Courtyard House: Starting in a Ceramics Factory

However, just as Li Feng was thinking about these things...

At this moment, Wu Zhenghua, who was sitting opposite Li Feng, suddenly spoke.

"Little Li!" Wu Zhenghua's voice was as steady as ever, but it seemed to carry a different meaning.

"If we count your age this year, you're twenty-two, right?"

"Ok?"

Li Feng was savoring the aroma of tea and thinking about taking a bath at home when this sudden question caught him off guard.

He nodded subconsciously: "Yes, Uncle Wu, I'll be twenty-two after the New Year."

He was a little puzzled; why was he suddenly asking about his age?

Wu Zhenghua nodded, his expression unchanged, but his next words were like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, instantly stirring up a thousand waves in Li Feng's heart.

"Twenty-two years old! Not young anymore." Wu Zhenghua looked at him, his gaze deep, and slowly asked, "So, do you have any plans to get married?"

"Cough...cough cough!"

Li Feng choked on his tea, which went straight into his trachea, and coughed until his face turned bright red.

He hurriedly put down his teacup, pounding his chest as he stared at Wu Zhenghua in shock, his mind blank.

marry?

This topic is jumping around too much!

One second they were discussing the future of the nation's light industry, and the next they jumped straight to their personal issues? And such private and direct ones at that!

Almost at the same moment Wu Zhenghua finished speaking, Li Feng felt two equally intense gazes fall upon him.

He struggled to lift his head and saw Wu Zhenghua's wife, Zhang Ying, looking at him with shining eyes. Her eyes were full of expectation, encouragement, and an undisguised urgency to "say yes."

Another gaze came from Wu Na.

However, at this moment, Wu Na's pretty face was so red that it looked like it was about to bleed.

She was both ashamed and embarrassed, and glared at her father fiercely, her eyes full of reproach as if to say, "What nonsense are you talking about?"

But she didn't refute him. She just glanced at Li Feng quickly, then, like a startled deer, she lowered her head and nervously twisted the hem of her clothes, her ears turning bright red.

The atmosphere in the living room became incredibly subtle and awkward in that instant.

The previously warm and harmonious atmosphere seemed to have been paused. Only Li Feng's still-soothing cough and the clear ticking of the wall clock remained in the air.

Li Feng's brain was working at lightning speed.

Uncle Wu, what do you mean by this?
He knew he had a girlfriend! Wu Na must have told him.

If you already know, why ask this question?

Could it be... a test?
Or do they have other ideas about their relationship with Ding Qiunan?
Countless thoughts flashed through Li Feng's mind. He felt as if he were being roasted over a fire, and every pore of his body felt uncomfortable.

He knew he had to answer this question, and he had to answer it flawlessly.

This wasn't just about responding to an elder's concern; it could also affect his future relationship with the Wu family, and even... Wu Na. He took a deep breath, trying to cool his flushed cheeks from coughing, and organized his thoughts to give the safest possible answer.

The air in the living room seemed to freeze, and every second felt infinitely long.

The ticking of the old-fashioned wall clock sounded like a heavy hammer to Li Feng's ears, striking his heart again and again.

He could feel Wu Zhenghua's deep gaze, calm yet with an undeniable penetrating power, as if it could see through all his inner thoughts.

He could also sense Zhang Ying's almost tangible anticipation, like an invisible net enveloping him.

And then there's Wu Na. Although she kept her head down, her unspoken tension and embarrassment were also an indispensable part of this subtle atmosphere.

Avoiding the issue is useless, and being vague will only make things worse.

Li Feng raised his head and met Wu Zhenghua's gaze.

His eyes were clear and firm, without the slightest hesitation. He first gave Wu Zhenghua and Zhang Ying a polite nod before speaking slowly. His voice was not loud, but his words were clear, carrying a composure beyond his years.

"Uncle Wu, Aunt Zhang, thank you for your concern."

He started with a thank you as a buffer, which was both polite and gave him one last second to think.

"I already have a partner."

As soon as he said those words, Li Feng felt the temperature in the entire living room drop a few degrees.

He could clearly see that the bright light in Zhang Ying's eyes dimmed instantly, replaced by an undisguised disappointment.

Wu Na, who had been keeping her head down, seemed to tremble almost imperceptibly on the shoulder.

Li Feng didn't pause. He knew that in this situation, leaving things unsaid was worse than saying nothing at all. He had to make things clear once and for all, cutting off any unrealistic hopes the other party might have.

He continued, "My girlfriend's name is Ding Qiunan. She's from Capital Medical University. We met two years ago, and we... get along quite well."

When he said the last sentence, "We got along pretty well," Li Feng's tone unconsciously softened.

Ding Qiunan's gentle and serene smile appeared in my mind, along with the ordinary yet heartwarming moments we shared together.

This genuine emotion is the source of his confidence in the face of immense pressure.

He didn't say anything more impactful like "We have a great relationship" or "We're getting married," because that wouldn't fit his composed personality and would seem somewhat deliberate and provocative.

"Things are going quite well"—this is a statement of fact, calm yet with an undeniable power.

After Li Feng finished speaking, he stopped talking, but picked up the teacup in front of him, which had become a little cold, and took a small sip, using this action to hide the slight ripples in his heart.

He knew that his answer was like throwing a real boulder into the seemingly calm lake of the Wu family.

As expected, the living room fell into an even more complete silence.

Zhang Ying's disappointment was almost undisguised. She opened her mouth as if to say something, but after glancing at her husband beside her, she swallowed her words. Her eyes swept back and forth between Li Feng and Wu Na, filled with complex and unfathomable emotions.

Upon hearing the name "Ding Qiunan" and the phrase "the relationship is going quite well," Wu Na, whose fingers had been tightly gripping the hem of her clothes, finally let go helplessly.

Her heart felt as if it had been tugged by an invisible hand, a bittersweet feeling welling up inside her. (End of Chapter)