Chapter 1508 - 1498: New Year’s Eve Dinner at the Shaw Family

"Hey, Chloe, is it really you back? I thought I was seeing things!" Professor Wu from next door came over with a beaming smile, saying, "Your Mr. Stewart left not long ago, saying he was coming to put up couplets and lucky characters, and he had a nice chat with our old Liu."

"Happy New Year, Auntie. How have you and Director Liu been these days?" Chloe placed her suitcase down, turned on the indoor heating, and asked with a smile.

"Good, very good indeed. You seem so carefree. Mr. Stewart said you went out for some relaxation, and you’ve been gone for three months, truly enviable. Young girls are so free; you just leave whenever you want. If I left, our old Liu would probably be hopping mad every day." Professor Wu laughed, "Come over to our place for dinner tonight."

"Thanks, Auntie, but I’m going to the Shaw Family for New Year’s Eve dinner. It’s already been arranged." Chloe took off her hat and scarf, smiling as she declined.

Professor Wu was suddenly taken aback, thinking it must be the Shaw Family she imagined, and didn’t say much more, just smiled, "Alright, I won’t hold you up then."

Back on the second floor, Chloe took a hot bath, washing away the fatigue of the journey, changed clothes, and someone from the Shaw Family came over to pick her up.

Delphine and Ignatius Leclair decided to spend this New Year in London. It’s said that everyone from Leclair family, from the old master to six-year-old Benjamin Leclair, is packed off to London. The Howard Family here wasn’t happy about it, always saying that the old master of the Leclair family was stingy, not bringing even one of the three kids to come celebrate New Year with the Howard Family.

Chloe here has always been without relatives; the old lady from the Shaw Family invited her over for New Year’s Eve dinner a long time ago, and Chloe couldn’t refuse, so she agreed. The most crucial thing was that during these three months, Constantine Stewart knew her location but never went to disturb her. He seemed to have changed a lot.

He was trying to respect her, trying to restrain and let go.

Chloe herself thought for three months, knowing that many things can’t just be run away from, can’t be avoided, and must be bravely faced.

The person who came to pick her up was Richard Shaw’s guard officer, Shane. When she arrived at Shaw Mansion, it was still early, though on Chinese New Year’s Eve, everyone was accustomed to eating early. According to the old lady, they would watch a show at night, so they should eat even earlier.

With New Year gifts in hand, Chloe walked through the door; Mrs. Li greeted her early, took over what she was carrying, and laughed, "Miss Winston, the old lady and the Young Madam have been waiting all day for you, you’ve finally come, bringing so many gifts."

"They’re just New Year goods, proper etiquette from the younger generation." Chloe replied with a smile.

They walked through the courtyard adorned with red plum blossoms and snow, from afar seeing icicles hanging from the eaves of Shaw Mansion, a tall man was accompanying Casimir Shaw building snowmen in the yard. Several snowmen had already been fashioned, big and small, some fat, some thin.

"Uncle Stewart, this snowman is so well-built; who is it supposed to be? Is it my Aunt Stewart?" Casimir Shaw had grown a lot, at ten years old, the young boy was exceptionally handsome, resembling Richard Shaw in the brows and eyes.

"Hmm." Constantine Stewart placed a red hat on the snowman’s head, using two emeralds as eyes. Seeing it didn’t look right, he squinted and said, "Casimir, don’t you find emerald eyes a bit strange?"

"Eyes should be black. I’ll find you some obsidian beads, but Uncle Stewart, can I borrow your red hat later? Benjamin likes red hats." Casimir was busy building a small snowman for Benjamin Leclair, feeling frustrated over the lack of a red hat, his eyes gleamed as he spoke.

"No borrowing, the red hat is a New Year gift I bought for your Aunt Stewart." The thirty-two-year-old man, elegant and handsome, smiled, flat-out refusing as he glanced over to the entering Mrs. Li and Chloe, momentarily stiffening, his gaze deep and profound.

Chloe listened on the side, feeling a bit embarrassed; the old man was bullying a kid, Constantine Stewart had truly become more childish.

"Is it Chloe who’s here?" The old lady from the Shaw Family heard the commotion, came out, and smiled, "It’s good that you’re here, everyone come in for dinner."

Everyone sat around the table, on the evening of Chinese New Year’s Eve, the chef and Mrs. Li also joined in; nine or ten people filled the table, joyously eating the New Year’s meal.

Constantine Stewart’s seat was right across from Chloe; at a glance, he saw the fuzzy-dressed little girl. They hadn’t met in three months, she looked a bit thinner, appeared happier than before, with an energetic aura around her, even more so appearing icy-cute. Constantine couldn’t help but smile; it’s good to have her back.

With so many people, Constantine Stewart couldn’t find a chance to talk privately with Chloe throughout the evening. After dinner, relatives from three other branches of the Shaw Family came to pay New Year respects, and then everyone excitedly took Casimir Shaw to watch the show. It’s a habit developed over the years and continued this year, with Chloe joining in.

Constantine Stewart saw the girl he had been thinking of so much back again, yet found no opportunity to ask how she had been these three months. As he watched her being led away by the old lady of the Shaw Family to the show, he felt a bit speechless.

Richard Shaw never joined in the fuss each year, Leah was pregnant, feeling exhausted from sitting for too long, so neither went but stayed at Shaw Mansion.

Richard Shaw patted Constantine Stewart on the shoulder and laughed, "She’s back already; why are you in such a hurry?"

"What time does your old lady usually come back?" Constantine Stewart looked at the most beautifully built snowman in the yard, the melancholy in his brow finally dissipating; he planned to intercept her later.

Chloe Winston returned by herself, and he surely would go and catch up with her.

"Around ten o’clock, give or take."

Constantine Stewart nodded, then took his coat and started to head out.

"If you go now, you’ll be waiting for three hours." Richard Shaw saw that he couldn’t even stand still for a quarter hour, shaking his head with a grin.

Leah held Richard Shaw’s arm, laughing, "Unless you want him staring you down at Shaw Mansion for three hours?"

"The wife’s right." The handsome and strong man nodded with a smile, leaning in to listen to her belly, gently asking, "Has the little girl been mischievous today? Did she kick you?"

"She’s very well-behaved, didn’t kick me. I’m worried sick; if the girl has too tame a personality, it’s not good; being so quiet from a young age makes her easily bullied." Leah worried about her pregnancy, thinking if this daughter turns out with Richard Shaw’s personality, it’d be doom.

Someone like Benjamin Leclair would be ideal, both cunning and clever, letting no one bully her.

Vice Admiral Shaw only kept smiling; since hearing the child is a girl, he nearly went crazy with joy, no matter the personality, he loves her all the same.

Constantine Stewart didn’t directly drive to the venue but went back to Spring Prosperity Garden, asking the steward to send over the New Year gifts he bought, piling them in the living room, almost ending up clipping all the flowers from the Fulham Road villa, decorating the place beautifully and warmly, only then timing it to go pick up Chloe.