It wasn't an apple that hit Newton.

The cabinet doors were tightly closed, as if sealing away some of the world's most precious treasures.

"Huff... Huff..."

After calming his breathing slightly, Li Cheng nervously reached out and opened the wardrobe.

As this action occurred, the blinding sunlight shone into the wardrobe, illuminating its entire structure clearly, including a small red figure.

Louise was sitting on a small pile of towels and shirts, her arms tightly wrapped around her knees, her head leaning against the cabinet wall, her eyelids tightly closed, her long eyelashes fluttering from time to time—if you closed your eyes and listened carefully, you could even hear her even and slight breathing.

Just as Li Cheng had instructed when he left, she stayed inside obediently and did not come out. But perhaps because she had been waiting for too long, the little girl had already fallen into a peaceful sleep.

Seeing this, Li Cheng felt a little sorry for him and a little amused.

"Wake up." He shook him gently. "Don't sleep."

Upon hearing Li Cheng's call, Louise's tightly closed eyelids finally stirred. After a few tremors, they slowly opened, revealing her beautiful, watery eyes, like black gemstones, sparkling brightly, completely unlike the dull and lifeless look that most people have when they first wake up.

"Well......"

Once Louise saw the person in front of her clearly, she immediately smiled happily: "Good morning, brother!"

"It's already noon!" Li Cheng said helplessly.

"Ah, it's already noon."

Louise was slightly surprised and tried to climb out of the closet, but then she seemed to remember something, paused, raised her little head and asked, "Brother, can Louise come out now?"

Li Cheng stared at her blankly for a while without saying a word. He simply bent down, gently picked her up, and put her on the ground. He said with a hint of helplessness, "How could you be so stupid? You actually let me stay inside and not come out. What if I don't come over tonight?"

“Hmm…” Louise lowered her head in distress: “But my brother said that Louise should wait for him to call her before coming out of the closet.”

"Don't you think it's a bit strange that I haven't called you for so long?"

Li Cheng pinched her soft cheeks and pulled them apart a little angrily: "I had an urgent matter and was called away. I just got back. I didn't expect you to be so stupid, just sitting there in the closet like an idiot. This time it was just the closet. What if you go out somewhere next time and I make you wait in the same spot for a while? Are you really going to wait forever?"

Her cheek stung slightly from the pull, and Louise said, feeling wronged, "I'm sorry, Louise was wrong..."

Although I don't understand why my brother is angry.

But all you have to do at this point is apologize. Once you apologize, your brother will forgive Louise, and then he'll be happy again.

"...No, I'm the one who's wrong."

What else could Li Cheng say? He could only bend down and tenderly lift the girl out of the cramped wardrobe, whispering, "I won't let you suffer like this again."

The grievance he was referring to wasn't the accidental standing up of Louise and leaving her in the closet; that was just the surface-level grievance. The real grievance was that when the two of them were together, they had to be mindful of other people's opinions and secretly act as secretive spies—that was the fundamental grievance.

That said, considering the "again" that Annie let slip this morning, it's time to take the initiative and resolve this matter.

After all, he also wants to be a scumbag.

Fearing the loss of what they had, they dragged things out as underground party members, thinking that they could resolve the issue themselves by delaying it. But there's no such thing as a free lunch.

After making up my mind.

Li Cheng didn't put Louise on the ground. Instead, he changed to a more effortless princess carry position, carrying Louise, who was only wearing a thin nightgown, out of the room and towards her room.

On the way, they bumped into the French maid who had come to check on the situation. She was stunned for a moment, a little confused about what was going on.

Li Cheng nodded to her and stepped into the girl's small bedroom.

The bedroom was clean and tidy. There was a small desk with several calligraphy practice books and storybooks by the window, a bookshelf full of toys, and even the everyday clothes that Louise was going to wear this morning had been taken out of the closet in advance and neatly folded on the bedside table.

Li Cheng placed Louise on the neatly folded, soft bed, then turned and picked up a dress he had prepared on the bedside table—a pale yellow pleated midi skirt.

Louise blushed and opened her lips: "Um, brother, Louise can dress herself..."

"It's okay, I'll help you today."

As Li Cheng spoke, he began to study the structure. Relying on his experience as a fashion designer, he quickly found the correct way to wear the clothes and began to help Louise change.

Anyway, I've seen everything I was supposed to see and touched everything I was supposed to touch.

After changing into her dress, she tied her hair up.

Li Cheng patiently divided Louise's waist-length hair into three sections. Though not very skilled, he managed to braid her wine-red hair into a simple braid, perfect for movement. Finally, he tied a small bow at the end of the braid with a ribbon, thus completing the hair-tying task.

Clothing acquired√

Hairstyle done!

Unlike when she was just pulled out of the dark closet, wearing only a thin white nightgown and with messy hair.

