But judging by Ji Tong’s demeanor, she hadn’t found a solution yet.
With the floodgates of conversation opened, Ji Tong said to Feng Feng during their wait, "I'm caught in the middle and it's agonizing. I don't dare tell him either, my parents have reservations about him..."
Feng Feng simply listened quietly to Ji Tong's诉说, without offering advice. However, she thought that Ji Tong should inform Shen Su about the issue. Given Shen Su's way of handling things, he would surely resolve it properly.
Still, she felt she wasn't close enough to Ji Tong for that, and besides, this was a major life event for someone else. She wouldn't casually interfere, even with Lin Mei and Lan Lan, she only offered suggestions.
Ji Tong's flight was half an hour earlier than Feng Feng's, so she boarded first.
After bidding farewell to Ji Tong, Feng Feng sat for another fifteen minutes before boarding her own flight.
Having not returned to Huaixi for a whole year, Feng Feng finally relaxed upon arriving home. Her parents had been workaholics in their youth and only learned to enjoy life after retirement. They personally picked her up from the airport.
On the car ride, Feng Feng noticed Feng Zhang had a new car, an SUV with a very large trunk. "When did you get a new car?"
Zhou Xuan said, "We just picked it up a couple of days ago. What do you think of it?"
Feng Feng replied, "It's very nice."
Zhou Xuan added, "It was just over two hundred thousand yuan, and its performance is quite good. Your father and I are planning to drive to Tibet after the New Year, and this trunk is spacious enough. It's much more practical than our other cars."
Feng Feng envied their lifestyle and even began to imagine her own life after retirement.
On the way home, Feng Zhang and Zhou Xuan were discussing their travel plans for the coming year. Feng Feng playfully remarked, "If you two keep talking like this, I'll become jealous."
Feng Zhang then asked, "Why don't you take leave and come with us?"
Feng Feng replied, "No, young people need to work."
She wasn't yet at a point where she could abandon her work to travel. Even if she did go, her mind would be preoccupied with matters at the institute.
In the years since starting her career, her overseas trips had all been for business. At most, she'd visited shops there, never truly enjoying herself.
Both Feng Zhang and Zhou Xuan were amused by Feng Feng's words, and they both said, "She's really our own, just like us when we were young."
Upon returning home, the family of three went to the kitchen to prepare dinner. Feng Zhang had taken up cooking after retirement. Feng Feng and Zhou Xuan helped him out while chatting.
As they chatted, the conversation inevitably turned to her love life. "Are you dating anyone recently?"
Although Zhou Xuan and Feng Zhang weren't the type to pressure their children into marriage, they were very concerned about Feng Feng's romantic life. Especially after learning about Wen Zhouyuan's death, they worried she might be bottling up her emotions and unable to move on.
Feng Feng was quite honest with her parents in this regard. She told Zhou Xuan about Li Yue. Zhou Xuan was surprised to learn that Feng Feng had found a boyfriend seven years her junior. It wasn't that she disapproved, but she couldn't believe Feng Feng would be attracted to someone younger.
Feng Feng noticed her surprise and smiled, saying, "He's not immature; he's much more mature than people his age."
Zhou Xuan replied, "Whether he's mature or not, as long as you're happy with him, that's all that matters. Isn't dating all about being happy?"
Feng Feng often felt grateful to heaven for giving her such open-minded parents.
Her parents were also aware of the situation with Wen Zhouyuan. After Wen Zhouyuan got married, Zhou Xuan and Feng Zhang had a serious talk with her. It was probably the most serious conversation they had ever had, with the central theme being a reminder to maintain her boundaries and not do anything inappropriate.
In that matter, Feng Feng hadn't caused them much worry. She had maintained a good distance until Wen Zhouyuan's health deteriorated later on.
His passing was rather sudden, and after that, Feng Feng remained quiet. Her parents feared she would get stuck in the past and be unable to move forward. Therefore, they were overjoyed to hear that Feng Feng was dating. Zhou Xuan even mentioned that she planned to make time after the New Year to visit Li Yue in Nanjiang.
After returning to Huaixi, Feng Feng and Li Yue primarily communicated via WeChat.
On New Year's Eve, Li Yue sent her a photo of his family's reunion dinner with a romantic caption: "Though miles apart, we share this moment."
Feng Feng sent him a photo of her family's reunion dinner with the message, "Happy New Year's Eve."
On New Year's Eve, Shen Su had dinner with his parents before flying to Huaixi.
After much deliberation, he decided to meet Ji Tong's parents.
However, Shen Su did not mention this to Ji Tong. He found out in advance the hotel where Ji Tong and her parents were staying and checked in upon landing.
At noon on the first day of the New Year, Ji Tong took her parents to a renowned private dining restaurant in Huaixi City for lunch. As the family of three were discussing their order and making small talk, Shen Su suddenly appeared.
His unexpected arrival startled Ji Tong, who immediately observed her parents' expressions. They recognized Shen Su, and their expressions turned serious.
Shen Su immediately felt the unfriendly gaze of the two elders, which confirmed his earlier suspicion that Ji Tong's parents did not particularly like him.
Nevertheless, Shen Su smiled and introduced himself to them, "Hello, Uncle and Auntie. I am Shen Su, Ji Tong's boyfriend."
Ji Tong had never experienced such a situation before. Shen Su's sudden appearance left her mind reeling. She sat on the side, unable to react for a long time.
Ji Tong's father looked at Shen Su and said in a cold tone, "Have a seat."
Shen Su replied, "Thank you, Uncle."
He could sense Ji Tong's father's lack of warmth, but Shen Su maintained his composure and sat down next to Ji Tong.
Seeing Ji Tong's bewildered expression, Shen Su squeezed her hand.
Ji Tong finally came back to her senses and quietly asked, "Why are you here?"
Shen Su replied, "To pay a visit to Uncle and Auntie."
Ji Tong's head spun even more. Mediating between the two parties was a huge challenge for her, and she had never come up with a solution, which was why she had delayed this meeting until now.
This meeting was too sudden, and judging by her parents' expressions, there wouldn't be any pleasantries exchanged.
Shen Su had always navigated social interactions with ease, so handling such a situation was not a problem for him. Even though they were not very welcoming, he could still initiate conversations.
Shen Su chatted with them about Ji Tong. Midway through their conversation, Ji Tong's mother suddenly spoke, "Forgive my bluntness, but I don't think you and our Tongtong are suitable for each other."
Ji Tong's mother's voice was gentle, but her words were firm.
Upon hearing this, Ji Tong's face turned a little pale. Shen Su, however, remained composed and asked with a smile, "In what way do you think we are not suitable?"
Ji Tong's mother elaborated, "There's a significant age gap between you, and your life experiences and relationship histories are also different. Furthermore, we are a simple family, and it would be considered a mismatch."
Shen Su understood what was meant by different relationship histories.
He smiled and said, "It is precisely because of my past experiences that I appreciate her."
Ji Tong's father then chimed in, "Mr. Shen has the means to play, but our Tongtong does not. I believe you are not a good match, and I will not agree to your relationship."
"Dad—" His words were too resolute, and Ji Tong felt uncomfortable hearing them, so she called out to him as a reminder.