Chapter 362 - 360: I Can Pick and Choose?

After their spa session, the ladies went up to the revolving restaurant on the top floor. The exclusive afternoon tea here was notoriously difficult to book. Only eight sets were available daily, and unless you reserved far in advance, it was impossible to get one.

Not even Lorcain’s wealthy wives were an exception.

But with Jasmine Sterling, it wasn’t a problem at all.

A waiter, professional and enthusiastic, led them to a table with the best view. The sun was shining beautifully today, offering an unobstructed panorama of Lorcain’s cityscape through the glass.

"Ms. Sterling, if you and your friends would please wait a moment, we will serve today’s complete afternoon tea set shortly."

Jasmine Sterling smiled sweetly. "Of course."

The other wealthy wives were also in high spirits, casting delighted glances at Jasmine.

"We’re so lucky to know you, Jasmine. We used to try to come here for afternoon tea, but we could never book the exclusive set."

"I know, right? Jasmine, your daughter is so thoughtful. She just gave you a Black Gold Card with no limit so you can enjoy yourself whenever you want. And we get to bask in the glow too."

"It’s not just Monica who’s interested in your daughter now. We’d love to meet her too."

"Mrs. Fletcher, do you want to meet her for yourself, or on behalf of your son?"

"Oh, come on. She’s the same age as my son. There’s no harm in them getting to know each other and becoming friends, right, Jasmine?"

Jasmine nodded with a helpless smile. "I don’t interfere with my daughter’s friendships," she said, "but Mrs. Fletcher, if you’re thinking of setting them up, now really isn’t a good time. My daughter has a boyfriend."

"She has a boyfriend?" Mrs. Fletcher was a little disappointed but didn’t let it show too much. "Well, that’s not surprising. A girl that outstanding must have admirers lined up all the way overseas."

"But Jasmine," Mrs. Warner, whose thoughts tended to jump around, suddenly changed the subject, "you’ve been on your own for so many years. Haven’t you ever thought about finding someone new?"

The question caught Jasmine off guard.

It was true. Ever since Justin Fulton had left her to go back to his hometown, and then passed away not long after, she’d never really entertained any fantasies about finding love again.

Her reasoning was actually quite simple. ’I have three children. Who would want to be with me?’

’I’d better not be a burden to someone else!’

Over time, she’d simply stopped thinking about it.

She shook her head lightly. "I stopped thinking about it long ago. I’m very happy with my life as it is. I couldn’t ask for more."

Hearing this, the other wives just exchanged glances. Although none of them were divorced and they all lived what appeared to be stable lives in wealthy families, their relationships with their husbands were propped up entirely by a sense of duty.

Love was a consumable. Everyone’s capacity for it was limited, just like today’s afternoon tea. Once it was used up, it was gone.

So when it came to marriage, they didn’t feel they were in any position to encourage others to take the plunge.

The only exception among them was Mrs. Goodman. Conrad Goodman had doted on her for decades as if every day were their first, so she couldn’t really empathize with the others’ troubles in this regard.

Instead, she took Jasmine’s hand and said earnestly, "You don’t have to think about marriage, but you should definitely think about men when the time is right. You’re beautiful and gentle. A lot of men from the north love southern women like you—so delicate, like water."

Mrs. Warner chimed in, her face a picture of agreement. "Mrs. Goodman is right."

Jasmine’s pretty face flushed, and she shot Wendy Duncan a reproachful look. "What are you talking about..."

"Look at you, you’re blushing!" Wendy Duncan couldn’t help but laugh. "What’s the big deal? It’s perfectly normal! Dating is wonderful, and it’s not like you have to get married. Let me tell you, Jasmine, my husband knows a lot of men who would be a great match for you. Divorced, never married, overseas Chinese, Lorcain locals—all kinds. I’m serious, I’ll introduce you to a few later. You can take your pick!"

’T-take my pick?’

’I can just... pick?’

Perhaps because she had always been reserved, Wendy Duncan’s words made her blush uncontrollably, but she also resisted from the bottom of her heart. "Really, there’s no need. You’re overthinking it."

Her reaction made the other wives cover their mouths to hide their laughter, but it was clear she was genuinely shy.

"Mrs. Goodman, stop teasing Jasmine. Look at her, she’s as innocent as a young girl," Mrs. Fletcher teased.

Seeing this, Wendy Duncan let out a slow sigh. "Oh, Jasmine, you’re just too conservative. You’re single! You’re free to date. I bet Cecilia would totally support you in finding a new spring in your life. After all, you’ve dedicated half your life to your kids. Now that they’re finally grown and successful, shouldn’t you hurry up and start living for yourself?"

"I understand what you mean."

Jasmine gently pursed her lips and hesitated for a moment before continuing, "I do want to think more about myself, but I really haven’t considered finding a man to date. I was thinking of finding something to do for myself."

Hearing this, the women all looked at her, somewhat puzzled.

"Find something to do? What sort of thing?"

"I don’t have any concrete ideas yet, but the urge has been there for a while," Jasmine admitted honestly.

Just then, a waiter approached with a trolley laden with an assortment of exquisite, freshly made desserts, each one looking utterly tempting.

Jasmine seized the opportunity to change the subject, addressing the group. "The food’s here. You all kept saying how delicious and hard to book it is. I’m quite curious."

"Of course it’s delicious! Why else would it be so hard to book? Go on, try some!"

"Let’s all dig in."

For the moment, the women put their previous conversation aside and began to focus on savoring the delicious treats.

Jasmine wasn’t a dessert connoisseur, but for her, a good dessert was one that wasn’t overly sweet. This afternoon tea set truly achieved a perfect balance of sweetness.

She particularly liked the Green Apple Pie. The perfect amount of tartness and the crisp aroma of green apple were incredibly soothing to the palate, and she greedily ate a whole large slice.

Partway through, while the others were happily chatting, Jasmine excused herself and went to the restroom.

Who would have thought that in the restroom, she would run into one of the few acquaintances she had in Lorcain.

Mina!

Mina was in a work uniform, wiping down the restroom mirror with a cloth. In a business club like this, every inch of the restrooms had to be spotless and cleaned in real-time to ensure they were immaculate for every guest.

She was focused on her wiping, and when she saw someone enter, she simply straightened up as per employee protocol and nodded. "Hello."

She didn’t recognize Jasmine at all, but Jasmine recognized her in an instant.

"Mina?"

Jasmine stopped, her voice filled with surprise. Her gaze fell to the name tag pinned to Mina’s uniform.

Hearing her name, Mina looked up. The confusion in her eyes gave way to utter shock after a moment. "Jas... Jasmine?"