Olivia Carter raised her head this time and said quite seriously, “Why doesn’t Dad let us watch foreign language classes, and then sing, dance, and perform for us? My brother and I would definitely be very happy.”

Ethan Carter chimed in gleefully, “I think that’s a great idea.”

David Carter: “……” Very good, by ganging up on me, they’ve successfully broken the ice.

Grace Bennett happened to pass by the living room. Seeing her husband being outmaneuvered by the kids, she sighed helplessly and suggested, “Ethan Bennett, take Olivia Bennett out to buy some fruit, and go for a walk outside. Don’t just stay cooped up at home all the time.”

Grace Bennett was clearly much more authoritative at home. Ethan Carter could only obediently put on his coat, wrapping himself up tightly, and take the little one out for a stroll. He had a bit of an attitude with his father, but when it came to his mother, he was much more subdued and didn’t dare argue.

Olivia Carter also put on her little cotton jacket. Looking at her cheap brother wearing a black mask and a baseball cap, she commented, “You look like a manhole cover thief.”

Ethan Carter, who considered himself a fashionista: “?”

Olivia Carter didn’t understand Ethan Carter’s fashion items at all. Instead, she thought to herself that he was truly poor. He was actually wearing jeans in winter, and there was a random slit on his left knee, as if it had been cut by a razor blade. Wouldn’t that let in the cold wind?

The two of them had already left the house. Olivia Carter reached out her little hand and poked at the slit on his knee, frowning, “Let’s go back and have Auntie sew this up for you, then we can go out to buy fruit.”

Ethan Carter: “???”

Instead of getting angry, Ethan Carter laughed. He was so annoyed he wanted to pinch her little head, and flatly refused, “That’s what makes these pants valuable! If it didn’t have this slit, I wouldn’t wear them anymore!”

The highlight of these jeans was the slit on the left knee, which made them look simple yet casual—a finishing touch. Without this special slit, they’d just be ordinary jeans, but with the designer’s inspiration, they instantly became a high-end item.

Olivia Carter didn’t understand trends yet. She truly looked confused and asked, “Is this like a beggar’s bowl—if you don’t have the bowl, you can’t get food?”

Olivia Carter: Why are ripped pants better? Is he begging for food outside?

Ethan Carter: “……”

He felt that his little sister wasn’t just talented in foreign languages, but also had quite a way with words. She always managed to use all sorts of rhetorical devices to leave people speechless.

Chapter 7

Ethan Carter was both embarrassed and angry. He didn’t want to argue with the little one anymore, so he took her and headed out of the complex. Inside the neighborhood, Olivia Carter kept staring at the slit in the jeans the whole way, constantly reminding him, “The wind is blowing it open.”

Ethan Carter had never felt cold before, but now, with her nagging, he actually started to feel a chill. He grabbed her little hand and led her out the gate, stopping her from chattering, “Alright, let’s go!”

Olivia Carter was a bit helpless. She thought her cheap brother was just too stubborn. As the saying goes, only the person wearing ripped pants knows if they’re cold or not—why did he have to pretend he wasn’t cold?

Ethan Carter hadn’t been back to Yurongtai in years and was no longer familiar with the area. He simply used an electronic map to navigate, picked the nearest fruit shop, but when he got there, found it wasn’t open yet. Looking at the little one, Ethan Carter asked, “Is there anywhere else nearby that sells fruit?”

Olivia Carter: “There’s another shop if you turn right from home.”

Ethan Carter thought about it. They’d walked a long way to the left after leaving the gate—did that mean they’d have to double back?

Ethan Carter: “Is that shop open?”

“I don’t know.” Olivia Carter looked at his hesitant expression. “Are you cold?”

“I’m not cold, let’s not talk about this anymore—” Ethan Carter really didn’t want to discuss the pants any further, so he made a decisive call, “Alright, I know where to go!”

Ethan Carter took Olivia Carter straight to a taxi, and for the base fare, they arrived at the largest shopping mall nearby, deciding to buy fruit there. The mall was slightly decorated for the Spring Festival, with all kinds of stores using red decorations, giving off a festive atmosphere.

There weren’t too many customers in the mall—first, because many people had left Beijing for the holiday, and second, because this place was high-end and not somewhere ordinary people usually shopped. It was one of the city’s largest luxury department stores, often frequented by celebrities, some for brand events, others just to shop privately.

Olivia Carter’s range of activities was still quite small, and this was her first time here. She looked around curiously.

It was very warm inside the mall. Ethan Carter smugly asked, “Not cold now, right?”

Olivia Carter glanced at him in surprise and replied, “I never felt cold. I’m not the one wearing ripped pants.”

Ethan Carter: “……”

Ethan Carter was both annoyed and amused. “If you’re a little nicer, I’ll treat you to dessert.”

There were quite a few boutique dessert shops in the mall, displaying all kinds of exquisite and expensive pastries, sparkling under the lights. Olivia Carter glanced at the various desserts, but didn’t see any price tags nearby, so she simply shook her head, “Forget it.”

Ethan Carter had thought all kids liked pastries, but after she studied them for a while, her reaction was surprisingly indifferent. He asked in confusion, “You don’t like sweets? These look pretty good.”