AgWorld Chapter 1216: Learn to Indulge, Also Learn to Restrain Yourself
Chapter 1216: Learn to Indulge, Also Learn to Restrain Yourself
After more than a month drifting at sea, Leah felt as if she had lived in another world by the time the ship docked in the South Seas.
She carried her backpack off the ship and unexpectedly saw Hawk Howard waving at her. The man stood out in the crowd, handsome and aloof.
Leah’s eyes widened abruptly. Was this the person Griffith Squire said would pick her up?
"What are you doing here?" Leah asked in surprise as she walked out with the crowd.
Hawk took her backpack, smiled faintly, and said, "Your brother said your ship was docking today. You’ve lost some weight."
Life at sea tends to be dull and lonely. Apart from having her skin tanned to a honey shade, Leah’s brows and eyes brimmed with vitality, her gaze as bright as stars, stunningly beautiful. Her good condition truly surprised Hawk, who originally thought Leah would be more melancholy remembering the past.
Leah gritted her teeth slightly, Griffith Squire this traitor, yet seeing Hawk still delighted her.
"What are you doing in the South Seas? Come to my place first. I need to go home, take a shower, and change clothes. The ones I wore at sea all feel like they have the scent of the ocean," Leah laughed as she sniffed her clothes.
"Okay." Hawk started the navigation and drove to Squire Manor.
Leah first called Griffith Squire to assure him of her safety, sensing his mood was somewhat low, a bit sarcastic, knowing he’ll return to the South Seas in two days, and hung up.
"Seems like this voyage did wonders for your mood?" Hawk had arrived in the South Seas a week early, living in the city Leah was rooted in. He indeed felt the South Seas and Imperial City had two distinctly different urban cultures. The emerging city of the South Seas was more open and inclusive, more extravagant, unlike the ancient Imperial City, the core of the country’s machinery.
"Life isolated at sea allows for greater contemplation and facing one’s soul," Leah laughed. "You have no idea what our ship experienced over the past month—strayed off course, chased by sharks, hit by giant waves, narrowly escaping death, yet also witnessing many unseen beautiful sights."
During solitary nights with only the stars, starlight falling on the deep blue sea’s surface, that kind of shock lingered in her mind.
Leah eagerly took out her camera to show him various incredible photos. This month of sea life opened the door to a new world for her. Before the primal way of life amid life and death solitude, those tangled grievances were like smoke dispersing at fingertips.
She suddenly let go of that past relationship, no longer feeling sad.
Despite his vast experiences, Hawk hadn’t gone through this kind of experience. Seeing many of Leah’s photographs of breathtaking, almost hall-like beauty was surprising. He laughed, "Looks like I need to experience it someday."
"Go ahead, the first experience is the most shocking," Leah laughed, tossing him the camera, feeling a bit tired, said, "I’ll sleep a bit first. Wake me when we arrive."
She finished speaking, pulling her hat down to cover her face, and fell asleep.
Hawk slowed the car down, driving more smoothly, his gaze tender as he watched her small face covered by the hat. Even though she seemed more easygoing and cheerful than in her youth, the dark circles betrayed her—the past had indeed hurt her.
It’s been a week since the last time his mommy called, and Casimir Shaw couldn’t bear it anymore. Every day he’d redial the phone, listening to the mechanical voice: The number you dialed is out of service area, temporarily unable to reach.
The young boy judged his mommy was still probably at sea.
Recently, old Richard Shaw had been more strict with him. As soon as he returned home from school, he had to do homework and read in front of old Richard. Apart from sleeping, he had to follow him around like a shadow. Casimir Shaw was quite troubled; why was old Richard acting so strange? He used to leave him alone.
Casimir Shaw finished his homework, waiting for Uncle Shuang to come over to report daily affairs to old Richard. As soon as they left the tea room, he quickly completed his homework, took out his phone from his backpack, and called his mommy. This time, it wasn’t the mechanical voice, and the young boy’s eyes widened, covering his phone, sneaking a peek at old Richard.
Richard Shaw stood by the window listening to Shuang report some findings. Seeing Casimir Shaw acting suspiciously caught his attention. Recently, the young fellow seemed troubled, often hesitant to speak.
The man gestured for Shuang to wait and then walked to the tea room’s edge.
The call quickly connected, Casimir Shaw’s voice carried a slight childish want and attachment, pleasantly asking, "Mommy, you landed?"
Hawk paused, then laughed faintly, "Your mommy fell asleep. I’m Hawk, you can call me Uncle Hawk."
Casimir Shaw instantly felt a crisis. Uncle? Here to vie with old Richard for mommy? Though recently, old Richard was quite annoying, in his heart, old Richard was still the best.
"Hello, Uncle." Casimir Shaw’s voice grew increasingly naive and innocent, "I’ll call mommy later. Uncle, you can’t take mommy away from daddy. Mommy is ours."
Hawk, taken aback by a ten-year-old boy’s challenge, laughed lightly, "Once your mommy wakes up, I’ll tell her."
Casimir Shaw was satisfied and ended the call, then raised his eyes, seeing old Richard with a cold face, deeply staring at him, speaking frostily, "Which uncle?"
The man thought about Casimir Shaw’s oddness lately, instantly understanding the situation.
"He said he’s Uncle Hawk, Hawk Howard." Casimir Shaw was caught in the act, yet felt happy, finally able to set aside his internal burden. The past week sneaking behind old Richard’s back was quite uncomfortable. Now that old Richard found out, it’s their secret together.
"Old Richard, this is a secret between us. Mommy said not to tell you. Pretend not to know, or else mommy won’t call me," Casimir Shaw stood up, ran over, pulling Richard Shaw’s pant leg, looking up with his pretty little face.
Richard Shaw sighed low, reached out to tousle his hair, his hand tense with visible veins from restraint.
The thing he feared most had happened. Leah, with her memories back, chose to be with Hawk. He had anticipated she might hate him, hate the Shaw Family, even willing to reopen a twenty-year-old case for her, to repay what the Shaw Family owed them and start anew.
But if she no longer wanted to start over and chose another? If her youthful love was extinguished and she loved someone else, what did he have to fight with?
Richard Shaw felt icy within, sensing an emptiness in the rest of his life, filled with no joy.