Chapter 193
When Jason and I came downstairs together, everyone's eyes fell on me.
Tamsin nodded with satisfaction and gave me a thumbs up, "I have such good taste! I knew Sue would look great in a long dress!"
Kelly was even more dramatic, jumping up excitedly, "Sue, you're so beautiful! Oh my god, I feel like my heart's about to jump out of my chest. You're going to kill me with your beauty!"
I didn't know whether to laugh or cry, "Are you really that dramatic?"
"Of course I'm telling the truth!"
Kelly tilted her chin toward Jason's direction, "Sue, you look absolutely stunning! Don't believe me? Look at Jason—his eyes are glued to you!"
I turned to look at Jason.
Jason coughed awkwardly a couple of times.
Lucy came forward and pulled me to sit down.
She stood behind me and lifted up my hair, "Your neck is so pretty, it should be shown off."
With that, Lucy picked up a comb and gently started doing my hair.
This was the first time an elder had done my hair for me.
I felt warm inside.
Lucy put my hair up in a beautiful bun and secured it with a hairpin.
Jessica ran over at that moment, her eyes bright as she looked at me, "Mommy, you're so pretty today!"
I touched her little head, "Thank you for the compliment, sweetie."
Just then, a servant brought in the photographer.
This was my first time taking a family photo, so I couldn't help feeling a bit nervous.
Jason gently held my hand.
I instinctively turned to look at him.
His chiseled profile, high nose bridge—he was so handsome I couldn't look away.
"Look at the camera."
Jason reminded me quietly.
Only then did I snap back to reality and awkwardly turn to face forward.
Jessica was being held by Tamsin, smiling brightly.
The photographer took many group photos of us.
After that, Tamsin held Jessica for a solo shot.
Thomas also held Jessica for one.
Jason, Jessica and I took three or four photos as a family of three.
Finally, he insisted on taking dozens of photos with just me!
Eventually, I felt a bit embarrassed and whispered in his ear, "Jason, that's enough! I never realized you loved taking photos so much!"
Jason looked completely natural, "You're so beautiful, isn't it normal to take a few more for memories?"
He looked at me meaningfully, "I even want to have the photographer take our wedding photos while he's here."
I said helplessly, "We don't even have wedding outfits, how can we take wedding photos?"
Jason looked at me deeply, "We will eventually."
The photographer finished up and went home for dinner.
The photos would take some time to develop.
Just then, the Cooper family's New Year's Eve dinner was ready too.
The whole family sat together, enjoying the delicious food.
Jessica was very happy.
She received so many gifts this New Year!
Her little face was flushed with excitement.
I also received quite a few gifts.
From the elders, and from Jason.
Running my fingers over the gift boxes, I felt somewhat emotional.
This was the first time in my life I'd received New Year's gifts.
When I was little, every New Year I could only watch longingly as Cora gave Luke his gifts.
Luke would open his gifts in front of me, excitedly counting how much money was inside.
He would count very loudly on purpose, making sure I could hear clearly.
But I never envied how much money he got from his gifts.
I just envied that Luke had gifts to receive at New Year's.
I used to hear adults say that elders give children gifts every New Year to bless them with peace and health in the coming year.
I wanted that too.
Even if Cora had just given me an empty gift box to fool me, that would have been fine.
At least then I'd be a kid who had New Year's gifts too.
But Cora never did.
She only had eyes for Luke, never for me.
But it doesn't matter anymore.
Now when I think back to my childhood, when I think of Cora, I don't feel sad at all, just reflective.
Now I have people who love me, and I feel fulfilled inside.
I'll never again feel sad over that tiny bit of motherly love.
Kelly and Charles also received gifts.
Interestingly, Jason was technically of our generation, but he was also one of the gift-givers.
No one seemed to think there was anything wrong with that.
After dinner, the men drank coffee and played chess, while the women gathered to play cards.
I'd never played before and didn't know how.
Kelly volunteered to explain the rules to me.
After hearing it once, I understood and officially sat down at the card table.
In the first round, I lost nearly two thousand dollars.
My heart ached.
Two thousand—that was two thousand dollars!
Gone in the blink of an eye.
This was killing me!
Couldn't we really just play for five dollars?
I only dared think this to myself, didn't dare say it out loud.
The Cooper family was wealthy.
A few thousand dollars was pocket change to them.
In the second round, I lost again, a few hundred dollars less than the previous round.
In the third round, I still lost, this time over three thousand dollars.
In no time at all, I'd lost ten thousand dollars!
I sat at the card table on the verge of tears.
They played too aggressively, I couldn't keep up with them at all.
Although I wasn't short on money now, losing ten thousand dollars in the blink of an eye still made my heart ache terribly.
Just then, Jason gently patted my shoulder.
I whipped around, my eyes bright as I looked at him.
Jason gave me a slight smile, "Go stand in the back, I'll win it back for you."
I looked at him like he was my savior and quickly got up to give him my seat.
I really couldn't take it anymore!
Kelly, who had been happy before, immediately changed her expression when she saw Jason arrive.
For the next hour, Jason dominated the table.
I watched excitedly with shining eyes!
The money I'd lost was coming back!
In just this short time, Jason not only won back the ten thousand dollars I'd lost, but made an extra hundred and twenty thousand dollars.
I looked at Jason with complete admiration.
How was he so amazing!
So cool!
Jason's lips curved slightly as he reached out to