This was too ridiculous.
Shi Qing would not do something like that.
If Ding Jiayi dared to look for her, Ding Jiayi had to thank her lucky stars if she merely ignored her. If Ding Jiayi angered her, she would roll her sleeves and give her a round of beating. Given what Ding Jiayi had done to Qiao Nan, she totally deserved it.
Shi Qing was thinking of giving Ding Jiayi a thrashing, yet Feng Cheng felt that Qiao Nan was being rude to her elders.
Shi Qing was not as muddleheaded as she used to be in the past. She would not agree with what her mother said. She was simply being ridiculous and too sure of herself.
“Qing Qing, is that how you speak to your mom?” Feng Cheng was shocked. She did not expect that her daughter would use this attitude on her. “Why do you favor an outsider instead of someone on your own side?”
Shi Qing was upset. She seldom spent time with her mother. Since she was studying in the capital, her original intention was to be filial to her mother and spend more time with her before she changed her course of study. She did not expect things to come to this state. “Mom, reason comes before loyalty.”
Qiao Nan’s mother was unreasonable and she was not a good person. Right now, her mother was acting unreasonably as well.
Old Master Feng looked grim. He calmed himself before he looked at Shi Qing. “Qing Qing, did Qiao Nan misunderstand us, or did you not relay my message clearly to her?”
This should not be the case. It was impossible for Qiao Nan to refuse the Feng family’s kind intention.
Qiao Nan befriended Qing Qing simply because she wanted the Feng family to look after her on account of Qing Qing. Regardless of the Feng family’s attitude toward her initially, Qiao Nan had no reason to reject them now that they had changed their attitude toward her.
Shi Qing shook her head. “No. I have relayed your words to Qiao Nan. Qiao Nan understood as well.”
“Then, why did she…” refused to have dinner at the Feng family’s residence?
Shi Qing mustered her courage and looked at Old Master Feng. “Grandpa, there is something that I don’t understand. Why did all of you have a bad impression of Qiao Nan after a phone call with Qiu Chenxi? Now that the misunderstanding has been cleared up and I have relayed your words to Qiao Nan and she understood, why do you still insist that she joins us for dinner? If she is willing to join us, it will be on account of our friendship. There is nothing wrong as well even if she doesn’t.”
Most of the Feng family members were present yesterday and today. At times, she was not given such treatment when she was back at home.
Previously, Shi Qing did not read too much into it. But right now, she wanted to have an answer. “Grandpa, why do I feel that all of you are acting strangely? You seem to value Qiao Nan. Is it that important to treat her to a meal?”
There was a glitter in Old Master Feng’s eyes. Was Qing Qing trying to sound him out?
“Of course. You are my only granddaughter. Since you are friends with Qiao Nan, naturally, we value her as well. Previously, we were misled by rumors and misunderstood such a well-behaved child. We owe Qiao Nan an apology. If Qiao Nan was an ill-behaved child, we would definitely forbid you to befriend her. Now that we know she is a good child, we should express our sincerity by inviting her to a meal. If not, she might be angry at us and will ignore you in the future. Did you not tell me half a month ago that you have learned a lot after getting to know Qiao Nan?”
“That’s right. Qing Qing, you must understand that whatever your grandpa does is for your interests.” Feng Liang smiled, patting Shi Qing on her head. “If Qiao Nan is not your friend, there is no need for the Feng family to do all these. Like you have mentioned, Qiao Nan is a good child, and we are reassured that she is your friend. You have been pampered by us and you are too innocent. Gifts blind the eyes. We must think of ways to ‘bribe’ Qiao Nan so that she will continue to keep a lookout for you.”
Therefore, could it be that Qiao Nan told Qing Qing something, causing her to be full of doubts today?
Shi Qing stiffened when Feng Liang patted her, but she recovered quickly and relaxed. “It turns out that you are worried about this. If so, there is nothing to worry about. We are very close to each other. There is no need to treat her to a meal. Qiao Nan did not find fault with me given how you treated her previously. Grandpa, you have been thinking too much.”
Feng Meng kept silent all the while. At the thought of what Feng Liang told him yesterday, he pursed his lips and joined the conversation. “One may know a person for a long time without understanding their true nature. You are not Qiao Nan. How do you know that she is not angry? You should know very well that women’s biggest flaw is to say one thing and mean another.”
Qiao Nan failed to appreciate their kindness.
If Qiao Nan did not know Qing Qing, given her social status, she would never have the chance to get to know the Feng family. Now that she had a chance, she should count her blessings.
Feng Cheng was confused about the situation, but she was used to siding with her family. She pulled Shi Qing’s hands. “Qing Qing, your grandpa and uncle are being reasonable. As the saying goes, nobody will find faults with extra courtesy. It will never be wrong to be on closer terms with her.”
Shi Qing felt annoyed. There was simply no way to make them understand. “You can’t force your kindness on others. Since you have apologized and Qiao Nan has accepted it and she has no misgivings about the Feng family, it’s fine even if she is not here for a meal. In the past, she never came to my house either. It doesn’t matter if she is here or not. Why do all of you take it so seriously?”
Apart from Feng Cheng, all of the men in the Feng family were dumbfounded. They did not know how to answer Shi Qing’s question.
What was the reason?
It was because of the Zhai family!
Qiao Nan would marry Zhai Sheng in the future. For that reason alone, the Feng family had to make sure that Qiao Nan had a meal at their house.
Feng Meng had the worst temper. He once met Qiao Nan and did not have a good impression of her. He could not help but say impolitely, “This is your grandpa’s house. We are being polite by inviting her over for a meal. If she really treats you as her friend, she should take the initiative to pay us a visit. She does not behave like a junior at all. Nevertheless, we do not take issue with her. But she still refuses to come. Qing Qing, there is no point in befriending her. She is not serious in being friends with you.”
Feng Meng’s motive was to agitate Shi Qing.
Feng Meng watched her as she grew up. He knew that Shi Qing would be easily agitated and egged on by others.
Given her temper, Shi Qing would definitely try all means to get Qiao Nan to come to the Feng family’s residence.
As long as Qiao Nan stepped into the Feng family’s residence, by the time she left, he would make sure that the entire capital knew that Qiao Nan was the goddaughter of his uncle.
By the time Qiao Nan married Zhai Sheng, everyone in the capital would know that the Feng family was in-laws with the Zhai family!
