It took who knows how long before Lin Xinyuan finally calmed down from those negative emotions.
She sniffed, lifted her head, and glanced awkwardly at the unmoving young man.
In a low voice, she muttered, “Thank you… Feng Ge… you can let go now…”
Right now, she felt both shy and uncomfortable, her body covered in sweat.
Qin Nanfeng looked at the girl’s damp bangs sticking to her forehead, then at his own white T-shirt, which Lin Xinyuan had thoroughly messed up.
He couldn’t help but reach out and squeeze her soft, tear-sticky cheek with a bit of force.
“Heartless. You’re tossing me aside after using me?”
“Uh… I…”
Lin Xinyuan’s face instantly turned red at his words.
He made it sound like she was some kind of terrible person—talk about the pot calling the kettle black…
She really wanted to glare at him and curse him out, but thinking about what he had just done for her, she felt touched and ultimately held herself back.
“Hmph…”
Without saying more, Lin Xinyuan returned to the wooden table and continued looking at the other photos.
Aside from the largest family portrait, most were everyday snapshots. Naturally, she also saw Qin Nanfeng in his younger years.
Not bad… at such a young age, he was at least half as handsome as she used to be when she was still a boy.
There was one photo of that yellow-haired brat with Grandpa Qin. He looked about twelve or thirteen, yet somehow already much taller than her “peak” height back then.
Then she thought about her current height compared to the guy beside her—it was like comparing a child to an adult…
Seriously… why grow so tall…
She felt that being about five foot six was already the perfect height.
Thinking sourly, Lin Xinyuan continued looking. Soon, she saw a photo of a sulky-looking teenage boy standing with a beautiful girl around seventeen or eighteen.
Based on the family portrait, she figured this must be that “Little Lolita.”
However… the more she looked, the more she felt like she had seen the girl somewhere before. But where?
She couldn’t recall for the moment. She wanted to ask Qin Nanfeng, but when she caught a glimpse of his slightly punchable expression from the corner of her eye, she immediately gave up.
Forget it… she would probably meet her sooner or later anyway…
Lin Xinyuan stopped dwelling on it and shifted her attention elsewhere with curiosity.
What the girl didn’t know was that all her earlier expressions had already been noticed by the person beside her.
Qin Nanfeng narrowed his eyes thoughtfully, though his expression remained unchanged.
For a while after that, Lin Xinyuan curiously examined everything on the table one by one. Besides the Qin family’s old photos, she discovered something remarkable.
When she saw the medals hanging up and the various trophies displayed, she froze for a moment.
Looking closer, she saw inscriptions like “First National Cooking Skills Competition,” “Top Ten Famous Chefs,” “Qin Zongfu,” and “Lu Cuisine Master.”
There was also a group photo of people wearing chef uniforms.
After observing carefully, she realized that a younger Grandpa Qin was among them.
It was at that moment that Lin Xinyuan finally learned Grandpa Qin’s name—and realized that when Qin Nanfeng casually mentioned him being a master chef earlier, he hadn’t been joking at all.
Even though she didn’t know much about this field, words like “first,” “master,” and “state banquet” were enough for her to understand how impressive it all was.
Her almond-shaped eyes widened as she instinctively looked at someone.
“Grandpa… is that amazing…?”
No wonder this guy cooked so well—there was an expert in his family?
So it wasn’t that she was bad—it just wasn’t her fault!
Seeing her shocked expression, Qin Nanfeng merely shrugged. “He’s alright, I guess. I’ve never really heard much about it. Just average.”
At that, black lines practically appeared on Lin Xinyuan’s forehead as she cursed him internally.
Would it kill this guy not to show off?
“Also… I feel like I’ll be even better.”
As if sensing her thoughts, Qin Nanfeng chuckled softly, his expression turning slightly mischievous.
“Shameless… I don’t think so!” Lin Xinyuan huffed.
Qin Nanfeng only smiled mysteriously.
