This news made Anna a little surprised, but her husband just took her by the hand and walked to the second floor.
Anna couldn't help asking the other party: "What's wrong?"
Karenin paused for a moment, then continued walking.
He turned his head to look at his wife and said, "Is it so surprising to you that I'll be with you for three days?"
Anna blinked, then laughed.
"I never thought I could win your job."
Karenin looked away and said, "You didn't even try to fight, Anna."
Anna was a little stunned, she wasn't sure what Karenin meant. If Karenin was an ordinary man, these words probably contained some kind of complaint, but this was Karenin, her very sensible husband.
"Thanks."
Karenin said almost with a sigh, and Anna felt her hand being clenched.
Anna shook her hand back and said gently:
"We're all dear to you, aren't we?"
She held each other's arms and said as she walked: "I naturally hope that you can spend more time with me, but I also like to watch you work, or share your joy. This is all part of life, and I , I also have things that I like. So, you don’t need to feel that you owe me anything, it’s good that we are like this.”
"I don't want you to give up anything just to accommodate me."
"If we get married, but you need to give up your original life, your original preferences, or, in order to satisfy me, and give up your self, then I don't want things to become like this. "
This time it was Anna's turn to stop, and they were already at the door of the study.
Her gray eyes were like gems, in fact, in Karenin's mind they shone more beautifully than gems.
"Because, when I married you, you were like this, and I was ready to marry you, and I never thought of making you look like another perfect person after marriage."
She raised her hand to touch the other's cheek, and Karenin took her hand gently.
Anna smiled.
"So, dear Alexei, you just have to be yourself. After all, I like you just the way you are, and of course, occasionally, like today, you value me more than work , I am indeed as happy as thousands of wives. They are like casual gifts, and I even think that I will not be able to give such a good gift on your birthday."
She ended up cracking a joke.
She didn't expect to get Karenin's reaction because of this not-so-funny joke, but in fact, she not only got it, but also an extremely soft smile.
There was a look in those blue eyes as if she were some kind of fluffy little thing just hatched.
From Karenin's point of view, when his wife said these words, she was indeed like a fluffy little thing that was not strong. She used her soft beak and innocent eyes to look at what was in front of her. A creature a hundred times stronger than her.
She seemed completely unaware of the difference between the two, and indulged herself with the latter.
He used to think it was because she was indeed naive and unsophisticated, but now, the Russian high official had figured it out.
All this is not a problem.
His wife also fully understood that he was not a weak animal, but to her. It seemed to make no difference whether he was a high-ranking official or an ordinary man.
The evil dragon makes people fearful, but there are times when they sniff the flowers lightly, because although the flowers are weak, they have shielded him from the scorching sun.
Karenin figured it all out, and then he kissed the inside of his wife's palm, where the skin was white and soft, like an open heart.
"You are more important than work, Ana."
The afternoon sun can't shine into the center of this long corridor, but the dust factor in the air stained with sunlight can always get close to them.
Anna couldn't help but make herself smile, watching her husband kiss the inside of her palm, feeling as honored as receiving a crown.
That night, Anna had a great idea.
She wrote this in her diary:
"When your eyes were on me, I was thinking, if God gives me another chance to choose, I just want to say this sentence earlier. There are thousands of people in the world, but Only you walked into my heart, so let's get married. Dear Alexei, marrying you is the best decision I have ever made in my life and the best luck I have ever had. Love you Wife, Anna."
Starting today, she will record the touching details of her married life with Karenin, and when the time is right, it will be given as a gift. After all, life is always ordinary, so some surprises and touches are needed to keep them at a comfortable temperature.
The next morning, Anna took Alexei to the train station to pick up Andre.
They arrived neither early nor late, just as the train stopped.
While Anna was still looking around to see where Andrey was, the child himself appeared magically before Anna.
Presumably, Andre hasn't changed much from the meeting a few months ago.
Still dark hair and light blue eyes, fair skin with an arrogant and indifferent look. But when Anna hugged and kissed him, the boy showed another cute look.
"Are you Aunt Anna's nephew Alexei?" Andre asked without waiting for Anna's introduction.
"Yes, hello, Andre."
Alexei said politely, and extended his hand more formally.
Andre looked at Anna, then looked at Alexei again, and finally shook that slender white hand.
While Anna was calling the servants to load Andrei's luggage into the carriage, the ten-year-old boy himself began to chat with the blond boy.
"I heard about that incident, and I want to say, it's quite interesting." Andre expressed his opinion, thought for a while and added, "They didn't talk about it, I just heard it accidentally, I hope you do not mind."
Alexei didn't answer, just smiled gently.
Andre glanced at the other party and said, "It seems that you mind."
Alexie was a little surprised.
"You don't think that's funny." Andre shrugged.
"That's not really funny," Alexey said, his gentle smile subdued, but without revealing any greater emotion.
"My mother asked me to be good friends with you, but it seems that you are not interested in me, and the same, I am in you. To you, I am just a ten-year-old kid with both parents and a good family, and to you To me, you're not funny. So, if they ask, you know what to say?"
"Of course," Andre added, "you know I'm not a full-fledged bastard who likes to belittle others to hide his weakness?"
