Ch. 171..180

Chapter 177 I Love You to Death

After entering the room with a password lock, Emily heard the voices of the two little darlings talking.

Upon closer inspection, she discovered that the two kids were live streaming.

The words that were about to come out of her lips were instantly halted, as Ruby Hansen and Dylan Hansen hadn't noticed her presence yet and went straight to the kitchen to busy themselves. Emily, who thought Eva would be too busy to even wash dishes these days, entered the kitchen only to find it spotlessly clean.

Not a dirty dish in sight, even the countertops were immaculate.

And the schedule displayed on a rack next to it showed that today had already been checked.

"Did the cleaner already come?" Emily muttered softly, without dwelling on it further. She left the kitchen and went to the balcony instead.

She only went out when the two kids finished their live stream.

"Aunt Emily!"

As soon as she saw her, Ruby Hansen excitedly rushed over and before Emily could even squat down to hug her, the little girl directly wrapped her arms around Emily's legs. "Aunt Emily, Ruby hasn't seen you in so long, really missed you," Ruby said with enthusiasm.

"Is that so?" Emily dangerously squinted her eyes, then squatted in front of her. Before Ruby could react, Emily reached out and pinched her cheeks several times, rubbing and kneading them. She continued until Ruby's cheeks turned rosy, then lovingly kissed her on the forehead.

"Auntie missed you too!"

Ruby blinked her eyes. "Auntie, you seem a bit strange..."

"Hehehe, only Aunt Emily can treat you like this. Other than Aunt Emily, nobody is allowed to touch Ruby's cheeks." Emily, at this moment, smiled mischievously and continued, "talking" "You're acting like a fool."

"Oh, okay."

The little girl's cheeks were rosy from her teasing and she obediently agreed with her words.

Seeing this, Emily couldn't help but kiss her again, adding another sentence.

"Also, besides Aunt Emily, Ruby's cheeks are not to be kissed by anyone else, except for your mommy and grandpa, of course."

At that moment, Dylan Hansen also walked over.

The little one politely called out to her, "Aunt Emily."

Seeing Dylan Hansen, Emily's eyes lit up again, she let go of Ruby and was about to pounce on him.

The little one quickly stepped back.

"Dylan!" Emily squinted her eyes and threatened, "Come over and give Aunt a kiss now!"

Hearing this, Dylan Hansen blushed and took a few steps back.

Emily caught up with him, then dragged him back and put both of them on her left and right sides.

"No wonder Eva does everything for you two, if I had two adorable kids like you, I would do the same!"

Unfortunately! It's been five years!

She is still single!

Her best friends have gotten married, gotten pregnant, and even divorced and had babies, while she remains single.

When she first came out from America, Emily hoped Eva could introduce her to some high-quality resources.

Dreaming of finding a foreign man and having a mixed-race baby.

Now, let alone a baby, she finds it difficult to find someone to date.

All of this is because of her boss!

Emily's boss happens to be a mixed-race, with half of his heritage inherited from his mother. At first, when Emily saw him, she had fantasies about him.

But as they got to know each other, she realized that he was simply a workaholic and constantly exploited her weekends.

Even when she was on a date with a man, her boss would call her and make her work overtime, threatening to cancel her year-end bonus if she didn't comply.

She had no choice but to leave the man and rush to work.

Over time, Emily blamed her inability to find a partner on her dog of a boss.

Thinking of this, Emily felt an itch of hatred and said, "You two better pray that Aunt Emily gets married soon and gives birth to a pair of adorable babies like you. Then Aunt Emily won't only be pinching your cheeks." Ruby Hansen immediately hugged her neck affectionately and said, "Pray that Aunt Emily gets married soon."

"Oh my, my sweetie, you're so adorable, I love you to death."

...

As it was almost time to leave work, Michael came to find Eva.

"Haven't finished your work yet?"

In the midst of her busy schedule, Eva didn't even lift her head but managed to find some time to say, "No, I probably still need some more time."

After speaking, she suddenly realized who she was talking to and looked up.

"Why are you here?"

Michael walked in with his car keys and his suit jacket over one arm, a gentle smile on his lips.

