Chapter 28

Once back in the college, Olivia dove straight into the lab and became heedless of the passage of time, often even forgetting to eat or sleep. Her mentor worried that her health would collapse, specially arranged for someone to remind her.

She was swamped. Though she was just a graduate student, Olivia was the one leading this experiment and responsible for making all the arrangements. Earlier on, due to the issues back in the Taylor family, the experiment’s progress had been delayed quite a lot.

Furthermore, some students had made mistakes or deviations from the plan, which she had to correct bit by bit.

This day, after a whole morning of busy work, she sat in the lounge for lunch.

Several senior students had gathered around her, asking for her guidance.

Olivia took a bite from the bun and swallowed it, slowly considering how to resolve the problem they had brought before her. It was not difficult to solve, but a bit complicated and hard to grasp. She needed to explain it so the others could easily understand.

Just as she was figuring it out, her phone rang.

Subconsciously, she reached for it with her hand, and as she was about to turn the phone off, she saw a familiar name: Andy Baby.

A name she had saved.

This call was a pleasant surprise, and her heart softened with a clear feeling of fondness.

Putting down the bun, she picked up her phone and nodded to the people around her, “I gotta pick up a call.”

Walking over to the window, she answered the call. “Andrew?”

“Olivia…” The soft voice of a little boy emerged from the phone. “What are you busy with lately?”

Olivia shook her head. “I’m not busy.”

“Oh.” The little boy was a bit disappointed. Why hadn’t she kept in touch with him then? Did Olivia not like her anymore?

Andrew became nervous at the thought of that, his beautiful and elegant eyes becoming watery.

“Olivia, thank you for your present last time! I like it a lot and wanted to call to say thank you.”

The little boy was highly intelligent. He was acutely aware that if Olivia did not like him, it would be rude of him to call her so rashly.

He should not be disturbing Olivia so often. And so he had quickly thought of the explanation for the call.

Daniel, who had been sitting at the side and watching his son make the call, raised his eyebrows. He had not expected his boy to be so smart. What Andrew had said just now was not what they had discussed earlier 1. on.

“Really?” Olivia’s voice was gentle. “I’m very glad you like the present.” Andrew looked down at his watch phone, thinned his lips, and remained silent for quite a while.

Upon seeing this, Daniel gave him a pointed glance.

Andrew noticed. He looked up at Daniel, then suddenly stood up and quickly went out the door, standing with his chubby back facing Daniel.

He did not want his dad to overhear.

After waiting for a long moment, without hearing anything from the other end, and thinking that Andrew might have hung up, Olivia said, “Andrew, are you still there?”

“Yes.” The little boy’s soft voice came through again. “Olivia, I want to invite you to eat at my home tomorrow.”

At his home? Olivia thought of that weird guy, Daniel, and became hesitant.

Being quite sensitive, the little boy became nervous at once. “You… don’t want to come?”

Despite the clearly great distance and not being able to see the little boy at the moment, Olivia could acutely sense the disappointment in his tone. Suddenly feeling bad about it, she hurriedly replied, “Oh, okay. I’ll come tomorrow.”

Andrew immediately felt happy. He spun around on tiptoes and let out a joyful ululation.

It was an almost overflowing sense of happiness.

“See you tomorrow, Olivia!” Andrew joyfully hung up the call and ran back indoors.

Upon seeing his dad in the living room, Andrew skipped over to him and said with the mischievous tone of a child, “Daddy, why did you ask me to call Olivia?”

It was Daniel who had prompted Andrew to make this call.

Seated on the sofa, Daniel laid back, with legs comfortably folded, one arm placed over the back of the sofa and the other lightly going around Andrew to keep the latter from falling.

He did not answer directly but rather posed a question back at Andrew. “Do you not like Olivia? Why haven’t you called her for so long?”

Andrew had been staring straight at his dad, but upon hearing this question, he suddenly became sad and appeared troubled.

Daniel blinked twice, not expecting this reaction.

Would such a young kid have troubles, too?

He was very astonished.

Andrew’s answer was well reasoned out, beginning by affirming his thoughts. “I do miss Olivia, but…”

He lowered his head, a somewhat hesitant expression on his beautiful face.

“But what?” Daniel prompted while drawing the little boy into a hug. “Olivia doesn’t like Daddy.” Upon saying this, Andrew became even sadder. “If she becomes my mom, I’ll be happy, but Olivia will be unhappy.”

Daniel’s expression turned sour, and he appeared to grit his teeth. “How do you know she doesn’t like me?”

“I just know!” The little boy hugged his own shoulders, his emotions. suddenly becoming more intense.

“You made Olivia upset that day.”

The four–year–old kid could not yet comprehend the relationship between adults, but he could acutely sense the unusual atmosphere between the two adults.

Daniel was silent for a long moment. He stared at his son for quite a while as if knowing the latter for the first time.

When the little one started moving about, Daniel recovered from the shock, then picked up and placed his son on the sofa so that the two of them sat side by side.

Daniel tilted his head in thought, then explained. “I didn’t upset Olivia.”

Andrew slanted his head, not fully believing his dad.

Daniel continued, “Because Olivia and I were not familiar with each 15.19 other yet, she didn’t know me, so I didn’t know what to say.”

“Really?” The little one seemed slightly convinced.

“Of course.” Daniel’s expression was serious. “If you don’t believe it, you can call and ask her. Ask her whether she dislikes me.”

Andrew lowered his head, a bit undecided.

Upon seeing this, Daniel offered some kind guidance. “You’re worried that Olivia is upset, right? Then you should ask and clarify with her. If she really dislikes your Daddy, you can stop contacting her.”

Andrew played around with his own feet and frowned, deep in thought. “Just hurry up and ask her.”

Daniel reminded him coolly. “A while longer, and the noontime break will be over, and Olivia will be going for her lessons again.”

Upon hearing this, Andrew immediately made the call.

Olivia was a bit surprised at receiving another call from Andrew. “What’s up?”

The little boy was silent for a while, then spoke hesitantly. “Olivia, do… do you not like my Daddy?”

Why was he asking this?

Olivia was stumped. She had not expected a four–year–old to be so sensitive as to perceive her feelings.

What an acutely perceptive child.

Could it be due to having a single parent with an absent mother?

She did not know why, but when it came to Andrew, Olivia would easily get soft–hearted. Her heart would feel incredibly soft and sore at the thought that the little boy had no mom and had thus grown up fast inside, becoming very perceptive.

She hurriedly replied, “Oh, that’s not true. Why would you think that? I like your Daddy very much.”

It was all a manner of speech for lulling little kids.

Yet when Daniel, who had been eavesdropping on the phone conversation, heard it, his brows relaxed, and he oozed happiness from all over his being.

Hearing Olivia’s answer, Andrew felt satisfied as well. He said bye to Olivia, then hung up.

“See, I told you Olivia wouldn’t dislike me.” The corner of Daniel’s lips lifted in a smile, and his expression exuded a triumphant feeling. 28