Serena's lips parted slightly, but she didn't know how to explain it.
She herself had no clue how it happened-how she suddenly seemed to possess some kind of supernatural ability, able to see through the outer layer of raw gemstones and clearly discern their internal structure.
"What's this? A secret technique you can't talk about?" Mr. Bryan asked casually, his tone slow and deliberate as he noticed her hesitation.
Serena let out an awkward laugh. "Uh... yep! Exactly! It's a family secret. Can't be shared!"
"Ohhh..." Mr. Bryan stroked his beard thoughtfully but didn't press any further.
In the world of gemstones, there were indeed some unspoken rules. Some families had been in the gem appraisal business for generations. After centuries of refinement, they developed their own unique methods for evaluating stones. These techniques were their bread and butter-and most of the time, they were kept strictly within the family.
Listening closely, Serena noticed the sound of the cutting machine had stopped. She craned her neck to look toward the crowd gathered in the center. Her lips curled up into a radiant smile. "See? I told you-this stone looked good on the outside, but there's no way it was going to reveal a flawless neon core inside."
"Mhm! Your judgment went against the majority, but turns out-you were right all along!"
"Hehe!" Serena patted her bag and grinned slyly. "Guess I don't need to make up for your loss after all. My wallet lives to see another day."
With that, she stretched her arms lazily. "Well, if there's nothing else, I'll be heading out now."
"Wait a moment!" Mr. Bryan stepped forward calmly. "Young lady, I am Bryan Ryder. Would you mind leaving your contact info? I'd love to invite you to join me for some gem appraisals in the future-if the opportunity arises."
Serena's eyes lit up the moment she heard that.
This man was a world-renowned authority in the gemstone appraisal world! There had always been whispers in the circle that Mr. Bryan was a reclusive and proud figure-most people didn't even get the chance to...
Many younger folks, drawn by his reputation, had tried to visit and learn from him-only to find they couldn't even catch a glimpse of the man.
Honestly, once Serena realized who he was-that he was the legendary Mr. Bryan Ryder-she'd actually wanted to swallow her pride and ask for his contact info herself.
She never expected that he would be the one to extend an olive branch.
"What's wrong? You don't want to?" he asked.
Serena snapped back to her senses and quickly shook her head. "No, no! I do!" she blurted, then hurriedly pulled out her phone and gave him her number.
After leaving the stone auction event, she didn't go home-instead, she headed straight to the hospital.
Inside the ophthalmology clinic, a middle-aged female doctor didn't even bother to look up as she asked coldly, "What's wrong with your eyes?"
Serena rubbed her eyes awkwardly. "Um... actually, they don't really feel bad..."
The doctor finally looked up and gave her a quick once-over, then frowned in annoyance. "You're young and healthy-don't you have better things to do? Why come here and take up public resources?"
Serena was a bit irritated by the woman's unfriendly stare, but she kept her cool and said politely, "Doctor, I haven't finished explaining yet."
"What else is there to say? Didn't you just say there's nothing wrong? If you're fine, then why are you even here?" the doctor snapped, waving her off impatiently. "Your eyes aren't red or swollen, and they're sharp and clear. Nothing looks off at all. Come on, go-don't waste my time when I've got other patients waiting!"
As she spoke, she bent her head and started scribbling in a chart again, muttering to herself under her breath, "Young women these days-so dramatic! The prettier they are, the more high-maintenance. The tiniest little ache and they..."
Serena had already stood up, ready to leave.
But hearing the doctor's last few sentences, she stopped in her tracks and couldn't help but turn back.
"Doctor, I came to the hospital and registered for a consultation because I have my reasons! You haven't even examined me-what gives you the right to jump to the conclusion that I'm not sick?!"
"And besides, your duty is to treat patients, not to read faces and tell fortunes! I hadn't even finished speaking, and you were already calling me pretentious and overdramatic. Worse yet, you lumped all young women into your personal bias. What, does your family have some kind of supernatural gift-can you see into someone's heart with just a glance?"
Apparently not expecting such a strong retort, the female doctor was momentarily stunned.
She stared blankly for a moment before her expression darkened. Her voice turned rough and loud: "Did I say you were wrong?! If you had even a shred of proper upbringing, you wouldn't speak to a doctor like this in a hospital!"
"You were the one who insulted me first!" Serena hated people who made baseless assumptions and talked nonsense.
Crossing her arms, she made it clear she wasn't leaving until she'd spoken her piece. Her whole stance said: We're not done here.
"You! You're utterly unreasonable! Get out! Get out of here right now!" the doctor shouted angrily, pointing toward the consultation room door.
Just then, the door suddenly opened. A middle-aged man wearing a white coat and glasses walked in.
Facing the doctor's outstretched, accusatory finger, he glanced at her coldly and asked,
"What's going on? I was just passing by and could hear the shouting from outside."
***