She knows her man too well; he's so dedicated to his work that he's almost demanding.
He's already taken a lot of leave because of a series of recent family misfortunes.
In order to achieve good results in the group's year-end assessment, he has been staying up late every day until the wee hours of the morning before dragging his tired body home. He can only sleep for a few hours before leaving again before dawn.
The current green and black coloration is almost as striking as that of pandas.
If I take another day off tomorrow, this workaholic probably won't even have time to close his eyes.
Just thinking about it made Zhou Qiqi's heart ache terribly.
"But..."
Shen Huaichuan frowned, still worried about letting her face these things alone.
"But what do you mean, 'but'!"
Zhou Qiqi pretended to be angry, put on a stern face, and interrupted him.
"If you're really worried, just take some time to call Captain Li, discuss the situation in detail, and give him some instructions. Is that alright?"
Looking at the stubbornness in his wife's eyes, Shen Huaichuan knew he couldn't persuade her otherwise, and he also understood that she truly cared for him.
His heart softened, he sighed, and relented:
"Alright then... I'll listen to you! But... you'll have to work hard again, honey."
Hearing him call her that, Zhou Qiqi felt a bittersweet feeling in her heart. She reached out and gently stroked the corner of his still reddened eyes, and softly smiled:
"Are you stupid? You've already called me your wife, we're family, why are you talking about how hard it is?"
She recalled that when she first came to the army, Shen Huaichuan had always been silently behind her, supporting her and clearing obstacles for her.
Now that he's feeling down and needs support, she naturally wants to do everything she can to share his burden and protect him.
Looking into her gentle yet firm eyes and listening to her heartwarming words, Shen Huaichuan felt as if the tangled mess in his heart had been gently smoothed out, and the redness in his eyes faded slightly, revealing a glimmer of light.
He gently took her hand, kissed it, and whispered, "Okay, I'll wait for your news tomorrow."
"Yes, don't worry."
Zhou Qiqi nodded, then remembered something important and her expression turned serious.
"Oh, right, there's one more thing you need to be careful about. I know you're feeling angry and upset right now, but when you go out later, try to be discreet and don't let your parents notice anything, so they don't worry, especially your mother, who can't take any more stress."
She looked at him with concern.
Shen Huaichuan is usually reserved and expressionless, but at this moment his eyes are bloodshot, and anyone who sees it can tell that something is wrong.
Moreover, given how he was on the verge of losing control just now, she was really afraid that he would lose control of his emotions when he saw his mother, Qin Peilan.
After all, a mother and child are connected at heart; no matter how deep the estrangement, the bond of blood can never be broken.
Shen Huaichuan took a deep breath and nodded vigorously: "Okay, I'll try to calm down."
Zhou Qiqi's eyes darted around, a sly glint in them. Pointing to the messy bathroom floor, she chuckled softly:
"In that case, I'll leave this to you to clean up by yourself. There's not much work, which will give you some time to calm down and collect your thoughts."
Shen Huaichuan understood her thoughtful intentions perfectly. His heart warmed, and he looked at her earnestly, saying, "Okay, wife, you're so considerate."
Zhou Qiqi felt a little embarrassed by his straightforward praise. Her cheeks flushed slightly, she coughed lightly, and looked away.
"Ahem... Just know that."
She would never admit that she was just being lazy and didn't want to clean up this mess!
As the two were talking, Qin Peilan's concerned voice came from outside the door:
"Qiqi, Huaichuan? What happened here? I think I heard a noise just now. Did Huaichuan bully you? I think I heard him yell at you?"
Zhou Qiqi's heart tightened, and she quickly replied, "It's okay, Mom!"
She quickly opened the door a crack, squeezed out to the side, and gently closed the door behind her, leaving Shen Huaichuan, who was still trying to calm himself down, alone inside.
"No, no, Mom,"
A relaxed smile spread across her face. She naturally took her mother-in-law's arm and led her towards the main room, saying as they walked:
"The ground was wet and slippery, and I accidentally knocked something over. I was just complaining about his clumsiness when he didn't do anything to me."
Although she was also emotionally charged just now, she had processed the truth earlier than Shen Huaichuan and was much calmer at the moment.
Qin Peilan carefully observed her expression and, seeing that she didn't seem wronged, felt relieved. She patted the back of her hand and said:
"That's good! Qiqi, if there's anything you need to say to him, just tell him. If he dares to act recklessly, tell Mom, and Mom will stand up for you!"
"Okay, I understand, Mom."
Zhou Qiqi smiled and agreed, then quickly changed the subject, "By the way, Mom, what did Zhouzhou draw just now? Let me see?"
Mentioning her granddaughter, Qin Peilan's face immediately lit up with a smile:
"It's a drawing of your dad and me in our military uniforms when we were young! We were telling her about our wartime experiences, and she was so engrossed in listening that she drew it! It's actually quite a good drawing!"
Zhou Qiqi immediately pretended to be jealous, pouting exaggeratedly and saying sourly:
"Drawing portraits for the two elders again? Sigh, I've been spending almost half a year with her, and I haven't even gotten a single portrait of myself! You two have only been here for a week, and this is already the third or fourth portrait, right? I'm really feeling a little bitter!"
Qin Peilan was amused by her daughter-in-law's exaggerated girlish behavior and laughed heartily, putting her arm around her shoulder and saying:
"Oh dear, you child! Why are you jealous of your dad and me? Or should I go and tell Zhouzhou right now that she has to draw a picture of her most beautiful aunt!"
Zhou Qiqi looked at her mother-in-law, her eyes bright, but her tone carried a deeper meaning:
"No, no, no, Mom, some things are better left to their own devices. If you talk about them, it loses its meaning."
On the surface, her words were about Zhouzhou's painting, but in reality, they also alluded to her relationship with Zhou Shuhua.
Qin Peilan was a smart woman, and she immediately understood the implied meaning. Recalling what happened to Zhou Shuhua earlier, she nodded thoughtfully.
"Okay, Mom, let's not stand here anymore, let's go see what masterpiece Zhouzhou has drawn this time!"
Zhou Qiqi smiled and took her mother-in-law's arm tightly, affectionately pulling her into the inner room.
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