The atmosphere between the two was a little strange. When Wen Shuqiao heard Shen Jiazhou say that, she was stunned for a moment, and her brain was racing to think of how to answer Shen Jiazhou's question.
Shen Jiazhou clicked his tongue lightly and said, "Are you trying to figure out how to put it more politely and tell me that you didn't mean it that way?"
Wen Shuqiao lowered her eyes and remained silent.
“I’m not your boss. I don’t need you to provide a perfect solution. Just tell me, yes or no?” Shen Jiazhou’s gaze never left her.
He discovered long ago that Wen Shuqiao had a very high level of defense. She seemed easy to get along with, but in reality, she often played a roundabout game with you. Or she would verbally agree to mutual understanding and help, but she had already secretly done everything herself.
Including yesterday when she suggested touching his wrist, but at that time she was checking her own pulse, as if she was confirming something, and today when she inexplicably fainted at Wen Zhixia's house. Before she fainted, Wen Shuqiao probably wanted to say something to him, but after waking up, she remained silent.
There are too many suspicious points and secrets about Wen Shuqiao. He wanted to ask, but he was afraid of arousing her disgust. After all, no one likes others asking about their secrets.
Not to mention someone like Wen Shuqiao who has a strong sense of personal boundaries.
But now Shen Jiazhou realizes that he can no longer pretend not to see it; he wants to understand Wen Shuqiao.
Wen Shuqiao had no idea what Shen Jiazhou was thinking. After going through her own internal struggle, she nodded slightly and said, "Yes, I don't want to trouble anyone."
"Am I included in any of them?" Shen Jiazhou asked bluntly, arms crossed.
Wen Shuqiao said, "This 'any' doesn't mean anything else. I'm just not used to bothering people."
"Why?" Shen Jiazhou stared intently at Wen Shuqiao, not missing a single expression on her face. "From what I've investigated, Wen Shuqiao doesn't seem like someone who's uncomfortable troubling others."
Wen Shuqiao instinctively felt that Shen Jiazhou was a little angry, but she still said seriously, "I can't explain why to you, but I'm used to being alone, it's not targeting you."
This has been her lifestyle for over twenty years. No matter what she does or what decisions she makes, no one can help her. Gradually, troubling others has become something she finds very difficult to talk about.
Wen Shuqiao admits that she is conflicted, but frankly, she feels that she has not been able to reciprocate what she has given back to the other person.
But this time it seems to have hurt Shen Jiazhou a bit.
She pursed her lips slightly: "Don't be angry."
Shen Jiazhou looked at her, took a slow, deep breath, and said, "I'm not angry."
He just felt a bit upset.
“I understand what you mean, and I get back to you. Shuqiao, you told me before to cheer up, do you remember?” Shen Jiazhou asked gently, “And what about you?”
"What?" Wen Shuqiao felt that she had a fever today, which made her thinking a few beats slower.
Shen Jiazhou kept looking at her, and when he heard Wen Shuqiao's question, he asked, "Are you happy now?"
Wen Shuqiao was speechless. Was she happy?
Shen Jiazhou changed his posture and continued to ask, "Shuqiao, are you happy now?"
"I..." Wen Shuqiao was also a little unsure how to answer his question.
“Last time you told me that I couldn’t answer whether I was happy or not, because nobody cares whether I’m happy or not. They only care about how much profit I generate and how well the project is finished.”
“But now I can answer you, I’m very happy, Shuqiao.” Shen Jiazhou said softly, “I asked you this not because I wanted any answer from you, but because the answer should be given to yourself.”
"Also, I'm not angry, and I won't be angry with you, and no one has the right to be angry with you. I just want you to relax a little and not be so tense, after all, we're... friends, right?"
After Shen Jiazhou finished speaking, he stood up. He glanced at the kitchen and saw Cancan sitting on a small stool, carefully helping to break off the green vegetables one by one and put them in the basket at her feet.
Occasionally, he would look up and say a few words to the old woman. I don't know what they said, but the old woman and the child both laughed happily.
He thought for a moment, then sat down again.
Wen Shuqiao looked at him, but Shen Jiazhou gestured for her to look towards the kitchen.
She turned her head and saw Can Can's mouth moving back and forth. It looked like the lark Can Can had come out to sing. Her head swayed back and forth as she sang, completely absorbed in the moment.
Shen Jiazhou said, "You've raised Cancan very well, Shuqiao. If it were just me, Cancan wouldn't be so carefree. In comparison, you've done so much more than I have. I've only provided you with a little convenience, nothing to mention."
He continued softly, "Actually, I would prefer that you ask something of me, otherwise I always feel like an unqualified parent who gets a well-behaved and sensible nephew without doing anything."
Wen Shuqiao said, "You are not an unqualified parent."
Shen Jiazhou is already more qualified than many male parents.
Shen Jiazhou tilted his head slightly: "Thank you for praising me. I also hope you can become a happy adult."
Wen Shuqiao's heart was pounding. Shen Jiazhou gave her a gentle smile, then stood up and said, "You rest for a while. As a dutiful uncle, I'll go check on what my nephew is doing."
He thoughtfully left Wen Shuqiao alone to digest the food. When he pushed open the glass door to the kitchen, the first thing he heard was Can Can's "beautiful singing voice".
hiss.
Shen Jiazhou silently tried to close the door again, but Cancan had already noticed him. She stood up from the small stool, walked over, and hugged his legs with both hands: "Uncle, Grandma said I sing well, so I'll sing for you too!"
Shen Jiazhou said, "No need, my uncle doesn't like listening to music."
Can Can shook her head: "Then you didn't hear the song the baby sang! Auntie said I'm a lark!"
"Your aunt has good taste." Shen Jiazhou simply picked him up and asked, "How much work have you done?"
Can Can pointed to the green vegetables on the ground: "I just finished working! Grandma said I'm a super well-behaved baby!"
Upon hearing this, the housekeeper turned her head and said, "Yes, Can Can is a little darling."
Cancan's tail was practically wagging in the air with smugness.
There's no way around it; pecking at rice is a perfectly normal thing for him.
He hummed a few off-key lines, then sang with complete absorption: "What a beautiful jasmine flower!"
Shen Jiazhou felt like he was going deaf, but Can Can cupped his face in her hands and said, "Does it sound nice, Uncle?"
"Lark," Shen Jiazhou said, finally losing his patience, "Have you washed your hands?"
"Oh!" Can Can twitched her fingers that were pressed against her uncle's face, looking at him innocently.
Baby, it seems you haven't washed your hands yet.
Wen Shuqiao had been watching the kitchen from the side the whole time. Without even hearing the sounds, she could guess what had happened between the two of them.
A faint smile appeared on her lips. She leaned back on the sofa, looking at the chandelier and thinking about what Shen Jiazhou had just said.
A sense of embarrassment crept in belatedly; how did Shen Jiazhou know everything?
Was her reaction that obvious?
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