The voice arrived well before the man himself.
Lin Xinyuan instinctively slowed her pace of shoveling rice and looked up toward the sound. A burly man in his late forties, carrying a tray with two dishes, strode into the room with wide steps.
“Uncle Ming, are you really planning on coming over?” Qin Nanfeng was the first to react, offering a clear, bright smile.
“What? Don’t tell me you were just talking nonsense?”
The middle-aged man set the two dishes on the table and feigned irritation—as if he would give Qin Nanfeng a beating if the boy dared say yes—though his eyes were dancing with amusement.
Before the young man could speak, Auntie Ping chimed in with a dissatisfied tone. “What are you talking about? Opening a cafeteria is a huge deal; how could a boss just agree to that on a whim!”
“Aie, you woman, I was just speaking casually and you took it seriously,” Uncle Ming said, sounding helpless.
“With your personality, there’s nothing you wouldn’t do once you set your mind to it! I’m just afraid you’ll actually show up and affect Xiao Feng’s job!”
Auntie Ping rolled her eyes, then her expression shifted instantly into a smile as she turned back to Qin Nanfeng. “Besides, isn’t Xiao Feng doing quite well at that company? You’re already a junior executive. You definitely shouldn’t mess around, right?”
Looking at these two elders who were so genuinely concerned for his well-being, Qin Nanfeng felt caught between laughter and tears. It seemed they had taken his casual remark quite literally.
“Don’t worry, Uncle Ming, Auntie Ping. If the restaurant really can’t stay open, I’ll talk to my boss. My relationship with him is incredibly solid.”
“Besides, the company is developing very well; we’re about to build our own office tower. Opening a cafeteria is just a natural step.”
Qin Nanfeng spoke without skipping a beat. Seeing the suspicious looks on their faces as if they wanted to probe further, he naturally reached out to move the plate of fragrant Braised Prawns in front of the girl, then turned his attention to the Dry-Braised Fish.
He added in a joking tone, “Uncle Ming, I didn’t order this fish. Don’t try to put it on my tab later. And where’s my mutton soup?”
“Aie, fine, fine! I won’t take a cent from you! Happy?” Uncle Ming laughed and cursed. He realized the youth was steering the conversation away but didn’t mind, assuming the previous talk was just a joke. “The mutton soup is still simmering; give it about ten minutes.”
“That sounds perfect then.”
Qin Nanfeng arched an eyebrow and played along with a look of exaggerated satisfaction. His goofy expression made both Uncle Ming and Auntie Ping chuckle, effectively pushing the previous topic to the back of their minds.
Lin Xinyuan watched them from the side. She hadn’t expected Qin Nanfeng to act this way in front of his elders. Seeing him so happy, she couldn’t help but let a shallow smile grace her lips.
Brother Feng looks so handsome when he laughs…
“Hey, this must be Xiao Yuan!”
While the girl was lost in her thoughts, the burly man’s attention finally shifted to her. In truth, Uncle Ming had noticed her the moment he walked in; there were only a few people in the booth, and Lin Xinyuan’s appearance was so striking it was impossible to ignore.
Even though she had prepared herself, Lin Xinyuan still felt flustered when the moment came. “Uncle Ming… hello!”
As she spoke, she stood up abruptly like a dazed student.
Her reaction brought a round of amused smiles from the two elders. They didn’t find her dull; rather, they found her charmingly naive and adorable.
Uncle Ming sized up the delicate and lovely girl before him, nodding repeatedly in satisfaction. “Xiao Yuan is indeed very beautiful.”
“U-uh… th-thank you…” Lin Xinyuan replied with a crimson face and a stutter.
Internally, she felt a surge of satisfaction from gaining the approval of his elders. Along with the joy, her heart raced. She stole a glance at the young man sitting beside her who was watching her with a smile, and the tips of her ears burned even hotter.
“Sit down, Xiao Yuan. What’s the point of standing up while eating?” Auntie Ping saw her dazed state and stepped forward to pat her arm.
