After resting for a while, Qin Tian went out to buy groceries and returned, preparing a table full of his mother's favorite dishes.
As the dishes were just placed on the table, his mother entered the room right on time.
"Wow, my good boy, you've made such a feast! It smells amazing."
Tang Xiuxia praised with a bright smile, walked to the dining table, and directly picked up a peeled king prawn, popping it into her mouth.
Qin Tian rolled his eyes and said, "You just got back from the shop, and you didn't even wash your hands?"
"It's fine, if it's not clean, you won't get sick from eating!"
Tang Xiuxia used her teeth to shell the shrimp meat, nodded, and said, "Delicious, delicious. Go get the bowls and chopsticks quickly."
"You're really something else."
Qin Tian turned to the kitchen, speechless.
"Do you need my help?"
Tang Xiuxia called out with a smile.
"Sit down and eat!"
Qin Tian replied without turning his head.
"Alright!"
Tang Xiuxia happily agreed and sat down.
Soon, Qin Tian returned with two sets of bowls and chopsticks, and in his other hand, he held a bottle of red wine he had just bought.
His mother could drink a little, but she preferred the easier-to-drink red wine over white spirits.
Since it was just family drinking, there was no need for fancy wine glasses. Qin Tian struggled to open the cork and poured two glasses directly into regular glass cups.
His mother probably hadn't eaten a decent meal in a month, as she was happily devouring the food, with a small pile of shrimp shells and bones already beside her.
"Here you go!"
Qin Tian placed one of the glasses in front of her.
"Okay, sit down quickly!"
Tang Xiuxia gestured for him to sit, and after he did, she put down her chopsticks, raised her glass, and said, "Come, let's toast, mother and son."
Qin Tian nodded with amusement and clinked glasses with her.
After taking a sip of wine each, they picked up their chopsticks and continued eating.
"Here, my good son, you've worked hard. Have this chicken leg."
Tang Xiuxia's face was full of smiles as she placed a large chicken leg into his bowl.
"Mom, can we not do this?"
Qin Tian said with a pained expression.
"What?"
Tang Xiuxia sternly glared at him.
"Nothing."
Qin Tian wisely conceded and buried his head in the chicken leg.
Tang Xiuxia snorted and asked, "How have things been at school recently?"
"Pretty good,"
Qin Tian replied casually.
"Haven't you had any conflicts with Nuannuan?"
"How could that be!"
"That's good! Remember to bring her over for dinner tomorrow."
"Okay, I'll go to their place for lunch, and we'll come over in the afternoon."
"Alright!"
"I heard from Nuannuan that you two are performing a program together at the freshman welcoming party this year? Has the party been held yet, and how was it?"
Tang Xiuxia suddenly asked.
Qin Tian paused for a moment, his expression turning peculiar. "You know about this?"
"Of course, I message Nuannuan every day!"
Tang Xiuxia nodded matter-of-factly.
"It was held last night, and our performance was quite successful."
"Then quickly tell me about it. Nuannuan said you're the lead singer? When did you learn to play the guitar and sing? I had no idea!"
"I taught myself by reading books, just like my cooking."
"Self-taught again?"
...
...
At the same time, Xia Nuannuan was also having dinner with her family.
Old Xia had also returned a couple of days ago, along with her grandparents. The whole family was present.
Similarly, this family was also discussing the freshman welcoming party.
"You guys don't know, Brother Tian plays the guitar really well, and he sings beautifully. And Senior Wang Zijun and Sister Lei are also very skilled. When the music started, all the freshmen were stunned..."
Xia Nuannuan's eyes sparkled as she excitedly recounted the events while eating.
The elders all listened with smiles.
Unconsciously, as Xia Nuannuan got animated, she let down her guard, revealing the bright red mark on her neck.
Her grandparents, being elderly and sitting further away, didn't see it at all.
Her future mother-in-law, sitting next to Nuannuan, couldn't see it due to the angle.
However, Old Xia, sitting on Nuannuan's other side with particularly good eyesight, spotted it immediately.
He frowned, and his expression instantly turned serious.
"Nuannuan!"
Old Xia interrupted his daughter's words.
"Hmm?"
Xia Nuannuan turned her head to look at her father, her expression surprised.
"What happened to your neck? Did someone at school bully you? Does Xiao Qin not know?"
Old Xia pointed to the same spot on his own neck and asked with a serious expression.
Su Xia and Xia Nuannuan's grandparents heard this and their expressions also immediately became solemn. They all got up and leaned closer to look.
"Ah!"
Xia Nuannuan suddenly let out a loud gasp, her face turning crimson as she covered the hickey on her neck.
The elders were startled by the sudden cry and looked at Xia Nuannuan with confusion.
"Nuannuan, your father is asking you a question, why are you being so flustered? Don't scare your grandmother's heart."
The old man asked.
"Grandma, I'm sorry."
Xia Nuannuan first apologized to her grandmother, then looked at Old Xia with a blushing face and explained, "Dad, no one bullied me. You're thinking too much."
"Then what's that red mark on your neck?"
Old Xia nudged his chin.
Su Xia's gaze swept over her daughter's shy appearance, and she guessed something, her expression becoming a little peculiar.
"There have been a lot of mosquitoes in the dorm recently. I got bitten while sleeping at night, and I scratched too hard when I was itchy."
Xia Nuannuan shrank her neck, lowered her head to eat, and rambled incoherently with a hint of panic in her voice.
She would never use the excuse of cupping, as it was too far-fetched.
Besides, she had never had cupping done in her life!
"Mosquitoes?"
Old Xia was skeptical, instinctively feeling something was amiss.
What kind of mosquito bite was this large, and it was unlikely to scratch into such a mark!
"Old Xia, let's eat. It's just a little red mark, don't make such a fuss,"
Su Xia suddenly said.
Xia Nuannuan looked at her mother with surprise and saw her mother give her a meaningful glance.
She nervously avoided her gaze, feeling shy and at the same time grateful and admiring of her mother.
"Alright, as long as no one bullied Nuannuan, that's good. You can put some mosquito repellent on her later."
Old Xia instructed his wife.
"I know, Xiao Qin is always with her, who would dare bully her!"
Su Xia rolled her eyes speechlessly, thinking that while her husband was a master businessman, he was adorably slow-witted in such matters.
With Xiao Qin protecting her, no one would dare bully her daughter, but he himself was an exception!
"That's true, I was overthinking!"
Old Xia nodded in agreement and no longer dwelled on the topic, continuing to eat his food heartily.
The grandparents also believed the explanation.
The elderly couple trusted Qin Tian immensely, believing that with their golden grandson-in-law around, no one would dare bully their precious granddaughter.
After dinner, Su Xia handed the dishwashing task directly to Old Xia, using the excuse of applying mosquito repellent to her daughter to lead her daughter to the bedroom.
Upon reaching the bedroom, Su Xia actually found a bottle of mosquito repellent and looked at her daughter with a teasing smile.
"Nuannuan, come, sit here. I'll put some of this on you."
"Mom, stop pretending!"
"No, whether it was a mosquito bite or a human bite, this will help."
"Mom..."