A Warm Marriage After Rebirth

Chapter 135: Chapter 135: Loud Face-Slapping (8)

”I’ve already explained it. This Purple Clay Teapot is the most precious antique on display here for two reasons. First, because it was made by Mengchen Holloway, and second, because of its great age! The signs of wear on it do detract from its original beauty and lower its value, but these old marks don’t diminish the teapot’s inherent significance!”

Michelle Galloway was already furious. She hated being questioned, especially in a setting like this, in front of so many people!

Simon just gave a helpless shrug, his gaze sweeping over the other Apexian students. ”I wonder if anyone else can answer my question? It seems Galloway’s abilities aren’t quite up to snuff!”

This Simon was clearly just looking for a fight! And he was brazenly challenging Michelle Galloway!

If it weren’t for the setting, Genevieve Churchill would have burst into applause. ’Serves you right for being so arrogant! Serves you right for being so conceited! Weren’t you so full of yourself? If you’re so capable, then answer Simon’s question!’ Genevieve had apparently forgotten that Simon was from Country M and that they were at a cultural exchange event. Simon’s provocation was, in effect, a challenge aimed at all of Apex!

Michelle Galloway clearly saw Simon’s gaze linger on Seraphina Sterling. All the Apexian students turned their attention to Seraphina as well. Even the event organizer and the supervising teachers were looking at Seraphina with expectation! In the end, she, the presenter standing right in the center, had become the most thoroughly ignored person in the room!

Michelle Galloway clenched her fists, glaring at Seraphina Sterling. When she saw that Seraphina wouldn’t even spare her a glance, the flames of jealousy and rage in Michelle’s heart flared. ”Simon, I’ve explained it clearly enough! There’s absolutely no one here who can explain it better than I just did! Are you having trouble understanding me, or is there something wrong with your head? Why do you keep pestering me with this nonsense?!”

Deathly silence.

An unnatural, deathly silence.

The supervising teacher from Country M, who had been silent until now, stepped forward. ”Director Lowell, I have serious doubts about the moral character and personal cultivation of your country’s students! This is a cultural exchange, a place for everyone to communicate and learn. It’s normal to have different opinions! But for one of your students to fly into a rage and resort to personal attacks just because she can’t answer Simon’s question is utterly despicable behavior!”

The Country M teacher’s outburst made the atmosphere incredibly tense.

Marshal desperately wanted to sew Michelle Galloway’s mouth shut. ’She’s so impetuous, so easily provoked. Simon set a trap, and she walked right into it!’

Michelle Galloway knew she had been too impulsive, that she’d angered the other party’s teacher. She wanted to say something to salvage the situation, but facing his solemn expression, she had no idea what to say.

”Seraphina Sterling, aren’t you supposed to be so capable? Say something! Or are you admitting that everything before was just a fluke? That you don’t actually know anything?” Crystal Marshall looked at Seraphina desperately, but even though it was a plea, her tone was still just as arrogant.

’Such an obvious and malicious attempt to provoke me. Does Crystal Marshall really think I’d fall for it? Putting on an act? Who doesn’t know how to do that? If Michelle Galloway can do it, so can I.’

Seraphina Sterling smiled faintly. ”I never said I knew a lot. That was just your own wishful thinking. There’s an old Apexian saying: ’Live until you’re old, learn until you’re old.’ There’s also an idiom, ’The sea of learning knows no bounds.’ Learning is endless. I’m just a high school student. Even if I happen to know a little more than you, I still have much to learn.”

Damn!

Such an act!

She’s so damn good at it!

But goddamn it, I love it!

Genevieve Churchill’s eyes instantly gleamed with admiration. ’Badass! So fucking badass! Crystal Marshall must be about to die from anger!’

”Seraphina Sterling—” Crystal Marshall ground her teeth. ’Michelle can’t handle this situation at all!’

Marshal shot Crystal Marshall a glare, then turned to Seraphina Sterling. ”Do you have a way to resolve this situation?”

”The teacher from Country M is obviously defending Simon, and unconditionally at that. To be more precise, that supervising teacher probably takes his orders directly from Simon. As long as Simon doesn’t keep harping on about Michelle Galloway’s personal attack, there’s still room to turn this around.”

Facing Marshal, Seraphina Sterling’s expression softened slightly, but some people just don’t know how to read the room. ”Since you already know what to do, what are you waiting for? Go and solve it!”

Crystal Marshall’s desperate words were filled with a commanding tone that was very unpleasant to hear. Nearby, Marshal’s brow furrowed tightly. ’What is the matter with this Crystal Marshall? Did she not hear what I just said?’

Seraphina Sterling was so amused by her entitled tone that she laughed. ”I wonder who it was that said, ’Michelle Galloway has real talent,’ ’Michelle Galloway knows far more than I do,’ and ’Michelle Galloway will definitely have no problem, so I should just shut up and watch quietly’? So why are you asking this lucky country bumpkin to step up now?”

Crystal Marshall’s expression turned even uglier. The words she and the others had used to mock and warn Seraphina were now being thrown right back at them, word for word. Looking at Michelle Galloway standing in the middle of the hall, being criticized by everyone, Crystal bit her lip, lowered her pride, and said, ”I’m sorry. It was my fault before. I shouldn’t have mocked your background or belittled your talent. Please, step in and help Michelle.”

Seraphina Sterling’s bright eyes flickered. For someone as proud as Crystal Marshall to actually apologize to her... ”For Michelle Galloway to have a friend like you, I guess she’s not a complete failure as a person. But are you sure you won’t regret asking me to step in?”

”I won’t regret it!” Crystal Marshall said, her voice firm and resolute.

”I hope so.” A complex emotion flickered in Seraphina Sterling’s eyes. Then, she walked to the center of the hall.

”There is one point Simon made that I agree with. This shabby old Purple Clay Teapot really doesn’t have much value. In my opinion, it’s not nearly as valuable as this exquisite piece of blue and white porcelain next to it!” The moment Seraphina Sterling finished speaking, a defiant Michelle Galloway cried out from the side.

”Seraphina Sterling, if you don’t know what you’re talking about, then don’t pretend you do! Stop spouting nonsense and embarrassing all of us Apexians! A Purple Clay Teapot by Mengchen Holloway is worth more than twice as much as this Ming Dynasty blue and white porcelain! Whether in terms of price or collection value, the Purple Clay Teapot is absolutely more expensive and more precious!”