novelraw Chapter 743 Ding Yi’s Suggestion
Chapter 743 Ding Yi’s Suggestion
Returning from the airport, Lin Feng went straight to Yingbo University to teach his class. It was a routine day, and after finishing his classes in the afternoon, he headed to Ding Wan’er’s office as usual, planning to pick up both Ding Wan’er and Leng Mei from work. However, Lin Feng didn’t expect to open Ding Wan’er’s office door to find only Ding Wan’er inside, with no sign of where Leng Mei might have gone.
"Wan’er, where’s Leng Mei?" Lin Feng asked curiously. He had grown used to picking up Ding Wan’er and Leng Mei together after work every day, so why wasn’t Leng Mei here today?
"I already let Sister Leng know, we’re going to grandfather’s place for dinner tonight," Ding Wan’er said with a smile. She too had received a call from Elder Ding that afternoon. Ding Wan’er was very puzzled about why her grandfather had asked her to bring Lin Feng to his home, and even when she inquired, Elder Ding wouldn’t disclose the reason. With no other option, she could only take Lin Feng with her to find out.
"Oh, okay," Lin Feng said upon hearing Ding Wan’er’s words, his confusion resolving itself. He was just wondering why Ding Yi had suddenly called Ding Wan’er and him to come over, but after thinking about it, Lin Feng didn’t press Ding Wan’er for the details. If Wan’er knew, she would surely tell him, so it seemed they would only find out the exact reason by going to Elder Ding’s place.
"Let’s go."
Ding Wan’er walked over and looped her arm through Lin Feng’s, and the two left the office together, heading toward the villa on campus that belonged to Elder Ding. It wasn’t far, and soon enough, they reached Ding Yi’s villa and walked straight inside.
"Grandfather, we’re here," Ding Wan’er called out upon seeing her grandfather watching television, and she walked over with Lin Feng.
"Hello, Elder Ding," Lin Feng also greeted simply.
"You’re here, good, come, have a seat," Elder Ding, hearing Ding Wan’er and Lin Feng’s voices, turned and was delighted to see his granddaughter and Lin Feng together; he quickly waved them over to take their seats.
Upon hearing Elder Ding’s invitation, Ding Wan’er and Lin Feng naturally took their seats on the sofa. Sitting together, faced with Elder Ding’s beaming smile, both of them were clueless as to why he had suddenly invited them over for a meal.
"Grandfather, why did you invite us over for dinner? Is there something you need to tell us?" Ding Wan’er couldn’t hold back any longer and asked her grandfather. Even when she had asked him over the phone that afternoon, he had been tight-lipped, but now it was time for him to tell them, right?
"Wan’er, don’t be in such a rush, come, your Auntie Zhang has prepared a table full of dishes you love. Let’s eat and talk," Elder Ding said, his smiling face even brighter when he heard Ding Wan’er’s pressing question. He stood up and motioned for his granddaughter and Lin Feng to follow him to the dining room, thinking it better to chat over dinner.
Seeing Elder Ding behave this way made Ding Wan’er and Lin Feng even more curious. The two exchanged glances, unable to guess why he was acting like this, but since Grandfather had called them, they decided to follow and talk over dinner. With this in mind, they rose from the sofa and followed Elder Ding to the dining room.
Once the three were seated, Elder Ding didn’t speak immediately but instead uncorked a bottle of wine and poured a glass for both Lin Feng and himself before beginning to speak.
"Are you two wondering why I suddenly called you over?" Elder Ding asked cheerily, looking at his granddaughter and Lin Feng. His heart brimmed with joy; having his granddaughter together with someone like Lin Feng was one of the proudest moments of his life. With Lin Feng by her side, he could rest assured about Wan’er’s happiness. The more he thought about it, the happier he felt. At his age, seeing the younger generation living a happy life was their greatest delight. If he could see Ding Wan’er and Lin Feng’s descendants, that would be the icing on the cake.
"Grandfather, what’s the matter?" Ding Wan’er, noticing Elder Ding’s broad smile, knew it couldn’t be anything bad, but she still couldn’t understand why he was so happy today. Why did he specially call her and Lin Feng over and still refused to spell it out?
Lin Feng didn’t say anything but just gave Elder Ding a faint smile. Seeing Elder Ding’s joyful expression, he had a vague idea of Elder Ding’s intentions but wasn’t completely sure. He waited quietly for Elder Ding to reveal the mystery.
"Lin Feng, let’s have a drink, just the two of us." Ding Yi didn’t respond to Ding Wan’er’s remark but simply raised his glass and said lightly to Lin Feng.
"Okay." Lin Feng saw Ding Yi lift his glass, picked up his own, and lightly clinked them together, then the two men downed their drinks in one gulp.
