After leaving the hospital, his mother returned to the store in the mall, while Qin Tian took a taxi to Xia Nuannuan's house.
To his surprise, it was his future father-in-law who opened the door.
"Uncle, I'm sorry!"
Qin Tian was stunned for a moment, then apologized with a guilty expression.
After receiving his wife's call, Old Xia, who had rushed back from Jiangcheng as quickly as possible, did have some complaints in his heart. However, Qin Tian's attitude immediately dispelled his resentment.
He naturally knew that Qin Tian wasn't to blame for what happened today; his daughter had also said she didn't want Qin Tian to accompany her.
But no matter what, his precious daughter encountering such danger for the first time still made him feel lingering fear.
"Come in!"
Old Xia nodded calmly.
Qin Tian responded and followed him inside.
In the living room, besides Xia Nuannuan and his future mother-in-law, her grandparents were also present.
Grandma was holding one of Xia Nuannuan's hands, her wrinkled face still showing unease and anxiety.
"Xiao Qin, you're here!"
The old man greeted him.
"Yes, Grandpa, I'm sorry, I should have been with Nuannuan."
Qin Tian sincerely apologized to the old man again.
"What are you saying? It's not your fault at all!"
The old man waved his hand.
"That's right, if anyone is to blame, it's me. Jiajia and I shouldn't have been so reckless in chasing after them."
Xia Nuannuan quickly said.
"Alright, it's all in the past. No one is to blame, let's not talk about this anymore."
Grandma spoke up.
"Your grandma is right, Nuannuan, today's incident should be a lesson learned, no need to mention it again."
Su Xia agreed, smiling at Qin Tian and saying, "Xiao Tian, have you eaten dinner? You're a little late, we just finished eating. Shall I make you a bowl of noodles?"
"No need to trouble you, I ate on the way here."
Qin Tian told a small lie.
"Okay, come, sit here."
Su Xia beckoned and moved aside.
Qin Tian walked over and sat on the sofa between Xia Nuannuan and his future mother-in-law.
Xia Nuannuan's left hand was held by her grandmother. Seeing him sit down, she immediately reached out her right hand and placed it on his hand.
Qin Tian smiled slightly and held her small hand in return.
"Brother, how is Zhang Peng?"
Xia Nuannuan asked with concern.
"He's fine now, he should be able to be discharged from the hospital in a few days."
"That's good."
"This is a blessing in disguise for him. You should have seen the expressions on Tian Jiajia's parents' faces when they met his parents. My mom said it was more exciting than watching a TV drama."
Qin Tian said with a light laugh.
"Really?"
Xia Nuannuan's face also broke into a smile, and she said regretfully, "I should have gone with you."
"What? Zhang Peng and Tian Jiajia are..."
Su Xia looked at them with surprise.
Qin Tian nodded with a smile and said, "They should have mutual feelings, but they never admitted it before."
"I see!"
Su Xia smiled with realization and looked at her daughter, "Nuannuan, you never told me about this. I didn't even notice."
"What's there to talk about? You're really gossipy!"
Xia Nuannuan said with amusement.
"What woman isn't gossipy? Look at your Aunt Tang, she's the same."
"Yes, yes, yes, you're right."
"Tomorrow morning, we'll buy some fruit and go see them. Tian Jiajia should be there, right?"
"How would I know!"
...
...
Qin Tian sat in the Xia family's living room until nearly nine o'clock. Thinking that his mother should have returned, he got up to leave.
Old Xia personally escorted him downstairs, signaling with his eyes that he had something to say to him privately.
As they entered the elevator, Qin Tian looked towards Old Xia with a questioning gaze.
In the silent atmosphere, his mood became somewhat tense.
"Xiao Qin."
Old Xia's voice suddenly sounded.
"Mm?"
Qin Tian quickly responded.
Old Xia turned his head to look at him and said slowly, "Uncle knows you're not to blame for what happened today, but, you know, I just feel a bit uncomfortable. You have to understand, your mother and I have always doted on Nuannuan, cherishing her like a treasure. Since she was little, she's never encountered any danger."
"I understand!"
Qin Tian nodded solemnly.
At this moment, the elevator reached the first floor.
They got out of the elevator, walked out of the apartment building, and headed towards the community gate.
Along the way, Old Xia said a lot.
The general idea was that he and his wife had protected their daughter for eighteen years, and including the ten months of pregnancy, it was nearly nineteen years.
They only had this one precious daughter, and they would continue to protect her for the rest of their lives. But in the future, the person closest to their daughter would only be Qin Tian.
They stopped outside the community gate.
"Uncle, don't worry, I promise there won't be a next time."
Qin Tian said with a solemn expression, in a tone as firm as an oath.
"Good, I believe you."
Old Xia smiled and nodded, slowly raising his right hand to pat his shoulder.
"Those three petty thieves, I'll arrange for someone to handle them. Even if they get in, they won't have an easy time."
As he said this, Old Xia had a smile on his face, but a sharp glint of coldness flashed in his slightly narrowed eyes.
Qin Tian was startled for a moment, but quickly calmed down.
To have started from scratch in the 1990s and now be worth billions, this future father-in-law was more than just a husband and father with insufficient family status.
Starting a business in that era required a ruthless heart and some methods; otherwise, he would have been completely wiped out.
Seeing his ability to regain his composure so quickly, Old Xia's eyes showed a look of relief.
As a man, at home, he should dote on his wife and spoil his daughter, and his family status could be secondary.
But when facing outside competitors, especially enemies who threatened his family's safety, he must never be soft-hearted or cowardly.
"Nuannuan's birthday is in a few days. We're planning a half-birthday celebration for her as a family. You two should take leave from school in advance and return to Jiangcheng after the birthday. Oh, and ask your mother if she wants to come and celebrate with Nuannuan."
Old Xia said with a chuckle.
"Ah? This... I'll go back and tell my mother."
Qin Tian quickly agreed.
"Mm, it's fine whatever your mother says. If she can't come this time, I'll see if we can formally arrange a meeting during the Chinese New Year."
"Okay!"
"Alright, go, I'm going back too."
Old Xia patted his shoulder again and turned to leave.
Qin Tian stood there, watching Old Xia enter the community and walk away blankly.
Old Xia was about 1.78 meters tall, a little shorter than him, with a round physique and a protruding beer belly, making it seem like he would pant heavily if he ran a few steps.
Yet, for some reason, Qin Tian felt that his back was so tall and majestic, inspiring awe.
After walking a distance, Old Xia turned around and saw him still standing there. He smiled warmly and raised his left hand to wave, signaling him to go home quickly.
Qin Tian smiled and nodded, then turned and left.
"Father..."
He murmured to himself, looking up at the deep night sky, thinking about something.