Everyone Can Hear My Thoughts, and Now They're Panicking

Chapter 14: Chapter 14: This Account Is Far From Settled

Caleb Lowell snapped back to reality. He picked up the shelled shrimp from the small plate and placed it in Jane Lancaster’s bowl. "Jay, eat some shrimp..."

"Senior, this braised beef rib is quite good." Another voice drowned him out.

Jasper Sterling beat Caleb Lowell to it, placing a piece of beef rib into Jane Lancaster’s bowl.

Caleb Lowell’s chopsticks froze mid-air.

Jasper Sterling slowly withdrew his hand, his posture elegant. He smiled apologetically. "My apologies. Senior is too thin and should get more nourishment. I hope President Lowell doesn’t mind."

Then he raised the chopsticks in his hand. "Don’t worry, I used the serving chopsticks."

Alvin Lancaster instinctively glanced at the chopsticks in Caleb Lowell’s hand. In his haste, Caleb had just used his own chopsticks...

’Oh no. Now all I can think about is the saliva on them!’

Caleb Lowell’s face darkened.

Jasper Sterling acted as if he hadn’t noticed, smiling amicably. "Actually, a few of us old classmates have been wanting to visit Senior. We were just worried President Lowell wouldn’t approve and that we might trouble or inconvenience her, so we never dared to impose..."

Caleb Lowell put down his chopsticks and said coldly, "Young Master Sterling, you’re overthinking it."

Jasper Sterling replied good-naturedly, "Yes, yes, my mistake. We were judging a gentleman by our own petty standards."

Jane Lancaster lowered her head, desperately trying to suppress the upward curl of her lips.

’Tsk, tsk. Taking a jab at Caleb Lowell while patting himself on the back. What a piece of work~~’

’Truly a top-tier schemer. An innocent face, but his actions are all about sowing discord.’

But she still had to maintain her persona. "It has nothing to do with Zion. He was just doing it for my own good, hoping I could recover in peace without being disturbed."

Caleb Lowell’s expression softened considerably. ’He knew it,’ he thought. ’Jay is on my side.’

"Jay, eat the shrimp. You need the nutrients."

Jane Lancaster tugged on the hem of his shirt, looking a little troubled. "Zion, I’m full..."

Caleb Lowell followed her gaze to the beef rib piled in her bowl, and his face fell.

"It’s fine. If you’re full, don’t eat anymore. You don’t want to get indigestion." He immediately stopped insisting.

Jasper Sterling retracted his gaze, a careless smile on his face, but under the table, his fingers slowly tightened into a fist.

’She was always gentle and firm with those around her, but to him, and only him, she was ruthless to the extreme.’

But soon, his gaze fell upon the plate of shelled shrimp, and the corners of his lips slowly turned up again.

’She didn’t eat the beef rib he had served her, nor did she take a single bite of the shrimp Caleb Lowell had painstakingly shelled.’

’In the past, she would have surely finished it before leaving the table, never failing to appreciate Caleb Lowell’s gesture.’

’Was she inviting him to steal her away?’

The young man smiled faintly. He would take that sentence as her encouragement.

——

Jane Lancaster went up to her room.

Mrs. Everett was tidying the room with two other maids.

She was meticulous in her work. Not only had she changed the bedsheets, but she had also placed a beautiful flower arrangement and lit incense, making the room feel cozy and vibrant.

Mama Knight came in from the terrace and was immediately displeased when she saw the incense. "Why are you using this incense? Didn’t I just tell you not to use it?"

Mrs. Everett: "But this is the Young Miss’s favorite incense. She’s always used it in the past..."

When Jane Lancaster came home from the hospital, Caleb Lowell had specifically made a list, recording all of her preferences.

The household staff all followed the records on that list, and of course, Mama Knight knew this too.

"The past is the past! Can’t people’s preferences change?" Mama Knight grew anxious, hating Mrs. Everett’s dismissive attitude.

"The Young Miss clearly said in front of both of us that the smell of this incense makes her want to vomit and that it needed to be replaced."

Mrs. Everett said in a soft, low voice, "The Young Miss was probably just feeling unwell at the time; it wasn’t the incense’s fault. This incense was custom-made by Young Master Lowell. It contains calming medicinal herbs. It’s impossible that it would make someone want to vomit."

