My Ares Son-in-Law

Xiao Chen looked at Yun Yuyan walking towards him and smiled slightly: "Got swarmed by flies?"

Yun Yuyan rolled her eyes at him, annoyed: "You're still making sarcastic remarks! Why did you only arrive now? Keying was almost frantic with worry."

"We were delayed on the way," Xiao Chen said casually, glancing at the group of people who had been bothering Yun Yuyan earlier.

Only after Xiao Chen walked up to Yun Yuyan did the group snap out of their daze, hastily putting on obsequious smiles and greeting her in Lin Zhenghao's tone: "Mr. Xiao, hello, we are..."

"roll."

Xiao Chen uttered only one word.

"Let's go!"

The group felt as if they had been granted a pardon, and in the blink of an eye they scattered like birds and beasts, disappearing into the crowd in less than five seconds.

Yun Yuyan hadn't expected these people to be so afraid of Xiao Chen. Then she realized that the news of the major events that had happened in the provincial capital had probably already spread.

"Xiao Chen, that's great! From now on, you'll be my personal shield!" Yun Yuyan patted Xiao Chen's shoulder with a smile, very satisfied with the result.

Several pairs of eyes hidden in the crowd felt a chill when they saw Yun Yuyan treating Xiao Chen so casually, and silently memorized her appearance.

Suddenly, the lights in the banquet hall dimmed, and a spotlight shone on the center of the stage. The emcee walked onto the stage and announced the official start of the birthday banquet.

All eyes in the audience immediately focused on the stage.

Zhou Fenfang nervously adjusted her niece's skirt from below the stage, whispering instructions. Zhou Keying, however, seemed distracted, her gaze frequently drifting towards Xiao Chen's direction.

This subtle movement did not escape Lü Kuang's notice. He stood in the shadows of the corner, staring at Xiao Chen with a sinister gaze, his hand almost crushing the wine glass in his hand.

"Have you found out?" he asked his attendant in a low voice.

"Reporting to Steward, we have already sent people to investigate, but there is not much information yet. All we know is that this person is a wild boy from the mountains with no background."

Lu Kuang snorted coldly: "A country bumpkin dares to challenge the Lu family? He's really courting death."

The attendant asked cautiously, "Sir, shall we go now...?"

“No need.” Lu Kuang raised his hand to stop him. “Today is the birthday banquet of the Zhou family’s daughter. It is not appropriate to make a move. Besides, Lin Zhenghao is here. Making a move rashly may cause unforeseen circumstances.”

He narrowed his eyes and said coldly, "Let this kid be smug for a while longer. After the banquet, I'll make him understand the consequences of offending the Lü family."

On stage, Zhou Keying slowly walked towards the cake cart under the gaze of everyone. The candlelight flickered on the twenty-six-tiered giant cake, illuminating her stunningly beautiful face.

Amidst the expectant gazes of the crowd, she closed her eyes, clasped her hands together, and silently made a wish.

When she opened her eyes again, her gaze involuntarily fell in the direction of Xiao Chen, and a sweet smile appeared on her lips.

At this moment, everyone understood that the heart of the Zhou family's daughter had already been firmly captured by that mysterious young man.

At that moment, melodious music filled the banquet hall.

Zhou Fenfang took the stage to deliver her opening remarks, thanking the Lü family, Qingyang Sword Sect, and several other prominent families, but made no mention of Xiao Chen.

Then, Zhou Keying's grandmother walked shakily onto the stage, took her granddaughter's hand, and spoke many intimate words. The old woman's loving gaze and simple words brought tears to Zhou Keying's eyes.

From the old man's words, Xiao Chen, sitting in the audience, could feel that this kinship was far more genuine than Zhou Fenfang's snobbishness.

The banquet atmosphere gradually reached its climax, culminating in a performance by a popular female star who offered birthday wishes to Zhou Keying. When the stage returned to silence, Zhou Keying stood alone in the center, as pure and ethereal as a water lily under the moonlight.

Seeing this, the guests present couldn't help but hold their breath, as the long-awaited gift-giving session was finally about to begin.

Seeing that no one else was going to give way, a young man in a custom-made suit quickly stood up and walked up to Zhou Keying with an exquisite gift box: "Miss Zhou, this is a gift I specially prepared for you. I hope you will open it here; I'm sure you will like it."

Zhou Keying originally intended to hand the gift box to the servant, but seeing the servant's insistence, she nodded slightly and gently opened the lid.

Inside the box is an exquisite jade flying apsara, and judging from the quality of the jade, it is quite valuable.

The young man surveyed the audience with smug satisfaction and announced loudly, "This is a top-quality jadeite I purchased in Myanmar. A master craftsman spent three months meticulously carving it, costing nearly sixty million."

He expected to see Zhou Keying's surprised expression, but she only smiled politely and handed the gift box to the servant beside her.

The young man stood there stunned, his face turning pale and then red, before finally slinking away in disgrace.

A suppressed snicker came from the audience.

Although this jade flying apsara is priceless, the Zhou family, as the richest family in the western region, has no shortage of money. Giving such a vulgar gift on this occasion would be nothing short of humiliating.

Yun Yuyan nervously nudged Xiao Chen's arm and whispered, "Oh no, I'm afraid the gift I prepared won't be presentable. Maybe I should give it to him sooner rather than later; it'll only get more awkward. By the way, what did you prepare?"

Xiao Chen winked mysteriously, smiling but not answering.

Guests came forward one after another to present gifts, all of which were priceless treasures, but Zhou Keying maintained a polite but distant smile throughout, without showing the slightest surprise.

It wasn't until Yun Yuyan presented her with a small gift she had made herself that Zhou Keying finally showed a genuine smile.

This gift was clearly made with care by Yun Yuyan. Although it didn't cost much, maybe only a few hundred yuan, it was a genuine expression of her feelings for Zhou Keying.

She personally witnessed Yun Yuyan pricking her hands several times while making this gift.

For someone as wealthy as her, those gold and silver items were clearly no match for this gift.

"Yu Yan, I love this gift so much!" Zhou Keying excitedly hugged Yun Yu Yan and gently kissed her cheek.

This intimate gesture drew gasps from the audience.

After that, people continued to send gifts, but none of them could move Zhou Keying as much as she had.

Even Zhou Fenfang, who was watching from the sidelines, kept shaking her head, clearly not satisfied with the gifts.

In the end, only a handful of people remained who had not yet presented their gifts.

Lin Zhenghao slowly rose, walked to Zhou Keying, and took out a pure white jade pendant. He respectfully said, "Miss Zhou, I came in haste and haven't had time to prepare carefully. I hope you will accept this jade pendant; may it protect you and bring you peace and good fortune."

Just as Zhou Keying was about to take it, Zhou Fenfang suddenly stepped forward and carefully examined the jade pendant. Her breathing became rapid—a simple and ancient character "Lin" was clearly engraved on the back of the jade pendant!

It was none other than the Qingyang Sword Sect's "protective jade talisman".

“Mr. Lin, this protective jade amulet is far too precious. My daughter is unworthy of it and truly cannot accept it,” Zhou Fenfang said, her voice trembling.

The audience erupted in uproar!
Who doesn't know what the protective jade talisman represents? The holder of this jade talisman will receive the full protection of the Qingyang Sword Sect! Moreover, the ancestral precepts of the Qingyang Sword Sect clearly stipulate that there are only three protective jade talismans, and they can only be given to three people in a lifetime!
Unless these three die, they will not be replaced.

Who would have thought that Lin Zhenghao would give such a precious keepsake to Zhou Keying!
All the gifts given today combined probably don't amount to the value of this jade talisman! (End of Chapter)