Ian Quincy suddenly smiled. "What, are you trying to coax me like a child?"
"Like a partner," Cecilia Adler corrected.
A strange feeling stirred in Ian Quincy's heart. Biting into the pastry, he mumbled, "Mm, partner."
Cecilia Adler thought for a moment, then pulled out a postage stamp. "Ever seen one of these?"
Ian Quincy's eyes lit up. He turned it over and over in his hand. "A stamp from the Republican era. Where'd you get it?"
Cecilia Adler was secretly thrilled. 'He really seems to know his stuff!' She feigned nonchalance and said, "I found it. I heard that old stamps are worth a lot of money. Is that true?"
"It is. I used to study and collect them back in school. As far as I know, one like this is worth at least seven or eight bucks."
Cecilia Adler couldn't suppress her glee. 'Seven or eight bucks for a single stamp?'
'I counted yesterday. The album has over one hundred and thirty of them.'
'They're from different eras.'
'The oldest one dates back to the last century.'
'If one stamp is worth that much, wouldn't I be rich if I sold the whole album?'
She fought to keep the corners of her mouth from turning up. "That much? Seven or eight bucks? Where would you even sell something like that?"
Ian Quincy said, "At an antique market. These places are pretty hidden nowadays, so the average person probably can't find them. Are you looking to sell? I can ask around for you."
Cecilia Adler was thrilled. She grabbed his hand in her excitement. "Ian, you're my lucky star." 'If I had to find an antique market on my own, who knows how long it would've taken.'
Ian Quincy lowered his gaze, his eyes landing on her hand.
In contrast to his own tanned skin, hers was very fair. But unlike the delicate skin on her face, the skin of her hands was rough.
Just like his.
They were the hands of a worker.
For some reason, his heart began to race and his throat went dry. 'Just now, when she was feeding me the pastry,' he thought, 'I should have bitten her finger when it almost touched my lips. I wonder what it would have tasted like.'
'Or I could have asked her to warm my bed. We're engaged, after all, and she's already agreed to it.'
Just then, the sound of a door opening came from outside.
It was followed by a clamor of voices.
Cecilia Adler was the first to step out.
A young couple holding a child came into view. The man wore a navy blue, cotton-padded jacket, while the woman was bundled up tightly in a heavy coat.
A middle-aged woman with a somewhat haggard face followed beside them.
This was Ian Quincy's older brother, sister-in-law, and mother.
Cecilia Adler took the initiative to greet them. "Hello, Mrs. Quincy. Brother, Sister-in-law."
"Cecilia? Is our Ian here too?"
Ian Quincy appeared from the kitchen.
Mrs. Quincy froze for a moment, then her eyes reddened. She hurried forward. "Ian, you're back. You've gotten so tall." She raised a hand to touch his face, but he pulled away.
Mrs. Quincy's hand froze in mid-air. She murmured, "You've gotten thinner. And so tan."
"The sun's harsh on the farm and life is bitter. What did you expect? For me not to get thin and tan?" Ian Quincy's words were laced with barbs. "I can't compare to you lot, living the good life in Valoria, getting all pale and plump."
The family had no retort.
Cecilia Adler was surprised. 'This is the first time I've heard him say so much at once.'
Ian's sister-in-law, Christal Russell, tried to ease the tension. "Ian, would you like to see your little niece?"
"Not interested." Ian Quincy headed straight for his room.
"Ian," Mrs. Quincy called, starting after him.
Christal Russell watched Ian Quincy's retreating back with a worried expression before her gaze shifted to Cecilia Adler. "When did you get here, Cecilia?"
"Just a little while ago." Cecilia Adler followed Christal Russell back into the room and leaned in to look at the baby. The child was fair-skinned and clean, with long eyelashes. "She's adorable," she praised.
"Once you're married into the family, you should hurry and have one of your own."
Cecilia Adler thought to herself, 'You've all taken up the whole house. Where would we live if we had a child?'
'I didn't have a proper home growing up, and my child wouldn't have one either. How would their life be any different from mine?'
'I refuse to let my child taste the bitterness of life from such a young age.'
Outwardly, however, she just pouted playfully. "Oh, Sister-in-law, don't tease me."