“Okay…” She obediently sat back down and lowered her head to continue eating.
Uncle Ming’s smile grew very gentle. He turned back to Qin Nanfeng and teased, “You’re a lucky kid. You must treat her well in the future.”
“She’s my future wife. You don’t even have to tell me; I will.”
Seeing this, Uncle Ming didn’t say anything more. He could read everything from the youth’s gestures and micro-expressions.
For example, right now—
Seeing the girl awkwardly poking at a braised egg in her bowl, Qin Nanfeng gave a helpless smile. He used his chopsticks to place a large prawn into her bowl, his eyes full of indulgence. “Don’t just eat rice, have some side dishes. Save some room to drink a bowl of soup later.”
“Uhm…”
The girl was already shy from hearing his earlier comment, and now, feeling his tender gaze, she felt as if she were being embraced by a warm breeze. Her bashfulness intensified.
She lightly bit her lower lip and nodded obediently. After a moment’s thought, she reached out and, imitating him, placed a braised prawn into Qin Nanfeng’s bowl. She looked at him with eyes full of expectation. “Brother Feng, you eat too.”
“Okay.”
Gazing into those sparkling eyes, the curve of Qin Nanfeng’s lips deepened. The smile and tenderness in his eyes were impossible to hide.
Seeing that Lin Xinyuan was staring at him—as if she wouldn’t eat until he did—Qin Nanfeng chuckled and picked up the prawn.
It was just a braised prawn, savory and warm, yet this one tasted exceptionally sweet. And he wasn’t sure if it was an illusion, but he felt it carried a faint, lingering scent of oranges.
It was indeed delicious and went perfectly with the rice.
With that thought, a flash of mischievousness crossed Qin Nanfeng’s eyes. His smile widened slightly, and his voice turned inexplicably low and husky. “Xiao Yuan… it’s delicious…”
“You eat some too.”
To the couple, these words sounded like a normal critique of the food. But the girl’s face turned even hotter. This wasn’t the first time the “Golden-Haired Brat” had used that tone, and it involuntarily made her think of certain… “strange” scenarios.
Ugh, wh-what is this guy even saying! Why say such weird things when other people are around…
Lin Xinyuan’s mind went blank. Her vision seemed to focus entirely on the scene of Qin Nanfeng tasting the prawn. The fragile shell offered no resistance to his teeth; the sauce-covered prawn was bitten open, revealing the firm, white meat drenched in thick, savory gravy.
The scene was indescribable. Lin Xinyuan felt like she was being roasted over a fire. Especially since Qin Nanfeng was eating so slowly, as if every bite were a rare delicacy found only once in a lifetime…
Wooo…
The girl finally couldn’t take it anymore. She frantically lowered her eyes. Her mind was still filled with the image, but the more she thought about it, the more she felt she was overthinking it. After all, there was nothing technically wrong with what he said, and he looked perfectly serious…
Once a thought takes hold, it’s hard to shake. Lin Xinyuan felt a growing sense of shame that she couldn’t voice.
I’m… doomed… Why am I overthinking so much? It’s just a normal thing… How could I be that kind of pervert! No, it’s all his fault… Exactly…
While she was lost in her chaotic thoughts, Auntie Ping heard Qin Nanfeng’s comment and spoke up. “If it’s good, eat more. You haven’t been here in so long…”
She smiled lovingly at the pair who seemed like a match made in heaven and urged the girl, “Especially Xiao Yuan. This is your first time, so you haven’t tasted your Uncle Ming’s cooking before, have you? Hurry up and try it!”
“O-okay…”
Hearing the encouragement, Lin Xinyuan looked at the prawn in her bowl. Out of the corner of her eye, she could still sense a certain someone’s tender gaze. Her body trembled slightly.
After hesitating for a long moment, she finally took a bite. A strange sense of “humiliation” mixed with affection surged into her heart.
Brother Feng gave this to me himself. I have to eat it…
Mmm…