one step away [Interstellar]

18.

This little guy is so good at acting like a baby, Xia Zuo smiled when he heard this, he had no choice but to put the dinner plate aside, and leaned over to hug her. "Is no one following you? Where's Mama Connie? And Winnie?"

As she spoke, she wiped the crumbs of pastry off Nolan's hands with a napkin.The cute child is holding a small snack, and slowly gnaws it with his mouth open, looking exactly like a chipmunk.

"They're over there." Nolan pointed to one big and one small sitting in the corner with pouty pink mouths.Obviously, the people over there had been paying attention to them. Xia Zuo looked over, met Constance's kind gaze, and smiled.

The half-grown girl leaned in her arms and murmured, "Winnie said she was tired, so she let her mother hug her and refused to come. We stood for a long time today, and we went to accompany Brother Ivan's bride. I'm so hungry." ...Charle, I just saw you over there, so I came to see you. Mom said you don't have time on the dance floor, are you dating Charles?"

She looked at Charles, then at Heber, with sparkling eyes, and asked innocently, "Beautiful sister, are you Charles' girlfriend? Mom said she wanted to find a girlfriend on the dance floor, Just like Natasha and Ellen."

In fact, for the two naughty daughters to go to the dance floor to eat with peace of mind, the Duke of Rose told them with a very serious expression that Xia Zuoqi had a task to do.For example, going on a date with a beautiful sister is a major task given by the princess mother.

The arrogant Winesa snorted, and the naive Nolan believed it, but he couldn't hold back that the little guy really missed Xia Zuo, so he ran over by himself.

Xia Zuo couldn't laugh or cry at the child's words. She looked at He Bo who had been standing beside her, and didn't know what to explain for a while.

Such childish words made Heber smile. She looked at Xia Zuo, and seeing that the other party was not embarrassed, she said softly to Nolan, "Don't you know me, my lovely little Highness? You obviously ate it not long ago. Where's my pastry?"

"Huh?" The child looked at the appearance of the elder sister in front of him, feeling very familiar.

Xia Zuo chuckled when he heard the words, "You idiot, this is not my girlfriend, this is brother Lynn's wife, sister Heber."

She reached out and knocked the child's head, and the naughty child stuck out her tongue, "Okay, okay, don't hit me." She dodged in her sister's arms, then looked at Hebe with a pure face, "Sister Hebe, Long time no see, you are still so beautiful, you look so sweet, just like the most delicious pastry."

"..." Xia Zuo looked at the little clever ghost in his arms silently, and He Bo chuckled when he saw the interaction between their sisters.Probably, the thing of being able to talk is hereditary, and the children of the princess family are very pleasant.

She looked at Xia Zuo, showing an inexplicable smile.For some unknown reason, Xia Zuo, who had always been at ease, felt a little embarrassed at this moment, coughed lightly, and said, "Okay, let's go find Connie's mother." She said, turning to Heber, who was beside her, and asked, " Do you want to come with me?"

After all, this was considered a very private occasion, and she wasn't sure if Heber would come with her.

Unexpectedly, Heber nodded and replied, "Okay." Now that he has seen the other party, it would be impolite not to come forward to visit.

After seeking the other party's permission, Xia Zuo held the dinner plate in one hand and hugged the petite Nolan in the other, and walked towards Duke Rose together with Heber.

"Good evening, Your Excellency." As a junior, Heber saluted first, and Constance bowed back and said with a smile, "Good evening, my beautiful lady."

"Also, my dear Charles." She said, opening her arms towards Xia Zuo, and said, "Son, don't you want a hug?"

Xia Zuo really didn't have the ability to resist his stepmother, so he hugged Nolan and gave her a big hug.Nolan squeezed between the two of them, complaining like a protest, "Mom...I'm going to be out of breath."

"Hmph, who told you to ask Charles to hug you." Winnessa, who looks almost exactly like her sister Nolan, sat on a chair, put down the tableware in her hand, and sat upright.She raised her chin at this moment, her expression extremely proud, "Dear Ms. Heber, good evening. And Charles, long time no see."

The proud look on her face made Xia Zuo dumbfounded, so he handed Nolan in his arms to Duke Rose.Then stretched out his long arms, and hugged her into his arms amidst Winnessa's protests.She hugged the girl and sat in the chair, messed up her curly long blond hair, and smiled very badly, "Does Winnie miss me?"

