"...Mia, go back to your dad and mom. Tell them Second Uncle needs to call someone real quick."
Calix carefully put Amelia down on the floor. He gently stroked the little one's head, feeling the fluffiness of her dark hair.
"Okay, Second Uncle," replied Amelia sweetly, grinning at her favorite uncle, "Mia go to Dad and Mom now."
Once again Amelia ran deng deng deng toward the direction she came from. Calix glanced at Leslie. The happy look he showed to his niece earlier changed to a somber one.
Ignoring the fact other people might see his weird behavior, Calix gently grasped Leslie's right hand. The chillness of her skin seeped into his veins, it was so unlike how warm a human should be.
This was related to her being a soul, right?
"Leslie, come."
"...?"
Calix's touch on her wrist pulled Leslie out of her momentary trance. Unable to give a reaction at the right time, she blankly followed Calix. They entered a vacant waiting room nearby.
Confusion washed over Leslie at the sight of Calix's sullen look. She wondered what made his mood suddenly change. A moment earlier, he was happily cuddling his adorable little niece.
Once the door was closed, Calix let go of Leslie's wrist.
"Sorry, I just grabbed you like that."
"Oh... it's okay."
For some reason, the chilliness of her skin brought him discomfort. But, it was not because he despised it.
Perhaps, the feeling told him that she was a helpless soul. Without him around, she would be truly alone as she navigated the world.
The cold sensation still lingered on his fingertips.
Leslie quietly stared at Calix, still thinking about what made him look distraught.
"Calix, what's wrong? Do you have something to tell me?"
Leslie's question was met with a deep frown from Calix. The man pressed his lips into a thin line, seemingly displeased with something unknown to her.
Calix threw a question back to Leslie, "Why did you look so sad when you're looking at Mia?"
"...?!"
Leslie flinched, her eyes widening in shock. A thought was harshly rammed into her mind.
Was she being too obvious?
Or, was he simply too perceptive?
Calix tilted his head, realizing the abrupt change in Leslie's expression. Her eyes trembled, manifesting her fear. The way she was staring at him bore secrets only known to the young lady herself.
Calix exhaled a sigh. Softening his voice, he asked further, "I don't mean anything bad. It's just... you were happy earlier, Leslie. Then, I noticed you looked at Mia and... you stopped looking cheerful."
Calix wondered if he was making blind assumptions. But, he couldn't hold back from immediately asking Leslie instead of waiting until later.
Soon, the family dinner between the Xu and the Li families would start. Leslie had to watch her parents and younger sister being there without any knowledge of her presence.
The sincerity of Calix's concern brought a faint smile to Leslie's shivering lips.
If it was up to her, she would admit that seeing Amelia earlier strongly reminded her of Calliope, her missing child. The yearning she tried to suppress burst forth once she saw how lovely the little girl was.
But...
This was not the right moment. Calix might be distracted during the family dinner. Leslie knew they needed a good time and space before she brought up the subject.
"Thank you for asking, Calix," Leslie's eyes glistened with a layer of tears, her lips still curling up, "I'll answer you tonight. I have promised, didn't I?"
Calix blinked. He mutedly asked her again, "Tonight? Is it related to the favor?"
"Yes. Just... please bear with me for a moment longer. I'll tell you everything about the favor and... why I was sad when I looked at your niece."
The end of Leslie's sentence served as an affirmation of Calix's question. Instead of hiding it, she admitted that sorrow enveloped her heart the first time she saw Amelia earlier.
Calix felt at a loss for what to do. In actuality, he didn't expect that Leslie would be frank despite still being a bit vague in her answer.
Well, it was good that she didn't downplay her feelings or hide them but... her raw honesty made him feel sorry for her.
Aiya!
He picked her because she couldn't interfere with his personal life.
But, only two days after being married, he was already this worried about her.
Sigh... his kind and big heart could be quite a problem sometimes.
"Okay, let's talk tonight. I need to focus on meeting my parents-in-law first," Calix put on a lop-side grin while wriggling his eyebrows, "I'll make sure to prepare food for you. How about popcorn? We should talk while eating."
Leslie laughed softly. She shook her head in helplessness before asking, "Can I have seaweed and chocolate flavors?"
"Hurm... I want the strawberry-flavored one."
"Hehe, do you like strawberry?"
Leslie was reminded of the strawberry candy Calix gave her this afternoon. Now, she wondered if he didn't randomly have the candies inside his suit pocket.
"I love strawberries and everything made from them," answered Calix frankly as he headed to the door. Placing one hand on the doorknob, he added, "I'll stop talking to you now. Don't disturb me."
Leslie held back from laughing again. Clasping her hands together on her back, she jokingly said, "Restrain yourself ah. How can a CEO like you lack control of your own mouth?"
"Urgh... Shut up."
Tailing behind Calix, Leslie walked out of the door. He led her to the Begonia Room where the Xu family was waiting.
"Evening, everyone. Sorry, I had an urgent call."
Once Calix got inside the room, he immediately repeated the excuse he told Amelia to relay before. He put on his best smile, hoping to quickly assuage his grandmother's temper.
But...
The Xu family members were not the only ones inside the room. Other than his grandmother and his brother's family, there were three additional people.
Calix paused on his steps.
"I'm sorry. I didn't realize that my parents-in-law had already arrived."
Rowan, Bianca and their youngest child, Irene were sitting on a couch. Their attention was drawn to Calix.
"We've just arrived, CEO Xu," Rowan greeted Calix, still addressing him formally, "We're glad..."
"...ah?!"
The sudden scream surprised Calix. He abruptly turned around. His widened gaze fell on Leslie.
Almost crouching down, her face twisted in pain as she held both sides of her head hard. Another yell escaped from her lips.