Chapter 99

"It smells so good..."

Claudia looked at the lunchbox and said.

Fragrant rice, delicious and rich chicken soup, and meat and vegetables are placed on both sides.

Three lunchboxes, one with rice, one with soup, one with vegetables, and one with meat—a very simple combination.

"This is the simple lunch I asked Bella to prepare."

Claudia was slightly taken aback.

"Did Miss Bella... do this?"

Luo Mio nodded, then took off her white coat, gently draped it over Claudia's shoulder, and knelt down to pull up Lass.

"Because it's an insulated lunchbox, be careful not to burn yourself while eating, and since you're wearing a swimsuit, be careful not to let the soup splash on your skin."

Claudia listened to Luo Mio's nagging, which sounded like an old woman's, her pale lips slightly parted, her lake-blue eyes staring blankly at him.

"Hmm?" Luo Mio looked at Claudia staring blankly at him and asked, "What's wrong?"

"Ah..." Upon hearing Luo Mio's question, Claudia realized what was happening and shook her head.

"No... it's nothing..."

Claudia lowered her head, her lake-blue eyes gazing absently at the food and soup in the three lunchboxes, savoring the lingering warmth and scent of Luo Mio's coat.

This feeling of peace and warmth...

A blush crept onto Claudia's face.

"Stare~"

"Hmm?" Claudia seemed to sense a gaze and looked up to the side.

Sylvia stood behind the two of them, her pale purple eyes looking at them with a meaningful gaze.

"Um... w-what's wrong..." Claudia said, her voice unusually flustered, as she saw the meaningful look in Sylvia's eyes.

"No, it's nothing."

Sylvia said dismissively.

"Brother, brother..." Kong rushed up behind Luo Mio, her Liuli eyes shining brightly as she looked at him.

"What's wrong? Empty."

Luo Mio asked her.

Kong excitedly pointed to the swimming pool.

"Ah." Luo Mio understood Kong's thoughts and turned to Claudia, asking, "Claudia, do you have any spare swimsuits?"

Claudia nodded.

"Some."

Luo Mio pulled Kong up in front of Claudia.

"The child saw the pool and wanted to go in and play."

Claudia was slightly startled when she saw Kong's appearance.

What an adorable child...

Like an exquisite doll.

Luo Mio touched the empty little head.

"She's Sylvie's best friend, you can just call her Sister Tia."

Kong nodded as well.

"Sister Tia..."

Claudia smiled and said, "Hello, Xiao Kong."

"Alright, alright!" Sylvia interrupted the two, saying, "Hurry up and change into your swimsuits."

Luo Mio watched as Sylvia led Kong into the room to change into her swimsuit, and chuckled with amusement.

Then he said to Claudia, "Let's go change."

"Hmm." Claudia nodded.

Before leaving, Luo Mio pointed at Claudia.

"Eat quickly, it won't taste good if it gets cold."

Claudia watched as Luo Mio walked into the changing room.

He turned around and looked at the food on the small table in front of him.

Then, in the empty lounge Claudia flashed a genuine, sunny smile befitting her age—a smile befitting a young girl.

Chapter Twenty: One Person → Four People → Six People

A short while later, Luo Mio, being male, was the first to change his clothes and come out.

"Phew..." Luo Mio breathed a sigh of relief, thinking to herself, "Luckily, the system made me a pair of swim trunks that fit perfectly."

She wore well-fitting long swim trunks and a slightly thin jacket draped over her body.

"It fits you perfectly, Mr. Mio."

Claudia looked at Luo Mio as she walked out and said.

"Thank you for the compliment, Claudia," Luo Mio said with a smile.

Then he said to her, "Claudia, just call me Luo Mio or Ling. Calling me 'sir' sounds a bit awkward."

"Then..." Claudia said, her cheeks slightly flushed, after hearing Luo Mio's words, "...Miao."

Luo Mio nodded slightly.

