Qin Si Ye followed Shen Xi out of the door of Villa No. 1.
However, even after reaching the entrance of Villa No. 2, Qin Si Ye remained silent.
Shen Xi felt puzzled. What did this man mean? Didn't he say he had something to tell her? Why was he so quiet?
Unbeknownst to her, Qin Si Ye was watching her retreating figure, his mind in turmoil. Several times words had reached his lips, only to be swallowed back down.
He remembered their agreement from a few days prior to maintain boundaries between them.
He feared that if he spoke those words, he would scare this woman away.
“Mr. Qin, thank you for letting Grandma move here. It saves me a lot of travel time,” Shen Xi suddenly stopped and turned to look at him.
Some things needed to be thanked for.
“You’re welcome. Actually, I was mainly considering that the children were waiting for you at home and you would be resting too late.”
Qin Si Ye’s heart skipped a beat. He hadn't expected her to speak first. The emotions that had been building up inside him, as if afraid of being seen through by her, made his mind go blank, and he blurted out the children as an excuse.
“Oh,” Shen Xi replied. So, everything he had done wasn't for her. “There’s a nanny at home, and they usually don’t wait for me.”
It seemed his relationship with the children was indeed extraordinary. No wonder he had suggested being their godfather at the kindergarten entrance last time.
Had he started renovating this house for the children from the very first time he drove her home?
Hearing this, Qin Si Ye wanted to slap himself. How could he be so bad at speaking?
Why mention the children? Everything he had done was for her from the beginning.
At that time, although he didn’t know she was Yin Xi, he couldn't help but want to care for her.
However, what was done was done, and he couldn't take his words back.
Seeing his renewed silence, Shen Xi frowned and said, “You brought Grandma over to live here without even discussing it with me. Wouldn’t that expose Chen Chen and the others?”
After all, the Qin family had many gossips, and there was no guarantee that ill-intentioned people wouldn't find opportunities to suppress her.
“Don’t worry, Grandma is living here, and I will never let anyone who shouldn’t know find out,” Qin Si Ye looked at her with gentle eyes, then continued, “Don’t you think it would be very beneficial for Grandma’s condition if she could interact more with Chen Chen and the others by living here?”
Shen Xi remained noncommittal.
It was true that more interaction would benefit someone with cerebral atrophy, especially interacting with children could make her happier and slow down the progression of the illness.
Shen Xi didn't reply and turned to walk forward again.
At that moment, a small wild cat suddenly darted out from the roadside and brushed past her feet. Its furry body happened to touch the leg that had been bitten by a dog last time.
“Ah!” she shrieked in surprise, stamping her feet and stepping backward, directly crashing into the man’s embrace.
Touching his firm and strong chest, Shen Xi’s heart fluttered. She quickly straightened up and took a step forward. “I’m sorry, Mr. Qin.”
But in the next second, the man behind her took the opportunity to wrap his arms around her and pull her into a tight embrace.
Shen Xi’s body stiffened, and she forgot to struggle for a moment, her breathing even becoming difficult.
What was wrong with him today? This was the second time he had held her for no apparent reason.
The man lowered his head and whispered gently in her ear, “Shen Xi, if you ask me again what right I have to hold you, my answer is that I like you.”
Upon hearing this, Shen Xi was greatly alarmed, and her body couldn't help but tremble.
She tried her best to calm herself and turned her body, wanting to break free from his embrace, but Qin Si Ye held her even tighter.
“Mr. Qin, you… have you had anything to drink today?”
“No,” Qin Si Ye said softly, “Even if I had, every word I say to you is sincere.”
What did he mean by this?
Did he mean that he remembered everything he had said to her when he was drunk on the previous two occasions?
“Mr. Qin, please calm down. I remember you said the person you liked was Yin Xi, and I am her older cousin.” Shen Xi tried her best to suppress her flustered emotions.
“Yes, I said that, but Yin Xi is no longer here. I’ve discovered that over these past two months, I’ve fallen in love with you,” Qin Si Ye said with a serious expression.
Shen Xi shook her head incredulously, “Mr. Qin, please let go of me quickly, and stop playing such a joke with me, okay?
Just a few days ago, didn't you say you wouldn't like me and told me not to overthink things? Now, why are you suddenly saying something like this?”