There was no need to put too much thought into pan-frying the steak for the dog. It was quickly cooked, then cut into pieces with a few slices, and placed into the dog's food bowl.
As Qin Tian carried the bowl towards the balcony, the dog followed closely at his heels, yelping impatiently.
"Alright, stop barking, I'll give it to you right away."
"Woof!"
"Still barking? Bark again and I won't give it to you."
This time, the dog seemed to understand and stayed quiet obediently.
Upon reaching the balcony, he placed the dog bowl on the ground and added an extra portion of the dog's evening kibble.
"Eat up!"
"Woof woof!"
The dog barked excitedly twice, then buried its head and began to eat heartily.
In the living room, on the sofa, Xia Nuannuan had already chosen a movie and was eating fruit, watching this scene with a gentle smile.
"Did you pick out a movie?" Qin Tian asked with a smile.
"It's picked. What do you think of this one?" Xia Nuannuan pointed at the television screen.
Qin Tian casually glanced over and nodded, "It's fine. Let's go with this one. I haven't seen it before!"
For him, it didn't really matter what movie they watched at this point, as his mind wouldn't be on the film anyway.
He flopped down beside Xia Nuannuan, casually slung an arm around her waist, picked up the TV remote, pressed the confirm button, and started playing the movie.
Xia Nuannuan speared a strawberry and offered it to his mouth.
Qin Tian glanced at it and opened his mouth wide to eat the strawberry.
"Not bad, it's very sweet!"
"Yes, the fruit I bought is quite good!" Xia Nuannuan smiled sweetly.
"Mm, if it were imported, it would be even tastier," Qin Tian said with a knowing smile.
"Imported?" Xia Nuannuan blinked, looking at him with confusion, and asked, "Are foreign strawberries tastier?"
Qin Tian shook his head, raised his right index finger, and gently tapped her lips, teasing, "I was talking about this."
Xia Nuannuan's face flushed slightly, but it was only from his gesture; she still didn't understand what he meant.
Seeing that she still didn't understand, Qin Tian decided to explain with action. He took another strawberry from the fruit plate, bit onto it, and lowered his head, offering the pointed end to her.
Xia Nuannuan's eyes widened, and in the next second, her cheeks flushed crimson, her entire face turning a deep red. She bit down with her teeth, and the strawberry split in two.
"This is what I meant," Qin Tian said, chewing the strawberry in his mouth with a playful smile.
Xia Nuannuan lowered her head, her face completely red, and muttered softly, "Where did you learn this? You're too naughty."
"Hehe..." Qin Tian chuckled without comment.
As a reincarnator, even though his previous life's dating experience wasn't extensive, he had learned many flirtatious tricks online. For instance, he remembered some cheesy pickup lines and popular internet memes, which he could now apply appropriately. Of course, one had to strike a balance; too much could seem greasy. Qin Tian felt he was doing alright, and since this particular "meme" hadn't surfaced yet, Xia Nuannuan naturally wouldn't know, making the effect unexpectedly good. For a couple, such appropriate teasing could add novelty and was beneficial for deepening their relationship.
"Nuannuan, ah... feed me another one."
"No way, you're too naughty, don't eat anymore!"
"I didn't say I wanted imported ones, just feed me."
"No!" Xia Nuannuan shyly refused, nudging his chin with her head.
"Ah, poor me, I made dinner, washed the dishes, and even cut the fruit, and now I can't even have a piece of fruit," Qin Tian said in a sad, disappointed tone.
"Alright, here, here." Xia Nuannuan rolled her eyes and speared a piece of apple, offering it to his mouth.
"I want..."
"Eat it quickly!" Xia Nuannuan interrupted him before he could speak.
Qin Tian looked helpless, opened his mouth, and ate the apple, chewing it with a blank expression. Xia Nuannuan had already turned her head to watch the movie, and through the glow of the television, her earlobes could be faintly seen to be red.
On the balcony, the dog, having finished its beef, was eating the remaining kibble and looking up at them.
The movie was a romantic film released in China a few years prior. Both of them were in junior high school at the time and hadn't seen it, only hearing some reviews. Following the usual style of youth romance films, it was cloyingly sweet at the beginning and then brutally heartbreaking later. As they watched the male and female leads interacting and sharing sweet moments, Xia Nuannuan snuggled into Qin Tian's arms, an uncontrollable "auntie smile" gracing her pretty face. When the male and female leads shared a passionate kiss, Xia Nuannuan immediately suppressed her smile, feigning composure and pretending to be unfazed.
Qin Tian, of course, wouldn't miss such a good opportunity. He raised his hand, gently stroked her cheek, and with a slight push, made her turn her head. He then lowered his head and kissed her.
It wasn't until the movie's background music ended, and the male and female leads in the film separated, with the male lead starting a heartfelt confession, that Qin Tian released Xia Nuannuan. Xia Nuannuan averted her gaze, not daring to meet Qin Tian's fiery stare, and flusteredly turned her head back to the movie.
Qin Tian felt a fire ignite within him. The hand around her waist slipped under the hem of her thermal shirt and moved upwards. Xia Nuannuan's body tensed, and after a token struggle, she gave up resisting. The moment his "pig trotters" succeeded, the fair lady's delicate body trembled slightly, her teeth biting down on her lower lip as she suppressed any embarrassing sounds. After playing for a while, Qin Tian couldn't hold back anymore. He suddenly stood up and, in a princess carry, scooped Xia Nuannuan into his arms.
"Ah! W-what are you doing?" Xia Nuannuan's pretty face was as red as fire, and she asked in a flustered manner.
"Sleepy, let's go to bed!" Qin Tian walked quickly towards the room.
"No, the TV..."
"Don't worry about it, we'll deal with it later."
"I, I haven't showered yet!"
"It's okay, I haven't showered either. There's a bathroom in the room, we can shower together."
"Brother..." Xia Nuannuan was completely panicked now.
"Shh... don't speak!" Qin Tian lowered his head and captured her soft lips again, using a fiery kiss to break down her rational thoughts. Xia Nuannuan couldn't resist this and quickly lost herself.
"Woof!" The dog, thinking its master was bullying its mistress, followed them all the way to the room door. Just as it was about to follow them in, the door slammed shut with a bang. Anxious, it could only scratch the door with its paws.
"Go away, stop scratching the door, go play somewhere else!" The male owner's loud shout came from inside the room.
The dog was startled and took a few steps back, then went to the balcony with its head hanging low. After a while, the mistress's pained cries could be heard from the room. The dog was startled awake and quickly got up, coming to the room door, but it didn't dare scratch the door again, only pacing anxiously back and forth. Soon, the mistress's suppressed voice from the room changed again. Not long after, accompanied by a strange muffled grunt from the male owner, everything returned to peace.