"Bugs?" Chloe seemed doubtful of what she heard.
After all, she was quite afraid of bugs.
Lance knew this, and seeing his daughter startled, he raised an eyebrow, "Yes, eating bugs gives it nutrition. What's wrong? Are you afraid of catching bugs?"
"I… I am. Daddy, can you catch some bugs for me?"
Though she liked the fish, her fear of bugs outweighed this fondness. She clung to Lance, acting spoiled.
Lance was taken aback. He thought his words would encourage his daughter to challenge her fear of bugs.
Of course, he hadn't expected her to overcome her fear; he just wanted to tease her.
To his surprise, his plan backfired, and he ended up in charge.
Unaware of her father's thoughts, the little girl pleaded again, "Daddy, please help me. The fish is so hungry that it's nibbling my fingers. It's so pitiful."
Hearing this, Lance felt he was shooting himself in the foot. What could Lance do but yield to her request?
Fortunately, finding bugs wasn't difficult.
In fact, the mountain was teeming with bugs.
Seeing the man helping their daughter, Deanna sat with Gregory on a nearby lounge chair, chuckling, "Isn't your daddy asking for trouble?"
"Yes, but my sister is too silly, being teased by Daddy like that."
Gregory nodded, unable to resist teasing.
Deanna agreed with a nod.
Later, after Lance helped Chloe feed the fish, he returned to Deanna.
Seeing him sweating, Deanna scolded jokingly, "See if you'll tease Chloe again."
Lance chuckled without remorse, "Don't you find teasing Chloe amusing? She's usually so smart but gets confused over common things."
"I never noticed that before." Deanna was surprised.
Both kids were usually well-behaved and didn't cause her any worry academically, so she trusted them.
After Lance's remark, she realized she'd overlooked a detail: her daughter wasn't very savvy with everyday knowledge and often made silly mistakes.
Seeing Deanna deep in thought, Lance laughed, "I'm not teasing Chloe; I'm cultivating her."
Initially, Deanna believed him, but then she realized it was just an excuse.
She rolled her eyes at him, muttering, "What kind of father bullies his daughter? Why not pick on Gregory?"
"I'd love to tease that boy, but he's not easy to fool."
Lance reclined comfortably in the chair.
Seeing this, Deanna didn't know whether to laugh or be annoyed.
The kids didn't hear their conversation.
Seeing their father sitting beside their mother, they wisely left them to their alone time.
But it wasn't long before they returned to Deanna and Lance, tempted by the fruit on the trees.
Naturally, Deanna and Lance wouldn't let them climb the trees, so Lance took on the task.
"Daddy, there's a big one over there. Pick it for Great-Grandma."
"There's another one. Daddy, pick it so I can give it to Grandma and Grandpa." The kids pointed and instructed under the tree.
Deanna chuckled, watching Lance being ordered around.
After picking the fruit, it was almost noon.
By then, the servants had already set up lunch under the grapevine.
The family sat at the stone table, enjoying the scenery while having lunch.
Occasionally, koi fish would leap from the pond, causing ripples.
Watching the red and white koi, Deanna suddenly asked, "Can we eat these fish?"
"Yes, but the fish in the creek taste better."
"Mommy, don't eat the fish," Chloe and Lance said almost simultaneously.
Seeing her daughter's anxious face, Deanna understood her compassion and smiled, "Don't worry. If there are better fish, I won't touch yours."
After speaking, she glanced at Lance, asking, "Is the place you mentioned far from here?"
"Not far. It's a ten-minute walk down the path. When I was young, my father took me there to catch fish. I wonder if the creek is still there after all these years."
Lance spoke, his eyes filled with nostalgia.
Deanna was surprised.
She hadn't expected someone as stern as Logan to take Lance on such adventures.
It was also the first time she heard about Lance's childhood, prompting her to ask more questions.
Lance shared more childhood stories.
The kids, intrigued, pulled his hand and pleaded, "Daddy, let's go to the creek you mentioned this afternoon."
"I want to see where you played as a child."