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Nina stood in front of the door somewhat awkwardly, wearing exquisite makeup that was gorgeous yet tastefully understated. Perhaps because she was meeting Jacob’s family elders today, her clothing style was no longer cold and aloof as it had been before, but had been replaced by a pure and charming appearance. This sudden change in her typical fashion style was particularly striking, making Jacob’s eyes light up with appreciation. It turned out that someone who usually carried herself like a queen could also appear absolutely adorable.

Wait, Jacob couldn’t help but wonder what would happen if Teacher Nina wore a cute cosplay costume. An Ultraman outfit? A Spider-Man costume? Just thinking about such possibilities made him feel unexpectedly excited.

“Knock knock.”

Jacob knocked on the front door, and someone came to answer it promptly.

The person who opened the door was a man in his early thirties—Lewis’s son and Jacob’s cousin, Stetson.

“Jacob is back! Come inside,” Stetson said warmly. He was thirty-three years old, currently unmarried, and operated a popular bar in the city. When he noticed Nina standing next to Jacob, his eyes immediately lit up with interest and he spoke with particular attentiveness. “Nina is here too! After Jacob called earlier, Grandma has been eagerly looking forward to your visit. Please come in and sit down—it’s quite cold outside.”

“Yes, thank you very much,” Nina replied politely.

Nina was obviously feeling a little reserved and uncertain. Looking at the entire extended family gathered in the house, she followed Jacob shyly like a nervous new bride meeting her in-laws for the first time.

Because it was Chinese New Year, most of the family members had come together for the traditional celebration.

Scott and Jude were present as the family patriarchs.

His eldest uncle Lewis and his wife Ayla, along with his younger uncle Aris and his wife Madeline, had also arrived.

Lewis’s children included his eldest son Stetson, second daughter Valentina, and third son Kingston.

Aris’s family consisted of his eldest son Barrett and second son Ashton.

Together with the household nanny Sister Maria, the entire family gathering was exceptionally lively and bustling with activity.

“Nina, you’re here! Come and talk with me—I haven’t seen you for such a long time,” Jude said enthusiastically, looking at Nina with genuine warmth. She quickly reached out her hand, gently pulled Nina to sit on the comfortable sofa, and began asking about family matters and general wellbeing.

When had Nina ever encountered such an overwhelmingly welcoming situation? She sat on the sofa uncomfortably, maintaining her back straight and dignified, her pale and slender fingers nervously gripping the corner of her clothes as she kept glancing at Jacob for moral support and guidance.

Jacob gave her a bright, reassuring smile in return and headed toward the kitchen to gather some food to help fill her stomach. It was actually beneficial to have Teacher Nina present—she could draw the family’s attention away from him, otherwise he would inevitably be pressured about marriage prospects by his well-meaning grandparents.

Watching Jacob leave her alone with his family, Nina felt a surge of resentment. She glanced at Jacob’s retreating figure with visible reproach and could only grit her teeth and deal with the challenging social situation before her.

“Nina, please relax and make yourself completely at home. Come and have some fresh fruit,” Jude asked with a genuine smile. “I remember correctly that you’re not currently in a relationship, right?”

“No, I’m not,” Nina replied. Hearing the conversation topic turn toward romance, she instinctively became nervous and answered with noticeable stiffness.

“Nina, you really need to hurry up with finding someone! When I was your age, I already had two children,” Jude said, taking Nina’s hand and speaking in a gentle, motherly tone. “You’re the only daughter of Heavenly King Maximus. I heard from Aris that Heavenly King Maximus has been eagerly waiting to hold his grandchild for quite a long time.”

Elder Jude’s direct words made the inexperienced Nina blush slightly, creating an endearingly cute appearance. “Elder Jude, I haven’t been in love yet—it’s far too early to discuss such matters.”

“It’s actually getting quite late,” Jude suddenly sighed with maternal concern. “Nina, it’s not easy for Heavenly King Maximus either. You should also be more considerate of his feelings and situation. It’s too difficult for him to go out on dangerous missions during New Year celebrations. Nina, if you ask me, when Heavenly King Maximus isn’t available during New Year and you come to visit the Lin family, just have Jacob inform us in advance. It’s simply a matter of adding an extra set of bowls and chopsticks to our table.”

Facing the overwhelmingly enthusiastic Jude, Nina felt completely flattered, her face noticeably flushed, and she was utterly unable to resist the older woman’s kindness. “Elder Jude, this would be far too much trouble for your family.”

