"Si Ye, look at you..." Fu Jiheng's face showed embarrassment, his words trailing off.
His friend's temperament was always unpredictable, sometimes truly leaving people speechless.
But it was also his own fault, why poke the bear unnecessarily.
At this moment, He Xinmeng and Shen Xi walked quickly towards them.
Both of them could see that the expressions on the faces of the two men were not right.
He Xinmeng walked to Fu Jiheng's side, tugged at his arm, and asked, "What's wrong? Why does Si Ye look so upset? Did you say something wrong and offend him?"
"I... he always gets angry easily, you know that." Fu Jiheng glanced at Qin Si Ye, feeling quite displeased himself.
Shen Xi's heart trembled. She hadn't seen Qin Si Ye look this displeased in a long time.
She had heard the commotion at the entrance from inside. She guessed the two were upset about what had just happened.
She had wanted to ask him what happened at the entrance, but it seemed more important to adjust the moods of these two men first.
"Look how happily the children are playing, let's go over and see them."
He Xinmeng immediately understood her intention and, pulling Fu Jiheng's arm, walked forward.
But Qin Si Ye still had a cold, displeased expression, standing rooted to the spot, unmoving.
Shen Xi took two steps, then came back to pull him, "Let's go. The adults are worse than the children. Look how harmoniously the four little darlings are playing."
Amidst the children's joyous laughter, the moods of the two grown men finally began to improve.
Around five in the afternoon, the children were getting a little tired from playing.
After leaving the arcade, the two families said their goodbyes, and Fu Runze then pulled his parents along towards the cinema.
Shen Xi and her group took the elevator down to the basement, preparing to return to Hua Ban Li.
As soon as they reached the basement, Qin Si Ye received a call from Steward Sun at the Qin family's old residence.
He replied with a few words, hung up the phone, and said to everyone, "You guys go back first, I have something to deal with."
The three children couldn't help but feel a trace of disappointment upon hearing this.
Chen Chen asked in a clear voice, "Uncle Qin, when will you be back? We'll wait for you to have dinner together."
"I'm not sure about that, don't wait for me. If I get back early, I'll come see you." Qin Si Ye's lips curved into a faint smile, and he cast a meaningful glance at Shen Xi.
Shen Xi lowered her head, remaining silent.
At this moment, her heart was conflicted; she wanted to see him, yet she was afraid to see him.
In front of the Qin family's old residence
As soon as Qin Si Ye parked the car, Steward Sun ran towards him.
"Young Master, you're back. The Master is in the hall."
"Why didn't you call me a few days ago?" Qin Si Ye stopped, his gaze deep as he looked at him.
There was a clear hint of resentment in his eyes.
"I... I thought you remembered this matter." Steward Sun felt a little wronged.
As a son, he shouldn't have forgotten such a major event as his father's birthday.
He didn't know that Qin Si Ye had been recuperating at home these past few days, and had gone through many things in his work and life, so he hadn't thought about the old residence at all.
Moreover, because of Jiang Jie's matter, his emotional connection with Qin Xiuzhi had been distant for years, so he rarely put his birthday to heart.
In previous years, it was always his grandmother or Si Yue who reminded him. He didn't know why neither of them had said anything this year; had they also forgotten?
Qin Si Ye's expression darkened slightly, and he strode inside, "How is the preparation at home?"
"Preparations are almost complete. The Master doesn't want to go to an outside restaurant and, like the Old Madam, will have it at home.
I've asked the servants to thoroughly clean the inside and outside of the house, and I've also given instructions to the chefs for tomorrow's dishes..." Steward Sun followed behind him, recounting every detail.
"Very good. Proceed as you've arranged, as long as he is happy." As he spoke, they reached the living room entrance, and Qin Si Ye paused.
"Yes." Steward Sun opened the door for him and did not follow inside.
As soon as Qin Si Ye entered the hall, he saw Qin Xiuzhi and Jiang Jie sitting on the sofa, watching television and chatting warmly.
"Si Ye is back." Jiang Jie stood up immediately upon seeing him and called towards the kitchen, "Sister Feng, please squeeze a glass of orange juice and bring it over."
Hearing this, Qin Xiuzhi patted her hand with satisfaction, surprised that she still remembered Si Ye's childhood preference for orange juice.
"Si Ye, come sit." Qin Xiuzhi, his face full of smiles, sat up straight and beckoned Qin Si Ye over.
"I heard from your grandmother that your business trip to country B was very long, and you only returned yesterday?"
"Mm." Qin Si Ye slowly sat on the single sofa, and for some reason, a sense of apology welled up in his heart. His voice became soft as he spoke, "I had a few important matters to attend to upon my return, which is why I'm only coming to see you now."
Beside him, Jiang Jie's lips showed a fleeting smile.