Karl sensed Juanita's thoughts. He stood up, carrying the child a short distance away. Cecelia and Leng Ning were chatting, with Wilson and Cullen by Cecelia's side.
"Wilson has a red birthmark on his earlobe, that's how you can tell," Cecelia said to Leng Ning.
Suddenly, Karl walked over and handed his daughter to Leng Ning. "Mom, take care of her for a bit."
"Sure," Leng Ning replied happily, quickly taking her granddaughter and showing her off to Cecelia like a treasure. "Look at my little darling, isn't she beautiful?"
Cecelia smiled as well. "Let's go over there and let the kids enjoy some sun while the younger folks spend time together."
"You'll be staying in the Capital from now on, right? I was quite bored when you weren't around," Leng Ning said with a gentle smile. "But now that I have my granddaughter, I'm never bored. Taking care of her keeps me busy every day."
"They've settled down now. I'll be spending more time in the Capital, visiting them often. They'll come back frequently too, which is nice," Cecelia responded.
"Is Sheng Ting coming today?" Leng Ning asked. "Now that the borders between the two countries are stable, he should have more free time."
"It's much better than before; he should enjoy his retirement now," Cecelia replied with a calm smile. "He's not coming today. A few days ago, Luther and Joyce came back to the manor for dinner, and we had a long chat. It was so relaxing; we hadn't felt that way in a long time."
"Finally, peace has arrived. We won't have any more worries in the future. We're getting old; we'll just stay home, take care of the kids, enjoy the lively atmosphere, and time will fly by..."
"Exactly," Cecelia agreed.
As they chatted, they walked further away.
Karl returned to Juanita's side and pulled her into his arms. "I've been neglecting you lately; I'll spend more time with you. Don't be mad."
Juanita raised her voice suddenly. "I'm not mad!"
She couldn't admit she was jealous of their daughter; it would be embarrassing.
Karl chuckled. "Alright, you're not mad."
"Why haven't Joyce and Luther come out yet?" Juanita changed the subject deliberately.
Karl glanced towards the vacation villa, his eyes flickering slightly. Fortunately, everything was fine now. He hadn't been able to rush to Rohomes back then, but even if he had gone, he wouldn't have been much help. They managed to resolve everything perfectly, which was great.
The hardships they endured didn't need to be mentioned; as long as the outcome was good, everything else was insignificant.
Three months ago, Joyce and Luther contacted him via satellite communication from international waters to assure him they were safe. After receiving that call, he couldn't sleep all night-feeling both relieved and gratified.
Meanwhile...
Chris and Nina arrived at the mountain-sea vacation villa.
Nina wore a high-collared sweater that almost reached her chin as if trying to hide something deliberately. Her cheeks were flushed like two patches of morning glow.
Chris walked quickly while Nina struggled to keep up with his pace.
Noticing she had fallen behind, Chris turned around and walked back towards her, scooping her into his arms effortlessly. "Shall I carry you?"
Nina quickly shook her head in shock. "No need! I can walk; just a bit slower... You go ahead."
Her legs were sore; she didn't really want to walk.
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