Ch. 601..610
Chapter 601: Can You Substitute for a While
Afterward, Wendy Clarke officially became a member of the Zhekova family.
She thoroughly integrated into their big family.
There was no more distance between them.
Old Madam wanted to invite a few old friends to share her joy.
But that would have to wait for later.
On Wendy’s first day joining the Zhekova family, they wanted to celebrate just among themselves.
This was the true meaning of reunion.
Adrian Zhekova and Wendy Clarke knew that the elders had many questions.
But in such a situation, it was not appropriate to discuss the details.
So Adrian Zhekova hadn’t told them about any specific things yet.
At this point, hearing Old Madam’s words, Adrian Zhekova agreed: “Okay.”
Old Madam turned to Old Madam Wells and said, “Today we have a big happy event in our family. Adrian Zhekova did a great job!”
“Yes, yes!” Old Madam Wells nodded while laughing, and then she stretched her hand behind her back and pinched Clifford Wells’ arm hard.
All because of his uselessness!
When others were single, he was single.
When others were dating, he was single.
When others got married, he was single.
Now, the children of those families are old enough to have puppy love.
And he is still single!
Old Madam Wells was so frustrated!
Look at Adrian Zhekova, although he got married late, his child was big enough!
As long as he was willing to overtake, there was nothing he couldn’t catch up to!
Clifford Wells: “…”
He almost cried out after being pinched by Old Madam Wells, but managed to hold it in.
His face turned purple from the pain.
He wondered if he was really her grandson!
“You guys go ahead first, and we’ll celebrate together later.” Old Madam Wells said.
Old Madam Callaghan was just about to walk by when she heard Old Madam Wells and Old Madam Zhekova’s conversation.
Suddenly feeling her hairs stand on end and chills down her spine.
She had a feeling that this was a battlefield, and she should not walk through it, or she would also suffer.
Old Madam Callaghan just wanted to sneak past while Old Madam Zhekova and Old Madam Wells hadn’t noticed.
“The Callaghan Family!” Old Madam Wells caught sight of her with the corner of her eye, and hurriedly caught Old Madam Callaghan before she could slip away, pulling her over.
They had to face the difficulties together.
Old Madam Callaghan: “…”
She just wanted to go home now.
“By the way, why isn’t Seth here today?” Old Madam Wells asked.
“He’s in Country M, and won’t be back until next month. He couldn’t make it back in time,” Old Madam Callaghan thought to herself that it was fortunate he didn’t come.
Otherwise, would he be used as a comparison today?
Old Madam Wells sighed in her heart, he was really lucky.
“I see.” Old Madam Wells said, “But you can’t let him be at ease just because he’s far away. You have to remind him to get a move on, what’s the point of being single abroad.”
Clifford Wells was envious and decided to go on business trips abroad from time to time in the future.
“Grandson!” Old Madam Zhekova called, “Granddaughter-in-law!”
Adrian Zhekova held back his laughter and obediently stood up and walked over.
Wendy Clarke could only follow her husband’s lead.
Although a little embarrassed to target Old Madam Wells and Old Madam Callaghan like this, she couldn’t bear it.
“Morgan.” Old Madam called again.
“Great Grandmother.” Morgan Zhekova also came over.
Old Madam Wells and Old Madam Callaghan looked at the Adrian Zhekova family with red eyes.
Old Madam Wells twisted Clifford Wells’ arm even harder than before.
He gritted his teeth and glared at Adrian Zhekova with resentment.
You have no heart, Adrian Zhekova!
Suddenly, Clifford Wells’ left arm was pinched as well.
“Ow!” Clifford Wells couldn’t help but howl out in pain.
He looked in disbelief at Old Madam Callaghan, who was pinching his other arm.
Old Madam Callaghan said expressionlessly, “Seth is not here, so you’ll have to replace him.”
It was because Old Madam Wells had stopped her.
If she hadn’t shared the misfortune, Clifford Wells wouldn’t have suffered the flesh and blood, right?
Clifford Wells: “…”
Old Madam Zhekova finally had a conscience and felt that Clifford Wells was too pitiful, so she hurriedly took her family away.
Actually, she was mainly afraid that if she didn’t leave, Old Madam Wells would really go ballistic.
Old Madam Callaghan also hurried away.
Old Madam Wells’ nostrils were flaring with anger.
At this moment, Clifford Wells didn’t dare to breathe.
Old Madam Wells looked at him with disdain: “What are you standing there for? Just go!”
“Really, you can’t even catch up with people’s speed in getting married and leaving the hotel?” Old Madam Wells said with contempt.
Clifford Wells: “…”
When they arrived at the entrance, they saw the Zhekova family getting into their car and driving away.
Old Madam Wells suddenly thought about it and said to Clifford Wells, “You should communicate more with Adrian Zhekova when you have time and learn from him.”
“Why is it so hard for you to get married and have children in one go, while it’s so easy for him? I don’t even expect you to bring me a big child right away, but just go and get a Marriage Certificate.”
“Why is it so difficult for you since you two have grown up together?” Old Madam Wells’ heart was tired.
Clifford Wells really felt that his life was too hard.
***
Clifford Wells’ frustrations were mercilessly ignored by Adrian Zhekova.
His family had all returned to the family mansion.
“Quick, let me see the Marriage Certificate again,” the Old Madam could not wait to say.
She hadn’t had a good look at it during the wedding ceremony earlier.
Because of the date of the license in the Marriage Certificate, the Old Madam didn’t dare to look at it in a place with so many people.
She was afraid that if people saw the date inside, it would be exposed.
It was really difficult for the Old Madam to endure not looking at it for so long.
Adrian Zhekova and Cindy Clarke took out their Marriage Certificates.
Old Master and Old Madam each held one.
“I want to see too.” The little fellow looked eagerly with his neck stretched out, wanting to see.
So the Old Madam put the little fellow on her lap and let him look at it with her.
The Old Madam felt happier the more she looked at it: “Look at this picture, it’s so well taken.”
Upon close observation, she realized that Adrian Zhekova and Cindy Clarke really did have a couple’s likeness.
Morgan Zhekova held her cheeks while lamenting, “Why can’t there be a family certificate or a reunion certificate since there is a Marriage Certificate? That way I could be included too.”
The Old Madam laughed, “A family certificate isn’t that just the Household Register? You’re in it.”
With that, Victoria Wheeler asked Adrian Zhekova, “When did you solve the issue with Cindy Clarke’s household registration?”
“The day after Cindy and Morgan moved in with me, I had someone take care of it.” said Adrian Zhekova.
“I thought that since Cindy and I were going to get married, I couldn’t wait until then for her to return home and get her Household Register. As for the Clarke family with Wendy Clarke and Christy Xenos, they were capable of anything. Even if it was detrimental to them, as long as it was detrimental to Cindy, they would be happy to do it. By the time it was needed, they would hide the Household Register and refuse to give it.”
Chapter 602: Discovering Xiao Mo
“They can do it.” Adrian Zhekova had no doubts.
“I don’t want to wait until that time comes, and then argue with them because of this trivial matter, and delay Cindy and me getting our marriage certificate.”
“And since we’ve already anticipated it, how can we not take any action and wait for that day to come?” Adrian Zhekova stated it wasn’t something he’d do.
How could one transfer Cindy’s household registration without going through the Clarke Family?
Others may not be able to do it, but that doesn’t mean Adrian Zhekova can’t.
At this time, Nork City.
Christy Xenos was eating sunflower seeds while watching the video Cindy uploaded on CouTube.
She watched Cindy’s videos whenever she had free time these days.
And she watched them seriously without fast-forwarding.
Watching the video’s background, looking at the brands of small household appliances, knives, kitchenware that Cindy used, and then checking the prices on online platforms.
To see if Cindy was as poor as she claimed to be.
The more she checked, the more Christy felt she was being deceived.
The prices of those things were not cheap.
