As soon as Casimir Shaw heard that he would be staying in the South Sea, he jumped three feet high with joy. He had a mommy now, he would be living in the South Sea, he would be going to school there, and all three of his New Year’s wishes had come true. Oh, how happy he was.

"Old Richard, you look really handsome today." Casimir Shaw exclaimed excitedly as he kissed up, then dashed into his new room, touching everything, feeling incredibly happy. He was a child with a mommy now.

The corners of the man’s cold, hard lips curled into a faint arc, and he promptly called to order fruits and vegetables, getting ready to cook dinner. On the first day of moving in, he had to conquer his wife’s taste buds with his culinary skills.

Leah had gone to the hospital. Delphine had been caught up in a scandal at Bessie Leclair’s wedding and was taken to court by Melody Cloud. As a public figure, this matter had blown up. Leah was fuming with anger.

When Leah first met Delphine, her depression was already severe; sometimes she wouldn’t speak a word all day and even wouldn’t cry over losing that child. It had taken a lot for her to slowly come out of the darkness, doing what she loved, only for the Cloud Family to bite down like mad dogs and not let go.

Leah saw Ignatius Leclair at the hospital. Upon returning home, she was in a bad mood until she suddenly smelled the enticing aroma of food, remembering she had brought back two docile and harmless little dogs.

"Mommy, you’re home!" Casimir Shaw shouted with his big, dark eyes, waiting at the door. Upon seeing her return, he joyfully rushed over, hugging her arm, saying, "Old Richard and I were very good at home. Old Richard even made a delicious dinner."

Leah rarely felt such reliance. Being hugged by the soft little bun instantly lifted her spirits. She bent down to pick him up, kissed him, and smiled, "Hmm, it smells good."

Leah didn’t like eating out. Her appetite had been poor the past five years. In a place like the Golden Triangle, it’s hard to live an exquisite life, and eating habits there differ from the Inland Territory. Here in the South Sea, food tends to be sweet, but Leah loved spicy food, especially Hunan cuisine.

Casimir Shaw, caught off guard by Leah’s kiss, immediately froze, his big dark eyes wide and his little face blushing. Then he slipped down and excitedly shouted to the man, "Old Richard, Mommy kissed me!"

The man’s face was slightly dark as he brought out dishes from the kitchen, setting the table, and said coldly, "Come and eat."

Leah originally didn’t have high hopes for the man’s culinary skills. She glanced casually and found he had made four dishes and a soup: a mouth-watering chopped pepper fish head, a farmhouse stir-fried pork, a plate of greens, a dish of silver fish steamed eggs, and a ginseng snow frog soup for nourishing the blood.

Leah’s eyes were fixed on it. She had no resistance to chopped pepper fish head—these were all her favorite foods.

"Mommy, wash your hands and eat!" Casimir Shaw’s little face was still red. After all, he was seven and only just received a kiss from his mommy, making him feel shy. Nonetheless, the young boy firmly pulled Leah to wash her hands, lest Old Richard get mad.

If Old Richard gets mad, the consequences are serious.

Leah casually tossed her bag on the sofa, held Casimir Shaw’s hand to wash up, then sat at the dining table and quickly tasted a bite. She was instantly dazzled, her eyes lighting up. Facing the eager gazes of the father and son, she stuck out her tongue from the spiciness and laughed, "Delicious, hurry up and eat."

The man’s worries were relieved, happy she liked the food.

Casimir Shaw had been doing things for himself since he was young—dressing, eating, and even occasionally helping Richard Shaw with chores. In the past, it was just him and Old Richard eating together; Old Richard only ate vegetarian food, and eating meat alone wasn’t much fun. Now, seeing that Mommy loved spicy food and fish just like him, his eyes lit up, his appetite increased, and whatever Leah ate, he ate too. The big and small enjoyed their meal happily.

Leah genuinely hadn’t expected the man’s culinary skills to be so good. Although they were just home-cooked dishes, it’s precisely home-cooked dishes that reflect one’s culinary artistry.

Even though she was reliant on Griffith Squire, he couldn’t accompany her for meals every day. Now, with two more people at home, meals seemed more delicious.

Leah observed the man eating only the plate of greens in front of him, surprised, and asked, "Why aren’t you eating the other dishes?"

The man’s dining posture was very elegant, hardly speaking, his expression cold and composed. He glanced at Leah quietly, longing to tell her that since she left, he had quit smoking, turned vegetarian, and even left the Military District, abandoning many things he once depended on for survival.

As the man’s tea-colored eyes met hers, deep and mysteriously profound, Leah’s heart suddenly raced.

"Mommy, Old Richard only eats vegetarian food, no meat. In all my years, I’ve never seen Old Richard eat meat," Casimir Shaw said, his little face flushed from the spiciness as he ate.

Leah paused for a moment. A vegetarian man? That’s quite extraordinary. He seemed to also follow Buddhism, wearing a string of Buddha Beads on his wrist—a strange combination, yet it didn’t seem out of place.

Richard Shaw ate quickly. After putting down his chopsticks and seeing Leah’s beautiful peach blossom eyes staring at him, he felt a bit uneasy and explained, "Six years ago, I made a vow: if it could come true, I would spend the rest of my life eating vegetarian and reciting Buddha’s teachings in gratitude."

He was not a religious person, but after losing her, his mindset changed dramatically. For years, he only lived on for the child, quitting all entertainment, eating vegetarian, and even reciting sutras, using Buddha Beads to suppress his inner anger and pain. Now that his wish had come true, he felt joyful and even more solemn and devout—it was impossible for him to break his vow.

Leah suddenly felt a bit of admiration—a lifetime of vegetarianism. If it were her, it would be unbearable. So, the country bumpkin had a story; no wonder he could live such a secluded life with his son, wearing hemp clothes and rarely speaking, much like a monk—even if he might truly be one.

"What if your wish never comes true in this life?" Leah asked.

"Then I will hope for the next life." The man lowered his eyes and said lightly. If fate isn’t in this life, then it will be in the next.

Leah blinked and smiled faintly, feeling a bit unwilling to burst his bubble. This fool’s persistence was rather cute. People live only once, with no afterlife, so why worry about matters beyond life?

After dinner, the man went to wash the dishes, Casimir Shaw went to bathe, and Leah noticed that despite Richard Shaw’s difficulty with mobility, his actions were unusually steady. He exuded a strange aura, as if no matter his health condition, his dignity remained intact. The little one was even cuter, well-behaved, and a master of charmingly endearing behavior, handling everything himself.

The conduct of this father and son was not only upright but also very self-disciplined.

Leah, accustomed to laziness, felt a ton of pressure.