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

Chapter 5: Chapter 5: Do You Want to Be a Part of Our Play?

"Excuse me for bothering you, but is Senior Lancaster here?" a polite voice asked.

Mama Knight: "And you are...?"

Jane Lancaster walked over in confusion as memories of the original owner surfaced in her mind. "It’s you?"

The young man at the door stood tall and graceful, with a pair of charming peach-blossom eyes. The smile he revealed was perfectly sunny. "Senior, I knew you’d be here."

"I heard a while ago that you had recovered and left the hospital, but that you still needed to rest. I haven’t had the chance to come and visit."

His peach-blossom eyes were filled with sparkling light—sunny, sincere, and brilliant. "I’m so happy to see you today!"

’Tsk, he’s using that harmless-looking smile to fool people again.’

When Jane Lancaster saw the expression on Mama Knight’s face change from guarded to friendly, she knew just how deadly this guy’s charm was.

"So, what are you here for?" Jane Lancaster asked.

The young man maintained his pleasant tone. "I just wanted to remind you, Senior, that someone was inquiring last night if you were staying here. That involves guest privacy, so the hotel couldn’t provide that information..."

’You’re being this nice? I bet you’re just here to badmouth Caleb Lowell.’

A strange, unreadable darkness flashed in the young man’s eyes.

He discreetly and quickly glanced at Jane Lancaster, confirming she hadn’t spoken.

What was that he had just heard?

Jane Lancaster: "Are you managing The Crestwood Hotel now?"

The young man before her was Jasper Sterling. Although he sweetly called her "Senior," he was actually the same age as the original Jane.

They weren’t friends. On the contrary, they were enemies.

The Crestwood Hotel was founded by the original Jane’s parents, Timothy Lancaster and June Kent, and was once one of the most famous hotels in the area.

Unfortunately, the Lancaster Family went bankrupt over a decade ago, and The Crestwood Hotel changed hands, falling into the possession of the Sterling Family.

After that, Timothy Lancaster spent years making a comeback, but he was never able to get The Crestwood Hotel back.

However, even though the hotel had changed hands, Timothy Lancaster had retained the rights to use two rooms.

One was the presidential suite on the top floor of the hotel’s tower, which was currently being used by his eldest son, Julian Lancaster, as a convenient office.

The other was this two-story villa in the deepest part of the annex, built specially for the original Jane and known by very few.

Jasper Sterling wore a humble expression. "My family is letting me get some practice. The hotel’s design and management are already top-notch; I’m merely standing on the shoulders of giants."

He paused, then made a polite invitation. "Senior, you haven’t been here in a long time. How about a tour of the hotel? We could even take a boat to the island in the lake."

Jane Lancaster: "Thank you, but no."

Jasper Sterling couldn’t help but look a little disappointed.

He wore a well-tailored black suit. His skin was fair, and his handsome, refined face had a touch of mixed heritage that gave him a noble air. He was very tall and possessed the mature composure and modest propriety of a grown man.

Jane Lancaster recalled Jasper Sterling’s fate in the novel, which made her feel an even greater sense of pity.

’Honestly, why did you have to go up against Caleb Lowell?’

In the novel, he debuted with the aura of a final boss villain. He was gorgeous, but he was a "green tea" type who was pure on the outside and dark on the inside.

Not only did he love to oppose Caleb Lowell, but he also loved to steal his women. He would try to snatch away any woman who belonged to Caleb.

A lot of readers hoped he would try to steal the female lead and create some different sparks with her...

But right at that moment, he was forcibly taken offline, leaving countless readers to sigh in despair!

’So tragic. He beat Caleb Lowell to expanding into the overseas market, but he died in a plane crash, his body never found. To die so young in a foreign land.’

’And his ditzy, love-struck aunt was left behind to hand over the project you pioneered to the Lowell Family, basically gift-wrapping all your hard work for someone else.’

’But this guy really has a great body. I wonder if he still has a six-pack. It felt so good to touch, a shame I can’t anymore...’

Jane Lancaster sifted through the original owner’s memories and felt a bit wistful. The original Jane had touched them, but she hadn’t.

