After spending over ten yuan to treat Zhang Peng to a meal in the cafeteria, Qin Tian finally had the chance to enjoy the homemade lunch brought by Xia Nuannuan all to himself.
Inside the insulated lunchbox, several dishes were still arranged with a mix of meat and vegetables, all looking, smelling, and tasting delicious – both healthy and appetizing.
As Qin Tian devoured the food, he couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
He wondered what good deeds the future father-in-law he met last night must have done in his past life to have found such a beautiful and virtuous wife as Xia Nuannuan's mother.
However, with such an outstanding mother, it was only natural that Xia Nuannuan would surpass her.
"Try these shrimp balls stir-fried with broccoli, I specifically asked Mom to make them. They're low-calorie and delicious," Xia Nuannuan pointed to the shrimp balls in the lunchbox, smiling as she recommended them.
"Mm, okay, I'll try," Qin Tian picked up a shrimp ball and popped it into his mouth, savoring it carefully.
"How is it? Is it tasty?" Xia Nuannuan asked with anticipation in her eyes.
Qin Tian nodded emphatically, giving a thumbs-up with his free left hand, exclaiming, "Exquisite!"
"Hee hee..." Xia Nuannuan giggled happily. She thought about learning a few signature dishes from her mother when she had free time.
Qin Tian was becoming more outstanding by the day, and she couldn't fall behind.
She recalled from novels and TV shows that to capture a man's heart, one must first capture his stomach.
In the classroom, the boys glared at Qin Tian with eyes as sharp as knives.
If looks could kill, he would have died countless times over.
While everyone had already eaten lunch, many had dined at the cafeteria. The aunties there had a habit of being heavy-handed with the portions, so naturally, no one was fully satisfied.
Even the few students who went home for lunch, or were day students, certainly didn't have meals as lavish as the ones Xia Nuannuan brought.
More importantly, this was food brought from home by a girl – it came with a happiness bonus, didn't it!
Especially since Xia Nuannuan was becoming more beautiful with each passing day, making all the boys lament even more.
How could such a promising prospect be fully bought out by Qin Tian so early!
As he bit into one of the shrimp balls, Qin Tian's expression stiffened slightly.
Why was it so spicy?
Wasabi?
That's right, it seemed like there was wasabi in this shrimp ball, and quite a lot of it, to the point of making his nose tingle.
"What's wrong?" Xia Nuannuan, sensing the change in his expression, asked curiously.
"Nothing," Qin Tian shook his head with a smile, unperturbed, and swallowed the shrimp ball in his mouth.
Then, he ate another one.
This one was also not right, and even more bizarre – it seemed to have something stuffed inside.
Sichuan peppercorns?
Qin Tian couldn't swallow this one.
He wasn't that kind of tough guy; while he could accept Sichuan peppercorns as seasoning, he couldn't stomach them raw.
He opened his left hand and spat a few peppercorns into his palm.
Qin Tian looked up at Xia Nuannuan, and they both fell into a brief silence.
"Sichuan peppercorns?" Xia Nuannuan frowned.
This dish shouldn't have Sichuan peppercorns, let alone stuffed into shrimp balls.
"It seems so!" Qin Tian nodded with a sheepish grin, tossing the peppercorns in his hand onto the ground. He reassured her, "It's fine, maybe the auntie accidentally put them in while cooking."
"No, my mom wouldn't make such a mistake. There's no reason for it." Xia Nuannuan denied him with a serious expression. Suddenly, as if she thought of something, her eyes widened.
She remembered what her mother had said when packing the insulated lunchbox.
"I made this dish with your dad today, and he helped shape the shrimp balls."
And when they were eating, this dish of shrimp balls stir-fried with broccoli was placed in front of her father, and he was always the one who served the dishes.
"Qin Tian, don't eat the shrimp balls anymore, have something else!" Xia Nuannuan said to Qin Tian apologetically.
"Mm, did you think of something?" Qin Tian asked curiously.
"These shrimp balls... I think my dad made them. He might know something," Xia Nuannuan replied with an embarrassed expression.
Qin Tian's lips twitched slightly as he nodded, "Understood."
Was this a warning to him? Qin Tian felt speechless.
This future father-in-law was truly formidable; he couldn't believe he could come up with such a tactic.
Xia Nuannuan bit her fingernails, feeling annoyed and a little flustered.
How did her dad find out!
As for stuffing things into the shrimp balls, she must report this to her mother later and have her scold her father properly.
"Um... Nuannuan, I've actually met your dad!" Qin Tian confessed abruptly.
"Ah?" Xia Nuannuan exclaimed in surprise, looking at him with a stunned gaze.
"Last night, when you left school alone, Zhang Peng and I were actually following behind. Then your dad saw me when he got into the car." Qin Tian explained everything honestly, offering a sheepish smile, "Sorry, I was just a little curious, I didn't mean anything else."
Xia Nuannuan stared blankly, shaking her head, not knowing what to say for a moment.
"It's fine, you don't need to overthink it. Things will sort themselves out when the time comes!" Qin Tian comforted her with a smile.
"Mm!" Xia Nuannuan nodded in agreement, but her mood remained unsettled.
She understood her father best.
Since he knew about this, he wouldn't just let it go.
First, it was secretly stuffing things into the shrimp balls; who knew what mischief he would stir up next.
After finishing the remaining food, Qin Tian tidied up the tableware and returned it to Xia Nuannuan. He then lay down on the desk to take a nap.
He didn't take the special warning from his future father-in-law to heart; things would proceed as they always did.
Just as he had told Zhang Peng before, no matter how rich or high in social standing his future father-in-law was, it wouldn't affect him.
After the lunch break, the four classes in the afternoon continued until 5:30.
"Nuannuan, I have something to do and need to go to the internet café. I might be a little late coming to school," Qin Tian informed Xia Nuannuan.
"Got it. I'll be a bit late too then," Xia Nuannuan replied.
She also needed to clarify things with her dad, lest he cause trouble for Qin Tian.
"Tian Ge, let's go eat in the cafeteria," Zhang Peng came over.
"Let's eat out. Let's go to the internet café," Qin Tian said with a smile.
Zhang Peng's eyes lit up with surprise. "Are we skipping class tonight?"
"What are you thinking? Aren't you supposed to be studying hard? Why skip class? We'll be back before evening study hall," Qin Tian retorted.
"Alright!" Zhang Peng shrugged helplessly and said eagerly, "Then let's hurry up, we can still get in a couple of games!"
Qin Tian nodded and said to Xia Nuannuan, "Let's go together!"
"Okay!" Xia Nuannuan happily agreed.
The three of them then left the school together and parted ways at the school gate.
Xia Nuannuan walked home, while Qin Tian, along with Zhang Peng, headed in the opposite direction towards the internet café.
They passed a few snack stalls, bought some food casually, and ate as they made their way to the internet café.
Although it wasn't a holiday for students today, the internet café was still doing good business in the afternoon.
Xu Hao was also at his usual spot, operating his computer with a cigarette dangling from his lips. Several young men behind him were watching, smoking and listening to him brag.