Old slick and villain

A woman in her forties opened the door and was surprised to see Ye Fei. She smiled and said, "Miss Hong, you're back."

Hong Yaqin introduced, "Aunt Wang, this is my friend."

Ye Fei reached out his hand and said, "Aunt Wang, hello."

Aunt Wang shook hands with Ye Fei and said, "Please come in, Mrs. Lao has been waiting for a long time."

Hong Yaqin nodded and said, "Let's go."

As they entered the room, Aunt Wang closed the door and glanced at the ordinary car parked in the yard, feeling puzzled. She had been a housekeeper in the Hong family for many years, but this was the first time she had seen such a common car. The worst car she had seen before was an Audi. She sighed and shook her head, thinking that this young man's future might not be very promising.

In the living room, Ye Fei saw an elderly man with white hair sitting on the sofa. He had a round face and big eyes, and although he didn't look lively, he exuded a sense of dignity. Sitting beside him was a kind-looking middle-aged woman, who was smiling at him. From her facial features, Ye Fei faintly saw the shadow of Hong Yaqin when she was young. He guessed that these should be Hong Yaqin's parents. Despite feeling a bit confused about the age gap between the two, Ye Fei didn't hesitate and quickly said, "Uncle, Aunt, hello, I'm Ye Fei, a friend of Yaqin's."

Hong's mother smiled and said, "Hello, young Ye, please have a seat. Old man, say hello!"

Hong's father frowned and said, "He's just a boyfriend, why beat around the bush?"

Ye Fei felt a bit awkward. Although Hong Yaqin had mentioned that her father had a bad temper, Ye Fei hadn't expected the situation to be like this.

Hong Yaqin glanced at the embarrassed Ye Fei, chuckled, sat down next to her father, and held his arm, saying, "You always wanted me to bring my boyfriend home, and now that I have, this is your attitude. Then I won't tell you anything in the future."

Hong's father narrowed his eyes and said, "You dare!"

"Whether I dare or not, Ye Fei, you sit down. My dad is angry with me, not with you," Hong Yaqin said.

After returning home, Hong Yaqin seemed to have become several years younger, like a girl who hadn't grown up yet, showing none of the toughness and alertness he had seen in her at the restaurant. Her voice had become much softer, and she kept acting coquettish.

Ye Fei felt a little left out. He was already in his twenties, but acting like a teenager, it was really awkward.

Hong Yaqin naturally didn't escape noticing Ye Fei's reaction. She glared at him, and Ye Fei sighed inwardly, then sat down on the sofa. People often say that everyone has two sides, and today he had witnessed it.

The intimate interaction between the two did not escape the eyes of Hong's mother, who smiled slightly.

"You know my dad is mad at you. Tell me, how long has it been since you've been home? You didn't even tell us about having a boyfriend. If I hadn't forced you to come back this time, were you planning to keep it a secret until the day you had a grandson and then bring him back to show me?" Hong's father said.

"Dad!" Hong Yaqin blushed.

Hong's mother pushed Hong's father and said, "Don't talk nonsense in front of Ye. Ye, come and have some fruit."

"Aunt, you don't have to be polite. I'll do it myself," Ye Fei said.

After saying that, he stood up, picked a bright red apple, peeled it with a fruit knife, cut it in half, and placed it on a fruit plate, then handed it to Hong Yaqin, saying, "Yaqin, I've peeled it for you, try it."

Seeing Ye Fei's thoughtful gesture, Hong Yaqin widened her eyes. Was this the cold and unfeeling person? Looking at the smile on his face and his gentle actions, if it weren't for her parents being present, Hong Yaqin would definitely want to uncover Ye Fei's mask and see his true self.

Seeing Ye Fei's caring behavior, Hong's mother nodded with joy. As a mother, she hoped her daughter would find someone considerate to take care of her, and this young man seemed to fit the bill.

Although Hong's father didn't smile, his expression was no longer as serious as before.

"Young Ye, where is your family from? What do your parents do?" Hong's mother asked.

Ye Fei continued peeling the apple, put down what he was holding, and said seriously, "Aunt, my family is from a small county in Hebei Province, and my parents are ordinary workers."

Hong's mother looked at her daughter in surprise.

She knew that her husband had high standards, believing in the importance of matching backgrounds, and he paid great attention to a person's social status. She had thought that the boyfriend her daughter brought home would at least be a member of the social elite, if not from an affluent family, then at least someone with a certain social status. She couldn't believe it was someone from an ordinary family. She was worried about her husband, but seeing that there was no change in Hong's father's expression, she breathed a sigh of relief.

She changed the subject and asked, "Which university did you graduate from? Where do you work now?"

Hong Yaqin anxiously looked around, fearing that Ye Fei would say something unrealistic again. At least she had to get through today!

However, Ye Fei said straightly, "Aunt, I started working right after graduating from high school. I recently quit my job and plan to start a business in the capital city."

Hong Yaqin helplessly covered her face, thinking to herself, "This is a disaster."

What's wrong with this guy? He was talking fine in the car, but now he's only saying negative things.

Even Mrs. Hong was stunned. She hadn't expected Ye Fei to have such a background. She looked at Hong Yaqin with some understanding. No wonder her daughter had never brought her boyfriend home. Just with this background, it was enough to cause aversion.

Suddenly, Mr. Hong spoke up, "What kind of business are you planning to do? Do you have a plan?"

Both Hong Yaqin and her mother were stunned. They hadn't expected Mr. Hong to ask this. Based on their understanding of him, he should be angry and drive Ye Fei away. What's going on today?

"I haven't decided yet. The market in the capital city is huge, and there are many investment opportunities. I plan to survey for a while first, and then decide which industry to enter. Actually, I came to the capital mainly for Yaqin. We've been in a relationship for a long time, but we've only been able to communicate by phone. It doesn't feel real without face-to-face interaction. That's why I decided to come to the capital," Ye Fei explained.

Mrs. Hong asked in astonishment, "You haven't met before?"

This seemed like a pre-planned storyline, and Hong Yaqin could only say as instructed by Ye Fei, "We met online. Isn't it normal not to meet in person?"

"Online romance?" Mrs. Hong blinked, thinking that besides cooking, her daughter had almost no other entertainment activities. She nodded with some understanding, "I see, no wonder you always stay in your room at home. So it's online romance."

Mr. Hong cleared his throat and said, "Alright, you two go prepare the food. It's the first time for Young Ye to come here, and I want to have a chat with him."

Mrs. Hong nodded and led Hong Yaqin to the kitchen, with many questions in her mind.

After the two left, Ye Fei straightened up.

"Young Ye, let's talk about your business plan. I want to hear your thoughts!" Mr. Hong began asking about Ye Fei's business plan, without mentioning their relationship or any differences, which was quite unexpected.

Ye Fei was puzzled. He had prepared himself for skepticism, but he hadn't expected Mr. Hong to act in a way different from what he had anticipated.

"Uncle, this is exactly what troubles me now. I have some capital, but I have no idea what project to choose. I've been in the capital for three days, spending time reading newspapers, browsing the internet, and walking around, apart from Yaqin's restaurant," Ye Fei said with a wry smile.

"Having capital but no project!" Mr. Hong nodded, "Yes, Young Ye. Actually, with the money I have, it's enough for an ordinary life. But I'm only twenty years old, I can't spend my whole life like this! I have to leave something behind in life. Besides, I'm a man, and I should strive to prove my worth in this society. Only such a person is worthy of a woman's care."

Mr. Hong agreed, "You're right. But the market is already mature now. It's difficult to achieve success with just passion, and a slight mistake may even lead to failure. I suggest you be cautious when choosing investment projects, don't rush into action, observe more, and choose an industry that suits you. You're still young, there's no need to be hasty for quick success. First, you need to conduct market research, just like cooking, you need to understand whether the guest prefers sweet or salty food, or seafood or meat, before serving. In addition, you should make good use of your strengths and try to engage in industries you are familiar with. Practice makes perfect!"

