The first thing Hazel did when the tray was set down on the table was to look at the surprise toy inside. Hazel peeked into the meal box and her lips tilted up into a happy smile when she found what she was looking for.
"I haven't got this one!" Hazel said happily as she looked at the Hello Kitty toys in her hand.
"Didn't you say you were hungry?" Neil raised his brow at the little girl. "Quickly eat."
"Oh." Hazel lowered her gaze. She put the toys on the table reluctantly with a slight pout on her mouth.
"You can play with your toys after this," Neil continued.
"Oh." Hazel nodded before she obediently reached for her food and eat.
A chuckle escaped from Edith as she watched the uncle and niece's exchange. However, the smile on her lips quickly disappeared when Neil turned to look at her.
"You should eat up quickly too," Neil said. "There will be others who are waiting to use the table."
It was then that she realized that a few more people were queuing at the counter. It was almost time for dinner and there were a lot of people coming to the fast-food restaurant to eat.
However… why did this iceblock tone sounded like the way he was talking to Hazel? Why does it feel as if she was scolded by him?
As the thought crossed her mind, Edith heaved a sigh. She must have been crazy if she thinks that she might start viewing Neil differently after sharing a brief, almost intimate moment with that man.
So what if he's good looking? In the end, he was still President Mo, the iceblock.
Fortunately, she was quick enough to slap some sense into herself before she turned into a silly woman.
As she picked up a piece of chicken and took a bite, Edith caught the faint smile on Neil's lips and her movement paused again.
Her movement halted again upon seeing the smile.
She had just sorted out her thoughts, and President Mo's warm smile turned her heart slightly chaotic again.
At this time, her phone buzzed in her pocket. Edith wiped her hands with a wet tissue and took out her phone to read the message. Her gaze softened upon seeing that it was a message from her grandfather. As if it was a routine, her grandfather had sent her pictures of the fishes he had caught during his fishing escapade with his friends.
While Edith was busy looking at the messages on her phone, Neil was secretly observing her. The moment Edith looked up, Neil quickly shifted his eyes to Hazel, who was eating her chicken wing in a small bite.
His surroundings were boisterous, but the three of them seemed as if they were minding their own business.
Suddenly, Neil began to feel that the silence among them was too stifling. It was then that Neil began to realize that they would always engage in a talk whenever they had a meal together. Although their discussion would always revolve around Hazel, at least they were speaking.
He was someone who would prefer silence while he was having a meal, but it seemed as if this silence was starting to make him uncomfortable.
Hearing Hazel and Edith's chattering voice has become something that he was used to and this strange surrounding was awkward.
When did he start to change?
Neil cleared his throat as this thought surprised him. However, the sound caught Edith's attention and she was looking at him with a hint of worry.
"Teacher Qian, will you be having your Saturday class tomorrow?" Neil asked, in the hope to stop the awkwardness around him.
"Hmm," Edith nodded as she stuffed some fries into her mouth.
His thoughts were taken back to her books that he had seen during the last time they ran into each other in a cafe. "Why did you choose to study French?"
Edith paused for a brief second and smiled. "Because of my mother." She decided to answer him truthfully. "My late mother liked French very much and was very fluent in the language. When I was a little girl, she had taught me a few phrases. Now that she is no longer around, I thought that learning this language would make me and my mother somewhat connected. It made me feel as if we have something in common. It made me remember her." Her lips curled into a soft smile as Edith began to think of her late mother.
Neil lowered his gaze upon realizing that he had made matters worst. He had wanted to initiate a conversation with Edith, but in his attempt, he had brought up a sad topic.
He had heard from both his mother and Headmistress Fu a little bit about Edith and knew that she had lost her father when she was still in her mother's belly. Then, her mother passed away in an accident. It was her grandfather who had raised her.
Neil opened his mouth to apologize, but found that he was unable to say a word.
"I don't know what my mother and father like the most."
The two adults snapped out of their thought upon hearing that voice. They turned to look at the little girl beside them simultaneously and saw that Hazel had her head lowered as she stared at her chicken wing. A slight frown appeared on her face as she tried hard to think of what her mother and father liked in the past.
The two adults were guilt-ridden upon noticing that they have brought up a sensitive topic in front of Hazel. They turned to look at each other and then back at Hazel.
"Hazel," Neil bent forward to look at his niece closely. " What your mother and father like the most are you. As long as you live well, they would be happy." He then turned to Edith with a helpless gaze. He really did not know what to do or say in this sudden situation.
"Hazel, have you forgotten? You still have your uncle and grandparents," Edith spoke. "If you wish to learn about what your parents like to do, you can always find out from them, right? Let's ask your grandparents the next time they called? Once you figured it out, I will help you to learn whatever you wanted to."
The little girl thought about it for a while and nodded. However, her heart was feeling heavy as she was missing her parents.
Earlier at school, she saw how her friends were surrounded by their parents. Although Hazel had concealed her expression well, she could not deny that she was jealous of her friends. She too wanted to spend her time with her parents and played games with them...
Suddenly, she found herself in a warm embrace. Hazel felt her teacher patting her back gently and closed her eyes.
"Teacher Qian, I missed my mama and papa."