A few minutes before the bell signaled the end of evening study, Xia Nuannuan habitually checked her phone, which was in her schoolbag.
Upon seeing the message from her mother, she immediately felt a sense of relief.
That’s right, Old Xia hadn’t come today; it was her respected mother who would pick her up from school.
“Auntie is here?”
Qin Tian noticed the change in her expression and asked with a smile.
Xia Nuannuan turned her head to look at him, nodding sweetly and saying, “I’ve told Old Xia several times not to pick me up when I come to school. I’m glad he finally listened.”
“Then we can leave school together today.”
Qin Tian said with a smile.
“Mm-hmm!”
Xia Nuannuan nodded happily.
“Actually, I wouldn’t have minded your dad picking you up. I’m not afraid!”
Qin Tian grinned.
Xia Nuannuan couldn’t help but chuckle at his words and shook her head, “It’s best not to let him see you for now.”
“Alright!”
Qin Tian shrugged nonchalantly.
After a few more casual remarks, the dismissal bell rang.
With no teacher in the classroom, the class monitor, Mu Nan, announced the end of the school day.
The students, who had worked hard all day, began packing their things with a sense of relief, ready to go home and rest.
After Xia Nuannuan put on her schoolbag, the three of them left the classroom together, chatting and laughing as they walked out of the school gate.
“Nuannuan!”
A familiar and gentle voice called out.
The three of them turned in the direction of the sound and saw Xia Nuannuan’s mother standing among the crowd not far away, waving at them with a smile.
“I’m going then, bye-bye!”
Xia Nuannuan waved goodbye to Qin Tian and the other with a smile, and then heard her mother’s voice again:
“Xiao Qin, come here for a moment.”
The three of them looked over in surprise, seeing Su Xia looking at Qin Tian with a gentle smile.
“Zhang Peng, why don’t you head back first?”
Qin Tian suggested to Zhang Peng.
“It’s fine, I’ll wait for you.”
Zhang Peng replied with a chuckle, his eyes seeming to gleam.
At this moment, his gossipy mood was no less than that of a girl.
Qin Tian rolled his eyes and said no more, walking with Xia Nuannuan towards Su Xia.
“Good evening, Auntie.”
“Yes, good evening!”
Su Xia looked at him with a beaming smile and said something surprising, “Xiao Qin, can you and Nuannuan come to our house for dinner tomorrow noon?”
“Ah?”
Qin Tian was completely stunned.
Xia Nuannuan, standing beside him, was also instantly dumbfounded, her expression like she had seen a ghost.
“Nuannuan should have told you some of what her father said, right?”
Su Xia glanced at her daughter, her smile unchanged:
“Xiao Qin, please don’t misunderstand. This isn’t his father’s idea; it’s mine. And it doesn’t mean anything else. I just want to thank you for your help with Nuannuan’s studies recently.”
“Also, I want to apologize for the shrimp balls at lunch. Old Xia’s actions were indeed a bit childish.”
“Of course, if it’s inconvenient for you, then we can discuss it another time.”
After speaking slowly and deliberately, Su Xia looked at him with keen interest, awaiting his reply.
She was also very curious whether this young man, whom she found outstanding in every aspect, was equally exceptional in terms of courage and boldness.
This was also a plan that she and Old Xia had discussed for a long time.
Firstly, it was indeed to thank Qin Tian for his help with their daughter’s studies, and secondly, to let Old Xia meet this young man.
If he passed the test, they would no longer oppose them interacting as normal friends.
“So that’s how it is!”
Qin Tian nodded as if he had just realized something.
“Mom…”
Xia Nuannuan came back to her senses, her face anxious, and she opened her mouth to say something, but Su Xia raised her hand to interrupt her.
“Nuannuan, don’t rush. Don’t worry, I’ve got this.”
“But…”
Xia Nuannuan was momentarily speechless, her eyes full of worry as she looked at Qin Tian.
“Alright, Auntie, then I’ll trouble you tomorrow noon.”
Qin Tian smiled calmly and accepted Su Xia’s invitation.
Su Xia’s face showed a gratified smile as she nodded, “Then it’s settled. Tomorrow noon after school, you and Nuannuan come over together.”
“Okay, then I’ll be going. Goodbye, Auntie.”
“Goodbye!”
“Nuannuan, see you tomorrow.”
Qin Tian looked at Xia Nuannuan next to him with a cheerful smile.
“Mm… see you tomorrow!”
Xia Nuannuan nodded slightly, her eyes complicated.
Qin Tian gave her a reassuring look, then turned and strode towards Zhang Peng.
“Mom, what exactly are you and Dad planning?”
After watching him walk away, Xia Nuannuan frowned and asked her mother.
Su Xia raised her hand and pinched her daughter’s noticeably slender, pretty face, smiling softly, “Don’t worry, we won’t eat him. I told you I’m here, let’s go home.”
“But this makes me very anxious. Is it really your idea, or is Old Xia playing tricks?”
Xia Nuannuan quickened her pace to keep up with her mother.
“It is indeed my idea. Otherwise, you know how much of a doting father he is. He definitely wouldn’t be at ease going to Jiangcheng, and he might even stay a few extra days for this matter. Do you want that?”
“No, no.”
Xia Nuannuan denied it without hesitation, shaking her head like a rattle drum.
In the past, she might have wished for her father to stay home a few more days, even complaining about his busy work schedule. Now, she wished he would return to Jiangcheng as soon as possible.
If Xia Zhengping saw his daughter’s current expression and answers, his heart would likely shatter into glass shards.
This was his little cotton-padded jacket who had warmed him for over ten years!
“Then that’s that.”
Su Xia said with amusement.
“But Old Xia will definitely find fault tomorrow.”
“Aren’t we here, me and you? It’s better than him finding Xiao Qin himself without our knowledge.”
“It seems… that’s true!”
Xia Nuannuan’s eyes lit up slightly.
“See? I don’t know why you’re in such a hurry. Your mom is on your side, would I harm you?”
Su Xia said with a playful scolding.
“Hee hee… Mom, you’re the best.”
Xia Nuannuan beamed and hugged her mother’s arm, shaking it and acting spoiled.
“However, you need to be careful tomorrow as well. Don’t lean too heavily towards Xiao Qin, at least not on the surface. Otherwise, your father will become even more hostile towards Xiao Qin.”
Su Xia advised her earnestly.
“I know, you’re amazing. I’ll listen to you.”
Xia Nuannuan nodded like a pecking chick, her eyes towards her mother filled with admiration and starry reverence.
“So good!”
Su Xia nodded with a smile.
Xia Nuannuan gave a sweet smile, then suddenly remembered something and said seriously, “By the way, Mom, Old Xia called our homeroom teacher. Do you know about this?”
“What? Is there such a thing?”
Su Xia’s smile immediately vanished, and she frowned, “I told him not to make that call!”
“Then he made it secretly and asked our Teacher Li to swap our seats. Fortunately, Teacher Li didn’t agree, otherwise how could my studies improve? I was planning to aim for the top five in the class next time. That’s the goal Qin Tian set for me.”
“This Old Xia, he’s getting more and more foolish. It makes me so angry.”
“Right? Tell him to sleep on the sofa tonight.”
“Okay!”