Chapter 344 - 342: What Are You Doing?

Not only was Jameson Stone surprised, but even Ethan Sterling himself never would have imagined his second uncle would suddenly appear at the school gates.

"Jameson, when we get to my place, don’t mention what just happened to my mom. Let’s just pretend it never happened."

’If Mom knew people from the Fulton family had followed us all the way to Lorcain, she’d definitely worry and feel uneasy. That’s why I can’t let her know about this.’

Jameson nodded in understanding. "I get it. But your uncle probably won’t give up so easily, right? He knows where your school is now. He might just come back tomorrow. Do you have a plan?"

"I’ll tell my sister!" Ethan blurted out, as if he had already made up his mind.

’I can’t handle this on my own, and I can’t let Mom know, so my only option is to ask my sister for help.’

Jameson’s eyes lit up at his words. "Oh, right! You have that incredibly capable sister. She’ll definitely have a solution."

Soon, the two of them rode their bikes to the Hearthstone Villas. When the gate guard saw Ethan Sterling returning from school, he proactively opened the community gate to let him in.

Following behind, Jameson couldn’t help but be secretly amazed. The community looked incredibly high-end; even the guard booth was unbelievably luxurious.

"Ethan, is this whole place full of villas?"

Jameson’s heart began to pound as he looked at the surrounding villas, all lit up in the evening darkness.

When they passed through the gate of Ethan’s villa, the first thing he saw was a wide, beautiful front garden. The villa standing in the center was grand and imposing. Jameson’s eyes widened—a mansion straight out of a TV show was right in front of him.

"Stop spacing out. Just park your bike over there. My mom has definitely finished making dinner!" Ethan called out casually.

Jameson went up and grabbed his arm, saying nervously, "Ethan, let’s go to my place next time. You never said you lived in a villa! I haven’t even gone inside yet and I’m already a nervous wreck."

"Nervous?"

Jameson nodded vigorously.

"What’s there to be nervous about?" Ethan asked, confused.

"I don’t know either."

Seeing this rare, timid side of Jameson made Ethan laugh. "It’s just me and my mom at home. She’s really happy to have you over, what’s there to be nervous about?"

Before Jameson could say another word, Ethan pushed him forward. "Come on, hurry up. I still have to help you study after dinner!"

Jasmine Sterling was just placing the last dish, a fish maw chicken soup, on the table when she heard the front door open and her son’s voice.

Smiling, she wiped her hands on her apron and went to greet them.

"Mom, this is Jameson Stone, from Class Three!"

"Hello, Ma’am!"

Jameson gave a formal, ninety-degree bow. Seeing this, Jasmine quickly greeted him with a warm smile, "Hello, hello! Welcome, welcome."

"You must be hungry, right? Come on in!"

Ethan bent down and scooped up Yoda, who was wagging his tail at his feet, then headed straight for the dining room.

"Mom, you made so much food!" Ethan couldn’t help but exclaim as he looked at the sumptuous feast covering the table. "And fish maw chicken soup! You must have been stewing this for ages, right?"

Jasmine walked over with a gentle smile and nodded. "You bet. I started stewing it this afternoon."

She happened to have a day off today, and after drinking so much last night, she had just been holed up at home all day.

"Quick, take your friend to wash his hands so you can eat. After dinner, you can go upstairs to study," Jasmine said, bringing another clay pot out from the kitchen. "I’m going to take some of this soup over to Mrs. Duncan, so I won’t disturb you two."

Although Jameson felt a bit awkward, he still asked politely, "Ma’am, aren’t you having dinner with us?"

’Was this entire feast really prepared for just him and Ethan?’

"You two go ahead and eat. I’m not used to eating much in the evening. I’ll just go have some soup with my friend."

With that, Jasmine Sterling left the house.

Ethan patted Jameson’s shoulder. "My mom’s probably worried you’d feel awkward, so she’s deliberately going over to Mrs. Duncan’s."

"Your mom is so nice!" Jameson said sincerely.

Ethan raised his eyebrows proudly, then led Jameson to the bathroom to wash their hands.

The two of them sat down at the dining table. Jameson glanced over and saw that for just the two of them, there were six different dishes: soup, fish, meat, eggs, and vegetables. Even the after-dinner fruit had been washed and set aside.

Although he had long known that Ethan’s family was well-off—after all, his sister drove a Cullinan, and Ethan himself rode a bike that cost tens of thousands—the shock had always been superficial. He had never truly felt the gap between them so personally.

It was only now, sitting at the dining table in Ethan’s home and looking at the lavish dinner before him, that Jameson truly understood just how vast the difference was between their two families’ lives.

It’s often the seemingly ordinary details of daily life, when a huge disparity exists, that are the most shocking.

"Except for major holidays, my family never has this many dishes for a single meal," Jameson said softly, snapping out of his daze.

Ethan glanced at him, placed a bowl of rice in front of him, and explained, "My mom made a couple of extra dishes because she knew you were coming. Normally we just have four."

Jameson nodded and, picking up his bowl, began to eat.

Ethan wasn’t exaggerating. His mother’s cooking was truly excellent, especially the fish maw chicken soup. It was Jameson’s first time trying it; he had never tasted a soup so rich. The mellow aroma, followed by a sweet aftertaste, made him down several large bowls.

*

The next day, after her son finished breakfast and left for school, Jasmine Sterling tidied up the kitchen and went upstairs to change for work.

She took out her usual work clothes from the closet and changed into them as she always did, simply tying her hair back.

No makeup, no jewelry, and certainly no high heels.

But when she habitually went to check her reflection in the full-length mirror before leaving, she stared at herself and froze.

The woman in the mirror was the version of herself she knew best—the state and appearance she had maintained for half her life.

But now, the image of herself standing in front of this very mirror the day before yesterday flashed through her mind.

A black silk gown, million-dollar red diamond jewelry, a luxury designer bag, and magnificent high heels.

The two completely different images and auras created a strong sense of disconnect within Jasmine.

Then there was that night at Monica’s estate, where she had laughed and drank with all the socialites of Lorcain. It had been a dreamlike evening, and her happiness had been genuine.

’And now?’

She had changed her clothes and was about to go to work... at a housekeeping agency.

The sense of disconnect intensified. Dazed, Jasmine took two slow steps back and sank onto the bed behind her.

She looked down, blinked, and a voice in her mind asked, ’What are you doing?’