Colt put a diaper on Birdie and opened the door to let the bird wander around the house more.
Colt!" Timothy shouted from the bathroom, "Will you come back with me for a big feast tonight?
No, I have plans to celebrate online with Joseph tonight," Colt refused, sliding a set of loungewear through the door crack, issued a command: "Don't throw your clothes on the floor; put them in the laundry basket.
"Oh." Timothy came out dejectedly, holding a laundry basket in his arms filled with changed pajamas and yesterday's dirty clothes, all belonging to the two of them.
He was not a pampered young master who expected everything to be served to him; since they were living together, he naturally had to be responsible for a portion of the housework.
Timothy stuffed the dirty laundry into the washing machine on the first floor, studied the detergent, softener, fabric conditioner for three minutes, then, with the precision of someone mixing biological reagents, poured them into their respective compartments. After confirming everything was correct, he pressed the start button to begin the wash.
Colt clapped behind him.
Timothy crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow in dissatisfaction. "Hey, Colt, you can absolutely trust me. I would never make such a low-level mistake as putting detergent in the fabric softener compartment twice."
Colt gave the clever Timothy a hug: "I want to bake a cake, I'll have you take it back to give to Alfred for me."
That's a good idea, but before baking a cake, first open the treasure chests.
Colt made a wish to Timothy: "I hope to get a Healing Potion."
Chapter 51
Facing Colt's wish, Timothy looked away. "What we experienced last night wasn't just a dream; a person's dreams aren't uncontrollable."
Lying! If dreams were truly uncontrollable, then why could a Spiritual Power supplement bloom from one? It was simply because Timothy didn't care about his own body!
Today's gift is.. roast turkey?
Colt looked at the steaming, golden-brown roast chicken on the large platter, then looked at Timothy, sighed, "Tim, you can't just treat money like dirt in your dreams just because you're smart and rich. I know that lucid dreams are controlled by the dreamer to a certain extent, so you can fantasize about something more expensive.. or more noble."
It's not even Thanksgiving today!
Timothy suspected the Dream Messenger was targeting him, even though he had experienced so many wonderful things in his dream last night. He had even specifically chosen a brooch that matched Colt's aesthetic (the gemstones were very, very expensive) and carried it with him the whole time, so why did a roasted turkey appear from the treasure chest?
This isn't just any roast chicken." Timothy paused. "It's delicious; with this, we won't even need to make breakfast.
Colt accepted it; after all, roast turkey was a bit better than coffee.
The roast turkey produced by the dream was indeed more delicious than the one in reality, even larger. A 10-kilogram roast chicken meant a single wing weighed nearly two pounds, making it impossible to finish in one sitting. Colt mixed some flour to make thin pancakes and added some shredded vegetables, sandwiching the sliced turkey leg meat to continue eating for lunch. The meat from the other turkey leg was sliced into cubes and cooked with chili oil to make spicy diced chicken, which was eaten with noodles for dinner.
The leftover turkey carcass was not wasted either. While Timothy used the toaster to toast slices of bread, Colt was responsible for slicing the turkey meat and adding lettuce; the two of them made a box of sandwiches and sent them to the orphanage.
Processing turkey in the morning, baking cakes in the afternoon.
Colt spent two hours practicing piping cream to get the shapes just right before rushing the unhurried Timothy to change clothes and get into his wheelchair, hurrying him back to Wayne Manor in a frantic rush.
Timothy held onto Colt: "Are you really not coming in with me?"
Colt shook his head. "The Wilderness Healing Light is in your bag; remember to use it tonight. Give my regards to your family."
Timothy watched Colt fly off from where he stood, pulling back his pouting lips. He was a bit unhappy; since they had confirmed their relationship, Colt had stopped taking the initiative to kiss him.
Damian opened the door for Timothy. He looked at Timothy in the wheelchair, then leaned his head to look behind Timothy; when he didn't see the familiar bird, his expression instantly darkened.
"Tsk, useless Drake." Damian's expression and tone were filled with disdain.
The veins on Timothy's forehead throbbed with rage.
Damian tried to slam the door shut, but Timothy activated the shield of his wheelchair and rushed inside, his raised foot kicking Damian squarely in the shoulder.
Timothy said in a cool tone, "Sorry, my injured leg isn't very flexible; I thought you would be able to dodge it."
Damian drew his sword. "Since it's not flexible enough, I'll help you take it off."
