Alan had driven his car long and still couldn’t see both mother and daughter. It was uncertain whether
they had walked very fast or he was searching at the wrong direction. Alan called Olive several times
again and still no one picked up. He didn’t know if she didn’t hear it or didn’t answer it on purpose.
But logically, he was still comforting her just now, she was asking him not to be angry at his mother. It
was impossible for her to get angry in a blink of an eye. His girl wasn’t a kind of person who was
moody.
Just when he was planning to drive further, and if he still couldn’t see them, he would turn around and
search for them at another direction, two figures—one big, one small—appeared from his sight. The
suspend in his heart finally loosened and he softly breathed out.
Annie was like bird just released from a cage. Without the restraint of the Hoyle’s residence, she was
skipping and jumping. Her fluffy princess dress was like a blooming flower. They were holding hands
while talking.
Alan actually knew that the rules and regulations in the Hoyle’s residence weren’t fit for Annie’s growth.
Annie needed a more free and open space and the Steele family fitted.
When the car abruptly stopped in front of them, Annie called out, “It’s daddy’s car.”
Olive watched her man got out of the car, “Why did you come out? Are you guys finished?
Alan stared at his wife and daughter and smiled, “I’m afraid you’ll abduct my wife and daughter, leaving
me alone uncared and pitifully.”
“Hey, you’re thinking too far,” Olive scolded him. She was about to walk to the crossroads and turn
around. She had already told the servants that they were going out for a walk. The mansion was too
boring and she needed to breathe. Plus, Annie wanted to go for a stroll, so they went out.
“Who ask you keep not answering my phone call?” Alan complained.
Olive touched her pocked and it was empty. She suddenly remembered, “I left my phone. I’m sorry.”
Alan reached his hand to flick her forehead. “Okay. I forgive you this time.”
Annie sighed like an adult, “You too are so clingy and stick together like a gum. How could mommy
leave you?”
Her words made Alan beam with joy. The depressing aura when he left the house faded away. He bent
down and picked up his daughter, then aggressively twirled for a few times. “My baby has a smart
mouth.”
But Annie wasn’t excited by this compliment. She hugged Alan’s neck and asked, “When can we return
to Luo City? I miss grandpa and grandma.”
Since she was born, this was the first time for the little thing to leave the Steele for such a long time.
The excitement and novelty when she first came out had long faded away. Now, she just wanted to go
home soon. That place was her real free world. She had big friends and small friends in that familiar
city.
Alan became sensitively aware of something and asked her, “Does baby not like Jiangcheng’s
grandma?”
After thinking for a while, Annie guiltily said, “It’s not that I don’t like her. It’s her who doesn’t like me.”
“How so?”
“That morning, Jiangcheng’s grandma thought I wasn’t awake. She sighed and said it would be better if
I was a boy. Dad, Jangcheng’s grandma keep refusing to recognize me and accept mom. Is it because
I’m a girl? Is boy that important?”
Her grandparents in Luo City wouldn’t reject her because she was a girl. They loved her and regarded
her as a jewel, saying that she was their little princess and happy vitamin. So, she preferred
grandparents in Luo City and be together with them. She was free and happy. She really missed them
until she dreamed of them.
Alan couldn’t change his mother’s traditional thinking, but he also understood that because of his
mother’s words, his daughter’s little heart was hurt.
“Baby, remember dad’s words. No matter what Jiangcheng’s grandma think of you, boys and girls are
the same in dad and mom’s hearts. Girls even are loved more by parents than boys. In this world, it
doesn’t matter if others discriminate your gender. Just remember that mom and dad love you. In mom
and dad’s life, you’re better and your existence is warmer than boys.”
“Really?”
“When does dad ever lie to you?”
Annie tilted her head and thought, “So far, never. I believe you.”
As if determining something, the little thing pursed her lips and smooched hard on his face, wetting his
face, then she giggled. She stopped after she giggled enough, pretending to be mysterious, then she
said, “Tell you a secret.”
“What is it?” Alan asked curiously. Sometimes, he really couldn’t guess what was in his baby’s little
head.
Annie whispered, “You’re also the most special existence in my life.”
Olive pretended to be jealous at the side, “What are you guys talking that I don’t get to hear?”
Annie covered Alan’s mouth with one hand. She shook her head and said, “You can’t say it.”
Olive laughed and patted her on the head. "You’re still wet behind the ears, but still pretending to be
mature.”
“I’m called early-maturing,” Annie corrected.
Olive gave the kid a helpless and funny look. In fact, sometimes she thought that compared to children
with her same age, the word early-maturing really suited her daughter.