"To pick you up from work, but it seems like you're still busy for a while."

Saying that, Michael went ahead and sat on the couch. "I'm waiting for you here. How much longer will it take?"

Initially, Eva wanted to refuse him, but in the end, she said, "About an hour."

"Alright, take your time," he nodded understandingly.

Michael didn't say anything else, understandingly sensing her need to focus on her work.

Eva quickly immersed herself back in her work.

As it neared the one-hour mark, Michael picked up a book and started flipping through it on the couch.

At first, he was able to maintain his interest in the book, but after some time, his gaze involuntarily shifted to Eva's face.

Eva was very serious about her work, her full attention focused on her notebook. Her slender, white fingers flew across the keyboard, and strands of hair fell on her cheeks without her noticing, as she remained devoted to her notebook. Occasionally, when faced with a problem that required thoughtful consideration, she would pause, supporting her chin with her hand, her delicate eyebrows lightly furrowing, and her rosy lips pursed.

Once she figured out a solution after contemplation, her eyebrows would relax, and she would dive back into her work.

Unbeknownst to Eva, every subtle expression she made while working were all observed by Michael.

While he appeared to be reading his book, he was actually observing her.

Waiting for her was not difficult for him. No matter how long it took, Michael was willing to wait. However, watching her work, it was clear that an hour was not enough.

Because Michael felt like he had the book in his hands for only a short while when Eva finished her work.

"Alright, I'm finished. We can go now."

"So soon?"

Michael glanced at his wristwatch and realized it had only been forty-five minutes.

No wonder he felt like it hadn't been an hour yet.

"Hmm, how should I put it? With my boss watching, my productivity doubled, so I finished early."

Upon hearing her explanation, a faint smile formed on Michael's lips.

"It seems like I've been putting pressure on you here."

"It's pressure and motivation. Let's go."

Eva put her notebook into her bag, intending to put on her coat. But before she had a chance to do so, Michael had already picked up her coat and walked over to her, opening his arms to help her put it on. "It's cold outside, be careful and keep warm. Don't you realize how thin and fragile you are?"

Taken aback by his words, Eva felt his breath close by. Before she could react, she heard a low sound coming from above her.

"Give me your hand."

Hearing this, Eva felt a bit awkward and said, "Shouldn't I be the one..."

"Wearing a coat, is that too much?"

After a few seconds, Eva reluctantly lifted her hand, allowing Michael to help her put on the coat. But when he tried to button it up for her, Eva couldn't help but stop his hand. "Alright, I can take care of the rest."

 

 

Chapter 178 Ambiguous Atmosphere

Michael's hand paused for a moment, and he chuckled softly. However, his hand didn't retreat; instead, it lingered on her button.

"Eva," his voice was gentle, "why do you resist me like this?"

"It's not that, I just..."

Eva was still struggling to explain herself when Michael sighed and retracted his hand.

"Since that's the case, then you handle it yourself." Eva: "..."

He pulled his hand back, and Eva quickly turned around to fasten the buttons on her coat. After she finished, she turned back and found that Michael had already picked up her notebook bag and was walking ahead. Eva hurriedly caught up with him. Most of the company employees had already left, leaving only a few working overtime. Anyone they ran into would greet both of them.

"Mr. Cooper, Ms. Hansen," someone said.

Both of them nodded in response.

Once inside the elevator, Eva started telling Michael about Emily at her house.

"She's on vacation? Rare indeed, her boss actually approved her leave."

As Eva mentioned Emily's boss, she couldn't help but suppress a chuckle.

"Yes, a rare vacation. I was also surprised that her boss agreed for her to take three days off."

They chatted about trivial matters as they left the parking lot together.

When they arrived home, Eva and Michael immediately smelled the aroma of food. Under the warm yellow light, Ruby Hansen and Dylan Hansen were sitting on the living room sofa watching cartoons. "Mummy! Uncle Michael!"

The two little ones hadn't seen Michael for several days, so they were very enthusiastic and wanted him to hold them.

Michael happily held one in each arm.

Dylan Hansen was more reserved, lightly wrapping his arms around Michael's neck.

