bless
The change in the relationship between Qi Shuo and Tan Huaiyu was like the first flower quietly blooming in the spring breeze; at first, only they themselves knew its hidden sweet fragrance.
But some changes cannot be hidden. For example, the almost imperceptible gentleness in Qi Shuo's eyes and brows when he occasionally answers the phone.
For example, when Tan Huaiyu came to the factory, he was wearing a thin jacket that was obviously a size too big, but whose style was extremely similar to a coat that Qi Shuo often wore.
For example, the unspoken understanding between the two, where a single glance is enough to convey their thoughts, and those seemingly ordinary yet subtly unusual intimate gestures.
Qin Zhou was the first to notice. One weekend, during a dinner party at Sister Jin's house, he saw Qi Shuo casually take the half-peeled orange from Tan Huaiyu, peel it completely without any hesitation, then put half of it back in Tan Huaiyu's hand and ate the other half himself.
The movements were fluid and graceful, as if they had been rehearsed a thousand times. Tan Huaiyu, with a smile on her face, accepted the gift, her fingertips "inadvertently" brushing against Qi Shuo's palm.
The rib Qin Zhou was holding in his mouth fell into the bowl with a "plop." He stared wide-eyed at this and that, then suddenly bumped into Song Yungui's arm next to him, mouthing a silent shout: "Holy crap! Something's up!"
Song Yungui calmly picked up the ribs that had fallen out of his bowl, pushed up his glasses, glanced over there, then looked at Sister Jin sitting in the main seat with a warm smile who seemed oblivious, and at Xiao Jue and Lin Ye who were talking in hushed tones on the other side who also seemed unaware. He then gently kicked Qin Zhou, signaling him not to make a fuss.
But the truth will eventually come out, or rather, some "fires" just want to burn brighter.
The opportunity arose from Qingran's birthday. With Shen Ci and Sister Jin's patient guidance and companionship, the little girl's condition became increasingly stable. Although her mindset remained that of a child, she smiled more and became more talkative. Sister Jin wanted to give her a proper celebration for her 22nd birthday, and the event was to be held at home.
The invitation was small, including regular guests and, of course, Shen Ci—who was now Qing Ran's favorite "playmate" and "tutor." Qi Shuo and Tan Huaiyu were also naturally included.
On her birthday, the house was decorated simply and warmly, with ribbons and balloons everywhere. Qingran wore a pink dress adorned with little strawberries that Tan Huaiyu had just bought for her, and a golden birthday hat on her head. Like a little princess, she excitedly ran around the living room, sometimes looking at the cake, sometimes pulling Chen Ci's hand to show him the new jigsaw puzzle she had finished.
Qi Shuo and Tan Huaiyu were the last to arrive, carrying gifts for Qing Ran—a music box that could sing and dance and a set of exquisite fairy tale picture books.
When the two entered, they stood side by side naturally. Tan Huaiyu was carrying a box of cakes, while Qi Shuo was carrying a gift bag. When they were changing shoes, Tan Huaiyu's shoelaces came undone. Since he was carrying things, it was inconvenient for him. Qi Shuo glanced at him and naturally bent down to tie his shoelaces for him.
This action was noticed by Sister Jin, who came out of the kitchen carrying fruit, as well as by Xiao Jue and Lin Ye, who were watching Qing Ran and Shen Ci play on the sofa.
The air seemed to fall silent for a moment.
Qi Shuo stood up, his expression normal, as if he had just done something completely ordinary. Tan Huaiyu's ears turned slightly red, but he didn't flinch. He just smiled apologetically at Sister Jin and said, "Sister Jin, there was a bit of traffic on the way, so I'm late."
"It's not late, it's not late, come in quickly." Sister Jin snapped out of her daze, her smile unchanged. Her gaze swept quickly over the two of them, a knowing glint in her eyes, followed by a deeper smile. "Perfect timing, everyone's here, let's get ready to eat!"
The atmosphere at the dinner table seemed even more lively than usual. Qingran was the absolute star, receiving everyone's blessings in turn, her little face flushed with excitement.
She especially loved the music box Tan Huaiyu had given her, and would keep it beside her while eating. Shen Ci sat on her other side, patiently serving her food and occasionally whispering reminders to eat slowly.
Qi Shuo's "hostility" towards Shen Ci seemed to have lessened considerably this time; at least he wasn't radiating coldness anymore. Perhaps it was because it was Qing Ran's birthday, and he was in a good mood, or perhaps... the person sitting next to him made him feel at ease, and he was no longer so easily agitated by his sister's closeness to others.
Tan Huaiyu sat next to Qi Shuo, occasionally chatting with Xiao Jue and Lin Ye about matters related to the law firm or cases, but most of her attention was focused on Qi Shuo and Qing Ran.
