Qin Nanfeng’s Audi was still in Quancheng, so he had the driver go to a friend’s dealership.
After easily borrowing a car, he drove the girl toward Lei City.
As the car approached the familiar home, Lin Xinyuan felt a long-lost happiness, but her heart couldn’t help but feel anxious.
After all, this time she was going to meet her eldest uncle and the others, whom she hadn’t seen in ten years…
That wasn’t even the worst part. The key was that she was bringing her boyfriend back… No matter how she thought about it, it felt awkward and embarrassing, okay…
However, because she had learned about their attitude in advance, she wasn’t as nervous as before, just feeling ashamed.
The car stopped in front of the familiar Tang Family Villa.
Before Lin Xinyuan and the others could even get out, Tang Yayun, who was in the courtyard, heard the sound and came over.
Overjoyed, she turned back and called out to the others in dialect.
“Grandpa, Grandma! Sister Xiaoyuan is back!”
After speaking, Tang Yayun opened the gate and bounced over to greet the girl who had just gotten out of the car, looking around.
“Sis, did you bring good stuff?” Tang Yayun’s unabashed manner directly grabbed Lin Xinyuan’s arm and shook it, causing her to feel a bit helpless.
But before she could speak, Qin Nanfeng, who had also just gotten out of the car and was walking toward them, replied with a light laugh: “Yes, everyone has a share.”
Upon hearing that, the girl immediately exclaimed, “Ooh yeah, thank you, brother-in-law!”
Before long, the others also came out to welcome them. Especially Grandpa and Grandma, who couldn’t contain their joy.
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, they quickly waved them over.
“Ah, it’s cold and windy! Let’s go inside first! Xiaoyuan’s health isn’t good either.”
The two naturally agreed. With everyone’s help, they took out the gifts that Qin Nanfeng had specially bought for the Tang family, along with fruits and drinks, from the trunk. Laughing all the way, they entered the house.
Only after they finally sat down in the living room did Lin Xinyuan notice all the eyes fixed on her and her boyfriend, and she couldn’t help but feel nervous.
Among them, three unfamiliar gazes made her scalp tingle.
Especially the gaze from that middle-aged man with a firm and serious face, which carried an invisible pressure and sharpness.
Lin Xinyuan felt that this person’s gaze made her more at a loss than anyone she had ever encountered before, and she felt immense pressure.
Before meeting her eldest uncle and the others, she thought she wouldn’t be as embarrassed as before.
But when it actually came to reality, everything was different. Her emotions were nothing like the calm she had imagined.
In stark contrast to the girl, Qin Nanfeng’s expression remained unchanged, appearing very calm.
But his fingers unconsciously twitched slightly. As for that imposing middle-aged man, he had an impression in his memory—had even met him once…
After briefly chatting about recent events with the elders, the two greeted the eldest uncle’s family under Grandma’s direction.
“Eldest Uncle, Aunt, Cousin, hello! I am Xiaoyuan’s boyfriend.”
Qin Nanfeng was the first to smile and greet them, completely unfazed by the eldest uncle’s penetrating gaze.
Seeing this, Lin Xinyuan quickly followed her boyfriend and said, “Eldest Uncle, Aunt, hello… Cousin, hello…”
After speaking, she didn’t know what else to say, so she simply shut her mouth, and her eyelids couldn’t help but droop slightly.
The eldest uncle’s wife had a delicate and kind face. She was also surprised at first sight of the girl, but was still amiable to them both.
She nodded and said, “Xiaoyuan, Xiaofeng, hello!”
“I remember Xiaoyuan was this small when she was little, and now she’s grown more and more beautiful!”
As she spoke, she gestured with her hands, then covered her mouth with a light laugh, her eyes teasing.
“And she brought back such a handsome young man too. A real transformation—nice, nice.”
Hearing this, Lin Xinyuan felt mortified. She was so embarrassed she wanted to shrink into Qin Nanfeng’s arms, but with so many people watching, she didn’t dare.