On the other hand, Ruby Hansen was extremely dramatic, tightly clinging onto Michael's neck while speaking in a sweet and cutesy voice, "Thank you, Uncle Michael, for bringing my mummy home. Uncle Michael is so nice!" "What if Uncle Michael didn't bring your mummy home? Then he wouldn't be good?"

"No, Uncle Michael has always been good."

Michael glanced at Eva, who had already changed her shoes and went straight into the kitchen without noticing their conversation. He whispered, "If you think Uncle Michael is good, then how about letting Uncle Michael be your dad?" Ruby Hansen made a little sound, tilting her head as if pondering.

After a moment, she smiled at Michael, revealing her two sharp front teeth. "If Uncle Michael becomes my dad, will he be nice to Ruby?"

"Of course." Michael chuckled softly. "I'll buy you whatever you want as long as you can say it. Uncle Michael will make it happen." "Really?"

Michael lifted her up slightly. "Really."

"Well... Ruby needs to discuss it."

"With such great conditions, you still need to consider?"

"Well, even though Ruby really likes Uncle Michael, she also needs to get mummy's opinion."

Michael lightly bit his thin lip, intending to say something, but Emily's voice came from the other side.

"Michael, you're here again...

"Are you shameless, deceiving children?"

Emily walked out of the kitchen with a tray and overheard the conversation between the two. She decided to playfully tease Michael.

"Even though you fail every time you try to deceive them, why do you always persist?"

Michael carried the two children and walked over to Emily, watching as she placed the food on the table. He then put the children down and replied, "If you don't give up, there will always be a chance." Emily paused for a moment after hearing his words, then smiled and said, "You're right. Keep going. You know I support you. Take her down soon."

"Thank you for your kind words. I will work hard."

At first, when Emily had just met Michael, she wouldn't have dared to speak to him like this. After all, despite his gentle appearance, he held a high social status, and she couldn't treat him as an ordinary man.

However, as they spent more time together, probably because she was Eva's best friend, Michael treated her very well, and would often bring her good things as well. Over time, Emily had become a part of Michael's circle, and she would occasionally speak up for him.

Moreover, she genuinely thought highly of him. He had been by Eva's side for five years, and there had been no other women in his life. A man so devoted, other than Michael, was a rare find. He also didn't mind Eva being divorced and having children, treating her two children as his own. If this isn't love...

"What are you taking down?"

Just then, Eva also walked out of the kitchen. She had only heard half of the conversation and missed the beginning.

Emily cleared her throat and lied with a straight face, "What else can we take down? Of course, it's about taking down a project."

Michael stepped forward and took the dish from her hands. "I'll do it."

Eva let go of his hand.

"We're about to have dinner, and you're still talking about work?"

"What's wrong with talking about work? It shows our drive and that work is our life."

Upon hearing this, Eva turned her head, looking at Emily.

"Is that so? Then why don't you call your boss right now and tell them that work is your life?" Emily immediately frowned.

"Why mention that awful boss and ruin the good atmosphere? Let's not bring him up!"

After everyone had sat down, Eva thought about Emily's expression and found it quite amusing.

"I feel like you and him can be considered frenemies, don't you think?"

"Who's frenemies with him? Eva, I'm warning you, don't ever compare me to that man. I've been single for these past five years, all because of him. He's the person I dislike the most."

Eva and Michael exchanged a smile but remained silent.

"Ruby, Dylan, these are specially made cola chicken wings by Aunt Emily for you. Eat more, okay?"

Emily served the food into the bowls of the two children.

The living room had a warm atmosphere.

"By the way, how is your company doing? When are you planning to come back to the country?"

"Oh?" Eva pondered for a moment. "I probably have to wait until I finish the project at hand before considering going back to America."

"You still have a project at hand? Finishing one project takes a long time, won't you..."

"Let's arrange to go back in a few days," Michael said softly.

Upon hearing this, the two women looked at him simultaneously.

Michael smiled. "What are you both looking at? Starting a company requires prompt action. Otherwise, how would you know what the market will be like if you procrastinate?" "That's true, but..."

"Eva, even if I'm not around, the company won't go bankrupt. So don't worry for me. Just focus on doing what you want to do."

