Chapter 1497
Chapter 1497
Theo went home with his granddaughter on the bicycle. The moment he stepped in the door, he spotted Bailey, whom he hadn’t seen in two months, having a staring match with Cooper. Upon seeing him, he snorted and went into the house. After all, he was also at his wits’ end when it came to this thick-skinned old grandson-in-law of his.
When Sophia saw that they’d come home, she rushed out jubilantly and said to Carmen, “You’re home, sweetie? Quick, come here and have a look! Bailey brought you back gifts from abroad!”
At the sight of the green-eyed goblin sitting on the sofa in the living room, Casper instantly saw red. Didn’t he go back to Europe? Why is he here again?
“You’re back, Bailey!” Upon seeing Bailey, Carmen instantly hustled over in delight. On the other hand, Bailey merely nodded. Having not seen him for two months, he seemed to have grown even more handsome, exuding a novel and enticing aura! Carmen mused.
“Come here. I brought a gift back for you.” At Bailey’s beckoning, Carmen eagerly hurried over.
Meanwhile, Casper was enraged. How weak-willed!
Unexpectedly, Bailey then added, “I brought back gifts for all of you.” At the side of the sofa was a huge pile of gifts that were all exquisitely wrapped and adorned with ribbon flowers.
When Carmen opened her gift, she was immediately stunned speechless. “Wow! Is this what I think it is? Oh my God, this is an out-of-print CD! How did you get this?”
“I asked a friend to find it,” Bailey answered.
Carmen was over the moon. Recently, she got obsessed with a rock band that was popular 20 years ago and had been collecting the CDs they released back then, but regretfully, there was one she
searched for a long time but to no avail. Never had I thought that he would actually find it! “Thank you, Bailey!” She was so gleeful that she almost jumped up and gave him a smacking kiss.
At the side, Poppy interjected sourly, “Ah, how nice it is to receive gifts!”
To her surprise, Bailey looked at her and said, “This is for you, Poppy.” Then, he took out a gift box and handed it to her.
Poppy was stunned. “For me?” Still unable to believe it, she looked around in puzzlement before Sophia explained smilingly, “Everyone gets a gift!”
The old son-in-law was indeed zealous, for he brought back gifts for everyone, including Anna, Cooper, and Carmen’s uncles. Despite Cooper’s staring match with Bailey earlier, he hugged his gift to his chest, reluctant to put it down for even a second. Bailey’s gift to him was a handwritten score from his favorite pianist back when he was young, so he truly loved it. Meanwhile, Poppy got a set of Western- European non-mainstream fashionable clothes, and she seemed besotted as well. Bailey even had gifts for Carmen’s friends, including Casper, Nathan, and the others.
He distributed the gifts one by one. At the end of it, he took out a tiny gift and waved a beckoning hand toward the back of the house. “Judge!”
Woof! A husky scampered out in a mad flurry. Then, Bailey unwrapped the gift to reveal an adorable ball. Gratified, Judge left with it in its mouth.
“Tangerine! Orange! Lemon! Gordon! Goldstein!” Upon hearing their names, the few orange cats padded over, meowing all the way. Bailey seemed to know each of them and was even familiar with their respective preferences, having a gift for every single one of them; some of them had gotten collars, while others got clothes.
Everyone in the house, including the dogs and cats, received their gifts. Theo had also received a military coat from Bailey which he really loved despite not being able to wear it for the time being. It was glaringly apparent that Bailey had put a lot of thought into it since everyone was beyond elated at his gifts. Simply put, the old son-in-law’s method of winning people over was incomparable with the average person.
After all the gifts had been distributed, everyone had dinner together. Bailey consciously parked his butt on the seat reserved for the ‘old son-in-law’ that was previously occupied by Michael and was right beside Cooper, which invited his death stare in turn. Everyone who came over for dinner dared not even breathe, save for Bailey who appeared unruffled and even took dishes for Carmen.
The boys who came over for dinner made their escape one by one, and even Casper hightailed it in the end. He wanted to persevere until the very end, but he couldn’t even breathe under Cooper’s powerful aura. I really can’t understand how he can stay calm and unruffled under Cooper’s powerful aura. How thick-skinned is he? No, his fortitude extends far beyond anyone’s imagination!
Initially, Cooper thought that Bailey would be leaving after dinner, but unexpectedly, Carmen happily went out with him while leading the dog on a leash. “Grandpa, Mom, I’m going out for a stroll with Bailey and walking the dog as well.”
Cooper was so infuriated that his eyes almost rolled back in his head, putting him in a dead faint. This won’t do! This old grandson-in-law is so capable that I’m not his match at all. I’m old, after all. Now, he fervently hoped that Michael would regain consciousness as soon as possible. Probably only a thick- skinned person like Michael is his match!
The weather was very cool on the summer evening. As Bailey walked the dog with Carmen, the two of them were almost shoulder to shoulder, discussing studies as they walked. This time, Carmen was doing her graduate studies in jurisprudence. Bailey was very proficient in this area, so he could answer many of her questions.
The two of them then went over to a lawn by the roadside and sat down to rest. Meanwhile, the dog played with a ball nearby. The air in Bayside City had been managed well in recent years, so it was very much refreshing with less haze. As Carmen breathed in the cool evening air, a feeling of comfort engulfed her. Closing her eyes, she enjoyed this rare moment of warmth and tranquility before her.
“When did you get braces?” Bailey asked out of the blue beside her.
“Huh?” Carmen asked, her eyes springing open as she was startled.
Looking at her mouth, Bailey repeated, “When did you get braces?”
Carmen licked her braces. “It has been a few months,” she replied. Bailey seemed to be staring at her lips and the braces housed behind them seriously, making her feel somewhat baffled. I just can’t figure him out. Nope… No one can figure him out.
This man who’d been forced into society for survival’s sake when he was only ten years old had shrewdness so extraordinary that he managed to survive to this day in the brutal world of the adults and establish his hegemony. However, Carmen could only see his kindness, pain, and struggles. All of a sudden, she blurted, “Bailey, do you have a dream?”
A dream? Have I ever had a dream? Retracting his gaze from her braces, Bailey cast his gaze far into the distance. “Everyone has a dream,” he murmured. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g
“What’s yours? Tell me, please?” Carmen promptly asked.
At this, Bailey chuckled without answering her, merely saying, “It’s a secret.” My dream in the past was only to survive. Today, my first dream has come true, and I now want to live happily with the person I love…
Carmen stared at him with wide eyes. This man is truly the most difficult man to fathom in this world. I can’t make out his thoughts, and that’s precisely why he’s so captivating.
They both watched the sunset together. As the last ray of sunshine bathed them, their hands were already stacked together silently at some time…