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    "You''re already an adult. You should have your own thoughts and not be easily swayed by others. You should also live your own life, so you should learn how to stand for yourself, Steven calmly said, looking at Rachel. She remained silent and continued eating her steak. We said nothing more, and the kids were also quietly eating their own food.


    Xan quietly yed with her Rubik''s cube, her presence often going unnoticed. She seemed to have a knack for quickly transforming it into patterns or even words that she liked.


    The tiny squares of the Rubik''s cube would have given a headache to most people, but she was always having a great time with it.


    Ashton seemed to have a natural instinct to look after and protect Xan since birth. With great effort, he cut the steak and pushed it over to Xan. He then patted her head and urged her to eat first.


    Both of them seemed to have an unspoken emotional connection-they knew what the other was trying to say just by sharing a nce.


    "Now that I''m looking, both Ashton and Xan took after their father.'' I nced at Steven, noticing how his unique mixed-race genes were reflected in the kids. Their deep-set eyes, high nose bridges, long eyshes, and pale skin were traits of his.


    He carefully studied them and said, ''I think they took after their mother instead."


    I simply smiled without replying. After all, they were the products of both of our genes.


    We dropped Rachel off at home after dinner.


    The entire trip was so peaceful it gave me the illusion that we were just an ordinary family leading a normal life-having dinner with friends and our children, going shopping together, buying things we liked, and enjoying our favorite snacks.


    "I want some cotton candy, Steven." We drove around Huma for a bit after leaving Rachel''s ce. We passed someone selling cotton candy by the roadside, and I suddenly had a craving for it.


    Steven parked the car and went down to buy some cotton candy, but he only came back with one serving.


    Stunned, I asked, ''Did you not get any for Ashton and Xan?"


    Steven eyed Ashton. ''Go buy it yourself if you and Xan want some as well."


    Ashton nced at him before obediently getting out of the car to go buy some cotton candy.


    "You''re not very good at this whole fatherhood thing. "Iughed amusedly before handing the cotton candy to Xan


    She shook her head and said, "Dad bought it for you, Mom. You can have it."


    Astonished, I gave Steven a thumbs-up. Although he wasn''t the most reliable father, the kids surely were dependable.


    I couldn''t help butugh out loud. Even though the three of us were a family by blood, we still felt like strangers to each other. While Steven and I were rtively familiar with each other, we were just getting to know the kids.


    Ashton looked tiny as he stood by the food truck. Other female customers were busy taking photos of him. It was mainly because he was just too adorable and lovable, looking like a doll with his mixed-race features.


    Steven''s emotional intelligence was much higher than Steven''s. He bought four servings in total-one for me, one for Steven, and one each for himself and Xan.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    I looked at the two servings in hand, feeling extremely loved by my family.


    "Just have one, or you''ll end up with rotten teeth." Steven even got jealous of Ashton. He took away one of my


    servings and handed it to Ashton. ''You can have two."


    Ashton was at a loss for words as he looked at Steven. Wouldn''t he end up with rotten teeth, then?


    I held back myughter and took a bite of my cotton candy. It tasted just like how it was during my childhood, but somehow, itcked so much of the feelings from back then.


    My mind often felt as if it was shrouded in fog. I wasn''t exactly clear-headed and couldn''t shake the feeling that I''d forgotten something.


    Steven drove us home. We then yed with Stevie in the courtyard before retiring to bed.


    Genome Society had beenying low as of recently. That was why we could live peacefully for now.


    Steven eagerly hired a movingpany the next day. All of us then moved to his newly bought vi on the mountain. It was a luxurious vi that could easily amodate ten people without feeling cramped.


    I stood at the entrance, holding Ashton and Xan''s hands while looking at Steven. "Must we stay in such a huge house on the mountain? It feels a little strange and empty."


    Steven brought Stevie to our new home and shed a smile at me. "The air is fresh, the environment is good, and it''s really quiet here."


    Leo still remained as our butler, helping us out in tending to the garden and cleanliness.


    There was also a new caretaker other than Leo. It turned out to be Ms. Ewing, the previous caretaker from the Ford residence. It was the same person who asked me in secret whether the cherry tree was blossoming.


    "Ms. Ewing?" I asked in surprise.


    "The Fords have dismissed all their previous household staff and caretakers and hired new ones. I came over since Mr. Lincoln was hiring caretakers," she exined.


    Astonished, I looked at Steven. He wasn''t someone who would hire strangers out of nowhere.


    So why was Ms. Ewing here, then?