Chapter 8: Dissatisfied with This Red Line

Jasper Brown entered the house and immediately heard a cacophony of chirps and chatter.

It was lively.

This feeling was quite novel to him.

He opened the shoe cabinet door and took out a pair of men's slippers.

His gaze swept over a row of small shoes inside, as well as a pair of women's shoes, and the corners of his lips faintly curled.

"Uncle Fox is back!"

"Uncle Fox!"

The two little girls saw Jasper Brown return and cheerfully ran over to wrap their arms around his thighs.

Jasper Brown's lips slightly lifted, and his large hand patted the two little heads.

"What are you doing?"

"We're helping Mommy make beads to sell for money!" the two little girls clamored to respond.

Was this... child labor?

Jasper Brown's brow quirked, "Can you really help?"

"Yes, yes, we are so good at it!"

"Mhm, mhm, we want to help Mommy make more beads, earn more money, so we can buy lots of yummy things!"

The two little darlings, one on each side, took Jasper Brown's hands and tugged him in the direction of the dining room.

"Uncle Fox, come and help us too, please!"

Asking him to help with handicrafts?

Jasper Brown was noncommittal and let the little ones slowly pull him along.

In the dining room, Sienna Summers put down the work in her hands and got up to greet him.

Seeing her daughters pulling Jasper Brown to help, she quickly said, "No need."

"Mommy, with one more person working, we can finish faster!" Eleanor said.

Sienna Summers: "Uncle is a grown man and hasn't done this kind of delicate work before; his hands and feet aren't nimble, so let's not bother Uncle."

Jasper Brown glanced at her, "Like your cooking, hardly satisfactory, right?"

Mocked!

Sienna Summers moved her lips but found herself unable to retort.

For a moment, her pretty face grew somewhat hot.

Jasper Brown silently curled his lip, his gaze sweeping over the two pieces of jewelry on the table, a hint of surprise flashing in his dark eyes.

"Did you make these?"

Sienna Summers had crafted a red agate necklace and a pair of real flower resin earrings.

Very exquisite, oozing with high-class.

He had assumed she was just a 'princess' whose fingers had never touched spring water, who would have thought she had this skill?

"I made them," Sienna Summers said.

Jasper Brown toyed with the necklace and blurted out.

"Looks quite skillful and nimble, so how come you can't cook?"

Sienna Summers: "..."

Faced with the man's teasing eyes, she was speechless.

Was there necessarily a connection between doing handicrafts and cooking?

No one decreed that someone who can do handicrafts must also be able to cook, right?

"Uncle Fox, don't speak about my Mommy like that. Mommy doesn't need to know how to cook; she's not here to be our nanny."

Zach Summers suddenly interjected.

Jasper Brown had only been joking, but didn't expect Zach Summers to take it so seriously.

He looked down to meet the little guy's serious face, a flicker of interest in his eyes.

This child, how come he gave off a vibe like: 'I can bully my own people, but if anyone else dares, I'll fight them to the death'?

He deliberately teased him, "At noon, who exactly called me asking for help?"

The call wasn't made by him!

Zach Summers choked up, uneasily glancing at his two little sisters.

"It was me and Eleanor, we called Uncle Fox behind Mommy and brother's back!" Mia quickly raised her tiny hand.

"Mhm, mhm, Uncle Fox, the veggies Caleb Fox sent over were really tasty," Eleanor said sweetly.

Jasper Brown silently curved his lip.

These children were adorable and sensible, with the eldest one even ready to protect his own mother.

It showed that Sienna Summers had taught them well.

It also showed they had good genes.

Who know who their biological father was!

"What's for dinner tonight?"

Jasper Brown changed the subject.

"We didn't finish all the food Charlton Lincoln sent over at noon; there's still some left."

Sienna Summers spoke and somehow felt a bit guilty.

Jasper Brown's brow furrowed unconsciously, "You plan to let them eat leftovers?"

"Some of the dishes weren't touched; it's not really leftovers..."

With just one look from the man, Sienna Summers felt compelled to swallow the rest of her words.