What was she doing when she was just five? Olive couldn’t remember, but her child was growing at a
strange rate at this age. Was this good or bad?
She didn’t need a prodigy child. Most prodigy children were successful when they were young, but they
didn’t bring themselves a bright future. It was like a flash in the pan.
At first, she only wished that she could grow up peacefully, healthy, and happy like thousands of
ordinary children.
But Alan wasn’t worried about their daughter’s early wisdom. Of course, he would guide his daughter
well and wouldn’t waste the ingenuity she had shown since she was a child, but he wouldn’t put too
much pressure on her. He knew what he had to do.
He smiled and poked his daughter’s nose. “Early-maturing children can’t fall in love early, right? If you
can, I would be sad.”
If his daughter in his arms was snatched away by another man so soon, his heart felt really bothered.
Annie giggled and said, “Sad? Do you really want your beautiful baby can’t get married and become a
leftover?”
“Didn’t you say that daughters are a father’s lover in their previous life? If my lover is snatched this
young, of course I’ll be sad.” Alan thought of that boy named Sean Shen who wanted to steal his
precious daughter as his wife.
“Fine. In order to prevent you from getting white hair a few years earlier, I’ll reluctantly decide to stay
with you for a few more years.” The little thing’s tone sounded as if she was reluctant, but she still
attracted passersby.
Olive looked at the pair of father and daughter in amused. If she still stayed quiet, she wouldn’t know
how long they would be talking. “Okay, time to head back.”
At this moment, Annie proposed, “Dad, take me to eat Haagen-Dazs.”
Alan naturally wouldn’t refuse. “No problem. After Haagen-Dazs, we take mommy to a restaurant,
okay?”
“Yes,” Annie agreed and clapped.
Alan felt that the atmosphere wouldn’t be harmonious if they had meal at the Hoyle’s residence. It
would be better to take his wife and daughter to eat outside in relaxed, so that the elder in the mansion
wouldn’t cause trouble.
So, he carried his daughter, opened the car door for his wife, and called home.
The call was answered by the butler.
“Uncle Dcbo, don’t wait for us to eat. We’ll come back later.”
This message was relayed to Mrs. Hoyle. The old lady snorted coldly, “It must be that woman Olive
Steele instigated it. She is upset with me, so she asked my son to defy me.”
Ada couldn’t stand it and replied, “If Olive is that wicked, she would have long asked Alan to deny you
this stubborn mother.”
“She dares to?!” Mrs. Hoyle frowned coldly.
“It’s not that she doesn’t dare to, but she doesn’t want to. She doesn’t have a vicious heart, yet you
keep thinking badly of her. Obviously, you’re speculating with your own thought. You’re really hopeless.
Mrs. Hudson, you don’t need to prepare my plates too. I’m going to meet my friend. It’s getting late, I
have to go.”
Mrs. Hoyle’s face became so ugly. She shouted at Ada’s back, “You… Get out! Everybody gets out and
don’t come back.”
Were her children trying to kill her? She had just said a few words for Ophelia. If that woman was smart
and wanted to enter the Hoyle’s residence, she should take this chance and give her a way out. But
that woman kept not getting the situation, not understanding sympathy, and she went against her.
“Mom, enough. Your body isn’t well, but you have such a big temper.” Alan jumped out to soothe the
red face. He reached out his hands to massage the old lady’s shoulder and back.
Mrs. Hoyle yanked off her child’s hands. “Knock off. I know you have hidden meaning just to confuse
your mother. Then, you’ll say good words for that Chloe Malan. Aoba, I’m telling you, Chloe Malan is
rude and uneducated, and she doesn’t have a serious job. Even if I accept Olive Steele, that doesn’t
mean I’ll accept her. Don’t think I don’t know what’s on your guys’ heads. Each of you is helping your
brother to defy your mother, so that when I accept Olive Steele, you guys can take control of your own
marriages, marrying anyone you want. Huh!”
Aoba’s eyelids twitched. This old lady wasn’t tricked at all as she saw through this. But he still had to
fight for his woman.
“Mom, although you won’t like what I’m going to say, I still want to emphasize three points: First, Chloe
isn’t rude, that’s called straightforward, not liking beating around the bush, talking behind others’ back,
and not scheming secretly. Unlike a certain person’s honey-sweet words but a hypocrite; second, she
isn’t not educated. She just has a principle—you don’t offend me, I won’t offend you too; third, Art isn’t
only those music in elegant palace, she sings for life and that’s her passion. She plans to make it her
business. And your son is a frequent visitor of places like bars. If Chloe isn’t respectable, then your son
is a jerk for his love affairs for so many years. So, please, when you’re looking down on her, you’re
looking down on your son too.”
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