Chapter 6: Don’t be nervous, Mom and Dad won’t bite
Qin Ande and Jiang Yu were briefly surprised, but they soon returned to normal. They had always been open-minded and respected Qin Mo’s choices.
However, there were still things that needed to be said.
Jiang Yu, with her well-maintained face showing a hint of seriousness, said, “I’m not opposed to this. It’s normal for puberty to bring about such feelings, but you need to know your limits. There are some things you can’t do right now, understand?”
“Mom, I understand.” Qin Mo lowered his head and took a bite of food.
Jiang Yu had always trusted him and didn’t say much more. “In the future, let Xia Xia come over for dinner when you have time.”
She didn’t ask about Wen Xia’s family. The idea of matching families wasn’t important to the Qin family. The Qin family had money, and as long as Qin Mo liked her, that was enough.
“Okay.” Qin Mo responded.
*
In the afternoon, Wen Xia stayed at home reading, flipping through her first-year high school textbooks to study on her own.
Wen De occasionally passed by her door and saw her like this, feeling a sense of relief.
Wen Xia had done very well in middle school, but after the divorce between him and her mother, it had a huge impact on her, and she stopped studying properly.
He had scolded her several times, and even once physically punished her, but instead of improving, things only got worse.
She told him, “Wen De, you never took care of me when I was younger, so what right do you have to control me now?”
He knew she resented him—resented his frequent absences and their divorce.
At 6 p.m., Wen De’s voice was heard outside. “Xia Xia, come out for dinner.”
“Coming,” Wen Xia replied, not stopping her pen until she had finished the problem. She checked the answer, and seeing that it was correct, she put down the pen.
She stretched and got up, heading out. The food was already on the table.
She washed her hands and sat down across from Wen De.
Neither of them said anything during the meal. After about ten minutes, Wen Xia started clearing the dishes, but Wen De stopped her. “Wait, I need to talk to you.”
“Tonight, I have to catch a flight for a business trip, so I won’t be able to take you to school tomorrow.”
He took out his wallet and counted three hundred yuan, handing it to her. “Two hundred is for your living expenses, and one hundred for daily necessities and snacks.”
Wen De ran a small factory in Jia County, earning several thousand yuan a month. So, while Wen Xia’s lifestyle wasn’t as luxurious as Qin Mo’s, it was much better than most of her classmates.
Wen Xia looked at Wen De and suddenly noticed that his hair had turned a little grayer. A feeling of bittersweetness filled her heart. “Dad, when will you be back?”
She hadn’t understood Wen De before, but after her parents’ divorce, she had realized that if it weren’t for his hard work, she wouldn’t have had such a comfortable life.
Wen De paused for a moment. “I’ll be back on Thursday.”
Wen Xia nodded. “Dad, be careful on the road.”
“Don’t worry about me. Focus on your studies. If anything happens, have the teacher call me.”
“Okay.”
“Your mom called. She said she’ll take you shopping for clothes tomorrow morning, and I asked her to take you to school in the afternoon.”
Wen Xia was silent for a while. “Dad, I don’t want to go. I have enough clothes.”
She had always thought that Wen De was the one at fault for their divorce, but later she found out that it was Liu Yan who had cheated.
Wen De probably didn’t want her to know about this and had kept it a secret from her.
Noticing the shift in her mood, Wen De pursed his lips. “I’ll call your mom later and tell her you’re not going. Tomorrow, you can take the bus to school by yourself. Take your phone with you and call me when you arrive.”
“Okay.” Wen Xia nodded.
……
Sunday
Around eight or nine in the morning, Jiang Yan called, saying that they should leave early in the afternoon to go to a boutique to buy a hair clip.
Wen Xia started packing her clothes and shoes, and by the time she finished, it was almost eleven.
Just then, the phone rang.
It was Qin Mo.
She pressed the answer button. “Hello.”
“Open the door,” Qin Mo said.
Last night, when they talked on the phone, Wen Xia had mentioned that Wen De was on a business trip.
“I’m coming.” Wen Xia didn’t hang up, walked out of the bedroom, and opened the door. Qin Mo was standing outside with two large bags of things. She stepped aside to let him in.