Caught completely off guard, Jasper Sterling’s eyes widened slightly. He stared at her in astonishment as the tips of his ears slowly, slowly turned red.

"You..." He adjusted his expression and started to take a step forward.

Jane Lancaster gave him a baffled look and opened her phone.

As soon as the phone turned on, countless messages flooded in.

Alvin Lancaster had sent a photo of pastries from Hundred Flavors Pavilion, asking: [Jay, where are you? I bought the last batch of pastries just for you. It’s a shame you couldn’t eat them.]

In the photo, the corner of a crutch was visible.

Next were several messages from the housekeeper, Mrs. Everett. Jane Lancaster didn’t read them, but she did glance at the timestamps.

Three in the morning? ’Nice. The housekeeper was certainly busy last night. Her diligence is truly admirable.’

’She probably didn’t just stay up herself; she likely dragged all the servants in the villa with her to go out and search as a group.’

’Forcing all those workers to pull a late-night shift just because of the whim of a pampered young miss who knows nothing of real hardship.’

As for Caleb Lowell, he had sent a few texts asking if she was feeling okay, whether she had taken her medicine, and so on.

The last one was a voice message, sent at eleven o’clock last night.

This was the latest bedtime the doctor had set for the original Jane; no one was allowed to disturb her after this time.

They said goodnight to each other at this time every evening.

As Jane Lancaster’s finger was about to play the voice message, she suddenly looked up at the young man beside her.

"How long are you going to stand there peeking?"

Jasper Sterling widened his shimmering peach-blossom eyes, his face a mask of innocence. "I’ve been wronged! Senior, I wasn’t peeking at your phone..."

Jane Lancaster looked at him expressionlessly. ’Yeah, right.’

"...If I were going to peek at anything, it would be at you, Senior," he added with a grin. "After all, you’re much better to look at."

Jane Lancaster nearly missed a step. "..."

A pair of hands reached out just in time to steady her arm. "Careful, Senior."

He said nonchalantly, "Is that a message from President Lowell? You should probably reply, Senior, so he doesn’t worry."

Jane Lancaster quickly pulled her arm away and stepped back to create some distance. "Of course I’m going to reply. But we’re a couple having a private conversation. Shouldn’t you give us some privacy?"

’What, are you that eager to be a part of our foreplay?’

The easy smile vanished from the young man’s face. For an instant, his pupils turned so black they seemed to absorb all light, becoming bottomless pits.

Jane Lancaster didn’t see it. She called for Mama Knight to close the door and turned to leave.

Jasper Sterling stood rooted to the spot. The morning wind lifted his bangs, and his entire being exuded a cool, noble chill.

He stuck one hand in his pocket. After a long moment, he gave a soft, inscrutable laugh and strode away on his long legs.

—

Jane Lancaster had just reached the hotel lobby when a driver in white gloves came up to greet her.

"Are you Miss Lancaster?" the driver asked enthusiastically. "Someone has chartered my car to be at your service for the day. Where would you like to go now?"

This kind of luxury taxi usually only accepted bookings from high-end hotels.

The cars were luxury models worth millions, and the drivers were highly professional, guaranteeing privacy and avoiding unnecessary involvement.

Mama Knight: "Is this the car the Eldest Young Master arranged for Miss Lancaster?"

Julian Lancaster lived at The Crestwood Hotel year-round. Although he was currently on a business trip abroad, it was certainly possible he had arranged for a car.

"It wasn’t my brother." Jane Lancaster thought of those shimmering, innocent peach-blossom eyes and chuckled. "He really knows how to seize every opportunity to poach."

In the past, the original Jane would have stayed far away, not giving him the slightest chance to get close.

But she had no such scruples and took the path of least resistance. "Let’s get in. To Aethelan Hospital."

Mama Knight was confused. "Why are we going to the hospital?"

Jane Lancaster toyed with her phone. "To visit Luna Morgan, of course. She supposedly passed out from a high fever because of me. How could I not go and check on her?"

If she didn’t go see the female lead, how was she supposed to raise her "disgust value"?