Could Cindy really afford them while being so poor?
Of course, it might also be like what Cindy claimed, just using them for advertising by the brand, not making much money herself.
But would Christy Xenos voluntarily find a reasonable excuse for Cindy?
Of course not.
Christy believed that the possibility of Cindy having money was greater.
With disgust, she continued to watch Cindy’s videos.
She has never favored this younger daughter.
Looking at Cindy’s face for a while, she felt annoyed.
She was eating sunflower seeds, watching Cindy’s video without interest.
Suddenly, a child appeared in the video.
But only the hand was shown.
Unable to see the face, Christy couldn’t tell if the child was a boy or a girl.
In the video, the plump little white hand suddenly appeared and grabbed a chicken wing.
It never appeared again after that.
The barrage of comments floated by: “So cute!”
“Is this Cindy’s son?”
“It must be Cindy’s son!”
“Yes, Cindy has a son, old fans know that.”
“Who is that child? Is it a relative’s child?”
“Don’t ask any further; can’t you see the barrage? It’s Cindy’s son.”
“Cindy’s son never appears in the videos, but sometimes you can catch a glimpse of his little hand.”
“It all started when the little guy messed with Cindy’s videos. That scene couldn’t be cut, so it had to be left in, unexpectedly becoming a hidden gem.”
“But Cindy rarely lets the little one appear, not even a little hand.”
“Cindy wants to protect her child.”
“Cindy is a single mother.”
“Cindy is really good, she’s a great mom.”
Christy quickly pressed pause.
She threw away the sunflower seeds in her palm and rushed to find Wendy Clarke.
“Wendy!” Christy burst into Wendy’s study room, “Wendy, look at this.”
In the study room, Wendy was wearing a silk nightgown.
It was a deep V-neck with spaghetti straps, and she wore a matching silk robe over it.
Although she tied the robe, the neckline was casually open, revealing a hint of the deep V-neck inside.
The half-hidden look was captivating.
If it was just her alone, it wouldn’t matter.
But at this moment, Wendy was video chatting with someone on her mobile phone.
A phone holder was on her desk.
Her mobile phone was placed in the holder.
Christy didn’t knock when she came in, she just pushed the door open.
Wendy hadn’t locked the door.
She didn’t expect someone to barge in without knocking.
“Wendy—” Christy’s exclamation was cut off abruptly.
Wendy paused for a moment, looking surprised.
Still, she managed to give a charming smile to the person on the phone, saying, “Sorry, I have some things to deal with. Let’s talk later.”
After that, she ended the video call.
Then she adjusted her collar and said unhappily, “Mom, why didn’t you knock before coming in?”
“I discovered something big, so I forgot.” Christy quickly explained.
“Mom, you can’t always do this. I need privacy! You suddenly barged in, which left me unprepared.” Wendy frowned.
“I know, I’ll be careful next time.” Christy had no choice but to say.
“You always say that, but you never pay attention.” Wendy complained.
If things go on like this, she’ll have to move out.
Nothing is convenient with her mom around.
Christy quickly apologized, “I really know now, I won’t do this again, I’ll be careful in the future. It’s just that the thing I discovered this time is really so big, and it made me overlook the fact.”
After that, Christy suddenly asked, “Wendy, who were you video chatting with just now? Why are you… dressed like that?”
“What do you mean ‘dressed like that’?” Wendy immediately replied unhappily, “I’m just wearing my pajamas at home.”
Christy glanced at her collar, which was now neatly adjusted.
Seeing Christy’s gaze, Wendy had to explain, “I know the trust-fund baby from Belfard, his family has some influence in Belfard. I was chatting with him about Belfard’s situation, there’s a lot of things we need to ask for his help when we open a restaurant in Belfard.”
“How did you get to know him?” Christy’s eyes brightened, asking surprisedly.
“Didn’t Erica Yves introduce me to Ella Doone, the richest Businessman in Nork City’s daughter?” Wendy explained, “She just returned to the country, and she came back with a few of her classmates. They didn’t rush to go home; they decided to visit Nork City and then leave. One of them is a trust-fund baby from Belfard.”
“We definitely need his connections in Belfard when we open a restaurant there.” Wendy said, “So I’ve been trying to build a good relationship with him, so I can ask for his help.”
“His family in Belfard has a big name; they’re not ordinary wealthy families.” Wendy added.
Christy’s eyes lit up, “Really? That’s great.”
“Since he’s Ella’s classmate, he must be quite young, right?” Christy realized some other benefits.
“He’s the same age as me.” Wendy smiled faintly, apparently thinking the same way as Christy.
“That’s perfect.” Christy quickly said, “Wendy, are you two…?”
“Not yet,” Wendy replied, “but it seems that he might be interested in me.”
“You must seize this opportunity then.” Christy held Wendy’s hand, excitedly urging her, “It’s rare that he’s young, and his family has a certain influence in Belfard.”
“I know,” Wendy replied, “there are too many capable people in Belfard, and there are also many powerful families. Ordinary wealthy families are nothing in Belfard. Belfard is a place where you can accidentally bump into an influential person just walking on the streets.”
Chapter 603: Cindy Clarke Has a Son
“If it was just an ordinary trust-fund baby, I wouldn’t even give them a glance,” Wendy said with a high standard. “It’s rare to find someone of such high quality in Ella Doone’s social circle. This time, I’m quite interested in developing something with him.”
“But his family is already well-off in Belfard, and he has seen a lot during his time studying abroad. His outlook is not ordinary,” Wendy continued, “It seems like he might be interested in me, but who knows if it’s just for a fling while he’s in Nork City.”
Wendy makes it clear that she’s not some naive little girl with unrealistic dreams.
Her experience means that she won’t fall for the usual tricks played on the less knowledgeable.
“Exactly,” Christy Xenos agreed, nodding her head, “These people can be pretty deceptive.”
Wendy went on, “Which is why I’m not being too pushy with him – I need to keep him interested. For now, we’re both still testing the waters.”
At this point, Christy no longer asked about Wendy’s image earlier.
It was all for the sake of that trust-fund baby from Belfard.
As long as it could lead to a serious relationship, or even marriage, it was okay to “accidentally” let him see a bit of herself, like she just had.
Keeping his interest required some initial investment, after all!
Wendy didn’t want to say any more.
Talking to Christy was pointless.
She had only done it to appease Christy.
As for getting advice, Wendy would never seek it from her.
Even if Christy had any advice, Wendy wouldn’t listen anyway.
What good ideas could someone so sheltered like Christy come up with?
Now that Christy was no longer dwelling on the issue from earlier, it was enough.
“Mom, why did you rush in here so urgently? What happened that surprised you so much?” Wendy asked again.
Christy had been so focused on Wendy earlier that she had almost forgotten her reason for coming in.
“Right! There is something really important!” Christy remembered and quickly handed Wendy the tablet she had been looking at earlier.
“It’s about Cindy Clarke – she has a son!” Christy exclaimed in shock.
This indeed was big news.
Wendy immediately looked at the screen.
There was not much information in the comments section.
Wendy scrolled down to read more comments below the video.
“After her son’s little hands first appeared, Cindy revealed that she is a single mom with a very cute son. But her son has never been on camera, and Cindy is very protective of him.”
“Yes, Cindy only mentioned it once. And it’s not in every video, only occasionally when her little one can’t resist his ‘sinful’ little hands sneaking something to eat, haha!”
Wendy’s face showed a mix of shock and a cold smile, perhaps even taking delight in her sister’s misfortune.
Wendy repeated, her eyes flickering, “Cindy Clarke has a son.”
“Yes!”, Christy nodded emphatically. “That shameless girl doesn’t know how to take care of herself. She ran to Belfard, and who knows who she had a child with!”
“Your father is still so worried about her. Later, I’m going to tell him so he knows what kind of good things Cindy has been up to in Belfard!” Christy sneered, with malicious intent.
