The two of them looked toward the door. Thalia had already prepared to hide herself. However, upon seeing the person who came in, she finally breathed a sigh of relief.
“ Nelly , I knew I'd find you here. I've been looking for you for ages!” With a playful tone, Donna went straight to Nelly 's side.
Nelly looked at her with a nonchalant gaze. “What do you need me for?”
“I have a little secret to share with you,” Donna whispered.
“What little secret?” Nelly asked.
At that moment, Donna 's gaze shifted toward Thalia, who was standing off to the side.
Thalia took a deep breath, looking at Donna with furrowed brows. “Donna , we're best friends, aren't we? So, are you keeping secrets from me now?”
Donna sighed. “No, it's not about me.” she said, expressing a sense of helplessness. “It's a family matter.”
“Family matter?” Nelly raised an eyebrow, then seemed to understand. “Is it about Tony and Ben ?”
“ Nelly , you already know?” Donna asked in surprise.
“What's wrong with them?” Nelly asked directly.
Donna furrowed her brows. “ Nelly , don't you already know?”
“I'm just speculating that it has something to do with them, but the specifics...” Nelly shook her head.
Upon hearing that, Donna let out a soft sigh.
“Speak up. Thalia is one of us,” Nelly urged her to speak.
That single remark instantly lifted Thalia's previously despondent spirits. She looked at Nelly in slight surprise.
Donna glanced at Thalia, then nodded seriously before speaking. “Actually, it's not a big deal. It's just that Tony and Ben are fighting, and it seems quite intense.”
After hearing that, Nelly nonchalantly nodded. “And then?”
“That's all. Aren't you curious, Nelly ?” Donna asked.
Nelly shook her head. “I'm not curious.”
“Why?”
“You're all mature children now, so isn't it normal to have your own issues? Besides, it's also normal for two boys to have some conflicts. Let them sort it out themselves. Do you expect me to manage your lives forever?” Nelly asked.
“Well—” Donna wanted to say something, but she felt that Nelly was particularly right.
Tony and Ben had only argued twice thus far in their lives. The first time happened overseas, but they were afraid of upsetting Nelly , so they made up before she returned home from work.
It was their second time fighting currently.
So, for a moment, Donna was somewhat at a loss for what to do.
At that moment, Nelly looked at her. “It's okay. Don't worry. They know what they're doing. It won't take too long for them to make up,” she said casually.
Listening, Donna nodded somewhat helplessly. “All right, then.”
It seemed that Nelly had noticed her daughter's displeasure. After a moment of thought, she looked at the latter and began to speak. “Donna , remember this. Whenever people interact, conflicts and problems will inevitably arise. The most important thing is to find a way to solve them yourself. If you can solve it, then solve it. If you can't, it means it's beyond your capabilities, so why dwell on it unnecessarily? If Tony and Ben haven't said anything, it means they have their own solutions. Therefore, you don't need to worry about this matter.”
Listening to Nelly 's words, Donna nodded. “I understand, Nelly . It just feels a bit awkward to me.”
“I understand what you're feeling, but you all will grow up, and I will age too. You can't always come to me with your problems every time something arises, can you?”
“You'll never get old!” Donna immediately said, acting coyly.
Nelly was amused, and the expression in her eyes softened. “In that case, I also hope that you all can solve problems independently. If you really can't handle it, only then do you come to me for help, okay?”
“Okay!” Donna immediately laughed, making an “okay” gesture with her hand.
At that moment, Thalia, who was standing by the side, listened, and her eyes widened in surprise.
That was the first time she had seen Nelly “educating” her child. No matter when, she could never have thought of, let alone uttered, such words.
She finally understood why those three children grew up to be so remarkable.
It wasn't just inherited genes at play there, but also the education imparted by Nelly .
Seeing Thalia standing there silently, Donna turned her gaze toward the latter. “Thalia, what's wrong?”
Thalia regained her senses and looked at them. “It's nothing. I was just a bit surprised to hear you say that, Nelly !”
“Surprised?” Nelly retorted.
“Isn't this surprising? I usually see mothers getting heartbroken for their children, even giving up everything for them. It's my first time seeing someone as indifferent as you!” Thalia said. Of course, that indifference didn't encompass everything.
