Still lost in her thoughts, Evelyn suddenly looked up when Henry asked in a low voice, “Evelyn, do you like kids?”
Evelyn fell silent for a moment, then nodded, “Yes, I do.”
If it weren’t for the experience in her previous life, she might not have been so certain. But facing Henry now, she could easily imagine the scenes of them caring for a child together. Undoubtedly, the feeling in her heart was one of happiness.
Henry gazed at her for a long time, pondered briefly, and then looked towards the lounge. “You can come out now.”
The next second, Evelyn saw a beautifully little boy trotting towards her.
Evelyn: “!”
Henry looked at Evelyn and explained in a low voice, “A surprise.”
Surprise!?
Was it really not a shock?
The little boy grabbed her leg.
She lowered her head, and the little boy looked up at her. Sensing her indifferent attitude, his bright eyes blinked.
“Baby, what’s your name?”
The little boy didn’t speak but instead lowered his head, reaching into his pocket. Soon, he extended his hand in front of Evelyn.
He opened his hand, revealing a colorful candy inside.
“You can have it. I’ll give you the best candy. Will you take care of me?”
His serious expression resembled an old man negotiating a business deal. Evelyn couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
“Okay, I’ll take care of you.” She bent down to pick him up, feeling the scent of milk in his arms, “Henry, is this well-behaved baby not kidnapped or something?”
Henry’s face darkened.
After a moment of contemplation, he said, “Then I’d better return him. It’s troublesome.”
Evelyn was stunned. He brought him here just now, and now he was talking about sending him back? What was going on?
Before she could ask, the little boy, still hugging Evelyn’s neck, whispered, “I know.”
“I’m here because Uncle Henry borrowed me from my uncle, to spend a few days playing with you.”
This boy, was he really only four or five years old?
Seeing Evelyn overwhelmed by the boy, Henry refrained from mentioning sending him back. The term ‘uncle Henry’ comforted him quite a bit.
The little boy was very observant and, noticing the change in Henry’s demeanor, he turned back to Evelyn and gave her a peck on the cheek, speaking in a very formal tone.
“Aunt, hello. My name is Ellis. But I think ‘baby’ sounds cuter. You can continue calling me ‘baby.'”
His mouth moved like a little squirrel.
After looking at him for a while, Evelyn suddenly asked, “Do you want to eat nuts?”
“Nuts? They sound hard. I’ve never tried them before.” Ellis thought for a moment and nodded decisively. “Aunt, I want to give it a try.”
Evelyn: “Since I have nothing to do this afternoon, I’ll take you to the snack street.”
“Baby, let’s have a meal together next time. We’re leaving now.” Without even sparing a glance at Henry, she took Ellis and left.
Henry stared at the empty office, threw the documents away.
“Boss, this is the meal Madam ordered for you. It’s from your favorite restaurant.” David placed the meal on the table.
Only then did Henry look back, his expression slightly eased…
…
Evelyn took Ellis to the nearest mall. They planned to stroll around first and then walk through the entire building to reach a small snack street at the back.
As they approached the entrance, Ellis suddenly stared at the mall’s entrance and the bustling crowd, his beautiful eyes filled with fear.
“What’s wrong, baby?” Evelyn squatted down and asked patiently. “Are you… afraid?”
Upon hearing her words, Ellis’s body trembled for a moment.
Soon, he raised his head firmly, “No, don’t say that. I can go in.”
He took a deep breath, “Let’s go in.”
While pulling Evelyn inside, he quietly explained, “Aunt, I’m holding your hand not because I’m scared but because your hand is warm.”
“Warmer than my mom’s hand.”
The last sentence Ellis said very softly, but Evelyn heard it clearly.
Evelyn hooked her finger, tightly clasping Ellis’s hand. He visibly hesitated for a moment before quickly relaxing.
The two visited a children’s clothing store, a small indoor playground, and finally sat in a window seat on the top floor, ordering a large ice cream to share.
Watching the little boy accidentally getting ice cream on his face, Evelyn silently took out a tissue to clean him up.
“Are you happy?”
Ellis nodded immediately.
Evelyn curiously asked, “After playing for so long, I still don’t know who your uncle is. What’s his name?”
“He’s called Frank.”