Eva was taken aback by his sudden words.

Emily's mouthful of food suddenly turned into dog food.

She glanced at Eva, then at Michael, and finally rolled her eyes and exclaimed, "Enough with your lovey-dovey act! Can't you see we're having a meal? Do you really have to shove dog food in my face? Don't make me show you my talent for flipping tables!"

Eva's expression changed slightly.

After his earlier words, the atmosphere had already become ambiguous, and now Emily was saying they were flaunting their affection, making it seem like there was really something between them.

 

Chapter 179 Too Much Reward?

After dinner, Michael rolled up his sleeves and said, "I'll wash the dishes."

"No need, just tidy them up and put them in the dishwasher."

Unfortunately, Michael's movements were too quick. Without waiting for Eva's reaction, he had already taken the dishes away. Emily couldn't help but tease when she saw this.

"Alright, Eva, if he wants to do you, just let him. If you don't agree, how would he perform?"

"Yeah," Michael chimed in, "I need to show off a bit too."

With the conversation having reached this point, Eva couldn't say much more and handed over the remaining tasks to Michael.

When it was time to rest in the evening, even though Emily had her own room to sleep in, she insisted on cuddling with Eva, holding a pillow.

Rain was falling outside the window, and the temperature in the room had dropped.

But with the two of them squeezed together, the warmth inside the blanket increased.

"I remember when we were in school, I often secretly slept over at your place. However, your bed was so big back then. I kept wondering if all rich families had beds this big," Emily said, reminiscing about the past. "Probably because my dad was afraid I would fall off the bed, so I always slept on a specially tailored size," Eva replied, unable to suppress a smile.

"When you mention it, I remember rolling around your bed, but no matter how much I rolled, I wouldn't fall off."

Recalling the past always evoked a deep sense of nostalgia.

It turned out we were so happy back then, so many years have passed already.

Emily talked about past events with great joy, chirping like a little bird.

"Oh, do you remember when we used to sneak food while still in bed, and we were caught by your family's nanny?"

There was no response to that sentence.

Thinking that Eva had fallen asleep, Emily instinctively looked at her, only to see her with lowered eyes.

Absent-mindedness.

"Eva, Eva?"

Emily called Eva several times in a row before she came to her senses.

"What's wrong with you?"

Eva could only smile, "It's nothing, I was just lost in thought."

Unexpectedly, Emily grabbed the back of her head forcefully and sternly said, "After years of being sisters, I know something is bothering you. Come clean with me."

Hearing this, Eva finally glanced at her and pondered for a moment before saying, "Can you stop saying things like that in the future?"

"What things?" Emily was completely baffled by the sudden change in topic.

Knowing she was confused, Eva reminded her proactively.

"At dinner tonight."

Upon hearing this, Emily immediately understood.

"You mean when I joked about you and Michael?"

Eva fell silent.

"So you're absent-minded because of that?" Emily asked, puzzled.

Eva softly replied, "I feel that it's not right."

"Do you mean you feel awkward because of the things I said, or is it because you don't want to be with Michael, so you think what I said is not good?"

"I..."

"Eva, I don't quite understand." Emily tapped her chin. "It's been five years, and Michael has been attentive to you in every way. He spoils and accommodates you in every regard. Even a stone would have warmed up by now, wouldn't it?" Eva pursed her red lips and remained silent.

"But if he were a little ugly, or poorer, or treated you poorly, and you said you didn't like him, I think I could understand. But no, Michael is one in a million in terms of looks, not to mention his wealth. You must know how he treats you." Upon hearing this, Eva couldn't help but furrow her delicate eyebrows in disagreement.

"But relationships aren't based on these things."

"What do they depend on then? Tell me," Emily smiled. "Why don't you just tell me if there's someone you've liked in these five years? Someone who has shown interest in you, not just Michael."

"Eva, I have children and I don't want to consider these things."

"But those people don't mind that you have children. Michael treats Ruby and Dylan as his own children, doesn't he?"

"Yes, I know, I owe him a lot."

Maybe I'll never be able to repay him in this lifetime.

