Overprotected By My Tsundere CEO-Chapter 392 - 239: Spoil, Spoil, Spoil—Spoil Them to Death [Part 3]

Chapter 392: Chapter 239: Spoil, Spoil, Spoil—Spoil Them to Death [Part 3]
Oliver was a second late, suddenly pulled ahead by Marcus Shaw, but he was unwilling to lag behind and started running too.
Two teenagers, one in front and one behind, swept past like the wind.
On the sidewalk, they garnered cheers from many girls, as if they’d stumbled upon candy. Some weren’t afraid of the nearby teachers and took out their phones to snap photos directly.
However, in a flash, only an afterimage remained in the captured picture.
...
They sprinted all the way to the school gate.
The security guard who had just walked out of the security room with hot tea almost got knocked over by them, spun half a circle on the spot, and narrowly stabilized the hot tea in his hand.
The security guard uncle sighed, "Students these days, their hearts aren’t in school..."
Marcus Shaw stopped.
Oliver breathed a little heavily, then stopped too.
"I don’t usually see you exercise, yet you run so fast..." Oliver exhaled, straightening up.
If only he’d forced Marcus Shaw to join the 2000-meter run at the spring sports meet earlier in the year.
Marcus Shaw turned, glancing at Oliver like sticky candy.
He asked, "Aren’t you going to call home?"
If he couldn’t shake him off, he’d just take him along.
Hearing this, Oliver knew the plan was a success, his eyes lit up, he answered, "I’ll just let my dad know on the way."
He felt a bit relieved.
Generally speaking, if Nora Scott wasn’t home, Oliver wouldn’t go there.
But recently—
He couldn’t stay at home.
Alma Ferreira was home.
Sophie Scott would come home.
With just Alma Ferreira at home, the atmosphere was oppressive enough. When Sophie returned, it only made things more tense.
He hadn’t stopped trying to lighten the mood, but Alma Ferreira continued to just regulate him. Sophie Scott, who used to open up and talk to him, had shut herself completely, wouldn’t say a word, and even snapped at him randomly.
Even he couldn’t understand, he’d done nothing wrong, why Sophie looked at him with such hostility.
Now that he knew Nora Scott was Zero... he hadn’t figured out how to mediate yet. Speaking rashly would only make things messier at home. After thinking for days without results, all he could do was temporarily avoid it.
This wasn’t something he could fix.
Tugging on the strap, Marcus Shaw turned, heading to the right.
"Aren’t we going to the fruit shop?"
Oliver was puzzled, following Marcus Shaw.
He thought his analysis couldn’t be wrong, but the fruit shop was on the left...
With doubt lingering, Oliver followed Marcus Shaw, soon noticing a figure under the camphor tree.
It was a little boy around four or five, very delicate and handsome, carved from jade, but his expression was indifferent. He looked just like Marcus Shaw when not talking, cold and cool, but the child was a bit cute, making him likable.
The little boy carried a small backpack, holding the white-furred Rose in his arms, with dappled shadows filtering through tree leaves, enveloping him. The scene was somewhat beautiful.
Drawing the attention of pedestrians and students who frequently looked back.
He was the little boy often staying at the fruit shop.
Marcus Shaw walked straight toward him.
The little boy looked down, clutching Rose with one hand, glanced at the time on his small watch, said, "Late by two minutes."
Even his cool tone resembled Marcus Shaw’s.
Disdainfully looking back, Marcus Shaw said flatly, "Picked up a straggler."
He extended his hand to the little boy.
The little boy passed the obedient Rose to him.
The little boy glanced at Oliver, then walked forward a few steps to Marcus Shaw’s side, proactively extending his hand to grab Marcus Shaw’s dangling hand.
"Oliver."
Walking up to him, Oliver smiled, slightly bent over, and introduced himself.
Briefly pursing his lips, Andrew Hughes showed a moment of caution, then felt he looked familiar, so he thought for a moment and said, "Andrew Hughes."
Oliver reached out to pat his head.
But the boy dodged.
Oliver was good-tempered, withdrew his hand, and asked, "Can’t touch?"
"Mm."
Andrew Hughes nodded coolly.
