Sage turned him down coldly. She said with a deadpan expression, “Please just stay away
from
me.”
Jace was rendered speechless. He rubbed his nose, feeling disappointed. Sage’s rejection was
evident.
Mendoza held the teacup in his hand and drank the tea with a loud slurp. He also grinned in
amusement. Wayne was annoyed by the slurping noises. “Mendoza, please keep quiet! Otherwise, I’ll
throw you out!” Mendoza and Jace were rendered speechless. They looked at each other in silence
and obediently shut up. It was clear that Wayne had mentored Sage. Their rhythm, habits, state, and
some subtle movement were almost the same and synchronized.
Jace looked at them from the side, his eyes gleaming in a beautiful light.
He spent countless nights feeling the Rose Stamp in his hand and the gifts Sage left him. He would
stare at the drawn, carved, and engraved mark on it and imagine how Sage had made it. He tried to
imagine the way Sage drew, carved and engraved them. However, nothing came to his mind.
At last, he finally saw it with his own eyes.
She became very focused as soon as she touched the jade. She had nothing else in her eyes except
for the piece of jade in front of her. She held the pen and made a few strokes. She was superb at her
craft and vividly depicted various scenes with just a few strokes on the jade. The jade came alive under
her hand.
Her expression seemed a little different after she put down the pen and picked up the knife.
She relaxed and carved the jade comfortably. She played with the jade in her hand like a child with a
toy. However, her skills were amazing. She hardly moved her wrist. It was mostly her dexterous fingers
that did the work. She went faster and faster as time ticked away. Jace was mesmerized by her work
and watched her in a daze. It was not his first time seeing a master carving jade, but he had never
seen someone do it so relaxed and comfortable. A thought loomed in his mind, ‘How long does it take
to achieve such a honed skill?’
One could deceive others with their words, but the thick calluses on her fingertips would never lie.
“Phew! I’m finally done!”
Sage exhaled in relief. She smiled with satisfaction. “As expected of me.”
Jace was speechless.
Jace did not expect to hear Sage say such a thing. He was unable to hold back and chuckled.
Sage sensed that someone was laughing at her. She turned around and saw Jace smiling in
amusement. A warm and lively smile bloomed across his face. She paused for a second, then
mumbled angrily, “What are you laughing at?” Once she finished carving, she polished the jade. A deep
voice rang behind her. “As expected of the Jade Master. Your work is extraordinary.” Sage did not look
back. She continued examining her work and faintly said, “Well, fifty percent of the profit is at stake. If
we make a bigger profit, the money will go into my pocket eventually. I’m willing to put my effort into
this.”
Sage was serious about making money.
Jace smiled. Before he could speak, Wayne cut them off immediately. When Wayne overheard their
conversation from a distance, he was startled and almost cut his hand with the carving knife. He
shouted guiltily, “What nonsense. It’s obviously going into my pocket.” Sage glanced back at Wayne
and thought to herself, ‘Old fox, do you think you can hide your thoughts from me?’ Mendoza wanted to
add fuel to the fire. He shouted at Jace from a distance, “Jace, tell me. Whose pocket will the money go
into then?” Jace was stupefied and remained silent.
62fb1bb41dcb31934bd49bda