He could speak, just not much.

Young children have a scale in their hearts, with clear boundaries.

She blinked her eyes, lying by the door, gazing longingly at their departing figures.

When will Charles Page finally be willing to talk to her?

Chapter 5: Don’t Bite Her

Emily James brought Charles Page home, washed his face, and fetched a cup of water for him to rinse his mouth.

Charles Page remained quiet the whole time. Emily James looked at the child’s pale, delicate face and stroked his black hair. “Xiaochuan, why did you bite Henry Brooks?”

Charles Page lowered his lashes. “He took my biscuit.”

Emily James frowned.

She knew Charles Page was lying. Their family was among the most well-off in the whole neighborhood. That kind of sandwich biscuit wasn’t available in other homes, but not only did they have biscuits, they also had chocolate. Charles Page wouldn’t get into a fight over a biscuit.

Even if the child didn’t say it, her gaze fell on Charles Page’s leg, and her eyes immediately filled with tears. Emily James actually understood the real reason—it was definitely because of his leg.

She hugged him gently, then smiled and said, “Mom is going to cook. Dinner will be ready soon. Is there anything Xiaochuan wants to eat?”

Charles Page shook his head, his dark eyes quietly and sensibly watching Emily James’s busy figure.

Brian Page didn’t come home until evening. He’d been busy lately tracking down a drug criminal, often working late into the night. When he returned, the whole atmosphere at home went quiet for a moment.

Charles Page’s family had a color TV in the living room, which was a rare thing in 1996. Emily James was watching a singing show with Charles Page. Emily James didn’t turn her head, but Brian Page was the first to speak: “I’m home.”

He glanced at his tired wife, then patted his son’s little head.

Charles Page looked up at his father, his clear eyes showing not a trace of resentment. Brian Page felt a faint, almost imperceptible pain in his heart.

Emily James blamed him for dragging Charles Page into trouble, and the two of them argued every few days.

Not long ago, there was a night when both of them were busy—Emily James was the lead surgeon in an emergency operation, and Brian Page was still at work. Each thought the other had picked up Charles Page, but when they got home, they realized neither had gone. That night, Emily James cried hysterically the whole night.

Although Emily James and Brian Page had an arranged marriage, they were very sweet when they first got married. Especially after Charles Page was born, their happiness reached its peak. But after Charles Page’s leg was broken, Emily James couldn’t help but resent Brian Page.

She hated her husband for bringing revenge upon them because of his work, causing their son to lose his lower leg to criminals at the age of four.

When she saw Charles Page covered in blood, Emily James felt as if her heart and soul were being torn apart.

Brian Page noticed there was no food left for him in the kitchen. He paused, then cooked himself a bowl of noodles and ate. After eating, he came to talk with Charles Page for a while. Whatever he asked, the little boy answered, especially well-behaved.

Emily James watched coldly. At nine o’clock, she wiped Charles Page’s face and told him to go to bed.

The boy grabbed the corner of her clothes.

“Mom.” He looked up. “I want to take a bath.”

“You didn’t move around much today, and it wasn’t very hot. You’re not dirty. Let’s bathe another day.”

Charles Page pressed his lips together. “I want to take a bath.”

He didn’t tell Emily James the real reason for his fight with Henry Brooks. Emily James frowned, but in the end, she still boiled water for him.

She took off Charles Page’s clothes and put the thin little boy into the wooden tub.

Charles Page’s dark eyes looked at his ugly stump in silence.

Emily James saw it too. This was almost an unbearable pain in her heart, but she couldn’t let her young son bathe himself. She patiently washed him, dried him off, and then took him to bed.

Before bed, Emily James reminded him again, “If you need to pee, don’t hold it in. Tell the teacher or mom, okay?”

“Okay,” he replied softly. “Mom, can you tell me a story?”

Emily James had just smiled and agreed when someone knocked on the door outside: “Doctor Jiang! Is Doctor Jiang here?”

Charles Page watched his mother hurry out and never come back.

He didn’t get to hear a story. He calmly turned his gaze to the other side of the wall, where there used to be chalk marks for measuring height. Every year on his birthday, his parents would happily measure him.

Later, Brian Page wiped it away with tears, leaving only a blurry mark.

Charles Page stared at it for a long time before finally closing his eyes.

He understood that he would never grow as tall as his father.

～

August 3rd was Grace Ford’s birthday. Little Mr. Clark led all the children in the kindergarten to sing her a birthday song.

Emma Bennett sat among the crowd, clapping her little hands and singing. Looking around, she realized Charles Page wasn’t at school. Of course, Henry Brooks wasn’t there either. She was very anxious—why wasn’t Charles Page coming to kindergarten?

Emma Bennett asked Little Mr. Clark, and Little Mr. Clark said, “Charles Page’s mom said he’s not coming to kindergarten anymore. In September, he’ll go straight to preschool.”

Emma Bennett was dumbfounded.

In her vague memory, she knew about this preschool. It was in Yubo Primary School, a bit far from the kindergarten, not in the same direction.

Just like in her previous life, Charles Page still didn’t finish kindergarten.

Little Mr. Clark sighed. She felt sorry for Charles Page, but she also understood that Charles Page was no longer suited to stay here.