My System Forces Me to Live off Women

Chapter 302 - 257: Flattery Can’t Get Through

"It’s just a relationship, nothing to talk about."

Zhao Qingge’s firm attitude took Li Peifeng by surprise, yet also made him a little happy as he subconsciously tightened his grip on her hand.

But this only made Li Xin and Zhao Haiqi more displeased, whether it was because of what their daughter said or what she did.

"Let go!"

"In public like this, aren’t you afraid of being seen by acquaintances? Come here!"

"Duoduo! Sit with me!"

Li Xin angrily stood up, pulling Zhao Qingge over to her side.

"Do you know your own status, and his status? Still talking about a relationship? Can you even have a relationship? Duoduo, have you lost your mind?! You are making a mistake, do you know that?!"

Li Xin sharply reprimanded with a few words, and Zhao Haiqi noticed the curious glances from people around, leading him to frown and call out: "Keep it down, whatever you have to say, take your daughter to talk inside, no shouting."

After all, both Li Xin and Zhao Haiqi are university leaders with vast connections. They might run into acquaintances here, and if their friends saw this scene, the impact would be even greater.

"Let’s go!"

Li Xin looked around, also wary of this, and pulled Zhao Qingge with her. Though reluctant, Zhao Qingge had no choice. As they left, Li Xin instructed her husband, "You also have a good talk with this boy, make sure you talk it through!!"

Now, only Li Peifeng and Zhao Haiqi were left in the hot spring saltwater pool. Li Peifeng appeared respectful, suppressing his nervousness, and politely said, "Uncle, are you thirsty? Let me get some water for you..."

"No need."

Zhao Haiqi splashed the hot spring water over his shoulder twice, half-reclining in the pool, continuing to scrutinize Li Peifeng. Initially, his eyes held restrained anger, then confusion, and finally, both anger and suspicion, but he still didn’t lash out, letting out a long sigh:

"The last time I saw you, I remember it was noon on the Mid-Autumn Festival when we were about to have a family meal. You showed up with some seafood and fruit. At that time, your aunty and I were quite relieved, thinking that since this was Qingge’s first time guiding a graduate student, having a student like you who values teachers is a blessing for her. But now it seems like it’s her misfortune, and you evidently don’t understand the meaning of respecting teachers."

Li Peifeng rubbed his face, feeling slightly embarrassed, wanting to explain but remained silent.

Zhao Haiqi sighed lightly and said, "Tell me, when did it start between you two?"

"...Early October."

"This October?"

"Yes."

"So, you’ve only been together for about a month?"

If dreams counted, it could have been thirty years or so.

But saying such a thing would only invite ridicule, so Li Peifeng dared not speak up. Furthermore, seeing Zhao Haiqi’s faintly relieved expression, he felt his approach had been wrong. Admitting that his relationship with Old Zhao had just begun would only strengthen Zhao Haiqi and Li Xin’s resolve to oppose them like parental logic inevitably dictates.

But he hoped Zhao Qingge’s parents could accept him, so he needed to patch up his earlier statement...

"It’s been roughly a month since we defined our relationship, but before that, I always had feelings for Qingge...she knew, but was hesitant, so she didn’t agree until now, as my graduation approached...Uncle, there’s something I want to say, and you might be upset, but I have to say it. I feel that our relationship can’t simply be measured by a month."

Zhao Haiqi sneered dismissively, "Can’t be measured by time? Then by what? Money?"

Li Peifeng candidly acknowledged, "Money is indeed part of it, as is time, but there’s also trust, tolerance, dedication, and love."

"You speak eloquently for someone merely twenty-two or twenty-three. You might have read a few books, discussing romance with great fluency, but without the true test of time and life’s lessons, do you really understand what love means?"

Zhao Haiqi’s face darkened, "If you truly understood, you wouldn’t have this kind of relationship with your mentor! Infatuation is indulgence, love is restraint."

Li Peifeng cleared his throat, "...Uncle, though I am young, I also believe love cannot be defined so easily. Does failing to restrain oneself mean love, then? Restraint means love?"

Zhao Haiqi sat up and laughed coldly, his eyes squinting closely at Li Peifeng, his tone carrying a sense of unspoken danger: "You’re trying to argue with me? Do you think you have reason on your side?"

The leaders of Dong’s universities are of administrative rank, and Yandu University is one of the best, so naturally, its leaders have very high administrative ranks as well.

As the Dean of the Foreign Languages Institute at Yandu, Zhao Haiqi is a department-level official, both a scholar and an official. The circles he mingles with often include high-ranking leaders, with resources and influence that are exceptional.

In other words, if Zhao Haiqi wanted to be slightly willful, it’d merely take a call, and Li Peifeng felt his fragile self might seriously face trouble—not just risking graduation, but even his online writing career could be in jeopardy...

"No, no, as the ancients said; a teacher of knowledge is easy to find, a mentor is hard to come by. There are many teachers who impart knowledge but rare are the ones who shape character!"