Just as she was about to close the door, she heard Aunt Zhou’s voice from next door. “Xia Xia, have you eaten?”
“I’ve eaten.” Wen Xia nodded.
“Is your relative here?” Zhou Lin craned her neck to glance at Qin Mo.
Wen Xia moved slightly to the side. “Yes, my cousin.”
“Oh.” Zhou Lin looked at Qin Mo more closely, feeling like she had seen him somewhere before, maybe around the neighborhood.
After closing the door, Wen Xia let out a breath.
“Husband, don’t come next time. If Aunt Zhou across the hall tells my dad, I’ll be in big trouble.” She made a cutting motion across her neck for emphasis.
Qin Mo chuckled, unable to resist ruffling her hair. “Don’t worry. I’ll be here to protect you.”
He glanced at her loose, comfortable loungewear and pinched her little face. “Do you want to change? Mom asked me to call you for dinner, and she also told me to bring these things for you.”
“I’ll change.” Wen Xia didn’t hesitate. She had eaten at the Qin house many times before.
She went to her room, changed into a hooded sweatshirt and black sweatpants, tied her hair up into a ponytail, and looked youthful and vibrant.
She looked at herself in the mirror, clicking her tongue in admiration. Youth was truly wonderful—she didn’t even need skincare to look so fresh and glowing.
They arrived at the Qin family’s home, where the dining table was already set with food.
Wen Xia politely greeted, “Uncle Qin, Aunt Qin.”
Jiang Yu greeted her with a smile. “Xia Xia, make yourself at home here.”
“Thank you, Mom—” Wen Xia answered too quickly, and the word Mom slipped out before she could stop herself. She quickly corrected herself, “Thank you, Aunt Qin.”
Qin Mo couldn’t hide the smile at the corner of his mouth. “Don’t be nervous, take your time. Mom and Dad won’t bite.”
Jiang Yu couldn’t help but laugh. “Mo Mo’s right, Xia Xia, don’t worry. We might look fierce, but we’re actually very easy-going.”
‘I’m not nervous, just used to it.’
Wen Xia couldn’t say that, so she just nodded. She reached out and pinched Qin Mo’s thigh. He knew exactly why, but he still teased her.
Qin Mo grabbed her hand and raised an eyebrow at her.
The small exchange between them didn’t escape Qin Ande and Jiang Yu, but they pretended not to notice.
Jiang Yu picked up a piece of fish with clean chopsticks and placed it on Wen Xia’s plate. “Xia Xia, try the fish I made.”
“Thank you, Aunt Qin.” Wen Xia waved her hand and lifted her chopsticks to eat the fish. “Aunt Qin, this fish is really delicious.”
Jiang Yu’s cooking skills were indeed excellent, and after getting married, Wen Xia often came over to enjoy her dishes.
When Qin Mo came home from work and didn’t see her, he came straight to the Qin family to pick her up.
“If it’s delicious, eat more.” Jiang Yu smiled.
Qin Mo picked up another piece of fish and placed it on her plate. “Eat slowly, careful not to choke.”
Wen Xia nodded.
After the meal, Wen Xia was full and content, rubbing her stomach in satisfaction. Qin Mo reached over and gently tapped her hand. In a low voice, he said, “Don’t touch your stomach after eating.”
They had been married for years, yet he had never corrected her habit of rubbing her stomach after a meal.
“Oh.”
Wen Xia sheepishly withdrew her hand and then helped Jiang Yu clear the dishes.
Usually, when Jiang Yu and Qin Ande were home, Liu Ci wouldn’t come to the Qin family.
Qin Ande and Qin Mo sat on the sofa. Qin Ande looked at his son, who resembled him quite a bit, and asked, “How’s your studying going lately?” His tone had no hint of a father’s authority.
“It’s going well,” Qin Mo replied.
When it came to academics, Qin Ande had complete trust in his son and rarely worried. He continued, “I’ll give you a bank card later. Don’t neglect Wen Xia. Make sure you buy her things now and then.”
