novelraw Chapter 83
Chapter 83
Chapter 83 At the end of the month, Qin Qing finished all her school affairs and returned to Qingcheng with Wen Yufeng.
All the packed luggage was sent by Wen Yufeng to Qin Qing’s apartment, which was still under lease. After Qin Qing tidied up briefly, she pulled Wen Yufeng away from the rental house.
“Don’t you need to go home for lunch today?” Wen Yufeng asked with concern.
“No need,” Qin Qing replied with a smile that made her eyes crescent-shaped. “I told my family I’d be arriving in Qingcheng in the afternoon.”
“…You’ve become bolder,” Wen Yufeng chuckled softly. “That’s good. After lunch, accompany me to pick out a few gifts?”
Qin Qing was taken aback. “Gifts?”
“…”
Wen Yufeng didn’t rush to explain, turning his gaze from the driver’s seat to her with a meaningful look.
“Watch the road, don’t look at me,” Qin Qing instinctively said, then her eyes widened. “Ah, are you preparing… gifts for my family?”
Wen Yufeng, having his gaze redirected by Qin Qing, simply responded with a slight nod.
“Yes.”
After two seconds, his eyes glanced at the rearview mirror, his lips curling up. “Otherwise?”
“Are you choosing a gift for a first meeting…”
Thinking of the possible objections from Li Jinghe, Qin Qing couldn’t help but feel a bit of a headache.
She tapped her forehead lightly. “This is indeed quite important. Let me think.”
“Does Grandma have any particular likes or dislikes?”
Qin Qing recalled her grandmother defending Wen Yufeng in front of her mother and couldn’t help but chuckle. “You? I think Grandma has always been very pleased with you from the beginning. It seemed like she wished you were her grandson.”
Wen Yufeng looked straight ahead, his expression neutral and calm.
“There shouldn’t be much difference between a son-in-law and a grandson.”
“…” Qin Qing was momentarily stunned and then couldn’t help but retort softly, “There’s quite a difference.”
After thinking for a moment, she continued, “Years ago, I always thought Grandma was a literary young woman, who liked to read and garden. But now…”
“What’s changed now?”
Qin Qing laughed. “Grandma has adapted to the information age so quickly. She’s even more familiar with internet slang than I am. She doesn’t read books at home anymore and spends time walking with other elderly ladies. So now, I’m not really sure what she likes.”
Wen Yufeng shifted his focus and made a decision, then turned the subject.
“What about Uncle?”
Qin Qing frowned. “He claims to be a fan of Go, but from what I observe, he spends more time watching sports at home. The Go board and pieces are gathering dust in the storage room.”
At this point, Qin Qing looked up and asked, “Do you play Go?”
“…”
Wen Yufeng chuckled. “Does Gomoku count?”
Qin Qing: “…”
Seeing Qin Qing’s growing frown, Wen Yufeng couldn’t help but shift his gaze and smile reassuringly. “Don’t worry.”
Qin Qing relaxed slightly and joked, “If my dad invites you to play a game, and you pull out a Gomoku board—how can I not be worried?”
“Then you might as well go home early and get rid of the Go board in the storage room.”
“…That’s not impossible.”
Seeing Qin Qing seriously considering this option, Wen Yufeng looked helpless.
“Do you really not trust me?”
“You said you only know Gomoku.”
“…I’ve learned some Go rules,” Wen Yufeng sighed, his eyes holding a faint smile. “Besides, even if I can’t win, I’ll definitely lose.”
Qin Qing: “Think carefully. My dad hates flattery and deceit.”
“Ah, then I’ll try to lose gracefully.”
“…All right, next question.”
“Wait.” Wen Yufeng frowned slightly, interrupting Qin Qing.
Qin Qing was puzzled. “What’s wrong?”
Wen Yufeng didn’t answer immediately but turned the steering wheel, stopping the car at an emergency parking area not far ahead.
He then took out his phone.
Qin Qing watched in confusion until Wen Yufeng opened the note app, revealing neatly organized notes.
“Looks like I missed a few details.”
“…Huh?”
Wen Yufeng looked up. “How does Uncle usually feel about smoking and drinking?”
Qin Qing: “…………”
“You really did your homework, didn’t you?”
“I did. I’ve never organized notes so carefully before.”
“…”
Qin Qing finally understood—she had been puzzled by Wen Yufeng’s focused note-taking in the library while preparing for her defense. Now the truth was revealed.
Thinking about how much effort and concern Wen Yufeng had put into researching ways to deal with her family, Qin Qing’s emotions were mixed.
But facing his serious gaze, Qin Qing had to keep those feelings in check.
“My dad does smoke and drink, but it’s not really a habit. He’s quite self-disciplined in terms of lifestyle.”
Before Wen Yufeng could respond, Qin Qing added with a frown,
“But my mom is a bit averse to smoking…”
Wen Yufeng did not immediately reply, lowering his gaze to his notes with a stern expression.
Qin Qing added, “If she asks, just say you’ve never smoked.”
Wen Yufeng looked like he wanted to say something but hesitated after seeing Qin Qing’s slightly troubled expression.
After a moment, he agreed and shifted his gaze back down.
“Then what does Auntie like…”
…………
The night before Wen Yufeng’s official visit, despite Qin Qing’s repeated mental preparation, she still had trouble sleeping.
