Chen Feng knew the status of Tao Yaoyang’s father, so it wasn’t difficult. A quick online search and confirmation with Cai Zhixin would be enough.
Since Tao Yaoyang was on good terms with him now, of course Chen Feng had to be aware of his background.
When Liu Ying found out, she truly realized Chen Feng’s impressive standing. She could completely tell from tonight’s dinner that Tao Yaoyang valued and even respected Chen Feng. Despite occasionally masking it well, Liu Ying could sense a bit of flattery and admiration in his words and expressions.
If Tao Yaoyang were just an ordinary wealthy young man, that would be one thing. But upon hearing from Chen Feng about his family background, things were entirely different.
Such a well-connected young man showing such admiration for Chen Feng—what kind of background did Chen Feng have?
During their four years of university together, Liu Ying had been quite familiar with Chen Feng’s family’s economic situation. She knew Chen Feng didn’t have a significant familial network.
It could only be said that Chen Feng was successful now due to his own efforts, or perhaps during the time they weren’t in contact, Chen Feng had made connections with some influential figures.
Thinking of this, Liu Ying couldn’t help but feel somewhat excited. Her first thought was about her father, who was retiring soon. Initially, he wanted to retire early, but it was tough to get a promotion or higher rank before his retirement, given his lack of outstanding skills or strong support.
However, if there was a connection to Tao Yaoyang’s father, then things would be easier. At least he could get a promotion before retirement and improve his benefits afterward. This wouldn’t be considered a violation—many people within the system get a promotion right before retiring; it’s a common phenomenon.
Just now regulations are stricter, making such operations much harder than before.
Still, her father was a well-known diligent worker in the unit, working diligently for decades. Getting a promotion before retirement was not excessive; it was deserved compensation for his years of dedication.
Previously, her father didn’t have this ability, and as the daughter, she lacked any connections, but now there seemed to be a path. She felt a bit excited and almost wanted to bring up the request to Chen Feng right then.
But she quickly realized she had only just established a romantic relationship with Chen Feng. Requesting this favor from him so soon seemed too opportunistic. Moreover, her father’s normal retirement would happen in two or three years, so it wasn’t urgent.
Thus, she decided to hold off.
However, as soon as she got home, she couldn’t wait to tell her parents about it.
Mr. and Mrs. Liu listened and showed expressions of contemplation.
Mr. Liu slowly said, "The Tao family in Xiu Zhou is a noble family. I’ve heard about Tao Yaoyang—he’s considered talented and mature, using methods skillfully and staying low-key. Among his peers, he’s one of the outstanding ones. I didn’t expect Chen Feng could be friends with such a promising young man, which itself indicates Chen Feng’s excellence. Daughter, you must seize this opportunity. Nowadays, men like Chen Feng, who are wealthy and capable, are hard to find. What’s most important is that he was your classmate for four years in university; this matters too."
"Dad, what I’m talking about is getting you a promotion before retirement. Do you think I should ask Chen Feng to request Tao Yaoyang’s help?"
Before Mr. Liu could answer, Mrs. Liu immediately said, "Of course, it’s good. A promotion level makes a huge difference in benefits."
Mr. Liu shook his head and said, "My retirement isn’t urgent. What’s imperative now is how you hold onto Chen Feng. I can see he’s not very keen on you yet. Trying to get engaged and married with him seems difficult."
Upon hearing Mr. Liu’s words, Liu Ying couldn’t help but feel a bit discouraged. In front of her parents, she didn’t pretend and smiled bitterly, saying, "He hasn’t fully accepted me yet. After all, he’s so capable and has plenty of women around him. I even have rivals now."
"What?" Mrs. Liu said in surprise and anger, "You say he has other women around. What’s going on? Knowing he has others, how can you stay with him?"
Mr. Liu frowned and reprimanded, "What do you know? A man like Chen Feng, who has two villas in Red Villa Bay—you think he’s always been single? Having women is normal. What matters now is his attitude towards Little Ying. Can Little Ying capture his heart and eventually win? Little Ying, be honest, are you confident?"
Liu Ying immediately couldn’t reply. If she hadn’t seen the two women Sun Wu and Hong Xiaodan before today, she would have been confident. But after seeing the younger and more beautiful Wu Mengting, the equally young and attractive Sun Xiaorui, and the rich and beautiful Hong Xiaodan, she felt severely challenged and lost confidence.
More importantly, these three women hadn’t married or had children, which alone outshone her.
After knowing Tao Yaoyang’s background and witnessing his attitude towards Chen Feng, Liu Ying felt even more inferior. She started to feel unworthy of Chen Feng.
Mr. Liu waited a while, seeing his daughter’s dejected face without an answer, he angrily said, "Are you losing confidence in yourself?"
Liu Ying bowed her head and said helplessly, "The women around him are in good conditions, not worse than mine. Also, Chen Feng now has money and mysterious connections—I feel somewhat unfit for him."
"Confusion! You haven’t truly tried to fight for it, how can you give up lightly? With your previous divorce and having had a child, missing an excellent man like Chen Feng would be regrettable for life. Therefore, you must try everything to win him over this time. I fully support you 100%. You’re a woman, but for your own happiness, some unnecessary modesty shouldn’t be kept, understand? First, try to stay as close to him, ideally live together."
"How can that be? Without a title, how can we live together?" Mrs. Liu objected.
Mr. Liu angrily said, "Do you realize what Little Ying’s conditions are now? She’s divorced and has had a child—is there any need to care about titles? Little Ying can only truly lock down his heart by living with him daily, ultimately leading him to accept her."
These words made the mother and daughter frown, but they had to admit they were somewhat sensible; Liu Ying took them to heart. Moreover, she had been dreaming of moving into No. 8 Villa during this period.
Thus, she displayed a determined expression, saying, "Dad, you’re right. I don’t need to care about titles now; the key is close contact and living together, nurturing feelings. A diamond bachelor like Chen Feng—I really don’t want to miss out. I will make the effort."
Encouraged by her words, Mr. Liu smiled with satisfaction. Though he was an old intellectual, he wasn’t firmly traditional.