Seeing that Nina was really going to put the gift box aside, John considered not caring anymore and just taking off his hood, but he decided against it at the last minute.
In a hoarse voice like an old man's, he said, "Mrs. Shi, that box contains a dress Mr. Shi himself made for you. Would you like to have a look?"
"A dress?" Nina thought about the dress that John had torn into pieces. She had challenged him to make a new one for her with his own hands.
Did he really do it?
Driven by curiosity, she took the securely locked gift box and handed it to him. "Do you know the password?"
John paused as his heart skipped a beat.
'Does she recognize me?
Maybe... No, it can't be.'
"Only Mr. Shi knows the password. You have to find him first." The voice John was using was beginning to scratch and irritate his throat, but he decided to keep on.
It was not easy deceiving his little girl.
Nina withdrew the gift box and inspected it carefully twice. "What if I can guess the password? I want to try my birthday."
"No." John shook his head. "You must find Mr. Shi. It's a facial recognition lock. Only Mr. Shi's face can unlock it."
"What?" Nina was stunned for a moment and smiled. "Why am I surprised? Of course John would give me a locked gift box that only his face could open. He's narcissistic like that."
ace. She said, "It's excusable that I have a crush on Mr. Shi. But why do you think that I have a crush on Nina?"
"I know Aunt Nina well. Even girls liked her. Look at my sister and Mimi. They worship Aunt Nina. It makes me feel sorry for Uncle John, really. He doesn't just have to fend men off his wife. He has to keep an eye on women, too." He clicked his tongue.
Emma's face softened. She said, "And what if I prefer the company of women?"
James slowly turned his head at her. He could not tell whether she was telling the truth or not, so he bit the bullet and said, "Then I'll disguise myself as a woman."
"You? A woman?" Emma snickered and shook her head. James had always had the worst ideas, but they made him oddly charming.
"You don't believe me?" James raised his chin, put one hand on his hip, and flipped his invisible long hair. Emma almost laughed out loud. "If I dress up as a woman, do you promise to be my girlfriend?" he asked.
Emma was stunned.
How could a man put on a woman's clothes and keep his dignity intact at the same time?
No man would do such a ridiculous thing, but maybe James was the rare exception.
Maybe he was the exception Emma had been looking for her entire life.
Perhaps it was the warm atmosphere tonight that allowed her to pluck up her courage.
"Okay," she agreed.