Considering Master Glenn’s reputation, he would surely be generous.
Just as Mr. Welch was about to hang up, Mr. Lara asked a puzzling question.
“Do you like flowers?”
“Huh?”
Mr. Welch was confused.
Could the boss be planning to send him a bouquet to celebrate the success?
He wasn’t too fond of flowers, but he couldn’t decline the boss’s goodwill.
“That’s…not necessary. Thank you for the kind thought, Mr. Lara.”
“If you want to reward me, perhaps that Bordeaux wine you mentioned last time would be better than flowers.”
What he really wanted to say was: Between two men, flowers seem a bit effeminate.
“Heh…”
Omari’s response was a cold chuckle.
“Reward you? Do you think you deserve it?”
“I… guess I don’t.”
“I’m planting roses, so I was just wondering when they might bloom.”
Suddenly recalling something, Omari laughed mockingly.
“Forget it. Asking you is pointless since you’re just a bookworm.”
“I’ll look it up myself. Don’t call me again unless it’s urgent. Goodbye.”
The Lucas family in Onistead.
Upon learning that his granddaughter Cheyenne was visiting, Grandpa Layne immediately packed his bags and flew back from the medical research base, indifferent to the meal’s allure in the cafeteria.
His colleagues, seeing his rush, thought something serious had happened and quickly asked:
“Layne, where are you in such a hurry? The cafeteria is this way.”
The elderly man who spoke was plump with a kind face.
Another, leaner man with a full head of silver hair and thick reading glasses, had no trouble spotting Layne.
“Yes, today’s menu has your favorite dishes. If you miss out, don’t blame us for not saving any for you.”
Layne glanced disdainfully at both of them, his beard nearly curling up to the sky, unable to hide his joy.
“I’m not eating today. You two nesters can have it.”
“Huh? What do you mean, ‘us two nesters?’ Aren’t you one too?”
At this question, and being outdone by the two in every other aspect, Grandpa straightened up defiantly.
“Of course not. My granddaughter is visiting with her husband and children. Unlike you two old bachelors, I won’t be eating at the cafeteria alone.”
The word “bachelors” instantly struck a nerve.
The three had known each other since youth before Layne was married or had his daughter Selah.
They had vowed to be lifelong brothers, spending old age fishing and playing mahjong together.
But Layne’s marriage had changed things.
Now he had great-grandchildren, while the other two remained alone.
Before leaving, old Mr. Edwards didn’t forget to show concern for his friends’ bachelorhood.
“By the way, the lady in the red dress at window three isn’t bad-looking.”
“The two of you should rock-paper-scissors to decide who marries her. It’d be handy for me to get some pork trotters next time.”
The woman at window three?
The thought made both men shudder.
The lady was indeed nice-looking, for a vibrant 68-year-old, but she was a man-eater.
Every time she saw Layne, she grinned as if she wanted to swallow him whole.
“Get lost. She likes you, not us. Why drag us into it?”
“Go home quickly if you want to see your great-grandchildren, and don’t forget to take some photos to show us.”
As for them, they naturally went to eat lunch.
Old Mr. Edwards had just come down from the mountain and rushed to the airport without even changing his muddy clothes.
The last time he saw Oliver was a year ago; he wonders if the little guy has grown taller.
And his beloved Cierra, he wonders if she came this time.
After four hours, Layne got off the plane.
“Wait, it’s been so long since I’ve seen my grandson. How could I go home empty-handed?”
The trouble was, he had no idea what toys boys liked these days.
When he appeared at the entrance of the toy store, the staff thought he was a homeless man.
Layne was wearing handmade fabric shoes with multiple layers and was covered in mud with a deep green work uniform.
This shabby and messy attire was out of place in this fashionable and bustling metropolis.
“Miss, could you please tell me what the best-selling toy in your store is?”
The sales assistant, covering her nose in disgust, tried to get rid of him.
“You must be from the countryside, just back from the fields? The most expensive toys in our store cost five figures; can you afford it?”
“Leave quickly; don’t delay our business. The dirt from your shoes is falling on the carpet. Damn… I just changed it this morning.”
The woman said this as she mercilessly mocked old Mr. Edwards.
“Can’t afford it, can you? I bet you can’t even afford a meal, yet you’re buying toys. Such vanity.”
Layne thought he had a good temper, but facing this snobbish sales assistant, he couldn’t help but frown.
“How can you speak like that? What’s wrong with being from the countryside? Can’t they buy toys?”
“Is buying a toy an act of vanity? Then your counterfeit brand certainly isn’t vanity.”
The argument quickly attracted a crowd.
The woman, infuriated by the revelation of her fake brand, was about to call the police to drive Layne away when a clear voice rang out from the crowd.
“Grandfather!”
The crowd turned to look.
Only to see a little boy, about four or five years old, walking towards them.
The little guy was chubby and sculpted, with a face exuding a mixture of youthful coolness and surprising maturity.
His attire alone indicated a well-off upbringing.
Old Mr. Edwards looked closer and recognized the long-missed Oliver, his anger vanished.
He beamed like the sun itself at the sight of him.
“Oliver! Great-grandfather’s treasure, why are you here?”
It was hard to believe the connection between a seemingly dirty old beggar and a boy who looked like a prince from a fairytale.
“Grandfather.”
“Dad.”
Cheyenne, arm in arm with Kelvin, walked towards them, a perfect match.
Channing, elegantly dressed, even helped the old man carry a snakeskin bag-an incongruous sight.
He didn’t seem to mind, smiling widely.
“Dad, why didn’t you call me when you arrived? I would have sent my assistant to pick you up.”