My Ares Son-in-Law

Before long, Lin Zhenghao returned, seemingly without a speck of dust on him. He walked straight to Xiao Chen, bowed slightly, and nodded, his movements concise and without uttering a single extra word.

Upon seeing this action, everyone in the banquet hall felt as if they had fallen into an abyss of ice!
Lü Kuang... is really dead!
This is insane! This world is absolutely insane!

The birthday party, of course, had to continue, even though the atmosphere had become extremely strange and cold. Fortunately, most of the main events were already completed.

The Zhou family was even more afraid of any further complications or unmanageable trouble, so they hastily skipped some of the less important interactions and procedures and almost hastily announced the end of the banquet.

For Zhou Keying, receiving Xiao Chen's unique and meaningful gift, the "Moonlight Kiss," was already the biggest surprise and the most fulfilling part of her birthday celebration. Whether the banquet was complete or when it ended was no longer important to her.

On her fair and slender neck, she wore a crescent moon necklace that held the moonlight and memories. Its cool radiance accentuated her exquisite beauty, making her both breathtaking and heartbreaking.

Sitting in the audience, Yun Yuyan's gaze had been fixed on Xiao Chen for some time now. She didn't say anything, just watched quietly, her eyes filled with worry, doubt, and something deeper that she herself might not have realized.

"Yu Yan," Xiao Chen felt a little uneasy under her gaze, so he touched his nose and tried to break the awkward atmosphere with a joke, "Don't keep staring at me like that. I'm starting to wonder if you've fallen hopelessly in love with me because of my dashing appearance today."

The next second, a hand with familiar strength and warmth accurately pinched the soft flesh of his waist. Yun Yuyan threatened in a low voice, "Little Chenzi! Who are you calling Yuyan? So distant! And who's fallen in love with you? Stop being so conceited! Do you believe I'll give you a 360-degree all-around massage?"

Xiao Chen felt the familiar "gentleness" around his waist, and was both amused and exasperated. He quickly begged for forgiveness: "Okay, okay, I was wrong. It's...it's the beautiful Miss Yun Yuyan."

Yun Yuyan pouted, clearly dissatisfied, and corrected her seriously, "Not enough! Say it again! It should be 'The invincible, super cute, youthful and beautiful fairy Yun Yuyan!'"

Xiao Chen's face immediately darkened. He was about to retort with a few more sarcastic remarks when he noticed that Zhou Fenfang had walked over at some point. She gave him a complicated look and spoke in a very soft voice with a hint of barely perceptible politeness: "Xiao Chen, if it's convenient for you, come with me for a moment."

Xiao Chen was slightly taken aback, not expecting Zhou Fenfang to take the initiative to find him. He had thought it would be Zhou Keying who came to him. After a moment's thought, he nodded and followed Zhou Fenfang out of the gradually quieting hall.

Zhou Fenfang led him to a secluded side room. The environment was elegant, but Zhou Keying was nowhere to be seen; it was just the two of them.

Is this... a private interrogation? Or torture to extract a confession? Xiao Chen raised an eyebrow inwardly.

However, Zhou Fenfang's attitude was completely different from before. The harshness and condescending arrogance were gone from her face. She even personally brewed him a steaming cup of fine green tea, her movements revealing obvious deliberation and…caution. She gently pushed the teacup towards Xiao Chen, picked up a cup herself, took a small sip, seemingly organizing her thoughts. After a long pause, she looked up at Xiao Chen and said, "You should…know why I sought you out alone, right?"

Xiao Chen frowned almost imperceptibly, picked up his teacup, shook his head calmly, and said in a nonchalant tone, "Sorry, I really don't know."

Zhou Fenfang stared at Xiao Chen, trying to find even the slightest trace of pretense on his face, but to no avail. She gently put down her teacup, sighed, and finally uttered that name: "Because of Keying."

She paused, seemingly reassessing the young man before her, her tone carrying a complex emotion: "Xiao Chen, I must say, some of the things you've done lately, especially today... have truly opened my eyes. I have to admit, I... really misjudged you before."

Her gaze deepened, carrying a hint of inquiry: "And I still can't understand... where did you go during those five years you disappeared?"

"You specifically asked me to come here just to say this?" Xiao Chen's tone was flat and emotionless, revealing no emotion. He gently stroked the rim of the warm teacup with his fingers, his gaze not even fully on Zhou Fenfang. "If this is all, I think we can end this."

He made a move to get up.

"Wait!" Zhou Fenfang's voice carried a hint of urgency, and her body involuntarily leaned forward slightly. "Ke Ying... is engaged to the Lü family. Did you know about this?"

Xiao Chen, who was about to stand up, paused slightly, then sat back down steadily, though his back seemed a little straighter than before. He raised his eyes, something flashing deep within them: "A marriage contract? I've never heard Ke Ying mention it."

“This was decided a long time ago.” Zhou Fenfang sighed, her tone carrying a hint of helplessness and reality typical of large families. “The Zhou family may seem powerful on the surface, controlling a significant portion of the western region’s economy, but in the end, we are just rootless duckweed. In this western region, true long-term stability depends not on money, but on absolute power, on the martial arts strength to deter petty villains! And this is precisely the Zhou family’s weakest and most fatal weakness.”

"The family does indeed have a few grandmasters, but that power is simply not enough in the face of true martial arts giants! The Lü family is the best and only way out that the Zhou family can find at the moment. Ke Ying's father has been running around for years seeking a marriage alliance with a martial arts family, only to be met with setbacks everywhere, until... the Lü family took the initiative to extend an olive branch."

"To be honest, we were quite surprised that the Lü family would take the initiative to propose a marriage alliance. According to the agreement, there are still a few months before the wedding is officially held." Zhou Fenfang paused here, her gaze sharpening as she fixed her gaze on Xiao Chen's face. "Do you know why I'm telling you all this?"

Xiao Chen remained silent, not answering immediately. He simply gazed at Zhou Fenfang, his eyes as deep as an ancient, unchanging icy pool. The surface was calm, but within it seemed to contain a chilling vortex and icicles that could devour everything, making one fearful and unable to see through them.

Zhou Fenfang's heart skipped a beat at his gaze, and she couldn't help but sigh again, her tone softening and becoming almost sincere: "Xiao Chen, I know you might hate me. What I did and said before was indeed wrong. But I hope you understand that everything I did was for the Zhou family, so that Keying could have... the most stable and secure future in the eyes of the world." (End of Chapter)