Upon hearing this, Shen Xi felt his words held some truth.
Although her relationship with him was over, she couldn't let the children be too sad.
It would be better if he told them himself, allowing for a smoother transition.
"Alright. One last time," Shen Xi handed him the keys in her hand and turned to walk towards the passenger seat.
Qin Si Ye took the keys, immediately opened the car door, and got in.
The three children exchanged glances, unsure of what they had discussed outside the car. They wanted to ask but were afraid of upsetting them.
At this moment, Qin Si Ye glanced in the rearview mirror, a slight smile on his face, "Chen Chen, Shuo Shuo, Yan Yan, I have to go on a business trip abroad for the next few days, so I won't be able to pick you up or drop you off.
You must be good at home and do your own things. Don't let Mommy get tired."
The three children, half-believing and half-doubting, looked at each other again and replied in unison, "Okay. We understand."
For a moment, silence fell in the car, and no one spoke another word.
Just as Qin Si Ye and Shen Xi thought the matter was over, Yan Yan suddenly asked, "Uncle Qin, last time we went to Longcheng, didn't you say Mommy's body couldn't be too tired and you would personally pick her up and drop her off at work?
Why the sudden change of heart? Is Mommy's health less important than your business trip?"
"Yan Yan, what are you saying?" Shen Xi immediately reprimanded her.
How could this child say such a thing? Qin Si Ye's company had businesses all over the world, and a single business trip might secure a deal worth hundreds of millions.
How could her health be compared to his company's business?
Besides, she was not related to him in any way.
Qin Si Ye cast a melancholic glance at her, thinking to himself: Of course, her health is paramount. For the past two weeks, I have canceled all my business trips. However, she insisted on pushing me away and didn't want me to pick her up.
He withdrew his gaze and did not directly answer Yan Yan's last sensitive question. Instead, he said slowly, "Yan Yan, you don't need to worry too much. The doctor said your mommy just can't engage in strenuous activities. Driving is a normal activity and won't affect her much."
Last week, the reason he offered to pick her up and drop her off was partly because he was afraid she would be too tired, and partly because he wanted to create more opportunities to spend time with her and deepen their relationship.
Now, it seemed that if he persisted, it would only lead to self-mockery and make her resent him even more.
At this moment, Chen Chen spoke up again, "Then Uncle Qin, after you return from your business trip, can you still pick us up and drop us off?
I told Tang Le and the others that you would pick us up and drop us off at school every day. They were so envious of us."
Qin Si Ye did not expect Chen Chen to pose such a difficult question to him.
He knew the children wanted their daddy to continue playing this role until he was officially recognized.
However, he found it difficult to make Shen Xi agree with him at the moment, and he felt immense guilt towards them.
Just as he was unsure how to answer, he heard Shen Xi say, "Chen Chen, there's no need to brag about such things in front of your classmates.
Adults have adult matters; they can't revolve around children all day, or how would they live?
You also know that the daddies of your classmates only occasionally have time to take them to and from school. Even more so for Uncle Qin; he manages such a large group company and has endless work every day. How could he possibly pick you up and drop you off every day?"
The implication was that even the biological fathers of those children behaved that way, so why should they expect Qin Si Ye, a pretend father, to do even better than them.
Chen Chen, being very intelligent, immediately understood Shen Xi's meaning and lowered his head, saying softly, "I'm sorry, Mommy. I know I was wrong. I'll explain it to my classmates."
Seeing this, Qin Si Ye glanced at Shen Xi and immediately followed up, "Actually, I've just been busy lately. After I return and have time, I can still pick you up and drop you off."
The three children's disappointed faces brightened slightly upon hearing this.
After dropping the children off at school, Shen Xi immediately walked to the driver's seat, knocked on the car door, and said, "Mr. Qin, your business is completed. Please give me the car. You can take a taxi to the company yourself."
Qin Si Ye did not expect her to be so heartless, completely crossing the bridge and burning the boats.
"Can you get into the car first? There are many parents and children passing by here. Aren't you afraid of encountering someone you know and making them suspicious?"