"Mia, is this what you looked like when you were little? You were indeed very pretty and cute—"
A cigarette after a meal… no, a bit of tenderness after passion can effectively accelerate the warming of emotions.
Mike was currently accompanying the girl, flipping through her family album, and he didn't hesitate to lavish praise.
The Mia in the photo, with her boyish short hair when she was little, coupled with her delicate and exquisite features, was indeed very cute.
And Helen in the photo was in the prime of her life, dressed very fashionably, a true fashion beauty.
However, Mike also noticed that among the many photos, Mia's father never appeared.
It wasn't until they reached the last page of the album that a handsome photo of a young man appeared, with a small note tucked into the back.
The man in the photo had somewhat gaunt cheeks, sharp features, and especially vibrant eyes.
"This is my father, Prince Renaldi. Besides in photos, I've never seen him…" Mia's expression was a little sad.
Unfolding the small note, a string of maxims was written on it with a hard ink pen.
It was clear the writer had pressed down hard, as if the ink had penetrated through the paper.
'Courage is not the absence of fear, but the judgment that something else is more important than fear. The brave may not live forever, but the cautious do not live at all.'
Mike slowly read the contents of the paper.
"My Grandma gave this to me. She said it was my father's farewell message to me. It sounds a bit ridiculous, since I've never even met him…" As she spoke, tears welled up in Mia's eyes.
From the above, it can be seen that this was an encouragement from Prince Renaldi to his daughter before he knew he was about to die.
It was full of life philosophy and subtly contained a sense of national righteousness.
The words seemed to encourage his daughter to bravely take that step and become the heir to the kingdom. However, Prince Renaldi seemed to have forgotten that he was first and foremost a father.
This was also the reason for Mia's sadness.
"True courage is not the absence of fear, but moving forward with fear!" Mike pondered for a moment and commented, "He is a respectable person."
"Perhaps..." The girl's spirits remained low.
"Alright, we've finished looking at the family album. Next, let's continue doing what we love to do…" Mike flipped over and picked up the girl.
[Temperament Attribute +5]… [Flexibility Attribute +1]…
Facts proved that doing some exciting things indeed had a miraculous effect on relieving emotions.
Another hour later, the girl, who had changed into a fresh outfit, sent Mike to the door with a rosy face.
"How was it? How far did you two go? Did you… you know?" After Mike left, Helen suddenly appeared beside her daughter and asked gossipy.
The girl nodded, then her face flushed even more, and she shook her head again.
Seeking excitement does not necessarily require that.
Thinking of Mike's various novel requests, the girl felt a bit mortified in front of her mother.
"Did you or didn't you? Just say something!" Helen said anxiously, "Forget it, how about I teach you a few tricks? I guarantee you'll win him over. Let me tell you, such an excellent boy is rare; you'll definitely regret it if you miss him…"
"My business is none of yours!" Listening to her mother's brazen words, Mia climbed into the attic in shame and anger to avoid further embarrassment.
"Oh, what are you going to the attic for again? Dinner time is almost here, come down quickly!" Helen shouted from below.
…
Just like that, another week passed.
During this week, as Mike and Mia's relationship continued to warm, the students at school had already tacitly assumed they were a couple.
On another weekend afternoon, Mike, a mature time manager, accompanied Mia to her Connie's for studies, and then brought Lina back to Connie's.
[Charm Attribute +3]… [Holy Spear Experience +1]… [Holy Spear Experience +1]…
"Who's prettier, me or Mia?" During their tender moment, Lina asked the question all women love to ask.
Evidently, the situation at school during this time made Lina a little jealous of Mia.
"Of course you're prettier," Mike blurted out without thinking.
With such a question, even a second of hesitation is disrespectful to a woman.
"That's the right answer…" Lina smiled happily, then added, "Actually, I know I'm not as pretty as Mia. It's okay if you like her more, I just hope you don't abandon me…"
Lina was actually very beautiful, but her luck was a bit bad. During The Plastics' era, she was suppressed by the aura of Regina and the others.
Who knew that after the three girls of The Plastics left, now there was another Princess Mia.
This made Lina feel a little insecure.
"Of course, you're my darling. As long as you're willing, I'll never leave you." Mike spouted cheesy words effortlessly.
However, because he possessed charm and charisma, when he said these words, they didn't sound cheesy at all.
"Alright, I should go home, or my mother and the others will find out." Lina, feeling physically and mentally satisfied, proposed to leave like a heartbreaker.
More than a year had passed, and the girl still maintained the image of a good girl in front of her parents, which was truly not easy.
It was precisely because of this caution that Lina saved herself and Mike a lot of trouble.
Then again, who wouldn't like such a beautiful and sensible girl?
After seeing the girl off, Mike, under the disdainful gaze of little Paige, took her to the Cooper family for dinner.
"Paige, have you grown a bit taller?" Mike suddenly asked.
He hadn't paid attention for a while, and his little girl seemed to have grown a little.
But this was not surprising; little girls develop earlier, and it was understandable for a ten-year-old to have a growth spurt.
"To be precise, I've grown three centimeters since the New Year." Paige gestured the three-centimeter distance with her fingertips, then glanced up at a certain unscrupulous "adult," and then left with a proud back.
It seemed this little girl had a deep obsession with her height.
At the Cooper family, the shadow of Georgie's runaway had completely dissipated.
As the family income continued to rise, coupled with the reduced living expenses of one less child, the Cooper family's living standard rose another level.
Congratulations!!!
At this time, the dining table was filled with meat, vegetables, fruits, and everything else, all with balanced nutrition.
After the prayer, Sheldon, who was eating apple pie, suddenly asked, "Connie, has Dr. Sturgis contacted you recently? When will his research project be approved?"
Within this week, Sheldon had fully proven that he had no talent for management.
Therefore, this child, who held the title of student council president, had his authority gradually usurped by the vice president.
This was unavoidable.
Fortunately, Sheldon had no obsession with power, and he also didn't want to deal with the troublesome affairs of the student council.
It just so happened that there was a vice president in the student council who was extremely power-hungry and capable.
The two, in this back-and-forth, managed to coexist harmoniously.
And without bothersome matters, Sheldon's attention naturally returned to the research project.
He was still waiting to work with Dr. Sturgis to win this year's Nobel Prize in Physics in December.
"John? He hasn't contacted me in a long time. But his research project should be implemented soon, right!" Connie replied uncertainly.
The honeymoon period of the two elders' relationship had already passed; they were now in a calm phase.
Connie was also an independent woman who could have fun by herself. As for Dr. Sturgis, he could be considered a mad scientist type; when he got busy with research projects, he would neglect other things.
In this situation, it made sense that the two hadn't contacted each other for a long time.
"Alright, I'll call him later and ask about his situation." Sheldon was a bit disappointed.