Chapter 336: Father Arrives
Weekend, at the high-speed rail station.
The bus reached its final stop. Mixed in with the crowded people, An Han got off the bus and let out a small breath. She turned back and saw that Su Peng was being squeezed inside the bus so badly that he couldn’t even get out.
Only after the anxious passengers rushed off did Su Peng finally step down as the last one.
“Anyone can tell you’ve never squeezed into a crowded bus before.”
Su Peng’s clothes were a bit messy. He looked down and straightened his jacket, complaining, “I don’t even know why they were in such a hurry to get off.”
He really didn’t take the bus often, especially not crowded ones. He would rather take a taxi or rent a car than squeeze with so many people, but now he was broke…
Meanwhile, An Han had taken the bus to school every day in middle school and high school, so she was long used to crowded buses.
“My dad is almost here.”
Glancing at the time, An Han no longer wanted to tease Su Peng. She grabbed his hand and quickly ran toward the train station building.
Today was the day her father went abroad.
Actually, there was an airport near their hometown, but before leaving, her dad wanted to see how she was living, so he chose a flight from Gaoxi Airport instead.
When they reached the steps near the exit area, An Han stood on tiptoe, looking far into the distance, but her face was tense.
She was nervous, afraid her father might get very angry, or even forbid her from dating Su Peng anymore.
Then what? Learn from Su Peng? Argue with her father and stop taking living expenses from him?
Her mind was full of random thoughts.
Suddenly she turned her head and asked Su Peng, “Are you getting used to the job?”
“It’s okay. I just treat it like physical training.”
His hands were in his jacket pockets, and he smiled a little. “The first three days were hard. I almost wanted to quit.”
But when he thought of An Han, he didn’t want to give in to his parents so easily. Making money was just tiring and tough, that’s all.
“I thought someone like you, a rich kid, wouldn’t be able to take it.”
As they chatted, An Han relaxed a little. She leaned sideways, resting her shoulder against Su Peng, teasing, “If you suffer a little, you’ll cry and run back to your mom~”
“I’m not that dramatic.”
Just then, a crowd of passengers walked out of the exit. An Han quickly stood up straight, stopping her intimate actions with Su Peng, and scanned the crowd for her father.
Soon, her eyes stopped on a tall, straight-backed man wearing a black hat and a long trench coat, an English gentleman style.
He looked like Sherlock Holmes, a style An Han really liked. But in real life, very few people could wear that outfit so well, including her father.
Before the man even lifted his head, before she could see his face clearly, An Han raised her hand and waved from afar.
Her gentleman-styled father walked forward quickly in his leather shoes. An Han and Su Peng also jogged over, each taking one of his suitcases, acting overly eager and polite.
“Dad~ You look so handsome today!”
Her father’s serious face stayed still for a moment, then he softened, showing the warm smile of a loving dad. His eyes even curved into little lines.
“Don’t flatter me.”
“Uncle, really, you look like you’re just in your early thirties.”
Her father glanced at Su Peng, and his smile disappeared instantly. He lifted his chin slightly, not even looking at Su Peng properly.
“Where’s your car? Let’s go back to An Han’s rented place. My flight is tomorrow, so I can rest there tonight.”
“Car?” Su Peng froze, then awkwardly pulled out his phone. “I’ll call a rideshare…”
Usually he drove his family’s car or rented one. But after fighting with his family, he couldn’t go back just to borrow a car and he didn’t have money to rent one either.
Her father’s expression showed clear disappointment.
He even wanted to drive that BMW luxury car one more time before going abroad…
His stiff tone softened a little. He patted Su Peng’s shoulder with a serious, fatherly expression.
“Don’t call a car. Just use your BMW. Anyway, your home shouldn’t be far from here, right?”
This high-speed rail station was in the city center, only a few kilometers from Su Peng’s home.
“Um… Uncle, that might not work.” Su Peng scratched his head and lied, “My dad is using that car. I can’t borrow it.”
An Han couldn’t hold it in and added, “Dad, he even feels bad about ordering a rideshare now~”
“Oh? What do you mean?”
“He even started doing part-time work~”
“His family went bankrupt?” Her father’s eyes lit up.
An Han realized the hidden excitement in her father’s voice. She explained quietly, “He just had a fight with his family.”
“Ah. That’s not interesting.”
She felt like her father might hold a little grudge against rich people.
Originally, An Han planned to remove all traces of Su Peng from her rented apartment, but after their last phone call, where her father already noticed something, it didn’t make sense to hide it anymore. Otherwise, her father might imagine something even stranger.
About an hour later, the three of them reached An Han’s rented apartment.
Her father didn’t seem to be in a good mood. With a stern face, he stepped inside, glanced quickly around the living room, then turned his gaze onto Su Peng.
That look gave Su Peng a lot of pressure. The smile on his face froze a little, and he gave a stiff, awkward smile in return.
“Come here. Let’s have a good talk, just the two of us men.”
He put his arm over Su Peng’s shoulder, using so much strength that he almost knocked him over.
“O-okay…” Su Peng rubbed his sore shoulder, feeling even more nervous.
Even arguing with his own parents wasn’t as stressful as facing his future father-in-law…
“Dad, what do you want for lunch?”
An Han took off her coat and scarf, hanging them on the rack. She asked while reaching over to help Su Peng take off his jacket.
But her movements froze the moment she felt her father’s sharp gaze.
Pressing her lips together, she silently stepped back two steps, her face turning red. She leaned close to her father and said, “Dad, don’t keep your coat on at home~”
“Mm.”
Her father expressionlessly took off his coat and handed it to her.
Compared to his younger daughter at home, who caused trouble every day and had the school calling him three times in the first few weeks, he finally understood why people say daughters are like “little cotton jackets”… warm and caring.
But when he thought about how all that warmth was being taken by Su Peng, his blood pressure slowly rose, and he clenched his fist.
Watching his expression carefully, An Han forced a smile. “Dad, what do you want for lunch…? Should we order takeout?”
Her father glanced at the transparent kitchen sliding door and noticed the clearly used cooking tools inside.
“What’s in your fridge? I’ll cook for lunch.”
“I’ll go check!”
Watching his eldest daughter run off, her father turned his head and looked at Su Peng. “Come on. Let’s talk in your room.”
“Dad! There’s almost no food at home! Should I buy groceries online?”
“Okay. Buy whatever you like.”
After answering her, he tightened his arm around Su Peng’s shoulder and firmly pushed him into the small bedroom.
Even though Su Peng was taller by half a head and had trained in martial arts since he was young, he acted like a shy little lamb, obedient and quiet.