"Mom, can you pack some food for me?"
Xia Nuannuan glanced at her father, who was on the phone in the balcony, covered her mouth with her hand, and asked her mother in a low voice.
Su Xia showed a mischievous smile and asked knowingly, "For Xiao Qin?"
Xia Nuannuan's pretty face turned red, and she tacitly agreed.
When she returned in the morning, she heard Zhang Peng mention that the cafeteria food was terrible.
At this moment, seeing the delicious leftovers on the table, she suddenly had this idea.
Her father came home today, and her mother had specifically cooked many good dishes, but they couldn't finish them all.
"Okay, I'll go get a thermos."
Su Xia agreed with a smile.
"Thank you, my cute and beautiful mom, muah!"
Xia Nuannuan pouted and blew a kiss.
Su Xia gave her a playful eye roll and went to the kitchen to get the thermos.
"Hehe..."
Xia Nuannuan was all smiles, her gaze sweeping over the delicious dishes on the dining table, wondering which ones Qin Tian would like.
She should take more sweet and sour pork ribs; not many people dislike this, and it's her mother's specialty.
And this chili chicken is very appetizing, so she should take more of that too.
The crucian carp and tofu soup was simmered to be very fresh, so she could take some of that as well.
And this stir-fried cabbage too; it's sour, spicy, and appetizing. Combining meat and vegetables is healthier.
When Xia Zhengping finished his call and returned, he was a bit stunned to find his wife and daughter packing food into the thermos.
"What are you... doing?"
He asked with a look of bewilderment.
"I was afraid I'd be hungry in the afternoon, so I'm taking some food to eat after class."
Xia Nuannuan quickly came up with an excuse.
"Ah?"
Xia Zhengping was taken aback.
"Didn't you say... you were going on a diet?"
"Yes, I'm afraid I might get too hungry, so I'll just eat a little."
Xia Nuannuan earnestly made a forced explanation.
Xia Zhengping was skeptical.
It was the first time he had heard of dieting in such a manner.
If she were truly starving, could she really resist eating just a little?
"Wife?"
Xia Zhengping's questioning gaze turned to his wife.
"Nuannuan has been like this for the past few days,"
Su Xia casually replied, then looked at her daughter and asked, "Nuannuan, do you want some of this stir-fried green beans with meat?"
"Yes, take a little!"
"And this stir-fried celery with shrimp?"
"This... celery..."
Xia Nuannuan became a little troubled, not knowing if Qin Tian had any dietary restrictions regarding this.
"Take a little. It's very delicious. If you don't like celery, just pick out the shrimp,"
Su Xia suggested.
"Mhm, I'll listen to you, then take a little!"
Xia Nuannuan nodded with a sweet smile.
"What? Didn't Nuannuan always eat celery?"
Xia Zhengping frowned, finding it even stranger.
The mother and daughter's expressions changed slightly, suddenly realizing they had let slip.
Xia Nuannuan became a little flustered and guilty, her eyes darting away.
"It's like this, Nuannuan ate too much of this a while ago, causing her spleen and stomach to become cold and leading to diarrhea, so she started disliking it."
Su Xia, with her rich experience, quickly came up with such a reason.
"Yes, yes, yes, I hate celery the most. Eating it easily causes diarrhea."
Xia Nuannuan busily nodded in agreement.
"How could this happen? Nuannuan was sick and unwell, why didn't you tell me?"
"We didn't want you to worry."
"Exactly, Dad, it was just a minor illness, I've been fine for a long time."
"Alright!"
Xia Zhengping nodded, still feeling that something was not quite right.
But he couldn't pinpoint it for the moment.
Soon, Su Xia had filled the three-layered thermos with food.
Xia Zhengping sat on the side, eating dishes, watching this scene, his investigative gaze sweeping across his wife's and daughter's faces.
"Here, hold it carefully so you don't drop it."
Su Xia handed the covered thermos to her daughter.
"Mhm, thank you, Mom."