“What trouble? It’s absolutely no trouble at all,” Elder Jude said with firm conviction. “Our two families have maintained such a wonderfully good relationship over the years. Maximus is Jacob’s respected master, and you’re also his dedicated teacher in the training program. Please visit more often!”

“Nina, after New Year celebrations conclude, I’ll introduce you to some excellent young people so you can get to know them better,” Jude continued enthusiastically, not giving Nina any opportunity to speak as she assumed the role of an eager matchmaker. “Don’t worry about anything, I’ll thoroughly check them out for you in advance. They’re all outstanding young people with wonderful character, attractive appearance, and excellent family backgrounds.”

Seeing that Jude was becoming more and more excited about this matchmaking prospect, Nina quickly waved her hand to politely refuse. “Elder Jude, that’s really not necessary! I don’t want to fall in love for the time being.”

“It’s all about fate—no matter whether you actively want it or not, it will eventually come when the time is right.”

“That’s absolutely right!” Jacob emerged from the kitchen carrying a plate filled with various cold dishes and hot stew, prepared for Teacher Nina to eat something substantial to fill her stomach. He happened to overhear the two discussing the previous romantic topic. “Love is like… well, no matter how hard you try to force it when it’s not naturally there, it’s completely useless. When it finally comes, you simply can’t stop it from happening.”

Listening to Jacob’s philosophical comparison, Nina’s mouth corners slightly raised in amusement and she rolled her eyes at him with playful exasperation.

Jude was also genuinely amused and scolded Jacob with a warm smile. “It’s New Year’s Day—what kind of nonsense are you talking about? Nina, please don’t listen to Jacob’s ridiculous commentary.”

Jacob turned his attention toward the two women, only to observe Jude pulling Nina to sit comfortably on the sofa, talking in hushed voices and laughing together from time to time. Nina’s naturally fair skin was faintly flushed under the warm lighting, and she appeared shy as she attempted to contribute to the conversation. She looked absolutely beautiful—truly a feast for the eyes.

The only thing that made Jacob feel distinctly unhappy was that his cousin Stetson had approached at some point, positioned himself on the short sofa beside them, and was intently listening to Nina and Elder Jude’s ongoing conversation.

Seeing Jacob emerge from the kitchen, Nina’s eyes immediately fell on him and she kept blinking at him repeatedly, as if she had been kidnapped and was desperately signaling for rescue.

Jacob looked at Teacher Nina behaving like this and found her increasingly adorable. He never expected that Teacher Nina, who usually seemed so remarkably composed and self-assured, could appear like such a delicate and vulnerable woman.

He walked directly to the opposite side of Nina and sat down next to her, effectively blocking Stetson’s clear view of Nina with his strategic positioning.

“Teacher Nina, please eat something first, and we’ll go feed the Pokemon together afterward.”

“No, I’m really not hungry right now. Let’s go immediately. Elder Jude, let’s go feed the Pokemon first and return later,” Nina said quickly, clearly eager to escape the intense social situation.

“Okay, you two go ahead and take care of that. It’s almost dinner time anyway, so please hurry up,” Jude said agreeably, no longer attempting to stop them from leaving.

Coming out of the house into the crisp winter air, the two fed all the Pokemon their evening meals and took a leisurely walk through the backyard garden.

Nina held Cottonee securely in her arms, putting her hands into its fluffy cotton body and using it as an effective hand warmer against the cold.

“How do you feel about everything?” Jacob’s voice sounded with genuine concern. “What were you discussing just now? Why did she mention fate and destiny?”

Nina couldn’t help but give Jacob a meaningful blank look. “Elder Jude said she would introduce me to some promising young people for potential romantic connections.”

“What?!” Jacob exclaimed with obvious shock.

“Keep your voice down!” Nina heard Jacob’s unexpectedly raised voice and hurriedly grabbed his arm to quiet him. “Why are you being so loud about this?”

“Then what did you tell her?” Jacob turned his head and looked at Nina with intense seriousness.

They looked directly at each other and stared deeply into each other’s eyes.

Facing Jacob’s particularly intense gaze, Nina’s heartbeat accelerated noticeably, her cheeks flushed with color, and she turned her face slightly away, looking forward as she said in an almost inaudible whisper, “What could I possibly say to that?”

“So you agreed to meet these people?” Jacob asked with obvious anxiety.

Seeing Jacob appearing so genuinely anxious about her response, Nina experienced a strange and unfamiliar feeling in her heart. She smiled like the most beautiful flower blooming in winter and said in an exceptionally gentle voice, “I didn’t agree to anything. Don’t worry about it—I won’t go to any meetings.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep