Chapter 226: This Matter Isn't Over

Fang's mother had originally decided to play the role of a matchmaker with a heavy hand.

But when she saw Li Dong's car, she began to waver.

As soon as Li Dong saw Fang Qingfei's mother's expression, he understood why Fang Qingfei had insisted on him driving.

But this was only natural. Li Dong didn't think much of it.

These days, when meeting someone for the first time, people naturally care about appearances. Character and personal qualities are abstract, and no one knows what someone's like the first time they meet.

Having a car or not makes a noticeable difference.

As they got into the car, Fang's mother asked, "Xiao Li, when did you buy this car?"

Fang's mother was careful not to ask if the car was Li Dong's. If she had, it might have seemed a bit petty.

But whether it was Fang Qingfei or Li Dong, both understood her meaning as soon as the question was asked.

Fang Qingfei tugged at her mother's sleeve discreetly, and Fang's mother glared at her.

Li Dong saw this clearly in the rearview mirror and smiled, "I bought it earlier this year."

"Did you take out a loan?" Fang's mother asked again.

Li Dong replied, "Paid in full."

Fang's mother also wanted to ask how much the car cost, but talking about money could harm relationships, and asking at this point might seem a bit low.

Though she didn't know the exact value of the car, the style alone made it clear that it wasn't cheap.

Seeing that Fang's mother didn't ask further, and not speaking to Fang Qingfei, she seemed deep in thought.

...

When they arrived at Longhua Plaza and entered the supermarket, Fang's mother furrowed her brows again.

Li Dong was walking in front and didn't see it. Fang Qingfei, noticing her mother's reaction, asked quietly, "What's wrong now?"

Fang's mother frowned and said, "Are you trying to fool me?"

Fang Qingfei was startled, wondering where the mistake was.

Before she could ask, Fang's mother said, "You said the supermarket is run by Xiao Li?"

"Yes!"

"Do you really think I'm naive? This supermarket is so big, and there's one near our home. I heard there are dozens of these supermarkets in Jiangbei. Such a big company, is it really run by Xiao Li?"

Fang Qingfei sighed with relief. At least they hadn't been caught lying.

Hearing her mother's words, Fang Qingfei hurriedly said, "The supermarket really is run by Li Dong. Do you think I'd lie to you about this? If it were fake, it would be exposed soon enough."

Without needing Fang's mother to ask further, the employees in the front area had already started greeting Li Dong.

"President Li!"

"Hello, President Li!"

...

Fang's mother's mouth twitched, and after a while, she asked, "Xiao Li is really the owner of the supermarket?"

Fang Qingfei smiled and said, "Of course it's true."

"Then… then…"

Fang's mother stuttered, not knowing what to say for a moment.

If it had been a few months earlier, the supermarket would have been an unfamiliar name to her.

But recently, a branch of the supermarket opened near the neighborhood where the Fang family lived. On the opening day, the scene was so chaotic that the whole city knew about it.

Moreover, the supermarket's decoration and scale were far superior to other local supermarkets, making it very well-known.

As a result, Fang's mother and the neighbors had heard gossip about the supermarket.

While they didn't know the details, they understood that the supermarket was a big enterprise, and its owner was wealthy, which was widely acknowledged.

Before, she felt these gossip stories were too distant, just idle chatter.

But today, her daughter claimed that the supermarket's owner was her boyfriend. This made Fang's mother feel dizzy!

After a while, Fang's mother said, "You're really together with him?"

Fang Qingfei replied awkwardly, "Mom, what do you mean by 'together'? What's with the phrasing?"

Fang's mother sighed and said, "I just feel it doesn't seem real. When you weren't seeing anyone, your father and I were anxious. But now that you have a boyfriend, he's so rich. To be honest, I feel uncertain."

She continued, "And I noticed Xiao Li seems…"

Fang's mother hesitated. She wanted to say that Li Dong didn't seem very enthusiastic towards them.

Whether it was during the meal or the car ride, Li Dong rarely engaged in conversation with them.

Fang's mother clearly felt this, but she was afraid of misunderstanding if she voiced it. If the two of them really had no future and she raised this issue, it might cause trouble.

Maybe wealthy people are like that!

