Xia Nuannuan also helped in the kitchen to learn cooking, while Qin Tian sat in the living room with the old man, playing chess and chatting.
Of course, he had to let the old man win a bit, otherwise, each game would end too quickly.
Perhaps more than just a bit?
However, the old man played with good sportsmanship. Even though he lost every game, he still enjoyed himself.
The old man played very slowly, carefully considering each move for a few seconds, and his hesitation grew longer as the game progressed.
Qin Tian nibbled on melon seeds and sipped tea, waiting leisurely. He even encouraged the old man not to rush and to take his time thinking.
In the kitchen, Xia Nuannuan, her mother, and grandmother were preparing ingredients while chatting about interesting school events after the semester started.
"Uncle Qin is so popular. The lecture hall was huge, and it was packed. Many girls liked Uncle Qin!"
She was talking about Qin Hongwen's lecture at school yesterday.
"Really? Qin Tian's dad is that famous? So many people at your school know him?"
Su Xia asked with some surprise.
The grandmother next to her also looked at her granddaughter with curiosity.
"Uh..."
Xia Nuannuan faltered for a moment, feeling a bit embarrassed to explain, "Actually, it's because of us. The news that Uncle Qin is Brother's father spread before the lecture started. You know, Brother is very popular at our school."
"I see, that makes sense!"
Su Xia nodded with a smile.
"Are there really many girls at your school who like Little Qin's dad? He must be over forty, right?"
The grandmother suddenly interjected.
Even though she was nearing seventy, she still retained a woman's natural inclination for gossip.
Xia Nuannuan's eyes sparkled with amusement as she playfully tapped her head.
"Many. Uncle Qin is so handsome, has such great presence, looks very young, and is so learned."
"Mom, many young girls nowadays like older men, especially excellent men. They're called 'quality oppas'!"
Su Xia said to her mother-in-law with a gentle smile.
"Is that so? Hehe..."
The grandmother laughed happily.
"Mom, you know so much!"
Xia Nuannuan looked at her mother with admiration.
"Of course! Do you think I watch so many dramas for nothing!"
Su Xia playfully rolled her eyes and asked, "Speaking of which, is Little Tian's dad really that handsome?"
She had only heard about Qin Hongwen in the days after the Spring Festival and hadn't met him in person.
"He really is!"
Xia Nuannuan nodded, then added, "But I still think Brother is the most handsome. Think about it, if he has a son as handsome as Brother, Uncle Qin must be very handsome too!"
"Alright, alright, don't find opportunities to show off your affection."
Su Xia rolled her eyes in exasperation.
"Hee hee..."
Xia Nuannuan's eyes curved into crescents as she smiled and said, "Will you come with me to Brother's house for dinner this afternoon? Uncle Qin should be there too."
"This... maybe you should go alone?"
Su Xia suggested hesitantly.
"No, you must come! What are you afraid of?"
"I just feel like we should wait until your dad gets back for a formal meeting."
"It's okay, Dad can meet him next time. There will be opportunities."
"Alright then..."
Su Xia thought for a moment and finally agreed.
"Grandma, do you want to come too?"
Xia Nuannuan invited her grandmother.
"No, no, what would I do there? I'm not going."
The grandmother waved her hands repeatedly, refusing emphatically.
Xia Nuannuan nodded slightly, not pressing the matter.
After eleven o'clock, a succession of delicious home-style dishes, full of color, aroma, and flavor, were successively served from the hands of the virtuous future mother-in-law.
Xia Nuannuan stood by, watching attentively and humbly asking for advice. As soon as her mother finished a dish, she would help carry it to the dining table outside.
The grandmother had no more help to offer and went to sit in the living room to watch the two play chess.
"You and Little Tian, do you often cook for yourselves over there now?"
Su Xia asked casually while pan-frying fish.
"Mm, we have a dog, remember? We go to see him every noon or afternoon and cook our own meals."
"So that's why you're more eager to learn cooking?"
Su Xia glanced at her daughter with a playful smile.
Xia Nuannuan's pretty face blushed, and she nodded.
"That's good. Although Little Tian is a very good cook, you can't always let him do it. As a girl, you should learn to cook. You don't have to be an expert, but at least you should know how to make these home-style dishes."
"Mm-hmm, I think so too."
"By the way, do you and Little Tian sometimes stay at your own place now?"
Su Xia suddenly asked.
Xia Nuannuan was stunned for a moment, then her face turned red as she replied with an "Mm." She added, "Usually just on weekends. We stay in the dorms on weekdays so it's more convenient for classes."
"Is that so!"
Su Xia nodded slightly. After a moment of contemplation, she suddenly asked again, "Are you staying at your own place, or..."
She didn't finish her sentence.
The moment her daughter returned home yesterday, her sharp intuition had already sensed something.
Her daughter looked even more beautiful, with a hint of maturity about her. She still possessed the youthful vivacity of a girl, but with a new allure that hadn't been there before.
Moreover, when her daughter spoke to her, her eyes and eyebrows were always brimming with a happy and sweet smile.
Everything indicated that the relationship between the two children had undergone a deeper transformation.
She had held back from asking last night, her mind racing with various thoughts, and she had only fallen asleep in the early hours of the morning.
"We live together."
After stammering for a while, Xia Nuannuan replied with her face bright red.
Su Xia glanced at her, her expression calm as she added seasoning to the pot.
"Mom, we..."
"Living together is fine."
Su Xia suddenly interrupted her.
"Ah?"
Xia Nuannuan blinked in surprise. Then she heard her mother change the subject and speak directly, "But you must pay close attention to safety measures. You can't get pregnant until after you graduate from university."
Upon hearing this, Xia Nuannuan's entire face turned even redder, like a ripe apple in late autumn.
"Mom, what are you talking about!"
"I'm not joking. This is very important, and I have to say it."
Su Xia looked at her with a serious expression and added, "Mom isn't old-fashioned. I see your relationship, and it's understandable that things have progressed to this point, but do you understand what to do at what time?"
She didn't actually oppose the children reaching this stage; otherwise, she wouldn't have asked her husband to buy their daughter a house.
Xia Nuannuan opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but then she suddenly remembered the Qin family's situation.
Qin Hongwen was still pursuing his postgraduate studies back then, and everything became chaotic when Tang Xiuxia became pregnant unexpectedly.
If there hadn't been an unexpected pregnancy, perhaps Qin Hongwen's mother, who wished for her son to become a dragon, would have continued to turn a blind eye.
As Qin Hongwen completed his studies and became more mature and steady, gaining more say in the family, if he had firmly communicated with his mother about this matter, would the Qin family's situation have been different?
Of course, if that were the case, she probably wouldn't have met Qin Tian.
"Mom, I understand."
"That's good. Mom trusts you and Little Tian. Take this fish over there and tell them to wash their hands, and we'll get ready to eat."
"Mm-hmm!"