Qiao Yuanzheng and Song Yuru's faces indeed took on an unpleasant look, and Song Yuru even glared at Qiao Yushan. Qiao Yushan wanted to explain, but upon opening her mouth, she found herself somewhat at a loss for where to start.
Zhao Lianqing shook his head and said, "Brother Su, this has really taken me by surprise. I know Yushan very well; she is highly capable and strong-willed, and she has high standards for boyfriends. And you... this..."
Su Weifeng smiled and said, "Brother Zhao, are you implying that...I am not good enough?"
Zhao Lianqing laughed helplessly and said, "Do I really have to spell it out for you? I'm not trying to show off, but I was just transferred from the military last year. At the time of my transfer, I was a Major, a real battalion-level officer, and now I am a Division Head at the Environmental Protection Bureau. You're even younger than me and definitely don't hold a rank as high as mine. Naturally, your career development after transitioning won't be as good as mine. Yushan never took a liking to me, so how could she possibly take a fancy to someone with your qualifications?"
As Zhao Lianqing said these words, there was a kind of teasing look in his eyes. He was starting to suspect that Su Weifeng was just a stand-in brought by Qiao Yushan. Otherwise, how could Qiao Yushan possibly fancy someone like Su Weifeng?
Su Weifeng's face took on an odd expression as he said, "Major, battalion-level...ah..."
Zhao Lianqing shook his head and sighed, "Actually, if I had continued my career in the army, I might have been promoted to Lieutenant Colonel in just a few years. However, due to some family reasons, I transferred to a civilian role. But I believe, with my hard work, my career progression will certainly not be any less successful than it would have been in the military."
There was a sense of regret in what he said earlier, but then he puffed out his chest, exuding a powerful self-confidence. For someone his age, his achievements were indeed quite impressive.
At this moment, Su Weifeng just rubbed his nose and chuckled, "That does seem pretty good."
Everyone could tell from Su Weifeng's demeanor that he wasn't very sincere and seemed to look down on Zhao Lianqing's position.
Qiao Yuanzheng snorted, and Zhao Lianqing also frowned and said, "Brother Su, you seem to look down on a Major. I wonder what was your position when you transferred?"
"I..." Su Weifeng chuckled and said, "Never mind. Let's not talk about mine."
Qiao Yushan quickly interjected, "Mom, later I'll take you out shopping or to see the local views."
Zhao Lianqing squinted and said with a teasing tone, "Brother Su, we all come from a military background, there's nothing we can't talk about. Which unit were you in? I have many classmates from the military academy and I've participated in several training sessions. I know quite a few officers of the same rank across various military regions. I might even know your superior."
Su Weifeng chuckled again and said, "My superior, I doubt you know him."
Zhao Lianqing patted Su Weifeng's shoulder and said, "Come on, tell us. There's nothing to hide. I might actually know them."
The expression on Su Weifeng's face became somewhat distressed. In her heart, Qiao Yushan silently criticized Zhao Lianqing, thinking, why are you being so aggressive? Making Su Weifeng look foolish would also reflect poorly on her.
Watching Su Weifeng stutter, Qiao Yuanzheng slapped the armrest of the sofa and said in a stern voice, "A man who has served in the army to protect his home and country, that's an honor. Even if you were just a soldier, there should be no sense of inferiority!"
Su Weifeng, a bit helpless, said, "Well... okay, I transitioned out at the rank of Colonel."
Zhao Lianqing's eyes showed a hint of surprise and said, "You were actually a Captain, that's a company-level officer already, quite impressive. Did you attend a military academy as well?"
"No, I enlisted into the military."
Qiao Yuanzheng examined Su Weifeng again and said, "At your age, to have reached this rank in the military is quite an accomplishment, but you should be more careful when you speak in the future. There's a huge difference between a junior officer and a senior officer, you absolutely cannot get that wrong."
Qiao Yushan secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Although her father's words carried some reproach, his attitude towards Su Weifeng had clearly softened.
Su Weifeng rubbed his nose and gave a light cough before saying, "I didn't make a mistake."
"I clearly heard you say 'colonel'..." Qiao Yuanzheng paused here, his face suddenly darkening.
Zhao Lianqing revealed an amused expression and said, "Brother Su, do you mean to say that you are a colonel, not a captain?"
Qiao Yushan hurriedly tried to signal Su Weifeng with her eyes, thinking to herself, "You better not be bluffing, one phone call from dad can confirm the truth."
But Su Weifeng acted as if he hadn't seen Qiao Yushan's signals, nodded with a smile and said, "Yes, that's right."
Zhao Lianqing laughed out loud and said, "Brother Su, you must be joking. That really is quite funny. Are you really retired from the military? If you were, you shouldn't be making such laughable comments. Do you really think a military officer in his mid-twenties can become a colonel?"
Qiao Yuanzheng sneered, saying, "What a load of nonsense!"
Song Yuru also shook her head, gently reproaching Qiao Yushan in a low voice, "You child, how can you make me feel at ease."
Qiao Yushan was also filled with regret. Su Weifeng, this bastard—even if he was boasting, couldn't he have at least clued her in? To fabricate a story about military rank—that was practically asking for trouble. Her father had come out of the military with the rank of senior colonel; how could he not understand these matters?
Now her mother would blame her for not judging people properly, giving her even more reason to meddle in her future romantic relationships. Su Weifeng had truly doomed her.
Zhao Lianqing hurriedly said, "Auntie, I think Yushan's mistake isn't failing to judge character, but rather hiring someone unreliable, right?"
Song Yuru asked, puzzled, "What do you mean?"
Zhao Lianqing chuckled and said, "I mean that Brother Su must be someone Yushan hired to pretend to be her boyfriend. Yushan, don't blame me for exposing you, but the person you hired... I just couldn't hold back."
Qiao Yushan gave a bitter smile. Could she even deny it now?
However, just when she was about to admit it, Su Weifeng wore a puzzled expression and said, "This... what I said is true. It's just a colonel, doesn't seem like anything too remarkable, right?"
In the room, everyone's gaze suddenly turned towards Su Weifeng. Qiao Yuanzheng and Song Yuru looked angry, while Qiao Yushan was somewhat speechless. With the act already seen through, why continue the charade?
Besides, the boast was so outrageous. The rank of colonel in the military is already quite impressive, at the very least commanding a regiment. Yet, you claim it's nothing remarkable. Even after Qiao Yuanzheng served in the military for thirty years, he was only at the rank of senior colonel.