"Alright, I’ll get straight to the point. I called you here tonight to talk about your wedding." Ding Yi set down his glass before speaking with a smile. He had thought about this for a long time. Although Wan’er and Lin Feng were already engaged—and the entire Tianhai knew about it—being engaged without marrying isn’t really the end of the matter. Sooner or later, this had to be resolved. Now, it seemed that there were already so many women around Lin Feng, it would be better to settle this matter sooner rather than later.
"Grandfather..." Ding Wan’er felt herself blush at her grandfather’s words and pouted in protest. She, too, was looking forward to marrying Lin Feng, but her grandfather’s sudden proposition caught her completely off guard and she spoke out instinctively.
"Wan’er, there’s no need to be embarrassed. It’s only natural for a man to marry when he comes of age, just as a woman should marry. What’s more, you and Lin Feng are already engaged, so it goes without saying that marriage should follow," Ding Yi assured his granddaughter, then directly addressed Lin Feng. "Lin Feng, what do you think?" He wanted to know Lin Feng’s perspective in order to plan the next steps.
"Elder Ding, you know about my situation. What do you think..." Lin Feng replied somewhat helplessly upon hearing Ding Yi’s words. To be fair, he wanted to marry Ding Wan’er, considering she had been chosen by his master, and over time, he had wholeheartedly accepted her, deeply impressed by her magnanimity. Ding Wan’er indeed carried the grace fitting for a great lady; marrying her was unquestionably the right thing to do.
However, the thought of the other women left Lin Feng with a headache. It was because he hadn’t sorted out this issue before that he had not rushed into marrying Ding Wan’er. As a man, he needed to handle these matters properly before he could marry Wan’er, as he didn’t want any other woman to get hurt.
"Lin Feng, I understand what you’re thinking and indeed that is the case. With so many women in the picture, resolving this matter requires careful consideration from multiple aspects. But it’s for this very reason that I think you should go ahead with the wedding with Wan’er first, to establish her position securely. Then you can sort out the relationships with the other women. Don’t you agree?"
After listening to Lin Feng, Ding Yi pondered for a moment before responding. He had thought about Lin Feng’s concerns beforehand and considered them from Lin Feng’s perspective. It was clear that Lin Feng had quite a few women around him, so it was normal for him to be cautious. Having deliberated, he felt even more strongly that Lin Feng and Wan’er’s marriage should be settled first to prevent any complications or difficult situations for Lin Feng with the other women.
Plus, Lin Feng’s engagement to Wan’er was already known throughout Tianhai. If Wan’er didn’t have a wedding with Lin Feng, it would also have a bad ongoing impact. Thus, after weighing many factors, Ding Yi had brought up the subject of marriage.
"Elder Ding, I understand your point," Lin Feng admitted. He had always been troubled with the question of how to define his relationships with all the women, but Ding Wan’er was most certainly his rightful wife in the eyes of the world. This was an unavoidable commitment. After hearing Ding Yi’s analysis, Lin Feng felt that this issue could no longer be delayed, just as Ding Yi said. He should first establish Wan’er’s status and then it would be easier for the other women to adjust their expectations. This was an issue that had to be confronted eventually; it was better to face it sooner than later.
"Grandfather, there’s no rush." Witnessing Lin Feng’s agreement, Ding Wan’er put herself in Lin Feng’s shoes for a moment. She felt they shouldn’t discuss these matters just now. Although she had already smoothed things over with the other women thanks to her efforts, some time was still needed for further adjustment. She feared that suddenly proceeding with the wedding might hurt the other women’s feelings. With this in mind, Wan’er spoke out, offering to take some of the burden off Lin Feng. She preferred to wait a little longer, until the negative reactions of the other women had been dispelled, before marrying Lin Feng.
"That’s good to hear. Come, Lin Feng, let’s drink, and Wan’er, no more talk from you. I’m certain you won’t go wrong trusting me on this matter," Ding Yi knew exactly what Lin Feng and his granddaughter were thinking. As someone who had seen much of the world, he was confident in his decision. If these other women could not accept this small concession, then they had no right to be with Lin Feng. Rather than dragging this out, determining the outcome sooner was better, to help the other women understand the reality of the situation.
He motioned for Lin Feng to drink, while telling his granddaughter to stop worrying. He knew she was considering Lin Feng’s situation, but so was he. Whether they delayed the matter or not, the outcome would be the same. It was better to come to a decision quickly.
"Elder Ding, cheers." Lin Feng clinked glasses with Ding Yi and emptied his glass. He too felt that Ding Yi’s words were correct; women’s issues could not be dragged on indefinitely and had to be determined as soon as possible. If any of them truly couldn’t accept the outcome, Lin Feng wouldn’t force the issue. Ultimately, mutual understanding was the most important aspect of a relationship, and if some women really couldn’t accept that Ding Wan’er was his wife, it was simply not meant to be—such matters couldn’t be forced.
With this in mind, Lin Feng felt at peace. He faced the idea of marriage proposed by Ding Yi with openness. Now that things had come this far, the best course of action was to go ahead normally. As for his other relationships, he would simply need to communicate with the other women.