The little one, dressed in a Pikachu pajama set, came bouncing out of the room and leaped into James's arms like a little electric mouse, exclaiming, "Uncle, help me dry my hair!"
James looked helplessly at Amanda, who just shrugged with an amused smile, signaling that she was of no help. Sighing, he took the hairdryer to help the little tyke dry her hair.
"Timmy, when you grow up, you need to dry your hair by yourself."
"Timmy doesn't want to grow up."
"When you grow up, you can go play outside without Mom watching over you."
"No!"
"When you grow up, you can eat ice cream, wear pretty clothes, and have lots of people to play with."
"Will Uncle still play with me?"
"Uncle has to spend time with your mom."
"Then Timmy doesn't want to grow up."
Timmy sat on the bench, swinging her little feet, her head tilted back as she looked up at James, her expression earnest. "Timmy wants to be with you guys forever."
"That's not up to you, kiddo," James thought to himself. This little meddlesome kid; just wait till you're enrolled in a boarding school. I'll take your mom out every day, leaving no room for you to be a third wheel.
"Uncle, do you not like Timmy anymore?" Timmy's expression shifted as she sensed his impatience, her lower lip beginning to tremble as she looked up at him with big, teary eyes.
No one could withstand a little girl playing the sympathy card.
Defeated by her pleading eyes, James sighed and comforted her, "Of course I like you, Timmy. You're Uncle's favorite."
"Then why doesn't Uncle want to be with Timmy?"
"I misspoke just now..."
James spent quite a while coaxing the little pixie until she was satisfied, and then carefully dried her hair. Using his phone, he followed a tutorial on styling little girls' hair and managed to fashion a simple bow, which only made her smile more enchanting.
Seeing the two of them getting along so well, Amanda's smile deepened. She quietly went to the kitchen to make noodles, setting two big bowls on the table and calling them over for dinner.
James led Timmy to sit down. The noodles were nothing fancy, just topped with a fried egg, some greens, sausage, and beef, yet they looked vibrant and smelled mouthwatering.
Ignoring the heat, James twirled a large forkful, blew on it briefly, and then slurped it in one go, his cheeks puffed like a chipmunk, barely chewing before swallowing. He devoured the food in a manner reminiscent of a famished wolf.
Timmy, who was being fed by her mom, stared wide-eyed at James, her own eyes as round as saucers, her spoon forgotten in the bowl.
Seeing his ravenous approach, Amanda laughed and said, "Slow down, no one's going to take it from you."
"Hehe, sis's noodles are just too good. I couldn't help myself," James said between bites, complimenting the beef.
"Are you full? Should I make another bowl?" Amanda offered.
"No need, it's better to eat light for dinner," James waved off her offer, adding, "otherwise, there won't be room for a midnight snack."
"Timmy wants a midnight snack too!" Timmy chirped.
"Midnight snacks are bad for you, kids shouldn't eat them," James advised gently.
"Mom, are they really bad?"
"Yes," Amanda nodded, stifling a laugh.
Timmy looked up, seeing her mom's casual smile, sensed something off, and pouted, her eyes darting around in thought.
Concerned this little one might interfere with his plans, James quickly tried to send her off, "Timmy, be a good girl and sleep over at Grandma's tonight. Uncle will take you to the amusement park tomorrow."
"No!" Timmy whined, "Timmy wants to sleep with Uncle."
Startled, James quickly tried to backtrack, "Uncle's going to fight tigers tonight... aren't you scared?"
Timmy, her voice timid, replied, "Timmy's a good girl. Tigers don't eat good girls."
James pressed on, "Male tigers don't eat good girls, but tonight, I'm fighting a female tiger. They're super fierce and eat everything."
Amanda's earlobes turned a shade of pink, casting James a sidelong glance. Her eyes were bewitchingly beautiful, the slight upward tilt at the outer corners of her eyes adding a captivating charm that was hard to resist.
James, caught by that foxlike glance, couldn't help but grin sheepishly when he saw Amanda wasn't opposing him.
Amanda blushed and couldn't help but chide, "Don't teach Timmy bad things."
Timmy looked between James and her mom, sensing something amiss, and suddenly shouted, "Uncle's lying, there's no tiger. Uncle just doesn't want to sleep with Timmy."
At that moment, James really wanted to shove Timmy out the door.
"Timmy, stop making a fuss. How about Uncle buys you a big toy car tomorrow, one you can sit inside and play with?"
"No."
"How about some roller skates?"
"Hmph."
"Then what do you want?"
"I want Uncle to tell me a story and put me to sleep."
Caught by the little pixie's demands, James could only grimace in defeat, his expression pained.
Amanda watched them with a hidden smile behind her hand.
James's plan to sneak out quietly, coming back after the little one was asleep, was about to fall through. But upon seeing Timmy's near-tearful expression, he couldn't help but relent with a sigh, agreeing to her demands.
"Fine. Tonight, I'll bear with it. There will be plenty of opportunities in the future," he thought to himself. "No need to rush."
But then the little one cheered and added, "Mom, you should sleep with us too."
James was dumbfounded by this. This cheeky girl was pushing her luck. Amanda wouldn't agree to it with Timmy present, leaving him to simmer in unfulfilled anticipation.
Just as he was about to refuse, Amanda said, "Timmy, if you eat your dinner properly, Mom will sleep with you."
"Hooray! Mom, give me a big scoop like Uncle's. I want a big bite."
Watching the gleeful Timmy, James swallowed hard. He was now a bit nervous about what the night would bring.
The clock ticked closer to nine. Bathed and in brand-new men's pajamas, James sat playing a childish Ultraman game with Timmy.
While Amanda, having finished doing his laundry, went to the balcony, where she took calls from the bar to manage some issues remotely.
While playing, Timmy suddenly snuggled into James's arms, yawning, and rested her head on his shoulder before falling silent. As tired as she was, playing all day long without a nap made her truly sleepy.
The unexpected moment thrilled James greatly. Gently, he carried Timmy to bed in another room, dimly whispering a bedtime story. Once assured she was sound asleep, he carefully crept out.
James made his way to the balcony of another room.
"It's the same group we kicked out before? How many of them? They're just handing out flyers at the door right? They also opened a small bar? Let Zhang San handle it, but tell him to be gentle..."
James had snuck up behind Amanda as she was on a call, startling her into a little yelp. She quickly resumed her composure and continued on the phone, "It's...it's nothing. Just make sure to watch tonight, message me if anything comes up."
With his head buried into Amanda's neck, James planted a soft kiss, his hands wandering across her silky nightgown.
From the other end of the call, a concerned voice asked, "Amanda, are you alright? Are you sick? Where are you? I can take you to the hospital."
"No, I'm fine. That's all," Amanda hastily ended the call, her heart racing in her chest from the sudden embrace.
Feeling James's warmth and hearing his eager breath, Amanda remained calm to the best of her ability. She rested her hand over his, softly asking, "Is Timmy asleep?"
"Yes," came James's hushed, anticipatory reply, sounding almost like a low growl from a lion ready to pounce.
Amanda's heart beat faster. She could feel his fingers lightly tracing circles at her waist, each touch sending shivers through her body...
The light switch in the room controlled the lamps, with a single press switching to a bright incandescent light, and a double press to a warm amber hue.
After the third try, Amanda gave up wrestling for the switch with James.
She submitted to him, allowing the soft, seductive light to wrap around her, its warm glow filling the room and stealing their breath away.