"You're absolutely right. Si Yue said it perfectly. Xi Xi, this is all thanks to your excellent upbringing," Xu Zhilan said with a smile, turning her gaze to Shen Xi. She was afraid her "foster mother" might feel slighted.
"Grandma, I didn't contribute much. It's mainly because Shuo Shuo has a passion for this and worked diligently to achieve his success," Shen Xi replied with a gentle smile, unbothered.
They discussed the Rubik's Cube topic at length. Xu Zhilan then asked Shuo Shuo to teach her how to play for a while before starting the acupuncture.
Yin Zhe and Qin Si Yue took the three children to play to the side. Seeing Shuo Shuo's handsome and focused demeanor as he played with the Rubik's Cube, Qin Si Yue was genuinely amazed.
On a whim, she insisted Shuo Shuo teach her as well.
By the time the acupuncture was finished, it was already seven in the evening. Sister Li from the kitchen came out and announced, "Old Madam, Miss, dinner is ready. You may dine."
"Good," Xu Zhilan said, looking at Qin Si Yue, who was engrossed in the Rubik's Cube. She called out loudly, "Si Yue, where's your brother? Why isn't he back yet?"
"My brother has some urgent company matters to attend to, so he might be back late," Qin Si Yue replied, glancing in their direction.
A hint of displeasure flickered across Xu Zhilan's face. "Did you not tell him that Shuo Shuo won the Rubik's Cube championship today and that we invited your sister Xi and her family for dinner?" A child achieving such excellent results should have come back, no matter how busy his company was. She didn't want the regrets she had in the past to reappear in Qin Si Ye. Although this child wasn't his biological son, he should have done better than his biological father.
Qin Si Yue, noticing Xu Zhilan's displeasure, quickly put down the Rubik's Cube and walked towards her. "When I called, my brother was in a meeting, and his secretary answered."
"Oh. Xi Xi, please don't blame Si Ye. He was abroad for quite some time recently, and his company might have a lot of backlog that needs his attention." Xu Zhilan slowly stood up, taking Shen Xi's hand and patting it. "It's getting late, and the children must be hungry. How about we eat while we wait for him?"
"Okay. Grandma, I'm fine," Shen Xi replied with a smile. She had already anticipated what Grandma said, so how could she blame him? Besides, his trip abroad and his leg injury, which delayed company affairs, were all related to her.
Soon, everyone was seated around the table. The dishes were plentiful today, with a balanced mix of meat and vegetables, and several desserts specially prepared for the children. Sister Li had started preparing from noon upon receiving Xu Zhilan's instructions. They ate and chatted, the atmosphere warm and harmonious.
Just as Chen Chen stood up to toast Xu Zhilan, Butler Liu's voice was heard from the doorway, "Sir, you're back."
"Mm," Qin Si Ye's deep and magnetic voice echoed from the foyer. The three children excitedly scrambled down from their chairs and rushed towards him like arrows.
"Uncle Qin."
Qin Si Ye stopped, a smile playing on his lips as he looked at them. He set down the gifts in his hands and bent down to catch the three little ones. "Slow down, don't fall." His doting and gentle tone gave Qin Si Yue goosebumps. She had rarely heard her brother speak like that in her entire life. It seemed he truly liked these children. Thinking this, she couldn't help but look towards Shen Xi, who was watching the four people in the hall with a smile. To be precise, her brother probably loved them because of her.
"Uncle Qin, did you know? Brother Shuo Shuo participated in a Rubik's Cube competition today and won first place," Chen Chen announced proudly, his little head held high.
"Is that so?" Qin Si Ye's handsome face registered a look of incredulous surprise.
Yan Yan added, "Uncle Qin, Brother Shuo not only brought back a beautiful trophy but also won a prize of twenty thousand yuan."
"Really? Then Shuo Shuo is truly amazing," Qin Si Ye exclaimed, his eyes curving upwards. He ruffled Shuo Shuo's hair, his joy evident. Receiving Uncle Qin's praise, Shuo Shuo's cheeks flushed. At this moment, Qin Si Ye looked down and handed him a beautifully wrapped large paper box. "Shuo Shuo, this is a gift from Uncle Qin. Take a look, do you like it?"
Shuo Shuo took it and saw through the transparent plastic that it contained neatly arranged colorful Rubik's Cubes of various shapes. There were not only various standard cubes but also many twisty puzzles, totaling twenty.
"Thank you, Uncle Qin. I like it very much," Shuo Shuo said, hugging it tightly, his eyes shining with excitement as he looked at Qin Si Ye. At this moment, he felt that Uncle Qin understood him the most. From this set of gifts, he deeply felt a strong paternal love.
"Uncle Qin, you knew?" Chen Chen asked Qin Si Ye in surprise.