Shen Qingqing opened the camera and took a photo, sending it to Luo Lina.
After it was sent, Luo Lina on the other end of the phone remained silent, only faint breaths could be heard. She felt a little worried.
“Nana, are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” Luo Lina’s voice was casual, “It’s just dating someone else, it’s whatever. They’re not significant to me, I don’t care. Dear, come pick me up, we’ll go to your place for a drink. I’ll tell you about my recent thesis that received great feedback from the professor, and…”
Listening to her rambling voice, Shen Qingqing felt a pang in her heart. She knew her friend’s temper; the more she chattered, the more unsettled she was.
Luo Lina’s voice gradually lowered.
Shen Qingqing said softly, “Okay, I’ll have a drink with you.”
Luo Lina paused, “We’re drinking to celebrate, not for anything else.”
But this explanation sounded like she was trying too hard to cover something up.
Shen Qingqing didn't expose her. “Okay, it’s for celebration.”
“Dear, thank you.”
“You’re welcome, we’re sisters.” Shen Qingqing hung up the earphone, placed her phone on the stand, and then started the car.
That afternoon, Luo Lina indeed came over.
They watched Chenchen and Xixi. The two children were well-behaved and went upstairs to play holding hands, leaving the living room to the two of them.
They had a few drinks. Shen Qingqing listened to Luo Lina talk about love stories, and then saw the tipsy Luo Lina to her bedroom to rest.
She walked out, stepping lightly, to check on Chenchen.
Xixi was already asleep. Chenchen was sitting by the bed, looking down at the floor tiles.
Shen Qingqing held the door handle and watched her for a while. In the end, she didn’t go in, gently closed the door, and turned to leave.
The next morning.
After Shen Qingqing had breakfast with the children, she went to the company.
Seeing Ke Lin and Lü Shu looking at documents together, they looked up and greeted her upon hearing the sound.
“Master.”
“CEO Shen, you’re here.”
Shen Qingqing glanced around and sat down in a chair. “Where is Gao Jian?”
Ke Lin said, “He took leave today, he’s not here.”
“Did he say why?”
Ke Lin shook his head. “He didn’t say, and I didn’t ask. But his tone sounded quite urgent. He hung up the phone in a hurry. I figured it must be something important.”
He looked up and saw the worry on Shen Qingqing’s face, and put down the documents in his hand.
“It should be fine, you don’t need to worry.”
Shen Qingqing shook her head. She didn’t know how to explain it, but she had a bad feeling. She took out her phone and called Gao Jian.
The phone rang for a long time before it was answered.
Gao Jian’s voice was somewhat breathless. “Miss Shen, is there something?”
Shen Qingqing asked, “I heard you took leave, and I was a bit worried, so I called to check.”
“I’m fine.” Gao Jian took a breath, speaking quickly. “It’s just that there’s some family matter I need to go back and handle. Once it’s sorted, I’ll be back at work. Please don’t worry.”
“That’s good. If there’s anything, tell me.” Shen Qingqing said.
“Okay, please don’t worry. I have some things to attend to, so I’ll hang up now.”
“What are you doing now?”
Shen Qingqing quickly asked before he hung up.
Gao Jian did not answer directly. “There’s something going on, Miss Shen. I’ll hang up now. After I’m done, I’ll find time to call you.”
Shen Qingqing looked at her phone with a solemn expression.
Ke Lin thought something had happened. “What’s wrong?”
Shen Qingqing didn’t speak.
Just before he hung up, she heard an angry shout from the other end, as if someone was being restrained.
Could it be that Gao Jian was fighting with someone?
“CEO Shen?” Ke Lin waved his hand in front of her. “What’s going on?”
Shen Qingqing shook her head. “It’s nothing. It’s probably just a family matter. I see that things are gradually getting on track here, so I’ll head back. Call me if anything comes up.”
“Okay.”
Although Ke Lin was worried about Gao Jian, he didn’t ask further. After she left, he heard Lü Shu, who had been silent beside him, say something.
“Since you’re so worried, why don’t we go see him after work?”
Ke Lin glanced at him. “I think you’re the one who’s worried.”
Lü Shu immediately retorted, “It’s not me at all. I just thought you were worried. If you’re not worried, then forget it, we’re not going!”
He then turned back to his computer.
The keyboard clattered. Ke Lin’s mouth twitched, and he didn’t say anything more.
What a tsundere young man.
Shen Qingqing returned home and only saw Xixi in the living room, but not Chenchen. “Xixi, where did your brother go?”
Xixi looked upstairs. “He’s in his room. I asked him to come down, but he said he wanted to rest.”
He was usually energetic and didn’t like staying in his room for too long. He always needed to get some fresh air, even if it was just to look at the flowers and grass outside, to lift his mood.
But his brother was different. He seemed to prefer being alone.
Shen Qingqing’s heart skipped a beat. She calmly appeased Xixi. “You wait here, I’ll go call your brother. We’ll eat together later.”
“Mhm!”
Upstairs, in the bedroom.
The door was not closed, leaving a gap. Shen Qingqing stood at the doorway, watching the scene inside.
Chenchen was sitting on the floor by the bed, with a pile of building blocks in front of him. He was holding one and slowly placing it onto the stack.
Shen Qingqing tiptoed in and saw him arranging the blocks.
But the arrangement was very strange. He wasn’t building upwards, but rather placing the blocks one by one in a row. If the angle was slightly off, he would have to rearrange it.
It was even more severe than OCD.
Shen Qingqing looked at Chenchen’s back, her gaze falling on his profile. Chenchen was looking down, with sunlight streaming in from the other side.
This side was shrouded in darkness, his entire face seemed to be cast in shadow.
Her heart skipped a beat, not from fear, but from worry and heartache.
Suddenly, Chenchen looked up and saw her. The building block in his hand clattered to the ground. His face showed an expression of near panic.
Shen Qingqing squatted down, picked up the block, and neatly placed it behind the pile.
“Is it like this?”
Chenchen looked at her gentle expression, the panic on his face slowly faded, leaving only calmness and shyness. “Why didn’t you call me when Mommy got back?”
Shen Qingqing rubbed his head. “Mommy saw you were focused on playing, so I didn’t disturb you.”
“No, Mommy is the most important.” Chenchen reached out, grabbed her thumb, and whispered, “Will Mommy always be with me?”
“Of course.”
“You really won’t dislike me?” he asked eagerly. “Even if I change, and become unlikable, Mommy won’t dislike me?”
“Of course not.”
Shen Qingqing cupped his face and said softly, “You are my son, and you are my treasure. I will never dislike you, no matter what you become.”