Cherry fell silent after she heard about Jackson's intention to change Joe's school. Everything that concerned her son was of the utmost importance for her, and she had to carefully think about it.
"You don't have to do that; Joe is having a good time at that school, and it's unnecessary to transfer him to another one, " said Cherry. As long as her son was happy at that school, nothing else meant too much to her.
"But..." continued Cherry, while looking at Jackson, "If you can, you'd better not to talk to Rosa next time you meet her. Alright?"
After he heard Cherry's words, Jackson hastily and diligently replied to her, "Yes, madam!"
He then held Cherry in his arms tightly, grateful that he had sorted out her sadness and irritation.
In the evening, when the family were having dinner together at the table, Cherry looked very calm, as if nothing had ever happened in the daytime.
While he was eating, Andrew looked at Cherry, and said, "Cherry, I want to ask you something."
He seemed to be cautious, as if he was somehow asking for Cherry's opinion.
Cherry was very surprised about his question, and wondered, 'How could Grandpa speak to me in such a tone?'
"Grandpa, just go ahead and ask me, " hastily said Cherry.
"Well, I want to ask Lucia to come to our home for dinner. Would you mind?" asked Andrew, as he looked at Cherry gingerly.
After he heard the name Lucia, Jackson put down his chopsticks on the table. He then began to understand why Andrew had been so cautious in talking to Cherry. No one had forgotten what had happened last time, and Grandpa was afraid that Cherry wouldn't agree with Lucia back at the table again.
Cherry thought for a while, and as she looked into Andrew's eyes, said, "Grandpa, it's totally up to you whether you want to ask Lucia for dinner or not. If you miss her and want to see her, you can just call her over; you don't need to ask for my opinion on that."
"I thought that maybe you would still mind her presence here, " said Andrew, as he looked at Cherry, surprised by her answer. He was afraid that Cherry would still mind Lucia coming there. He had also noticed that she and Jackson didn't get along so well with each other recently, so he thought that it would be thoughtful of him to ask for her opinion.
Cherry then put on a calm smile on her face, and as she shook her head, she said, "No, I won't!"
She then paused for a brief moment, and continued to say, "Let bygones be bygones! If you miss Lucia, you can always ask her to come here and see you."
"Okay, okay." said Andrew, feeling very happy in his heart. He then turned his head to face the butler, and ordered him, "Call Lucia later and ask her family to come here tomorrow for dinner."
All of a sudden, Cherry saw that someone was walking towards her in the dim streetlight. It seemed that it was a familiar figure, but she couldn't remember who it was exactly at that moment.
It wasn't until the figure got closer that Cherry clearly saw who he really was.
It was Mond. He walked closer to Cherry, and after he stood in front of her, he asked, "Don't you feel scared here all alone by yourself?"
"How...how can you be here?" asked Cherry, in a very astonished tone. Mond didn't live in the compound, but why had he come there?
"If I tell you that I'm here for you, will you believe me?" said Mond. He then moved his eyes to the window on the 2nd floor, and thought, 'If I'm right, then that must be Andrew's study window.'
Hearing what Mond had just said to her, Cherry immediately shook her head. She didn't trust Mond at all, but why would he had come there for her? She didn't know Mond almost at all, and she wondered how was he able to do something for her. Although he had once saved her life, it didn't mean that he could do anything for her.
Mond shifted his eyes onto Cherry again, and asked, "Well? Do you believe me?"
"What on earth are you doing here?" asked Cherry. She suddenly thought that perhaps Mond had indeed grown up in the courtyard, and that he may indeed know Jackson, Stephen and Sally ever since they were young. Now that he was standing right in front of her, it seemed her guess was true.
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