chapter 22 The dream is all about him

"After the two little ones went upstairs, the smile on Nora's face gradually faded. "What's wrong? Is something on your mind?" Ava Xi turned off the TV and came over, concerned. Nora hesitated for a moment and decided to share what happened earlier that night without going into too much detail. "I ran into Andrew Li during dinner." Apart from Ava Xi, there was no one else she could confide in about what happened six years ago. Ava Xi was taken aback by the revelation. "What kind of fate is this between you two? Hai City is so big, and I thought the chances of you running into each other were almost zero if neither of you actively sought out the other." Nora lowered her gaze, lost in thought. "So, after seeing him, what are you thinking now?" Ava Xi inquired. Nora pursed her lips. "What can I think? Andrew Li and I ended things six years ago. We're just strangers now. I won't let him affect me anymore. I just want to take care of Nora and Harlan and live a good life with them." Her words seemed to reflect acceptance. Ava Xi breathed a sigh of relief and patted her friend's shoulder with a smile. "That's a good attitude. You're so outstanding, and you have plenty of people interested in you. Take your time choosing. We don't need that scoundrel!" Nora nodded slightly and didn't want to dwell on the topic any longer. She changed the subject, "By the way, I haven't had a chance to buy a car since I returned to the country. The reception tonight was all about borrowing colleagues' cars, and it feels quite inconvenient. Do you have time tomorrow morning to go car shopping with me?" Ava Xi found Nora's request a bit surprising. "Why buy a car? I have several cars in my garage. You can just pick one." Nora raised an eyebrow with a smile. "Really?" The two exchanged glances, and Ava Xi enthusiastically embraced her friend's neck, declaring, "Of course! Since you're my godson's biological mother, what's mine is yours!" "In that case, I won't be polite." Nora accepted with a smile. After chatting for a while longer, they checked the time and realized it was getting late. Ava Xi eventually made her way back to her own place. Nora, after freshening up, lay in bed but found herself unable to sleep. She tossed and turned for a long time before finally drifting off. In her half-asleep state, it felt like she was back in that empty room at the Riverside Pavilion. She was pressed against the wall, and in front of her was Andrew Li with an intensely handsome face, dangerously narrowing his eyes as he leaned closer to her. Just as their lips were about to meet, Nora suddenly woke up, drenched in cold sweat. Due to that dream, she had a nearly sleepless night. The next morning, Nora sat at the dining table with dark circles under her eyes, having breakfast with the two little ones. "Mommy, did you sleep well last night?" Harlan noticed the dark circles under her eyes and asked with a sweet voice. Nora was briefly taken aback and then remembered the dream. After a few seconds, she smiled casually, "Well, I stayed up late studying some materials last night." After seeing the dark circles under her mother's eyes, Nora's concern was evident in her babyish voice. Nora hesitated, then, thinking of the dream, she responded as if nothing was wrong, "Yes, I stayed up late looking at some research material." "The two little ones were always sensitive, and Nora was afraid they would ask more questions. So after her brief explanation, she pretended to focus on eating and lowered her head. Seeing this, the two little ones exchanged skeptical glances but didn't pursue the matter further. They simply offered a piece of advice, 'Mommy, don't tire yourself out. You need to take care of your health!' Nora smiled and nodded in response. After breakfast, Nora took the two little ones to Ava Xi's place to pick up the car. "Choose any car you like, no need to be polite with me," Ava Xi said as she led them to the garage, holding a bunch of car keys, exuding an air of generosity. The two little ones were young but recognized many luxury cars. When they saw the cars in the garage, they clapped their hands in admiration, 'Godmom, you're so generous!' Nora took a look around and picked a mid-range Mercedes-Benz, priced at just over a million. Without hesitation, Ava Xi handed her the keys. With the car secured, Nora drove herself, accompanied by the two little ones, to drop them off at school. "Goodbye, Mommy! Don't work too hard!" After getting out of the car, the two little ones bid her farewell sweetly. Nora touched their heads. "You two, be good at school, and Mommy will come to pick you up in the evening." The two little ones nodded and walked into the school side by side. As Nora watched them disappear from view, she turned back to her car, started the engine, and slowly drove away from the school gate. Two minutes later, a Rolls-Royce pulled up conspicuously at the kindergarten entrance. Barry Lu got out of the car, opened the rear door with utmost care, and lifted the little miss from the car. Nora set her feet on the ground and turned to wave at her dad. "Go inside." Andrew Li patted his little girl's head gently, his tone mild. Hearing her dad's words, Nora nodded and turned to enter the kindergarten. Inside the car, Andrew Li watched Nora's departing figure and couldn't help but feel a sense of doubt. Today, Nora appeared noticeably happier compared to usual. Perhaps spending more time with her classmates at kindergarten had gradually opened her up. It seemed that the advice from the child psychologist was indeed correct – encouraging her to interact more with other children was slowly helping alleviate her autism."