This man, obviously just an assistant, how come his gaze was so sharp?

Perhaps it was because she had spent so much time with her boss that she'd become subtly influenced by him?

"Uncle Fox, my mummy can't cook. Since you won't let us eat leftovers, why don't you make dinner?"

Zach Summers chimed in again.

Jasper Brown's handsome brows lightly rose.

Nowadays, the only person who dared to order him to cook was this little brat!

Did this kid have some sort of grudge against him?

Of course, what Jasper Brown didn't know was that Zach Summers was not quite satisfied with the match he had made.

That's why he took pleasure in making things difficult for him.

He thought his mummy, beautiful and kind-hearted, should have found a handsome and wealthy husband.

It had been an oversight on his part to set her up with a poor man.

If he'd matched his mummy with the CEO of Brown Corporation, she wouldn't have to cook and wouldn't have to work so hard!

"Why don't I just make you guys a bowl of noodles?"

Sienna Summers felt Jasper Brown didn't look like someone who could cook.

Perhaps her cooking was even better than his.

Besides, although they were married, they were essentially strangers.

Who let strangers cook for their family?

"No, I want to eat leftovers!"

"Yeah, leftovers!"

Both little girls protested in unison.

Sienna Summers wanted to disappear into the ground.

Daughters, did they have to be so disdainful of her?

She might not be able to cook, but surely she could manage to make some noodles?

"Uncle Fox, can you cook? If you can't, then you should stop giving mummy a hard time," Zach Summers said earnestly.

Giving a hard time?

He didn't recall actually criticizing Sienna Summers, did he?

This kid couldn't bear to see his mother slighted, could he?

"Wait, I'll cook."

Jasper Brown unfastened the buttons on his shirt cuffs, rolled them up twice, revealing a small section of his sturdy and pale forearms.

Sienna Summers' almond eyes widened suddenly.

He... really knew how to cook?

It didn't seem very likely!

"Wow, Uncle Caleb can cook, that's awesome!"

Eleanor clapped her small, fluffy hands, her face alive with excitement.

"Yeah, if Uncle Caleb cooks, we'll never have to eat mummy's dark cuisine again!" Mia giggled.

Sienna Summers: "..."

"Don't get too excited," Zach Summers said. "He might just be pretending. Maybe his cooking is even worse than mummy's and will look like pig feed?"

Sienna Summers realized her son was not quite satisfied with Jasper Brown.

She leaned down slightly, took his small shoulders in her hands, and spoke softly.

"Dora, mummy knows you care about me, but in the future, try to be kinder to Uncle Fox. After all, he has given us a home."

Zach Summers' small chin tilted upward.

"We'll see how he does!"

This marriage had been eagerly sought by Uncle Fox himself.

If he married mummy, he should take responsibility for taking care of her.

If his efforts failed to satisfy Zach, he could help find mummy a new husband!

"Dora, help mummy clean up the table. Mommy will go help Uncle Fox in the kitchen."

Sienna Summers affectionately patted his little head and turned to walk into the kitchen.

Inside the kitchen, Jasper Brown rifled through the refrigerator and took out several ingredients.

"Look, if you can't cook, you don't have to force yourself. You're a man; it's normal not to know how to cook, and the kids won't laugh at you."

Sienna Summers walked in and spoke in a gentle voice.

"Pass me the apron."

Jasper Brown tossed a piece of pork belly into the sink and, without lifting his head, directed casually.

Seeing that he was set on cooking, Sienna Summers said no more.

She took the apron hanging on the wall and walked over to him.

"Bend down."

Jasper Brown looked at her and slightly bowed his head.

He was very tall, probably about one meter eighty-eight.

Sienna Summers, at one meter sixty-eight, was a full twenty centimeters shorter.

She stood on her tiptoes and slipped the apron over his head.

As the man bowed his head, a fresh and pleasant scent hit her.

Sienna Summers instinctively glanced at him; she could see a small black mole near his earlobe which was particularly noticeable under the light.

That little black mole, Charlton Lincoln also had one near his ear.

Back in those days...