The other two maids also chimed in to support her.

"Mrs. Everett consulted Young Master Lowell about today’s arrangements. She only did it this way after he said it was fine."

"It’s a good thing Mrs. Everett is so cautious. Otherwise, we’d be forced to do it all over again."

Mama Knight was about to explode with anger. It was happening all over again!

Every time, no matter what the Young Miss said, they would ignore it. And they’d be so self-righteous about it, using Young Master Lowell as a shield!

"You..."

KNOCK, KNOCK. Jane Lancaster raised her hand and knocked on the door.

The few people in the room turned to see her, and their expressions changed.

The two maids were clearly not as bold as Mrs. Everett. As Jane Lancaster’s gaze swept over them, they immediately lowered their heads, not daring to make a sound.

Mrs. Everett’s expression remained unchanged. "Young Miss, the room has been arranged according to Young Master Lowell’s instructions. If there is nothing else, we won’t disturb you."

She was completely unafraid. Would Jane Lancaster dare to object to Caleb Lowell’s arrangements?

Her dignified and poised persona would crumble.

Mama Knight: "Wait a minute, what’s with your attitude..."

"Mama Knight," Jane Lancaster called out, stopping her.

Mama Knight watched Mrs. Everett’s retreating back, growing angrier the more she thought about it. "Young Miss, she’s doing this on purpose!"

"I know."

Jane Lancaster walked forward, glanced at the incense, and said, "Throw it out."

’The scent was making her sick. A deep-seated irritation began to stir within her, and she couldn’t help but want to... make someone else feel just as sick.’

"There’s no need for you to say these things to her. It’s pointless," Jane Lancaster said.

’She’d said she would settle the score, and that score was far from settled.’

’Just like Mrs. Everett. Since she’d made her move, she would surely have a backup plan. She was probably tattling on her right now.’

Mama Knight didn’t quite understand, but she took the incense out and threw it away nonetheless.

——

Caleb Lowell ran into Mrs. Everett in the hallway. She raised a hand to block his path.

"The Young Miss is still busy. Perhaps you should wait a moment?" Mrs. Everett seemed to be trying her best to hide something.

Caleb Lowell’s brow gradually furrowed. "What’s going on?"

’Mrs. Everett wouldn’t stop him for no reason. Something must have happened.’

He soon had his answer. Mama Knight was holding the incense he had made by hand and tossing it into the hallway trash can.

"The Young Miss didn’t know you made it yourself," Mrs. Everett quickly "explained" on Jane Lancaster’s behalf.

Caleb Lowell: "I see. Thank you for your hard work. You may go."

’If she wasn’t targeting him, then she must be targeting Mrs. Everett.’

’Just like at the dinner table earlier, when she refused to eat the fish balls Mrs. Everett had made, no matter what.’

’She acted all magnanimous on the surface, but in private, she held on to her grudge and wouldn’t let go.’

Caleb Lowell waited a little longer before walking over and rapping on the door with his knuckles.

Mama Knight turned to see him and exclaimed happily, "Young Master Lowell!"

She was itching to complain. "Mrs. Everett..."

Jane Lancaster shot her a look, and Mama Knight immediately fell silent, walking out and closing the door behind her.

’The Young Miss probably didn’t want to worry Young Master Lowell, so she could only hold her tongue.’

——

’Mama Knight is still too impulsive. Tattling at a time like this is just walking right into a trap.’

Caleb Lowell frowned but didn’t say anything more.

He had come to say goodbye to Jane Lancaster.

Caleb Lowell had to go on a business trip soon. It was a long-scheduled trip that couldn’t be changed.

He had already postponed many business trips in order to free up as much time as possible to spend with her.

Now, with too much work piled up, he had no choice but to go.

"Jay, I’ll try to finish up my work within half a month and come back to you as soon as I can."

Jane Lancaster’s spirits lifted instantly.

’Setting himself up for failure again? Give me a break. When that half-month turns into a full month and you even miss the wedding dress fitting, aren’t you just going to have to eat your words?’

Caleb Lowell: "..."

He took a deep breath and spoke again. "Jay, did you know? I once made a vow before Buddha—"

"That if you would just wake up, I would be willing to forgive everything in this world and spend the rest of my life doing good deeds."