Then he leaned closer, pulled the soft and sweet girl into his arms, lowered his head, and rested his chin on her shoulder, gently rubbing against it as he murmured, “You can try…”
As he spoke, his hand was particularly restless, giving her slender waist a light squeeze.
Only then did Lin Xinyuan realize what he meant. Her face flushed instantly, and she didn’t even dare lift her head again.
Heat spread rapidly through her body, making her heart race.
She didn’t dare say anything more…
That evening, Grandpa Xiao stayed for dinner, and Grandpa Qin personally cooked, adding several extra dishes.
Only after tasting them did Lin Xinyuan truly understand that all those titles Grandpa Qin had weren’t just for show.
Even though he used a simple home stove, the dishes tasted even better than many restaurant meals—and he cooked quickly and skillfully.
What surprised her most was that Grandpa Qin seemed to take her into consideration and made two dishes with a clear Cantonese style. Not only were they delicious, but also very authentic.
By the end of the meal, Lin Xinyuan, who usually had a small appetite, ate an extra bowl of rice and was so full she could barely move.
With her little belly puffed out, she returned to her room and sat by the window. She rubbed her stomach repeatedly, feeling uncomfortable and silently complaining.
By accident… she, this big dummy, had overeaten…
But Grandpa Qin was really amazing…
Unlike someone who only knew how to act like a hooligan!
That annoying guy…
During a quiet moment, Lin Xinyuan couldn’t help but think of him again—and what he had said that afternoon. Her face turned red once more as she lightly bit her lip.
“This guy… is he really that impatient…”
She murmured absentmindedly, completely unaware that someone had quietly entered the room. Hearing her words, he almost laughed out loud.
“What should I do…”
The girl was conflicted.
Actually, Lin Xinyuan had never rejected Qin Nanfeng in that regard. Even though she wanted to wait until they were married—that had always been her belief.
After all, she felt that being boyfriend and girlfriend didn’t necessarily mean marriage. Giving herself away so casually felt irresponsible…
She knew this idea was a bit naïve, and that it was probably unrealistic. For a couple to save their first time for each other until marriage was as unlikely as winning the lottery.
But Lin Xinyuan wanted to stick to it. Yet she also felt she was different—because she had already chosen Qin Nanfeng!
Even if he might abandon her in the end, she wouldn’t have any complaints…
Maybe… this was how many people felt…
It was ironic—the thing she wanted to protect had been broken by someone, and she had ended up becoming the kind of person she once disliked…
So should she agree… or even take the initiative…
Her thoughts ran wild, her face growing redder, fear creeping in.
She inwardly blamed that yellow-haired brat for not taking initiative, while she herself was too embarrassed—after all, that would be too… ahem…
But she knew it was only a matter of time. And this way, she could secure him sooner.
As long as she did this, Feng Ge would belong to her forever…
Thinking this, she hesitated again.
As her thoughts churned, she suddenly felt her body go weightless. A force wrapped around her waist—she was lifted up just like that, warm breath brushing against her ear.
“What are you thinking about?”
“Ah—” Lin Xinyuan jolted in fright. Only when she smelled that familiar scent did she realize who it was. Embarrassed and annoyed, she lightly smacked Qin Nanfeng’s arm.
“N-none of your business!”
“Mm.” Qin Nanfeng didn’t press further—he already knew anyway. He sat down on the chair she had been using, holding her in his arms as he looked at the bright moon outside.
“Does your stomach still hurt?” he asked.
“A little…” Though embarrassed, Lin Xinyuan answered honestly in front of him.
“How about now?”
Qin Nanfeng placed his hand on her stomach, gently rubbing through her clothes with just the right amount of pressure.
“Mmm… yeah…”
She did feel much better, but only responded softly, not daring to say more. Meanwhile, the thought in her heart began tilting toward the other side again.
She bit her lip and frowned slightly, torn with indecision.
Meanwhile, someone quietly observed her from the corner of his eye, saying nothing, a faint smile forming on his lips…
Heh… she’s about to take the bait…