Hong Yaqin got on the car and saw a leather bag on the back seat. She couldn't help but ask, "Is there something you need to do?"
Ye Fei nodded and replied, "Yes, it's work-related. Since we have already made an appointment, we must follow through."
This conversation made Hong Yaqin have a new impression of Ye Fei. At first, she only thought of him as a guest who was scared by He Linlin. Later, she saw him as a savior, but when Ye Fei coldly proposed a business deal, she thought he was a heartless animal. However, their conversation just now made her feel that Ye Fei is very thoughtful and considerate. She discovered that he keeps his word, which is rare in today's society. Although everyone talks about keeping promises, few actually do so. This greatly increased Hong Yaqin's liking for Ye Fei.
"I heard on the phone just now that your parents are pushing you to go on a blind date!" Hong Yaqin asked with a smile.
Upon hearing this, Ye Fei's face changed slightly. He was here to watch the show, but forgot that he also had a pile of troubles. He shook his head helplessly and said, "Parents at their age tend to do this. Don't worry, I won't let you take any risks."
"Even if you agreed, I wouldn't accept it. What kind of relationship would we become? There are dozens of marriage rules in TV dramas, are you kidding me?" Hong Yaqin firmly replied.
Seeing her resolute attitude, Ye Fei's mouth slightly curled up. It's a good thing to be able to joke with someone.
"By the way, are you here to find a job in Beijing or to do business?" Hong Yaqin changed the subject and asked.
"I'm here to do business. I'm looking for investment projects and want to start a career. Although working can earn money, there is no future. I don't want to become a slave to the house and car," Ye Fei replied.
Hong Yaqin was surprised. He had just said that he didn't go to college because of his family's poor conditions, but now he was considering investing in business. She suddenly realized that Ye Fei seemed to be hiding many secrets, and his mysteriousness made her very curious.
"What hobbies do your parents have? It's the first time I'm visiting them, I can't go empty-handed," Ye Fei asked.
"My dad likes to drink, and my mom likes to drink tea."
"Okay, let's buy two bottles of Moutai and two catties of Longjing tea. Oh, there's a tobacco and alcohol store here, let's buy it here," Ye Fei pulled over and stopped the car.
Hong Yaqin sat still in the car and looked at Ye Fei, feeling unsure, "Didn't you tell me to buy it myself?"
"What do you think? I came to see your parents at your request, I won't let you pay!" Ye Fei said.
Although he wanted to please Hong Yaqin, Ye Fei would not flatter her blindly. If he did, his intentions would be too obvious. Therefore, at the appropriate time, he would fight back.
Hong Yaqin glared at Ye Fei and muttered, "Stingy!"
"What did you say?" Ye Fei asked.
"Nothing, nothing, let's go," Hong Yaqin said as she got off the car with the two gift boxes.
Ye Fei's cautiousness and rationality irritated Hong Yaqin, making her lose interest in talking to him. Although she pretended not to care, as a girl, she still hoped that Ye Fei would treat her intimately like a real couple. Women are like this sometimes. They say they don't want to be pursued, but secretly hope to be pursued. Hong Yaqin was now caught in this conflicting mindset. She felt that as a beauty, it should be an honor for Ye Fei to play the role of her boyfriend. Ye Fei should do his best to please her. However, the reality was that Ye Fei showed no joy at all and treated everything as a mere transaction. This made her feel angry, frustrated, and a bit resentful.
Ye Fei didn't care about Hong Yaqin's attitude. He knew that as long as he didn't make any mistakes, this visit wouldn't be the last. So he had to control Hong Yaqin, guide her forward, and not let her control him.
Following the navigation instructions, Ye Fei continued to drive while Hong Yaqin remained silent, and he didn't speak either. After Wang Yue left, Ye Fei became even more taciturn, maintaining silence throughout the whole day.
After five or six minutes, Hong Yaqin couldn't stand the silence in the car any longer and spoke up, "Hey, my parents have bad temperaments, so you should avoid making them angry."
"Don't worry, they will be angry with you, not me. I am a guest and, more importantly, their daughter's boyfriend. Even if they are dissatisfied with me, they won't vent their anger on me. It's you who's unlucky," Ye Fei replied.
Hong Yaqin said shamefully, "Can't you say something nice?"
"I'm just telling the truth. It's just that the truth is not welcome right now. Let me make it clear, pleasing you is not part of our deal!" Ye Fei added fuel to the fire.
Hong Yaqin was almost furious.
"Ye Fei, I've never seen such a stingy man like you!" Hong Yaqin shouted in anger.
"Stingy? Is it because I didn't take the initiative to pay?" Ye Fei retorted.
The two argued and completely forgot about the passage of time. When Hong Yaqin finally regained her senses, the car had already entered a residential area.
"All right, there's no need to be so nervous now, and you won't feel guilty anymore, right?" Ye Fei said.
Hong Yaqin looked at Ye Fei in astonishment!
"When you got in the car, you seemed very nervous, with guilt written all over your face. Anyone could have noticed it. You're hiding something. With your parents' experience, they can definitely see through your cautious thoughts at a glance," Ye Fei explained.
Surprised, Hong Yaqin looked at Ye Fei and said, "So you've been deliberately provoking me on the way to let me vent my emotions!"
"That's right. You're in a much better state now. Pretending to be annoyed with me fits perfectly with the scenario we set up. I didn't inform you in advance because you gave up a promising job and came to Beijing to start anew. Of course, you would be angry. Plus, with your parents pressuring you, you reluctantly brought me along, which naturally made you feel wronged and show a bit of annoyance towards me. It's a normal reaction. This way, there won't be any affectionate gestures, and they won't suspect anything," Ye Fei explained.
Hong Yaqin didn't expect Ye Fei to be so understanding. The frustration she had just felt dissipated to some extent, and her resistance towards him diminished.
"Keep going. After my father retired, he liked living in a place near the mountains and water. He bought a villa here. Behind it is a green mountain, and there's also a reservoir not far away. My dad loves it," Hong Yaqin directed.
Silently, Ye Fei drove the car further inside. It was indeed a high-end villa area, with the yard filled with luxury cars. Unlike the villas on TV, each villa here was quite far apart, with independent spaces and spacious yards. Some even had surrounding walls, offering a full view of the interior.
Guided by Hong Yaqin, the car stopped in front of a three-story white villa.
Carrying a gift, Ye Fei followed behind Hong Yaqin into the villa.
The villa's yard was extremely spacious. Unexpectedly, various vegetables were planted in it, including Chinese cabbage, carrots, and red peppers—everything needed for everyday cooking.
Seeing Ye Fei's gaze, Hong Yaqin explained, "My dad likes to grow his own vegetables. He says the ones from the market lack flavor when stir-fried."
Ye Fei could relate. The tomatoes and scrambled eggs from his hometown were especially delicious, especially the taste from his childhood. After working outside, no matter how good the restaurants were, they couldn't recreate the taste of his childhood. It wasn't because they didn't cook well, but because neither the tomatoes nor the eggs had that pure, fertilizer-free aroma.
At the entrance, Hong Yaqin took a deep breath and knocked on the door.