"Are you talking about Grandma's birthday?" Wang Ziwei asked tentatively.
"Yes, I'm really impressed with you, Ziwei. You've never forgotten Grandma's birthday before, so how could you forget it this year? Tell me, do you have a boyfriend?" Wang Jianshan deliberately tried to trick Wang Ziwei.
"Dad, others might not know me, but you should, right? I'm a firm believer in not getting married, so how could I have a boyfriend?" Wang Ziwei said, her eyes darting away.
Wang Jianshan was a shrewd man, and he saw through Wang Ziwei's little act immediately.
"I know. You don't have a boyfriend, but you have a man you like. Hurry up and tell me, who is it?" Wang Jianshan said excitedly.
"Dad, I don't," Wang Ziwei's face flushed crimson.
"Fine, if you won't tell me, then I'll send someone to investigate Capital University." Wang Jianshan threatened Wang Ziwei.
"Dad, please don't go to Capital University. I admit it, I have a man I like. He's a student at Capital University. I should say he's a full-time student who studies for six months and then goes back to work." Wang Ziwei immediately confessed after Wang Jianshan's scare.
"Ziwei, did I hear you correctly? You don't like a rich second-generation heir?" Wang Jianshan was stunned for a moment.
"Dad, don't we have enough money? Why do I have to like a rich second-generation heir?" Wang Ziwei pouted and retorted.
"Ziwei, don't misunderstand me. I'm not asking you to marry for the Wang family's future. The Wang family is a prominent clan in the capital, and many people are eager to curry favor with us. I don't need to sell my daughter. Besides, you have two older brothers who can handle future alliances for the Wang family. What I mean is, this man you like now isn't a rich second-generation heir; do you have common ground?" Wang Jianshan questioned.
"Yes!"
"Interesting. Continue. What's this man's background?" Wang Jianshan asked with a smile.
"He's the deputy town head of Mingshan Town. To climb the political ladder to the provincial capital and the capital's political arena step by step, he specifically came to Capital University to further his studies in international politics," Wang Ziwei explained word by word.
"So, he's just a grassroots political official. Ziwei, I advise you not to continue liking him. You are a daughter of the capital's political elite. How can you like a grassroots official? If this gets out, where will my face be?" Wang Jianshan said with displeasure.
He, as a father, wouldn't interfere with his daughter Wang Ziwei's marriage, but there were basic boundaries to be maintained. Even liking a rich second-generation playboy would be better than liking a deputy town head. A deputy town head was considered the lowest of the low in the political arena, and his prospects for a lifetime were limited.
"Dad, you misunderstand Chen Feng." Wang Ziwei immediately defended Chen Feng.
"I misunderstand deputy town heads? I'm sorry, but I don't. I've spent my life in politics and have seen more than enough people and situations. I really haven't seen any deputy town heads who have achieved great success; they usually just stay in their town their entire lives. If it were the past, during wartime, they could have risen to high positions due to the chaos. But now, in peacetime, deputy town heads can't go anywhere. Spending their lives at the grassroots level is their destiny!" Wang Jianshan explained with a serious expression.
"Dad, why don't you trust your daughter's judgment? If I were messing around, I would have done so already." Wang Ziwei pouted.
"That's true, my daughter is a Ph.D. from Capital University and a professor. Her judgment shouldn't be that bad. How about this, tomorrow is your grandmother's birthday, have him come over too." Wang Jianshan said seriously.
"Is that appropriate?" Wang Ziwei asked with anticipation.
"It's perfectly fine for my daughter's boyfriend to come over for a meal. Of course, if your boyfriend is a bumpkin, then I'm sorry, but your father won't give him a warm welcome," Wang Jianshan said seriously.
Wang Ziwei thought for a moment and decided to have Chen Feng attend her grandmother's birthday. The reason was simple: even though they wouldn't get married in this lifetime, she had already given herself to him, and he had agreed to be her lover. Meeting each other's parents in such a relationship was only proper.
"Dad, when Chen Feng comes tomorrow, please don't mention the Wang family's background to him for now. I don't want him to be with me because of the Wang family's status," Wang Ziwei said earnestly.
"Don't worry, your father isn't foolish. I know these things. I can keep a secret. Tomorrow, we'll just pretend the Wang family is a wealthy merchant family," Wang Jianshan said with a smile.
After chatting for a while longer, Wang Ziwei returned to Capital University. She searched around but couldn't find Chen Feng. A wave of jealousy washed over Wang Ziwei. Where could he be late at night? Was he being affectionate with Cheng Lu? Thinking of this, Wang Ziwei quickly went to find Cheng Lu and found her in the dormitory washing up. This made Wang Ziwei's curiosity spike. If Chen Feng wasn't with Cheng Lu late at night, where had he gone? She called Chen Feng's phone again, but to her surprise, it went unanswered, just like before.
Wang Ziwei calmed down and thought carefully. The two most likely places Chen Feng would be were the library or an external study room. What was an external study room? It was a place where you paid ten yuan per hour to study in a quiet environment, preparing for postgraduate entrance exams. Since Chen Feng wasn't in the library, he must be in an external study room. With this thought, Wang Ziwei immediately went to an external study room. As expected, Chen Feng was indeed in an external study room.
"Chen Feng, why did you come to an external study room? Isn't Capital University's library enough for you?" Wang Ziwei asked instinctively.
"Teacher Wang, I plan to stay up all night reading several books on international politics these days. As you know, I only have six months of full-time study, so I should try to learn as much as possible," Chen Feng replied earnestly.
"You can't stay up all night these days. Tomorrow is my grandmother's birthday, and you have to go." Wang Ziwei got straight to the point about the birthday.
"Teacher Wang, is it appropriate for me to go celebrate your grandmother's birthday?" Chen Feng asked humbly. In reality, he was very eager to attend Wang Ziwei's grandmother's birthday. The reason was simple: if he attended Wang Ziwei's grandmother's birthday, it would signify his initial integration into the Wang family of the capital. With the capital's Wang family as a major connection, his future in the political arena would be unstoppable. As a saying in China's political circles goes, one's height in politics is absolutely determined by their connections.
"I've given myself to you, do you think it's appropriate?" Wang Ziwei asked Chen Feng with a flushed face.
"It's very appropriate. By the way, Teacher Wang, what does your grandmother like? I'll prepare something." Chen Feng asked.
"As long as you come, that's enough. You don't need to prepare a gift. I'll prepare the gift," Wang Ziwei replied.
"That won't do, Teacher Wang. It's my first time meeting your grandmother; not preparing a gift would be too rude," Chen Feng explained immediately.
"Chen Feng, we are in a relationship as lovers, so I won't lie to you. My grandmother is a woman who has seen the world. Ordinary gifts, to be honest, she wouldn't care for..." Wang Ziwei said softly.