“You all—I haven’t even said anything yet, and you already think I’m going to break you up?”
Jiang Ningyue was both amused and exasperated, but then tears welled up in her eyes again.
She thought of the years of worry and longing for her son— even though everything was over now, remembering it still hurt so much…
In a daze, she could no longer hold back her tears. She cried and laughed at the same time, finally becoming relieved and happy.
“Don’t worry. Your matter… our matters, I won’t interfere.”
The always silent Qin Father finally spoke. After saying that, he turned his head and used a tissue to wipe his wife’s tears.
“You bastard… if you hadn’t said that back then… Xiao Feng… Xiao Feng wouldn’t have been away from home for so long.”
The beautiful woman patted Qin Changkong’s hand rather petulantly, but Qin Changkong didn’t get angry.
His hands kept moving: “You’re right… it’s my fault…”
Qin Qingge watched this scene between her parents, and the last of her worries vanished. She also smiled lightly, stood up, and walked over to the girl.
“Are you relieved now? Little sister, or… little sister-in-law?”
“Mm…”
Seeing Qin Mother suddenly burst into tears, Lin Xinyuan was still at a loss.
But when she heard Qin Qingge’s address, she froze for a moment, then silently nodded, a little embarrassed.
Getting the answer she wanted really made her happy, because it also meant she could be with Feng Ge forever!
Thinking like this, her spirits rose, and she was also happy that Feng Ge could finally make peace with his family.
Seeing how the girl’s eyes were already curved with laughter yet she was still trying to suppress it, Qin Qingge couldn’t help but find it amusing.
She averted her gaze, then looked at the silent young man, walked over and patted his shoulder, her eyes teasing: “What’s the matter? Haven’t seen me for so long, and you won’t even call me ‘Sister’?”
Upon hearing this, Qin Nanfeng raised his head and glanced at the woman, but said nothing.
However, Qin Qingge wasn’t angry—she knew her little brother was just like that.
After all, since they were kids, he only called her that when he was very young.
Once he grew up a bit, he started wearing a grumpy face all the time.
So she didn’t force it, just shook her head repeatedly in mock disappointment.
“Eh… you were so cute when you were little, but the older you get, the more annoying you become?”
But just as she was thinking that, a slightly low male voice suddenly sounded in her ear: “Sis.”
Hearing this, Qin Qingge was a bit surprised. She gave him a strange look, but seeing Qin Nanfeng’s calm expression, it was as if he hadn’t said anything.
“Uh? Say it again?”
The young man gave her a look like she was an idiot, glanced at Qin Qingge, and retorted: “Are you sick?”
As soon as he said that, not only did the shy and nervous Lin Xinyuan’s mouth involuntarily curl into a smile, but even Qin Family parents couldn’t help but glance over.
“Fine! You dare to insult your own sister! I’m not acknowledging you as my little brother anymore!”
Qin Qingge put on an angry face, then turned her head to the other side, only to see the girl trying to suppress a laugh.
Instantly, a wicked idea came to her.
Taking advantage of the girl’s inattention, she reached out her “devil claw” and pinched the girl’s cheeks a few times: “And you, little sister, daring to laugh at your sister—must be punished!”
“Ah…” This action caused Lin Xinyuan to let out a slightly aggrieved yelp.
Seeing the girl being bullied, Qin Nanfeng raised an eyebrow, reached out, and slapped Qin Qingge’s arm away, very bluntly: “Don’t touch her. She’s not someone you can touch.”
“I’ll touch her, I’ll touch her.”
“Mm…”
“……”
Instantly, the three of them were scuffling like children. Jiang Ningyue, who had been watching from the side, considered calling out to her daughter, but Qin Changkong stopped her.
The handsome middle-aged man shook his head: “Let them be.”
Hearing that, Jiang Ningyue came to her senses. After thinking it over, she felt it made sense.
But she and her husband were clearly still in an awkward atmosphere after all those years of arguing, so she didn’t say anything, just snorted.
Then they quietly watched the three younger ones messing around, as if they had returned to more than a decade ago when the young man was still very small.
