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

Chapter 80: Chapter 80: What Do You Think About This?

The banquet was held in an old villa in the city center.

Caleb Lowell’s uncle, Clayton Lowell, was just under fifty. He was so well-maintained that he had almost no wrinkles around his eyes.

He had spent years abroad, frequently dealing with aristocrats from various countries. As a result, his style was old-fashioned and meticulous. He came across as a gentleman—tasteful, mature, and charming.

Jane Lancaster figured there was a simpler way to sum him up. He was self-proclaimed "old money," and as such, had always looked down on "new money."

The banquet hall was thoroughly air-conditioned. As soon as Jane Lancaster and Caleb Lowell stepped inside, they became the center of attention.

"Sean, you’ve arrived. You really are a busy man. Your uncle can hardly get a moment of your time," Clayton Lowell greeted them, a teasing smile on his face.

Jane Lancaster spoke up. "Uncle."

Only then did Clayton Lowell glance at her. "You’re looking much better. Have you made a full recovery? No wonder you’d say something like that during your interview."

A person nearby chimed in with a laugh, "What did she say?"

"You all didn’t see the interview? For the past two days, my niece-in-law here has been the most famous person in Stratton. She heroically saved someone, fell into a coma for three years, and after finally waking up, she’s still just as heroic. Said she’d do it all over again—drag the attacker off the building with her," Clayton Lowell said with a smile.

The people nearby flocked over to pay their compliments, surrounding Jane Lancaster.

Many were quite intrigued. After all, she was an officially recognized hero, and they couldn’t help but offer a few words of admiration.

"Miss Lancaster is truly heroic!"

"No wonder Miss Lancaster dared to save someone in that situation. It’s in her nature to be so fearless!"

"That’s really something! Incredible!"

Clayton Lowell leisurely swirled the red wine in his glass, but the smile didn’t quite reach his eyes.

Jane Lancaster, caught in the center of the adoring crowd, was naturally separated from Caleb Lowell.

She sighed silently. If she hadn’t known the plot, she probably would have been fooled by Clayton Lowell’s smile.

’This is a deliberate attempt to kill me with praise. If I showed even a shred of enjoyment from this adulation, it would plant a thorn in Caleb’s heart.’

’Others might not know, but Clayton Lowell knows perfectly well how Caleb’s birth mother left him.’

Clayton Lowell said with a smile, "Sean, don’t you worry. My niece-in-law here is even more popular than you are. Come on, you can come with me to greet the elders."

He knew Caleb’s sore spot all too well and was confident he could drive a wedge between them.

Caleb Lowell gave him a long, hard look. "Uncle, Jay isn’t feeling well. I’d like to stay with her."

Clayton Lowell: "..."

How could this be? The trick didn’t work?

When Jane Lancaster emerged from the crowd, she was surprised to see Caleb Lowell still there.

’Why is he still here? Shouldn’t he have gotten angry and stormed off?’

Caleb Lowell’s voice was gentle. "Jay, come stand by me."

Only then did he say to Clayton Lowell, "Uncle, let’s go greet the elders."

Jane Lancaster really didn’t want to play the social game, especially when she walked into the room and immediately spotted Old Mrs. Holt.

Perhaps sensing the stiffness in her body, Caleb put an arm around her and led her to Old Mrs. Holt, greeting her with a smile, "Grandaunt."

He paused. "Grandaunt, I wasn’t able to attend your birthday banquet in person. That was my mistake, and I’d like to apologize to you now."

With that, he gave Old Mrs. Holt a deep bow.

Old Mrs. Holt laughed and took his hand. "Quick, quick, get up. You’ve already sent so many gifts to my home, there’s no need for an apology."

The old woman knew perfectly well that Caleb wanted to use this opportunity to apologize on Jane’s behalf and resolve the grudge between them.

She would, of course, show deference to Caleb, but Jane was another matter. She couldn’t let this go.

Old Mrs. Holt pulled her grandson over and said deliberately, "Jay, it was my fault the other day. When you get old, you just like a lively atmosphere. Our Vincent just heard you knew how to play, so he wanted to ask you to play a piece. I didn’t expect it would cause a misunderstanding."

Clayton Lowell immediately put on a surprised look. "Oh? Jay knows how to play the erhu?"

Old Mrs. Holt’s face became stern. "Of course not, how could Jay possibly know how? This child, Vincent, is just too filial. Hurry up and apologize to your sister-in-law!"

Vincent Holt: "But Jane Lancaster does know how to play the erhu, she just pretended she didn’t..."

Old Mrs. Holt: "Shut up! What right do you have to speak about your sister-in-law like that!"

The people nearby who heard the commotion looked over curiously. It seemed there was gossip to be had!

The elders seated at the head of the room stopped their conversation, looking displeased.

"What’s the big deal, that Vincent needs to apologize so humbly? Why don’t we old-timers get to the bottom of this?"

"If she can play the erhu, playing a song for an elder’s birthday is a sign of respect and adds to the celebration. What’s the harm in that?"

"But if she really doesn’t know how, then there’s nothing to be done, right?" Clayton Lowell looked at Caleb, hesitated for a moment, "But I do seem to recall that Timothy Lancaster knows how to play the erhu..."

Caleb Lowell’s expression changed slightly.

"Of course, that doesn’t prove anything," Clayton Lowell added quickly.

"Vincent, since you say she can play the erhu, do you have any proof?"

This question cut to the heart of the matter. Vincent Holt glanced hesitantly at Old Mrs. Holt.

Old Mrs. Holt: "There’s no proof. My dear brothers, it’s really not Jane’s fault. It’s our Vincent who’s being unreasonable. Vincent, hurry up and apologize!"

Jane Lancaster sneered inwardly. The grandmother and grandson were putting on a two-person act, and they really thought she couldn’t see through it.

’I’ll bet you anything. In less than a minute, Vincent Holt will pull out his so-called ’proof’.’

Sure enough, seeing that Jane Lancaster wasn’t walking into the trap on her own, Vincent Holt was a little disappointed.

But it didn’t really matter. Vincent Holt took a photo out of his pocket. "I’m not making things up! She really can play the erhu!"

Clayton Lowell took the photo and looked at it. "Caleb, come take a look. It really does look like Jane Lancaster..."

Caleb Lowell stared at the photo for a few seconds and fell silent.

Jane Lancaster: "..."

’I actually guessed right. So ’I’ really *did* know how to play the erhu?’

The Lowell elders took the photo. A few of them passed it around, their expressions growing darker the more they looked.

When Old Mrs. Holt saw the photo, tears immediately streamed down her face. "You little brat! Who told you to take that out! She already said she doesn’t know how, why did you have to find proof?"

The Lowell elders were obviously furious.

"She’s clearly known how to play the erhu since she was a child, yet she deliberately lied and said she didn’t. What is she trying to pull?"

"She’s not even officially married into the family and she’s already throwing her weight around. Imagine what she’ll be like after she marries in."

"Is this the Lancaster family’s way? Timothy Lancaster wouldn’t have taught his daughter to be like this, would he?"

Clayton Lowell turned to look at Caleb Lowell. "Sean, what are your thoughts on this matter?"

He knew, of course, that Caleb wanted to smooth things over. That tepid apology just now was, at its core, just him defending Jane Lancaster.

The old lady was clearly dissatisfied, which was why she forced her most beloved grandson to apologize.

If this matter wasn’t handled well today, the old lady would feel wronged and would probably fall ill as soon as she got home.

She’s seventy, after all. She can’t take this kind of stress.

Caleb Lowell took a deep breath. He had been too naive, thinking that all he had to do was step forward and mediate, and his grandaunt would calm down.