Leah was startled by his words, her cold and beautiful face flushed crimson, and she bit her lip in mock anger, "Your usual behavior is all a facade."

"What is my usual behavior?" The man was in a cheerful mood, his coarse fingertip gently lifted her sweat-drenched dark hair, leaving a kiss on her forehead, and said deeply, "Tell me, hmm?"

For the first time, Leah realized she was still too young and naive. Never underestimate a man, especially one who is paralyzed.

The next day when she woke up, the sun was already high in the sky. As Leah got out of bed, her legs were weak, and she almost fell.

Downstairs, the Shaw family was already up; Richard Shaw was accompanying the old lady, listening as she chatted away, appearing quite silent and dutiful.

The man’s eyes were a lighter color, tea-like and crystalline, and when he gazed deeply at someone, it was as if he could see into their soul. His eyelashes were long, like a girl’s, and when he saw Leah coming down, his eyes flawlessly caught her. Remembering last night’s boldness, he was almost sleepless but felt quite content, which allowed him to patiently listen to the old lady’s chatter.

The man curved his lips; Leah was willing to try a marriage, as if providing him with a stabilizing assurance, how could he not be happy?

"Leah is awake?" The old lady, seeing her grandson smiling foolishly, raised her eyes and saw Leah coming downstairs, she smiled and said, "Sister Zhao, quickly bring Leah the chicken noodle soup, add a few dumplings, she loves them." 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

The old lady was nostalgic, and most of the time, the Shaw family’s food, clothing, and housing were quite down-to-earth, always stewing an old hen soup and boiling tea eggs, cooking noodles, unchanged for decades, regardless of the family’s ups and downs.

Sister Zhao cheerfully went to serve breakfast for Leah.

When Leah’s gaze touched Richard Shaw’s eyes, she quickly shifted away and asked, "Grandma Shaw, where’s Little Ze?"

"He’s still sleeping. They were up until three last night causing mischief, won’t be up before noon today." The old lady laughed, "Let him sleep. Usually, he’s studying and has to go to the Military District for training. That small body frame can’t take it. During the holiday, we won’t restrain him."

Leah nodded, thinking Richard Shaw was rather harsh on the child, sending him to the Military District so young, mixing studies with training. What a soft, endearing little dumpling he was, always loved to act cute, but now he’s been toughened to not act cute anymore.

"Later, there are some relatives from the more distant branches coming over for New Year greetings. Leah, you come with me and meet them." The old lady smiled.

Leah nodded and said with a smile, "Alright."

At one side, Richard Shaw suddenly frowned. If he were to marry her into the Shaw family in the future, he naturally couldn’t hide her from people, eventually she would have to meet them. However, he was somewhat worried internally. Leah and Crystal Landon were the same person, a fact Richard Shaw and the old lady had intentionally concealed, only telling the distant relatives they were two people who looked alike, and instructed them not to mention this matter.

Leah knew nothing about this and was quite curious about the Shaw family’s distant branches, originally thinking Shaw Mansion had these few people, but unexpectedly there were also people from the three branch houses.

In no time, people from the three branches of the Shaw family came over for New Year greetings, perhaps fearing to disturb the old lady’s quiet time, each house only sent a few people, three or four, totaling a dozen. Though not hiding, it wasn’t a small number.

Leah felt that the way these people looked at her was faintly strange, especially two Shaw family girls about her age who occasionally glanced over, but when she looked back, those two would quickly avert their eyes.

Only, they never came forward to talk to her, just smiled from afar.

After the New Year greetings, the Shaw family members from the three branch houses wisely bid farewell. The old lady liked silence, Richard Shaw liked silence, and now the Shaw family had another girl who looked exactly like Crystal Landon. How could they dare disturb?

Lana Shaw and Calliope Shaw exited Shaw Mansion, exchanged glances, did not follow the elders back, but drove straight to the Howard Family.

"Although I was psychologically prepared, seeing the person still startled me, I feel she is Crystal Landon. Wasn’t that incident leaving no remains back then, maybe Crystal Landon didn’t die?" Lana Shaw had been holding it in all along, hesitated a moment upon seeing the Howard Family’s gate, parked the car by the side of the road and spoke to Calliope Shaw.

"No one in the Imperial City looks like Crystal Landon, and now someone who looks exactly like her appears, who doesn’t know us. I can’t say for sure; back then Crystal Landon was closest to Hawk Howard. Should we inform him and let him come back to recognize her?" Calliope Shaw frowned, her small face showing doubt as well, but ultimately without evidence.

After Crystal Landon’s death, Hawk Howard left the Imperial City and returned to the United States, time has flown and now he’s in his thirties, still single. They occasionally heard of Hawk Howard’s situation from Nova Howard’s mouth and felt quite regretful.

That incident had changed so many lives.