Chapter 106
This meal left me with mixed feelings.
Cleo stopped nitpicking. She seemed to notice the displeasure on Levi's face and backed off.
Indigo started clearing the table. I was about to head back to my room to rest when Faye called.
"Mommy, is it Auntie Faye? She said she'd call me tonight."
Celestia's phone watch was upstairs, so the call came to me.
"Yes, you take it."
Levi went to the yard to walk the dog. When he had time, he liked to take the dogs for a walk.
"Auntie Faye, when are you coming back? I miss you so much." Celestia answered the video call.
Faye looked really happy. It seemed that away from my messy household, she was doing much better.
"Celestia, remember we talked about folding nine hundred ninety-nine stars?"
"I remember, I remember! You said you wanted to give them to your idol."
"Right, right, right. I didn't bring the materials. I'm about to go to his concert. Can you help me? If you're free, could you fold some?"
"I'm free right now. I just finished eating. I'll ask everyone to help."
"They..."
Faye paused. Getting Cleo to help would be harder than climbing to heaven.
"I'm going to get the star paper right now. Talk to you later."
Celestia put the phone in my hand and went back to her room to get the materials.
"Blair, you're home. Are you okay?"
Knowing it was me, Faye made small talk.
I glanced at Cleo and the others and replied, "Pretty good."
"Well, take care of yourself."
"Yeah."
I hung up with Faye and saw Celestia bringing over the star paper.
"Let's all fold stars together."
Hayden came forward. "Okay, okay!"
"Hayden, do you know how?"
"Not yet."
"Then let me teach you."
Celestia handed out star paper to everyone. "Auntie Cleo, come play too."
Cleo frowned. "These are kids' stuff. I was really good at folding stars when I was little."
"Mommy, then teach me."
Hayden tugged at Cleo's arm. She didn't want to spoil the mood, so she picked up a piece of star paper and started folding.
Celestia handed Jessa a strip of paper. "Auntie Jessa, do you know how to fold stars?"
"No."
Jessa looked a bit awkward, holding the paper uncertainly.
Just then, Levi came in.
Celestia asked again, "Auntie Jessa, you don't know how to fold stars? It's really easy."
Jessa glanced at Levi. "I do."
"I think all you adults should know how. My mommy is really good at it. She taught me a long time ago, but we haven't folded them together in ages."
Celestia said proudly. Her eyes always sparkled when she praised me.
"Your mommy is good with her hands."
Jessa watched Cleo's steps and followed along.
Her clumsy movements made it obvious she didn't know how to fold stars.
"Auntie Jessa, yours has four corners now. Let me help you fix it. Watch carefully, okay? Try to learn it in one go."
Celestia taught her patiently, which made her blush a little.
Levi watched her imitate others, then turned to look at me.
I kept my head down, wondering if he already knew I was the little girl who gave him the stars.
"Daddy, do you know how to fold them?"
Celestia handed the paper to Levi. He held it but kept looking at me.
"Since childhood, your daddy learned everything quickly. But he didn't have to do it himself—people who liked him would give him tons of things." Cleo said with a laugh.
"Mommy, have you ever given Daddy anything?"
Everyone looked at me. I had to pretend I hadn't.
"Mommy only gave things to you."
Celestia smiled happily. "I knew Mommy loves me the most."
"Auntie Jessa, you made another mistake. Look, you kept folding, and now you can't seal it properly." Celestia corrected Jessa's mistake.
Jessa's face turned bright red. She hid the star in her palm, afraid of others seeing it.
"There, three done. You guys play. I'm going to rest."
Cleo gave the stars to Hayden and started playing on her phone.
Jessa picked up a new piece of paper. Celestia walked over to her. "Auntie Jessa, let's go step by step. You'll definitely get it right this time."
I was about to go back to my room. My head was a mess. I needed some quiet.
But the moment I moved, Levi grabbed my hand.
"Come with me."
Levi pulled me all the way to the study.
He closed the door and leaned against the wall, supporting his waist.
"Is your waist injured?"
I'd noticed him holding his waist several times. Something was definitely wrong.
"I took a fall. It's nothing."
In the past, I would have anxiously checked on him, but now I had boundaries again.
"Then be careful. Go to the hospital if it's bad."
Levi pointed at the ship model. "Does that star look familiar to you?"
"Huh?"
My nerves tensed up. Was he starting to ask me now?
"Didn't Jessa give it to you? How would I know?"
"But she doesn't know how to fold stars."
I still wasn't sure, but when stars were mentioned earlier, Jessa's reaction was really bland. She probably didn't know about that pink star.
"Maybe someone else folded it and gave it to her."
I kept pretending not to know. I didn't know if Levi would really care about such a small thing from so long ago.
"But she doesn't add a heart when she signs her name."
"Oh."
Levi walked toward me a few steps. "The girl I met was less than ten years old."
"Oh."
I backed up a few steps until he had me cornered against the desk.
Levi's eyes were red. "You're the eldest daughter of the Greer family. Your name is Jessa, right?"
Few people knew I used to be called Jessa. It wouldn't be hard for Levi to find out about the past.
I didn't speak, but he continued.
"Her former name wasn't Jessa."
My identity records didn't seem to show my former name. I couldn't remember clearly. By the time Levi and I got married, I was already called Blair.
And to hide our relationship, only Levi's name was on my daughter's birth records.
"Was the star girl you?"
Levi pressed closer. I had nowhere to retreat.
I kept my head down, saying nothing. I didn't know what to say. Should I admit it now? What difference would it make if I did?
Jessa's feelings for him weren't because of that star. Their emotional foundation built up slowly. What would it mean if he knew I was the girl who gave him the star?
"Was it?"
He kept pressing, but my throat felt blocked. Tears fell, but I couldn't say a word.
If we're talking about timing, I did know Levi earlier. But it was also true that Aiden arranged our marriage. I had once cut off their relationship.
I stared at his shirt, not daring to look up. I was afraid that if I looked into his eyes, my vulnerability would be completely exposed.