“I didn’t expect it to really be you, kid! I almost didn’t recognize you.”
The young man pulled down his mask. Seeing that familiar face—now more mature—Auntie Ping was filled with a mix of surprise and joy.
However, as if suddenly remembering something, she immediately looked at the young girl standing beside Qin Nanfeng. “Is this… your girlfriend?”
Auntie Ping’s gaze was filled with affection and curiosity, making Lin Xinyuan feel both flustered and bewildered.
Is this the Golden-Haired Brat’s elder? He didn’t even tell me before bringing me here!
I… I’m not prepared at all…
For a moment, Lin Xinyuan’s mind couldn’t quite process it. The thought that this was Qin Nanfeng’s elder made her incredibly nervous. She could only stutter, unable to get the words out: “I… I am…”
Qin Nanfeng felt her tension. He found it a bit amusing, but he instinctively squeezed her small hand, trying to give her strength.
“Yeah, Auntie Ping. Her name is Lin Xinyuan, she’s my girlfriend…” He nodded with a light smile, then his gaze turned solemn. “And of course… she’s also my future wife.”
Wife… wife…
Wife…
I haven’t even said yes yet!
Lin Xinyuan’s mind was already reeling, but hearing this made her head spin even harder. The tips of her ears turned beet red.
Yet, alongside the shyness, a deep sense of satisfaction filled her heart, followed by an explosion of intense joy.
I like it, I like it~~
I’m so happy~
This way, Brother Feng will belong to her forever…
The girl truly felt lightheaded now; it seemed she could only keep her bearings by holding onto Qin Nanfeng’s hand.
Seeing the girl’s bashful look and Qin Nanfeng’s serious expression, Auntie Ping felt both relieved and happy. She nodded repeatedly with a beaming smile. “Good, that’s good…”
Speaking of which, she and her husband had met Qin Nanfeng three years ago.
Back then, Qin Nanfeng often came to their restaurant to eat. A serving of Bazhirou (braised pork belly) was almost his standard order. Most of the customers were manual laborers or office workers from nearby, so this youth—whose temperament was clearly different from others—naturally caught their attention.
As he visited more often, the couple gradually became acquainted with him. After getting to know him better, they realized the boy was also from Quancheng.
There was a period when his situation seemed quite difficult. Initially, the couple only cared for him out of a desire to look after a fellow townsman. But as time passed, they realized the boy had an excellent character and personality, and they began to care for him even more deeply.
Later, they discovered he rarely went to school. His residence was a rental building in an urban village, and he didn’t even go home for the Lunar New Year.
Worried, they tried to ask about his parents, but they never got an answer. They only knew he was working for a small company in the urban village. Keep in mind, he wasn’t even an adult at the time!
Why would he come out alone, practically give up his studies, and work while cutting off contact with his family?
Combined with the fact that Qin Nanfeng’s behavior didn’t seem like someone from an ordinary family, they speculated about various possibilities but never dared to pry.
As time went on and their bond deepened—perhaps because she and her husband had no children—she gradually began to view Qin Nanfeng as a nephew. Although they had seen each other less over the past year due to him going to university and the company moving, they still kept in touch.
Therefore, hearing that Qin Nanfeng had found a partner to spend his life with, Auntie Ping was genuinely happy for him. She looked at the girl before her as if she were a daughter-in-law, and her attitude became much warmer.
She smiled at Lin Xinyuan. “Xiao Yuan, I can call you that, right?”
Hearing this, Lin Xinyuan felt a bit overwhelmed and hurriedly replied, “Um… of course you can, Auntie Ping… Brother Feng calls me that too…”
“Haha, that’s fine then.” As Auntie Ping spoke, she affectionately stepped forward and patted Lin Xinyuan’s shoulder. “In the future, if your man dares to bully you, just tell Auntie Ping. I’ll scold him for you, okay?”
This gesture made Lin Xinyuan’s body tremble slightly with unease—she clearly wasn’t used to such familiarity—but she still obediently nodded with a red face. “O-okay…”
Regarding Auntie Ping’s words, Qin Nanfeng just gave a nonchalant shrug.
