Gu Lin and Fu Ji Heng exchanged a glance upon seeing his distress.
Gu Lin once again advised, "Si Ye, don't doubt yourself because of this. Among the three of us, and even in the entire city of K, you are exceptional in every way.
Shen Xi might not have accepted your pursuit immediately, but it doesn't necessarily mean she dislikes you. She might genuinely have her reasons.
Think back to that time five years ago. Didn't you get along well then?"
Five years ago? Qin Si Ye's head felt fuzzy. He slowly raised it, his thoughts drifting into the distance.
Even though she had just gone through family upheaval back then, she had always been kind and smiling towards him.
Even after Lu Yu Shan appeared and she stormed out of the house in anger, she still showed him respect. Whenever he asked her to return to the Qin family to visit Grandma, she was always willing, and her acting was natural and flawless, showing no signs of deception.
Perhaps it was from that time that he started to hold her in his heart.
But had she ever liked him, even a little?
Judging by her behavior since her return, probably not.
Thinking of this, Qin Si Ye's face contorted in greater pain. He gently pinched his brow and leaned back against the sofa.
Fu Ji Heng's eyes turned as he suddenly suggested, "Si Ye, doesn't Shen Xi really want that villa from the Yin family? Why don't you bring it up and personally give it to her? Perhaps that could touch her heart."
Upon hearing this, Qin Si Ye suddenly sat up straight, his mournful eyes flashing with a spark of light. "You're right, how could I not have thought of that."
It seemed that bringing them out for drinks this time had yielded some results.
On the way back, Qin Si Ye sat in the spacious back seat, taking out his phone. He wanted to text Shen Xi several times.
But after much hesitation, he couldn't type out a single word.
Both sides were at fault in this whole affair. He didn't know what to say to mend their relationship.
The last message in their chat history was the location she had sent him last night.
Recalling the moment he saw her and what happened afterward, Qin Si Ye's heart was filled with a mix of emotions.
He had truly been blinded by anger at that time, which led him to say those harsh words.
And that forceful kiss, with the mask between them, he couldn't feel anything. It was only out of jealousy and pain that he wanted to express his feelings.
Just then, his phone chimed with a WeChat notification. His heart leaped, thinking it was Shen Xi reaching out to him proactively.
However, upon opening it, he saw it was from Chen Chen.
"Uncle Qin, where are you?"
"Outside," Qin Si Ye typed, his expression filled with disappointment.
Chen Chen quickly sent another message, "Didn't you go to pick up Mommy? Why did she come back alone?"
Qin Si Ye hesitated for a moment before asking, "Is she alright?"
"Not really. After she came back, her expression was very unusual. She barely ate a few bites of food before going upstairs. She's been cooped up in her room and hasn't come out."
From Chen Chen's reply, it was clear that Shen Xi must be feeling very down and sad.
"Oh," Qin Si Ye's heart ached faintly. He didn't know what to say and simply replied with a single word.
Chen Chen quickly asked, "Uncle Qin, did you and Mommy argue?"
"No," Qin Si Ye denied immediately. He didn't want the children to know about these unpleasant matters.
"Then why is her condition so bad after you picked her up?" Chen Chen didn't believe him and continued to press.
Qin Si Ye knew this child was very intelligent, and a simple denial wouldn't convince him. So, he explained, "We had some misunderstandings, but they will be resolved soon. You don't need to worry."
After a long pause, Chen Chen sent another long message, "Uncle Qin, although we really like you and want you to be our Daddy, and we support you pursuing Mommy, you can't make her sad.
No matter what misunderstandings occur, you shouldn't ignore her and let her come back alone. Girls' hearts are very fragile, and they need to be coaxed."
He had some basis for this conclusion; Yan Yan and the girls in his class were like this. When they were angry, a little coaxing would immediately make them better.
Qin Si Ye sighed after reading the message. He had to admit that Chen Chen's criticism was very valid.
In handling romantic relationships, he was actually not as good as a four-year-old child.
He felt truly ashamed.
Perhaps this was a case of being too close to the forest to see the trees.
After Shen Xi got into the taxi in anger last night, he had followed her all the way and watched her enter the residential compound.
But he hadn't apologized to her promptly and sought her forgiveness. Instead, with resentment in his heart, he had turned his car around and left.
He really shouldn't have done that.
"Mm. You're right to criticize me. I did wrong today, and I will talk to her properly and apologize. Don't worry too much. Go to bed early, you have school tomorrow." Qin Si Ye's long fingers moved rapidly across the phone screen.