Seeing them enter, Xu Zhilan's stern face immediately broke into a smile. "My little darlings, you're here. Come, come to your great-grandmother's side. Let me see if you've grown taller."
At this, Qin Si Yue suddenly let out a chuckle, stepped forward, called out to Qin Si Ye and Yin Xi, and led the three children to Xu Zhilan. "Grandma, you're exaggerating. It's only been a week since we last met, how could the children have grown taller?"
"Great-grandma." The three adorable children joyfully rushed into Xu Zhilan's embrace.
Xu Zhilan hugged them affectionately, then pulled them back to examine each one carefully. She said with a smile, "I feel like you have grown, you just can't see it yourselves."
"Great-grandma, your eyes are truly sharp. I also feel like I've grown taller." Chen Chen took a small step back, blinked his eyes like black grapes, and straightened his arm. "Great-grandma, look, I wore this same outfit last week, and when I put it on again this morning, it clearly felt shorter."
Everyone looked, and indeed, as he said. They were all amused by his adorable little demeanor.
"Shuo Shuo, you've put it so well. Sometimes children's growth isn't apparent in their height, but it can be very noticeable in the length of their clothes," Qin Xiu Zhi remarked with emotion. He remembered observing their growth this way when Si Ye and Si Yue were children.
Just then, Chen Chen walked up to him and, with a serious expression, corrected him, "Grandpa, I'm Chen Chen, not Shuo Shuo. You still can't tell us apart?"
"Ah? You're Chen Chen?" Qin Xiu Zhi took his little hand and replied sheepishly, "It's just that you two look so alike, it's really hard for Grandpa to tell sometimes."
"Grandpa, I'll tell you the best way to tell us apart. Do you want to know?" Chen Chen's eyes held a hint of mystery.
"Oh. Of course, I want to know. What's the good way? Tell me," Qin Xiu Zhi's eyes lit up. The others in the room also looked at Chen Chen curiously.
Chen Chen pulled Shuo Shuo over. "Grandpa, you can tell from our eyes and our speech. The one whose eyes wander and talks a lot, that's me."
Upon hearing this, everyone couldn't help but look at them. It was indeed true. Shuo Shuo had barely spoken since entering, and his gaze was very calm.
Qin Xiu Zhi pulled them both into his arms, laughing heartily. "One of you is talkative and active, and the other is calm and steady. Grandpa loves you both."
"Then Grandpa, what about me?" Yan Yan, seeing this, also ran forward to vie for affection.
Qin Xiu Zhi quickly let go of Chen Chen and Shuo Shuo, pulling Yan Yan onto his lap. "You are the most adorable little princess in our family, and Grandpa naturally loves you too."
For a moment, the hall was filled with laughter and joy.
A moment later, Qin Xiu Zhi remembered Jiang Jie complaining to him a few days prior that the three children had never called her "Grandma." Just as he turned to lead the children to greet her, Qin Si Ye suddenly interrupted him. "Dad, you said you had something to tell me. What is it?"
Qin Xiu Zhi's thoughts were immediately pulled back. He slowly let go of Yan Yan and said with a cold face, "Come to the study with me."
But just as he was about to get up, he was reprimanded by Xu Zhilan. "Talk here. Why do you need to avoid others? I want to hear what you and Si Ye are going to discuss."
The three little darlings' gazes flickered between their great-grandmother, grandfather, and their daddy. Sensing the atmosphere was a bit off, they quickly retreated to Yin Xi's side.
"Mom, the three children are here. Don't scare them," Qin Xiu Zhi said, his tone noticeably softer after seeing the reaction of the three darlings.
Xu Zhilan also felt that their subsequent conversation might not be suitable for the children to hear. She turned to Qin Si Yue, who was standing beside her, and said, "Si Yue, take the three little ones upstairs to play for a while."
Upon hearing this, Chen Chen grabbed Yin Xi's clothes. "No, we're not leaving. We want to stay with Mommy."
Yin Xi had a bad feeling, suspecting that what Qin Xiu Zhi was about to say might be related to her. She also wanted to persuade the children to leave, but Shuo Shuo and Yan Yan also extended their little arms to hug Yin Xi, shaking their heads at her. It was as if they were worried she was about to be bullied by someone, and they wanted to stay to protect her.