Li Peifeng sat up straight, earnest, his voice flowing like a richly melodious sound: "Although I haven’t interacted with you much, only meeting a few times, I can still perceive your vast knowledge and magnanimity. You give me the feeling of a spring breeze that strokes the face upon meeting, and parting like winter snow thawing away. Throughout my many years of school life, I have never met a teacher like you."

"Last time, after leaving your home during the Mid-Autumn Festival, though I only spoke with you briefly, I couldn’t help but recall the words of Yan Yuan describing Confucius; the higher you look up, the harder it holds, observing it seems close, yet it’s suddenly in the distance; all around, the path is evident!"

Zhao Haiqi twitched the corner of his mouth, retracted his gaze, and splashed some water onto his chest, but Li Peifeng hadn’t finished with his flattery yet...

"Afterwards, I contemplated your earnest teachings repeatedly that night, and my understanding deepened. I even inquired Qingge about your accomplishments, leaving me with only one sentiment: ’Your virtues shine across the universe, and your brilliance illuminates the world!’

"Ah, that..."

Zhao Haiqi thought to himself that the flattery was too obvious. He raised his hand intending to interrupt but hesitated. What were they talking about just now? What was I going to say?

Li Peifeng, full of emotion, said: "From that moment on, I understood that, Uncle, you’re just like my father! You are among those rare individuals who not only impart knowledge and ignite the flames of wisdom in students but also breathe life into their barren hearts, guiding their life’s journey like a lighthouse, and are the soul engineers spreading truth, goodness, and beauty!"

After a pause, Li Peifeng changed the subject: "So, just now, I wasn’t arguing with you. I was merely sharing some small thoughts on life and love with you, which might be immature, but they were spoken sincerely."

"You..."

Zhao Haiqi pushed his hair back with his hand, lowered his head to speak, but swallowed his words, took off his wristband, and handed it to Li Peifeng, instructing without courtesy: "Go get my glasses from the wardrobe."

This kid has such a sharp tongue, and his skin is unbelievably thick, willing to flatter anywhere and anyhow!

He even dared to say you’re just like my father?!

What happened to the integrity of a scholar? The moral backbone of an intellectual?

Some of Zhao Haiqi’s subordinates were experienced professors whom he usually placated. The younger ones typically had an aloof and self-sufficient nature. While there were some who liked to scheme, none were as bluntly flattering as this? And so pleasingly flattering?

No! Not a single one!

The Dean Zhao encountered such a person for the first time, feeling somewhat incapable of resistance.

Hmph, he had to start taking things seriously!

"Alright."

Li Peifeng swiftly took the wristband, got out of the hot spring, put on his slippers, and ran off. His eager demeanor was reminiscent of a son-in-law visiting his father-in-law for the first time...

"Nonsense!"

Zhao Haiqi watched Li Peifeng’s departing figure, with a multitude of thoughts running through his mind, eventually turning into a sigh.

"How did you talk with him?"

Li Xin also walked out from inside at this time and asked with a frown, "Why has he left?"

"I asked him to fetch my glasses, he’ll be back soon."

Zhao Haiqi glanced through the glass door, noticing Zhao Qingge playing with her phone by the pool, and asked with concern, "How did your talk with Duoduo go?"

It was better not to bring it up, but once mentioned, Li Xin’s face immediately turned grim: "I told her to change Li Peifeng as her mentor and sever all ties from now on. She refused, saying she would resign and will do so once Li Peifeng graduates. Now she’s using her phone to write her resignation letter."

"Ridiculous!"

"You talk to her. She’s not listening to me anymore." Li Xin also felt upset: "I don’t know what kind of bewitching potion Li Peifeng gave Duoduo, making her willing to resign just to be with him."

"No need to resign over this."

Zhao Haiqi shook his head, squinting to carefully observe his wife’s expression, and pondered: "Honestly speaking, apart from Peifeng’s relationship with Duoduo, what do you think... of this young man?"

Just seated, Li Xin suddenly stood up, looked at her husband with suspicion: "What do you mean? Are you approving of Duoduo and him...?"

"It’s not about agreeing or not!"

Zhao Haiqi reached for the bridge of his nose, instinctively trying to push up nonexistent glasses, a trace of resignation and helplessness on his face: "The thing is, our daughter is no longer a bud; her season has passed."

Duoduo, Zhao Qingge’s nickname, implies a beautiful flower bud, chubby and oh-so-pleasant sounding, so lovely...

But where on earth is a thirty-three-year-old flower bud?!!

Li Xin’s expression was indecisive, gritting her teeth: "There’s still time, there’s still time, no matter how bad it is, we can’t let her student claim her! That’s a big problem!"

Zhao Haiqi sighed: "It’s not about claiming or not, but the flower has already given itself to the wind. Our daughter is saying she wants to resign; if she’s that determined, how can we stop her?"

"I can’t do anything!"

Li Xin said indignantly: "If you, as her father, can’t do anything, what can I do?"

Zhao Haiqi narrowed his eyes: "I actually have a solution that’s not much of a solution."