Upon hearing that, Nelly laughed lightly and asked, “What would you do if you were in this situation?”
“Hmm...” Thalia pondered, “If it were up to me, I'd probably gather the two people involved, have them confess to each other, then give them a good scolding. After that, I'd make them shake hands and make peace.”
Listening intently, Nelly nodded thoughtfully. “What if it was your child who was being bullied outside?”
“In that case, those bullies shouldn't blame me for being unmerciful!” Thalia said, feeling a sense of involvement. She rolled up her sleeves as if ready for a fight.
Seeing her like this, Nelly couldn't help but laugh.
“What are you laughing at?” asked Thalia.
“I'm wondering if entrusting the child to you was a mistake!” Nelly said with a helpless smile.
Thalia was taken aback. “Hold on. If my child is bullied, shouldn't I fight back? Anyway, if it were my child, I wouldn't care about the consequences. I would definitely step in!”
“Aren't you afraid you'll be nurturing them to be violent?”
Thalia was slightly taken aback. “Really? Will they turn out to be violent?”
“In the long run, definitely!” Nelly said with absolute certainty.
“But I can't just stand by and watch my child get bullied!” said Thalia. She simply couldn't accept that.
“It all depends on who's doing the bullying,” Nelly said. “If it's between classmates, I prefer to let them sort it out themselves. But if it's an adult, I'm more inclined to agree with you, to let them have a taste of their own medicine.”
“Is there any difference?” Thalia retorted.
“The difference is, I'll be teaching my children to be independent and not to compromise their integrity. If someone their age bullies them, that's fair game. But if an adult bullies a child...” Nelly suddenly laughed. Her laugh was radiant, yet a hint of malice flashed in her eyes. “I will make them pay back in folds!”
In that regard, Nelly was no saint either. She always abided by the principle of not offending others unless they offend her first. But if someone did it on purpose, she would definitely not show mercy.
Looking at Nelly 's expression, Thalia felt indescribable complex emotions churning within her for a moment.
Nelly was like a beautiful and seemingly harmless poppy, yet not easily approachable or touchable.
It could be medicine, or it could be poison.
After staring at Nelly for a long time, Thalia finally came to a conclusion.
“It's useless to think about those matters now. Your child has long passed the stage of being bullied. Those of the same age are not a threat to them. For those who are older, they have Darknetz as their backing. No one would dare bully them!” Thalia said.
Upon hearing this, Nelly narrowed her eyes and chuckled. “Now that you mention it, it does seem to be the case!”
“Why do I get the feeling that you're feigning ignorance?” Thalia asked.
“Don't worry. When you and Spencer have a child, you can leave them with Tony and the others. They have Darknetz as their support, so you don't need to stress about these things!” Nelly said.
Thalia's gaze dimmed at the mention of Spencer. “Who said that I want to have a child with him?” She lowered her eyes and whispered, “We are bound together by ill fate in this life.”
Nelly nodded. “You're right. Two stubborn people who say one thing but mean another can hurt each other deeply. My advice to you is to break up!”
Upon hearing this, Thalia looked at her and asked, “Do you really think so?”
“Yeah.”
Thalia was left speechless once again. She had only made those remarks casually and never expected Nelly to offer the suggestion.
“Wait a second. Don't people always encourage others to stay together instead of separating? Why did you end up advising me to break up?” Thalia asked.
Nelly playfully looked at her and teased, “What's the matter? You can't bear to break up with him?”
“Not at all. As the saying goes, one would rather do something utterly destructive than ruin a marriage. Why are you so different from everyone else?”
Nelly raised an eyebrow and teased, “You're not like the others, Thalia. Since when do you speak so mindlessly?”
Thalia looked at her, suddenly at a loss for words.
Just then, Donna started chuckling heartily.
Thalia's fiery temperament was such that she preferred action over words. Therefore, she simply couldn't win Nelly in an argument of words.
Seeing that she couldn't out-talk Nelly , Thalia turned to look at Donna laughing on the side. She walked straight up to her and started tickling her. “What are you laughing at? You can laugh along if you understand!”
