Lance was surprised, as if he hadn't expected Deanna to say that.
However, he didn't stop her.
He just watched as Deanna meticulously picked out the carrots and scallions.
Watching her serious profile, a strange emotion stirred in Lance's heart, slowly spreading through him.
This was the first time someone had been so earnest with him.
A few minutes later, Deanna had picked out all the scallions and carrots and divided half of her dish with Lance.
"Alright, you can eat now."
Lance looked at the plate in front of him, unable to describe his feelings.
After a moment, he managed to squeeze out a "Thank you."
He picked up his spoon and started eating.
The kindergarten lunch was light but quite tasty.
Before long, they had finished eating.
After lunch, it was nap time for the children.
The parents were free to move around, some resting in the classroom, others sitting on the playground.
Everyone chatted and laughed, enjoying their time.
Deanna and Lance sat on a bench under the shade of a tree.
A gentle breeze blew past, cooling their faces.
Suddenly, Deanna turned her head and smiled at Lance. "Mr. Mercer, how was your experience today?"
Lance replied, "It wasn't easy."
He sighed. "Raising children is hard. It takes a lot of energy to accompany them as they grow. And you have two, which means double the time and effort."
Deanna nodded in agreement.
Lance wasn't wrong about that.
Over the years, she had never spoken about it, but only she knew the hardships she endured.
"However, Dr. Deanna, you're doing a great job."
Deanna smiled. "Mr. Mercer, you're not bad yourself. Judging by your performance today, you'll make a great father someday."
This was high praise.
Lance smiled but said nothing.
A good father...
Even he wasn't sure if he could be one.
Moreover, there wasn't anyone who made him want to get married right now.
Suddenly, he looked at the woman in front of him, his eyes flashing.
They continued chatting until a couple approached them.
The man looked at Lance hesitantly. "Excuse me, are you Mr. Mercer?"
They had only seen him in magazines and weren't sure if it was really him.
Lance looked up, puzzled.
Seeing his confusion, the man quickly explained, "Mr. Mercer, I'm the head of Hurst Group. Here's my card. I've heard a lot about you but never had the chance to meet you. Today, I finally got the opportunity!"
As he spoke, he gave a signal to the woman beside him.
She quickly added, "Yes, Mr. Mercer, what a coincidence that our children attend the same kindergarten!"
It was clear they wanted to establish a connection with Lance.
But no matter what they said, Lance remained indifferent and showed no intention of taking the business card.
After a while, he said, "I'm here for the parent-teacher meeting today. Let's not talk about work."
This left the couple in silence.
The atmosphere became awkward.
The man holding the business card didn't know what to do.
After a moment, he forced a smile and left reluctantly.
"Alright then, we won't disturb you any longer, Mr. Mercer. We'll be going now."
Deanna didn't say anything but observed quietly from the side.
These people just wanted to curry favor with Lance.
She suddenly remembered that the man beside her was seen as unattainable by others...
Her grandmother's words echoed in her mind again.
Mr. Mercer is a good person and a good marriage prospect...
Realizing her thoughts, Deanna quickly shook her head to clear them.
What was she thinking? Was she out of her mind?
In the afternoon, after their nap, the children had some snacks and gathered in the classroom for a meeting.
The teacher summarized the day's activities and praised some of the children.
"Speaking of praise," the teacher said, "I want to commend two children: Gregory and Chloe!"
"They are well-behaved and cooperative in class. Not only that, but they are also very smart. Their math skills are already at a third-grade level! That's excellent!"
"I hope other children can learn from Gregory and Chloe. Let's give them a round of applause!"