Chapter 706

Helen quickly matched Jane's pace. Mina tugged at Daisy's hand. "Come on, let's go play too!" Daisy scoffed and turned her head away with a disdainful snort. "Pfft, such a childish game. Only little kids like you would play it. I'm not joining!" But the corner of her eye couldn't help but flicker toward Jane and the others, who were shrieking with delight as they slid down the grassy slope. Even Bryson and the other usually serious prodigies from the gifted class had shed their mature facades, embracing their inner child as they played wildly with Jane, Helen, Elijah, and Austin the actual kindergarteners. Daisy glanced at Ares Kai, who was covered in grass but grinning from ear to ear, then at the only other holdout Melanie, still sitting beside her. "Okay, fine, it does look kinda fun. Wanna give it a try?" "You go ahead. I'll just watch from here," Melanie replied, retreating to sit on a nearby swing. Daisy couldn't resist any longer. She grabbed a sled and joined the others, whooshing down the slope with a whoop. Samuel stood by the car, watching the children with deep satisfaction. Just then, several more vehicles pulled up. Jordan stepped out of one and strode over, his eyes burning with resentment. He looked like he wanted to strangle Samuel on the spot. "Samuel, you told me the gift for Jane just needed to be thoughtful and heartfelt. So I gave her a rock, and you built her a freaking Peppa Pig theme park?!" He gritted his teeth. "How do you sleep at night?" The gentle, almost dopey smile vanished from Samuel's face. He shot Jordan a cool glance and replied calmly, "Like a baby. I said heartfelt, not half-assed. You chose the rock because you're an idiot." He paused, then added dryly, "Also, if you've got nothing better to do, maybe focus on finding a girlfriend instead of watching those brain-rotting movies. You weren't that bright to begin with, and now you're just getting dumber..." Jordan's expression changed abruptly. Spotting Lucas approaching from the corner of his eye, he hastily clamped a hand over Samuel's mouth. Through gritted teeth, he hissed into his ear, "Damn it, Samuel! How many times do I have to tell you that was just a misunderstanding? Can you just drop it already?" Samuel glanced at the nearing Lucas and immediately understood Jordan's apprehension. If their Brother Lucas ever found out about... that particular video he'd watched, the teasing would never end. Patting Jordan's shoulder with feigned sympathy, Samuel whispered, "Find yourself a proper girlfriend like a normal person, and maybe I'll keep this from Lucas." With that, he strode toward the mountain's base just in time to catch Jane as she came sliding down the slope. Gently plucking stray grass blades from her tousled hair, he said in a velvety tone, "Guess what, sweetheart? Behind this mountain, I built a special racing track just for you kids. Want to check it out?" "Uh-huh! Yes!" Jane's round cheeks flushed crimson with excitement. She nodded vigorously, her pigtails bouncing. Cupping her tiny hands around her mouth like a megaphone, she turned toward the hillside where Mina was playing. "Sister! Brother Samuel made us a racecourse behind the manor! Come down quick we're all going!" Her sugary voice carried through the crisp air. Nearby, John and Calton cousins, who'd just arrived, watched the scene unfold. The usual polished demeanor of these elite young men melted away, replaced by nothing but brotherly affection. "Adam," John instructed his assistant, "contact William. Have him bring all the picnic and barbecue equipment here the prepared dishes too. Jane hasn't had this much fun in ages. Let her enjoy today to the fullest." With Jane and Mina leading the charge like two tiny generals, the group rounded the mountain to behold... a modest clearing spanning barely three acres. The two girls froze mid-step, exchanged puzzled glances, then turned synchronously toward their Brother Samuel. Jane composed her face into exaggerated seriousness. In her sweetest, most innocent voice, she asked, "Er-brother... are you sure this is a racecourse? Not... a bumper car arena?" Kneeling to their level, Samuel rested a hand on each girl's head. His smile was the picture of brotherly patience. "Now, now. You're both still too little for real racing. Consider this... preparatory training!" Though Jane and Mina were slightly disappointed, the kindergarten kids like Helen and Elijah were absolutely thrilled. "Wow, Jane! I've never seen such a huge bumper car arena before and so many cars! This is amazing!" "Dinosaurs! Jane, look—dinosaurs! We can ride them and crash!" Elijah exclaimed excitedly, pointing at the toy dinosaurs parked beside the bumper cars. Under Helen and Elijah’s infectious enthusiasm, Jane, Mina, Daisy, Ares Kai, and even the older boys from the robotics class got swept up in the fun. Some hopped into bumper cars, while others mounted the dinosaurs. At first, Jane and Mina had scoffed at the bumper cars, dismissing them as childish compared to real race cars. But after two rounds of crashing into each other, they were completely hooked. Jane revved her bumper car and sped straight toward Ares Kai’s. With a loud *BAM!*, his car spun sideways, prompting him to retaliate by ramming into Bryson. "Charge! Charge!" Mina raised a tiny fist like a battlefield commander, rallying her troops with a battle cry. Jane pressed the pedal with her small foot, gripping the steering wheel tightly as she zoomed toward Daisy’s car. Daisy, equally determined, accelerated straight at them. *CRASH!* The two bumper cars collided and bounced apart. As their car came to a stop, Mina quickly strategized, "Jane, let’s ambush Elijah this time!" But Jane hesitated, scanning the crowd of laughing faces. "Sis… where are Big Brother and Harold? I didn’t notice until now they’re not here." Mina waved it off. "They’re probably off scheming some surprise for you. They’ve been acting all mysterious since this morning and wouldn’t tell me a thing." She crossed her arms with a huff. "Well, I don’t even care! My gift for you is way more thoughtful and awesome anyway, right?" Jane's eyelid twitched as she thought about the rabbit bone necklace she'd finally convinced her sister to let her take off. With a pang of guilt, she nodded and said, "Yes!" She turned her gaze toward the house on the hill, which looked exactly like Peppa Pig's home. It reminded her of the Peppa Pig-themed design she had picked for Brother Frederick's villa back in Bannon. That villa had long been completed, and Brother Frederick had even built a long flower-covered walkway connecting it to their old family villa. It was so beautiful she wondered if she'd ever get the chance to go back and stay there again. But why hadn’t Brother Frederick come to celebrate her birthday today?