She could only force a polite, stiff smile and say, “Is… is that so?”
“Cousin, long time no see.”
The one who spoke now was the elder brother that Tang Yayun often mentioned, the eldest uncle’s only son, Tang Chengfei.
His handsome face, very similar to his father’s, bore the tenacity unique to a soldier, but his expression was very gentle.
Although Tang Chengfei always felt that the term “cousin” was a bit awkward, after learning about the girl’s situation, he was also surprised and felt sympathy.
The last time he and Lin Xinyuan had met was ten years ago… But he still knew quite a bit about the former “little younger male cousin,” who used to be his little follower.
Originally weak and sickly, with a soft personality and unloved by parents, and then that incident happened.
It was fortunate that their aunt hadn’t been confused, otherwise the consequences would have been unimaginable…
“Uh… Cousin… long time no see…”
Seeing the girl’s embarrassed and shy demeanor, Tang Chengfei smiled and nodded, while still couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.
‘That delicate little male cousin from before—who would have thought he’d grow up into a graceful little female cousin? The world is truly too marvelous…’
‘So this guy gets the benefit?’
With that thought, his gaze shifted to the young man beside Lin Xinyuan. Although his smile remained gentle, the scrutiny in his eyes was unmistakable: “Hello…”
Qin Nanfeng was calm and collected, and nodded politely.
After his wife and son had finished greeting Lin Xinyuan and the others, the silent eldest uncle finally spoke: “Mm, it’s good that you’re back.”
Toward this niece, who looked very much like his younger sister, he showed kindness and regard.
After speaking, he even gave the girl a relatively kind smile.
But even though he tried his best to show closeness, it still made the girl a bit scared, and she couldn’t help but lean closer to Qin Nanfeng.
This provoked the second uncle’s wife to tease: “Xiaoyuan sure is clingy to Xiaofeng!”
As soon as she said that, the others couldn’t help but laugh.
Meanwhile, Tang Yayun, standing beside Lin Xinyuan, gently nudged her sister’s shoulder, grinning, her eyes full of curiosity, flickering back and forth between the two.
Meanwhile, Lin’s mother, who rarely spoke, felt helpless and wanted to laugh.
Inside, she was sad that her daughter had completely fallen for the young man, and couldn’t help but worry a little.
After this round of jokes, the atmosphere in the living room seemed to become more relaxed, not as awkward.
“This young man is very handsome.”
At this, the eldest uncle looked at Qin Nanfeng and said a word of praise.
But what the others present didn’t know was that he had already roughly learned about the young man through some channels, but he hadn’t told the rest of the family.
On the surface, he was equally gentle to Qin Nanfeng, but his words had a hint of implication, and there was even a trace of warning in his eyes.
However, Qin Nanfeng merely responded with a light laugh: “Eldest Uncle is joking. To be chosen by Xiaoyuan is my fortune.”
As he spoke, he gave the middle-aged man a barely perceptible slight nod, which caused the eldest uncle to nod in return and say nothing more.
Back then, his little sister had that incident happen, but at that time he was already in the military and involved in a secret mission… He simply couldn’t get away to return…
By the time he could finally help his sister, she stubbornly refused him as if she had lost hope, causing her not to come home for so many years…
So all he could do over the years was warn that person who had harmed his sister but also saved her, and silently protect Mother Lin, so that guy wouldn’t dare touch a hair on her head…
And upon learning that his little sister had finally come out of the shadows, although he was still angry about her stubbornness back then, since things had come to this… the big stone in his heart could finally be put down…
But this niece of his had a lot of misfortune.
Not only did she have no parental affection when she was little, but after growing up, this kind of thing also happened.
Eldest Uncle did not want Lin Xinyuan to fall into distress like his own little sister.
At the very least, protecting her safety could be considered a brother’s compensation to his sister…
As for this young man of ill repute, although he could tell that Qin Nanfeng probably wasn’t here to deceive his niece’s feelings, he still wasn’t reassured.
‘I need to find a chance to talk to him…’