“You don’t look too good.”
He stared at the dark circles under Andrea’s eyes, his voice unconsciously softening.
“He didn’t even laugh naturally.”
Andrea paused for a moment, reaching up to tuck the stray hair behind her ear.
“I’ve been busy preparing for the engagement banquet recently, feeling a bit tired.”
Caspar nodded thoughtfully.
“The gallery just received the new mineral pigments,” he paused, trying to think of what else to say, “and there’s also that silk copy I’ve been working on, experimenting with a new framing technique…”
“Stop-”
Andrea interrupted with a smile, looking a bit helpless.
“Caspar, are you turning my engagement party into a work presentation? Should I just give you the ‘Employee of the Year‘ award?”
She pointed to the long table filled with peach pastries and date cakes.
“Drawing requires brainpower. I heard that eating sweets can stimulate inspiration. Have some more in a while.”
Caspar scratched his head, about to say something, when Quinn, who
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was standing not far away, suddenly glanced over.
He held a glass of wine, watching the conversation between the young man and Andrea, his eyes filled with eagerness that couldn’t be hidden, his fingers tightening slightly around the base of the glass.
The next second, he had already passed through the crowd and naturally put his arm around Andrea’s waist.
“Andie, it’s time to go toast the elders.”
In the conversation, he subtly separated the two without leaving a
trace.
Andrea smiled as she took the glass of wine from Quinn, not noticing the hint of loneliness in Caspar’s eyes.
She walked to the Shillingford family main table, holding a glass of wine, following Quinn.
Sitting at the head was Quinn’s great–uncle Rafael Shillingford.
The middle–aged man was wearing a dark gray Tang suit, with a string of agarwood beads on his wrist/making a soft sound as he moved, exuding the dignity accumulated over the years.
“Rafael, this is Andie.”
Quinn took Andrea half a step forward, with a hint of junior respect in
his voice.
Andrea slightly bent her knees, looking graceful.
“Rafael, nice to meet you. It’s an honor to finally meet you in person. Cheers to you.”
She raised her glass, with a sweet smile on her face.
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Rafael Shillingford picked up his teacup and took a sip, looking at her gently.
The look behind the lens was both scrutinizing and loving.
“Quinn used to talk about you a lot, saying you’re good at drawing and have a graceful appearance.”
His voice was deep, with an undeniable presence.
“The Shillingford family has always been loyal and trustworthy. Once you’re in, you’re family.”
Andrea was about to respond when the elders of the Shillingford family sitting next to her started speaking one after another.
Uncle Two stroked his goatee and said with a smile.
“Quinn was a bit cold, he should be more considerate in the future.”
Auntie San then took her hand and patted it.
“Come visit the old house when you have time.”
During a toast, Andrea casually glanced around the banquet hall and noticed a subtle phenomenon.
The female guests from the Shillingford family who showed up were surprisingly few, except for a few elderly female relatives. There were hardly any young women from the same generation as the Shillingford family.
Even the wives at the banquet were mostly business partners‘ family members, very few were actually related to the Shillingford family.
This discovery made her feel a bit puzzled in her heart, but she didn’t want to ask.
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The Shillingford family, as a century–old prestigious family, should have had many female members according to tradition. But now, the situation seems a bit unusual.
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