia didn’t rush to the main topic, instead engaging in small talk. But partway through the conversation, it was Conrad Goodman who brought it up himself.

"Cecilia, Estelle tells me you’ve invested in an artificial intelligence project?"

His proactive question caught the three girls off guard for a moment. Snapping out of it, Cecilia smiled and nodded. "Oh, so Estelle already told you about it."

Conrad Goodman gave a wry smile. "She did more than just tell me. She said if the project succeeded, she was going to wait and laugh at my expense."

Estelle gave a proud lift of her eyebrows.

Cecilia pursed her lips and said slowly, "Mr. Goodman, to be honest with you, I was actually hoping to talk to you about that very matter today."

Conrad Goodman’s expression faltered. He had only brought it up casually. ’I didn’t expect her to come prepared, did I?’

"Yesterday, the project’s test was successful," Cecilia said, getting straight to the point.

The smug look on Estelle’s face grew even more pronounced.

Mrs. Goodman looked at her husband with some surprise. Conrad, however, just looked puzzled as he asked, "Are you saying the artificial intelligence project you invested in passed its internal testing?"

Cecilia nodded.

Conrad Goodman frowned in thought for a moment, then suddenly broke into a smile, though its meaning was unreadable.

Cecilia spoke softly, "I know that your Goodman Group is a pioneering company in the field of artificial intelligence. Perhaps the way Rowe went about trying to get the Goodman Group to invest was inappropriate. He acted rashly, so it’s understandable that you were suspicious of him, Mr. Goodman."

"But now the project has completed its testing. This program holds extraordinary significance for the current field of artificial intelligence. I hope you can give us a chance to cooperate, Mr. Goodman. I’m certain this program will not disappoint you."

As she was seeking a partnership with the Goodman Group, and being of a younger generation, Cecilia deliberately adopted a humble posture.

However, her tone was neither arrogant nor subservient. The reason was simple: her confidence was backed by the strength of her team’s results.

Conrad Goodman watched Cecilia, not responding immediately. A smile remained on his face, but it was one that Cecilia couldn’t quite decipher, unable to tell whether he was pleased or displeased.

"Cecilia, you’re quite bold," Conrad Goodman said suddenly.

His words made the atmosphere instantly tense. Estelle frowned, about to speak, but Conrad continued, "You know I threw those two boys out. Aren’t you afraid I’ll think you’re just coming back to rub my face in it now that the project is a success?"

Cecilia calmly shook her head. "I didn’t think of it that way. My only thought was that if you missed out on our project, Mr. Goodman, you would truly regret it."