Zachary remarked, “Because these two little guys are similar, they can become close friends. I was awakened by Sonny’s knock on the door, and I had no choice but to take him out for a run.” He then suggested, “Ben, why don’t we all go for a walk together?”
Zachary invited Ben and Titus to join him for a stroll.
Ben replied with a smile, “Sure, let’s go; I don’t want to sleep anyway.” He turned to Titus, saying, “Titus, take Sonny to play in front; just don’t run too far. Remember, Sonny is showing you around. You’re guests here, so you and Sonny should honor your friendship as hosts.”
The two children had already dashed off, hand in hand.
Ben commented to Zachary, “Titus is very self-reliant and has an excellent memory. After just one visit here, he can remember the route and even the flowers and plants along the way. He knows more than I do now.”
Zachary replied, “Don’t forget who his master is. Dr. Carden is renowned as a master of medicine and poisoning.”
Although Dr. Carden taught Titus very little directly, with the guidance of the old miracle doctor, Titus learned about many herbal medicines in his master’s herb valley. Everyone recognized Titus’s remarkable memory.
Zachary noted, “Titus has a great character.”
Ben responded, “You’ve only seen his good side; you haven’t witnessed his domineering side. The boy is incredibly assertive. He knew how to eat and sleep when I first took him in, but he wasn’t very good at communicating. I thought he was just a foodie who wasn’t particularly bright.
I was wrong.”
Ben expressed his frustrations about his adopted son, Titus, but his face was still smiling, and his eyes sparkled with affection.
Titus still felt a bit intimidated by Ben. He hesitated to call him Dad, opting instead for Uncle Johnson, while Jane was referred to as Mama Murphy. After he…
After discovering that he wasn’t Jane’s biological child, he took her surname when he called her “Mama.”
Zachary remarked, “Just enjoy it; the child is incredibly smart and adorable.”
Ben chuckled in response. “It would be better if he were more powerful to avoid being bullied in the future. The two of us will only be half as powerful as he is.”
Zachary replied, “I don’t have a son, but your son Enzo will be just as great. You shouldn’t always criticize him; people will think you prefer girls over boys.”
Ben said, “I do prefer girls over boys. Everyone in Annenburg knows that.”
Zachary commented, “You still come across as arrogant.”
Ben laughed heartily. “If your wife gives you a son and a daughter, I assure you, you’ll value the daughter more than the son.”
Zachary responded, “If I have a daughter, I doubt I’ll even get to hold her myself; the elders will be rushing to take care of her.”
Reflecting on the fact that the York family hadn’t had a daughter in several generations, Ben nodded in agreement. “That’s true.”
In his generation, the Johnson family was the only one without daughters, and Avah was highly sought after, let alone in the York family.
Zachary asked, “Are you here for something specific, or is it about Remy and Elisa?”
Ben replied, “I have a meeting at the company tomorrow, so I came a day early. I wanted to see you and enjoy a couple of days here.”
“It’s business,” Ben added honestly.
He continued, “Remy and Elisa’s matters have been settled. They’ll have the final say when they get married. Our family is prepared for everything; we are just waiting for their favorable winds.”
“I thought you were still at Wildridge Manor. Titus mentioned that he and Sonny had a…
During a video call two days ago, Sonny mentioned that you would be moving back to the city. Oh, and your wedding leave has ended too.” Zachary replied, “Tomorrow, I’ll return to the company. Why does it feel like time flies so quickly? It seems like my wedding was just yesterday, and now my leave is over in the blink of an eye.” Ben responded, “I know, time really does fly. It feels like I just married Jane, and suddenly we have two children.” Zachary said as he walked, “Having two children at once makes your situation different from others with two kids.” He then added, “The little ones are running so fast; let’s join them.” With that, Zachary took off running first.