"Thank you, Uncle!" Ye Fei expressed his gratitude.

Since the day Ye Fei left his hometown, he had set a goal to earn enough money and have his own company. However, he was at a loss on how to achieve this goal. His string of successes had made him impetuous. He thought that as long as he had the capital, he could easily start a big company and count money until his hands hurt. However, Mr. Hong's words made him realize his impetuosity.

Without even deciding on an industry, rashly liquidating all his savings was not a wise choice.

Ye Fei took the opportunity to seek advice from Mr. Hong on various aspects of entrepreneurship, and Mr. Hong was always ready to answer. This helped Ye Fei see things clearly, and he never mentioned anything between him and Hong Yaqin.

After questioning her daughter in the kitchen, Mrs. Hong returned to the living room and saw the two talking enthusiastically, feeling a bit at a loss. What's going on? When did the old man become so warm? Shouldn't he be stern and chase away Ye Fei?

"Is the food ready? Young Ye, have a drink with me," Mr. Hong said, standing up as he saw Mrs. Hong come out.

Ye Fei quickly said, "Uncle, I drove here, I can't drink!"

"It's okay, this is your own home, not outside. Drink a little more, and sleep here, we have plenty of rooms," Mr. Hong insisted.

So Ye Fei ended up drinking quite a lot again.

After Ye Fei was helped back to his guest room to sleep, Mrs. Hong found Mr. Hong sitting in the living room drinking tea, "Old man, what's going on?"

"What's going on?" Mr. Hong said.

"Considering your personality, you should have sent him away long ago," Mrs. Hong said.

Mr. Hong said displeased, "Do you think I'm so materialistic? Anyway, this is the first time our daughter has brought her boyfriend home, and we should give her some face. Besides, this young man is indeed quite nice!"

Seeing that Mrs. Hong didn't understand, Mr. Hong explained, "Didn't you notice what Ye Fei was wearing? Although it's not a big brand, it can barely be considered decent. Seeing his relaxed demeanor, it doesn't look like his first time wearing it, so there's no trace of pretense. I've checked his watch; it's a Swiss watch, not cheap. This shows that he's financially sound, and he comes from an ordinary family. Think about it, a young man without a college degree and external help, who can completely rely on his own efforts to own these things, it's not easy."

Mrs. Hong nodded, "Yes, I only cared about his family background and didn't pay attention to these. But he doesn't have a job, nor does he have a degree. He says he wants to start a business. Why do I feel like he's not reliable, like a fraud? Could Yaqin have been deceived by him?"

"You always just look at the surface and draw conclusions without deeper understanding. Fraud? What would he deceive? Yaqin is still a child, lacking judgment, and we are here! Besides, he has no need to cheat money, the money he has is enough for his living. Furthermore, he's several years younger than Yaqin, who knows who will take advantage of whom." Mr. Hong said.

Mrs. Hong angrily punched Mr. Hong, "How can you say that about our daughter? This young man indeed left a good impression on me, very genuine, not hiding anything. Meeting a family like ours, most people would definitely hide their background or avoid the issue. But Ye Fei didn't hesitate at all, and he doesn't think there's anything bad about his background, which is rare."

"I understand your point, I'm not just concerned about social status, always talking about matching backgrounds. After all, I'm just a chef's son. I just hope our daughter can be happy in the future. But if there's a suitable young man, and they get along well, even if he's poor, so what? The money I've earned in my life is enough for them to live. If I don't leave this money to my daughter, should I take it with me? But this Ye Fei is ambitious, has aspirations, although he's young, his character is mature. I'm only worried whether Yaqin can resist his charm!" Mr. Hong said.

Mr. Hong was an experienced elderly person and would not easily be blinded by appearances. He was not the kind of person who only valued matching social status or arranged marriages for family power. He hoped his culinary skills could be passed down, and his daughter could lead a happy married life. That was enough for him.

However, in the conversation just now, he sensed Ye Fei's ambition and was deeply worried.