Chapter 224: Gifts and the Four Beautiful Necklaces
“Um~ Um~” Fiona closed her eyes, savoring the gentle touch of the white-haired, middle-aged man.
For some reason, his touch reminded her of her daddy’s, making her instinctively grasp his hand tightly.
With a look of innocent curiosity, she softly asked the middle-aged man, “Uncle, could you lift me up?”
Charlotte, Iris, and Stella’s eyes widened in astonishment at her words.
“Fiona, what are you doing? You can’t ask that; it’s very rude,” Charlotte scolded, shaking her head and fixing Fiona with a stern look.
Charlotte thought asking a stranger to carry her was incredibly rude, especially since the middle-aged man had already been so helpful. She feared Fiona’s request might offend or anger him.
However, the middle-aged man responded with a smile and a slight nod to Fiona’s request.
“It’s okay. I don’t mind,” he said calmly, casting a gentle glance at Charlotte.
Charlotte was about to speak up when Iris, standing beside her, gave her a subtle nudge, startling her.
Turning to Iris, Charlotte saw her shaking her head, which left her feeling puzzled.
“Why did you stop me?” Charlotte asked with a slight pout.
Iris released her grip on Charlotte’s arm and replied nonchalantly, “Sister, did you forget about this uncle’s story?”
Charlotte was initially taken aback by Iris’s words, but after a moment, she gave a small, uncertain nod, her face showing a hint of doubt.
“However—” Charlotte began to say, but Iris quickly interrupted her.
“It’s okay, sister. It’s possible that the uncle misses his daughters and doesn’t mind Fiona’s request,” Iris said lightly. “Besides, I don’t sense any ill intentions from him. In fact, he seems genuinely kind.”
Charlotte paused, absorbing Iris’s words, before letting out a small sigh and giving a slight nod.
“You’re right, Iris,” Charlotte said, casting a puzzled glance at the middle-aged man.
Charlotte fully agreed with Iris; she, too, sensed no malice from the middle-aged man. In fact, she felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity.
This sense of familiarity puzzled her, as she was certain she had never met him before. Hence, how could she feel this way?
Meanwhile, the middle-aged man gently lifted Fiona into his arms, a slight smile on his face.
“Are you comfortable?” he asked softly, rubbing her back.
Fiona nodded enthusiastically, her face lighting up with a radiant smile. “Very comfortable, uncle!”
In his arms, Fiona felt incredibly comfortable, almost as if she were in her father’s embrace.
The middle-aged man chuckled at Fiona’s enthusiasm, his fingers gently running through his silky hair as his eyes, concealed by a white blindfold, remained fixed on her.
After a moment, he slowly lowered Fiona from his embrace, pinching her cheek as he spoke softly, “Thank you, Fiona. Your presence has eased the heavy longing I feel for my daughters, who are no longer with me.”
Fiona smiled and nodded eagerly. “You’re welcome, uncle!”
Although she felt reluctant to part from his comforting embrace, she refrained from saying anything more, knowing that her sister would likely scold her if she did.
The middle-aged man smiled warmly and turned his attention to Charlotte, Iris, and Stella.
“I’m also very grateful to you three for letting me pat your heads,” he said gently. “It truly eases my longing for my daughters.”
Charlotte, Iris, and Stella shared warm smiles before turning their gazes back to him.
“You’re welcome, uncle! We’re glad to help, and you don’t need to thank us,” Charlotte said with a smile, shaking her head.
“I agree with my sister, uncle,” Iris added with a sweet smile. “You don’t need to thank us since you’ve already helped us before.”
“Yes, that’s right, uncle. We should be the ones thanking you for saving us,” Stella said with a nod.
The middle-aged man smiled slightly and said nothing further as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small black box.
“By the way, I have to leave soon because I have some things to take care of. But before I go, I’d like to give you all a gift,” the middle-aged man said, instantly surprising Charlotte, Iris, Fiona, and Stella.
“Gifts? Wow! Uncle, what are they?” Fiona’s eyes sparkled with delight at the mention of a gift.
As a curious little girl, she adored anything related to gifts!
Of course, Fiona wasn’t the only one excited; Charlotte, Iris, and Stella also looked thrilled, even though they tried to maintain a calm exterior.
The middle-aged man chuckled softly as he held out the black box and opened it.
*Clack!*
As the box opened, it revealed four exquisite necklaces, each adorned with the shapes of a star, a sun, and two moons in white and black.
“These are the gifts I’d like to give you,” he said gently.
Charlotte, Iris, Fiona, and Stella gazed at the necklaces with wide eyes, their faces lighting up with clear amazement.
