âI am a person. A person has life and things don't.â Annie lectured him earnestly.
Having a child in a family is like having someone who always brings joy.
On this side, the gaze of the two men met, gestured slightly, and understood each other. Before everyoneâs laughter came, they already flashed towards the kitchen.
Mr. Steele was about to follow them, but being held by Olive, âJust let them go.â
They seemed to have something to say. This was what she noticed when she saw both of them exchanging gazes.
Mrs. Steele was a bit worried as she looked at the closed kitchen door, âThere will be no problem, right?â
Olive laughed it off, âCould it be that youâre worried that those two grown-up men would set your kitchen on fire?â
âItâs not that bad.â Mrs. Steele said.
During the short time when Alan was here, he didnât behave like a man from a rich family. When he had time, he would roll up his sleeves and help in the kitchen. He definitely didnât look like a young master who never did house chores before.
As for Ivy, he is a very diligent young man. Every time he came here, he never spent his time leisurely.
At that time, her parents thought that it would be nice if their daughter could end up with him.
Itâs just everything could change. Nobody expected that things would turn out this way.
Of course, itâs not that Alan was not good. They couldnât find any flaws in this man who appeared unexpectedly.
After closing the kitchen door, although they couldnât block the noises from the living room, the conversation between both of them couldnât be heard outside.
The duck soup that had been simmered on the stove was ready to be cooked. The vegetables were already washed and placed in the wooden fruit basket at the kitchen counter. The rest just needed to be cut and pan-fried.
They were a weird combination. The people outside couldnât help but be curious and worried, but on the contrary, the concerned party just ignored it.
âPreparing the meal or assisting to cook, you can choose first.â
âI heard that Mr. Hoyle, you have an incredible cooking skill. Itâs rare to have such an opportunity, of course, Iâd like to taste it.â Ivy smiled lightly, He picked up the knife and neatly cut the shredded pork on the cutting board.
âI only know that you were good at mixing cocktails but I didnât expect that your knife skills are also superb. I assume, your cooking skill wonât be bad either.â Alan glance slightly and brought the earthenware pot of the duck soup off the stove.
âLetâs stop flattering each other, itâs boring. Iâm curious about how you found out my identity.â He had thought of it for several days, he didnât feel that he had made a careless mistake all along.
Alan smiled lightly, âIâm just following the clue. I have to thank your friend, Dave for telling me his family name, which is a small reminder.â
No walls didnât have a crack. No matter how tightly wrapped it was, thereâs always a moment of flaw.
Alanâs cooking skill conquered Daveâs stomach. He wasnât courteous toward everyone on the table and asked bluntly, âMr. Hoyle, did you really cook all of these by yourself?â
âThere were only two people in the kitchen. Unless you think your friend joined hand with me to fool you.â Alan raised his eyebrows slightly, but he wasnât angry.
âMr. Hoyle, you are really capable to attend the meetings, cook nice dishes, manage the company, clean up the internal enemy, deal with the foreign enemy, and can even put a hold on the underworld syndicate. You are an all-rounder!â Dave gave him thumbs up.
Alan smiled lightly, âMr. Chou youâre not bad either. You can win a championship, climb Mount Everest, dating a younger woman, open a martial art gym, plan a strategyâ¦â
Annie was at a loss as she frowned her small eyebrows, âMommy, are we having a conference for flattery today? Iâm dizzy hearing all of it.â
Chloe patted Annieâs small head as she said, âHoney, youâre really my soul mate. Both of you arenât tired of flattering each other, but Iâm tired of listening to it. I say, both of you, itâs not the first time you met, why donât you put away your hypocrite politeness?â
In the end, she quickly scanned both the men again, and quickly added, âWell, he said that youâve ever climbed Mount Everest, is it real?â
âIâve even walked across Lop Nor, do you believe it?â Dave said lightly, but his pride of accomplishment was shown through his brows as if the adventure was one of his joy in life.
âI believe it.â Olive thought of the first time when she met this man. He looked travel-worn and weary, as if heâd just walked out of a primitive place that was far away from the city, and had no time to change his clothes.
Chloe said to Dave, âYou really know how to go around.â
âDave, youâre so amazing. Mount Everest is so high, moreover, it is a huge snowy mountain. You can actually conquer it. You have to know that itâs not a mountain that anyone can go as they want. As for Lop Nor, I heard that is a place of doom. Many people canât find their way out. Youâre really terrific. I want to treat you as my idol.â Mrs. Steeleâs astonished smile couldnât hide her admiration toward the youngster.
âAuntie, youâre flattering me.â Dave still acted slightly modest in front of the elders.
Annie suddenly giggled, she stretched her hands to wipe the rice grain at the corner of her mouth, âWhen I grow up, I want to go to the South Pole to see penguins and polar bears.â
âFine, Daddy will go with you.â Alan was very lenient towards his daughter. Most adults would only laugh at these ideas of their children. But he thought that his daughterâs dream was very cute and he should actively support it.
