"Colleague?"
Bai Wenmo's eyes were also fixed on Jiang Feng, frowning just as much.
"Hello, Uncle." Jiang Feng maintained his manners and nodded politely.
"Dad, Xiao Feng knows you love drinking, so he specially bought this for you..." Bai Zhiqing hurriedly took the gift from Jiang Feng and handed it to her father.
Bai Wenmo didn't take it. He suspiciously looked at the two of them, then turned to Bai Zhiqing and asked, "Why did you bring a colleague home?"
"Dad, we're dating..." Bai Zhiqing said in a strained voice. After all, it was a blatant lie, and she couldn't help but feel a little guilty. Her face was as red as a freshly peeled lychee.
Bai Wenmo's expression instantly turned sour: "When did you start dating, and how come your mother and I didn't know?"
Bai Zhiqing noticed her father didn't invite Jiang Feng inside, and she grew anxious: "Dad, can't you let Xiao Feng and me come in first? It's not easy for Xiao Feng to visit, and leaving us standing at the door like this isn't proper."
Bai Wenmo snorted coldly, reluctantly saying, "Since you're here, come in!"
After speaking, he turned and went back to the living room, but he had no intention of acknowledging Jiang Feng and instead went straight to the study with his book.
Bai Zhiqing was dumbfounded!
She hadn't expected her parents to embarrass her right when they returned!
If she had known, she wouldn't have brought Jiang Feng home. Her parents' attitude was utterly disgraceful!
"Jiang Feng, come in!" The happiness on Bai Zhiqing's face disappeared completely. She held back her emotions, went inside, and brought Jiang Feng with her.
She placed the gifts on the floor, changed into slippers, and bent down to find a pair for Jiang Feng.
However, after searching through the shoe cabinet, she couldn't find any men's slippers, leaving her puzzled!
Bai Zhiqing stood up and asked her mother, "Mom, where did the men's slippers go?"
"When did we ever have those? Just let him come in like that—he won't stay long anyway." Zheng Xiulan sat on the sofa cracking sunflower seeds, not even glancing up as she focused on the TV.
Telling lies with eyes wide open!
Bai Zhiqing was furious: "What do you mean he won't stay long? I'm back to be a bridesmaid this time, and Xiao Feng will accompany me the whole time. We need to go back together. If you don't mind sweeping the floor more often, it's fine by me!"
With that, she pulled Jiang Feng inside: "Xiao Feng, you don't need to change shoes!"
"Do you mean to say you want him to stay here?" Zheng Xiulan finally turned around, staring coldly at her daughter.
"It's not like there's no room. Xiao Feng will stay with me at night. My bed is big enough." Bai Zhiqing stared back at her mother, unyielding.
"What did you just say?!" Zheng Xiulan threw the handful of sunflower seeds back onto the plate in anger.
Seeing her mother and daughter at odds again, while Bai Zhiqing was defiantly making provocative remarks, Jiang Feng felt somewhat helpless.
He was about to speak when suddenly Bai Wenmo came out of the study again!
He looked solemnly at his daughter and said, "Zhiqing, what did you just say? Haven't you two not even established a relationship yet? Even if you're dating, you should be mindful of the impression it leaves."
"What impression? We've been living together in the city for a long time. Do I need to deceive myself?" Bai Zhiqing, in a fit of anger, snapped back even at her father.
"Bai Zhiqing, did you come all the way back just to upset us?"
Zheng Xiulan had had enough: "If that's the case, you can take him and leave right now. Stay wherever you want; I don't care!"
"Fine, we'll leave. Did you think I was eager to come back?" Bai Zhiqing, her chest heaving in anger, pulled Jiang Feng to leave.
"Stop!" Bai Wenmo spoke up from behind: "Where are you going? Your cousin is still waiting for you to be her bridesmaid. If you leave now, what are you thinking? Isn't that leaving her in the lurch? Come back first; we're family. Let's discuss whatever issues there are."
"Discuss what? I brought Xiao Feng back with good intentions for you to meet him, and this is your attitude? Do you think he had nothing better to do than accompany me back?"
These were Bai Zhiqing's heartfelt words. Being able to get Jiang Feng to accompany her back was no easy task, and her parents' attitude was deeply disappointing.
"Zhiqing, that's not what your mother meant. It's just that our family is of scholarly background, and you're bringing a man without status back to sleep here. If the neighbors hear, it wouldn't sound good..." Bai Wenmo said helplessly.
Jiang Feng could see the couple had significant objections, so he finally spoke up: "Uncle, Aunt, don't worry. I won't cause any trouble for you. Let Zhiqing sleep in her own room; I'll sleep on the sofa. I wasn't comfortable with her coming back alone to be a bridesmaid, so I insisted on accompanying her back. You don't have to blame her."
Bai Zhiqing was taken aback by his words and turned to look at Jiang Feng in astonishment!
She was dissatisfied with Jiang Feng's submission to her parents.
At the same time, she hadn't expected that even after her parents gave Jiang Feng such a hard time and showed him such little respect, he would still speak up for her!
As she felt grateful to Jiang Feng, she also felt more suffocated and guilty!
Zheng Xiulan understood as soon as she heard this. No wonder! Her daughter brought him back without any notice because he insisted on it. Was this to keep an eye on her daughter?
How ridiculous! Only a man of no accomplishments would devise ways to keep an eye on his woman!
"Our Zhiqing, even though divorced, is still an economically independent and beautiful woman. I want to know, what kind of colleague are you to her, and how did you get together?" Zheng Xiulan asked, staring at Jiang Feng.
"I'm a security guard at Zhiqing's company. As for how we got together, I suppose it was fate, and over time, emotions grew," Jiang Feng said with a calm smile.
"A security guard???"
Zheng Xiulan and Bai Wenmo were dumbfounded!
Their daughter had found a security guard this time?!
No wonder Jiang Feng dressed so ordinarily; he's just a person from the lower rung of society?
This doesn't even begin to compare with their family background!
Zheng Xiulan, both angry and annoyed, glared at her daughter, wishing to question if she was blind!
On the side, Bai Zhiqing also felt regretful; she had forgotten to warn Jiang Feng beforehand and didn't expect him to be so direct.
She knew her parents' snobbishness too well. Once they knew Jiang Feng was just a security guard, they'd certainly view him with even more disdain!
Next, Jiang Feng would likely face even colder treatment!