Chapter 571: Pillow Talk (5)
Chapter 571: Chapter 571: Pillow Talk (5)
Nathaniel was starting to understand what had just happened. "Did you paint something that stunned my mom?"
"It was okay, I guess!" Vera Xavier said after a moment’s thought. "After I finished painting, your mother asked if I had ever studied art before. I said no. She asked if I wanted to learn, and I said I didn’t like painting. I told her I want to be a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner."
"Then she asked why I was studying literature at Veridia University instead of going to Valeroot University of Medicine if I wanted to practice traditional Chinese medicine. I told her that universities today teach traditional medicine using a Western framework, and learning that way could easily destroy the dialectical mindset essential for it, which is why I didn’t go. And then, after I finished my reproduction, she accidentally knocked over the vase and broke it."
The corner of Nathaniel’s mouth twitched. Vera asked him, "What? Did I say something wrong?"
Nathaniel saw her looking at him with bright, sparkling eyes, a sly and spirited glint in them. He reached out and gently tapped her on the head. "Bullying my mom on your first visit to my house... Vera Xavier, you’ve really crossed the line this time."
Then he added, "But it was a job well done!"
Vera let out a soft laugh. It felt nice to be praised. ’Most importantly, Nathaniel is on my side,’ she thought, secretly delighted.
Nathaniel now had a good idea of what had happened. Vera’s painting must have been incredibly spirited and showed immense talent, which gave Brooke Mitchell complicated feelings, prompting her to casually ask why she didn’t study art.
To any normal person, Vera’s answer would have sounded downright insane. Yet, she was the only student in Veridia University’s history to have ever scored full marks in all subjects. And yet, despite having never studied painting, her first attempt was stunning. It seemed she had every right to be so confident.
To Brooke Mitchell, it must have sounded a bit like arrogance born from talent. Even though Vera’s work was just a reproduction, it was surely brilliant. Brooke must have been so utterly shocked that she broke the vase.
As for accidentally breaking the vase, it was something Brooke Mitchell couldn’t bring herself to explain. So, she could only pretend nothing had happened and handle the situation with a calm and breezy demeanor.
Knowing Brooke Mitchell as he did, Nathaniel figured her heart was probably in turmoil right now.
And so, during dinner, Brooke Mitchell kept shooting Vera odd looks but basically said nothing the entire meal.
Beckett Nathan had asked Brooke Mitchell what happened in the study earlier, but she hadn’t said a word. Now, seeing her reaction, he too was growing curious about Vera.
He knew his wife’s personality all too well. She appeared gentle but was, in fact, incredibly competitive. She had been planning to put Vera in her place today, so for her to suddenly back down like this was completely out of character.
However, given his position, it wasn’t appropriate for him to question Vera directly, so he just smiled and made small talk.
But as a high-ranking minister who usually discussed matters of state, he wasn’t very good at making chit-chat about trivial family matters. So, he casually asked about Vera’s background.
When he learned that Vera had gotten into Veridia University with a perfect score in every subject, a hint of admiration appeared in his eyes as he looked at her.
A perfect score might not have meant much to Vera, but to most people, it was a testament to both intelligence and capability.
And today, from the moment she had walked through the door, Vera had carried herself with remarkable composure. She handled everything with ease, her interactions with everyone were perfectly measured, her manners were gentle, and her conversation was poised.