Chapter 87: Understand each other

"Fwaaah..."

After spending the afternoon playing with her father and uncle, Elara let out a huge yawn as she sat on the rug in the living room.

Elara was had been quite active when Mark chased her and she tried reaching her Dad for rescue.

And the animated way of Mark chasing her prevented Elara from being scared. That’s why, the whole evening was filled with the giggles and cries of the little one.

And after all that fun activity, surely she would feel tired.

Mark and Kai exchanged glances before the latter spoke.

"I’ll tuck her in. Do you want me to bring you something to drink?"

"Just water," Mark said as he gently rubbed his niece’s head. She didn’t seem nearly as bothered by his touch as she had been the first time.

Kai smiled and picked up his daughter, immediately feeling her snuggle against him.

He nodded at Mark before carrying her toward the hallway.

Mark exhaled a quiet sigh, a smile curving his lips as he settled onto the couch.

The day had passed without him even realizing it.

The sky outside had already darkened, despite the fact that he had arrived only that afternoon. Between chatting with Kai and playing with Elara, he had completely lost track of time. At some point, his phone had even received a message from Mia asking whether he was going to be late.

"Oh, where did they go?"

Jean entered the living room and glanced around after noticing that Kai and Elara were nowhere to be seen.

"The little one was getting sleepy. He went to put her to bed."

"Or, more accurately, into her crib." Jean took a seat across from him. "We’ve been considering buying her one, and you happened to gift her one at just the right time."

Mark chuckled. "Then I’m relieved. Considering how cautious that guy is about almost everything, I thought he might have already arranged one himself."

Jean shook her head with an easy smile before asking, "How did your trip go? Kai mentioned that you recently got married."

Mark nodded softly. "It went well. And yes, her name is Mia."

He pulled out his phone and showed Jean his wallpaper. A certain short-haired woman was captured mid-jump while wearing a panda suit, her expression full of childish enthusiasm.

"Oh, she’s pretty," Jean said immediately. Her reaction was genuine. The outfit made her look adorable.

"Well... thanks to Kai, I managed to make the trip worth remembering."

Jean blinked in surprise.

The reaction was enough for Mark to realize that Kai hadn’t told her anything about it.

Shaking his head, Mark sighed. "That guy... He could have used this to brag about himself, but then again, this is exactly what I’d expect from him."

He leaned back against the couch.

"Actually, Kai gave me his savings back then so I could spend it on the trip. He specifically told me not to mention it to anyone, but I’m telling you so you can put a strict lock on his savings account from now on."

Jean was surprised, though perhaps not entirely.

Hearing that Kai had handed over his savings to make his friend’s honeymoon more memorable was exactly the sort of thing she could expect from him.

"He is a sensible man," Jean said calmly. "If he has chosen to spend his money on something, then he must believe its value is greater than the money itself."

Mark fell silent for a moment.

He had expected at least some hesitation.

Generally, he thought, women tended to be more cautious when it came to financial matters. Yet Jean hadn’t merely accepted Kai’s decision.

She seemed to understand it without needing any explanation, and she hadn’t shown even the slightest trace of displeasure upon learning about the secret he had just revealed.

For some reason, that made Mark smile.

Perhaps Kai really had found someone who understood him.

Soon, Kai appeared in the living room.

"I need to go meet someone."

Mark’s expression shifted. "Everything good?"

Kai nodded, though his gaze briefly settled on Jean.

Jean naturally grew concerned. She could tell from his demeanor that something must have happened, even if he hadn’t said what.

Mark soon rose from the couch. "Then drop me off outside the community entrance."

Kai hummed. "You sure? You can stay a little longer if you want."

Mark shook his head. "Nah. Mia texted me. Apparently, my in-laws are asking for me, so I’d better be there."

He turned toward Jean.

"Sorry I didn’t bring anything for you. And the food was delicious."

Jean smiled faintly and rose as well. "Next time, bring Mia along too."

Mark chuckled. "Double dates can only happen between two married couples. I’m settled in that department. What about you two?"

The bluntness of his words left both Kai and Jean completely flustered.

They instinctively glanced at each other.

Jean’s face immediately turned red when she caught Kai looking at her. She quickly looked away, suddenly finding the floor far more interesting.

Kai groaned and smacked Mark on the shoulder.

"Zip it, man."

He grabbed Mark by the arm and dragged him toward the entrance. Before leaving, he looked back at Jean.

"I’ll be back in an hour."

Jean nodded and watched them leave.

Thud.

The car door shut behind Mark as he settled into the passenger seat.

Kai started the engine, then groaned.

"You really just say whatever comes to your mind, don’t you?"

Mark grinned.

"But hey, I helped you realize that Jean isn’t exactly averse to the idea."

Kai inhaled sharply, his hand tightening around the steering wheel as Jean’s expression from earlier flashed through his mind.

Mark wasn’t wrong about it. He at least knows that Jean wasn’t unsure about them.

Mark noticed his reaction and gave a satisfied huff.

"Just don’t drag out the dating period for too long."

...

Soon, they reached the community entrance, where Mark got out of the car.

"You sure you don’t want me to at least take you to the station?"

Mark shook his head. "Nah, I’m good. Besides, don’t you have something important going on?"

Kai sighed. "It’s about Drake. His family still seems to be trying to get back at me for what I did."

Mark’s expression turned serious. "Is there anything I can do? If you want, you can come and stay with us."

Kai shook his head. "If I feel like I need your help, you know I won’t hesitate to ask."

Mark nodded, accepting his answer.

"Then take care of yourself."

"You too."

Mark gave him a final wave before turning around and walking away.

Kai watched him for a moment before his phone suddenly chimed with a notification.

[Quest: Attend a guest in your new house]

[Reward: The Veil]

[Rank: S]

[The Veil: A device that surrounds the host’s house with a powerful barrier, preventing prying eyes from observing anything within. If an unwanted intruder attempts to enter the house, The Veil rejects their presence by creating a powerful barrier around the property.]

Kai stared at the notification.

"Damn..."

He was genuinely taken aback.

"Talk about timing."

°°°

A/N:- Thanks for reading. Donate me PS and GT for mass release