Chapter 133 - 131: Then You Call Me Queen
Blair actually had a warm heart beneath her cold exterior. While the situation was a bit ridiculous, she couldn’t help but be moved.
After all, in her entire life, Estelle Goodman was the first person to cry so hard for her.
Cecilia Sterling pulled out a couple of tissues and gently wiped Estelle’s tears, soothing her softly. "Okay, don’t cry anymore. Your eyes are all puffy."
Once she had calmed down a bit, Estelle nodded, but then she glanced at her reflection in a mirror and started wailing again. "I’m so ugly!"
Cecilia and Blair exchanged a look, both shaking their heads with a resigned laugh. But it was Estelle’s presence that made their dorm feel so full of life.
A short while later, Charles Jennings sent a message. Estelle glanced at it, then turned to Cecilia. "The thing you wanted is here. I’ll go down and get it."
Cecilia’s face lit up. "The invitation?"
Estelle nodded. "My dad said the seats might be pretty far back, but that’s all he could get."
"That’s okay. As long as I can get in, that’s all that matters. I wouldn’t even mind standing in the back to listen."
Estelle shot her a look and muttered, "You have no standards!"
The rain had stopped, leaving the air cool and damp. Estelle went downstairs, walked right up to Charles, and held out her hand.
Charles didn’t immediately hand it over. He just stared at her face, his expression tightening. "What’s wrong? Have you been crying?"
"Just give it to me and stop asking questions!" Estelle demanded impatiently.
For once, Charles stood his ground. He looked at Estelle seriously and said, "Who bullied you? I’m not giving this to you until you tell me!"
"Hand it over!"
"Nope. You have to tell me!"
"Are you going to give it to me or not? If you don’t, I’m going to get mad!"
"Tell me why you were crying and I’ll give it to you!"
"..."
They bickered back and forth like a pair of children until Estelle finally snatched it away from him. Charles hadn’t dared to hold on too tightly, afraid he would tear the invitation.
Still, he couldn’t hide the worry and concern in his eyes.
Estelle felt a bit flustered under his gaze. She lowered her head slightly and said in a small voice, "I’m fine. I just cried over a story I was listening to."
"Oh." Charles’s expression instantly relaxed. "That’s good. Well, I’m heading out."
Estelle nodded. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, she looked up. "Wait. Um... thank you."
At her words, Charles’s brows knitted together. Seeing Estelle turn to leave, he called out, "Estelle!"
"Huh?"
Estelle turned to look at him, a puzzled expression on her face.
Charles walked back and stood before her again. He looked into her eyes and asked seriously, "Why do you keep thanking me?"
"Huh? Is there a problem with me thanking you?" Estelle’s eyes widened in disbelief. "You don’t like it?"
To her surprise, Charles actually nodded. "I don’t."
Estelle was at a loss for words. She then heard the hint of grievance in Charles’s voice as he spoke. "You were never this formal with me before. Why the sudden change..."
"I’m not being formal, it’s just..." Estelle’s mouth hung open, and for a moment she didn’t know how to explain her sudden change in behavior.
After a long pause, she finally said, "I just wanted to be a little nicer to you! Otherwise, I’d seem really rude!"
But Charles just looked at her sternly and said, "You don’t have to. Just act like you did before."
’That way, it would feel like I’m different from everyone else. Like I’m special to you.’
But Estelle didn’t quite understand. "You mean, boss you around and order you about like I used to?" she asked, confused.
"Yeah."
"Then you have to call me ’Your Majesty’!"
"?"
Charles shot Estelle a long look, as if she were a complete idiot, then pursed his lips speechlessly and walked away.
Seeing him leave, Estelle’s face scrunched up. ’And I thought he’d like that.’
She headed straight back to the dorm, her earlier sadness completely gone. Estelle triumphantly waved the invitation at Cecilia. "Well? How are you going to thank me?"
"My life is yours!" Cecilia declared.
Estelle beamed, satisfied. "Deal!"
"What’s that?" Blair asked, leaning in curiously.
So Estelle told Blair that Cecilia was an investor, ready to give her friend a little shock.
Sure enough, the way Blair looked at Cecilia changed completely. "So," she said, stunned, "all this money you have... you earned it all from investing?"
Cecilia looked at the serious yet faintly excited gleam in Blair’s eyes, hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Do you believe in reincarnation?"
Blair froze. "What are you talking about?"
"Never mind. I earned it from my investments," Cecilia said with a nod.
Blair was astounded. "That’s incredible! Can you teach me? I want to make money!"
Blair wasn’t just saying she wanted to make money. She truly needed it, and Cecilia already knew all about her circumstances.
"If I find a sure-fire investment, I’ll bring you in."
"Really? Thank you so much!"
Estelle wasn’t interested in business, so she jumped in at the first opportunity. "So, how was your date today? What was that police officer like?"
"It was pretty good," Cecilia answered honestly. "I’d give him a 70."
"Huh? Only a 70? What was wrong with him that he lost 30 points?" Estelle asked, surprised.
’Considering Saul Thorne’s height, build, and looks, he should have gotten an 80 just for starters, right?’
"Well, there’s still one crucial factor that’s an unknown," Cecilia said with a knowing look.
Estelle and Blair caught on instantly, and their faces took on an expression that said it all.
Estelle said, "Is *that* really worth thirty points? You’re exaggerating!"
"It’s not an exaggeration. It’s really important!" Blair, however, completely agreed with Cecilia.
That particular... ability... is the glue that holds a couple together. Estelle was clearly an innocent little lamb who hadn’t yet realized its importance.
"So how far did you two get today? You went to the movies, right? Did you guys kiss?"
Faced with this rapid-fire questioning and Estelle’s burning thirst for gossip, Cecilia snorted. "Sorry to disappoint you. It was completely G-rated. We didn’t even touch hands."
"What?" Estelle’s mouth fell open, her eyes filled with disappointment. "That’s so lame."
Blair looked at Cecilia and said, "Next time, just sleep with him. Give our dear Estelle a little shock."
"What?!" Estelle’s eyes bulged in shock. "Isn’t that way too fast?"
Cecilia couldn’t be bothered to respond. She just got up and went to the bathroom to wash up.
Thanks to the invitation from Estelle, Timothy Rowe and his team were able to attend the conference on artificial intelligence. Top teams from major companies all over the country shared their experiences and industry knowledge, and everyone who attended benefited immensely.
After the conference ended for the day, the team went out for another group dinner.
At the dinner table, Timothy Rowe was mid-conversation when he suddenly brought something up. "Jennings Corporation has started venturing into the AI industry this year. As one of Cathay’s four major conglomerates, the Jennings Group has mostly focused on the real economy and other highly profitable sectors like real estate, commercial development, natural gas, and mining. The fact that they’re suddenly investing in AI means it’s one of the sectors with the most growth potential, both now and for the future."
"The Jennings Group has deep pockets, so they’re bound to pour a massive amount of capital into this area. And since we’re an emerging startup in the AI field, our project is actually a perfect fit for them. It would be great if we could just get a chance to connect with their team."
As Cecilia listened to Timothy, she felt a sense of déjà vu, as if she had heard this all before.
After a moment, she looked at Timothy and asked tentatively, "Timothy, this Jennings Group you’re talking about... is the chairman’s name Randall Jennings?"