“Mom!” Wendy was truly dumbfounded by Christy.
“Have you forgotten about Cindy and Mr. Lopez’s affair?” Wendy reminded her.
Christy finally remembered.
This time her expression was even more shocked than before: “You mean, Cindy’s son is Mr. Lopez’s?”
“It’s very possible,” Wendy nodded, “The only thing we don’t know is how old her son is.”
“If we knew that, we could make a better estimation based on the timing,” Wendy said.
They had once fought with Arthur Woods’ mother on Facebook, but that post by Cindy had long since been deleted.
So now neither Wendy nor Christy could see it.
“But I’m more inclined to believe that her son is Mr. Lopez’s. Otherwise, why would she have a child after going to Belfard?” Wendy reasoned.
“That means Mr. Lopez really took advantage of her back then,” Christy’s eyes lit up.
But she immediately turned angry and cursed, “That shameless man, with his disgusting appearance! He had already been with Cindy but lied to us saying he never met her, then tried to take advantage of you!”
Christy looked at Wendy, her eyes tearing up: “He actually lied to you!”
“Otherwise…otherwise…you wouldn’t have had to go along with him,” Christy expressed, furious that Wendy had been wronged.
She didn’t have to suffer like that; she could have had money without any trouble.
It was all because of Mr. Lopez’s lie that Wendy had suffered so much.
From the start, Mr. Lopez was actually attracted to Wendy.
It was Wendy who convinced him to take Cindy as a substitute.
“Can’t believe it, Mr. Lopez still couldn’t get enough of you! If you hadn’t been involved back then, you wouldn’t have to hide it so painstakingly now. You wouldn’t have this hidden history, always worrying that it would be exposed and discovered,” Christy lamented heartbrokenly.
Her heart ached terribly.
That Mr. Lopez was really despicable!
He didn’t even look at his own appearance in the mirror before daring to covet Wendy!
He actually took advantage of both sisters – there was no such good fortune!
“And that Cindy!” Christy angrily said, “She dared to lie!”
“She was clearly touched by Mr. Lopez before! If she hadn’t run away back then, we wouldn’t have had to find someone to confront Mr. Lopez, and we wouldn’t have been deceived!”
“It’s all Cindy’s fault!” Christy angrily said, “Since it already happened, why did she run?”
“Ever since she was a child, she’s been nothing but a burden to our family, like an unlucky star. Ever since we had her, our family has never had good luck,” Christy continued, seething with hatred.
Seeing this attitude, if it weren’t for Cindy’s usefulness, Christy would hate to sever their mother-daughter relationship.
“It was such a rare opportunity for her to contribute something to our family, and she ran away!” Christy said bitterly. “She not only ran away, but also implicated you!”
“That’s why I always say, anything associated with her spells trouble!” Christy fumed.
“Look at how bad our family was when she was at home! Five years ago, she ran away; it was a dishonorable thing she did. But it must be said, life has been better for us in these five years without her. Our restaurant has been more and more successful too.”
“So I say, she’s a plague!” Christy truly believed her statement.
Moreover, she felt that the facts had proven everything so far.
Wendy felt both suffocated and disgusted.
She even felt completely filthy all over and wanted to take a shower.
Wendy truly hated Cindy bitterly.
Just as Christy said, if Cindy hadn’t run away back then,
Mr. Lopez wouldn’t have had the opportunity to lie.
Chapter 604: You’ve Been Fooled
If Mr. Lopez was lying, we could have just called Cindy Clarke for confrontation.
This way, I won’t have to make any further sacrifices!
I was essentially sacrificing myself for nothing, giving Mr. Lopez a free advantage.
Now, the situation is exactly as I speculated with Christy Xenos beforehand.
Ever since agreeing to bear Mr. Lopez a son.
This was my disgrace.
Wendy Clarke was always careful to hide this part of her past, fearing others might find out.
Even now, living a life of luxury, there were still things that she was unsatisfied with.
All thanks to Cindy Clarke!
“Let’s not talk about it anymore,” Wendy Clarke decidedly didn’t want to bring up the past.
As expected, Christy Xenos said no more.
Wendy Clarke asked again, “When you went to Belfard and met her, didn’t you find out she has a son?”
“How could we have known that?” Christy Xenos quickly explained, “She came alone, without any child.”
“And her home? Didn’t you visit her home?” Wendy Clarke immediately asked.
Christy Xenos paused before saying: “Ah, now that you mentioned it, it seems so.”
“At that time, I didn’t know she had a child, so I didn’t pay attention and just noticed that her home was quite small.”
“But thinking about it now, her place was so small that you could see everything at a glance,” Christy Xenos said, “I actually didn’t notice any child-related items.”
“If there is a child, even if they don’t have much money and can’t afford toys, there should at least be a bed for the child, right?”
“Especially since it’s a boy, he can’t always sleep with his mommy,” Christy Xenos reasoned.
“However, there were no traces of a child in her home. There were no beds, toys, nothing.”
“What about toiletries?” Wendy Clarke asked again.
“Even if there were no other items, there should have been a child’s toiletries,” Wendy Clarke said.
If she were really that poor, external matters may not matter, but she can’t simply not have toiletries, can she?
Christy Xenos frowned and thought for a while, but was still unsure: “This, I didn’t really notice. Cindy Clarke was always hounding me for money, so all I wanted was to leave.”
“And her bathroom and sink were so shoddy, a sore sight to the eye,” Christy Xenos disdainfully said, “So, I didn’t really pay attention.”
“In addition, she said herself that she had fled from Mr. Lopez and he hadn’t even touched her. So naturally we thought that she had no children. Who would think there might be a child involved,” Christy Xenos explained.
“I think you were tricked,” Wendy Clarke bitterly stated.
“How so?” Christy Xenos was puzzled.
“That property was probably deliberately arranged by her to fool you.” Wendy Clarke said, “And, she didn’t want us to know about her child, so she didn’t display anything child-related in the house.”
“She must have feared we would use her child against her,” Wendy Clarke suggested.
“Just like when she attended the Competition, she initially refused to remove her mask, fearing that people would recognize her face. Wasn’t that to avoid us?”
“She made videos without showing her face, she was also doing it to avoid us, in case we saw her online,” Wendy Clarke said.
“She was so worried, naturally she was also worried that we would use her child. And even more worried that after we saw her child, we would know that it is the child she had for Mr. Lopez.”
“And then, once the news leaked out, how embarrassing it would be for her,” Wendy Clarke smirked.
“Now that we know, she won’t be able to hide,” Christy Xenos also said maliciously.
All of this was due to Cindy Clarke, which caused Wendy Clarke to suffer such a loss.
Cindy Clarke just caused trouble when she was home.
When she left, she even set a trap for Wendy Clarke.
Christy Xenos suddenly remembered something, grabbing Wendy Clarke’s arm and saying, “That’s right, since Cindy Clarke already bore Mr. Lopez a son, basically, we’ve given Mr. Lopez two sons.”
“One son is worth 10 million, so two should be 20 million. But he only gave us 10 million. In other words, he still owes us 10 million!” Christy Xenos reminded Wendy Clarke.
If it were a small amount of money, I wouldn’t bother to see Mr. Lopez’s fat, big-eared face.
But this was 10 million!
Christy Xenos did not want to take this loss!
“Cindy Clarke just left like that, dumping you.” Christy Xenos said, “Now through her child, we can claim 10 million that she owes us.”
“When the time comes, let Mr. Lopez find her. She kidnapped his child, moreover, it’s a son, would Mr. Lopez let her off?” Christy Xenos suggested wickedly.
“No.” Wendy Clarke immediately objected.
“Why?” Christy Xenos wondered, “Are we going to let Cindy Clarke off that easily? That’s too generous of us!”