"Um."

"Since that's the case... then, Mio, you can also call me Tia ..." Claudia said, showing a rare girlish shyness.

After saying that, she lowered her head shyly.

"After all... we are engaged... we're already in a relationship."

Luo Mio blinked, then said, "Then... Tia."

"Yes..." Claudia said in a barely audible voice, her head lowered.

An extremely cloying atmosphere arose between the two.

"That's enough, you two!"

Behind them, Sylvia, who had already changed her clothes, looked at the two of them and said with a speechless expression.

Luo Mio awkwardly touched her nose, while Claudia shyly lowered her head and ate her lunch.

Luo Mio looked at her and asked in confusion, "How did you turn back?"

Sylvia's light brown hair, which she had previously disguised herself in, turned back to its original purple color and was tied into a high ponytail. She was wearing the same white bikini as Claudia, but not as Claudia, and had a thin tulle draped around her waist.

"Huh?" Sylvia said directly, "Is there anyone else here? Should I use my disguised appearance?"

"True." Luo Mio shrugged.

Sylvia looked at Luo Mio and suddenly a smile appeared on her lips.

"How was it?" Sylvia bowed and asked the temptation.

Luo Mio looked at her expressionlessly, without blushing or skipping a beat.

Suddenly, he let out a cold snort and said something sarcastic.

"Bean sprouts."

"..."

Sylvia's smile twitched incessantly, and a small '#' sign appeared on one side of her forehead.

"You say..."

Just as Sylvia was about to explode, Luo Mio interrupted her.

"If we don't talk about these things, what about emptiness?"

Upon hearing this, Sylvia felt as if all her anger had been poured onto cotton.

Sylvia took a deep breath, suppressing the fire in her heart.

Then, turning to the side, she saw Sora wearing a light purple swimsuit dress, her long, violet hair tied into two large buns, walking towards her with small steps.

With a shy look on her delicate face, Kong looked at Luo Mio and whispered, "Brother..."

Luo Mio patted her head and smiled, "You're very pretty, little angel."

Hearing Luo Mio's praise, Kong smiled happily.

Sylvia held onto the empty hand.

"Let's go, Kong, let's go down and play."

Luo Mio patted her and said, "Go."

"Mm!" Kong nodded.

Then he and Sylvia jumped into the pool.

——

"Ha ha ha ha."

Claudia finished her soup and looked at Sora and Sylvia playing in the pool.

"Xiao Kong seems to listen to you a lot."

Luo Mio smiled gently, sat down next to Claudia, and nodded.

Watching Sora playing in the pool for the first time, Luo Mio slowly said, "Actually, I only found out that Sora is my sister not long ago."

"Huh?" Claudia looked at him in surprise.

"It's funny, as the older brother, I only found out about my sister's existence not long ago, while my sister knew she had an older brother not long after she was born."

Claudia listened quietly to what Luo Mio had to say.

"Before Kong recognized me, he was actually very worried and scared."

"Worry?"

Luo Mio nodded.

"Yes, she felt that her very existence was an ominous calamity for me, so from the time she was born until recently, she had been intentionally avoiding me."

"An ominous... disaster." Claudia stared blankly at the empty space where Sylvia was playing happily.

"And now she..."

Luo Mio said, "When I met her, I squatted down and touched her head. Then she hugged me and cried for a while before falling asleep."

"Although she didn't say it herself, I roughly know what she was feeling at the time."

"Anxiety, panic, fear... afraid that I'll dislike or reject her..."

Upon hearing this, Claudia's eyes glazed over, and she could picture the delicate little angel in the pool crying in Luo Mio's arms.

Then he said.

"But judging from her appearance now, she probably considers you an indispensable member of her family now."

Luo Mio looked at the playful Kong with doting eyes.

"Um."

Claudia glanced at Luo Mio and was momentarily stunned by the doting look in his eyes.

Family...

Claudia stared blankly at her toes.