Seeing the situation, Donna quickly tried to hide. However, she was helplessly trapped in Thalia's embrace. She laughed and struggled, “Thalia, just because you can't win against my mom doesn't mean you can bully me!”
“I'll bully you!”
“Thalia!”
Nelly smiled warmly as she watched them fooling around.
Although Thalia might not be able to educate the three little ones, she was capable of never allowing anyone to bully them.
With that, Nelly felt much more at ease.
The two started to playfully wrestle. However, Thalia had drunk too much the day before. Even though she had taken the hangover remedy given by Spencer, she still felt dizzy if she exerted too much force.
In the midst of the commotion, Thalia clutched her head. “I need a rest. I'm feeling dizzy...”
Upon seeing this, Donna immediately looked at her with concern. “Thalia, what's wrong? Did I use too much force?”
Thalia looked at her. “Give me a kiss. A kiss will make the dizziness go away!”
“Thalia!” Donna furrowed her brows and hissed, “I'm not a child anymore. Why are you fooling around with me?”
“Oh, come on! Can't you just give me a little psychological comfort?” Thalia asked, then leaning in close to her. “So, are you going to kiss me or not?”
Donna looked at her with a sense of helplessness.
“Ah, you forget about your friends when your mom is around. I really am a pitiful soul with no one to care for me,” Thalia lamented woefully.
Donna couldn't resist her any longer. “All right, all right. She then leaned in and planted a kiss on her face.
However, it wasn't just a peck. Thalia held her face, smacking kisses all over it, left, right, up, and down.
Thalia couldn't help but laugh, “All right, all right...”
“Is that enough, or do you want some more?”
“Enough, enough!” Thalia nodded and glared at her. “You're becoming a bad influence!”
“It's hard not to pick up bad habits when I hang out with you guys!” Donna said.
Her words left Thalia speechless.
Meanwhile, Nelly looked on with a faint smile on her lips.
She felt at ease seeing them get along so well.
The two had their fair share of fun. Just then, Nelly spoke up. “All right, Donna , let's get going. Thalia needs to rest!”
“I'm much better now. There's no need to rest!” Thalia replied.
“You should get something to eat and then do what needs to be done!”
“What needs to be done?” Thalia raised an eyebrow.
Nelly didn't say much. She exchanged a glance with Donna , who immediately came over to her side. She then gently guided the latter out.
As they neared the door, Nelly suddenly stopped and turned back to look at Thalia. “Would you like to hear one more tip?”
Thalia looked at her with a bewildered expression. “What?”
“Never suggest breaking up so easily unless you're sure that's what you want,” said Nelly .
Upon hearing this, Thalia was slightly taken aback. “Why?”
“There are many answers. Which one would you like to hear?” Nelly counter-asked.
Thalia pondered for a moment. “The one you most want to say.”
Nelly thought for a moment, then looked at her. “I'm not privy to the details of your relationship with Spencer. However, from an outsider's perspective, I can see his concern and care for you. He does love you. However, when the topic of breaking up is brought up, both of you might really part ways.”
Thalia's eyes narrowed slightly.
“I'll give you another tip for free. If something is said too often, it may not work anymore!” After saying this, Nelly gave a slight smile and led Donna away.
Thalia sat in the room, mulling over Nelly 's words.
Soon, she couldn't sit still any longer and decided to head outside.
Just as she was about to enter Spencer's laboratory, she heard noises coming from the opposite side of the door. She turned her head and saw Tony coming out of the room.
Coincidentally, Tony 's gaze also turned to her, and their eyes met.
Thalia understood why Tony ignored her that day.
Hence, she halted her initial idea of seeking Spencer. She looked at Tony and contemplated how to explain to him.
At the sight of her, Tony 's expression softened, and he approached her directly.
As Thalia was pondering how to start the conversation, Tony said, “Are you sober?”
Thalia nodded.
“Good, come with me,” he replied in a low voice.
She looked at Tony with a blank expression.
“Let's go!” Tony said, looking as if nothing had happened, as if the previous situation was just an illusion and she had overthought things.
Thalia immediately followed suit. She couldn't help but ask, “W-Where are we going?”
The man turned his head to glance at her before saying slowly, “Let's do what we ought to do!”