The old man was nearly furious at her dazed, clueless look. "You love Eastern culture so much—you should at least know the saying, 'A noble child should not sit beneath a dangling beam', right?"
Laila immediately understood what he meant and quickly put on her well-behaved act again, lowering her head obediently.
But who was Oswald? If it had been in the past, when his granddaughter gave him that pitiful look, he might still have nagged a little, but deep down, he would have forgiven her already. This time, however, was different. He couldn't even bear to imagine what would have happened if she had died at the hands of Martin's gang. How devastated he and Janet would've been!
"Don't try to act cute with me. It only makes me angrier just looking at you!" the old man snorted coldly. "Next time, think things through before you act. Learn what should and shouldn't be done. If you still can't figure it out, I won't mind keeping you by my side for a few more years to straighten you out!"
"No need! I know I was wrong this time. I swear this will never happen again!" Laila immediately raised her right hand with exaggerated sincerity.
Stay by Grandpa's side for a few more years of "training"? She'd surely wither from "director nutrient deficiency"! Just one year of being the acting CEO, away from filmmaking, had already made her feel like a fish out of water, utterly drained. A few more years, and she'd probably shrivel up completely!
The old man shot her a disappointed glare. "Look at you! So useless! So many people would kill for the chance to work by my side, yet you always push it away. Don't forget—you're the future heir of the Moran family! You're the next CEO of the Moran Group!"
Of course, Laila knew how "lucky" she was. There were probably millions of people on Earth willing to trade everything to be in her position. She understood that. She'd even taken advantage of her identity in the past to gain benefits for her films.
But filmmaking—directing—was her passion across two lifetimes. It was a mark etched into her soul, carried over even through reincarnation. She could give up many things, but never film.
"Grandpa, I love making movies. Every time I finish one, it feels like I've lived through another life, and it makes me so happy. I admit I didn't think things through this time, but I promise I'll never let something like this happen again."
The old man raised an eyebrow. "So, you're saying you won't go to dangerous places to film anymore?"
"..." Laila hesitated. She could say something to comfort her mother easily, but with her grandfather, she had to be careful. A broken promise to her mom could be patched up with a bit of sweet talk. But with her grandpa… he really could force her to give up filmmaking altogether.
"Grandpa, just trust me one more time, okay? I promise I won't put myself in danger again, isn't that enough?"
Oswald massaged his brow, at a loss for how to deal with his granddaughter's "passion."
"Laila, you've always been my pride. But that time in the desert, and now again in the jungle—you tell me, where are you planning to go next? You've brushed shoulders with death twice now. Do you think you'll always be that lucky?"
Laila sneaked a glance at him, wanting to say that actually, it had been three times. He seemed to have forgotten how she nearly died from illness at sixteen. But the words stayed in her mouth—it wasn't the time to rile him up more.
What he said wasn't wrong. No one can rely on luck forever. "Third time's the charm," as they say—she might have already used up all her luck.
"I know I was wrong." She scooted closer to him and grinned sheepishly. "You don't need to worry so much. I've got a good-luck charm with me. As long as he's around, Death won't dare come near."
The old man instantly knew who she meant and, unable to hold back, gave her a light whack on the forehead. "Roy can't always magically appear at your side every time!"
"Why not? He's my fiancé."
"Fiancé or husband, it doesn't matter. He's not going to be stuck to you like glue 24/7." Then, as if her words had sparked a thought, the old man said, "Right. Now that you're both back, just go ahead and hold the wedding ceremony. Once you're married and have a child, you probably won't be running around so much."
The more he thought about it, the more he liked the idea. They say motherhood makes a woman stronger and more mature. Just look at his disappointing daughter—if Laila hadn't become her whole world, who knows what kind of mess she'd have ended up in!
Laila, however, was stunned by her grandfather's sudden thunderbolt of a suggestion. "Grandpa, I don't have any plans to have a child right now." How would she shoot films if she had to take care of a baby? It's not like she was against the idea of kids entirely, but while she was still young and full of energy, she wanted to chase her dreams.
Just the thought of holding a baby while directing a movie made her shiver. Honestly, whether in her past life or this one, the idea of having a child had barely ever crossed her mind. Being suddenly hit with it by her grandfather was quite a shock.
After a full hour of coaxing and comforting him, she finally calmed her grandfather down. Then she had a heartfelt talk with her mother, who had just finished removing her makeup. By the time she returned to her room, dinner was already long over.
Dragging her exhausted body out of the bathroom, she flopped onto the bed and squirmed her way toward Roy, who was reading beside her.
"Roy, do you want to have a child?"
Even someone with Roy's strong nerves nearly fell off the bed at that sudden question.
He pretended to stay calm, closed the book, set it on the nightstand, and shifted into a comfortable position to pull her into his arms. Only then did he ask, "Why the sudden question?"
"I was talking to Grandpa in the study. He brought it up. He thinks having a kid will tie me down so I won't keep running around."
"And what do you think? Would it work?" If it would, he'd gladly put in the effort—no complaints at all! A child hadn't been in his immediate plans, but if a tiny version of her called him "Daddy" in a soft, sweet voice, Roy figured he might just die of happiness.
Laila had been thinking about this question seriously—ever since her conversation with her grandfather, even while soaking in the tub just now, it had been on her mind.
"I don't know. I like how things are right now. I'm happy. I don't want to change anything."
Roy thought for a moment. "Do you like kids?"
"I'm not sure. Playing with little William once in a while is fun, but the idea of spending 24/7, 365 days a year with one? I don't think I can handle that."
Roy understood—she wasn't ready yet. A bit disappointing, but it just meant the time wasn't right.
He kissed her gently on the temple. "Whatever you decide, I'll support you."