“Of course, we cannot ignore her so easily.” Wendy Clarke’s eyes filled with hatred as if they would burst any second, “She harmed me. If it wasn’t for her, why would I have such a disgraceful history? I wouldn’t need to be so fearful now, worrying about my past being discovered.”
“I would have more capital for dealing with people, instead of worrying about finding a trust-fund baby who might uncover my past!”
“Even if I get married in the future and successfully marry into a wealthy family, this past will still be my disgrace, and if anyone discovers it, I will be ruined!”
All because of Cindy Clarke.
If it weren’t for her, I wouldn’t have to be so cautious and careful.
Let alone a wealthy family, if ordinary people knew that she had had a child for money, few would accept it.
Not to mention the face-conscious wealthy families.
“So, I have to pre-empt,” Wendy Clarke said coldly.
“What are you going to do?” Christy Xenos immediately asked.
“Originally, I had two plans. That son of Mr. Lopez, though he already lives with Mr. Lopez and does not know I am his mother, is still my son. The bond of blood cannot be changed.”
“Mr. Lopez’s wife can’t bear children. After Mr. Lopez took my son home, he had a row with his wife and at last, she gave in and decided to keep the child. However, she would never give anyone else a chance to let Mr. Lopez bring home another one.”
“This means eventually all of Mr. Lopez’s properties will belong to this son,” Wendy Clarke smirked sarcastically, “And this son… he is my child, right?”
“In the future, Mr. Lopez’s property will essentially belong to me,” Wendy Clarke said.
“Because of this past, I feel like I’ve always had a ticking time bomb strapped to my back, not knowing when it will go off. However, I also have the safety net of this son. If the bomb goes off, I can still inherit Mr. Lopez’s properties because of him,” Wendy Clarke plays her cards right.
Christy Xenos’s face lit up with delight.
Chapter 605: Faded Old Photographs
This was something she had never thought of before.
“You’re so clever, Wendy!” exclaimed Christy Xenos with joy.
Her reaction made it seem as though she already had Mr. Lopez’s fortunes within her grasp.
“You’re so skilled!” Christy Xenos slapped her thigh in delight.
“That’s why, I can’t let Mr. Lopez know that Cindy Clarke also bore him a son.” Wendy Clarke stated.
“Cindy doesn’t have the ability to contend with Mr. Lopez. If he finds out and takes the son home, there’s nothing Cindy can do about it.” Wendy confidently claimed.
“Indeed.” Christy Xenos agreed, nodding her head.
“She claims she doesn’t have money, but she might be lying. Even if she’s making a fair bit as a food blogger, she’s nowhere near Mr. Lopez.”
“To put it bluntly, Cindy is an individual entrepreneur. She may not be as wealthy as Mr. Lopez or the trust fund baby you know, but she’s a businessman with connections and a flourishing business.”
“If he ever wanted to go after Cindy, she wouldn’t stand a chance.” Wendy didn’t even think of Cindy as a threat.
Cindy isn’t even a match for her.
Making a little money doesn’t change the fact that she lacks social connections.
She could never compete with her.
It’s because of Joshua Clarke and Christy Xenos being too gullible that they fall for Cindy’s tricks.
“If Mr. Lopez takes Cindy’s son home, he’ll fight my son over the inheritance? I can’t allow such a thing to happen.” Wendy would not stand for such an eventuality.
“Moreover, Cindy’s son is only fit to be poor with her, not deserving of the good life like my son!” Wendy said coldly.
“Cindy’s not worthy of the good life, and neither is her son. They don’t deserve to have the life we lead.”
“Yes, you’re right.” Christy Xenos agreed.
“If she really lives a good life, she’ll definitely burden us.” Christy Xenos said.
If Cindy is a burden, then it’s best she remains poor.
“So, I won’t let Mr. Lopez find out that she has a son.” Wendy said coldly.
“So we’re just going to let her off?” Christy Xenos objected, unable to bear the thought of Cindy living a peaceful and comfortable life.
“Of course not, I won’t tell Mr. Lopez, but I can tell his wife.” Wendy said, her eyes revealing a vindictive smile.
“When Mr. Lopez brought home a son, his wife was so angry she almost died. Their home was chaotic; it took immense patience for her to accept the child.”
“Now, if his wife finds out that Mr. Lopez has another son, won’t she go crazy?” Wendy laughed at the thought of the scene.
“We don’t even have to lift a finger. Let his wife confront Cindy, she can handle it.” Wendy suggested.
“His wife won’t let that child enter the Lopez family, but when she makes a scene, everyone will know that Cindy is not as simple as a single mother, but a woman who had a child with a married man.”
“That sounds much worse than an out-of-wedlock child. Cindy is a homewrecker!” Wendy sneered, “Then Cindy will be left with nothing.”
“She’s a popular food blogger and she’s attracted quite a number of followers through the cooking competition, but how many will stick around once it’s revealed that she had a child with a married man? Even if she posts videos, she’ll only get a lot of hate.”
“Without any supporters, she won’t have an income. At that time, she won’t be able to make ends meet and she’ll have no choice but to rely on us.” Wendy planned, laughing.
While Cindy may be annoying, there’s no denying her cooking skills.
“Since she won’t be able to continue being a food blogger, with her reputation, she may find it difficult to get a job at other restaurants.”
“We don’t support idlers in our family. If she wants to earn a living, she needs to work, right?”
“We’ll offer her a head chef position, so she can continue doing what she loves. That’s as gracious as we can be.” Wendy raised an eyebrow, “She should be grateful to us.”
Christy Xenos couldn’t help but nod: “Wendy, your mind’s much sharper. Your dad and I were fooled by her.”
“It would’ve been better if you had come to Belfard with us. You would’ve exposed her lies on the spot.” Christy Xenos said.
“This time, it turned out to be a blessing in disguise.” Wendy said, “After all, what’s ours is ours. It won’t escape.”
***
At night, Adrian Zhekova and Cindy Clarke, along with the little one, had dinner at the family mansion.
The old master joyously ordered Butler Howard to fetch a crate of red wine from the cellar.
It seemed as if the old master intended to drink all the wine himself.
It was clear that he was really delighted.
Apart from little Morgan, Butler Howard poured a glass for everyone.
Morgan looked on as everyone else poured glasses, but he didn’t have one.
Being too young to drink wine, he ended up with a bottle of grape juice instead.
Morgan silently held his cup, took a sip of grape juice, then stealthily brought Adrian’s cup closer to his nose to smell the wine.
Mixing the two, he pretended he was drinking as well.
“Tonight, this is truly a dinner as a family.” Old Madam sighed, “This day is worth remembering.”
“Yes, this is our first time having a complete family dinner.” The old master’s eyes crinkled as he smiled.
“Cindy is officially part of our family now.” Truly a part of the family, becoming a member of the Zhekova Family.
At this moment, Maverick Zhekova raised his glass: “Welcome, Cindy, to our family.”
Cindy raised her glass, she knew that the elders of the Zhekova Family had always treated her as one of their own.
No matter what, it always felt a bit off.
But after getting the marriage certificate, everything was utterly different.
Cindy finally felt that she truly belonged.
Belonging to this big family, felt like home.
Living with Adrian had given her a sense of home.
Now, with the Zhekova family, surrounded by so many elders, she felt warmth.
It turns out, this is the warmth of family that the books talk about.
Such lively warmth.
It was a feeling that, when recalled, warmed the heart.
Just like an old, yellowed photograph, the images bring warmth and nostalgia.
***
When they got home that night.
It was already past Morgan’s bedtime.
So, Cindy hurriedly urged Morgan to brush his teeth and go to bed.
Only after Morgan was settled did they finally get some time alone.
Adrian originally wanted to leave Morgan at the mansion.
Tonight was, after all, their official wedding night.
Adrian sure didn’t want a little third wheel hanging around.
But seeing the excitement and anticipation on the little guy’s face, Adrian’s resolve softened.
Yes, today was the day he and Cindy got their marriage certificate.
