"Dad?" Shen Zhi Qiu was about to drink her coffee when she suddenly noticed Rong Hong's unusual behavior and called out in confusion.
But Rong Hong still didn't react, staring blankly in Yan Yan's direction.
Yan Yan was still bent over, so she didn't notice Rong Hong's strange gaze.
Lu Jia had noticed this by now. He gave Shen Zhi Qiu a look to relax, and then walked towards Rong Hong.
Wei Qiao seemed to be deep in thought, until he saw Lu Jia walking over. He paused for a moment and then walked towards Rong Hong.
"Chairman Rong." Wei Qiao bowed slightly and whispered in his ear, trying to wake him up.
Sensing the noise beside his ear, Rong Hong snapped out of his daze and looked at him with some surprise.
Seeing that he was almost right next to her, she couldn't help but ask, "What's wrong?"
"Uncle, what's wrong? Are you alright?" Turning around, he heard Lu Jia ask him in a low voice.
Rong Hong blinked, unsure of what had happened.
Yan Yan, sitting opposite, had already looked up and was chatting and laughing with Lu Wei, drinking coffee and eating dessert together.
"It's nothing, I was just a little tired, so I got distracted. I'm fine, I'll go out now." Rong Hong lowered his head somewhat embarrassedly, straightened his clothes, and, unwilling to say anything more, turned and strode towards the door.
Lu Jia looked at Rong Hong's back with some confusion, then frowned and glanced at Yan Yan opposite him, since Rong Hong had been looking in this direction just now.
Just now, he seemed to be standing there blankly, as if he had lost his soul; it wasn't just a matter of being distracted. Lu Jia pursed her lips, a seed of doubt being planted in her heart.
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Lu Jia walked back to Shen Zhi Qiu's position.
Shen Zhi Qiu quietly tugged at his sleeve, frowning.
Lu Jia leaned down gently, and Shen Zhi Qiu leaned in at the right moment, whispering to Lu Jia, "Lu Jia, I don't know why, but I feel like my dad's attitude towards Yan Yan is a bit strange?"
"Huh?" Lu Jia was completely taken aback when Shen Zhi Qiu suddenly said this.
But he immediately grasped Shen Zhi Qiu's hand and whispered, "Let's talk about it when we get home later. Don't say anything here." As he spoke, he gently patted the back of Shen Zhi Qiu's hand.
"Hmm." Shen Zhi Qiu understood his intention and nodded.
"Knock knock knock." A knock suddenly sounded at the door.
Wei Qiao went to help get the fruit, so Lu Wei put down her coffee cup, stood up, and prepared to open the door.
But Lu Jia had already walked to the gate and opened it.
He was stunned for a moment.
"Who's here? Lu Jia?" Shen Zhi Qiu asked with a smile after taking a bite of lemon cake.
Lu Jia stepped aside, and after Shen Zhi Qiu saw who it was, she dropped the fork in her hand onto the carpet, stood up in surprise, and ran straight towards the front door.
Lu Jia and Yan Yan looked over at the sound and saw a smiling girl walking out from behind Lu Jia. She couldn't help but smile as she watched Shen Zhi Qiu run over.
"Xiao Ran!" Shen Zhi Qiu hugged Zhou Xiao Ran tightly, gently calling her name, but she choked up as soon as she spoke, and the next second she leaned on Zhou Xiao Ran's shoulder and sobbed uncontrollably.
Considering that there were others present, Shen Zhi Qiu suppressed her sobs. It felt as if someone was pressing hard on her chest, making it almost impossible for her to breathe. She buried her face in Zhou Xiao Ran's shoulder and let out a muffled sob.
Zhou Xiaoran's eyes also reddened, but she glanced at Lu Wei and Yan Yan sitting there. Today was an important day, and if Shen Zhi Qiu's eyes were swollen from crying, she wouldn't be able to show her face to anyone. So she gently patted Shen Zhi Qiu's back and said playfully, "You look so pretty today. If you keep crying, your makeup will be ruined!"
"Why are you here?" Shen Zhi Qiu sobbed, her shoulders shaking uncontrollably, tears streaming down her face. She stubbornly wiped them away quickly with the back of her hand, then looked up at Zhou Xiao Ran and said, "Why did it take you so long? I missed you so much! I was so worried about you, waaaaaah..."
Zhou Xiaoran gently coaxed her, trying to stop her from crying for the time being.
But Shen Zhi Qiu's long-suppressed emotions finally erupted. She sobbed incessantly, gently patting Zhou Xiao Ran with both hands.
After a while, Shen Zhi Qiu finally lifted her head off Zhou Xiao Ran's shoulder, then pulled away slightly to look closely at her. She looked at her and saw that she had lost a lot of weight. She was filled with mixed feelings.
"Xiao Ran, I'm so sorry!" Shen Zhi Qiu said, tears streaming down her cheeks, her long eyelashes covered with glistening teardrops.
Zhou Xiaoran gently wiped away her tears. "It's not your fault. Don't blame yourself for many things. Blame those who have bad intentions. It's their fault, not yours."
Seeing the puzzled looks on Lu Wei and Yan Yan's faces, Lu Jia brushed it off and whispered, "This is Zhi Qiu's best friend, Zhou Xiaoran. She just hasn't been feeling well for a while and has been recuperating, so she hasn't been able to come."
She's been feeling much better lately, so Brother Zhi Qiu wanted to give her a surprise.
"Xiao Ran, you've suffered so much." Shen Zhi Qiu, with tears in his eyes, hugged her again.
"Look, I'm standing right in front of you now, all right?" Zhou Xiaoran gently hugged her back, comforting her tenderly. Seeing that everyone's eyes were on them, she lowered her head and whispered in Shen Zhi Qiu's ear, "Zhi Qiu, don't be sad. Today is a joyous day! Let's go sit over there for a while. I'm a little hungry."
Upon hearing this, Shen Zhi Qiu quickly let go of Zhou Xiao Ran, then took her hand and walked towards the sofa. "Lu Jia brought over a lot of snacks. You can eat these first. If you're not full, we can go out to eat later."
Zhou Xiaoran was pressed down onto the sofa by Shen Zhi Qiu, who then handed her a hot latte and said, "Drink something warm first. It's too cold outside, don't catch a cold."
Zhou Xiaoran took the coffee and held it in her hands. Looking at Shen Zhi Qiu's expectant gaze, she took a big sip and revealed a gentle smile. "The coffee is good."
Shen Zhi Qiu placed her hands on Zhou Xiao Ran's hands and said emotionally, "Xiao Ran, thank you for coming today. Thank you for spending such an important day with me."
"Silly boy." Zhou Xiaoran playfully pulled her right hand away and gently patted Shen Zhi Qiu's arm. "Of course I'll come if I can. I miss you too, so I was overjoyed when your brother suggested it."
Zhi Qiu, congratulations on returning to the Rong family. With such a loving brother and father, I feel at ease.
Otherwise, I'll always be worried about you.
Looking at her, Shen Zhi Qiu felt a pang of sadness, her eyes welled up with tears, and a myriad of emotions surged into her mind.
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