Before leaving, she didn't forget to grab the biggest and most juicy-looking autumn pear from the basket on the table and hold it in her hand.
Shen Huaichuan was pulled so hard he stumbled, completely bewildered, and was dragged out of the courtyard gate without even realizing it.
Once outside, a gentle evening breeze blew, and just as he was about to ask what had happened, Zhou Qiqi cut him off with a kiss:
"Oh, don't ask yet! I'll tell you slowly when we get to the playground!"
As he spoke, he raised the pear in his hand, wanting to take a bite to calm his complicated feelings.
"Wait!" Shen Huaichuan quickly grabbed her wrist.
Zhou Qiqi thought he was going to ask more questions, so she waved her hand impatiently.
"Didn't I say I'd tell you later? Don't ask yet..."
She was mainly worried that if she talked in the yard, the walls would have ears, and it wouldn't be good if the neighbors or Zhouzhou, who suddenly came back, heard even a few words.
Shen Huaichuan wasn't angry at all. Instead, he smiled helplessly and pointed to the pear in her hand:
"I'm not asking about that. It's that this pear... hasn't been washed yet. It's covered in dust. It's not hygienic to eat it directly."
"oh..."
Zhou Qiqi then realized what was happening and responded with a muffled sound.
However, she wasn't embarrassed at all when facing Shen Huaichuan. She grabbed Shen Huaichuan's military uniform sleeve and tried to wipe the pear.
Shen Huaichuan gently deflected it.
"How can this be cleaned?"
Shen Huaichuan chuckled at her childish behavior, took the pear, and then pulled out a military multi-purpose knife from the inside pocket of his coat.
He peeled the pear in no time and handed the peeled pear back to Zhou Qiqi.
"Thank you, honey~"
Zhou Qiqi took the peeled pear and took a bite.
The pear flesh is sweet and refreshing, and it's still a little cool from being taken out of the cellar. One bite and you feel completely comfortable.
She squinted her eyes contentedly, then held the pear to Shen Huaichuan's lips.
"Would you like to try some? It's so sweet! I can't finish such a big one."
Unexpectedly, Shen Huaichuan shook his head, indicating that he would not eat.
"What's wrong? This pear is delicious! Why don't you eat some?"
Zhou Qiqi was somewhat puzzled.
Shen Huaichuan looked at her, his eyes gentle, and said softly:
"It's okay, take your time eating. Anyway... don't you have something important to tell me? We can talk while we eat, no rush."
Zhou Qiqi stared wide-eyed in surprise, forgetting even to chew the pear:
"How...how did you know I had something important to tell you?"
She didn't say anything!
Shen Huaichuan didn't answer directly, but just looked at her and smiled indulgently, his eyes clearly saying, "You think you can hide your little thoughts from me?"
Zhou Qiqi understood instantly.
Indeed, her husband, though seemingly quiet, is actually incredibly meticulous and has exceptional observational skills.
Her parents' unusual reaction just now, and her hasty dragging him out—how could this odd behavior escape his notice? She took his arm and pouted, saying:
"Hmph, you think you're so clever! Come on, let's go to the playground, I'll talk to you as we stroll."
It was completely dark by now, and it was still a bit cold. There were hardly any people on the playground, with only a few streetlights casting a dim yellow glow.
The children who were playing earlier have now dispersed.
Zhou Qiqi linked arms with Shen Huaichuan, munching on a pear as she organized her thoughts, starting with the afternoon's treatment.
When Zhou Qiqi mentioned that Zhou Zhou, under hypnosis, suddenly struggled and shouted "I am not Shen Duzhou," her heart clenched again, and her voice involuntarily lowered.
As she spoke, she secretly observed Shen Huaichuan's expression, thinking that this news must have been a big shock to him, and that she should calm him down and comfort him properly.
But when he turned around, he saw that Shen Huaichuan's expression was normal, as calm as if he had just heard an ordinary, everyday conversation.
Zhou Qiqi was stunned:
"Don't tell me... you already knew all along? Mom and Dad clearly said they didn't tell you! Could they have remembered wrong?"
Shen Huaichuan shook his head slightly: "No, I guessed it myself. I just didn't expect that I would actually guess right."
When the brothers were young, their parents were busy with work, so Shen Huaichuan spent more time with his second brother than with their parents.
Shen Huaichuan's understanding of his second brother, Shen Huaiyue, may be more detailed than that of his parents in some aspects.
Zhouzhou's appearance, personality, and even some of her subtle habits do indeed differ from those of her second brother and sister-in-law in many ways.
Moreover, over the past three years, Zhouzhou has occasionally revealed some...unusual details due to her illness.
Shen Huaichuan, always perceptive, noticed it all.
As he spoke, he looked tenderly at Zhou Qiqi, reached out to tuck the corner of her scarf that had been blown open by the wind, and asked softly:
"Do you remember? Not long after you met Zhouzhou, you asked me once if Zhouzhou was your second brother and sister-in-law's child... I didn't answer you directly at the time."
"Because I promised you that I would never lie to you in this lifetime, I can only choose to remain silent in uncertain circumstances."
Zhou Qiqi blinked, trying hard to remember, then pouted and muttered:
"It seems...it seems there really is such a thing..."
When she first met Zhouzhou, she did ask this question, but Shen Huaichuan gave a vague answer and didn't give a direct answer at all.
At the time, she didn't think about it deeply and didn't notice anything unusual.
Hearing him say that, Zhou Qiqi felt both angry and helpless, and scolded him playfully:
"So you knew all along? You made me waste so many brain cells, racking my brains trying to figure out how to tell you and how to comfort you!"
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