Joseph, who seemed quite fond of the kids, would pinch Nadia's face and rub Bobby's head.
Although Nadia was phlegmatic about it, she didn't loathe him at all. The young girl just felt neutral and flat about the man. In fact, the two children were the ones who followed Joseph to collect a lot of mud to make clay figures in the garden.
"Ah, the kids are in the garden!" Joseph replied, taking a peek outside to check on the kids.
"You know, since Bobby started spending more time with Nancy, he got so distant to me. It feels like I'm not his grandmother anymore!" A grimace of displeasure contorted on Angelina's face as she whispered her complaint.
"Auntie, maybe it's time you try and get close to Nadia too. If you spend more time with her just as much as you do with Bobby, perhaps they'll want to visit you often. Don't be stubborn and pretend like you don't miss anyone. I know you miss Bobby more than you miss my brother. You have to be more expressive of your feelings so that they would understand you. It's lonely to be alone in this mansion, right, auntie?" Even though it was rare for him to sound so serious, Joseph figured that Angelina had to know the truth. Otherwise, she would not realize the things that had been bothering her.
"Humph, stop spitting such nonsense! It's true that I miss Bobby! But that Nadia doesn't have any blood relations with me. Why should I be close to her?" she insisted, leaning her arms on her waist to show her disapproval. Since Bobby and Charles had left their home and moved in the villa with Nancy, Joseph stepped in the role of a prodigal son and comforted his lonely auntie.
Although Angelina had been on guard against him in the past, she softened up on him after confirming that the latter had no intentions of competing with Charles for the TS Group.
So now, she liked having him around to chat and spend time with.
"Yes, you don't have any blood relationship with Nadia, but..." Joseph trailed, rubbing his chin and cocking his head to the side. He was clearly thinking and making sense of something as he narrowed his eyes and continued, "Why do I think she resembles you a lot?"
At the mention of this, Angelina immediately glared at him, rebutting, "Are you talking nonsense again? The kid has nothing to do with me! And she most certainly does not look like me!"
"Don't be angry, auntie. Perhaps I'm wrong. Or maybe it was just a coincidence! Yes, it's probably just a coincidence!" Being the slick man that he was, Joseph hurried to change the topic after noticing how his aunt began to flare up in anger.
"Yes, that's more like it!" Satisfied with his answer, Angelina arched her brows as the corner of her lips curled into a grin.
Then suddenly, Bobby and Nadia came running inside with broad smiles plastered on their faces.
Immediately, Angelina's mouth hung agape at the sight of the two children.
From head to foot, they were entirely covered in mud that dripped on the luxurious marbled floor of the mansion.
Utterly pissed, Angelina pointed at them and shouted in disgust, "What's wrong with you two? Did you roll in the mud? Why are you so dirty?”
The kids didn't even flinch at the sudden shout of their grandmother. Instead, they even stepped closer to the latter. "It's uncle who took us to play," uttered the kids, pointing at Joseph, who sat beside Angelina.
"Joseph, how old are you? How could you still do these silly things with them?" the matriarch complained, scowling at her nephew with apparent discord.
"Auntie, it's not my fault. Besides, it's completely normal for children to play and get dirty. Well, I'm going upstairs to take a shower," he reasoned out in a calmer tone. Then, he turned to the kids, crossing his arms against his chest. As his lips protruded into a pout, he muttered, "Humph! You two dare to betray me, huh! I won't play with you anymore!" After that, he strode and ascended the stairs with heavy footsteps, tricking the kids with his childish tantrum.
However, Bobby and Nadia seemed unbothered and even beamed a grin at each other.
"Uncle Joseph is very cute!" Nadia giggled and glanced at the stairs, which was now deprived of Joseph's presence. The latter was probably in his room already, preparing to take a shower as he declared.
"What's so cute about him? Look at you two!" Angelina's distasteful voice blared in the living room again, causing the kids to quickly twist their heads towards her way. With utter disgust, she grabbed Nadia's arm and grumbled, "It's all mud! How could a little girl be this dirty?!
Then, with her hands still gripping the young girl's arm, Angelina shouted, "Maid! Prepare the bathroom and help Nadia take a shower!"
"Yes, madam!" the maid, who hurried out from the kitchen, replied as soon as she reached the living room. She then grabbed Nadia's arm and led her to the bathroom.
As the little girl obediently walked with the house helper, Angelina found herself staring at her, completely lost in thought. Indeed, as Joseph claimed, their resemblance was very uncanny. In fact, she even thought that the little girl was a spitting image of her youth.
"Grandma, what are you looking at?¹' Bobby, who caught her in an apparent daze, asked with utmost curiosity.
"Oh! Uhm...nothing, nothing. Let's go. I'll help you take a shower!" Shaking her head, Angelina immediately grabbed her grandson and guided him to another bathroom upstairs.
After a while, the two kids emerged from separate bathrooms, now thoroughly laundered into freshness.
At the same time, one of the house helpers' voice resounded from downstairs.
"Mrs. Fu, Mr. Sun is here."
After making sure Bobby had been thoroughly cleaned and changed into a new set of clothes, Angelina hurried downstairs, where Hiram waited, standing by the end of the grand staircase.
"Madam, my boss asked me to pick up Bobby and Nadia," he informed and bowed courteously.
"Did Charles have a fight with that woman again? Otherwise, he wouldn't have sent the kids here, would he?" Angelina queried as her final step landed on the last flight of the stairs. The hint of resentment was coated in her voice, evident that she still disapproved of Nancy's relationship with her son.
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