Chapter 264: Smash Him with Money

Chapter 264: Chapter 264: Smash Him with Money

Vera Xavier knew this wasn’t the right moment to question Nathaniel Nathan, so she simply smiled.

After they left the Sterling Family’s residence, Nathaniel Nathan handed Vera Xavier a bankbook. "I sold the jade. I was worried you might need the money urgently. I didn’t get a great price for it, but it should be enough to last you a long time."

Vera Xavier took the bankbook and glanced at it. She counted the digits in the balance, thought she must have made a mistake, and hurriedly counted them again. No, it was right—fifteen million!

’That kind of money would be a fortune even twenty years from now!’

Seeing her reaction, Nathaniel Nathan said disdainfully, "Country bumpkin."

Vera Xavier knew this was just his prickly, arrogant side showing and that he meant no real harm. She joked, "Wow, that’s easy money. After I finish my college entrance exams, I’m going to Zartania to gamble on stones and strike it rich."

Nathaniel Nathan stared at her as if she were an idiot. She looked completely baffled. "What is it?"

Nathaniel Nathan said slowly, "Vera Xavier, you just gave yourself away with that one sentence. You, gamble on stones? You must be joking."

Vera Xavier was completely baffled. Seeing her expression, Nathaniel Nathan was certain she genuinely had no idea. Finding himself in a rare good mood, he offered a piece of advice. "The jade from Zartania is all nephrite, which is a soft jade. You don’t gamble on it. Only the jade from Myrland and Yulara can yield jadeite, and *that’s* what requires stone gambling. Of course, the Full House Red you gave Grandpa, which is a Cinnabar Bloodstone, also requires it."

Vera Xavier’s face instantly flushed red. She knew about the practice of stone gambling, and she knew what jadeite, Hotan Nephrite, and Full House Red were. She just had no idea which ones required gambling and which ones didn’t.

’That one sentence completely exposed my ignorance. How humiliating!’

She covered her face with her hands. "I’m just a girl from the countryside, I don’t know any better!"

"You don’t need to have seen the world for that, it’s just common sense." Nathaniel Nathan sighed. "You’re really something else. Even your lies are riddled with holes."

Vera Xavier: "..."

Nathaniel Nathan found her expression amusing. Then, with the utmost seriousness, he said, "This will be enough to make me laugh for a whole year. But don’t you worry, I won’t laugh in front of you."

Vera Xavier: "..."

’You’re already laughing in my face, aren’t you?’

Nathaniel Nathan reached out and ruffled her hair. "We’re practically family, so it’s not that embarrassing. So, if you really want to test your luck with stone gambling, remember to buy a ticket to the Tengchong area in Yulara, not Zartania."

At this, he could no longer hold back his laughter.

He was normally such a cold and distant person, but when he smiled like that, it was like the sun bursting through dark clouds—brilliant and handsome.

In both her past life and this one, Vera Xavier had never seen him smile like that. And though she felt utterly embarrassed for making such a silly mistake, seeing his smile made it all feel worth it.

She placed the bankbook back in his hand. "Hold onto this. It’s my dowry."

Nathaniel Nathan froze. The last time, when she’d told him to treat the jade as her dowry, he had assumed she was joking. He never expected her to be serious!

He stared at her intently. She laughed lightly and said, "You said earlier you were worried I needed money urgently. And I do—because I’m supposed to be getting married but haven’t saved up enough for a dowry. I was afraid a certain someone would look down on me, so I decided to just throw money at him! That’ll stop him from making fun of me all day!"

Nathaniel Nathan glared at her. "Nonsense. Who’s looking down on you? As for laughing at you, that’s only because you’re so silly it’s hard not to. If you have a problem with it, then get smarter."

PS: This novel is in a ranking competition! The further we get, the longer the free reading period will be. Whether we can advance is all up to your support, my dears! I hear that the competition looks at stats like votes, comments, and adds to your library, so please show your support in any way you can! If this story makes it all the way to the end, I’ll give every one of you your own Nathaniel Nathan...