Louise, dressed in a pale yellow pleated dress adorned with light red ribbons and bows, her long, flowing burgundy hair tied in a thick braid and cascading down her back, stood gracefully in the center of the room—the only flaw being that her fair face looked slightly dazed, as if she were still a little confused about the situation.

Looking at the results of his hard work, Li Cheng clapped his hands in satisfaction and headed to the last project:

"Okay, let me go wash you up."

"Eh?"

Louise was dazed and confused when Li Cheng pulled her to the washroom to begin cleaning herself.

Hygiene achieved √

In the end, the two returned to the restaurant where they first started.

The roasted pigeon was still on the table, and Li Cheng was still sitting in the same chair.

However, at this moment, there was a soft and cute Louise on his lap, staring longingly at the roast pigeon on the table—she hadn't eaten breakfast or lunch, and her little stomach was now empty.

"Come on, open your mouth."

Li Cheng smiled and cut off a piece of tender breast meat with his knife, picked it up with his fork, and brought it to the lips of the hungry girl in his arms.

The old saying goes, "You are what you eat," which may be a bit unscientific, but eating more breast meat to supplement protein is definitely a good idea...

Louise was still in a daze. She felt the warm, broad embrace behind her, stared at the fork being offered to her mouth, blinked her big eyes, and wondered if she was still dreaming, if she was actually still curled up in that dark closet...

After all, aside from dreaming, there's only one other possibility: that such a wonderful thing would happen...

So she tentatively called out, "Brother?"

"what happened?"

Li Cheng asked in confusion, "The pigeons are a little cold, should we heat them up again?"

!

This considerate question seemed to confirm some kind of guess, and Louise bit her little tongue hard in surprise.

After the pain on her tongue confirmed that she wasn't dreaming, she turned her head blankly, her eyes brimming with tears, and asked, "Brother, are you planning to abandon Louise?"

Chapter 373 Calling Li Cheng by Day, Calling Brother by Night

"...?"

Looking at the girl who suddenly had tears in her eyes, Li Cheng couldn't help but slowly type a question mark, not understanding why she would ask such a question.

But the truth is actually very simple. It's like a pet cat at home. When it first sees its owner pouring cat food, it will happily come over. But when it sees that its owner is pouring more and more, and eventually pours the whole bag into the food bowl or even overflows onto the floor, it will be scared and back away.

The kitten is scared.gif

Louise is similar.

After the initial blissful, dizzying moments, the girl began to feel a little scared as the bowl of food meant for her overflowed, and she started to ponder the reasons behind it.

Why is that? Why is her brother suddenly being so unusually doting on her, almost to the point of spoiling her?

After careful consideration.

Louise's little brain came to this wrong conclusion—that her brother had finally decided to abandon her because he thought she was too stupid.

Like a prisoner about to be executed.

This was Louise's last lunch, which is why her brother treated her so well.

After finding out the reason.

Li Cheng, both amused and exasperated, repeatedly stated that she was simply overthinking things.

However, the fact that Louise could ask such a question also means that she did not think that it was Li Cheng's fault for forgetting her in the closet. Therefore, she did not have the awareness that "her brother was silently making amends after doing something wrong," which is why she suspected that "her brother was planning to abandon her."

Of course, after Li Cheng's repeated assurances, this worry disappeared from Louise's mind, and the young girl began to enjoy this life.

From early morning, she enjoys meticulous and thoughtful service, and now she can even sit on her brother's lap and be fed lunch bite by bite... Louise squinted her eyes happily, and the corners of her mouth turned up.

Happy.

Li Cheng gazed at the girl in his arms, her face beaming with happiness as she chewed on pigeon meat, and suddenly fell into deep thought.

Louise is at the age where she grows the fastest and is developing exceptionally quickly.

It had been less than a year since I first met her. Not only had she grown a little taller, but her small, bamboo shoot-like parts and round, apple-like parts had also swelled up noticeably, and the feel of her was different from before.

He personally confirmed this.

If she continues to grow at this rate, Louise should be taller than Newton in less than six months... By then, she will truly be a young woman.

In other words, it's almost ready to eat.

Li Cheng thought for a moment, then suddenly said, "Louise."

"Ok?"

Louise raised her little head.

Have you thought about the future?

Li Cheng thought for a moment and said, "Legally speaking, a person can only have one wife, and I should marry Newton."

Although it's not appropriate to say this, it's something I'll have to say sooner or later.

After all, legally one can only have one wife. Even in Paris, where mistresses are common, illegitimate children have certain inheritance rights, and one can only have one legitimate wife.

Louise glanced at Li Cheng, who seemed a little guilty, blinked, and asked:

Will my brother take care of Louise?

"Ah."

Li Cheng nodded without hesitation.

"Then Louise is fine."

Louise gently nuzzled Li Cheng's chest with her head, reassuring him, and then revealed her little secret: "Actually... Louise has long felt that brother should marry sister Newton. I felt that way the first time I met brother and sister, and after following brother to Lincoln, Louise became even more certain."

That is to say, she meant...