"If I were Michael and heard you say this, I would definitely be heartbroken," Emily couldn't help but feel sorry for Michael. "I think he's really great. Handsome, from a good family, and most importantly, he's faithful, with no other women by his side, just you. If you can like him, you will definitely have a happy life together in the future."

"Emily..."

"Okay, okay, no matter how good Michael is to you, and no matter what impression you have of him, you have to believe that I am on your side. I'm only suggesting this because I think he's a good person. But if you really don't like him, then we won't pursue it. It's not a big deal, I won't mention it again."

Thinking that Eva would try to persuade her, she was somewhat surprised to hear this.

"You're not trying to persuade me?" she asked.

"Why should I persuade you? Are you silly? You're my sister, how could I force you to do something you don't like? Besides, even if I forced you, it might not work."

At this point, Eva showed a naive smile, like a little girl.

After becoming a mother, she rarely smiled like this.

If she had known that saying these words would work, she should have said more. After all, as her best friend, it was her duty to protect her smile.

...

After setting the date to return to their home country, Eva told the two children about this.

The two babies were very obedient and listened no matter what she said.

Ruby Hansen even nestled into her arms directly.

"Wherever mommy goes, Ruby will go too."

Dylan Hansen also shyly said, "Yeah, Ruby's right."

Eva reached out and touched the little heads of the two of them and said softly, "Then later, you can do a live broadcast and tell everyone about our recent news, that we will temporarily stop broadcasting until we settle down and stabilize everything after returning home."

"Okay, mommy, we'll do a live broadcast later."

While Eva was packing, the two children went straight to their room to start the live broadcast.

When the live audience discovered that today's live broadcast background of the two cute kids was different from usual, not in the living room but in a warm little room, they began asking in the barrage. "Live broadcast? Why not?"

Among those who felt confused was Adrian, who was currently sitting in his office, putting down his work to watch the live broadcast of the two cute kids.

Upon hearing the announcement of no more live broadcasting, Adrian's eyes immediately changed, and his fingers, with distinct joints, involuntarily tightened. No more live broadcasts?

Why?

Adrian's first thought was: Did they think he gave too much in tips?

 

Chapter 180 Respect Choices

Along with this thought, Adrian thought of Ruby and Dylan's mother, whom they added contacts with but lost touch with because he didn't reply. Did they not want the tips from him and decided to stop live broadcasting?

If... he sent his card number?

Adrian did like those two little guys. Although they didn't do many live broadcasts, they always managed to dispel the darkness in his life.

The two kids were adorable, and over the past year, watching them had become a habit for him.

He hadn't found anything else that could replace them as a way to ease his mood.

If they really stopped live broadcasting because of this...

In an instant, Adrian's mind went through various solutions.

However, before he could indulge in his wild thoughts for too long, Dylan in the live broadcast corrected Ruby.

"Not that we won't be livestreaming anymore, it's just that we're moving soon, so we won't be livestreaming until after the move," Ruby Hansen nodded along. "We're moving," she added. Adrian breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing that they were only moving, not discontinuing the livestreams. It was a good thing it was only a move.

He clicked into their homepage and checked the location of these few little ones, they were overseas. Adrian was surprised to see that their location was the same as his current one.

He had never specifically looked up where these two little ones lived, and since he was overseas for a business trip this time, he naturally didn't realize that they were in the same place. However, this country was huge, and it didn't necessarily mean they were in the same city.

So, there was a bunch of people in the livestream asking where they were moving to, but the two little ones were smart enough not to directly reveal their address. They simply mentioned that they might return to their home country.

As soon as Adrian heard "returning to their home country," a thought flashed through his mind. He wondered if he could pick them up if they returned. But as soon as this thought arose, Adrian himself suppressed it.

To this family, he was just a viewer who gave tips online. If he randomly offered to pick them up, they might think he was a pervert or that he had mental problems.

When Jacob came in to find him, the livestream had already ended and Adrian had just put away his phone. He heard Jacob say, "Mr. Blackwood, it's time for your medication."

Adrian pursed his lips and ignored him.

After a moment of silence, Jacob, seeing Adrian sitting there indifferent, reminded him once again, "Mr. Blackwood, take your medication."

