Chapter 82

"Alvin, Alvina, where are you going?" Joseph took their little hands and brought them in front of him. "Hahaha, how did you know we were here?" Alvina was delighted, and Joseph bent down to pick her up. Seeing her stop crying made him happy as well. Joseph genuinely wanted to kiss Alvina's adorable cheeks, but due to their non-biological relationship, he had to restrain his love for her. "Actually, I saw you two a while ago." Joseph studied Alvina's facial features; her eyes and ears were very similar to Melissa's, but her little nose and mouth were more like his. As for Alvin, it was needless to say, he looked as if he was carved out of the same mold as Joseph. If Alvin and Alvina were truly his children, it would be a pleasant thing. Watching Alvin and Alvina, Joseph suddenly yearned for a family of his own. After all, he was approaching thirty, a man who had established a career yet remained unmarried. But society today was too complex, especially given his unique status and position as the Second Young Master of the Clarkson clan, the future heir to the Clarkson Empire. So, the girls who approached him always had ulterior motives, including some infatuations and attractions. He just wanted a pure and beautiful relationship, free from external influences, just because of love for him as a person. "Oh? You saw me and my brother? Did you see my mom too?" Alvina, cradled lovingly in Joseph's arms, looked around, trying to find Melissa. "Stop looking for her, Alvina, let's watch the show!" Joseph held Alvina, signaling to Tony by his side to watch Alvin and not let him run around. "No way, mom is so pretty, I'm afraid she'll be taken away by a bad guy." Alvina exclaimed dramatically, her innocent black eyes reminiscent of Melissa. Unless she chose to go with others. Joseph thought to himself as he continued to tease Alvina. "Alvina, your mom didn't buy you a lantern just now, aren't you angry with her, why are you still so concerned about her?" Joseph thought children tended to hold grudges, but he didn't expect Alvina, who had just cried a while ago, to still be thinking about her mother. This made Joseph want to love Alvina even more. What a sensible and well-behaved little girl. With her little mouth pursed, Alvina thought carefully for a moment. Her serious demeanor made Joseph's heart soften. "I was a bit mad, but mom said before, I shouldn't easily accept other people's gifts, and I shouldn't casually ask for things from others. Mom probably wouldn't want you to spoil me..." While speaking, Alvina's eyes began to redden. She seemed to realize that she had asked Joseph for too many things today. It seemed a bit excessive. Alvina felt she had done something wrong and was feeling very down. Of course, Alvina also hoped that Joseph could always stay by her side. She enjoyed the time she spent with him very much, her affection towards Uncle Joseph even exceeded Uncle Peter. "Alvina, don't cry. Your mother is just a stubborn woman, you don't need to listen to her." Seeing Alvina about to cry, Joseph was filled with mixed feelings, yet he was at a loss and found himself standing there without knowing how to console her. Alvina sniffled, her eyes welling up with tears, and said. "Mom isn't stubborn, she is the best mom." Joseph couldn't help but think about the time after Melissa came to the Clarkson family, he would always inadvertently see Melissa coming home late at night, or flirting with other men in various ways. He believed that Melissa was an unqualified mother. "Alvina, you may not understand right now, but one day you may find out that your mom will bring you a bunch of step-dads, and that would be really bad!" Joseph scare Alvina deliberately. He himself wasn't sure why he wanted to talk about these things with a five-year-old. Perhaps he wanted the children to supervise Melissa once in a while! However, Alvina started giggling after listening to him. She waved her little hand and said. "No way. Lots of uncles wanted to woo mom before, but she rejected them all. Mom said she wants to raise me and my brother by herself for a lifetime." A lifetime on her own? That's probably for her to have more freedom in her actions. Joseph sneered and said "Really?" "Of course it's true. But seeing Mom take care of us all by herself is really hard. In my heart, I still wish we had a dad. Someone who can play with my brother and I, and also look after Mom." Alvina's eyes, hopeful and bright under the light, are full of longing. She pats Joseph's shoulder, and whispers softly to him "Why don't you pursue my mother? I think you'd be perfect!" Joseph's expression becomes unreadable, like choking on a piece of bread with a strange taste, hard to swallow. Alvina suggests that he pursues Melissa, come on! Although this woman is a little attractive, who can stand her personality? "Please, will you?" Alvina flirtatiously pleads in Joseph's embrace. This puts Joseph in a tough position. If he agrees now, it would feel like deceiving a child. He's torn inside, so he chooses to remain silent. Seeing Joseph not responding, Alvina continues pleading, "Promise me, will you?" "Alvina!" A sharp voice comes from behind Alvina and Joseph "What ridiculous request are you making again?" Alvina jumps, quickly responding "We didn't say anything. Melissa walks up to them, gives Joseph a cold look, crosses her arms in front of her chest, and turns her attention to the performance on stage. No matter how Joseph looks at Melissa, he finds her to be a shrew. Chase her? He'd be lucky to keep his distance. Tonight's finale is a bonfire group dance. A pile of wood built in advance at the center of the stage's lower level has yet to be lit. The countdown to light the bonfire begins and they will invite a lucky audience member to ignite the fire with a torch. Caught up in the excitement, Melissa's arm is grabbed by a host dressed in ethnic clothing, leading her to the pile of wood in the center of the scene. The host hands the torch directly to Melissa and announces to everyone. "Tonight's bonfire feast officially begins! Let's have this beautiful lady light the bonfire!" Following instructions, Melissa holds the torch and runs it around the woodpile. The bonfire immediately blazes brightly. Alvin cheers from below "Wow! Mom is amazing!" Melissa hears Alvin's praise and gives him a charming smile. Just as Melissa was about to return to her spot, the host stops her again. "Please, our lucky guest who lit the bonfire, give us an opening dance!" The host enthusiastically smiles and quickly signals Melissa to not be shy, suggesting that any dance will do as the cheerful and melodious folk music begins to play.