The next morning, she emerged from her bedroom with two shallow dark circles and startled her grandmother, who was preparing breakfast in the dining room.
“Oh my dear Tian Tian, did you not sleep last night?”
“…” Qin Qing sighed. “I slept, just not well.”
Grandma Qin leaned in and whispered, “Worried about Xiao Yu?”
Qin Qing hesitated but nodded.
Grandma Qin patted her granddaughter’s shoulder with a smile.
“Trust him, Xiao Yu will be fine.”
Although the comfort wasn’t particularly effective, Qin Qing’s mood improved.
As she smiled and prepared to roll up her sleeves to help, Grandma Qin added behind her back. “Instead of worrying about Xiao Yu, you might want to worry about yourself.”
Qin Qing: “…”
Grandma Qin continued, “Don’t let Xiao Yu bear the brunt while you make mistakes behind the scenes.”
“…Grandma, if you had to choose between me and Wen Yufeng, who would you pick?—Wen Yufeng, right?”
Grandma Qin pondered for a moment before waving her hand. “I’d still choose our Tian Tian.”
Before Qin Qing could show her satisfaction, Grandma Qin added: “Anyway, with our Tian Tian here, Xiao Yu will definitely be brought back.”
Qin Qing: “…”
Not long after Qin Qing and Grandma Qin finished preparing in the dining room, Qin Jingguo and Li Jinghe returned from their morning exercise.
Qin Qing couldn’t help but feel that they must have “conspired” something while outside.
So, she ate a sumptuous breakfast without much enjoyment.
After breakfast, none of them returned to their rooms. They all sat upright on the living room sofa.
The strange silence lasted for a moment until Li Jinghe finally couldn’t hold back and looked at Grandma Qin.
“Mom, aren’t you going out this morning?”
Grandma Qin smiled and pretended not to understand. “There are guests at home, of course, I won’t go out. I told them days ago.”
“…”
Li Jinghe and Qin Jingguo exchanged helpless glances.
Grandma Qin secretly gave Qin Qing a victory sign.
Qin Qing managed to suppress her laughter.
The four of them, each with their own thoughts, waited for the doorbell to ring at exactly nine o’clock.
When the doorbell rang, Qin Qing’s heart skipped a beat.
—Even though she was mentally prepared to face opposition, at this moment, she realized that the various severe situations she had encountered over the past twenty years did not make her as nervous as this.
During the process of opening the door, Qin Qing couldn’t help but look down to see if she was walking in sync.
The tension remained until she opened the door and saw those familiar and focused eyes.
Suddenly, her heart, which had been pounding like a drum, felt as if it had been soothed by some force, and she couldn’t help but smile beautifully at the person outside the door.
The person standing outside did not rush in or greet the elders who were still out of sight.
He simply looked at Qin Qing, his eyes gradually filling with a smile.
“Good morning, Tian Tian.”
Although it was an ordinary greeting, Qin Qing’s cheeks inexplicably warmed.
She took the items from Wen Yufeng’s left hand and whispered with a smile, “Good morning to you too, Wen Yufeng.”
Qin Jingguo and Li Jinghe, standing inside the door, exchanged nonchalant glances.
At this point, Wen Yufeng entered the house, greeted Grandma Qin and Qin’s parents, and then changed into the new slippers that had been prepared.
Qin Jingguo took the initiative to speak, inviting Wen Yufeng to sit down.
“Xiao Wen, right? You came so early; thank you for your trouble. The weather outside is nice, isn’t it?”
Wen Yufeng nodded. “The weather is great, a perfect day for exercise and walking. As for timing, as long as I didn’t disturb Uncle and Auntie’s work.”
Qin Jingguo smiled. “At this time, you won’t disturb us. But young people these days usually stay up late and sleep in, don’t they? I see Xiao Qing is like that.”
Before Qin Qing could refute or Wen Yufeng could respond, Grandma Qin, who had been sitting in an armchair, spoke up.
“Don’t judge Xiao Yu by Tian Tian’s schedule. When Xiao Yu lived across from me, he went to bed early and woke up early, exercising every day, even healthier and more disciplined than I am.”
Qin Jingguo didn’t expect to be interrupted by his own mother so soon and looked a bit awkward.
Wen Yufeng looked at Qin Qing and smiled as he continued, “Girls should sleep more for their skin.”
Before the three elders could say anything, he added, “But if I get the chance, I’ll also help supervise Tian… Qing Qing’s lifestyle. Health comes first.”
This comment was well-rounded and considerate. Qin Jingguo’s gaze towards Wen Yufeng became less distant.
Li Jinghe, who was sitting nearby, continued the conversation.
“I heard from Qin Qing that you spent several years in the army. Your schedule shouldn’t be a problem. But I’m curious about your personal habits.”
Wen Yufeng was slightly taken aback.
Li Jinghe asked, “Do you drink?”
“…” Qin Qing tensed and instinctively looked up at Wen Yufeng.
Wen Yufeng nodded. “I drink in situations where it’s appropriate.”
Li Jinghe’s expression remained unchanged. She continued, “What about smoking?”
Qin Qing clenched her fingers slightly.
“I used to.”
“……!” Qin Qing froze and hurriedly looked up.
“But I’ve quit.” Wen Yufeng smiled faintly.
Li Jinghe frowned. “When did you quit?”
Wen Yufeng: “Yesterday.”
“…………”