After a satisfying meal, it was past eight in the evening.
Xia Nuannuan took it upon herself to clean up the mess and wash the dishes, letting Qin Tian and Old Xia rest.
This was Old Xia's first time visiting after the two apartments were renovated.
Qin Tian casually led Old Xia on a tour of the rooms, explaining his design choices and ideas during the renovation.
"Uncle, what do you think?"
The two sat down on the sofa in the living room, and Qin Tian asked with a smile.
"Good, it's all very nice. I didn't expect you to be so skilled not only in fashion design but also in interior design!"
Xia Zhengping praised with a beaming smile.
"Not at all, I just read some books on the subject and did it according to my own ideas," Qin Tian replied with a humble smile.
"That's good enough. I think it's great. Is Nuannuan's apartment renovated in the same way?"
"Yes, only the color schemes are different. The renovation style and layout are pretty much the same."
"Excellent, excellent!"
Old Xia nodded repeatedly in approval and said with a chuckle, "If I had known you had this talent, I would have entrusted you with designing all my stores."
Upon hearing this, Qin Tian quickly waved his hands, "No, no, no, yours is much more complicated than this. It really needs a professional. I'm just an amateur!"
"If you're always overly modest, it might seem like you're putting on an act!"
"I'm really not!"
"How are things going for you at school recently?"
Old Xia changed the subject after taking a sip of tea.
"It's been very fulfilling. Nuannuan is currently getting her driver's license with her roommates and will be taking the third subject test soon. During our free time, we also study for the CET-4 and CET-6 exams, and occasionally go to the club to play tennis," Qin Tian briefly reported on their recent activities.
Old Xia smiled and nodded with satisfaction.
Afterward, they watched television and chatted intermittently.
A moment later, Xia Nuannuan came over with a plate of cut fruit and placed it on the coffee table in front of them.
"Dad, have some fruit."
"Alright!"
Old Xia responded with a beaming smile and picked up a piece of apple with a toothpick.
Xia Nuannuan sat down next to Qin Tian and casually asked, "Dad, you can't drive after drinking. I've already prepared the guest room on my side. Why don't you sleep in my room and leave tomorrow?"
Old Xia's apple-eating paused slightly. He feigned nonchalance and replied, "Sure, are you sleeping over there too?"
"Of course, I always sleep in the master bedroom over there!" Xia Nuannuan replied, a faint blush flashing across her pretty face as she put on a naturally innocent expression.
Qin Tian kept his gaze fixed on the television, his expression focused.
In fact, ever since they moved in, Xia Nuannuan had barely stayed in her own master bedroom.
Now, in the master bedroom's wardrobe of his apartment, their clothes were all stored together.
Upon learning that Old Xia was coming over today and might stay, Xia Nuannuan had already tidied up her room.
Including her master bedroom bed and wardrobe, she had also staged them to look as if someone had been living there all along.
As the father who had raised her for so many years, Old Xia naturally noticed the unusual affection in his precious daughter's eyes. He wondered if it was just because she had eaten too much earlier; he felt a strange sense of discomfort.
In reality, he had already heard from his wife that their sweet, ripe cabbage had been completely consumed by this once-pudgy boy.
However, even though he knew and approved of Qin Tian, his feelings were still quite complex when he personally confirmed this matter face-to-face.
Unknowingly, time had slipped to ten o'clock at night.
Old Xia had a busy day, ate a very full dinner, and had also had a few drinks. As he quieted down, a wave of drowsiness washed over him.
"Nuannuan, Uncle, why don't you two go and rest early!" Qin Tian suggested, noticing Old Xia yawning repeatedly.
"It's fine, it's still early!" Old Xia shook his head while yawning again.
"Dad, your yawns are scary. Let's go!" Xia Nuannuan got up and said.
"Alright!" Old Xia no longer refused and stood up.
Qin Tian followed them out and escorted them to the opposite apartment.
Xia Nuannuan took out her key, opened the door, and the three entered.
They first went to the guest room and opened the door. Xia Nuannuan pressed the switch next to it, turning on the light.
This guest room was originally intended as a guest room, with wallpaper and main colors that were completely different from Xia Nuannuan's master bedroom.
The bedding on the bed was also all prepared.
"Dad, the sheets and pillowcases have been washed, and no one has used them. I just put them on this afternoon," Xia Nuannuan said with a smile.
"Good, good. It looks like I'll have a good night's sleep tonight," Old Xia nodded repeatedly with a chuckle.
"Uncle, I'll head back now. You should rest early," Qin Tian said.
"Okay, you go ahead. Wash up and get some sleep yourself," Xia Zhengping nodded at him.
Qin Tian responded with a smile, said goodnight to Xia Nuannuan beside him, and returned to his own apartment.
...
...
After taking a shower, Qin Tian turned off the television and lights in the living room before returning to his room and lying down in bed, ready to sleep.
After a moment, he rolled over, grabbed the pillow Xia Nuannuan often slept on, and tucked it into his blanket, hugging it tightly.
During this period, whenever he slept at home, he had always been embraced by warmth and tenderness. Now that he was alone again, he felt a bit unaccustomed to not holding something.
Of course, a pillow was nowhere near as comfortable as being held by Nuannuan, which made Qin Tian suddenly feel a little unable to fall asleep.
"Ding dong!"
A message notification sound suddenly came from his phone, placed on the pillow beside him.
As WeChat became increasingly popular, they also started using it for communication. Their nicknames were the same as in the game: "Nuannuan the Little Sun" and "Qingtian."
Nuannuan the Little Sun: "Brother, I can't sleep. What should I do?"
Seeing this WeChat message, Qin Tian couldn't help but smile and quickly typed a reply.
Qingtian: "I can't sleep either!"
Nuannuan the Little Sun: "Why is that?"
Qingtian: "Why do you think?"
Nuannuan the Little Sun: "How should I know!"
Qingtian: "Because I'm used to sleeping while holding you, and you're used to being held by me when you sleep."
After more than ten seconds, a reply came from the other side.
Nuannuan the Little Sun: "I am not! I'm just not sleepy, no mood for sleep!" Xia Nuannuan refused to admit it and attached a cartoon emoji of a little girl kicking a dog below.
Qingtian: "Then I'm used to it, okay? How about you secretly come over to sleep?"
Nuannuan the Little Sun: "What are you talking about? Old Xia is right next door! [Angry][Angry]"
Qingtian: "Just be quiet and walk out of your room. If there's snoring, it should be fine to sneak over."
Nuannuan the Little Sun: "I won't! If I'm caught, I'll have no face to see anyone."
Qingtian: "You won't. I'll wake you up tomorrow morning, and then you can sneak over."
Nuannuan the Little Sun: "No, I refuse!"
Qingtian: "Nuannuan, come over, please! I can't sleep without you!"
Nuannuan the Little Sun: "Pfft, pfft, pfft, I'm already asleep. Don't bother me."
Qingtian: "..."