But it was also the day their family all appeared together on the Household Register.
Chapter 606: Cannot Have Nothing
Morgan called them Mom and Dad, without needing any further explanation.
He called them so proudly and naturally.
Under the father’s column, it was his name.
Adrian Zhekova’s full name was printed right there.
Back at the family mansion, Morgan had rarely left Adrian’s side.
He called him Dad over and over, his voice crisp and sweet.
It was almost as if he wanted to roll around on Adrian’s leg, making it difficult for Adrian to leave him at the family mansion.
Tonight was the night their family of three became a real family.
For Morgan, it was also very important.
Now, after Morgan had gone to bed, the little guy thought about it and laughed under the covers with a “hehehe.”
Everything felt different.
In the past, even though he knew Adrian was his dad, his real dad.
There was always a sense of being a guest.
But now, this was really his home.
“Look at your silly face,” Adrian couldn’t help but tease.
But after teasing, he couldn’t help but laugh as well.
“Go to sleep,” Adrian said again.
Morgan laughed again, covering himself with the blanket and giggling “hehehe.”
Helplessly, Cindy had to tear open a pack of Child Steam Eye Mask for him to wear.
The faint scent of chamomile and the warmth from the eye mask gently warmed the little one’s eyelids.
In a short while, the little guy fell asleep, his eyelids soothed by the soft warmth and fragrance.
Only then did Cindy and Adrian leave Morgan’s bedroom, but Adrian didn’t immediately head to their own bedroom.
Instead, he led Cindy to the living room, as if it was her first time there, and showed her around carefully.
Cindy looked at Adrian with confusion.
Adrian finally stopped, looking down at Cindy with a slightly lowered voice, “Welcome home.”
“Before, when you were here, you were staying as my girlfriend or fiancee. I imagine it must have felt a bit different from a home.”
“But now, you’re the true lady of the house. This is where we will live our married life, and it’s your home.”
Cindy stared blankly, her eyes fixed on Adrian.
She looked up to see his gentle gaze and a faint smile on his face.
She didn’t expect this man to be so thoughtful, even noticing such details.
Cindy had always thought that living out of this place meant it was their home.
But it wasn’t until tonight that she returned with a brand new identity, as Adrian’s wife, that she found out the feeling was different.
Before, it felt like she was living with Adrian. She wasn’t the true lady of the house. She was just Adrian’s girlfriend at best, and at most his fiancee.
Truth be told, whenever she thought about this place, her first reaction was that it was Adrian’s home.
But from now on, that feeling was gone.
If anyone asked her, her first reaction would be, “This is our home.”
So that’s what being married felt like.
Things that did not seem to belong to her before suddenly had a sense of belonging.
There was no more distinction between you and me.
As Cindy stared blankly, she saw Adrian smile gently, his voice tenderly saying, “Mrs. Zhekova.”
Her cheeks flushed with a faint pink blush.
Then she heard Adrian say, “Tomorrow, move all your things from your room to mine.”
Although the two had been staying in the same room for quite some time, Cindy’s belongings were still in her old room, and she hadn’t moved into Adrian’s room.
As a result, Adrian always felt that his room was missing something and didn’t quite feel like a place where two people lived together.
In plain terms, it was just cohabitation.
But starting tonight, his bedroom would be their master bedroom.
Just the thought of his room being filled with Cindy’s belongings made him feel incredibly satisfied.
Cindy obediently nodded her head, realizing that there was no longer any need to differentiate between his room and her room.
“I never thought we’d get married so soon,” Cindy said softly.
Adrian couldn’t help but laugh, “Why don’t I take out the marriage certificate again and take a good look, just to make sure?”
Cindy felt that there was no need for such an exaggeration.
She just thought that everything that had happened in a day was so sudden.
It went from talking about getting married to actually getting married. When they left in the morning, she was still Adrian’s fiancee and girlfriend.
By the time they returned, she had become Adrian’s wife, his true wife.
Today, when they left the house, they were only going to attend a wedding. She never thought about getting a marriage license, as the whole thing was completely unplanned.
When they came back, everything had changed.
In both identity and mindset.
“Now I’m Mrs. Zhekova, your wife,” Cindy said.
As if she was speaking to Adrian and also muttering to herself for confirmation.
Adrian patiently nodded, “That’s right.”
“From now on, if people see me with you, and they’re curious…”
Before Cindy could finish her sentence, Adrian quickly said, “You can tell them that I’m your husband and you’re my wife.”
“From now on, you’re not a person without a home,” Adrian continued, “You have a home and a family.”
“If anyone bullies you, we’re here for you. I’m here for you, as well as our parents and grandparents,” Adrian said, “We’ll back you up and support you. Come to us if you feel wronged.”
Cindy’s forehead rested against Adrian’s chest, and her heart felt incredibly full.
Adrian led Cindy back to their room, and the two took out their marriage certificates.
The certificates had to be properly stored away.
As Cindy was about to put them away, she heard Adrian ask, “Where is your camera?”
“It’s in the study,” Cindy replied, “Why?”
“We haven’t taken our wedding photos yet,” Adrian said.
Cindy was a little lost at Adrian’s train of thought.
Adrian wanted to take the camera out and take wedding photos on their own?
But they had the camera; they didn’t even have their wedding attire yet.
“Is it in your desk?” Adrian asked again.
“Let’s go together,” Cindy said, “Next time, you need to find a chance to familiarize yourself with my study.”
“That way, if you want to find something, you don’t have to wait for me and can find it yourself.” Cindy spoke as she led Adrian to the study.
Adrian liked that Cindy didn’t hide anything from him.
In Cindy’s eyes, there was nothing worth concealing.
The two were honest enough to search each other’s mobile phones.
Cindy kept her camera in a cabinet.
As soon as she took it out, she saw that Adrian had brought the marriage certificates with him.
He placed them on the desk.
“We haven’t taken our wedding photos, but the room still feels like it’s missing something,” Adrian said.
“When people get married, they hang their wedding photos in the bedroom. We can’t have nothing in ours.” Adrian spoke as he busied himself arranging the marriage certificates.
Yes, it was just two marriage certificates.
But Adrian wanted to arrange them beautifully, too.
Chapter 607: My Wife is Really Smart
“What should we hang then?” But there wouldn’t be any strangers coming into their bedroom.
Even if they had guests over, they wouldn’t be allowed to enter the bedroom and look around.
“I’ve thought about it, we can hang our marriage certificate.” Adrian Zhekova said.
“What?” Cindy Clarke was genuinely surprised.
“We’ll take wedding photos, but it takes time to pick out the photos and print them.” Adrian Zhekova said.
“Also, we can’t just settle for any wedding dress, we don’t want those rented from wedding dress shops that have been worn by many people with potential clashes in style.” Adrian Zhekova continued.
How could his wife’s wedding dress be the same as someone else’s?
And how could it be a casual rented wedding dress?
“Take Charlotte York’s dress today, for example, it was designed by a designer. Although wedding dresses can only be worn once, and there’s no chance to wear it again after the first wear, having it preserved as a keepsake still has sentimental value, right?”
“When we grow old, we can pull it out and take a look. That’s the dress you wore on our wedding day.” Adrian Zhekova thought about that scene and felt satisfied, “That’s true happiness.”
Cindy was also attracted by the picture Adrian described, and she couldn’t help but imagine it.
The picture formed in her mind.
“So, I want to find a designer to create a unique design just for you – the perfect wedding dress tailored specifically for you.” Adrian Zhekova said.
“But doing so will take quite some time. From the design to the final draft, we need to discuss the details of the wedding dress in between. Then, the wedding dress has to be made.”
“Your wedding dress has to be handmade, and if it’s finely crafted, it will take even longer. Of course, this all depends on the final design of the wedding dress.” Adrian Zhekova added.
“In short, it will take some time for the wedding dress to be made.” Adrian Zhekova counted, “We won’t be able to take wedding photos in a rush.”
