On the 29th of the twelfth lunar month, Casimir was knocking on the door early in the morning. Leah had just woken up but was dragged downstairs to make dumplings.

The elderly Mrs. Shaw was rarely interested in making dumplings and had Aunt Zhao prepare all kinds of fillings early in the morning, then called Leah to join in making them.

In the past, when Leah was with Griffith in the Golden Triangle, they also celebrated Chinese New Year’s Eve. Griffith would specially cook for her that day and even let her drink alcohol, but as for the meticulous task of making dumplings, neither Griffith nor Leah knew how.

This warm atmosphere of a family doing something together made her feel very warm, as if she truly was a member of the Shaw Family. If she’d known earlier that the elderly Mrs. Shaw was so easy to get along with, she might have persuaded Richard to come home for New Year’s two years ago.

"This year’s dumplings have four types of fillings, also known as ’Four Happiness Dumplings’. Inside the king of dumplings, there’s a small golden monkey. Whoever eats it will have great luck the entire next year, but mind your teeth, Benjamin, be careful with them." The elderly lady said with a broad smile.

Casimir had a sweet tooth. He didn’t notice when he was younger, but in recent years, he’s been indulging himself more, especially loving sweet things, often getting teased by the elderly lady who’d hold him in her arms while examining his teeth.

"Great-grandma, I haven’t eaten sweet things for a long time, my teeth are great," said Casimir, showing his white little teeth and sparkling black eyes, and he couldn’t help but laugh, feeling a bit shy.

These past two years, Casimir has been sent to undergo training at the Military District. Watching the passionate soldiers there, he couldn’t act childishly or adorably, gradually growing into a handsome young man, though his fondness for sweet things remained a charming quirk everyone loved.

"Why isn’t Richard here to make dumplings?" The elderly lady looked around for a while and noticed the others were present, wondering where he’d gone.

"Grandfather Shaw went to see Uncle Ignatius and little Benjamin," Casimir quickly replied. Uncle Ignatius had been staying in the Imperial City with 3-year-old Benjamin for quite some time. Casimir spent these past two years either in school or at the Military District, so whenever he had time, he’d play with the adults there, hardly having a chance for the adorable little member of the Leclair Family.

He’d only met Benjamin once when she was just born and hadn’t seen her much after that.

Leah paused upon hearing this, Ignatius with Benjamin? Not knowing if Delphine had brought Nicholas to celebrate the Chinese New Year in the country today.

These past two years, Ignatius had kept Benjamin at her grandmother’s, the Howard Family. Benjamin would turn four after the New Year, growing cutely with big, grape-like eyes that seemed to speak volumes, adored by everyone and well-pampered by the Howard Family due to her quirky and lovable nature.

With just one little daughter under him, Ignatius handed over the Southeast Asian affairs to his intelligence team’s number two and gradually moved to the Imperial City.

Richard arrived at Ignatius’s villa, instructed Sly to move the gifts brought back from Switzerland into the house, and then saw three-year-old Benjamin dressed in a charming lace white dress covered with a pink down jacket, playing in the yard with a Samoyed. The Samoyed was taller than her, and the little girl darted around the big dog, laughing merrily.

Benjamin inherited Delphine Carter’s beauty, seeming far cuter than their rambunctious little ones at home. Richard squinted slightly at those tea-colored eyes, thinking having a daughter was better, and if he and Leah could have a daughter, she’d surely be even cuter than Benjamin.

Ignatius walked out from the living room, watching as Richard’s security guards moved boxes of items into the house, his phoenix-eyes slightly raised with a noble, indifferent look, "Major General Shaw has returned gloriously, to honor his ancestors?"

The man’s gaze fell on Benjamin playing with the big dog in the yard, his handsome features slightly softening.

"Why doesn’t your place have any New Year vibes? I brought some New Year’s goods for you." Richard, unfazed by his sarcasm, said, realizing his divorced friend was raising a daughter at thirty-something, he naturally needed to be more considerate.

"Going to the Howard Family to celebrate New Year’s Eve tonight, why would I need any New Year feeling here? It’s not like New Year’s twenty or thirty years ago." Ignatius smirked faintly, with years passing by, each New Year seemed less flavorful, with fewer people around each time, leaving the man with little heart for the celebration.

"Not heading to Southeast Asia for New Year’s this year? Your dad’s okay with that?" Richard noted the empty and cold feeling in the quiet Leclair Family villa, frowning slightly.

At the time, he was too occupied with Richard and Delphine’s situation, unable to intervene, but since Leah and Delphine are sisters, she didn’t express her distaste for Ignatius, always carefully avoiding him when contacting Delphine, so Richard pretended not to know. This time seeing Benjamin, he originally meant to bring up Delphine but reconsidered, realizing Ignatius had significant overseas influence, even more than Southeast Asia, surely aware of Delphine’s current situation. It’s nothing but failing to reconcile that inner hurdle, leading to constant self-deception.

"We’ve been rotating between the two places for New Year’s, early years, we didn’t foster closeness with grandmother, but now with Benjamin here, no matter what, we’re celebrating in the Imperial City." Ignatius glanced at Richard’s leg with a half-smile and said, "I heard you took Leah back to the Shaw Family? She didn’t suspect anything?"

Richard’s handsome and stern face tensed, speaking deeply, "Apart from a few acquaintances from the Howard and Shaw Family sides, Crystal Landon hardly interacted with others back then. Hawk’s gone to the U.S., and other young girls seldom come to the Shaw Family, so what’s there to suspect?"

Back then, all information on Crystal Landon was erased, her belongings locked in the little wooden house there, so Richard wasn’t worried. Worst-case scenario, just keep the secret one day longer, the man had mentally prepared for the inevitable storm.

Ignatius saw him now shaking off the withdrawn demeanor, presenting as increasingly steady and composed, nodded, saying, "If it can remain hidden for a lifetime, wouldn’t that be something good."

Just like himself, perhaps life would be better if he never recalled those lost memories.

"After New Year, are you heading back to Switzerland? Your leg should be healing adequately by now, you weren’t completely paralyzed back then." Ignatius’s lips flashed an insightful smile, speaking indifferently.

"Yes." Richard’s leg had long been able to walk, but he was accustomed to the wheelchair. Leah was soft-hearted, naturally showing more patience and compassion toward someone disabled than to a normal person, the man spoke deeply, "Half a month ago, someone resembling Griffith appeared in Italy. I suspect Griffith wasn’t harmed as previously thought, so I must return to Switzerland after New Year to clear this matter up."

Griffith’s presence is an unpredictable bomb, ready to disrupt his current peace at any moment, making Richard not dare take it lightly. Thinking about Griffith’s always enigmatic mind, disappearing for so long and suddenly resurfacing, Richard frowned involuntary wondering what Griffith is planning.