Xia Nuannuan took the thermos with a beaming smile and said to her father, "Dad, you eat slowly, I'm heading back to school now!"
"Going now? Aren't you going to take a nap first?"
Xia Zhengping asked, confused.
"I'm not sleepy today. My studies are heavy recently, and I want to go back to school to do some serious practice."
Xia Nuannuan replied quickly.
"Is that so!"
Xia Zhengping nodded blankly.
"Mom, I'm leaving, bye-bye!"
Xia Nuannuan waved goodbye to her mother.
"Go, go, be careful on the way."
"Got it!"
Xia Nuannuan replied obediently, quickly walked to the entrance to change her shoes, and then went out.
"Wife, why do you two seem a bit strange?"
"Old Xia, it's just the business of your shop that's too complicated, you're overthinking it!"
"Really?"
"Yes!"
..................................................................
The classroom was very quiet.
The students were either napping or quietly doing practice problems and reviewing.
When Xia Nuannuan returned, she found that Qin Tian was also asleep, slumped on his desk.
Her seat was on the inside, near the wall, and to get in, she would have to wake Qin Tian up.
Therefore, she chose to sit in an empty seat in the back row.
This was the seat of a day student who usually went home to rest at noon.
Placing the thermos on her clasped legs, she picked up a study guide from the desk and began to read, quietly waiting for Qin Tian to wake up.
In the classroom, a few classmates who saw this scene felt an inexplicable sense of envy.
Everyone had witnessed the relationship between Qin Tian and Xia Nuannuan.
Before, only girls would envy and be jealous, finding Qin Tian, who protected Xia Nuannuan, very charming.
Recently, as people noticed Xia Nuannuan becoming more beautiful day by day, the boys also started to envy and be jealous of Qin Tian.
At the same time, many regretted why they hadn't noticed earlier that Xia Nuannuan was actually such a treasure girl!
The bell for the end of the lunch break was at 1:50.
Qin Tian woke up around 1:40, yawning as he sat up.
At this moment, he felt a gentle poke on his back.
He turned his head in confusion and saw Xia Nuannuan's sweet and charming smile.
"When did you get here? Why didn't you wake me up!"
"Not long ago. Seeing you sleeping so soundly, I didn't have the heart to."
Xia Nuannuan replied with a smile.
In fact, she had been there for over half an hour.
"Okay, remember to wake me up directly next time. You can come over."
Qin Tian stood up and said.
Xia Nuannuan nodded, holding the thermos with both hands, and slowly got up.
"This is... why did you bring food? Aren't you going back for lunch this afternoon?"
Qin Tian asked in surprise.
"No, you said last time you wanted to try my mom's cooking, so she asked me to bring it for you."
Xia Nuannuan told a little white lie, feeling a bit embarrassed to say it was her own idea.
"Really?"
Qin Tian was even more surprised.
Was his future mother-in-law this kind?
"Yes!"
Xia Nuannuan sat down in her seat and asked, "Do you want to eat now?"
"Mhm, let me try. The cafeteria lunch really isn't great, I didn't eat enough."
Qin Tian patted his stomach and said with a smile.
"Hehe... I knew it."
Xia Nuannuan smiled sweetly and opened the lid of the thermos.
The top layer was the crucian carp and tofu soup, simmered to a milky white. The moment the lid was opened, an enticing aroma filled the air.
The students sleeping at the tables around them all lifted their heads, casting curious glances.
"Wow, it smells so good!"
Qin Tian rubbed his hands together.
"Take a look at the ones below, ta-da..."
Xia Nuannuan carefully lifted the top layer, revealing several dishes on the layer below.
Sweet and sour pork ribs, chili chicken, stir-fried celery with shrimp, sour and spicy cabbage...
"Oh my god, this is too extravagant, I can't take it anymore, where are the chopsticks!"
Qin Tian said with impatience.
"Here!"
Xia Nuannuan's eyes curved, and she handed him the chopsticks and spoon wrapped in a dining cloth.
"Thank you, I'm starting."