Fang's mother didn't know why this thought came to her mind, and it made her feel uncomfortable.

When her daughter wasn't dating, she wanted to find the best man in the world for her. But now that her daughter had found a wealthy man, Fang's mother felt a pang of anxiety.

She worried about the reliability of wealthy people, and also about their potential infidelity.

And then she wondered why someone as rich as Li Dong would be interested in her daughter.

The more she thought about it, the more troubled she became.

Fang Qingfei didn't know what to say either. She was feeling uneasy herself.

In a moment of impulse, she had wanted to use Li Dong as a shield.

But now, seeing her mother's reaction, Fang Qingfei felt overwhelmed. She sensed that things were heading in an unpredictable direction.

As the two of them sat in silence, the store manager brought in several cups of tea.

Seeing that Li Dong wasn't there, the manager exchanged pleasantries with Fang Qingfei and then left.

Once the manager was gone, Fang's mother suddenly asked, "Qingfei, Xiao Li isn't married, is he?"

"No!" Fang Qingfei quickly replied.

"That's good, that's good…"

Fang's mother didn't know what she wanted to ask or what she was worried about.

She had planned to play the role of a matchmaker, but now she was worried about saying the wrong thing and upsetting Li Dong. This confusion made Fang's mother wish she could leave immediately.

As the mother and daughter contemplated their thoughts, Li Dong returned.

After making small talk with them, Fang's mother said, "Xiao Li, I've seen the supermarket, it's quite good. There are still things at home, so I'll head back this afternoon."

Li Dong was relieved, and politely said, "Auntie, why rush to go? You've come all this way. Why not stay a few more days and enjoy the time here?"

"No, I need to go back. Only Qingfei's father is at home, and if I don't return, he'll be hungry tonight," Fang's mother smiled.

Li Dong offered to have someone drive her home, and though he thought she would refuse, Fang's mother cheerfully accepted, "That would be a trouble for you."

Li Dong was taken aback, his face flushed. After a while, he awkwardly smiled, "It's no trouble, just a small favor."

He called Zhou Haidong and, after a few more casual conversations, they all left the supermarket together.

As Fang's mother walked ahead, Li Dong exchanged a look with Fang Qingfei.

The two lagged behind, and Li Dong whispered, "Your mom is really polite."

Fang Qingfei gave him a sidelong glance, understanding his meaning, and retorted, "Who told you to meddle?"

Her voice dropped as she continued, "Now it's a big mess. My mom will definitely want to show off when she gets back. If only she knew, it wouldn't be so bad. But if the whole neighborhood finds out, what will we do then?"

Li Dong shrugged, "Who knows what you'll do later? You came up with this idea, so deal with the consequences yourself."

Fang Qingfei grumbled, "I just wanted to use him as a cover. I didn't expect it to turn out like this."

"Serves you right!" Li Dong said with a hint of schadenfreude.

"Jerk!"

Fang Qingfei bit her lip, cursing him quietly. She hadn't expected things to turn out this way.

Despite her complaints, Fang Qingfei realized this was her mistake.

Perhaps because she had always argued with Li Dong, or perhaps because she subconsciously viewed him as just her student, Fang Qingfei had taken his wealth lightly.

In her eyes, Li Dong was an ordinary person with no special aura.

But now, seeing her mother's reaction, Fang Qingfei realized her perspective didn't reflect the general view.

The impact of being a billionaire was far from the ordinary. Just seeing her mother's change of attitude was enough to understand that.

Seeing her mother act as if she wanted to discuss marriage immediately, the difficulties she had imagined had vanished. Fang Qingfei felt frustrated.

This seemed to be a bigger mess than she had anticipated. She had a premonition that this matter was far from over.

...

After seeing Fang's mother off, Li Dong's smile gradually faded.

He glanced at Fang Qingfei and said irritably, "You handle this yourself. I'm not sticking around. I'm leaving!"

Without waiting for a response, Li Dong turned and walked away.

Only when Li Dong's figure had disappeared did Fang Qingfei mutter, "What's so great about it? It's better without you. I'll handle it myself!"

Despite her words, Fang Qingfei felt a bit anxious. She realized she needed to figure out a solution.