“But our room is so empty, I can’t stand not hanging something that symbolizes our marriage.”
So what?
Cindy saw Adrian waving to her: “Cindy, do you think this arrangement looks good?”
Cindy walked over and saw Adrian arranging the marriage certificate into a heart shape.
“You want to take a picture of the marriage certificate and hang it in the bedroom?” Cindy asked.
“Yeah, it’s even more straightforward than a picture of the two of us together.” Adrian nodded.
“If the two of us don’t wear wedding dresses in the photo, who would know we’re married?” Adrian explained, “The marriage certificate is the simplest and clearest. Of course, we can’t just take a random shot, we have to be creative!”
Cindy: “…”
Sure, you can stay up late doing this instead of sleeping.
“I think it looks pretty good like this.” Cindy saw the way Adrian arranged the marriage certificate and said.
However, after looking at it for two more times, Adrian shook his head: “No, it still doesn’t look special enough.”
“Why not take a few more shots first, and then change the arrangement to take a few more, and finally compare which effect is better?” Cindy reminded.
Adrian didn’t think of that because he didn’t usually do it.
But Cindy often takes some cover photos and uploads videos.
When she started in this field, she initially took her time to choose angles for shooting carefully.
If she wasn’t satisfied, she’d shoot again.
Gradually, she gained experience and started shooting from every angle, whether it was 360 degrees or not.
All the shots were then uploaded to the computer for comparison and selection.
“You’re right.” Adrian Zhekova immediately praised, “My wife is really smart.”
Cindy’s face flushed, but she couldn’t help but smile at the corners of her mouth.
He used to call her my little Cindy.
But now, it’s changed to my wife.
The two are one.
After taking a few pictures, Adrian Zhekova continued.
He took pictures with Cindy holding the marriage certificate.
Finally, they brought out a tripod, set up the camera, and set the timer for shooting.
They sat down together, holding the marriage certificate, and took another shot.
In the end, the couple took various funny poses, having a blast.
Unknowingly, it was already 11:00 pm, and Adrian still didn’t feel sleepy.
Anyway, tomorrow is Sunday, it doesn’t matter if they stay up all night tonight.
So, Adrian pulled Cindy to look at the photos they just took on the computer.
He selected a few good-looking ones from the bunch.
Adrian found every photo too good to give up, all seeming perfect to him.
“Let’s print this one with the marriage certificate in the largest size, and hang it above our bed.” Adrian Zhekova suggested.
Cindy: “…”
Having two gigantic marriage certificates hanging above their heads was really quite pressuring.
“The others, just print them in regular size, frame them, and hang them on the wall with a nice layout.” Adrian had it all planned out and decided to print them all.
Cindy usually edited videos and made covers herself.
So she had a lot of experience in photo editing.
Thus, there was no need to find a studio for retouching, as she could do it all by herself.
“Are you tired now?” Adrian asked her.
He didn’t mind staying up late, but he was worried that Cindy was trying to keep up with him.
“Not tired.” She shook her head, smiling.
Adrian looked into her eyes and saw that she didn’t appear to be tired at all.
“If you’re tired, just tell me, don’t force yourself to stay up just for me,” Adrian said.
“I’m really not tired.” It wasn’t just Adrian who was excited; she was excited as well.
Although they had been living together for a while.
But the feeling of having a marriage certificate was different.
She understood Adrian’s feelings and thought that hanging the photos would be a great idea.
So, for this time around, Adrian sat with her while she edited the photos one by one.
By the time the photos were edited, two hours had passed.
“When should we print the photos?” Cindy saved the photos in a folder and asked him.
“Tomorrow?” Adrian Zhekova said, “Once they’re printed, we can choose some nice frames.”
“Why don’t we take some family portraits tomorrow?” Cindy suggested immediately.
“There are only pictures of the two of us, without Morgan Zhekova, which is not right. That’s certainly going to make Morgan sad.” Cindy said.
Morgan Zhekova was such a good child, so sensible.
Usually, Adrian would tease Morgan and flaunt things in front of him.
But Morgan never held a grudge and didn’t let Adrian upset him to the point of tears.
At most, he would find an opportunity to show off in return.
But that didn’t mean they could just leave Morgan out, without even a picture in the mix.
Adrian thought so too.
Apart from being attentive to matters concerning Cindy, Adrian wasn’t even as careful with his own son.
It was only after Cindy’s reminder that he remembered.
“Alright.” Adrian nodded and agreed.
“Are you sleepy now?” Adrian asked her.
Cindy didn’t think much about it and shook her head honestly.
Adrian immediately pulled Cindy into his arms: “Well… Let’s consider tonight our wedding night.”
Cindy’s heart raced, but she nodded and smiled, “Yes, Mr. Zhekova.”
He hadn’t expected him to think about that.
Chapter 608: Did you hear that?
So this man still had her in his thoughts.
“Mmm…” Adrian Zhekova lowered his head and sniffed lightly at her neck, “I’m feeling a bit hungry.”
Cindy Clarke shuddered at his words.
What was he saying?
What was he hungry for?
“I’m hungry for you,” Adrian murmured in her ear.
Cindy’s eyes widened in shock: “You heard that?”
She hadn’t said it out loud, just whispered it in her heart.
“Your emotions were fluctuating wildly just now,” Adrian said.
Suddenly, he leaned close to her ear and whispered, “In fact, every time I want you, the fluctuations in your heart are especially intense. So at those times, I know exactly what you’re thinking.”
Cindy gasped sharply, her face turning beet red.
Though she couldn’t remember everything clearly, she knew what was going on in her heart at those moments.
Especially the things that were too embarrassing to say out loud, or too daring to voice. She’d shouted them all in her heart.
In that state, not actually shouting them out loud was already the greatest restraint she could muster.
How could she control herself in her heart?
Cindy could remember how many wild and shameful words had slipped through her own mind in secret.
Of course, at that time, her emotions were indeed fluctuating especially intensely.
Adrian must have sensed it all too clearly.
Knowing that Adrian heard all those words made Cindy feel terrible.
Cindy raised her palm to cover her flushed face, her embarrassment unbearable.
She felt like she couldn’t face anyone at the moment.
The things that were too embarrassing to say at that time could be imagined easily enough.
“That’s why I never asked you to say those things, because I already heard them,” Adrian chuckled softly.
He held her wrist and removed her hand from her face.
Gazing at her flushed face,
Adrian’s lips were near her ear, and before they even touched her cheek, they could feel the heat radiating from her.
His warm lips brushed against her cheek, discovering that her face was as hot as a fever.
Adrian’s lips curved into a smile, whispering softly, “I love listening to those words.”
Even if Cindy didn’t say them out loud, it didn’t matter, since he could hear them.
Moreover, because she thought he didn’t know, she was more reckless with her thoughts.
He heard all of her increasingly bold words,
which only made him more passionate.
But Adrian’s words made Cindy’s face even redder.
But what could be done about it?
Who would have thought this man could hear her innermost thoughts?
And at those times, she truly couldn’t control her emotions.
No wonder he’d always whispered to her, “Look at me.”
He wanted to hear more of her thoughts.
Cindy was so annoyed.
She was already carried back into the bedroom by Adrian.
Even if she intended to reduce the thoughts in her heart,
she couldn’t control it later on.
She couldn’t control her emotions or her thoughts.
“Cindy,” Adrian called out to her again.
Cindy knew he wanted her to look into his eyes, so she turned her head away to avoid his gaze.
As a result, Adrian directly twisted her head back: “Look at me with your eyes open.”
Cindy stubbornly kept her eyes closed and refused to comply.
This man was bullying her too much!
Then she heard him call out, “Cindy, my wife, my love.”
Cindy: “…”
She lost, she was no match for him.
In the end, she couldn’t help but open her eyes to look at him.
At the moment she opened her eyes, she saw the ecstatic expression on Adrian’s face.
