“What? You’re going to Xia Nuannuan’s house tomorrow at noon?”
Zhang Peng exclaimed in disbelief.
Several high school students nearby, who had just finished school, were alerted and cast curious glances at the two.
“Keep it down, what are you yelling about?”
Qin Tian glared at him impatiently.
Zhang Peng nodded vigorously and lowered his voice, asking, “Brother Tian, have you two been exposed?”
Qin Tian’s mouth twitched, and he showed a look of disgust, “What are you talking about? Did your brain get caught in the door?”
“Uh… sorry, sorry.”
Zhang Peng gave a sheepish smile and said seriously, “Don’t tell me Xia Nuannuan’s dad wants you to witness his family’s immense wealth so you’ll give up?”
“You’re overthinking it. It’s just to thank me for Xia Nuannuan’s recent academic progress, inviting me to a meal,”
Qin Tian said dismissively.
“I think you’re thinking too simply, Brother Tian, you need to take this seriously!”
Zhang Peng said with a seemingly earnest tone, his expression solemn as he continued:
“Look, we met her dad just last night, and today you’re invited to her house for dinner. It’s obvious, her dad knows you have designs on his precious daughter and is planning to make a move on you.”
“Isn’t that a common plot in TV shows? A rich young master falls for a commoner girl, and his family opposes it, using various means to force the girl to give up her improper thoughts.”
“You two are clearly the opposite!”
After hearing this guy’s speculation, Qin Tian rolled his eyes speechlessly, “Why didn’t I realize you were so good at imagining things before? I think you could write novels.”
Zhang Peng pouted, “Regardless, I think it’s highly likely, Brother Tian, that you won’t have an easy time tomorrow!”
Qin Tian stopped arguing with him, a thoughtful expression appearing on his face.
He didn’t take Zhang Peng’s exaggerated imaginings to heart.
After all, his mother-in-law should be on his side. If it were really as Zhang Peng suggested, such an invitation wouldn’t have been extended.
Of course, he also knew that tomorrow’s lunch wouldn’t be easy.
Even if it was his mother-in-law’s idea, that future father-in-law wouldn’t let him enjoy a delicious lunch easily and happily.
He had dated girlfriends in his previous life, but he had never visited their parents’ homes.
He hadn’t expected to face this hurdle so quickly and suddenly in this new life.
“Forget it, no use thinking about it. We already decided, so let nature take its course.”
Qin Tian truly lacked experience in this area and couldn’t figure out what challenges he might face tomorrow.
Thus, he simply gave up thinking about it.
…
…
After parting ways with Zhang Peng, Qin Tian returned home.
His mother asked him to sit in his room and watch television, then went to the kitchen to make him a bowl of frozen dumplings for a late-night snack.
Qin Tian pondered whether to tell his mother about going to Xia Nuannuan’s house. He picked up his chopsticks, dipped a dumpling in vinegar, and took a bite.
“Hoo… hoo…”
Distractedly, he was scalded by the hot dumpling and kept puffing air.
“Xiao Tian, what are you thinking about?”
Tang Xiuxia noticed her son seemed preoccupied and asked with a frown.
“Ah? Nothing!”
Qin Tian instinctively played dumb, baring his teeth and chewing the scalding dumpling in his mouth.
“Is that so?”
Tang Xiuxia crossed her arms and looked at him meaningfully.
This was the flesh she had carried for ten months and raised alone for over a decade. How could she not tell if her son was saying one thing and meaning another?
“Alright, alright, I’ll confess.”
Qin Tian felt a bit unnerved by his mother’s gaze, which seemed to pierce through him, so he decided to be direct.
Tang Xiuxia leaned back on the sofa, a faint smile appearing on her face.
“Go on, what surprise have you prepared for me this time!”
Last night’s surprise was a bit too big; she still hadn’t fully recovered.
She was afraid her son might deliver another heavy blow, so it was better to brace herself.
“Ahem.”
Qin Tian cupped his fist to his mouth and cleared his throat. After a few seconds of preparation, he looked at his mother opposite him with some trepidation and spoke cautiously:
“Mom, it’s like this, I have a girl I like, and I’m going to her house for dinner tomorrow at noon.”
After his words fell, a long silence ensued in the room.
Tang Xiuxia’s eyes widened slightly, and she became as still as a statue, as if struck by Sun Wukong’s immobilization spell.
Qin Tian, remembering last night’s events, moved the bowl of dumplings on the coffee table towards him, blinked his eyes, and quietly watched his mother, waiting for her to snap out of it.
After a while, seeing that his mother still hadn’t reacted, Qin Tian, with a great deal of courage, continued to eat the dumplings.
He unhurriedly ate two more dumplings, and just as he was about to eat the third.
Abruptly, his mother’s voice, seemingly with a hint of gritting her teeth, sounded:
“You’re still eating quite happily?”
Qin Tian froze, his chopsticks holding a dumpling stopped mid-air. He slowly raised his eyes to look at his mother opposite him, his mouth agape.
“Give it to me.”
Tang Xiuxia pointed at the bowl in front of him.
Qin Tian shook his head like a rattle drum, showing a pitiful expression, and said somewhat indistinctly, “Mom, I’ve only eaten three, I’m not full yet!”
With that, he quickly tried to shove the dumpling on his chopsticks into his mouth.
“Stop!”
Tang Xiuxia snapped.
Qin Tian’s movements froze again.
“Put it back. You’re not allowed to eat anything until you explain everything clearly.”
Tang Xiuxia pointed at the bowl in front of him and commanded with unquestionable authority.
“Okay!”
Qin Tian lowered his head and obediently put the dumplings back.
In front of his respected mother, no matter his age, he was still a baby.
“Speak, explain clearly, and don’t hide anything else. I want to see what good deeds you’ve been up to at school, you brat.”
Tang Xiuxia said expressionlessly.
“Mom, you’re exaggerating, I haven’t broken any rules!”
“Less nonsense, get straight to the point. Who is that girl? And why do you have to go to her house for dinner?”
“Don’t rush, Mom, I’ll tell you, I’ll tell you!”
Qin Tian didn’t dare to beat around the bush any longer. He told his mother the whole story, from beginning to end, like a bamboo tube pouring out beans.
During this process, Tang Xiuxia’s expressions kept changing, making for quite a spectacle.
“That’s how it is.”
After Qin Tian finished, he looked down at the dumplings in his bowl and looked at his mother opposite him questioningly.
Tang Xiuxia’s eye twitched, and she asked, “So, it was this… Xia Nuannuan’s mother who invited you to her house for dinner?”
“Mm-hmm!”
Qin Tian nodded like a pecking chicken.
“Just to thank you for helping her daughter with her studies?”
“Mm-hmm!”
“So, are you two dating or not?”
Qin Tian instinctively wanted to nod, but fortunately, he reacted in time and shook his head in a panic.
“No.”
“Hmm?”
Tang Xiuxia frowned.
“Not yet.”
Qin Tian added with a sheepish smile, “She and I made an agreement, after the college entrance exams… you know…”
“Don’t give me those winks.”
“Okay!”
Qin Tian immediately composed himself and adopted a serious demeanor.