“Frank!”
“Yes, he’s a doctor, super amazing, and he…”
While little Ellis was in the middle of his introduction, Evelyn’s phone rang, and coincidentally, it was Frank.
“Evelyn, how’s it going? Isn’t my nephew adorable?” Frank’s voice carried a hint of pride.
In the past, Evelyn would have teased him, but this time she nodded in agreement. “Yes, cute, very cute.”
Frank inquired, “Henry said you guys went out? Are you heading back to the villa?”
“No, we’re at the mall, planning to…”
“Fuck!” Frank was instantly alarmed. “Which mall? Don’t move, wait for me. I’ll be right there.”
Evelyn heard the sound of an engine starting. She looked at Ellis, who was enjoying another spoonful of ice cream, her face full of confusion. Was there a monster in the mall? Why was Frank so nervous?
Twenty minutes later, the call, which had not been disconnected, regained sound.
“Evelyn, listen to me now.”
Evelyn nonchalantly replied, “I’m listening.”
“Later, cover Ellis’s eyes and try to minimize contact with the crowd. I’ll be there soon…”
Before Frank could finish the word ‘there,’ he saw Evelyn and Ellis sitting not far away. The solemn expression on his face turned into utter shock.
Was that messy-faced boy, devouring his ice cream with big bites, and staring at the crowd with round, glistening eyes, truly his nephew? The one who usually got scared in a crowd, had a nervous breakdown, and needed to take a bath if he got even a little dirty due to his severe cleanliness obsession?
Frank blinked several times to ensure that what he saw was not an illusion, and the shock in his eyes doubled.
Evelyn also noticed him, lowered her head, and whispered to Ellis, “Your uncle is coming to pick you up.”
“Seeing how nervous he is, your relationship must be quite good, right?”
Ellis’s good mood of enjoying the ice cream was instantly disrupted. He glanced at the approaching Frank and replied, “Not good at all.”
How could people with a good relationship come over to disturb his good time?
Frank walked over and conducted a thorough inspection of Ellis. Only after confirming that everything was fine did he sit down beside them.
Throughout this process, Evelyn’s face was filled with annoyance.
“Frank, damn it, if you’re so worried, why lend the child to me?”
Frank shook his head, “Evelyn, don’t misunderstand. I’m marveling at the wonders of life.”
“I’d prefer to discuss the end of life with you.” Evelyn gritted her teeth.
Seeing that Ellis had stopped eating, Evelyn called the waiter to take away the plates. Then she pointed to the nearby sticky wall. “Do you want to go play over there?”
Ellis watched as other kids, wearing the sticky suits, jumped and stuck to the wall. His eyes instantly lit up. No words were needed; Evelyn understood what he wanted. She walked over, bought a ticket, helped Ellis change into the sticky suit, and then stepped aside with Frank.
Watching the little guy successfully stick himself to the wall, Evelyn couldn’t help but smile.
Frank almost blurted out, “Evelyn, just now, you really looked like Ellis’s mom.”
Evelyn was taken aback.
Frank explained in a low voice, “When Ellis’s mom gave birth to him, she experienced a brief suffocation. After waking up, she became somewhat abnormal.”
“Abnormal?” Evelyn furrowed her brow.
“Abnormal in terms of mental health.”
“Two years ago, she suddenly had an episode. Carrying Ellis, who was only three years old, she came to the top floor of a mall, intending to throw him down. If my brother hadn’t arrived in time, Ellis would have been smashed to pieces by her.”
Frank sighed, “Since then, Ellis has suffered from severe social anxiety. The mall is the place he hates the most. When there are many people around, he turns pale, breathes heavily, and may even faint.”
Evelyn finally realized why Ellis had been so cautious when entering the mall.
He was afraid.
She thought of his pale face, feeling both distressed and guilty. Subconsciously, she looked in Ellis’s direction.
Ellis had just stuck himself to the wall, giggling. As he was about to come down, a boy about ten years old ran over. Evelyn initially thought he wanted to help Ellis, but the next moment, he directly picked up Ellis and ruthlessly threw him onto the spring bed.
“Take off your clothes for me.” The boy bent down, grabbing Ellis’s collar. “I was in line first; this last sticky suit should be mine.”