Seeing the girl’s shy demeanor, Auntie Ping didn’t think anything was amiss; instead, she felt Lin Xinyuan was gentle, cute, and virtuous.
She then glanced at Qin Nanfeng and lightly slapped his arm, her tone carrying a hint of dissatisfaction. “Xiao Feng! You, I say! It’s been half a year since you’ve visited us, hasn’t it? I thought you’d forgotten about me and your Uncle Ming!”
“That’s not it. Things were busy at the company, and there were some issues a while back.” Qin Nanfeng’s tone was very gentle. As he spoke, he looked at the girl beside him and gave a light chuckle. “Besides, if it weren’t for this virus outbreak, I’d still be stuck on a business trip in Zhannan. I just happened to ‘kidnap’ a wife while I was there.”
Hearing this, the girl couldn’t suppress the shame in her heart and gave the guy a secret glare.
However, Qin Nanfeng just blinked and smiled even wider.
What does he mean ‘kidnap’… The Golden-Haired Brat really is a brat…
But Qin Nanfeng’s expression toward Auntie Ping was very friendly, which confirmed to Lin Xinyuan that she was indeed an elder he respected. She stood there stiffly, not daring to move for fear of leaving a bad impression.
Just as Lin Xinyuan was lost in thought, her stomach let out an involuntary, mournful growl—
Auntie Ping had been quite interested in the “kidnapping” comment and was watching their “flirty” interaction, wanting to ask more questions. But hearing this sound, the conversation between her and Qin Nanfeng came to an abrupt halt as they both looked over.
“I… I…” Lin Xinyuan was dying of embarrassment. A wave of immense awkwardness washed over her. She could only look around helplessly, her eyes darting away. “I didn’t eat much this morning… catching the flight… I’m hungry…”
The girl explained incoherently, terrified that Auntie Ping would misunderstand her as a glutton who was “hard to provide for” because she ate too much… And the stomach growling… was it too unladylike?
“Oh my, look at me chatting away, I almost forgot you haven’t eaten yet.” Auntie Ping apologetically tapped her own head and looked at Lin Xinyuan with regret. “Xiao Yuan, it’s my fault. I’ll go cook for you right now.”
Without waiting for Lin Xinyuan to respond, she gestured to them. “Let’s take you to a private booth to eat; it’s safer in there.”
Naturally, Qin Nanfeng didn’t refuse. “Alright, thank you, Auntie Ping.”
At this, Auntie Ping gave him a dissatisfied roll of the eyes and put her hands on her hips. “What’s with the ‘thank you’? Is this brat becoming a stranger now?”
“Wouldn’t dare.”
“That’s more like it…” The middle-aged woman was satisfied with the answer and began to lead the way inside.
Seeing this, Qin Nanfeng shook his head helplessly, but his heart felt warm, and a curve naturally formed at the corner of his mouth.
He then looked at Lin Xinyuan, who seemed to have something to say. He squeezed her small, soft hand and raised an eyebrow. “Shall we go, wifey?”
“Don’t… don’t call me that…”
Lin Xinyuan swatted Qin Nanfeng’s arm in annoyance. She wanted to scold him, but suddenly realized that Auntie Ping, who was walking ahead, had turned back at some point and was watching their interaction with a face full of smiles.
Seeing Lin Xinyuan look over, the woman’s smile deepened. She nodded with relief and watched them silently, not rushing them, just waiting for them to catch up.
Faced with this, Lin Xinyuan could only offer a stiff smile. She hurriedly lowered her eyes, wishing she could cover her face and find a hole in the ground to crawl into…
Auntie Ping must think we’re flirting, right? Will I seem… very improper… very immature?
The more she thought, the more flustered she became, and she instinctively gripped that large hand tighter.
But Qin Nanfeng, feeling her nervousness, wasn’t about to let her off the hook.
His expression was tender, but his gaze was mischievous. He feigned confusion. “Hmm, wifey? Didn’t you hear me?”
As he spoke, his large hand playfully scratched her palm, inducing an indescribable itch…
“Ugh… I heard you…”
The girl bit her lower lip and turned her face away in embarrassment. “Let’s… let’s go…”
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