“Wow! These necklaces are absolutely gorgeous!” Charlotte exclaimed as she admired the sparkling pieces.
She felt confident in saying they were the most beautiful necklaces she had ever seen, even more stunning than the one their mother wore.
“That’s right! They’re amazing!” Iris agreed, her eyes fixed on the necklaces.
Though Stella and Fiona remained silent, the sparkle in their eyes spoke to their admiration.
The middle-aged man smiled at their enthusiasm and, with a gentle motion, walked over and picked up one of the star-shaped necklaces.
“This necklace is for you,” he said, bending down slightly to carefully place it around Stella’s neck.
After fastening the necklace, he straightened up and asked softly, “How does it look? Do you like it?”
Stella’s eyes sparkled as she saw the necklace around her neck. She nodded excitedly and looked up at him with a beaming smile.
“I’m so happy, uncle! Thank you!” she exclaimed, a joyful grin spreading across her face as she clutched the necklace.
She had never imagined wearing such a beautiful piece of jewelry, and it filled her with genuine happiness.
The middle-aged man gently ruffled Stella’s hair, his gaze tenderly fixed on her beautiful, unique eyes.
“I’m delighted you like it. The necklace complements your beautiful eyes, which shine like twinkling stars in the night sky,” the middle-aged man said sincerely.
His words made Stella’s smile broaden, and tears of joy began to well up in her eyes.
“Thank you for your praise, uncle.”
She felt immense joy, as this was only the second time someone other than Leon and Fiona had complimented her eyes, boosting her confidence even more.
The middle-aged man nodded, gently wiping away her tears without saying another word.
He then approached Charlotte, holding out a bright moon-shaped necklace.
“This necklace is for you,” he said softly, placing it around Charlotte’s neck.
Charlotte’s golden eyes sparkled with pure happiness as she gazed at the necklace, unable to tear her eyes away.
“Thank you so much, uncle!” she said, her golden eyes sparkling with admiration.
From the moment she saw the four necklaces, Charlotte was especially captivated by the bright moon-shaped one.
However, feeling too embarrassed to act childishly in front of her two sisters, she restrained her excitement.
Now that it was given to her, she was overjoyed!
Seeing her happiness, the middle-aged man gently stroked her long white hair and said, “I knew you’d love this necklace; it suits you perfectly.”
Charlotte nodded repeatedly, her face beaming. “I do love it, uncle! Hehehe~”
The middle-aged man smiled and gave a slight nod before approaching Iris and choosing the dark-colored moon-shaped necklace.
“This necklace is for you,” he said softly as he carefully placed it around her neck. “Do you like it?”
Iris gazed at the necklace in amazement and nodded vigorously.
“I really love it, uncle! Thank you so much!” Iris beamed with happiness as she held the necklace close.
She felt that this darked moon-shaped necklace perfectly matched her own sometimes aloof and self-assured demeanor, much like her mother.
The middle-aged man chuckled as he playfully pinched Iris’s cheek. “You’re welcome. Coincidentally, this necklace does indeed suit your temperament perfectly.”
Iris’s eyes widened slightly at his words, but before she could respond, the middle-aged man had already moved to stand in front of Fiona, who was visibly brimming with excitement.
“White-haired uncle! That necklace must be mine, right?” Fiona tried to contain her bubbling enthusiasm.
The middle-aged man smiled and nodded. “Yes, Fiona. This last necklace is for you.”
He gently placed the sun-shaped necklace around Fiona’s neck and asked, “Do you like it?”
Fiona bounced up and down with joy as she admired the necklace. “I’m so happy! Hehehe~ Thank you, uncle!”
The middle-aged man gently stroked her white hair and said, “This sun-shaped necklace symbolizes your vibrant and innocent nature. I hope it serves as a reminder to stay true to yourself and never change.”
Fiona blinked in confusion, not fully grasping his words, but she shrugged it off and nodded enthusiastically.
“Yes, uncle!” she said with a bright smile, clutching the sun-shaped necklace as if she never wanted to part with it.
The middle-aged man sighed softly, running his fingers through her hair before standing up and looking at all of them.
“Well, my time is up, so I must leave now,” he said calmly. “Before I go, remember to always wear these necklaces, as they will protect you.”
He paused briefly, then added with a resigned chuckle, “Though you four will probably forget this anyway.”
Without waiting for a response, the middle-aged man smiled gently and walked away.
After he disappeared from view, only then did the four little girls come to their senses and exchange bewildered, dazed looks.
“What just happened?”
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