Shen Xi quickly denied it, "How could that be? How could I possibly know a man in his fifties or sixties named Su?"
Unexpectedly, her flustered denial provided the sharp-witted man before her with an opening.
With a slight curl of his lips, he asked, half-jokingly, half-seriously, "So you mean you know men surnamed Su from other age groups?"
Shen Xi's heart skipped a beat. She had no choice but to dismiss all men surnamed Su, "I don't know any man surnamed Su."
"Oh really? What about Su Chengyu? Didn't you give him acupuncture privately?"
Qin Si Ye, for reasons unknown, found himself drawn to Su Chengyu more and more the more she denied knowing anyone.
"He... he's just an ordinary patient," Shen Xi replied, adding, "Even if I know him, it's because of you. In my heart, he's a stranger."
Receiving this answer, Qin Si Ye's face finally broke into a smile. He tightly grasped Shen Xi's small hand. Little did he know, Shen Xi's back was already drenched in a thin layer of sweat.
Ten hours later, the plane landed safely at K City Airport.
To avoid unnecessary trouble, Shen Xi had Yin Zhe accompany Qin Si Ye, while she led the three children towards a different exit.
Soon, Yin Zhe and Qin Si Ye were in the bodyguard car that had come to pick them up.
As soon as Qin Si Ye got into the car, he called Shen Xi, "Xi Xi, how are things on your end? Did Steward Wu arrive?"
"Not yet. He should be here any moment," Shen Xi replied, looking around as she spoke on the phone.
"We're already in the car. Make sure you call me when you get home," Qin Si Ye's voice carried a hint of concern.
"Okay," Shen Xi responded, then added, "For the next few days, let A Zhe stay with you at Xinglan Bay."
"Aren't you coming?" Qin Si Ye tightened his grip on his phone, feeling a pang of disappointment. He suddenly felt as though their distance had returned the moment they arrived in K City.
"I might be very busy these next few days. But I'll make time to see you, and I still need to change your dressing," Shen Xi replied softly.
"Alright," Qin Si Ye pursed his lips, saying nothing more.
As soon as Shen Xi hung up, Chen Chen said, "Mommy, I need to go to the restroom."
Glancing at the suitcase in front of her, Shen Xi frowned and asked, "Can you wait a bit longer? Steward Wu should be here any minute."
Chen Chen put on a pained expression, clutching his stomach, "Mommy, my stomach hurts badly, and I can't hold it much longer."
"Ah?" Shen Xi was at a loss. She didn't feel comfortable letting him go alone, but if she went with him, it would be difficult to manage so many suitcases.
As she was struggling with the decision, Shuo Shuo said, "Mommy, you don't need to worry. I'll go with Brother Chen Chen." With that, he took Chen Chen's hand and ran towards the restroom.
Shen Xi shouted loudly after them, "Hurry back, and be very careful."
"Got it," Shuo Shuo replied, running as he called back three words.
Five minutes later, Steward Wu arrived, dust from his journey still clinging to him, rushing in from the main entrance.
"Steward Wu, why did you take so long?" Shen Xi's eyes darkened as she saw him.
"I apologize, Miss Shen. I got caught in traffic," Steward Wu's face turned a little red, being criticized by Shen Xi for the first time.
Just as he was about to take the suitcase from her, Shen Xi said, "Go to the restroom and find Chen Chen and Shuo Shuo first." She had originally intended to go herself but found it inconvenient and thought it would be more appropriate for Steward Wu to go.
However, after a few minutes, the three of them had still not reappeared.
Yan Yan couldn't help but ask worriedly, "Mommy, why have they been gone for so long? Haven't they come back? Did something happen?"
"Don't talk nonsense. There are people coming and going here, how could anything happen?" Shen Xi said this outwardly, but her heart was pounding. As time ticked by, an ominous feeling began to grow within her.
Just then, she received a call from Steward Wu.
"Hello? Steward Wu, what is it? Did you find them?"
"No. I checked every stall in the restroom, and neither of them was there," Steward Wu replied anxiously on the phone.
"What? How is that possible?" Shen Xi's body trembled, and the phone almost fell to the ground. "You come back and watch Yan Yan, I'll go look."