***
As expected, the next day, the two of them got up late.
Instead, it was their child, Morgan Zhekova, who usually slept in on weekends, that woke up before them.
It wasn’t that Morgan woke up particularly early, but rather that Adrian and Cindy got up really late.
Morgan followed his usual weekend schedule and got up at 9:30.
Who would have expected that when he woke up, the living room would be so quiet?
There was no sound of Cindy making breakfast like usual.
Still wearing his pajamas and rubbing his eyes, Morgan emerged with his round belly and cartoon slippers.
“Cindy,” the little one’s voice was still hazy from sleep, and he yawned sleepily as he called out softly.
When there was no response, the little one called out again, “Dad?”
During his call, he had entered the living room.
Seeing that there was no one in the living room, where Adrian usually would be when he had nothing to do,
“Cindy?” Morgan went to the kitchen.
There was no one in the kitchen either.
Morgan thought that this was really abnormal.
Cindy had never slept this late before.
Morgan wondered if Cindy was in the study room upstairs.
So, he stomped upstairs again, only to find that Cindy’s study room was empty as well.
And the other rooms were definitely empty too.
Now, Morgan was sure that Cindy hadn’t gotten up yet.
Morgan stomped back downstairs quickly and headed straight for Adrian and Cindy’s bedroom door.
“Cindy, Dad, are you not up yet?” Morgan asked, slapping the door from outside.
“Dad, Cindy!”
“Cindy, Dad!”
“Dad, Cindy!”
Adrian Zhekova: “…”
He had just woken up, intending to press Cindy for another round.
But just as he was about to pull her closer, he heard Morgan’s voice.
Cindy had been drowsy and completely unaware of the current time.
She had been extremely tired the night before.
Even when Adrian had just pulled her closer, she still hadn’t opened her eyes.
Now that she heard Morgan’s voice, she sobered up immediately.
“What time is it?” Cindy pushed Adrian.
Adrian didn’t know either, so he looked up at the clock on the wall: “It’s not even 10 o’clock yet.”
“Does Morgan always get up this early on weekends?” Adrian complained.
“It’s not early at all,” Cindy said.
Further delay would mean it was almost noon.
But Adrian got up, put on his pants, and went to the door.
“What are you doing?” Cindy hastily grabbed him and asked.
“I’m going to tell Morgan that we’re still sleeping and to wait a little longer,” Adrian said.
Cindy: “…”
“Don’t sleep any more,” Cindy quickly said, “If we drag it out any longer, it’ll be noon, and Morgan hasn’t eaten yet.”
“Why can’t this kid sleep in?” Adrian grumbled discontentedly.
“It’s already late,” Cindy said.
Hurrying to get dressed, she also pulled Adrian up.
Adrian was really heavy, and Cindy couldn’t even budge him.
Instead, she was pulled back into his arms.
Cindy twisted her face in annoyance, “Hurry up, didn’t we agree to take pictures and have them developed today?”
Only then was Adrian willing to get up.
Cindy had been exhausted by him, and although it wasn’t so exaggerated as to not be able to walk, she was indeed very tired.
“We’re coming out now,” Adrian called out loudly.
After a while, both of them were ready, and Adrian opened the door.
As soon as he opened it, he saw little Morgan standing at the door.
Chapter 609: Misunderstanding Morgan Zhekova at First Sight
“Dad, Cindy, why are you just getting up?” Morgan said.
“Sorry, we were a bit tired yesterday and accidentally overslept,” Cindy quickly explained.
“That tired?” Morgan didn’t understand, “We were together yesterday, and I wasn’t that tired.”
Cindy was afraid that Adrian would say something that would make Morgan transform into a million-question child.
Quickly speaking before Adrian could say anything, she said, “Didn’t Dad and I go to get our marriage certificate yesterday?”
“We had to queue there, and we had to do so many things, running around a lot of places before finishing. So…we were a bit tired.” She didn’t know if the little guy would believe that.
Morgan thought Cindy must have thought he was a fool.
Trying to deceive him with such an excuse.
The little guy just had to play along with Cindy, putting on an innocent and innocent face, nodding his head and saying, “Oh, I see.”
However, perhaps the little guy couldn’t quite hide a bit of perfunctory in his expression, so Cindy felt as if she was being looked down upon by him.
Adrian then lightly knocked on Morgan’s forehead.
“Dad, what are you doing!” Morgan rubbed his forehead and protested.
“Are you trying to bully Cindy again?” Adrian said.
“No, not at all! I would never dare to bully Cindy!” Morgan immediately said.
“Have you brushed your teeth?” Cindy asked.
“Not yet, I came looking for you guys as soon as I woke up,” Morgan said.
“Then go brush your teeth, I’ll prepare breakfast, and then we’ll go take some pictures,” Cindy told him about today’s plans.
“Take pictures?” Morgan asked puzzledly, “What pictures are we taking?”
“We’ll take some family photos and stuff like that,” Cindy said with a smile, “We haven’t taken proper pictures like that before.”
“Once the photos are developed, we’ll hang them on the wall,” Cindy said.
“I’m going to brush my teeth now!” Morgan said and immediately ran back into his room.
Although he didn’t say anything about looking forward to it, judging from Morgan’s reaction, it was obvious that the little guy was very excited.
Morgan was very efficient in hygiene and was soon ready to go.
Luckily, Cindy didn’t prepare an overly complicated breakfast this time.
She just toasted some bread, fried some eggs, and had a variety of homemade jams in the refrigerator.
Since breakfast was late, they weren’t in a hurry for lunch.
So after they finished eating, they set off for a photo studio.
This studio was arranged by Zane Hamilton.
The photographer was quite famous, often shooting cover photos for top fashion magazines.
There were also celebrities who, if their status was high enough and they had enough say, would specifically request that he take their photos.
As this photographer was quite busy, but due to having worked with Benjamin Hamilton on several occasions, and given Benjamin’s position in the entertainment industry, he couldn’t refuse when Zane asked him for a favor.
As a result, Adrian drove Cindy and Morgan to the photo studio.
As expected, the photographer was very experienced.
He didn’t rigidly ask them to pose in any particular way.
He just chatted and took pictures at the same time, and before they knew it, they’d taken many photos.
He let Adrian, Cindy, and Morgan chat comfortably, even bringing a sofa for them to sit on.
The photographer stood unobtrusively to the side, continuously snapping pictures.
At last, the shoot ended much faster than Cindy had imagined.
When they looked at the photos on the computer, Cindy couldn’t have imagined that these photos were taken while they were completely unaware.
In the photos, their poses and expressions were so natural and gentle.
They looked like carefully posed angles, which were extremely beautiful.
However, the naturalness in it couldn’t be achieved with posed photos.
Especially when it came to Morgan and Adrian, their eye contact held a little disdain and sparks flying, but at the same time, a sense of closeness could be seen in the photos.
It was both disdainful and close-knit.
Simply put, it was a love-hate relationship.
This was much more natural than the stiffly posed family portraits.
It felt more spirited and unique.
As Morgan looked at the photos, he couldn’t help but exclaim, “How can I be so cute!”
The little guy even asked Cindy, “Cindy, have I always been this cute?”
“Yes,” Cindy said with a smile, “You are always this cute.”
“Then you must be having a hard time,” Morgan sighed.
Cindy asked confusedly, “Why do you say that?”
“Having to face such a cute me every day, it must be so hard for you to bear,” Morgan thought they had it tough.
“…” Cindy said, laughing and crying at the same time, “Not at all. With you being so cute, we’re even happier seeing you every day, so there’s no difficulty.”
“But I’m afraid that I’m too cute, and you guys won’t be able to handle it,” Morgan said uneasily, “Also, seeing me so cute all the time, you won’t feel anything when you see others who are just generally cute.”
“After all, having seen me, the starting point is too high,” Morgan sighed, feeling as if being too cute was a crime, it was really a bit of a sin!
