Chapter 309: Shi Fei Has a Partner Now
Mrs. Ye nodded and noticed that Yun Shifei had unknowingly finished the snacks. Unable to resist, she said, "Let me get you some more snacks to eat."
Yun Shifei didn’t have time to refuse.
Soon, Mrs. Ye returned. This time, she came back with a fruit platter and some snacks, and even poured Yun Shifei a glass of juice.
"This is freshly squeezed orange juice; try it and see if it’s good."
"Thank you, Auntie." Yun Shifei smiled sweetly, taking the cup and sipping it.
She took one sip and instantly felt her whole world light up. The juice was tangy and sweet, with a strong orange flavor—it was truly delicious!
Seeing the young girl in front of her enjoying the snacks with a satisfied expression, Mrs. Ye couldn’t help but smile. She’s just too adorable.
Mrs. Ye had interacted with girls around Yun Shifei’s age before, but none of them felt as genuine as this one. This girl was grounded and sensible, without the spoiled airs that some pretty girls had—perfect for settling down.
Perhaps because her son liked her, Mrs. Ye couldn’t help but feel a fondness for her as well.
When Ye Yi came downstairs, he happened to see Yun Shifei holding a glass of orange juice, chatting with his mother.
The girl was wearing a white hoodie, her hair draped over her shoulders.
She looked graceful and pretty, which made Ye Yi’s lips involuntarily curve into a smile.
But just as he smiled, he remembered the scene at the airport where she had met Cheng Lie.
His heart was immediately filled with bitterness.
She liked Cheng Lie. When she looked at him, her eyes sparkled with a light so beautiful, a beauty he didn’t dare reach for.
A beauty he wasn’t worthy of possessing.
"Mom, Dad." Ye Yi called out, then greeted Yun Tiancheng and Yun Shifei.
Mrs. Ye noticed Ye Yi coming downstairs and waved at him, smiling, "Ye Yi, come over and sit."
Behind Yun Shifei’s back, Mrs. Ye even winked at him, leaving Ye Yi a little helpless.
He glanced at Yun Shifei, who smiled at him innocently, as if completely unaware of his mother’s intentions.
Ye Yi felt a headache coming on, his temples throbbing. He didn’t know how to handle this situation.
And yet, his mother continued, "Shifei, what do you think of your brother Ye Yi?"
"He’s very nice," Yun Shifei replied, finding Mrs. Ye’s question rather baffling.
"Very nice," Mrs. Ye echoed, looking at Ye Yi. "Your brother Ye Yi thinks you’re wonderful too."
At this moment, Yun Shifei froze briefly as realization dawned upon her.
Even with her slow thought process, she couldn’t fail to grasp what Mrs. Ye meant.
Ye Yi had been watching Yun Shifei closely and noticed the hint of awkwardness on her face. He immediately understood that she had caught on to his mother’s suggestion.
Unable to hold back, he said, "Mom, Shifei is already in a relationship. She and I are just friends."
He thought to himself: If he couldn’t be with her, at least he could still be her friend—and that was good enough.
His desires were so humble, all he wished was that she wouldn’t distance herself, thinking he had feelings for her.
But the moment those words left his mouth, the atmosphere in the living room instantly became tense.
Yun Shifei stared at him, shocked.
Ye Yi regretted it immediately. Had he impulsively said something he shouldn’t have?
He assumed that she and Cheng Lie were close, childhood friends whose relationship Yun Tiancheng must have known about.
Someone like her, who seemed so obedient—the type to act like the perfect daughter around her parents—surely wouldn’t hide something like this from Yun Tiancheng.
But seeing her reaction now, it seemed she really had kept it from him.
Yun Shifei wanted to cry. She was ruined. She hadn’t intended to tell Yun Tiancheng so soon, but now Ye Yi had spilled the beans.
She didn’t even need to look over to know Yun Tiancheng was observing her.
After all, he and Uncle Ye had been chatting happily just moments earlier, but since the moment Ye Yi blurted out that sentence, their conversation had come to an abrupt halt.
Yun Shifei’s heart trembled uncontrollably, too frightened to look in his direction.
Mrs. Ye quickly broke the awkward silence, saying, "Oh, so Shifei has a boyfriend already. I thought you and Ye Yi would make a good match—what a pity."
What a pity indeed. She didn’t even know how to salvage the situation anymore.
"Old Yun, looks like you’re going to be a grandfather soon," she said, turning the conversation toward Yun Tiancheng.
She stood up and went to heat some water.
Ye Yi took the seat his mother had vacated, looking at Yun Shifei’s dejected expression. His heart felt heavy too.
He hadn’t meant to say anything.
But since it had already been said, there was no undoing it.
"I’m sorry. I didn’t know you hadn’t told your father yet."
Yun Shifei shook her head lightly. "It’s okay. I’ll handle it."
Sigh. Since Ye Yi claimed it wasn’t intentional, what could she do? She couldn’t exactly hit him over it.
But she hadn’t prepared herself emotionally to confess everything to Yun Tiancheng yet.
After leaving the Ye Family home, Yun Tiancheng didn’t say a single word to Yun Shifei.
Yun Shifei didn’t dare to speak up either. She could feel that Yun Tiancheng was upset.
Upset — understandably so. Her relationship was such a significant matter, yet she had hidden it from him.
Any father would likely feel uncomfortable discovering that their daughter had secretly entered a relationship without telling them.
"Shifei, when did you start dating?" Back at home, Yun Tiancheng finally confronted Yun Shifei.
Holding her pet, Yun Shifei tugged absentmindedly at its fur and replied, "Back when I was in Beijing..."
"Why didn’t you tell me? Keeping it from me like this really hurts," Yun Tiancheng said.
He didn’t seem like an unreasonably strict parent. His child was in college now—what’s the harm in dating? He didn’t object to Yun Shifei being in a relationship. What upset him was the secrecy.
"I’m sorry, Dad. I was afraid that if I told you, you wouldn’t approve of us dating."
"You’re an adult now. Of course I wouldn’t stop you. When I got together with your mother, I was about your age too."
Yun Tiancheng couldn’t help but reminisce about his own youth. This age was the easiest time to fall in love, so he didn’t oppose Yun Shifei’s relationship.
Seeing Yun Tiancheng’s open-mindedness, Yun Shifei felt the weight lift from her heart. With a smile, she said, "Dad, I was just scared you wouldn’t agree, so I kept it quiet..."
"I wouldn’t! So, can you tell me now—who is he?"
He wanted to see what kind of person Yun Shifei was dating. What was his age, education, where did he live, and was he a good person?
Watching his daughter grow up gradually, becoming more beautiful and refined, he imagined there must be plenty of boys chasing after her at college. He just hoped she hadn’t chosen poorly.
"He’s about my age, very good-looking, already working at a fairly decent company."
"Someone your age who’s already working? So he didn’t go to college?" Yun Tiancheng asked, surprised.
Yun Shifei nodded.
Yun Tiancheng suddenly felt a pang in his chest—though education wasn’t the sole measure of a person, it certainly carried weight. He needed to know more, so he asked, "What about his family background?"