Alfred!" Timothy didn't waste time on uselessness. He controlled the wheelchair to accelerate, rushing toward the kitchen, shouted loudly, "I brought back cake! Cole made it!
..
Colt had eaten too much elimination cake and had a cup of diluted coffee to cut through the grease, then headed down to the basement with Birdie.
He glanced at his schedule; he hadn't read a single paper on biomedicine, hadn't worked on the mecha improvement plan, hadn't finished the analysis of the Wilderness Healing Light, hadn't completed the testing of the Treatment Pod's medicinal liquid, hadn't even come up with the new design for the flying motorcycle.. Falling in love really interfered with his studies; he hadn't even gone traveling, seen a movie, or visited an amusement park with Timothy; days just passed by casually.
Colt let out a sigh and opened the package sent via the Quantum Teleportation Device.
Wayne's employee benefits have always been excellent. This year's Christmas gift set is a four-piece set consisting of a smartphone, a tablet, a computer, a holographic projector, along with a thousand-dollar supermarket gift card and discount vouchers for fashion brands.. they are all products from Wayne's subsidiaries. By next year, it might be replaced by a three-piece set of a refrigerator, a television, a washing machine; you wouldn't even need to carry them home, as the company's logistics department can help exchange them for cash. Of course, they are a bit cheaper than the market price.
Timothy probably has no idea how many people are waiting every year to receive the annual gifts from Wayne Enterprises.
Colt transformed into a Quantum Ghost and logged into the Virtual Laboratory, using his most efficient state to catch up on his studies, then initiated a connection with Joseph right on schedule.
Joseph didn't answer, he only sent a single sentence: "Get up here."
Go where?
Colt exited the Quantum Superbrain in confusion and headed upstairs, carrying Birdie, who had boredly crawled into his pocket to sleep.
An armed helicopter bearing the S. H. I. E. L. D. insignia hovered loudly over the overgrown lawn, as Joseph was carried to the ground under Iron Man's arm.
"Xiao Ke'er, here's your Christmas gift. Make sure to come visit New York more often." Iron Man set down another metal case, waved toward the house, climbed into the helicopter to depart.
It was already dark. Was taking a helicopter on a snowy night in Gotham really a good choice? Setting aside the danger, it would take several hours for a helicopter to fly from Gotham to New York, whereas Tony could fly there himself in just ten minutes. Could Tony's choice to take a helicopter mean there was some kind of agreement like 'Iron Man is not allowed to appear in Gotham' with Batman?
Colt stood there, hoping what he was seeing was a hallucination: "Dad, didn't you say you wouldn't be able to come back?"
"Stark is coming back to attend the Avengers' Christmas party." Joseph was considered an appendage of Iron Man in Asgard; since Iron Man was leaving, he naturally could not stay behind.
Joseph trudged along, dragging his suitcase with heavy, uneven steps, thinking to himself that the snow in Gotham was exceptionally heavy this year; he would have to bring out the snowplow tomorrow and inspect the roof to prevent any damage from the snow.. His thoughts were interrupted by the golden rose placed in the foyer.
Real gold, nearly 5000 grams. It's my son's aesthetic, but he definitely didn't buy it!
Joseph took a deep breath, knowing exactly who had sent it without even having to think about it.
At the thought of his son's smiling face when receiving that bouquet of gold flowers, Joseph felt a surge of annoyance; how could he actually give away something so tacky!
"Dad, you haven't had dinner yet, have you? I'll make you some roasted chicken legs.." Colt made some noise in the kitchen while quietly sending a message to Timothy.
[139, 0, 255: My dad is back!]
Joseph went back to take a shower first, then took his changed clothes to the laundry room. As he turned on the washer-dryer combo and saw that the clothes inside clearly belonged to two people, his vision went dark instantly.
"Dad, do you want some cake to tide you over?" Colt asked from downstairs.
Joseph closed his eyes, gritted his teeth as he took the clothes out of the washing machine and folded them, then put his own in to be washed.
Colt came out carrying the cake, seeing Joseph emerging from the laundry room with a pile of clothes, his heart skipped a beat and his vision went dark.
Joseph took the cake in one hand and shoved the clothes into Colt's hands with the other, calmly instructing, "Remember to take the washed clothes out next time; if they stay in the washing machine for too long, it's easy for bacteria to grow."
