A few minutes later, all three children arrived in the hallway, looking down with excitement.
"Brother Chen," Yan Yan whispered, "Mommy is personally making noodles for Uncle Qin. It seems she's truly accepted Uncle Qin."
Chen Chen replied, "She's only agreed to him pursuing her, they aren't officially together yet."
Shuo Shuo chimed in, "I think Mommy is just being tough on the outside. She must really like Uncle Qin too, otherwise, why would she be making him noodles so late? Don't forget, none of us have had Mommy's homemade noodles in a long time."
Yan Yan turned to look at them, saying excitedly, "Brother Shuo is right. This is great, I'm finally going to have a daddy soon."
"Shush!" Chen Chen quickly put a finger to his lips, signaling them to be quieter. "Calm down. Judging by Mommy's pace, it'll probably be a while before Uncle Qin is officially our daddy. We know what we're doing. Let's go back to our rooms and not disturb them."
After finishing his noodles, Qin Si Ye walked into Shen Xi's bedroom again. Shen Xi meticulously changed his dressing and asked, "Do you need to wash your hair today?"
"No. It's getting late, you should wash up and rest. You have to get up early to send the children tomorrow." Qin Si Ye slowly stood up, his gaze filled with tenderness and concern for her. As he reached the doorway, he suddenly turned back to her, "You've been too tired these past two days. How about I help send the children for you tomorrow morning?"
"No need," Shen Xi pointed to his forehead, "You still have a band-aid on your head. It's best not to, to avoid any gossip."
Qin Si Ye raised his hand and touched it, smiling. "Alright. Once my injury heals, I'll help you send them." As he turned to leave, Qin Si Ye suddenly stepped back, unexpectedly pulling her into his arms and hugging her tightly. Before Shen Xi could react, he gently kissed her forehead, said "Goodnight," and quickly walked downstairs. Shen Xi's body stiffened slightly. She stood frozen at the doorway for a long time before slowly closing her bedroom door. She pursed her lips, a mix of amusement and exasperation on her face, feeling as though he wasn't pursuing her at all. All day, from picking her up and dropping her off, to meals, holding hands, and even a kiss, it felt more like they were truly dating.
Downstairs, as soon as Qin Si Ye left Shen Xi's house, he received a call from Qin Xiu Yi.
"Hello? Uncle, aren't you at the hospital? What made you think of calling me at this hour?"
"Yes. I am at the hospital." Qin Xiu Yi was standing in another single room, asking in a low voice, "Just because I'm at the hospital, can't I call you?"
Qin Si Ye smiled, "I didn't mean it that way. I was worried you calling would disturb others' rest."
Others? Qin Xiu Yi knew exactly who he was referring to. He gave a wry smile and said, "I'm outside. I have a question for you."
"Okay. Ask away." Qin Si Ye stopped walking and stood at the entrance of Villa No. 2. This villa had been unoccupied, so calling wouldn't disturb anyone.
"What's the situation between you and Shen Xi now? I saw you pick her up twice today. Are you two together already?" Qin Xiu Yi asked.
"No." Qin Si Ye raised an eyebrow slightly. "However, she has agreed to let me pursue her."
Upon hearing this, Qin Xiu Yi couldn't help but laugh out loud. "You rascal, you kept lying to me, saying you weren't interested in her. I should have known you were playing the long game."
"Uncle, this was my fault. But since there was no outcome, I was also frustrated and didn't know how to tell you." Qin Si Ye paused slightly, then continued, "It was only when we went to find you this time that she opened up."
"Oh? It seems our disappearance was a good thing after all, I didn't expect it to advance your relationship." A hearty laugh came from Qin Xiu Yi's end of the line. "May I know what made you change your mind, give up on the white moonlight you've always waited for, and turn to pursue Shen Xi?"
Qin Si Ye pondered for a moment and replied, "Shen Xi is Yin Xi."
"What did you say? How is that possible?" Qin Xiu Yi's voice suddenly rose a few decibels, his eyes widening in disbelief.