Hearing this, Adrian finally glanced at him with a permissive look. "Are you free?"

"I'm busy," Jacob walked over directly, opened the drawer, took out the stomach medicine from inside, and then poured a glass of warm water.

"But at this time, my primary job is to remind you to take your medication. Please take it quickly."

Adrian...

He looked at the Jacob in front of him, who had an even more speechless personality than Brent. He couldn't figure out for a moment why he had agreed to let Brent's cousin become his assistant.

"Mr. Blackwood? The water is warm, if you leave it for a while, you'll have to drink cold water in this weather. Please take your medication quickly. Your current health condition won't be good without taking the medicine." Jacob seemed like he was about to personally pour the medicine into Adrian's mouth.

In fact, a few days ago, he didn't dare to act like this towards Adrian.

But after Adrian's mother heard about Adrian's meeting during a phone call, she got mad and scolded him after his gastric attack.

"Jacob, from today onwards, I will double your salary. Your other job is to supervise Mr. Blackwood and make sure he takes his medication. Don't worry, if he dares to say anything to you, tell him it was my order."

"By doing this, if he is dissatisfied with you taking medicine, then he is dissatisfied with me. Feel free to call to complain."

With Margaret backing him up, what is Jacob afraid of? This is the perfect opportunity to assert dominance and make Mr. Blackwood drink the medicine.

The best part is that it's just making him drink the medicine, and he can also receive double the salary. Isn't it wonderful?

"Mr. Blackwood, if you don't drink it, I won't be able to explain when Mrs. Blackwood calls later."

As soon as he finished speaking, Jacob felt a cold gaze fall upon his face.

He suddenly felt a chill down his spine.

It was at this moment that he finally understood that even with Margaret standing behind him, no matter what, Adrian was Margaret's son. If he was too arrogant and complacent, he would definitely be the one to suffer in the end. However, Adrian's subsequent behavior surprised him greatly.

Because he took the medicine right in front of him, even drank the cup of warm water that Jacob poured, and then placed the cup heavily on the table, making a loud sound. "Satisfied?"

Jacob quickly nodded and bowed, expressing his satisfaction as he left.

After he left, Adrian seemed to think of something and took out his phone, looking at the finished live stream interface, he pursed his thin lips.

I wonder when the next live stream will be.

I hope it can be sooner rather than later, not too late.

...

"The live stream is over?" Eva had just finished packing some things and putting them in a bag when she saw two kids walking in with their phones.

"Yes, Mommy." Dylan Hansen obediently handed his phone to Eva.

"Did you tell everyone that you won't be live streaming for a while?"

"Yes, Mommy, we've already told everyone."

"That's good. Let's tidy up these days, no rush. Once we're done, we'll go back."

Dylan Hansen suddenly asked, "Mommy, did you tell Grandpa?"

Hearing this, Eva paused for a moment, suddenly realizing.

"Oh, right, I've been so busy lately that I completely forgot about it. We'll go to Grandpa's house that night."

"Okay."

Five years ago, when Eva had just arrived abroad, Mr. Hansen's company was barely getting by, and they even had debts.

Eva used her meager savings to help fill the financial gap, but Mr. Hansen scolded her harshly when he found out.

Mr. Hansen, who had never easily accepted help from others, started to change his mindset after learning about Eva's divorce from Adrian and her pregnancy.

He no longer clung to the idea of starting from scratch on his own and began to seek interpersonal connections.

Many people had received the care and help of the Hansen family when they were in their prime. Mr. Hansen went door-to-door to repay their favors.

In the end, it would probably take several years to build up a successful business.

Si, you flourished within a year.

Later, Mr. Hansen bought the current house.

As for why they didn't live together, it was because in the third year, there was suddenly another confidante by her father's side.

She was a woman who had lost her husband and came alone to make a living abroad. She had a son who was much younger than Eva and studying abroad.

At first, Eva was a bit uncomfortable with this sudden presence of a woman by her father's side.

In her impression, her father had always revolved around her since she was young, so she wasn't used to sharing him with someone else.

But after seeing her father's different gaze and expression towards that woman, Eva decided to respect her father's choice.