Colt looked at the clothes in his arms; the top one was Timothy's red hoodie. He then looked at Joseph, who was holding the cake and starting to eat, unsure if the man's calmness was an act.
Underneath the hoodie were two pairs of underwear; Timothy's had his initials embroidered on the waistband. Now, the underwear were rolled up like a caterpillar, with the initials placed neatly on the outside.
Colt took the clothes to the cloakroom and sent a message to Timothy.
[139, 0, 255: Dad seems to have realized we're together. He doesn't seem angry, though. Should we tell him that we're dating?]
Timothy didn't reply to the message; he might find it inconvenient to use his phone.
Colt pocketed his phone and poked his head out to glance at the living room.
Joseph was performing a simple physical examination on Birdie, with a checklist written on a piece of paper by his side. Weight, claw and nail condition, fur color brightness, clarity of chirps, beak wear, wing flexibility.. Joseph tossed a sunflower seed, Birdie darted to catch it, drifting and turning mid-air before bringing the seed back. Birdie didn't eat the seed after catching it; instead, he placed it on the table, nudged it toward Joseph with the tip of his beak, then hopped into Joseph's palm, tilting his little head to nuzzle him while letting out a soft chirp.
After Birdie's flurry of actions, Joseph laughed.
Colt also calmed down.
There was nothing to be nervous about; he wasn't some little girl being snatched away by a blonde. Eighteen was the perfect age for falling in love, Gotham could never find a peer more outstanding than Timothy!
Colt set out the kelp and pork rib soup, pan-seared salmon, spinach tofu, shrimp congee, deciding to talk to Joseph about his own romantic problems.
"Dad, Timothy.." The voice cut off abruptly as Colt looked toward the speaker that had suddenly gone silent.
Is it broken?
The signal is normal, the detection response is also normal; it's not broken.
"I mean, Tim—" The voice cut off abruptly again, this time, even Timothy's name wasn't fully uttered.
Colt looked at Joseph, who was eating seriously, asked, "Dad, is it good?"
It tastes great, your Chinese cooking is getting better and better." Joseph put down his spoon. "But I am very healthy; I don't need any dietary therapy to promote bone healing.
"Oh, because these ingredients were prepared for.." Tim.
Colt was muted again, the keyword that triggered the mute being Timothy's name.
"Dad, you don't support me.." Falling in love?
Falling in love is also a sensitive topic.
Colt slapped the rag onto the table and stood up.
Birdie shivered in fright.
Colt patted the bird and turned on the television for him to watch.
Joseph stroked his beard and changed the subject: "Why don't you go see the gift Stark prepared for you?"
One look at the box and it was clear it was the body for that Little Robot.
Colt knew that Joseph was clearly making his stance known that he didn't want to talk, so he reached across the table right in front of Joseph without even opening the metal box, directly pulled out the small robot folded in hibernation inside.
Joseph opened his mouth to warn him not to run around the house, but after catching a glimpse of Colt's grim face, he shut his mouth again.
What should you do when a child goes through their rebellious phase?
Colt controlled the Little Robot to walk back and forth around Joseph, but as soon as Joseph looked over, the Little Robot would turn its head, or even turn its back, clearly expressing its dissatisfaction. Meanwhile, Colt returned to his own bedroom, curled up in a beanbag chair next to a statue, chatted with Timothy.
[185, 205, 246: Sorry, dear, the Wayne family just finished a massive battle to protect the wheelchair, I've only just found the time to check my phone.]
【185, 205, 246: I just asked Lucius, there has been no news from the laboratory side about Joseph returning to headquarters. The team over in New York is already on holiday; the New Year holiday lasts twelve days in total.】
I suggest we wait and see how the situation develops first; I hope we can face his wrath together.
【139, 0, 255: You're right, Joseph is very angry, he has muted me! 】
[139, 0, 255: Your name is a sensitive word now! Romance is too!]
【 139, 0, 255: According to my testing, sensitive words also include Wayne, Drake, Red Robin, Vigilante Forum, Superhero, Bat, Boyfriend, Lover, Rose, Gift.. Why is a fridge magnet also a sensitive word? 】
[185, 205, 246: It might be because of the Cole Duck Detective I put on my fridge.]
【 139, 0, 255: Tim, you'd better be careful lately; it's best to activate the Knowledge Explorer's remote summoning program. If Joseph takes his anger out on you, the mecha will summon itself much faster. 】