"We can get along well, Andre, I don't think so of you." Alexei smiled softly.
"After all, some people can't know more when they are fourteen, can't they?"
Andre raised his chin and glanced at Alexei, and finally nodded reservedly.
"In the afternoon you get to know another guy, he's kind of silly sometimes, but he's a nice guy."
"I'm sure he will be," said Alexey.
So, in such a short period of time, after Anna arranged for the two children to sit in the carriage, she found that the sense of repulsion on Andre had disappeared.
"So you know each other, right?" she asked.
"Yes, we will get along well, Aunt Anna." Alexey replied.
Anna was relieved. She asked some questions about Andre's parents, and she was relieved after getting an answer from them that everything was fine.
At noon, Anna greeted the two children for lunch.
She originally thought it would be difficult, after all, boys of this age are not very quiet, but in fact, both Andre and Alexie are pretty well-behaved.
There was no need to worry about their table manners. Afterwards, the boys had a brief conversation, and finally went back to their bedrooms for a short lunch break.
At a quarter past two in the afternoon, Kearney told Anna that Charlie and the others had arrived.
Anna received Charlie's mother, and then left the little boy to find Andre himself.
"He's probably still asleep, though," said Anna.
"If he's sleeping, don't bother him, Charlie," said Charlie's mother.
"Understood." Charlie responded, and then walked upstairs.
After no one saw, the little gentleman in a tie started to run wildly.
He found Andre's bedroom, opened the door and went in, and saw a bulging quilt bag.
The boy tiptoed over, trying to play a trick, and just as he was about to shake, a huge shadow from behind him engulfed him.
"Good afternoon, Earl Charles!"
Andre laughed loudly. He crossed his arms and watched his friend struggling in the quilt.
"This is different from the reunion in other people's homes." Charlie simply lay on the bed, "Even if there are no flowers, at least you have to give me a hug, right? Brother."
Andre showed a disgusted expression.
Charlie got up and let the two of them complete this sticky hug involuntarily.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Andrei!" he said cheerfully. "I didn't find a better friend in Petersburg."
The latter sentence reassured Andre.
"I thought you already knew that fact." Then he ruthlessly pushed Charlie out of the bed and tidied up the messy bedding himself.
"Well, this is just like you." Charlie shrugged, pulled a chair and sat down. He began to chatter about what happened in Petersburg, and most of the time he complained about his bitterness, but in fact, a lively little boy like Charlie would never lack friends no matter where he went.
However, he knew Andre too well, so he couldn't tell him that he had a great time in Petersburg.
They talked for a long time until Charlie's mother was leaving.
"You can't trouble them, you know?" Charlie's mother warned her son.
"I won't, I'll be good, like a newborn lamb." Charlie grinned.
"Remember what you said."
Although not very convinced by her son's assurance, Charlie's mother can only say so. After all, she also knew that the decision that they had to move really hurt the two children, and although her son seemed heartless and free and easy, she knew that Andre was also his best friend, as close as a brother .
So now that she has this opportunity and Mrs. Karenin is taking care of her, she just feels a lot less guilty in her heart.
After accepting his mother's kiss, Charlie happily said goodbye to his mother, then quickly ran to Andre's side, and looked at Alexie by the way.
"We're both blond, and we seem to get along pretty well," said Charlie, who had a natural air of familiarity.
"Your statement is completely illogical." Andre commented.
"You're jealous, girls love blond hair." Charlie said nonchalantly, he stroked his hair, and then wanted to pat his newly formed "Blonde League" friend on the shoulder, only to find that he couldn't reach it .
Then he realizes a fact: Well, he seems to be the shortest of the three...
But it's okay, he is also the youngest one! The boy comforted himself, then patted Alexei's thigh.
"Right, Alexey."
"I don't know, maybe." Alexey said, not disliking the familiarity of the blond boy, but he would be a little reserved at first. After all, in boarding school all year round, he didn't get any friendly touch.
Charlie was not satisfied with this answer.
"Hey Alexey, if you have a pretty girl don't hide it, a good brother always shares everything."
"Or, petite? Maybe she doesn't mind a few years of age difference."
Alexey shook his head: "Girls don't like me."
Charlie's eyes widened: "Are you kidding? If girls don't like you, would they like Andre's obsessive-compulsive disorder?"
"Hey, I don't have OCD!" Andre yelled, emphatically, "I just like to keep things organized, okay?"
Charlie nodded perfunctorily, he continued to look at the blond boy, and smacked his lips in disbelief: "There must be something wrong, blond hair is the best, we are so handsome!"
Anna originally didn't want to disturb the conversation of the three boys, but until Charlie's question made Alexie a little bit at a loss, she began to worry a little, fearing that this straightforward boy would accidentally hurt Alexie, but the latter Those last words made her understand that she didn't need to worry at all.
"As the closest, only woman around you right now, I want to say, Charlie is right, Alexey, you look really good."
A blush appeared on Alexie's slightly pale cheeks.
"You don't have to comfort me, Aunt Anna."
"This is no consolation, you have to trust my vision, you just need to dress better," Anna said, and her eyes brightened.
"Yes, you need better grooming."