After hearing Xia Nuannuan's second birthday wish, the four elders looked at her with gratification, their hearts filled with emotion that the child had truly grown up.
"What about the third wish?" Su Xia suddenly said.
"The third..." Xia Nuannuan instinctively started to answer, then quickly reacted, her face blushing as she gave her mother a coy, resentful look.
"Mom, what are you doing? I'm not telling you!"
"Hahaha..."
Everyone was amused again and couldn't help but laugh.
"Alright, let's cut the cake!" the Old Master said.
"Dad, let's eat the cake after the meal. We should eat first," Su Xia suggested.
"That's fine too!" The Old Master nodded.
"Before we eat, there are gifts!" Grandma said with a kind smile.
"Yes, yes, gifts," Old Master and Old Xia chimed in, feigning forgetfulness.
"Hmph, Grandma is the best." Xia Nuannuan pretended to be angry, pouting her lips.
"Mine is in the car, I'll go get it in a moment," Qin Tian said, standing up.
"Xiao Qin, you can go after the meal!" Su Xia said with a smile.
"It's alright, you all start, I'll be right back." Qin Tian said and then quickly walked out the door.
In the living room, the elders looked at Xia Nuannuan, whose anticipation was evident, finding it amusing. Before their own gifts were even presented, it felt like they were already outshone.
"I have to say, I'm quite curious about what gift Xiao Qin prepared for our Nuannuan," the Old Master said with a beaming smile.
"Here, Nuannuan, this is Grandma's gift. Even if it can't compare to Xiao Qin's, don't dislike it!" Grandma handed a small gift box to her granddaughter, her face full of teasing smiles.
"Grandma, I won't!" Xia Nuannuan shyly accepted the gift, her face flushed.
Afterward, the Old Master and the Old Xia couple also presented their prepared birthday gifts. Of course, this also included the house they had previously bought.
...
...
After a short while, the door was knocked, and Qin Tian's voice came from outside.
"Nuannuan, help me open the door."
"Coming!" Xia Nuannuan, with a look of joy, hurried over to open the door. The sight that greeted her made her freeze in astonishment.
This gift... it was truly quite large! Qin Tian was holding a large cardboard box, which completely blocked his upper body, making him look quite strained.
Qin Tian peeked out from behind the box, his smile bright. "Quick, move aside!"
"Oh, oh!" Xia Nuannuan finally reacted and quickly made way. Qin Tian carried the box into the house and into the living room.
In the living room, the four elders were all dumbfounded by the scene.
"Xiao Qin, what's inside such a big box?" the Old Master asked, utterly bewildered.
Qin Tian placed the box down and grinned. "Let Nuannuan open it!" He then turned his head to look at Xia Nuannuan beside him.
"Can I open it now?" Xia Nuannuan's eyes lit up, her expression filled with excitement. She was really eager to know what was inside, otherwise, no matter how delicious the food and cake were, she wouldn't be able to enjoy them properly.
"Of course!" Qin Tian nodded with a smile.
"Nuannuan, here, some scissors for you," Su Xia called out with a smile. Xia Nuannuan quickly walked over, took the scissors from her mother's hand, and returned to the large cardboard box that was almost as tall as her shoulders.
The four elders also got up curiously and gathered around.
"Then... then I'll really open it!" Xia Nuannuan looked up at Qin Tian, her big, expressive eyes sparkling.
"Open it!" Qin Tian replied, a mysterious smile appearing on his face. Xia Nuannuan didn't waste any more words and directly used the scissors to cut open the transparent tape sealing the box. As the cardboard box opened to both sides, everyone looked inside intently, their faces filled with surprise.
Inside the large cardboard box were neatly stacked gift boxes of various sizes, all exquisitely packaged. The two gift boxes on the very top had pink heart-shaped stickers, labeled "Eighteen" and "Seventeen" respectively.
"Xiao Qin, you didn't prepare eighteen gifts, did you?" Su Xia, guessing what was inside, looked at Qin Tian with surprise. The others also had a sudden realization, their questioning gazes focused on Qin Tian.
Qin Tian nodded with a smile and said, "At first, there were only a few options, and I was struggling with what to give. Then it suddenly occurred to me that turning eighteen signifies adulthood. Children make choices, but adults want it all, so I came up with this idea."
The four elders exchanged glances, momentarily at a loss for words.
"Children make choices, that's quite a unique way of putting it!" Old Xia couldn't help but comment.
"Xiao Qin's gift is truly thoughtful," the Old Master praised with a smile. Grandma and Su Xia didn't say anything, but their faces were beaming. The fact that he had put so much thought into preparing eighteen gifts showed Nuannuan's importance in his heart, which naturally made them very happy.
"Nuannuan, I couldn't be with you for your previous seventeen birthdays. Now I'm making up for it with all these gifts. For the rest of our lives, I hope to be by your side every year on your birthday." Qin Tian looked at Xia Nuannuan with gentle eyes and spoke the most moving words in a calm tone.
"Gege..." Xia Nuannuan was so moved that her eyes welled up with tears. She didn't even care that the elders were present and turned to throw herself into Qin Tian's arms. The four elders smiled even more, looking at the two children with doting affection and contentment. Even Old Xia, who was very protective of his daughter, felt no discomfort at this moment. He genuinely felt that besides this young man before him, no one else was worthy of his precious daughter. The "pig-headed boy" he had once seen had, at this moment, completely earned his approval. He had worked hard for most of his life, accumulating billions in wealth, and for what? It was all for the future happiness of his wife and daughter. Therefore, he and his wife had decided long ago that when it came to choosing a son-in-law, they wouldn't consider social standing. They would only look at two points. First and most importantly, he had to be wholeheartedly good to their precious daughter. Then came character, looks, and ability. Now, it seemed Qin Tian perfectly met both criteria.
"Alright, don't cry. It's such a joyous occasion, you're making me embarrassed," Qin Tian said softly, gently stroking her smooth hair. Xia Nuannuan let out a hum and then let go of him, her face flushed and her head lowered, not daring to face the elders.
"Nuannuan, do you want to open a gift?" Su Xia asked with a smile. Xia Nuannuan looked conflicted, her gaze seeking Qin Tian's.
"How about opening just two casually? Finish the meal first, and then you can take your time opening the rest," Qin Tian suggested with a light laugh.
"Mhm, mhm!" Xia Nuannuan nodded repeatedly in agreement, looking at the gift boxes with a touch of indecisiveness.
"Nuannuan, since it's your eighteenth birthday, why don't you open this one first?" Su Xia pointed to the topmost gift box with "Eighteen" written on it, suggesting with a smile.
"Okay, I'll open this one!" Xia Nuannuan nodded and picked up the eighteen-year gift. The gift box was about the size of a shoebox, wrapped in light blue gift paper, tied with a pink ribbon.
"Xiao Qin, this isn't a pair of shoes, is it?" Su Xia guessed with a smile. Qin Tian gave his future mother-in-law a thumbs-up and directly nodded in confirmation, "It is a pair of shoes, but you've only said half of it."
"Oh?" Su Xia rubbed her chin, staring at the gift box in thought. Xia Nuannuan very carefully untied the ribbon, then opened the wrapping paper, revealing a shoebox inside. The moment she opened the shoebox, Su Xia's face lit up with understanding. Inside the shoebox was a pair of high heels, and they were crystal high heels. The heel was made of transparent crystal, and the front part was also inlaid with countless sparkling small crystals.