"Ah, Charles, you bastard, my hair." Little Winnie struggled to pat Charles' hand, trying to break free from his grasp.Nolan, who was nestled in the arms of the Duke of Rose, also stretched out his hand, Lawinie, softly persuaded, "Winnie, don't hit Charles, it will hurt."

"Nolan, shut up, you just like her." Winnessa, who was betrayed by her twin sister, was obviously even more angry, nestling in Xia Zuo's arms and patting like a kitten with fried fur.Nolan on the opposite side finally couldn't stand it anymore, so he ran down from Duke Rose's arms, walked to Xia Zuo's side, climbed onto the chair beside him, and tore Winnie off Xia Zuo's arms, "Then why don't you come down?" , if you hit Shire, don't sit on her lap, oh, Shire, I want to hug you."

The Duke of Rose who was standing next to him smiled very kindly as he watched the pair of daughters holding on to the second daughter and refusing to let go.He Bo, who was sitting by the side, watched Xia Zuo trapped in the vortex of the two children, feeling surprised and a little funny at the same time.

Compared with her half-brother, it is obvious that she is like a fish in water when it comes to children born to her mother.Whether it was Ellen as her elder sister or her fiancée, Xia Zuo got along very well, not to mention the two sisters nestled in her arms now.

"I don't want it." Although she was struggling in her sister's arms, when Nolan came, Winnie held her tightly and wouldn't let go.The two of them were tugging in Xia Zuo's arms, so much that her bow tie was almost crooked.With such a big movement, it was inevitable to bump into Heber next to him.

Very quickly, Xia Zuo pinched the foot that almost kicked He Bei, and the two children settled down immediately, and they were held in her arms together, one on each side, "Okay, stop making trouble. Winnie , Apologize to Sister Heber."

She had a straight face, and when she became strict, she was almost carved out of the same template as the princess mother.The naughty little Winnie tensed her back for a moment, nodded respectfully to Heber, and said sincerely, "I'm sorry, Sister Heber."

For the offense just now.Heber shook his head, not intending to blame him at all.The elder sitting across from them let the children make a fuss, and their eyes fell between Heber and Xia Zuo, and a very subtle feeling arose.

She coughed lightly, looked at the two children sitting in Xia Zuo's arms eating obediently, and said to Heber, "Ma'am, how are you doing recently?"

"Well... Thank you for your concern, it's very good." Heber nodded and responded very softly.

"That's good, you are going to be a mother now, please pay more attention to your body. By the way, the dessert prepared tonight is very good, please be sure to try some more." She enthusiastically introduced the food here, and gradually opened up the topic, become extremely comfortable.

Xia Zuo, who listened with pricked ears, was inexplicably relieved, and concentrated on feeding the two children.There was a commotion on the dance floor not far away, and the participation of the queen and princess was the last fire that ignited the banquet.Almost deliberately, Xia Zuo, who avoided meeting with politicians at this moment, escaped a disaster when he was with Duke Rose.

"Charles, is there still only one dance tonight?" The topic fell on Xia Zuo. Hearing this, she looked up at the young stepmother and met her wise eyes.

Feeling a little guilty, she said, "You know, my dance class is not good, and it's not bad if I can finish it. You don't want someone to say that I don't respect Omega and then complain to my mother."

"It will be your sister's wedding in a while, you should practice more." Looking at the young man in front of her helplessly, the Duchess said so.

"Yes." Xia Zuo nodded, obeying her intention.

Where they avoided getting involved, the Queen's carriage had returned to the palace.The ministers also left one after another, leaving only the young people here, and the wedding banquet in the middle of the night can be regarded as the beginning.

Young people, freed from the restraints of their elders, began to freely search for suitable people to talk to.And Xia Zuo, of course, had to salute and say goodbye before the Queen left.

He Bo stayed where he was, sitting quietly in a corner with his back facing the hustle and bustle, drinking the green tea provided by the waiter, waiting for Xia Zuo to come back, and going back with her.

Until, someone behind her called her.

"Hebe..." The woman's soft voice sounded behind her, she turned around, and met the green eyes of the other party.Earl Maureen, who was wearing an off-the-shoulder dress, looked down at her affectionately, and said softly, "Can I... ask you to dance?"

In an instant, countless pairs of gazes came from all directions and landed on them, curiosity and obvious sneers were stirring in the air.Heber clenched the teacup in his hand, and his bright red pupils were covered with a layer of shadow.