He would naturally serve soup to Qi Shuo and push his favorite dishes toward him. When Qing Ran was fussing about wanting a drink, Qi Shuo would whisper to Tan Huaiyu, "Pour her less, it'll be cold."
These subtle interactions flowed naturally, exuding a familiarity and unspoken care that only family members share. The others at the table observed, exchanging knowing glances.
The atmosphere reached its peak when the cake was cut. Amidst everyone singing "Happy Birthday," Qingran clumsily but earnestly blew out the candles, then clapped her hands and laughed.
Sister Jin invited everyone to cut the cake. Tan Huaiyu took a piece from Qi Shuo, which had a small strawberry on it. He looked at it, then naturally used a fork to pick up the strawberry and held it to Qi Shuo's mouth.
"You eat it, I don't like things that are too sweet." Qi Shuo tilted his head and said in a low voice.
"Just one, it's not sweet." Tan Huaiyu insisted, looking at him with a slight smile.
Qi Shuo paused for a moment, then finally opened his mouth and ate the strawberry. His tongue inevitably touched the cold tip of the fork.
Qin Zhou, who happened to turn around, caught this scene. He gasped, nearly choking on the cake in his mouth, and coughed violently. Song Yungui quickly patted his back to help him catch his breath, giving him a helpless look.
Now, everyone at the table noticed.
Xiao Jue raised an eyebrow and exchanged a glance with Lin Ye, both of them smiling. Sister Jin smiled and shook her head, her gaze towards Qi Shuo and Tan Huaiyu filled with gentle tolerance and a hint of relief that "this day has finally come."
Qingran, confused, blinked her big eyes at Qin Zhou, who was coughing, and asked, "Brother Qin Zhou, what's wrong?"
"N-nothing..." Qin Zhou finally caught his breath, his face red from coughing. He looked at Qi Shuo, then at Tan Huaiyu, and finally winked at Sister Jin.
Qi Shuo put down his fork, wiped his mouth, his face expressionless, but his ears seemed a little red. Tan Huaiyu lowered his head, eating his cake in small bites, his ear tips so red they looked like they were about to bleed, but the corners of his mouth couldn't help but turn up.
Looking at the two children's awkward yet undeniably sweet expressions, the last vestiges of lingering emotions from past entanglements vanished completely from Sister Jin's heart. She cleared her throat, picked up her teacup, and spoke in a gentle yet clear voice:
"It's Ranran's birthday today. Seeing that you are all doing well makes Sister Jin happy."
Her gaze slowly swept over everyone at the table, lingering a moment longer on Qi Shuo and Tan Huaiyu. "The fact that our whole family can be together, safe and sound, in harmony, is better than anything else."
She paused, looked at Qi Shuo, then at Tan Huaiyu, her eyes filled with affection: "Shuo, Huaiyu, you two... take good care of each other from now on. Take good care of yourselves, okay?"
It wasn't explicitly stated, but the meaning couldn't be clearer. It was the approval of elders, the blessings of family, and the heartwarming words of advice after everything had settled down.
Qi Shuo tightened his grip on the cup, looked up at Sister Jin, and saw a complex mix of emotions surging in her usually deep and calm eyes. In the end, it all turned into a solemn nod, his voice low and clear: "Yes, I understand, Sister Jin."
Tan Huaiyu also raised his head, his eyes slightly red. He looked at Sister Jin, then quickly glanced at Qi Shuo, and nodded vigorously, his voice choked with emotion, but mostly filled with joy: "Thank you, Teacher Jin... We will."
Xiao Jue smiled and raised his teacup: "Sister Jin is right, peace and harmony are the most important. Come, let's drink tea instead of wine to wish Qing Ran a happy birthday, and also to wish... all of us all better and better."
"Cheers!" Qin Zhou responded immediately, raising his glass and winking at Qi Shuo and Tan Huaiyu.
Lin Ye and Song Yungui also raised their glasses with smiles. Although Shen Ci was not quite clear about what had happened, he smiled gently and raised his juice glass to Qing Ran.
The clinking of glasses produced a crisp, pleasant sound. Under the warm yellow light, smiling faces created the most heartwarming scene of the night.
Outside the window, a gentle spring breeze wafted through the night. Inside, the lingering notes of the birthday song seemed to still echo, mingling with the sweet aroma of cake and a comforting scent of "home."
What was originally an ordinary birthday dinner turned into a heartwarming "press conference" for Qi Shuo and Tan Huaiyu's newly established relationship, thanks to the elders' subtle yet warm blessings and the understanding and kind glances from their friends.
From then on, we walked hand in hand, openly and honestly.
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