Her tone was firm, and her eyes were bright. "Let's not rush to introduce him to anyone. Let things take their natural course, don't you think?"
She knew that the more outsiders interfered in matters of the heart, the easier it was for things to backfire.
Let time decide, and let fate arrange things.
Zhu Xiuqin listened and nodded with a smile:
"Hurry up and eat, before it gets cold."
She picked up her chopsticks, placed a piece of braised pork that had been stewed until tender into her son's bowl, and then ladled a spoonful of hot soup for her daughter.
The clinking of bowls and chopsticks filled the dining table again, interspersed with quiet conversation and occasional laughter.
At that moment, she suddenly realized that this is what home should be like—warm, full of laughter, and filled with caring glances.
She knew in her heart that her daughter had just returned from outside and was pregnant, so she must be exhausted.
The long journey and the bumpy ride are unbearable for anyone.
She felt a pang of heartache when she saw the faint dark circles under her daughter's eyes.
Eating earlier and resting earlier are the best care for pregnant women.
She didn't want her to talk too much, and she didn't want her to worry about family matters.
Being able to get a good night's sleep is better than anything else.
If you can rest earlier, don't cause yourself any more trouble.
This is her simplest wish as a mother.
She didn't ask for her daughter to be rich or famous; she only wished for her to be safe, healthy, and happy when she gave birth to the child.
As for other trivial matters, she was willing to take care of them for her, as long as she could focus on her pregnancy.
After dinner, He Zaizhou originally intended to leave.
He stood up, patted his pants, and said, "It's getting late, I have to go back," his tone polite yet distant.
He has never been comfortable staying at other people's homes for long, especially at such joyful family gatherings.
That warm atmosphere made him feel out of place, as if he had stumbled into a world that didn't belong to him.
But Shen Guanglin held on tightly, refusing to let him leave.
"What's the rush? What time is it? Sit a little longer!"
He grabbed He Zaizhou's shoulder with such force that there was no room for refusal.
"It's so late today, and it's dark and cold outside. It's not safe for you to drive."
As he spoke, he casually closed the living room door, completely cutting off He Zaizhou's escape route.
Unable to refuse, he had no choice but to shamelessly stay and eat the meal.
He sat back on the sofa, a bitter smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.
He knew he couldn't go against Shen Guanglin's wishes; the man was righteous and warm-hearted, but sometimes his enthusiasm was so overwhelming that it was hard to resist.
But he knew in his heart that the reason he stayed wasn't just because he was asked to stay, but because of him...
Actually, I'm a little reluctant to leave.
Watching the Shen family members talking back and forth, all of them looking out for each other...
The father reminded his son to put on more clothes, the mother served food to her grandson, the daughter-in-law took the initiative to clear the dishes, and the grandson said sensibly, "Grandma, you can rest."
There were no arguments, no awkward silences; every detail exuded warmth and tacit understanding.
This joyful scene was like a ray of light shining into the darkest corner of He Zaizhou's heart.
He Zaizhou felt a pang of sadness.
It was an indescribable emotion, like envy, regret, and a deep sense of loneliness.
His eyes welled up slightly, but he tried to lower his head and pretended to be focused on peeling a peanut.
He didn't want anyone to notice his loss of composure, and he especially didn't want to be asked, "What's wrong with you?"
His own large family—his mother had just been admitted to the hospital, and his siblings avoided visiting her, afraid of getting into trouble.
The eldest brother said he was too busy with work, the second sister said there was no one to take care of the children, and the third brother simply said, "Anyway, there are caregivers to take care of them, so it doesn't matter whether I go or not."
No one mentioned medical expenses, no one took turns staying with the patient at the hospital, and they didn't even bother to make a phone call.
The mother lay on the hospital bed, staring blankly at the ceiling, saying nothing, but her eyes were full of disappointment.
He had long forgotten what it meant for a family to sit around a lamp, eating a hot meal, chatting and laughing.
He hadn't experienced that warmth, that sense of security, that feeling that "no matter what happens, there's always someone on your side" for many years.
He once thought that blood ties were the strongest bond, but reality has shown him that some relatives are even more indifferent than strangers.
Tonight, at the Shen family home, he rediscovered the kind of kinship he thought had long since vanished.
If Shen Jinhe weren't so young, he would have loved to call Shen Zhiyu "brother-in-law" without a second thought.
The moment the thought popped into his head, he froze, his heart skipping a beat.
When he came to his senses, his mind was buzzing and cold sweat even broke out on his forehead—what was that just now?
Why did my mind suddenly start wandering to this?
He was so frightened that he quickly raised his hand and slapped himself hard.
The crisp sound was particularly jarring in the night, and my face stung, but I felt a sense of relief.
Fortunately, it was pitch black and quiet all around, so no one saw what happened.
Otherwise, people would think he's lost his mind, gone mad, slapping himself in the middle of the night.
That's incredibly embarrassing.
That night, Zhouzhou hugged her little pillow and insisted on sleeping in the same bed as Shen Jinhe.
Shen Jinhe tried to coax her for a long time, but it was no use. The little girl was very stubborn. She pouted and said, "I want to sleep with Brother Xiaohe, not with Daddy!"
Zhenzhen stood at the door, scratching her head with a helpless expression.
Since Yin Hua and his family were outsiders and the children weren't familiar with each other yet, they naturally didn't dare let them sleep with the children.
Shen Zhiyu's injuries had not yet healed, and he had difficulty moving around. Su Qingzhi was also pregnant, so the two of them simply couldn't take care of the two children.
The only solution right now is to let Zhenzhen stay with Yang Wenbing for the night.
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