Cosset You Forever
Chapter 722 Wasting Food Is Shameful

Samuel wouldn't stop his tomfoolery for one minute, and Ella couldn't get a bite in.

"Have some more." Samuel repressed a tormenting smile. "Let me help you for a change." He picked up the chicken from the table, and waved it near her open mouth like a bee trying to find an opening in a window.

Ella snatched the chicken out of his hand, and popped it in her mouth. "I can take care of myself," she said, crunching down with satisfaction. "Mr. Shao, will you go home now?" She swallowed and pushed her plate away out of satiation.

"No, I won't. Not while there's still food on your plate," he insisted.

"No, no, no... You don't need to. I don't have time to finish it. Samuel, please go home. Hurry up." She truly did not have much time for these breakfast shenanigans. There was still the makeup to be finished and then there was the costume department, all before she would ever step onset.

She finished the porridge, took out a tissue, and wiped her mouth. It was time to get ready.

Samuel saw her quick movements and deliberately slowed down. He picked up the egg roll, ate it by himself, and then said, "Okay. Go back to your own business."

Ella turned around, annoyed. She sat back down. He was eating her food. "Samuel, I was going to save that."

"Wasting food is shameful."

...

Samuel finished the egg roll in a minute. He stood up and said, "Call me when you're done. I'll come pick you up."

Then he pinched his mouth with a serviette, tidied up the grease paper and KFC boxes on the table, and walked towards to the door.

"Wait, Samuel," she shouted.

"Hm?" He stopped and twisted around.

She stood on her toes to reach his lips and kissed him delicately. "Drive safe, babe."

He held her and kissed her hair. "Don't worry about me, honey."

After they hugged it out for some time, Samuel finally left.

Ada came right back in after he left as if she'd been listening. She stood facing Ella, who was staring dreamily away. Ada looked at the sweet smile on Ella's face, before traipsing over to shake her around the shoulders. "Ella, hurry up. We need to go."

"Hm! Okay!"

Ella turned to her reflection in the mirror. The sweet smile remained pinned to her face. Ada had embarrassed her, so she went for her phone and scrolled through it to kill time.

The name "Lola" on WeChat reminded her of the phone call last night.

She sent a message to Samuel. "I want to get together with Lola's and Anna's family tomorrow night, can you come?"

Three dots indicated he was typing. "Okay," he replied after a while.

"We'll take Jerry and Jane with us."

"Alright honey."

Ella switched off the phone and let Ada finish her makeup. All she was thinking was... Samuel.

The Riverside Restaurant.

The Riverside opened in the middle of the year. It was Lola's pride and joy. The interior decor was in the traditional Qing-era style. Many antique pieces were displayed along the walls and in the windows. All the waiters wear dull red cheongsams, and they are as pretty as flowers.

"Welcome! Welcome!" Two waiters received Samuel and Ella when they appeared with their children.

"Shun Tianfu," said Samuel, recollecting the name of the booth told by Lola.

It had been booked by their boss, and the waiters made themselves totally at the service of their distinguished guests. They brought them to their booth cordially.

When they slid the door of the booth open, Lola and her kids were already there. Nicole was studiously devouring a book.

Daniel was sitting on the sofa quietly. Sally had taken off her shoes and was standing on a chair, massaging Lola's shoulder.

Lola stopped her daughter and greeted the newcomers as the waiters bowed and shut the door of their booth in privacy. Lola picked Jane up. "You're here!"

"Hm. Where is Harry?" Samuel asked, helping Sally put her shoes back on.

"He's not here yet." Lola kissed Jane hello on the cheek.

Though Jane only met with Lola twice, she was happy to see her. "Good evening, aunt Lola."

"Good evening, aunt Lola," echoed Jerry, trying to get noticed.

"Hello, aunt Ella," said Sally at the same time. Sally, now wearing her shoes, skipped over to Ella.

Ella greeted Sally with a kiss and a rub. "Hello to you too. I missed you so much."

"Uncle Samuel, aunt Ella, good evening," said Nicole, putting her book down.

Nicole was almost nine years old and she was in Grade Three. She never got any special tutoring or extra coaching, but it was clear beyond a shadow of a doubt that she was at the top of her school, maybe even across the city.

She wore a pink dress with elegant pigtails streaming out of her head. You just knew that she was raised well.

"Good evening, Nicole," said Ella. "My, you've grown into a rare young woman. Much taller, and prettier." Ella put Sally down, and bent over with her hands on her knees to give Nicole a big smile.

Two dimples became accentuated on Nicole's bright face when she smiled. "May I play with Jane?"

"Yes, you can." "Wonderful." Nicole pushed her book across the table to indicate she was done studying. She held Jane's hand and walked her off towards the sofa.

Lola had placed a number of toys along the sofa earlier. Daniel was sitting there now when the kids came over.

Nicole and Jane stopped and stood in front of Daniel's towering figure, but he ignored them. They instead walked back towards Samuel and Ella.

'What a pain in the ass,' Jane thought, twisting her neck to look back at the haughty brat.

"Uncle Samuel, aunt Ella, good evening." Daniel pranced off the sofa to greet the pair politely.

Ella stooped down to his level and pulled him to her side. He was growing into a cool and handsome boy. "Daniel, are you going to graduate from kindergarten next year?"

Daniel is six and a half. Because he was born just after September, he was one year late for primary school.

At the mention of kindergarten, Daniel became acrimonious. But he maintained a level of politeness."Yes," he said, gnashing his teeth. "I am."

His advancement from kindergarten had been long overdue. He told Harry as much, many times. But Harry didn't approve of it.

It was utterly perverse for a boy like him. He was able to do all of Nicole's homework sometimes, so why couldn't he go to primary school?

It made him a hard-hearted boy. Every time he thought of it, he felt angry. He hoped to rid himself of his controlling father when he grew up.

Suddenly the wicker door slid open again, and the waiters bowed at the entry of Anna and Eason. The kids all came to greet them in a similar fashion, and started to play with each other around the sofa.

Jane stared at the haughty boy, Daniel, sitting upright in the corner. She walked towards him and said, "Daniel, do you know who I am?"

Daniel glanced at the fed-up girl and said, "Jane", the name he heard so many times before.