Win My Husband Over to Find My Child
Chapter 216: How the Real Calliope Ended Up There

Chapter 216: How the Real Calliope Ended Up There

Despite being slightly startled, Leslie was happy with Calliope’s offer.

How could she not?

Her daughter took the initiative to feed her!

Knowing how kind her child was made Leslie beam with pride. Calliope seemed to retain the tenderness of her heart even in this new world.

Swiftly agreeing with Calliope, Leslie thanked the little one, "That’s so kind of... you, Poppy... Thank you so much..."

Calliope grinned, revealing her cute little teeth. She pointed to one of the dining tables placed on the front lawn.

"Let’s sit there, Aunty. Poppy will feed Aunty so well. I won’t be clumsy ah."

Calliope’s words enticed Leslie to laugh. Her daughter’s action gently brushed her heart, reminding her of their long-awaited reunion after two months of separation.

Even though Calliope didn’t know who she was, Leslie was fine with it. She didn’t want her daughter to recall the terrifying moments before she breathed her last.

How frightened Calliope was when the wreckage happened? She died even before Leslie—her mother—managed to cradle and comfort her during her last moments.

Softening her smile, Leslie reminded the little one, "Poppy is so good... You should get some... more food too... Don’t just eat... the cake..."

"Hehehe~ Poppy will do that."

After their short conversation, Mrs. An helped push Leslie to the table gestured by Calliope. The little turnip head closely followed them by one side.

Calix was still busy distributing the cake. He didn’t notice the ladies and the child had already moved to the dining table. He actively engaged with the children, even happily teasing them.

"We’re here~ Poppy will sit here~ Next to Aunty!"

Leslie remained sitting in her wheelchair while Calliope climbed to the chair next to her. A thick cushion was placed on the chair, allowing the small child to be on an appropriate level with the table.

"Mrs. Xu, I’ll get you some drinks. Do you want any specific food too?" asked Mrs. An after settling Leslie at the table, "There are a few suitable foods for you."

"About that..." Leslie shifted her attention to Calliope. The little one had put the cake plate on the table. Looking at her, she asked, "Poppy, do you want... any food? Mrs. An can... bring them here..."

Leslie wished to stay with Calliope longer at the dining table. It might sound silly but, she wanted to see her daughter eating well in front of her - something she hadn’t done in a long time.

Calliope’s new body was as chubby as her original body. The other children also looked healthy.

Calix told Leslie twice about how well the orphanage took care of the children. Despite lacking funds, they tried the best they could to properly feed the little ones.

At first, Leslie simply thought Calix’s information came from the people he tasked to look after the care home. It turned out he had been in close contact with the orphanage. He even visited this place once.

"Poppy will follow Mrs. An to choose," replied Calliope fluently. She flashed her brightest smile to Leslie and Mrs. An, "Aunty, what do you want to eat?"

Calliope’s question amused Leslie, earning more laughter than her. The sound blended alongside the music and chatter echoing around them.

"Anything is fine... Be careful..."

"Okay~"

Jumping from the chair, Calliope steadily landed on her tiny feet. She merrily followed Mrs. An, acting as a little escort for the older lady.

Leslie smilingly watched her daughter heading back to the buffet table. The soul Mimo kept sitting on top of Calliope’s head while its body remained on Leslie’s lap.

’Are you that happy, Mimo?’

Mimo’s cheerful laughter answered Leslie its words followed.

|Hehe, of course! I finally got to meet Poppy again!|

Smiling in helplessness, Leslie saw Mimo standing up on Calliope’s head, waving both of its upper limbs at her. She responded by moving its toy hands, sensing their joy resonated with one another.

The rest of the children already got their share of the cake. Some of them opted to sit at the dining tables provided while others gathered at the wooden platform and picnic mats.

Merry songs harmonized with the children’s chattering. The adults also joined them in eating and getting food at the buffet table.

Today was indeed a good day for a celebration.

Leslie chuckled seeing Calix approaching Calliope and Mrs. An. The man and the child talked while getting food.

’He’s so good to the kids.’

Leslie had been watching Calix distributing the cakes to the little ones earlier. Seeing how well he treated the children—not just Calliope—made her heart flutter.

