“My grandpa says that the Quinn School of Martial Arts doesn’t teach children martial arts. They’ve asked about it for a very long time now. Unless you join the sect or become an unofficial disciple, they won’t take you in. But once you become an unofficial disciple, you’ll have to keep on training for many years. I can’t take such hardships, so I’m not going anymore~!”
“My aunt says that…”
Children only practiced martial arts to keep fit. How would families that could afford to let their children attend the Golden Sunshine Kindergarten allow them to become martial arts practitioners?
Therefore, even though Brandon made several calls consecutively, everyone said the same thing.
Brandon, who was very positive, didn’t get upset. He hung up excitedly, looked at Pete, and said, “Wow, the five of us will be the only ones there. That means it’s gonna be a small class! That’s awesome!”
The others, “…”
Little Jimmy said indignantly, “They are too much! They agreed to come, yet they aren’t coming anymore! Hmph!”
Mrs. Hoffman had come along with Jimmy, and behind their car was Jordan, who had also come.
Although he had told Mrs. Hoffman that he didn’t quite believe the children’s banter, for some reason, when he thought of how Nora had so easily turned the tide at the racetracks, he subconsciously felt that he shouldn’t underestimate her. Thus, he had canceled all his plans for the day and made a special trip here.
The sensitive Mia was afraid that Cherry would be upset, so she looked at Pete. When she turned to him, sure enough, she saw an expressionless ‘Cherry’.
She held Pete’s hand. “Don’t be mad, Cherry!”
“I’m not… yeah.”
Mia asked timidly, “Then why aren’t you smiling? You’re mad, aren’t you?”
Pete, “…”
He silently forced a smile. “I really am fine… yeah.”
“Stop smiling, Cherry. Your smile looks even scarier than when you’re crying,” said Brandon.
1
Pete, “…”
Brandon darted over to Pete. “You’re a boy today, right, Cherry? You’re always so cool and not smiley at all when you’re a boy, unlike the way you smile so sweetly when you’re a girl!”
“…”
Pete decided to ignore the silly fellow. He got into the car and said, “Let’s go!”
Tanya was the one taking Pete to the Quinn School of Martial Arts today. One shouldn’t ask why Nora hadn’t come—because she was making up for lost sleep!
1
As there were five children there, they wouldn’t fit in a single car, so all of them rode in separate cars. In the end, everyone decided to head there in their own family’s respective cars!
Pete got into the car and sat in the backseat.
He peeked at Tanya—she was listening to music and engrossed in driving, so she wasn’t paying any attention to him. He secretly opened a compartment in the backseat.
Inside the compartment was a small mirror.
He started to practice smiling in the mirror.
1
He broke into a grin…
He clearly also loved Cherry’s smile, so why did he look so fierce when he was the one doing it instead?
1
It really was as scary as Brandon had put it. In that case, he’d better not smile at Mia anymore, lest it frightened her. She was already such a timid girl…
1
Inside the Smiths’ car.
Mia and Brandon sat in the back obediently. Even someone as mischievous and disobedient as Brandon—who was also suspected of having ADHD—was on his best behavior.
Because!
Joel was in the car.
As he shifted his butt from side to side, he couldn’t help but lean into Mia’s ear and whisper, “Why is your father here, Mia?”
Mia replied softly, “I don’t know, yeah.”
Joel raised his eyebrows as he listened to the two children’s conversation. His gaze fell onto the jeep in front of them. He hadn’t gotten out of the car with the kids just now because he had spotted her.
When Brandon and Mia said that they were going to the Quinn School of Martial Arts with Cherry today, he had come along for some strange reason, thinking that he might run into her… Sure enough, he did.
He cast his eyes down. In the midst of his thoughts, he received a voice message from Quentin: “Just how many people has that cousin of ours offended, Joel?”
Joel replied: “What’s wrong?”
Quentin sent another message: “There are five different groups following her and looking into her background, and those are just the ones I’ve found so far! I’m probably the only one in the whole of New York that can cover her tracks for her! Without me, she would probably have exposed her own whereabouts a long time ago!”
Joel, “…”
He massaged his temples.
He thought of Ian’s silence in the hospital and felt rather troubled. Wasn’t that little cousin of theirs a little too complex?
How he wished he could have a frank and open talk with her, and ask her who exactly she was.
But so long as Uncle Ian didn’t make a stand, then he, a child whom Ian had brought up, would not be able to acknowledge his cousin’s identity!
After all, he mustn’t hurt his uncle’s feelings.
Should Uncle Ian be adamant about not letting the Smiths acknowledge her, he would also help to erase all traces of the DNA test, so that she and the Smiths would never have anything to do with each other!
The previous generation’s events had hurt Ian too much, after all.
With that in mind, he said, “Continue to protect her in secret.”
A short silence later, Quentin asked, “What if she meets with danger? Do I take action?”
Joel thought for a moment and replied, “Yes, help her out if that happens. She’s still a Smith after all!”
“Okay.”
Joel looked ahead of him again after hanging up. Tanya’s driving sure was unsteady. She simply liked sticking to the lane markings, which was too dangerous.
He honked at the car in front as a reminder.
When Tanya heard the horn from the car behind, she thought that the driver wanted to confirm with her whether or not he was following the right car. She didn’t think that Joel would be in the car.
After all, when Mrs. Hoffman got out of the car just now, the adult who had gotten off the Smiths’ car had been a chauffeur. If Joel had come, then why wouldn’t he get out of the car?
Therefore, she smiled and returned a honk of her own, but continued to do things her own way when she drove.
Joel, “…”
The group arrived at the Quinn School of Martial Arts with mighty momentum.
The children got out of the cars. They were about to go through the main entrance when they saw a group of children coming out of the side entrance. The one in the lead was none other than Terence, the school bully.
Terence was hanging his head and shouting angrily, “They’ve been teaching us normally so far, so why aren’t they teaching us anymore?”
Lucas had forgotten to bring up the matter the last time he saw Paul, so he could only personally see them out the door when the children came over today. He explained, “Big Sister has forbidden us from teaching non-affiliated children. You are still allowed to come here yourself, Terence. After all, you’re already an unofficial disciple of the Quinn School of Martial Arts. However, other children won’t be able to learn martial arts with us anymore, unless they join the Quinn School of Martial Arts.”
Terence felt especially embarrassed. “… Since you won’t let them in, then I won’t go in anymore, either!”
The group of children walked out of the premises with great momentum. As luck would have it, they bumped right into Pete’s group.
After the children stared at one another for a while, Terence finally said, “What are you laughing at, Cherry? You’re just embarrassing yourself by coming here! Did you hear that? They just said that Big Sister has forbidden them from teaching children anymore. Even if your father is Justin Hunt, the Quinn School of Martial Arts is not a place that you can get in with money! Hmph!!”