After listening to his words, Shen Xi’s eyes filled with tears, on the verge of spilling out.
Her body trembled slightly, her back turned to him, afraid to turn around.
Qin Si Ye slowly walked in front of her and handed her the key in his hand. "Since she is no longer here, and you are her cousin and have raised her three children, then this house should be yours."
Slowly lifting her head, Shen Xi’s hands trembled as she took the key. She could no longer restrain her emotions, and throwing herself into his arms, she hugged his waist and sobbed. Qin Si Ye, how could you be so good? It turns out everything you said was true; for all these years, you have lived in my heart.
Silently guarding this home for me, waiting for my return.
And I? I almost kicked you away, missing you forever in this life.
Qin Si Ye’s body stiffened. He reached out and tightly embraced her. Seeing that she was still crying uncontrollably, he scooped her up by the waist and sat down on the sofa.
The corners of his lips curled up slightly. "Didn't you always want this house? Now that the key is in your hand, you should be happy. Why are you crying like this?"
Hearing this, Shen Xi realized she had lost her composure. She quickly looked up, intending to stand up from his lap. However, Qin Si Ye was unwilling to let go.
He looked directly into her eyes, his gaze burning, "Does this count as a surprise for you?"
Shen Xi replied with a hoarse voice, "Of course, it does."
Qin Si Ye raised his eyebrows and continued, "Then can it count as a 'thank you'?"
To him, nothing was more important than collecting "thank yous" at this moment.
His intuition told him that Song Kai Cheng’s return this time was not just because Mei Yun was hospitalized; there had to be another reason.
Although Shen Xi had no romantic intentions towards him, it didn't mean Song Kai Cheng’s feelings for Shen Xi were as pure.
He needed to quickly collect ten "thank yous" and be truly together with her to feel at ease.
Looking at his expectant and eager eyes, Shen Xi suddenly burst into laughter through her tears. "If this doesn't count, then what does?"
Qin Si Ye excitedly pulled her into his embrace, resting his chin in the curve of her shoulder, a happy smile on his face. "Six, this is the sixth one."
Six? Shen Xi’s heart was startled. So fast? Six already?
That meant he had collected more than half and was only four short of his goal.
What should she do? It seemed next time, she would have to be more careful and stricter, never allowing him to easily collect a "thank you."
She tightened her grip on the key and wriggled slightly. "Can you put me down first?"
Qin Si Ye, however, was immersed in his excitement and shamelessly refused to let go. "Let me hold you for a little longer."
"Qin Si Ye, have you forgotten what I said again?" Shen Xi had to warn him once more.
Qin Si Ye looked up, his lips curling into a sexy arc. "You can't blame me for this. You're the one who threw yourself into my arms first."
"You..." Shen Xi was left speechless by his retort. Frowning, she said, "That was me losing control of my emotions for a moment, but what you're doing now is deliberate."
"If I said that I lose control of my emotions the moment I see you, would you allow me to hug you every time?" Qin Si Ye gazed at her intently, as if trying to melt her.
Shen Xi understood what that look meant. She immediately slapped his arm hard. While he was momentarily distracted and his grip loosened, she quickly stood up and took two steps back.
"I'll take the key for now. Once I've cleared my schedule, I'll transfer the house payment to you."
Upon hearing this, Qin Si Ye immediately sat up straight, his eyes glaring at her with a hint of anger. "Did you not understand what I just said? I said I was gifting this house to you."
"No reward without merit. He who takes bribes has short hands. I don't want to owe you," Shen Xi replied dismissively.
Qin Si Ye never expected her to say such a cold remark. He looked at her with a hint of melancholy. "Shen Xi, must you be so distant? We'll be together soon. Can't you just consider this an early gift from me?"
Seeing his reaction, Shen Xi suddenly felt that her words just now were a bit too formal.
For Qin Si Ye, tens of millions for a house was like a drop in the ocean, but the sentiment behind it was hard to measure in money.
"Okay. Then I'll accept it for now, and we can talk about it when you've collected ten 'thank yous'."