Chapter 256 River Lanterns

Chapter 256 River Lanterns

The two of them were sitting right there together, separated only by Luna in the back row, yet they were still texting each other.

Vincent's message came through: [Then you turn them down.]

Daisy replied: [Why should I be the one to say no?]

Vincent went quiet. He glanced at Daisy.

Under his gaze, Daisy's confidence wavered.

The truth was, asking Vincent to refuse meant she didn't want to be the bad guy who disappointed her parents.

Somehow, Vincent had seen right through her.

Luna and Vincent were getting along really well now. The two of them chatted the whole ride while Daisy only chimed in occasionally.

After they arrived, they walked around the area first.

To outsiders, they looked like an incredibly attractive family of three. Many people couldn't help staring, and some photographers even tried to sneak photos before being warned off.

After their walk, Luna was already getting tired, so they started setting up the tent.

Daisy was a bit surprised. She'd assumed Vincent would hire someone to do it, but instead he rolled up his sleeves to do it himself.

Luna cheered from the sidelines, "Go, Daddy! Daddy's the best!" while running back and forth fetching things, absolutely delighted.

To speed things up, Daisy joined in to help.

At least she had experience from the last time they'd set up a tent. And while Vincent had never done it himself before, following the instructions kept him from making mistakes.

Luna was in charge of finding parts. Each time she found the right piece, she earned praise from both Daisy and Vincent.

By the time the tent was up, Luna was dripping with sweat. She hadn't actually done any heavy lifting—she was just so excited and energized that she'd been bouncing around the whole time.

Daisy wiped her face and pulled out her favorite snacks from the bag.

Luna took a bite of pastry and closed her eyes in bliss. "Mommy, you're the best! I love you so much!"

Vincent paused at her words but said nothing.

He set up the table and placed two plates of pastries in front of Daisy.

Daisy blinked in surprise.

The pastries Vincent had brought were exactly the ones she'd loved most when she lived at the Black family estate.

And since they were made by the Black family's personal chef, you couldn't buy them anywhere else.

She hadn't tasted them since moving out. What a strange coincidence to have them today.

Vincent then pulled out various other foods, but as Daisy looked at them, her initial delight gradually faded. Her hands unconsciously gripped the fabric of her skirt.

Seeing these things... it was like being transported back to those days when she'd stayed home, waiting every day for Vincent to come back.

She stood up to leave, but Vincent asked, "None of it's to your taste?"

Daisy paused. "I'm just not hungry."

Vincent didn't push.

She figured he probably didn't know what she liked anyway, which explained why he accepted her answer so naturally.

After eating a bit to restore their energy, Luna spotted people setting river lanterns along the valley and wanted to try it too.

But it wasn't safe for a little kid to do alone, so she dragged Vincent with her. When they came back, they'd brought one for Daisy too.

Daisy refused without even looking. "No need, I—"

But Luna cut in, "Mommy, I bought this one special for you! River lanterns are so fun—you should try it too!"

"Luna bought it for me?" Daisy looked at Vincent.

Vincent nodded.

She quickly took it. She'd thought Vincent had bought it.

After lighting the lanterns, all three made wishes and set them floating on the water.

Luna really loved watching the lanterns. She couldn't take her eyes off them.

Suddenly, she pointed at the water. "Oh no! My lantern!"

Both adults looked where she was pointing. A gust of wind had caught Luna's lantern, tipping it dangerously to one side.

Just then, two lanterns—one from the left, one from the right—arrived almost simultaneously, steadying the tilting lantern between them.

The three lanterns floated together like that, eventually drifting out of sight.

Vincent and Luna both wore the same expression of relief, though his was barely noticeable while hers was a full smile.

Watching the father and daughter's nearly identical gestures and expressions, Daisy felt a sudden warmth in her chest.

Whatever had happened in the past, whatever state their marriage was in, at least Vincent truly adored Luna.

With a father who loved her this much, Luna's childhood wouldn't be missing as much. Even if Vanessa really did marry into the family later, she probably wouldn't dare lay a hand on Luna.

Lost in these thoughts, she suddenly realized Vincent was looking at her.

Their eyes met. She instinctively looked away, but Vincent walked over. "Are you cold?"

Her dress was thin, and the wind by the river was strong. Of course she was cold.

But Daisy shook her head. "Not really."

Vincent picked up Luna. "We've set our lanterns. Let's head back!"

"Okay!" Luna said reluctantly.

Daisy fell a few steps behind, lost in thought.

She walked slowly, feeling strangely melancholy, when someone suddenly approached. "Excuse me, could I get your contact info?"

Daisy shook her head. "Sorry, I have a boyfriend."

Just then, Vincent came back.

Luna was in his arms, waving her little hands. "Mommy!"

The guy had been about to persist, but he looked up and automatically assumed Vincent was Daisy's husband.

And Vincent's looks, bearing, even his height—all of it easily outclassed most men.

Plus, Luna had inherited about seventy percent of Daisy's features while sharing thirty percent resemblance to Vincent's eyes and brows.

The only difference was that one of this father-daughter pair liked to furrow his brow while the other kept hers relaxed.

So the man didn't dare ask anything more. He apologized repeatedly and walked away.

Luna asked in confusion, "Mommy, who was that man?"

Daisy said, "Just asking for directions."

"Really?" Vincent glanced at her, his look seeming to say she shouldn't lie in front of their daughter.

Daisy pressed her lips together and said nothing. What was she supposed to do? She couldn't exactly tell Luna the guy had been hitting on her.

They were divorced now. She wasn't going to follow his lead on everything.

Vincent didn't say anything more. When they got back to the tent, he asked, "Want some barbecue?"

"You brought ingredients?" Daisy was surprised.

Vincent nodded.

Soon the grill and all the ingredients and fruit were laid out.

Everything was even more complete than what they'd had that time watching the meteor shower.

Vincent started grilling, placing the finished skewers on Daisy's plate.

Daisy paused.

Luna reached for a skewer, but she quickly stopped her. "Luna, wait. Let Mommy take the meat off the stick and blow on it for you."

She figured she was reading too much into it. Vincent couldn't possibly be grilling specifically for her. He was probably just doing this to make it easier for Luna to eat.