CHAPTER 352: CHAPTER 352: CHRISTMAS EVE

"Daddy, Mommy, you’re finally back!"

Marcus didn’t know that Eleanor had gone through something. When Hugo left, he just told Marcus to stay home alone for a few days, saying he was going with Eleanor to visit a sick friend.

So Marcus waited at home with peace of mind.

Seeing the child, Eleanor’s heart softened. She squatted down and wrapped him in her arms. She almost never got to hug this child again.

"Did you see your friend? Was he very seriously ill?"

Marcus asked cautiously, afraid of upsetting his parents.

Eleanor was momentarily taken aback and glanced up at Hugo, wanting to know what exactly Hugo had told the child.

Hugo’s expression softened as he reached out and ruffled Marcus’ hair.

"It was indeed serious, but there are people taking care of him at his side, so don’t worry."

Marcus sighed in relief, and the gloominess on his face turned to sunshine.

"Daddy, you promised to take Mommy and me skiing, but tomorrow’s Christmas Eve, and it looks like we can’t go."

Marcus was visibly disappointed; he had bought a lot of things, planning to use them on the skiing trip.

Hugo was startled, only now realizing that tomorrow was really Christmas Eve. He had been so busy searching for Eleanor that he had forgotten all about it.

"Marcus, let’s go ice skating first, and when your mother’s health recovers, we can go skiing. Your mom’s been very tired these past few days and hasn’t rested much."

Marcus, being an understanding child, immediately nodded in agreement.

But the truth was that both Hugo and Eleanor had large dark circles under their eyes. They hadn’t rested much these days and didn’t have the energy to take the child out to play.

The two of them immediately retreated to the bedroom to sleep, and slept straight through to Christmas Eve.

When Eleanor woke up, she found a huge apple beside her bed.

She glanced at the sleeping Hugo. It must not have been him who placed it there.

After washing up and stepping out the door, she saw Marcus standing among a pile of apples, handing them out to the family’s maids.

The entire villa had been simply decorated, with a gigantic Christmas tree placed next to the aquarium in the living room. Marcus had arranged all this since Eleanor and Hugo, the two adults, hadn’t woken up at all.

"Mommy, you’re awake."

Marcus handed the last apple to the returning Lan Yancy, his face beaming with a smile.

"Today is Christmas Eve, you see. This is the Christmas tree I asked them to prepare. Mommy, why don’t you and I hang these red envelopes on it?"

Marcus still had a lot of red envelopes in his hands, all prepared for the house maids, each receiving one. The lucky ones could get quite a bit of money.

Eleanor’s face was full of smiles. This child was just like a little sunshine. She walked over and started hanging red envelopes on the Christmas tree.

Marcus took care of the lower part, while she handled the higher areas.

It wasn’t until they’d finished hanging all the red envelopes that Hugo came down from upstairs, looking sleepy.

"Morning."

He sat to the side, drank a cup of warm water, and said calmly.

Marcus quickly ran over with an expectant look on his face.

"Daddy, did you see the big apple I prepared for you?"

Hugo’s face froze. He had washed up and come down without noticing anything by the bedside, but seeing the expectant look on his child’s face, he quickly nodded.

"Yes, yes, I saw it. Marcus, you’ve worked hard."

Marcus’s lips curled up, and he reached out to hug Hugo around the neck.

"It’s what I should do. Daddy, let’s eat."

The atmosphere in the villa was particularly good. After picking the red envelopes from the Christmas tree, the maids cheerfully thanked Marcus and put the envelopes solemnly in their bags.

Marcus was happy too, chattering away during breakfast, and even the usually stern Hugo seemed to soften.

After breakfast, the three were ready to go to the ice rink.

Maybe because it was Christmas Eve, they got stuck in traffic as soon as they left, suggesting many adults were taking children out to play.

It took about an hour to get to the ice rink, where many kids and adults were already inside.

The three hurriedly changed into their prepared shoes and carefully stepped onto the ice.

Although Marcus was young, he was good at skating, instantly gliding quite a distance, while Eleanor wobbled, clinging cautiously to the railing, not daring to let go.

"You won’t skate unless you let go."

Hugo stood beside her, amused by how nervous she looked. He thought she wouldn’t be able to enjoy skating if she was this timid.

"Let go, I’ll guide you."

However, Eleanor persistently shook her head, thinking that it would surely hurt if she fell.

Hugo wrapped an arm around her waist, his expression gentle and smiling.

"Just let go, I’m here, you won’t fall."

Perhaps it was his tender tone that made Eleanor glance at him, then slowly release her grip.

Hugo skated steadily. As he saw her look so terrified, he gently loosened his hold on her.

"Lower your center of gravity a bit, lean slightly forward, and don’t be afraid."

He caught Eleanor’s hand, and whenever she was about to fall, he’d catch her again, only loosening his hold when she steadied herself.

Eleanor’s emotions were like a rollercoaster as she clung tightly to his arm.

"Don’t let go, or I’ll fall."

"Swish."

Marcus glided past her, turning back to make a face, gliding nimbly through several people.

Hugo, holding her, skated after Marcus.

"If you don’t get braver, Marcus will laugh at you."

Hearing this, Eleanor finally loosened up a bit, sliding slowly forward.

She noticed many girls watching Marcus and felt a little proud, but then her lifted brow slowly drooped upon thinking.

Marcus wasn’t Serena’s son, so whose child was he?

She originally wanted to call Grace Lin, but was told the number was no longer in service. Grace had vanished and probably wouldn’t come back for the rest of her life.

Then where was Marcus’s birth mother? It seemed like a ticking time bomb, and she hoped no childhood sweetheart would appear out of nowhere.

"Don’t zone out."

A pair of hands suddenly held her waist. Hugo embraced her, his tone reproachful.

"If I hadn’t stopped you, you would have crashed into someone’s arms."

Eleanor turned and saw that the man she was about to bump into was quite handsome. Her lips curled, thinking Hugo was jealous.

Wearing a white down jacket, she felt a bit tired and stopped to the side.

Hugo glanced at Marcus’s position, worried that Marcus might cause some trouble, he quickly reminded her, then glided over to Marcus.

Eleanor watched his retreating figure, suddenly curious about what Hugo was like at seventeen or eighteen.

He must have been very popular since that age is filled with youthful naiveté.

Her gaze suddenly froze because Hugo, who had gone far away, turned back and waved at her, signaling for her not to let go of the railing.

Eleanor smiled, feeling a bit sweet inside, and gestured ’OK’ with her hand.