"Okay." Oliver respected the request, stood up straight, and asked Marcus Shaw, "What’s happening?"
After a pause, Marcus Shaw looked at him and explained, "His grandfather isn’t home, leaving him at my place for two days."
Taking in a cat, a child, a classmate.
Marcus Shaw thought Cloudwater Haven could be transformed into a shelter.
After a few seconds, Oliver turned around, looking at the fruit shop on the opposite street, full of doubt, "Isn’t the fruit shop open?"
He remembered the fruit shop was run by a young couple.
Grandfather isn’t home, can’t take care of him, has to toss him to Marcus Shaw?
Marcus Shaw said, "The fruit shop owners live in the same community as them. They help take care of him sometimes."
"..."
Oliver blinked, understanding.
So... the couple who own the fruit shop aren’t the child’s parents?
The times he saw the kid at the fruit shop were because preschool ended early and with no one at home, he stayed there waiting for his grandfather to pick him up?
Connecting these dots, Oliver vaguely guessed the story. Looking down at this beautiful child, he didn’t know what to say for a moment.
"It’s getting dark."
Andrew Hughes gripped Marcus Shaw’s hand tightly, reminding him, feigned calm urge, yet with a childlike tone.
Both cool and cute.
Oliver resisted the urge to pat his little head.
"Mm."
Marcus Shaw led him to the roadside, ready to hail a cab.
Usually, he traveled by subway, convenient and swift, but this time with Rose, he had to join the rush-hour battle for taxis.
Oliver took Rose from Marcus Shaw’s arms, following closely behind them.
Andrew Hughes occasionally glanced at Oliver from the corner of his eye, and after a few minutes, he couldn’t hold back any longer and asked aloud, "Marcus Shaw, is he going back with us?"
Due to the height difference, in the noisy place, Andrew Hughes had to raise his voice, afraid Marcus Shaw wouldn’t hear.
"Mm."
Marcus Shaw gave his signature brief reply.
"Doesn’t anyone want him?"
Slightly tilting his head up, Andrew Hughes continued asking.
Oliver: "..." He felt insulted.
"No," Oliver squinted, glanced at Marcus Shaw, then said casually, "I’m visiting my brother’s house."
Marcus Shaw gave him a glance.
Oliver appeared calm, but internally he was frantic: I’ve made it so obvious, yet this dimwit hasn’t caught on?
But Marcus Shaw, who wasn’t thinking along those lines, simply hadn’t caught on.
Glancing once, Marcus Shaw calmly withdrew his gaze and kept hailing a cab.
"A picked-up brother?" Andrew Hughes frowned, asking curiously.
Before Marcus Shaw moved, he’d visited Marcus Shaw’s previous residence—inside and out—it was just Marcus Shaw.
No non-biological brother.
"Mm."
Marcus Shaw responded offhandedly, quite dismissively.
Oliver: "..."
This was frustrating.
Yet this explanation seemed not incorrect.
Since they weren’t related by blood.
"Oh," Andrew Hughes nodded, navigating away from the topic, he continued with a request, "I want braised eggplant."
"Mm."
"Egg fried rice."
"No cold rice at home."
"Oh."
Andrew Hughes lowered his head, a bit disappointed, but didn’t throw a tantrum.
He thought for a moment and said, "Tomato egg soup."
"Mm."
Marcus Shaw agreed again.
Then, turning his head, he asked Oliver, standing to the side, "What will you eat?"
"I can order too?"
Oliver was a bit surprised.
"..."
Marcus Shaw silently shifted his gaze back.
After thinking for a moment, Oliver tentatively asked, "Spicy pepper fried pork, and sugar vinegar ribs?"
Raising his hand, Marcus Shaw finally stopped a cab.
He opened the back door, letting Andrew Hughes in first.
When Marcus Shaw didn’t answer him, Oliver thought his order was dismissed, and instinctively opened the front passenger door.
Just as he was about to bend down inside, Marcus Shaw asked—
"That’s it?"
Oliver paused, then realized, couldn’t help but smile, "Yeah, that’s it!"
The little joy was evident on his face.
Marcus Shaw let out an "oh," bending down into the car.