Aoba also said from the side, âThen, Uncle will also go with you.â
âOkay, okay!â Annie clapped happily, then cast her eyes on Ivy with expectant, âWhat about you Godfather?â
Ivy smiled lightly, âDo you want me to go?â
âOf course, the more the merrier.â Itâs the nature of a child, it will be livelier with more people, âBig Beard you should also come.â
Dave said, âIf you call me Master, Iâll go.â
âYouâre already an adult, yet you still have the nerve to bully a kid, hmph!â The little girl raised her tone, pouting her mouth, but she didnât shout, âItâs fine if you donât want to go. Just admit that you donât dare to go.â
At a young age, she could actually use sarcasm already.
Dave found it funny and annoying, he glared with his thick eyebrows, âIs there any place that your Master doesnât dare to go in this world?â
âMy teacher said that you canât talk too much. The TV said thereâs still a lot of unknown places on the earth that is full of mysteries. The human being is actually very small in nature and cannot be too proud of themselves.â This little baby started to educate the adults.
Aoba almost wanted to jump up and applaud his niece. A naïve speech that instantly defeated everyone as she spoke.
Dave didnât expect that he would be speechless several times in front of this little girl. He could only blow his beard and stare at her. Of course, the iconic beard that he was intensely proud of had long gone.
âBig Beard, are you going or not?â Annie asked again.
âLook, I donât have a beard anymore. So, you have to call me Master.â Dave raised his chin to show her. In order to make this kid willingly calls him âMasterâ, he slightly felt at the end of his wits.
Compared to this, itâs because he used to like playing and teasing this small devil, and thought that there were many amusing incidents in life. But now, he somewhat targeted her dad. Alan Hoyle, no matter how cool and awesome you are, your daughter still hasnât worshipped me as a Master.
Itâs just that when this small devil once in a while requested him for something, she would be overly sweet and call him Master Big Beard. But most of the time, she would still get into a confrontation with him. Sheâs really a little baby thatâs hard to deal with.
But thereâs one thing that he must admit. This little devil may be a girl, but she could endure many hardships that even the boy her age couldnât. Her little brain is also nimble and clever, filled with wicked ideas.
To such an extent that he felt love, hate, angry, and funny towards her.
âThen, Master without a beard, are you going or not?â Annieâs words caused everyone to laugh again.
Dave said, âIâll go. Why wonât I go? Do you think I, as your master, will lose to a little devil like you?â
Heâs afraid that when she grows up later, she wonât remember that she ever had such a dream.
Kids, after they slept, usually they wouldnât remember what they said yesterday.
But this kid was very determined, âWho said that I wonât remember? Hmph, when I turn eighteen I will go.â
Chloe stroked her forehead, âOlive, do you feel that we have a house full of crazy people? A big crazy one and a small crazy one, all are here.â
âBirds of a feather flock together.â The little kid let out an idiom smoothly.
There was another burst of laughter on the table.
A kidâs words carried no harm and had no intention. Itâs just the adults who had complicated minds and their own worries.
âLittle thing, you and your dad donât look like the same kind. How can you be the same kind?â Dave seemed to be looking at the little kid, but the corner of his eyes glanced across Alan with a faint provocative smile.
Alan naturally understood him and smiled silently without any comment.
Annie looked left and right and curled her small mouth, âBoth of you are old uncles, yet you still want to act young?â
Dave drifted away with his mind filled with sinister lines, but when his gaze turned to Alan, he laughed, and said, âMr. Hoyle, your daughter thinks that youâre old.â
Alan was not upset by it and smiled lightly, âPeople will eventually become old. Compared to Summer and Edgar, although Iâm not young anymore, Iâm surrounded by my wife and daughter. So, Mr. Chou, you still have to work hard.â
Dave was gloomy again since his sore spot was touched. Isnât it just a family and a baby? What a show-off.
Annie persistently and asked again, âMaster without a beard, when will you and Auntie Xenia give birth to a baby to be my playmate?â
âAsk your parents for it,â Dave said angrily. How could he let his child play with this little devil? It would be a blessing if she didnât harm it.
âYou should have one with Auntie Xenia too. Then Uncle and Godmother will have one too. Later, when Godfather finds someone he likes, he will have one too. Then, Uncle Summer, Edgar, Colbert, and Greg will all have one. That way, Iâll have a lot of younger siblings. I can protect all of them.â The little kid excitedly said.
âDo you want to be the eldest sister?â
âI am an older sister.â
âIf you donât bully them to cry, itâs such a blessing already.â Dave groaned. He still didnât understand where did her wicked trait come from? He didnât know that she was born with it, or inherited it from Alan.
Speaking of children, when Mrs. Steele was washing dishes in the kitchen, she avoided everyone, and asked Olive in private, âHave you thought of having another child?â
Annie was using the Steeles' last name. They had also married and they must have a child with Hoyles'
last name.
Olive was immersed in washing the fruit. In front of her mother, she didnât try to hide this issue, âWeâve talked about it, but now we have different opinions.â
âWhat do you mean?â