Fang Tong’s face changed, and she was about to speak, but Fu Fanghua pressed her hand under the table. Seeing the warning in her mother’s eyes, Fang Tong did not speak, only the smile on her face faded slightly.
"Our child here is the same; being abroad for a few years, God knows how many girlfriends he’s had, but no, he just immerses himself in his studies. I worry he’ll become a bookworm," Li Wei said, sounding like a complaint, but with absolutely no hint of real annoyance in his tone.
Ji Ning seldom spoke, merely eating quietly with a smile, occasionally exchanging a few words with Fu Fanghua.
The atmosphere at the table was quite cordial, yet Fang Tong ate somewhat absentmindedly.
Her mother knew well that she had a boyfriend, and had even agreed to meet with Ding Minghui, but now, to speak during the meal clearly showed her disapproval of Ding Minghui. Fang Tong was very unhappy about it, but with guests present, she couldn’t show it.
After dinner, Ji Ning helped Fu Fanghua clean up the dishes. Fang Tong wanted to help but was shooed away by Fu Fanghua, "No need for you here. It’s still early; take Bo Ming out for a walk, it might help you digest."
"Mom," Fang Tong called out, drawing out the tone.
Fu Fanghua seemed not to notice her daughter’s reluctance, gave her a look that contained a warning, "Go on then."
Reluctantly, Fang Tong shuffled her feet and headed downstairs with Li Bo Ming.
Fang Tong’s residential community was also considered upscale, having bought the house just two years ago. The environment was very nice. Walking in the community, neither Fang Tong nor Li Bo Ming broke the silence.
"Pang..." Fang Tong spoke, but suddenly realized he had slimmed down; calling him by that nickname seemed inappropriate, so she quickly corrected herself, "Li Bo Ming, the truth is, I do have a boyfriend. Don’t take my parents’ words to heart."
She spoke with resolve.
Li Bo Ming’s eyes dimmed, but Fang Tong, walking beside him, did not see. She only heard Li Bo Ming chuckle, "Tongtong, those were just the adults making jokes. Don’t take it to heart either. I didn’t know this was their intention today; otherwise, I wouldn’t have come. If I’ve caused you any trouble, I’m really sorry."
Li Bo Ming’s sincere apology made Fang Tong feel a bit embarrassed, her face sheepish, "That... um..."
"Tongtong, you don’t need to feel embarrassed. We’ve known each other since childhood. Although we’ve been apart for a few years, we’ve always been friends, haven’t we?"
Fang Tong paused, glanced at the tall figure by her side, and smiled, "You’re right, Li Bo Ming. We are friends, always have been."
"If you’re not used to it, you can still call me Pang Ming. Hearing you call my name makes me feel a bit strange."
"I’ll stick to calling you Bo Ming from now on."
"Alright, as you wish."
Having cleared the air, Fang Tong felt much more at ease. At least that awkward tension between them was gone. She began telling Li Bo Ming about all the changes that had taken place in Beijing over the past few years.
"When you have time, you can come hang out with me. I can be your guide. You’ve been away for so many years; you must be unfamiliar with Beijing now."
Li Bo Ming smiled faintly, watching the smile on Fang Tong’s face, and nodded slowly, "Okay. But don’t get annoyed with me, huh?"
Fang Tong patted Li Bo Ming’s shoulder, "Don’t worry, I definitely won’t."
The pair walked around the complex before heading back up, as it was winter and rather cold.
Seeing them return chatting and laughing, Li Wei and Fang Chengzhi exchanged glances, the smiles evident in their eyes.
The Li family took their leave. Fang Chengzhi went out to see them off. When he came back, he overheard Fang Tong arguing with her mother.
"Mom, you know I have a boyfriend. Why would you say that? Isn’t that misleading?"
Fu Fanghua’s smile vanished, and she looked at Fang Tong sternly, "Why do you think I said that? I don’t approve of you being with that boy."
"But you clearly agreed to meet him. How can you go back on your word?"
"I didn’t go back on my word. I said I would meet him, but I never agreed to you two being together."
Fang Tong became annoyed, "Mom, you’re breaking your promise."
"So what if I break my promise? I’m your mother. Would I harm you?"
"But when you and Dad got together, my grandparents didn’t object, right?"
"Your father and I were a match in social status. Are you and that boy? Huh?"
"Always talking about social matching... Mom, can’t you stop bringing up the issue of social status? I’ve told you, I love him. Even if he’s penniless and has nothing, I’m willing to be with him. For him, I can give up buying bags, shoes, clothes. I can eat in the canteen every day. I am willing to do all of that."
The color drained from Fu Fanghua’s face with anger as she pointed at Fang Tong, "I think you’ve gone mad."
With a flick of her wrist, she stormed into the bedroom, slamming the door with a resounding crash.
Fang Chengzhi saw his daughter’s eyes reddening, "Tongtong."
Fang Tong hung her head, "Dad, please don’t say anything. I know you’re also going to say I’m being naive, right? But Daddy, isn’t love the foundation of marriage? Two people who have no love for each other, being forcibly bound together, it’s such a painful thing. Daddy, this is my lifetime happiness we’re talking about. Do you really want to see me suffer for a lifetime over the matter of social status?"
Seeing his daughter’s eyes welling up, Fang Chengzhi also felt a pang of sympathy. He sat down beside her and took her into his arms, "Tongtong, your mom and I aren’t forcing you to break up with that boy. It’s just..." He paused, seemingly at a loss for words.
"It’s just that Dad wants your path to be smoother. You’re not married yet and can’t understand the worries of us parents. As parents, we always hope our children can live a trouble-free life. Dad can understand your feelings; after all, Dad was young once, too. How about this, let’s meet that boy another day. If he really is a good person, then I will handle things with your mom. But if, aside from family factors, there is something else about him that doesn’t satisfy Dad, then you need to seriously consider your parents’ opinion. Is that okay?"
Listening to her father’s words, Fang Tong gradually calmed down, "Okay, Dad. I trust that you will like him."
Fang Tong hesitated, "It’s just that Mom... she seems angry."
Fang Chengzhi patted his daughter’s shoulder, "It’s alright. In a while, I’ll go and make up with your mother. But you can’t upset your mother anymore. It hasn’t been easy for her to raise you alone all these years. Last time you made her angry, she cried alone for a long time at night."
Fang Tong felt even more remorseful, "Daddy, let me go and make up with Mom. I should apologize to her."
"Not now. Let her cool down first. Don’t you have that boy’s contact information? Give him a call, see if he’s free lately, and arrange a meeting for us."