Cindy: “…”
Everyone in the photo studio: “…”
Looking at the little guy’s expression, it didn’t seem like he was joking.
He really and truly felt that way and was feeling sorry for those who were overwhelmed by his cuteness.
He was afraid that their standards would become too high, that when they looked at other children, they would think they are only ordinary cute and not compare them to him.
Then he would be causing a lot of trouble!
Other children would also be pitiful.
“It’s true that one look at Morgan can lead to mis…mis…” Morgan said, shaking his head, but suddenly couldn’t remember how to say the last two words.
Adrian: “…”
He just wanted to take the little guy and leave quickly now.
It was so embarrassing!
The photographer was stunned, too.
What a rare narcissistic child!
Although it had to be said that the little guy was very cute and handsome,
This was indeed a fact, he did not misunderstand himself.
But saying it outright like that…
The photographer’s gaze involuntarily went back and forth between Adrian and Cindy.
Just who did the little guy inherit this self-loving trait from?
“Ahem!” Adrian hurriedly changed the subject in the face of everyone’s shocked gaze, “We’ll take all of these photos, and have them all retouched and developed.”
“We’ll choose a few frames,” Adrian said.
Taking too many would be useless.
They couldn’t plaster all the photos around their house.
So they just chose a few, and it didn’t matter if there were fewer than the number of photos.
They could switch out the photos to display later on.
“There’s not much retouching to do on my end, mostly just light and shadow effects,” said the photographer, “The most natural is the best.”
“In the past, for the photos I took, the places that needed retouching might have had bad lighting, or sometimes the artists had requirements for their body shape and skin condition, so I had to retouch them,” he continued.
“However, both your body proportions and skin conditions are excellent, and today’s lighting effects were also on point, so there’s not much need for retouching,” the photographer said.
Chapter 610: Growing Old, Facing Death
So, Adrian Zhekova and Cindy took Morgan to pick out picture frames first.
Adrian picked out various sizes of frames.
When they returned, the photos were surprisingly mostly edited already.
As the photographer said, there wasn’t much that needed editing.
Even the color tone needed only a little adjustment.
So they had the photos printed and let Adrian take them away on the spot.
On their way home, they went to the supermarket to buy some nails, a hammer, and a drill.
When they got back home and got everything sorted, Cindy and Morgan put the selected photos into the frames.
Adrian was deciding on the right spots to hang the frames.
“Cindy, do you think it’s okay to put them here?” Adrian marked off a square with his hand.
It was on the side wall of the living room.
“We can have an irregular arrangement here,” Adrian suggested, “the family photo we took today, as well as Morgan’s individual photos, can all fit.”
“And put some more of Morgan’s individual photos in his bedroom,” Adrian added.
Cindy looked at the location Adrian was suggesting and nodded, saying, “That’ll work.”
“Then I’ll go get the ladder,” Adrian said.
Just as he finished, he suddenly stopped moving.
“What’s wrong?” Cindy asked, weren’t you going to get the ladder?
“I’m not sure if we have a ladder at home,” Adrian admitted awkwardly.
Usually, he didn’t need to worry about such things.
If an appliance broke at home, they just reported it for repair, and the property management provided a dedicated housekeeper for each household.
If anything needed fixing, they just needed to contact the housekeeper, so he had never worried about these things before.
“I’ll ask Aunt Jenkins,” Adrian said.
Aunt Jenkins happened to be on her way at the time.
When she received Adrian’s call, she said, “Sir, there is a small storage room on the second floor, right at the end of the hallway. It used to be a laundry room, but there is already one on the first floor, so the upstairs one was turned into a storage room.”
“There is a ladder in there,” Aunt Jenkins said, “What do you need it for? Is something broken at home? I’ll call the housekeeper to arrange for a repair.”
Aunt Jenkins found it quite strange, as she had checked everything in the house the day before.
Nothing was broken and needed to be reported for repair.
“Nothing’s broken, I just need to use the ladder,” Adrian explained.
After hanging up, Adrian went to the storage room on the second floor and found the ladder.
He carried the ladder downstairs, marked the position of each frame, and drilled holes.
Then, he nailed the nails and hung the frames.
Adrian took the ladder back upstairs.
And came back down again.
He stopped on the stairs and looked at the whole wall beside the stairway.
“How about hanging some photos here too? We can see them as we walk up the stairs,” Adrian asked.
Before Cindy could answer, Morgan excitedly nodded, “Yes, yes, it’ll look great on this wall!”
“It kind of feels like an art gallery, we can walk by and look at them as we go!” Morgan said.
“Wait a minute!” Cindy remembered something and hurried to the study room.
She took Morgan’s photo album out of the bookcase.
She had brought it with her when she moved from her previous home and put it all in the bookcase.
Cindy didn’t have many books anyway, just recipe books and some related materials, as well as ancient print editions passed down from generations.
There was still plenty of space for Morgan’s photo albums from birth to now.
She originally wanted to take the photo album downstairs.
But after picking up a few, she realized there were too many of them.
Cindy decided to simply go back downstairs empty-handed.
Adrian and Morgan were still on the stairs.
The father and son kept the same position, looking at the second floor.
They were oddly synchronized.
It even gave off the vibe of well-behaved dogs.
Cindy couldn’t help laughing a little.
Adrian raised his eyebrows, not knowing why Cindy suddenly laughed.
Cindy’s emotions didn’t fluctuate much, so even looking straight into her eyes, Adrian couldn’t sense her thoughts.
“There are too many photos of Morgan, you guys come with me.” Cindy pulled Adrian’s hand upstairs, with Morgan following closely.
“I was thinking of finding all of Morgan’s photos from babyhood to now. From infancy to the current age.”
“The entire growth trajectory hung on the wall,” Cindy gestured, “When coming up the stairs, you can see the photos from his babyhood, and each step up represents a different age.”
“But I’m only four years old now,” Morgan said from behind them.
Wouldn’t that only mean hanging four pictures?
Cindy smiled, “Yes, don’t you think it’s very meaningful?”
“For every year you grow older, it’s like climbing another step. On the wall above the staircase, we’ll hang a photo for each year,” Cindy said with a smile.
Morgan’s face brightened up instantly.
“Okay, I want it done like that!” Morgan quickly agreed.
Adrian was reminded by Cindy’s idea and said, “Why don’t we do the same?”
At this point, they had reached the second floor.
Adrian continued, “Our couple photos can be hung above Morgan’s photos.”
“Morgan’s photos start from his birth. Our photos start from the day we got married,” Adrian explained.
“The first day of our marriage, the first anniversary, the second anniversary, the third anniversary, and so on,” Adrian said.
“With Morgan’s photos below ours, it perfectly represents our family of three,” Adrian smiled, thinking that the idea was really good.
“When we have a little sister for Morgan in the future, we can put her photos below Morgan’s photos too, like a family tree, arranged in order,” Adrian said.
“For every additional year of our marriage, we take another commemorative photo. It doesn’t have to be formal like the ones taken in the photo studio. Even a selfie or a photo taken by Morgan would be fine.”
“Just like the ones you’ve taken for Morgan, they were all taken with your camera or mobile phone, casually snapped. I think that’s great. That’s our life.”
“I’m thinking, as our marriage lasts longer and we grow older, the pictures we take every year will change, as will our appearances.”
“As the years go by, we’ll reach middle age, our faces will wrinkle, our hair will turn white, and the photos from that time will be hung on the upper levels of the staircase.”
“When we look back from our silver wedding anniversary, golden wedding anniversary.”
“And then from the time when our hair is white and we’re old, look back to our prime,” Adrian spoke slowly.
Listening to Adrian’s words, Cindy had a vivid picture in her mind.
The scene Adrian described was so beautiful, warm, and somewhat bittersweet.
Bitter because they would grow old.
They would grow old and die.
Their marriage would only last a short few decades.