Soon, Xia Zhengping and Su Xia, the couple, came over to toast.
The two expressed their sincere gratitude for Teacher Li Yanwang's guidance and also for the good friends surrounding their daughter.
After everyone shared a drink, Xia Nuannuan joined her parents to toast other tables.
After the banquet, Qin Tian was appointed by everyone to bid farewell to Xia Nuannuan's parents, and then they prepared to leave.
Currently, Xia Nuannuan and her parents were busy arranging things for a group of relatives and friends, so it wasn't feasible for them to go over as a group.
Most of the relatives wouldn't leave immediately, but were arranged to play cards at the hotel or rest at Xia Nuannuan's home.
There would be another banquet in the afternoon, but Qin Tian and his group had no intention of attending.
"Uncle Xia, Auntie, we'll be heading off now!"
Qin Tian approached, finding an opportunity to bid farewell to Xia Zhengping and his wife.
The couple looked at him as he spoke. Su Xia immediately invited him to stay, "Why are you leaving so early? Stay and have fun, there's another meal this afternoon!"
"Yes, tell Teacher Li and the others to stay too. I'll give you two rooms, you can relax for a bit. Dinner starts at five, it'll be here soon!" Xia Zhengping agreed.
"No, we're quite full. We won't be coming this afternoon." Qin Tian politely declined with a smile.
The couple glanced at Li Yanwang and the others not far away and didn't insist further.
"Alright then, Nuannuan, you go with Xiao Qin to see Teacher Li and the others off. We're really too busy right now," Su Xia said to her daughter beside them.
"Okay!" Xia Nuannuan agreed with a beaming smile.
"Teacher Li, goodbye!" Xia Zhengping called out, waving goodbye to Li Yanwang with a face full of smiles.
Li Yanwang nodded with a smile.
Subsequently, Qin Tian and Xia Nuannuan walked over and left with Li Yanwang and the others.
"Brother-in-law, don't go, stay and play with us for a bit!" A girl's voice suddenly called out.
Qin Tian looked over and saw a girl about thirteen or fourteen years old not far away, waving at him with her right arm raised high.
"Xiao Xue!" Xia Nuannuan glared at her with embarrassment and annoyance.
"Hehe... Sis, don't let Brother-in-law leave just like that!" The girl smiled brightly and made a move to walk towards them, but was held back by her mother beside her.
"Xiao Xue, don't be silly!"
"I'm not being silly, I just want to get to know Brother-in-law!"
"Your sister?" Qin Tian asked Xia Nuannuan with a questioning look.
"Mhm, the daughter of my third uncle, Xia Xue!" Xia Nuannuan introduced, her face slightly flushed.
"Family Has Children?" Tian Jiajia, walking behind, blurted out in surprise.
Xia Nuannuan nodded with a smile, "It's the same name!"
"Nuannuan, then you don't happen to have a cousin named Xia Yu, do you?" Zhang Peng jokingly followed up.
Xia Nuannuan shook her head helplessly and replied, "No, there is a cousin, he couldn't make it today, but his name isn't Xia Yu!"
Qin Tian looked at Xia Nuannuan's cousin, and with a hearty laugh, shouted, "We'll be heading back today. We'll play together next time we have a chance!"
"Okay, Brother-in-law, it's a deal!" Xia Xue waved her arms and shouted.
Qin Tian nodded with a smile.
...
...
After leaving the hotel, Li Yanwang, Zhang Peng, and others said their goodbyes and departed separately.
Qin Tian, carrying the seafood feast he had packed for his mother, planned to go to the mall first.
Xia Nuannuan glanced at the bag in his hand and asked, "Is that enough? Should I ask the hotel kitchen to make a bit more?"
"It's enough. My mom can't possibly eat this much. No need to trouble yourselves." Qin Tian said with a light smile.
"Alright!" Xia Nuannuan smiled faintly and asked again, "Are you planning to go back to your hometown in a few days?"
Qin Tian had already told her about his plan to return home for his graduation ceremony.
"Mhm!" Qin Tian nodded and invited, "Would you like to come with us then?"
"Ah? I'm going too?" Xia Nuannuan was taken aback.
"Yes, of course, if you don't want to go, that's fine."
"No, I want to go!"
"Then it's settled!" Qin Tian smiled.
At this moment, many guests were slowly coming out of the hotel entrance, and quite a few were looking at Qin Tian and Xia Nuannuan with amused expressions.
"Xiao Qin, right? You better treat our Nuannuan well, or we won't agree!" A middle-aged man said loudly in a teasing yet somewhat threatening tone.
Upon hearing this, Xia Nuannuan's face turned red at a visible speed. She glared at the man with embarrassment and annoyance, "Cousin-Uncle, don't talk nonsense!"
It was clear this was an elder from Xia Nuannuan's mother's side. According to Xia Nuannuan's address, he was likely her mother's cousin, or could simply be called uncle.
The man was surrounded by many people, all smiling at Qin Tian. They were likely Xia Nuannuan's maternal relatives, and therefore, her own relatives.
Qin Tian's handsome face broke into a bright smile. He loudly assured the man, "Uncle, please don't worry. I will definitely treat Nuannuan well. If I don't, I won't even agree with myself."
"Good boy, haha..." The man burst into hearty laughter.
The others around him also laughed heartily, their gazes towards Qin Tian filled with admiration. This address of "Uncle" not only made them beam with joy but also made Xia Nuannuan's face turn even redder.
Everyone had heard that this handsome young man was also the provincial top scorer in the college entrance examination this year, and an unprecedented perfect scorer at that. When this was discussed at the banquet table, many had suddenly realized they had seen Qin Tian's photos and interviews in the newspapers. Coupled with Xia Nuannuan's speech on stage earlier, everyone was very pleased with Qin Tian.
"Xiao Qin, don't leave yet, we're short one person, join us for a game of mahjong!" The man invited with a smile.
"No, as you can see, I'm in a hurry to deliver food to my mother. Perhaps next time, there will be plenty of opportunities later." Qin Tian said with a chuckle.
"Haha... That's true. Alright, then we'll talk about it later!" The man nodded happily.
"Well then, Uncle, and everyone else, please have fun. I'm leaving now." Qin Tian politely bid farewell to the group, then looked at Xia Nuannuan and said, "Nuannuan, I'm going now!"
"Mhm!" Xia Nuannuan nodded with a blush.
Qin Tian smiled, waved to the elders again, and then turned to leave.
After watching him walk away, Xia Nuannuan glared at her cousin-uncle, her cheeks puffed out.
"Nuannuan, this Xiao Qin is quite good," the man praised with a teasing smile.
"Nuannuan has really good taste!"
"They look very well-matched!"
"We'll let this slide for now, but next time we see him, we'll definitely drag this kid over for a good drink!"
"Yes, yes, absolutely!"
...
Listening to her cousin-uncle and the others' enthusiastic discussions, Xia Nuannuan felt her cheeks burning.
"I'm not talking to you anymore." With a shy stomp of her foot, Xia Nuannuan turned and went back into the hotel. The happy laughter of the elders behind her made her hasten her steps even more in her embarrassment.