After Louis left home, Anna took Cicc out of the bedroom. After tidying up the house from top to bottom, Anna sat on the sofa, looking at the azure sky outside the window. After two days of airing, the house no longer smelled of alcohol, and the fresh air occasionally blew in through the window, making her feel exceptionally comfortable. Cicc lay beside Anna, playing with the new doll she had received. Her big eyes had already curved into crescents, and her smile had noticeably increased over the past two days, making her more cheerful. Such a scene was something Anna had never dared to imagine before. Watching Cicc enjoy herself, a small arc involuntarily formed at the corner of Anna's mouth. These days were truly wonderful!
Suddenly, Anna froze. She couldn't believe it as she touched the corners of her mouth. Then she noticed the ointment quietly sitting on the coffee table. Was she smiling? She realized that she could still smile. Lost in thought, the living room was suddenly filled only with the sound of Cicc playing.
"Click~" The sudden sound of the door lock turning brought Anna out of her reverie. Cicc quickly got up, clutching her doll, and ran into Anna's arms. Outside came a noise, along with Louis's familiar voice.
"Hey! Slow down, don't scratch it. Keep it upright and move it inside."
Anna felt a little flustered. She quickly picked up Cicc and headed back to the bedroom, but her gaze couldn't help but curiously glance outside. Louis and the silhouette of a stranger appeared in her sight, carrying a creamy-colored cloud-style sofa towards the room.
Louis's eyes brightened noticeably when he saw Anna, his face showing a cheerful expression.
"Uh... Could you do me a favor and pour a few cups of hot water? I'll let the workers take a break after they finish."
"Ah? Oh, okay, I'll go pour..."
Anna, who hadn't had much contact with outsiders for a long time, felt a bit at a loss. However, she quickly reacted, and with Cicc in her arms, she hurried into the kitchen. Louis's smile became even brighter, despite his sweat-covered body. He was still full of energy. Together with the workers, they moved the newly purchased sofa into the house, and then moved out the old sofa, followed by the television, refrigerator, and plants... Each piece of furniture was moved in and out, and Louis seemed tireless, personally handling everything with the workers.
With each new piece of furniture entering the house, it instantly took on a new look, emitting a vibrant atmosphere. Anna stood in the kitchen, watching everything that had happened so suddenly, her expression changing from shock to disbelief, and then to confusion. She unconsciously tightened her arms around Cicc. Cicc, who had been looking curiously at the furniture in front of her, was hugged tighter by Anna, her big eyes now turning to her mother with a look of grievance, and her mouth pouting.
Mommy hurt her by hugging too tightly! Fortunately, Anna quickly reacted, changing to a more comfortable embrace, and kissed Cicc's cheek apologetically. Then she comforted Cicc while watching Louis, who had just finished working in the living room. He was now bargaining with the workers. The old furniture that had been replaced was finally sold for 800 yuan.
Anna felt a bit distressed. Although the furniture was a bit old, it was still in good condition. 800 yuan was really too little. But now, she was more curious about where Louis got so much money from. According to her calculations, the family should be running out of money by now.
After seeing off the workers, Louis returned to the living room with a large bag, admiring his handiwork with satisfaction.
In Anna's meticulously arranged living room, the cream-colored sofa, pure white coffee table, 75-inch ultra-high-definition LCD TV, 1.8-meter tall air conditioner, 550L cross-opening door refrigerator, and the twin-basin green plants in front of the balcony filled the relatively small space with vitality, presenting a striking contrast to its previous simple and crude decor.
Louis wiped the sweat off his forehead with a towel, placed the bag he was holding on the new coffee table, and sat down on the soft sofa. Anna and Cicc stood by in the kitchen, Anna holding onto Cicc's thigh while Cicc curiously looked around, exploring the new surroundings. Seeing Cicc's expression, Louis couldn't help but smile, his eyes squinting with a sense of accomplishment.
He took out a large pink toy from the bag on the coffee table, but his gaze remained on Cicc. As expected, Cicc was immediately captivated upon seeing the toy, staring at it intently and unable to look away. One of her little hands was still tightly gripping a doll, while the other held onto Anna's clothes. With her head slightly tilted forward, she seemed eager to see what toy Louis was holding. This scene made Louis feel a pang of sadness.
Shouldn't other three-year-old children be happily jumping into their father's arms by now? Louis's sense of achievement vanished in an instant, and he clenched his fist secretly, then loosened it, before waving to Cicc, indulgently saying, "Cicc, come here and see what Daddy bought for you."
Instead of immediately running over, Cicc first glanced at Anna, then seeing that she didn't say anything, she took small steps over. Louis had already unpacked the toy's packaging, revealing its true appearance. He watched as Cicc stopped in front of the coffee table, then continued, "Wow, it's a princess house! Do you want to help Daddy decorate the little princess's home?"
Upon hearing Louis's words, Cicc's eyes sparkled with longing. She leaned over to the sofa, supporting herself on the soft cushions, and looked at the pink princess house on the coffee table. Louis smiled gently, picked up the little princess from inside the house, and shook her in front of Cicc, sighing in a tender voice, "The little princess hasn't been dressed yet. Daddy doesn't know how, but can Cicc help Daddy dress up the little princess nicely?"
While speaking, Louis handed the little princess to Cicc. Cicc blinked, then tentatively raised her hand until it touched the little princess in Louis's hand. Anna stood by, holding her breath, her gaze fixed on Cicc's outstretched hand.
Louis maintained his smile, placing the little princess into Cicc's hand and trying to hold her small hand with his own. As soon as her warm little hand was held in his, Louis's lips curled up slightly.
He picked up the pink dress of the little princess, held Cicc's hand with one hand, and handed over the dress with the other, softly saying, "Can Cicc please help Daddy dress the little princess? Daddy is clumsy. Can Cicc teach Daddy?"
Cicc looked at the little princess in front of her, then at Louis, and suddenly laughed, "Haha, Daddy is clumsy! Cicc will teach Daddy!" She laughed, revealing her small white teeth and eyes turning into two crescent moons. She leaned against Louis's thigh, took the dress he handed over, and clumsily tried to dress the little princess. Louis also laughed and accepted Cicc's guidance, learning how to dress the little princess.
At that moment, the small room suddenly became bright.