Forbidden Passion

In the business van, Hubert, Boris, Noomi, and Ethan sat in first-class seats, watching a cartoon on TV.

Phoebe and Evelyn sat in staggered rows, watching the kids to prevent them from falling off their seats in case the driver had to brake suddenly.

"Is Ruby's cold serious?" Phoebe asked Evelyn, who was sitting in the front row. Evelyn was wearing a floral dress today, had her hair braided, and was wearing sunglasses. Evelyn was taking selfies with her phone. "I just went upstairs to check. She has a slight fever, but it shouldn't be a big deal."

"That's good."

Phoebe always felt that something was off with Ruby, but she couldn't pinpoint what it was.

Noomi stood up and squeezed between Phoebe and the seat, her chubby little hands grabbing Phoebe's hair that was hanging over her shoulder. "Mom, let me braid your hair." Noomi was holding a small comb meant for her doll, patiently combing Phoebe's hair, being very gentle to avoid pulling it.

Phoebe held Noomi protectively with both hands.

Hubert, sitting next to them, looked at Noomi, then at the TV, and then back at Noomi.

Hubert climbed up from his seat, grabbed Phoebe's arm, and squeezed next to Noomi, grabbing a strand of Phoebe's hair. "Mom, I can braid too."

Noomi was unhappy and tried to pull Hubert's hand away. "Mom's hair is mine to braid. You can't touch it."

"What if I insist?" Hubert said fiercely.

Noomi glared at Hubert angrily. "You can't!"

Phoebe heard the two arguing behind her, her hair being pulled back and forth, making her scalp hurt. She said helplessly, "Both of you, sit down." "Mom, I was here first. Hubert is being unreasonable," Noomi cried loudly as soon as Phoebe took her hair away from them.

Phoebe turned around and sat Hubert down properly, then put Noomi on her lap, picking up the doll Noomi had thrown on the seat.

"Noomi, how about you braid the doll's hair?" Phoebe suggested.

Noomi angrily grabbed the doll and threw it aside. "I don't want the doll. I want to braid Mom's hair. I hate Hubert."

Hubert glanced at Noomi and magnanimously didn't argue with her.

Phoebe held and comforted Noomi for a while, and Evelyn also joined in to soothe her.

With Phoebe's gentle coaxing, it took a long time for Noomi to slowly fall asleep.

Evelyn shook her head and sighed, "Noomi's temper is just like yours when you were little, so stubborn."

"She's my child, of course, she's like me," Phoebe said proudly. She hugged Noomi's small body tightly and said to Hubert, "Hubert, you need to let Noomi have her way in the future, okay?" Hubert nodded. "Mom, I won't argue with her anymore."

Phoebe leaned over and kissed Hubert on the cheek, smiling. "You're becoming such a great brother, Hubert. That makes me so happy."noveldrama

Hubert smiled, his eyes twinkling. "Does that make me your favorite?"

"Of course," Phoebe hugged Hubert and let him continue watching the cartoon.

Two hours later, the car drove into the suburban eco-park. The eco-park was very large, and since it was the weekend, there were quite a few tourists and influencers there.

Several RVs were parked in the parking lot.

Keith and Louis took the strollers out of the trunk and set them up, taking the kids and putting them in.

Phoebe put on a baseball cap and a mask. Her online exposure had been a bit high recently, and whenever she was with the kids, she would instinctively wear a mask to avoid being photographed.

It was windy today, so she put hats on Hubert, Boris, Noomi, and Ethan. She pushed Hubert, Boris, and Noomi, while Evelyn pushed Ethan as they walked into the park.

The park was very large, with orchards, fishing areas, barbecue zones, family villa areas, and a parent-child farm, covering a vast area.

They strolled in. Since the park was so extensive, with each area spanning a considerable distance, sightseeing cars were available for rent.

Keith had Louis stay behind to protect Phoebe and the kids while he went to rent a sightseeing car. Soon, he drove the car over.

The sightseeing car had ten seats, enough to accommodate their group. Elijah and Riley each held a child and got on.

Once everyone was in the car, Louis sat next to Keith to help him read the signs and navigate.

Phoebe took the kids to the parent-child farm. The sightseeing car drove along the path, with many tourists on the roadside, taking photos in groups.

Some people were even dancing and filming videos by the roadside, making it very lively.

Evelyn, holding Ethan, sat next to Phoebe, looking at the tourists, and remarked, "I didn't expect there to be so many people here."

Phoebe smiled, "Thirty years ago, people were rushing to move to the cities. Now, people in the cities are eager to escape to the countryside, especially on weekends. They love places that offer a mix of entertainment, food, and drink." "True," Evelyn agreed.

Behind them, Riley and Elijah were chatting and laughing, marveling at the size of the eco-park. Fifteen minutes later, the parent-child farm was in sight.

The sign for the parent-child farm was very cute, with a 3D cartoon child holding a hoe and a shovel.

The kids started cheering excitedly from the car. As soon as the sightseeing car stopped, they couldn't wait to get off.

Phoebe got them out of the car, and as soon as they were on the ground, Hubert, Boris, Noomi, and Ethan rushed toward the farm.

Evelyn followed with Elijah and Riley, while Phoebe went to buy farming tools for them.

The parent-child farm had a lot of vegetables planted, half in greenhouses and half outdoors. They charged by the head, $15 for kids and $30 for adults.

Phoebe bought the tickets and four sets of farming tools. Louis quickly walked over and took the items, "Let me carry these for you, Ms. Ziegler."

Phoebe handed him two sets of tools and kept two for herself. "You don't need to be so formal. Just call me Phoebe."

"Okay, Phoebe," Louis corrected himself immediately.

Phoebe smiled, watching Evelyn and the others chasing the four kids into the vegetable field. Phoebe said, "There are a lot of people today and many kids. Please keep a close eye on them."

"Don't worry, Phoebe. With Keith and me here, we'll definitely keep you all safe," Louis said, giving her a confident smile and a reassuring nod.

Phoebe smiled and nodded. The group entered the parent-child farm. The autumn air was crisp, and the scent of soil was everywhere. The farm was large, with different areas growing different fruits and vegetables.

Ethan led Hubert, Boris, and Noomi to the carrot field, where many kids were waving small shovels and hoes, digging up carrots.

Hubert, Boris, and Noomi ran over, standing by and watching the older kids dig. Hubert squatted down and cheered on the kid next to him.

"Come on, dig faster. Why are you so slow?" Hubert was anxious as the older boy had barely made a dent in the soil after a long time.

The boy was unhappy and retorted, "Why don't you try it if you're in such a hurry?"

The competitive spirit in boys is strong, even at less than two years old. Hubert grabbed the shovel, mimicking the older kids by sticking the shovel into the soil and then stepping on it until it sank into the soft dirt. He then used all his strength to lift it.

A round carrot was unearthed, and the older boy eagerly grabbed it, running excitedly to his parents.

"Dad, I dug up a carrot!"

Hubert watched him run off, wiped the sweat from his face, and continued digging for carrots.