"You're Hoson's mom, right? I'm really sorry I didn't apologize for what happened yesterday," Amanda said politely, recognizing the woman immediately. She stood up with a warm smile.
Hoson's mom waved her hand dismissively, smiling back. "Oh, kids will be kids; it's perfectly normal! That rascal is quite mischievousâhe's been running wild at home with no one to rein him in."
As she spoke, she naturally walked over to Amanda, taking her hand to assess James. "Is this Timmy's father? I've never seen him at kindergarten; he looks so young!"
James stood up and extended his hand, introducing himself, "Hello, I'm Timmy's stepfather, James King."
He presented himself with ease, causing Amanda to glance at him involuntarily.
His eyes held a gentle warmth, as if discussing the most mundane matters in the world.
For reasons unknown, Amanda felt a flicker of joy upon hearing him referred to as Timmy's stepfather.
"Mr. King, you're quite the catch! You and Timmy's mom make a lovely couple," Ella Ly remarked, sitting beside Amanda and directing her compliments towards James.
James graciously returned her sentiments with a smile.
Ella then chatted with Amanda about their kids' experiences in kindergarten. However, her gaze frequently wandered towards James and the tall man standing behind him.
You could tell a wealthy person by their aura.
James exuded an easy elegance that spoke of confidence and tranquilityâqualities that ordinary people burdened by life's demands often lacked.
Even if such people relaxed, there was always a tension held behind their eyes, ready to spring back to the grind.
Ella Ly, in her thirties and seasoned in life, could discern that James was genuinely at ease.
Additionally, standing behind him was a presence that compelled her to lower her own stance slightly in Amanda's presence.
"What does Mr. King do for a living?"
Adult conversations often pivoted toward money-related topics within three sentencesâwhether about work, property, cars, or kids.
James didn't much care for such inquiries; they always felt intrusive.
He replied nonchalantly, "Not much business; I live off my wife's earnings."
"Mr. King, you have quite the sense of humor," Ella Ly said with surprise, pausing for a moment before responding.
At that moment, her chubby son entered the ball pit area, trailing behind Timmy, who was having fun.
Timmy occasionally playfully scolded him, and he responded with a goofy grin.
James observed the chubby boy, thinking to himself that he was witnessing the birth of a dedicated follower.
"I'm not joking! My wife just opened a bar that rakes in tens of thousands daily; where would I find the need to do anything myself?"
James felt it was important to amplify Amanda's standing a bit.
Unexpectedly, Amanda shot him a helpless glare.
"Oh really? So Timmy's mom is a rich lady, huh? How amusing!"
Ella Ly laughed, fully disbelieving, thinking he was joking.
Amanda opted not to clarify, as that would be too awkward in front of others.
If James felt comfortable saying it, she would let him carry on.
"By the way, where's your husband?" James curiously asked.
"Don't even mention him! My husband is a novelist who spends all day hunched over a computer; he claims to be a freelancer, but he's anything but free. He has no time to even step outside," Ella Ly vented, rolling her eyes.
"Oh?" James perked up, intrigued by the writer angle. "What kind of works has he published? I'd love to read something of his."
As someone who had devoured countless novels, he found an author's real-world existence fascinating.
Ella thought for a moment, then recalled, "He wrote something called 'The Lord of the Rings: I Am the King.'"
James nodded, acknowledging the title as indicative of a youthful spirit. Most boys didn't exactly earn much.
"He's currently working on 'The Lord of the Rings: I Am the King.'"
James stopped mid-thought.
Well, the title felt a little sad.
Maybe he should follow it up with 'The Lord of the Rings: I Am the Emperor' and wrap it all up with 'I Am God.'
Just the titles alone could spiral someone into a depression!
"Is... is he making a decent living?"
"It's alright. He roughly makes what a regular job would provide, a few thousand a month, enough to scrape by."
"That's nothing to scoff at; if he keeps at it, things will improve," Amanda comforted her.
"What nonsense! I'm seriously considering leaving him!"
Ella sighed heavily. "I'm not complaining; it's just that he spends all day writing and has no time for me or our son. I regret marrying him now..."
James listened to her complaints while scanning for information on both titles.
The first book seemed like standard fare for a high school romance, imagining the affection of the girl next to the protagonist.
However, the reader count was abysmal, with only a handful of comments on a half-million-word completionâthe story had crashed and burned.
The second book, however, featured better engagement.
Curiosity piqued, James opened it up.
Well, well, this was quite the steamy tale!
He read a few chapters, quickly getting engrossed.
The protagonist had mind-reading abilities and interacted with various beautiful women.
The opening featured a scene where he threatened his attractive boss in the office, saying, "You wouldn't want your relationship with the boss to come out, would you?"
"I also know you took kickbacks and embezzled company money. You know what will happen if the boss finds out."
"If you obey me, I might just help you earn more."
The subsequent chapters unfolded a series of enticing interactions over several thousand words.
It was excessively vulgar, leaving James feeling quite frustrated.
He decided it might be wise to critique it slowly later on.
"Every morning, he wakes up and just sits there, while I'm out trying to help with our son when he's bullied, and he refuses to help or listen. I've argued with him about it several times, yet he blames me for not caring..."
Ella continued to vent her frustrations.
Just then, a loud cry erupted from the ball pit.
Chi Hui was on the floor, crying at the top of his lungs, snot dripping from his nose.
In front of him stood a beautiful little girl with a furious expression.
Ella was startled and rushed toward them. "Honey, what's wrong?"
The chubby boy, sensing support, cried even harder, saying, "Timmy won't play with me and even hit me!"
James approached, gently lifting Timmy into his arms, and asked softly, "What's going on? Did you hit him?"
Timmy pouted, showing a hint of dissatisfaction as she replied, "Hoson pulled my hair!"
"So you hit him because of that?"
"I just pushed him a little; he fell on his own!" The little girl's innocent eyes blinked earnestly, her facial expression exuding innocence.
James didn't assume this was a serious issue and considered apologizing.
But just then, the chubby boy shouted, "Liar! You kicked me and slapped my face!"
James turned to Timmy and gently chided, "Timmy, no lying. Did you hit him?"
Timmy lowered her head, her eyes flickering.
It seemed she did indeed take action, and James felt a flicker of anger toward her dishonesty.