Back then, that old man was still alive…
On the city roads at night, lights were bright and colorful.
Especially during the National Day holiday, and near the most bustling commercial street in the university area, many out-of-town students had chosen not to go home. Cars streamed like a river, and pedestrians surged like a tide.
It continued until around ten o’clock in the evening, when Lin Xinyuan and the others had to part ways with the Qin Family.
This was also because the Qin home was quite far from the university area—almost spanning half of Tianbei City. Even driving back now would take half the night.
As they came out of the restaurant, in the final moments before parting, the girl was pulled aside by Qin Mother and given a long list of exhortations—roughly saying that during the holiday, if she had time, she should come visit the Qin home, and other words meant to draw her closer.
Lin Xinyuan naturally agreed quickly.
As for whether she would actually go, she was still a bit afraid…
That would be too awkward…
And besides, although Auntie and Uncle weren’t dressed particularly flashily, their aura was unmistakably distinctive—the kind of people you’d pick out in a crowd…
Their family must be no ordinary one. The rumors at school about some young master of the Qin family were probably true…
This made her even more reluctant.
Qin Qingge naturally walked with them, clearly still not giving up on the idea of luring the girl into being a model.
She had even secretly mentioned it to her little brother, only to be flatly refused, with him saying something like, “If she wants to go, she’ll go; if she doesn’t, she won’t.”
Now, after waiting for the girl to finish talking with her mother, she couldn’t resist persuading Lin Xinyuan again, to the point where Lin Xinyuan almost couldn’t hold out anymore and was considering just agreeing—at least she was her former sister…
Fortunately, Jiang Ningyue stopped her in time, shooting her a look that made Qin Qingge temporarily abandon that idea.
Meanwhile, Qin Nanfeng was walking side by side with Qin Changkong, following behind the women, watching them with a good mood.
But because of their personalities, neither showed it, and a moment of silence passed.
“Dad…”
“You…”
Just as both couldn’t help wanting to say something, they suddenly heard each other’s voice and both froze.
Qin Nanfeng and Qin Changkong turned their heads to glance at each other, then fell silent again.
“You go first,” Qin Changkong said, looking straight ahead as if nothing had happened.
“Mm…”
Qin Nanfeng wasn’t one to dawdle, so he didn’t refuse. But even so, he still took a moment to prepare before slowly speaking: “Dad… I’m sorry…”
Finally saying those words, the young man breathed a secret sigh of relief.
After that, he didn’t know what else to say, because he knew he had been wrong, so he wouldn’t make excuses.
Qin Changkong’s expression froze for a few seconds before his eyes unconsciously showed a smile and pride.
“I should say that too…”
After he spoke, the atmosphere quieted again, but soon the man broke it.
“Also, you’ve done well. If you need anything for the company’s business… come to me…” Qin Changkong gave a silent smile and patted his son’s shoulder, no longer displaying his former disappointment.
Because he understood that his child had already grown up and didn’t need his teaching anymore…
The youth had grown too fast—too fast for him to keep up.
And this… was one of the few things he, as not a very competent father, could still do.
“Dad… I…”
Only in front of his family did Qin Nanfeng’s composure waver, becoming hesitant, but his words were cut off.
Qin Father waved his hand: “If there are resources at home, use them. Don’t say anything else. If you don’t use them… then wouldn’t your old man have worked for nothing for over twenty years?”
Hearing that, Qin Nanfeng’s eyes flickered, and the words he was about to say got stuck.
Looking at the man beside him, who was just over forty and in his prime, he hadn’t noticed before.
But now, under the streetlight, he suddenly saw that his father’s formerly jet-black hair… already had a few silver strands.
Thinking of the past… and the fragments of that memory, his Adam’s apple bobbed, and his mouth felt dry.
“Okay, I understand, Dad…”
As if remembering something, Qin Father glanced at the graceful girl ahead: “Also… since you’ve decided to be with that girl, don’t let her down. Treat her well…”
At that moment, the young man suddenly smiled again, his tone light and certain.
“Of course.”
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