My Ares Son-in-Law

"Excuse me, excuse me." A waiter carrying a tray squeezed past him, his steps hurried, and he almost bumped into Xiao Chen's shoulder.

Xiao Chen easily dodged to the side, his gaze inadvertently sweeping over the entrance to the banquet hall, his eyes flickering slightly.

Zhou Hao strode in, a fawning smile plastered on his face, and eagerly led the way.

Beside him was a young man in a tailor-made suit, tall and dignified, with an innate sense of superiority and aloofness in his eyes, clearly not an ordinary person.

"Young Master Lin, this way please! This way please!" Zhou Hao bowed deeply, his attitude almost humble. "It is truly an honor for our Zhou family that you have graced us with your presence at our banquet. It is an honor to have you here!"

The young man referred to as Young Master Lin is named Lin Chengsen. He is the owner of the Lin family, another prominent family in the provincial capital. He has a wealth of money and is quite influential in the industry.

He nodded casually, his gaze sweeping indifferently around the hall without lingering, as if none of the guests present were of interest to him.

But the next second, his gaze suddenly froze, a hint of amazement and amusement flashing in his eyes, and he never looked away.

Xiao Chen followed his gaze, her brow twitching almost imperceptibly... Lin Chengsen's gaze was fixed on Zhou Keying.

"And who is that?" Lin Chengsen asked, his voice low and laced with a lazy arrogance, his gaze still fixed on Zhou Keying.

Zhou Hao followed his gaze, his smile froze slightly, and he inwardly groaned...

He never expected that Lin Chengsen would take a liking to Zhou Keying.

But he dared not show it, and quickly put on a smile again, saying ingratiatingly:

"Reporting to Young Master Lin, that is my cousin, Zhou Keying. If Young Master Lin is interested, I will have her come over to toast you and chat with you later."

Lin Chengsen smiled noncommittally, a meaningful curve appearing at the corner of his mouth, his gaze still fixed on Zhou Keying, his possessiveness almost overflowing.

Xiao Chen lowered his eyelashes and downed the remaining wine in his glass in one gulp. A faint astringent taste lingered on his tongue, much like his current mood. His fingers gently caressed the inside of the glass, and the atmosphere around him subtly softened.

"Xiao Chen! What are you doing hiding here?!" A sharp, piercing voice suddenly came from behind, breaking the surrounding tranquility.

Xiao Chen slowly turned around and saw Zhou Fenfang walking quickly towards him in high heels, her face full of dissatisfaction and meanness. She was also wearing a gorgeous dress today, but it couldn't hide her arrogance and acerbity in the slightest.

"Do you even know what day it is today?" Zhou Fenfang lowered her voice, but couldn't suppress the anger and disdain in her words.

"Ke Ying finally secured the 10 billion yuan project from Dansheng Group. Today is a moment of glory for our Zhou family!"
"And you, on the other hand, are hiding in this corner eating and drinking like nothing's wrong, not even bothering to help her out, greet the guests, or do your duty as a 'friend'!"

Xiao Chen gave her a cold look, the chill in his eyes sending a shiver down Zhou Fenfang's spine.

His tone was icy, laced with undisguised sarcasm: "You think I'm being polite? When have you ever thought I needed to give you face or take your orders?"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Fenfang instantly sobered up, and her anger was instantly replaced by fear.

She suddenly remembered how formidable Xiao Chen was... This man was ruthless and powerful. In the entire western region, if he wanted to kill someone, no one could survive to the next day. He was a true nemesis!

If it weren't for Zhou Keying's sake, she would have been slapped on the spot and might not even have survived if she had dared to speak to Xiao Chen in that tone.

She had been momentarily confused, forgetting how terrifying Xiao Chen was. Zhou Fenfang opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but couldn't utter a single word. She could only stand there stiffly, her face alternating between pale and flushed, embarrassed and terrified.

"Auntie." A gentle and pleasant voice broke the awkward silence at just the right moment.

Zhou Keying walked over unnoticed, naturally taking Xiao Chen's arm, giving Zhou Fenfang a faint smile, and speaking in a calm tone:
"Aunt, please don't say that about Xiao Chen. He came with me today on purpose and has been helping me the whole time, you just didn't see it."

Zhou Fenfang pursed her lips, her gaze sweeping over Xiao Chen, her disdain undiminished, but she dared not be as harsh as before, and could only mutter under her breath:
"It's only because you're protecting him. If it were someone else, who would tolerate his personality?"

As she spoke, her eyes suddenly lit up, as if she had remembered something good. She lowered her voice, moved closer to Zhou Keying, and spoke with a hint of encouragement:

"By the way, Keying, did you see Young Master Lin? He's the Lin family boss that Zhou Hao brought in earlier. His status is quite extraordinary!"

"She's been looking this way at you the whole time, it's obvious she's interested in you!"

Zhou Fenfang became more and more excited as she spoke, "Auntie will introduce you to him later. You should get to know him better. If we can establish a connection with the Lin family, our Zhou family will have more confidence in the future!"

Zhou Keying's smile faded slightly, and a hint of barely perceptible resistance flashed in her eyes. Her tone remained gentle, yet carried an undeniable firmness: "Auntie, I already have someone I love, so I won't trouble you any further."

"Your beloved?" Zhou Fenfang scoffed, glancing at Xiao Chen subconsciously, lowering her voice with a hint of disappointment.

“Keying, I’m not trying to be mean, but how could you be so foolish? With your current status and position, how could you choose someone with no official title and who looks so ordinary? These days, marriage is all about matching social standing. The Lin family boss is the one who’s good enough for you!”

“Auntie,” Zhou Keying interrupted her gently, her tone still calm but with a hint of distance, “I’ll go see if the old lady needs any help. You can talk to her slowly.”

After saying that, she took Xiao Chen's hand, turned around and left, not giving Zhou Fenfang a chance to speak again.

After taking a few steps, Zhou Keying sighed softly, turned her head to look at Xiao Chen, her eyes filled with apology:

"Xiao Chen, I'm sorry, please don't take it to heart. That's just how your aunt is, she's materialistic and always thinking about climbing the social ladder, she didn't mean any harm."

Xiao Chen turned his head to look at her. The crystal lamplight fell on her fair cheeks, reflecting a faint halo. Her long eyelashes trembled slightly, making her look exceptionally beautiful.

He gently shook his head, his tone mild: "I know."

Xiao Chen certainly knew what kind of person Zhou Fenfang was.

Back then, this woman even went to the ancient city to find him, demanding that he leave Zhou Keying. Her attitude was incredibly arrogant, showing her absolutely no respect.

He still remembers that arrogant, condescending attitude clearly.

Thinking about all this, a faint smile appeared on Xiao Chen's lips.

Fenfang was lucky this week, getting a wonderful niece.

If it weren't for Zhou Keying protecting her, given Zhou's attitude towards her back then, she would probably be dead somewhere long ago. (End of Chapter)