As soon as he finished showering and took out his things, Richard went to the dining room to find something to fill his stomach. After resting for a while and taking a warm bath, his mood improved.
He ordered a butler to prepare dinner for two adults and a small child. As Kendrich had expected, even though Richard was starting to avoid Lori, Richard was still thinking about the girl's condition.
In fact, it seemed that Richard was more concerned about the girl's condition than Kendrich.
Richard was still focused on his laptop to hack security in a place when Kendrich came in and sat next to him.
"What are you doing?" Kendrich asked curiously.
"Just a job. What about the girl?"
"She's fast asleep in the guest room."
The movement of his fingers that had been dancing nimbly on the laptop keyboard suddenly stopped hearing his answer.
It didn't matter if the child slept in the room; the bed in each room was huge. However… his fatherly affection kicked in, remembering that his youngest sister almost fell out of bed because there was no barrier at the edge of the bed.
Richard immediately got to his feet and walked towards the guest room Kendrich meant. His cousin had no idea what Richard was worried about, and he was confused and followed him out of curiosity about what Richard wanted to do.
Richard sighed with relief when he saw the tiny girl still fast asleep in the middle of the big bed. At least this kid was different from Harmonie, who didn't go wild while sleeping.
He chuckled in amusement, reminiscing about his childhood with his younger siblings when he slept with Harmonie in their midst. Harmonie always moved in her sleep, and her foot hit Raymond's stomach while her hand punched Richard's nose, which made the twins unable to sleep.
Time flies without him realizing it, and his twin brother is waiting for the birth of their first child. Maybe if Richard had married the evil girl four years ago, they would have had a child of Lori's age.
Richard sighed heavily as he entered the room soundlessly and then placed a soft pillow and bolster around the child so that the child did not fall when rolling here and there. Seeing the child sleeping peacefully like a beautiful sleeping princess, he didn't have to worry about it.
But… just in case. We never know what will happen to a child who sleeps alone.
After confirming the girl's 'safety,' only then did Richard walk out and close the door as quietly as possible.
Kendrich had witnessed the scene and now looked at his cousin mischievously.
"I think you're ready to be a father. Are you sure there aren't any girls you can marry?"
"Is a girl something you can marry at will?" he answered sarcastically.
Kendrich chuckled at that. "Ah, by the way, Meli and Moni are on their way here."
"What for?"
"Of course, to accompany Lori. We've never handled a child before, and it would be great if we had them take care of and accompany Lori."
"Hmm. That makes sense." Richard returned to focus on his work until the dinner was ready.
Richard glanced at his watch, and it was six in the evening. They arrived at the villa around one o'clock in the afternoon, so Lori slept almost four hours. It's time to wake up.
But why was there no sound from the girl's room? Usually, when a child wakes up from her nap, she will call anyone she knows. Except… there was no one the girl knew in this place.
In the end, Richard went into the guest room and was astonished to see what the girl was doing.
Lori was sitting on a pillow much bigger than her tiny body while tilting her head towards the ceiling. Her legs shift left and right while her hands move as if dancing incoherently above her head.
Richard knew right away that the girl was bored to death.
She wondered why didn't she make a sound or call anyone if she was already awake. At least the kid could call him, considering Lori loved calling him 'daddy' and didn't seem willing to let go of him.
"What are you doing?"
Lori gasped, sat down like a sweet child right away, and flashed her best smile. Richard felt surrounded by beautiful plants and could smell his favorite cinnamon scent when he saw that sweet smile.
The girl's gaze lit up like a star in the sky when she saw his face, making Richard chuckle. This little girl really does like him, doesn't she? Well, he was enchanted by the girl as well.
"Daddy! Are you still angry at me?"
Richard smiled slightly at that. "I am not angry." He was feeling a little irritated. But this kid doesn't need to know that. "Since when have you been awake?" Richard walked over and sat on the corner of the big bed.
"Hm… I don't know."
"Why don't you call me or someone else when you wake up?"
Lori sighed like an adult sighing heavily, which made Richard laugh inwardly.
"Didn't you tell me to seal my mouth? I dare not call out to you. Should I still be quiet?" Lori tilted her head with a curious look increasing her cuteness and making Richard's heart melt.
"No. You can talk as you like, and you must be hungry. Let's have dinner."
"Yeah!" with her arms spread wide, Lori bounced up and was instantly lifted high and carried by Richard.
"So your name is Loreinne? What is your mother's name? I'll reach her so she can pick you up."
"Are you going with us?"
"We will see later," Richard answered without giving a definite answer. "So, what's your mother's name?"
"Xia Xia. My mother's name is Qiao Anxia."
Boom! It was as if a bomb had exploded in Richard's head when he heard the name that he tried to forget.
Qiao Anxia?? That Qiao Anxia????