On the way back to Jiangcheng, the music playing suddenly stopped, and the car's screen displayed an incoming call.
It was Wang Hao, whom they hadn't seen in a while.
Xia Nuannuan's questioning gaze fell on Qin Tian. Seeing him nod, she reached out and tapped the screen to answer the call.
"Hello, Brother Wang!"
Qin Tian greeted him.
"Where are you?"
Wang Hao's hearty voice came through the speakers.
"I went back to my hometown yesterday and am now heading back to Jiangcheng. I'm still on the road. Is there something you need?"
Qin Tian asked with a smile.
"Nothing much. My aunt wants to treat you to a meal, so she asked me to give you a call."
Wang Hao replied with a chuckle.
"Today?"
"When will you arrive in Jiangcheng?"
"About forty minutes from now!"
"Then how about this afternoon? Are you free?"
"Um... can it be a bit later? The school has late roll call."
"Sure, sure. I'll send you the location later. My aunt has a friend who owns this restaurant, and the chef's cooking is amazing."
"Alright."
"Okay, I'll hang up then. We'll chat when we meet."
"Mhm mhm!"
With that, the call ended.
"Let's go together after the late roll call!"
Qin Tian turned his head and said to Xia Nuannuan.
"Okay!"
Xia Nuannuan agreed with a sweet smile.
She greatly admired the powerful businesswoman, President Wang, whom she had met once, and wanted to learn more from her.
"Have you been working on any fashion design sketches recently? President Wang inviting you for dinner might be related to that,"
Xia Nuannuan reminded him.
Qin Tian smiled and nodded. "After I played games with Wang Hao and the others at the internet cafe last time, he mentioned it before he left. I've done some designs since then and kept them in the locker in the dorm. But they're all for autumn and winter. It's almost summer now."
Ultimately, he hadn't been very focused on this matter.
Xia Nuannuan was amused by his words and said, "It's okay, I often buy clothes out of season too!"
"I hope President Wang won't mind me being too much of a slacker."
Qin Tian shrugged.
"Hehe..."
Xia Nuannuan laughed even more happily at his words.
...
...
Around three in the afternoon, the car arrived at Mo Xiang Shu Yuan.
After parking the car, they went upstairs and returned home.
Hearing the sound of the door opening, Xia Tian, their dog, came running to greet them.
Upon seeing them, it wagged its tail furiously and circled their legs with joy.
Xia Nuannuan's eyes curved as she squatted down and picked it up.
"Xia Tian, good boy, you missed Mommy, didn't you?"
"Woof!"
"Believe it or not, he probably misses me, his dad, more!"
Qin Tian said with a smile while changing his shoes.
"Impossible!"
Xia Nuannuan gave him a look of disdain.
"Watch this."
Qin Tian grinned and whistled.
The dog, held by Xia Nuannuan, immediately struggled in her arms upon hearing the sound.
"You're cheating. This doesn't prove he misses you more. Xia Tian, be good, ignore him."
Xia Nuannuan said with a hint of jealousy, carrying Xia Tian towards the living room.
"Then put him on the ground. If he runs straight to me to act cute, then it's obvious."
"I'm not doing that. Your dog training tricks are too powerful. He just habitually obeys commands, it doesn't mean he likes you more."
"You're just being stubborn."
"I'm not!"
The two bickered as they sat down on the living room sofa.
The dog was still struggling to get to Qin Tian.
Xia Nuannuan had no choice but to release it.
Once freed, Xia Tian immediately went to Qin Tian's side, placing its front paws on his leg, sticking out its tongue and wagging its tail, acting incredibly cute and affectionate.
Qin Tian gently rubbed its head with his right hand. The dog immediately settled down, lay on the sofa, rolled over, curled up with its paws in the air, exposing its fluffy belly.
Seeing this, Xia Nuannuan pouted in jealousy, puffing out her cheeks indignantly.
"Well? Convinced yet?"
Qin Tian gently rubbed the dog's belly, raising his eyebrows triumphantly at Xia Nuannuan.
"No!"
Xia Nuannuan flatly denied, her cheeks puffed out like buns, looking very cute and charming.
Qin Tian chuckled and made a gesture to the dog, giving it a command: "Go to Mommy."
Xia Tian immediately got up and went to Xia Nuannuan to act cute and beg for a hug.
"Hmph, traitor, I don't want to hug you."
Xia Nuannuan crossed her arms, muttering haughtily.
"Woof... Woof woof..."
Xia Tian whined, sounding wronged, anxious, and helpless. After a few barks, it lay down again, rolled over, and exposed its soft belly to her, looking up at her with its dark, round eyes.
A dog exposing its belly can have several reasons.
In this moment, it was undoubtedly to attract the owner's attention and please them. This was also a sign of great trust.
Girls generally have low resistance to cute things, let alone their beloved pet dog.
Xia Nuannuan's heart seemed to melt instantly. A smile bloomed on her face, and she reached out to pet its belly.
"Even if you act cute, I won't hug you."
Despite being defeated, she continued to be stubborn.
"Woof!"
The dog barked again.
To Qin Tian, it might have been a simple interaction with his pet.
But to Xia Nuannuan, it sounded like the dog was feeling very wronged.
"Okay, okay, I'm convinced. I'll hug you, alright!"
Xia Nuannuan reluctantly compromised, picking up the dog and petting it.
Qin Tian smiled and said nothing, grabbing the remote control and turning on the television.
The two of them and the dog leaned on the sofa, watching TV and resting for a while. Time quietly slipped away.
The sky outside gradually darkened. They had eaten a hearty lunch and then had some fruit and snacks, so they weren't very hungry.
When it was almost time, they left together and drove back to school.
The late roll call was at seven o'clock. The counselor had no important matters to convey, and they were dismissed around half-past seven.
After parting ways with Chen Zhuang and others, they went to where they parked the car and drove out of the school gate.
Wang Hao had already sent the restaurant's location. Following the navigation, Qin Tian arrived at the place in about twenty minutes.
The restaurant was opposite a commercial building, in a very prosperous area with high foot traffic. From the outside, the restaurant had a sense of tranquility amidst the hustle and bustle.
After parking the car, they walked into the restaurant hand in hand, their gazes sweeping around.
The interior was decorated in a fashionable and minimalist style, with Mediterranean elements, creating a somewhat Sino-Western artistic effect.
Popular Western music played in the restaurant. Looking around, the first floor lobby was almost full. Many patrons were dressed in business attire, appearing to be office workers from the vicinity.
A waitress in uniform greeted them warmly. After inquiring about them, she led them to the second floor.