Really ah. This man was very skillful in touching her heart.

"Mrs. Xu."

The call caught Leslie’s attention. Turning to her right side, she saw Director Li standing there. The older lady had just reappeared after talking to the excited children.

"Director Li..." Leslie was glad to see the orphanage director. She didn’t talk much to her earlier, "Please sit... Won’t you join us... dining?"

"I’ll eat soon. Mrs. Xu, are you alright staying here? If the sun is too strong for you, please feel free to rest inside."

The temperature was quite low despite being a brightly sunny day. The occasional breeze of the chilly air helped everyone to stay cool.

Despite that, Director Li was concerned because she knew about Leslie’s currently frail health.

"Thank you for the... offer... Please sit down, Director Li... I haven’t talked much to you..."

Leslie actually wanted to ask Director Li about Calliope’s life here. She hadn’t had the chance to share a conversation with the middle-aged woman yet.

"Then, I’ll join you here, Mrs. Xu. Thank you."

Director Li said no to the second offer. Pulling out a chair, she sat next to Leslie. The ladies started talking.

"My husband said... he came here once before..." Leslie brought up what Calix had just told her just now, "Did he play... so much with the... children?"

"He was," replied Director Li without missing a beat. She laughed as she recalled the day Calix visited the orphanage, "He and the bodyguards played hide-and-seek."

"What? They played hide-and-seek?"

Amused, Leslie burst into laughter. She didn’t expect that Calix would drag Logan and the other bodyguards to join the children playing.

"Hehe, it’s true. Well, because of that particular game, we came up with new rules after that."

"En? Rules? For what?"

Leslie ceased laughing, wondering what Director Li mentioned by that.

"The thing is..."

Director Li mentioned that Calix went looking for hiding spots in the backyard. He bumped into Calliope along the way before they hid in the same area.

"Mr. Xu learned that Calliope always hid inside a tree hole. He didn’t think anything about it first before he considered its dangerous aspects. Who knows? Perhaps small snakes or centipedes might lurk nearby."

Director Li and the other staff constantly reminded the children about avoiding dangerous places like that. No accident happened so far. Yet, they reinforced a stricter rule about it following Calix’s advice.

"She hid there?" Leslie was stunned, never foreseeing such a thing to occur, "Yeah, she... I mean, children can be... unexpected..."

In their previous life, Calliope loved playing hide-and-seek with the neighborhood children. Leslie also reminded her of the same thing Director Li mentioned – to stay away from unsafe hiding spots.

But, children were children. They were bound to cross their parents’ warning as they got carried away by the fun.

"Some are naughtier than the rest. Fortunately, they still listen to us," Director Li talked fondly about the children, her softened gaze expressing her love toward them, "We here just wish them to grow up healthily and lead better lives."

Hearing Director Li’s words, Leslie thought of something. She pondered about asking the former more about Calliope, anything on a personal level.

About how the real Calliope ended up here.

Mustering up her courage, Leslie made up her mind. She quietly inquired, "Director Li, may I ask... something? Or two?"

Director Li nodded, showing her approval, "Yes, Mrs. Xu. Just ask if you’re curious about something. After all, this is your first visit here."

Leslie parted her lips but no words slipped out of her mouth. In her anxiousness, she didn’t notice the weird glint in Director Li’s eyes.

"Well, I wonder if I can... ask about how Ca..."

"Aunty~"

Calliope’s cheery voice echoed in the air, capturing Leslie and Director Li’s attention. Both ladies turned their heads, looking in the little one’s direction.

Calix and Mrs. An walked alongside Calliope. Both adults had plates of food in their hands. Leslie noticed Logan came carrying a tray of drinks behind them.

"We got you some food," announced Calix merrily, his whole face beaming, "Enough for everyone. Director Li, join us."

"Granny, eat with us," Calliope smiled cutely at Director Li, showing what she held, "Look! Poppy got some strawberry pudding!"

"Hahaha, you really love pudding, en?"

Director Li’s laughter was joined by everyone but Leslie. Her eyes remained on her daughter’s sunny countenance.