My Ares Son-in-Law

Just then, a sharp, piercing sound suddenly came from the crowd of onlookers, breaking the noise of the scene.

"Oh my, whose son-in-law is this? He's quite handsome, but why is he just standing here without saying a word?"

Xiao Chen slowly turned his head and saw several well-dressed middle-aged women with permed hair gathered together, their eyes like searchlights, all fixed on him, their eyes full of criticism and mockery.

The woman in the lead was wearing a gaudy dress, her hair was permed in curls, her face was covered in thick foundation, her lips were painted bright red, and she had a mean smile on her face. She looked like someone who loved to gossip and compare herself to others.

"Fragrance!" the curly-haired woman called out, deliberately raising her voice so that everyone around could hear her.

"Is this your son-in-law? He looks decent enough, but his outfit... tsk tsk tsk, it looks like he bought it for a few dozen yuan at a street stall. He doesn't even have a decent brand-name item. It's so shabby!"

Several middle-aged women nearby immediately chimed in, bursting into laughter, their voices shrill and full of malice.

"Haha, it's true, dressed in cheap clothes, looks like he has no skills!"

"Fenfang, how could you let your niece find such a boyfriend? It's so beneath her!"

Zhou Fenfang's face instantly turned ugly, alternating between pale and flushed, filled with shame and anger.

She knew these middle-aged women were always competitive and gossipy, but she never expected them to mock Xiao Chen in public, and drag her and Zhou Keying into it as well.

Seeing that she didn't speak, the curly-haired woman became even more aggressive, taking two steps forward and speaking with even more biting sarcasm:

"Fenfang, I'm not trying to criticize you, but your niece is so beautiful and capable, managing to secure a multi-billion dollar project at such a young age. How could she have chosen such a good-for-nothing?"

Look at my son-in-law, he just bought an Audi A6 last month, it cost over 400,000 yuan, he looks so impressive when he goes out!
And then there's Old Zhang's son-in-law, a department manager at a bank, earning over 200,000 yuan a year, with all five social insurances and one housing fund—so stable!"

Another short, plump middle-aged woman immediately chimed in, her voice high-pitched:
"Exactly! These days, you have to be careful when looking for a partner. Can good looks put food on the table? Can they help you get back the money you were scammed out of? You have to find someone who is rich and capable to be reliable!"

"Oh dear, don't talk about her like that." The curly-haired woman waved her hand dismissively, but her voice remained perfectly calm as she spoke in a deliberately sarcastic tone.

"Maybe he's really capable? He's just being low-key. Fenfang, tell me, what does your 'son-in-law' do for a living?"

Zhou Fenfang felt both angry and helpless. These people were so gossipy and mean!
She knew perfectly well that Xiao Chen was neither Zhou Keying's boyfriend nor her "son-in-law," but she couldn't say it.

Moreover, her understanding of Xiao Chen was incomplete. She only knew that he was skilled in martial arts and had once saved the Zhou family, but she didn't know his specific identity or background. However, she also understood that Xiao Chen was definitely not the "good-for-nothing" that these older women described.

Just as Zhou Fenfang was caught in a dilemma, unsure of how to respond, Xiao Chen spoke first.

Unemployed.

His voice was calm and even, as if he were simply saying that the weather was nice today. He was so composed that he didn't feel embarrassed at all, as if the word "unemployed" meant nothing to him.

The middle-aged women were stunned for a moment, clearly not expecting him to admit it so bluntly. Then, they burst into even louder laughter, which was even more sarcastic.

"Unemployed? Hahaha... Did I hear that right? He's actually unemployed!"

"My God, Fenfang, your niece is actually supporting such a gigolo? That's such a waste!" "Is this what you call a man? He doesn't even have a job, relying on a woman to support him, he's utterly useless!"

The curly-haired woman was laughing so hard she almost cried, clutching her stomach, her tone full of disdain:

"Fenfang, Fenfang, you've really opened my eyes! If my son-in-law dares not to work and dares to rely on my daughter to support him, I'll be the first to not let him off the hook! You should quickly persuade your niece to break up with this good-for-nothing as soon as possible, so she won't be dragged down by him!"

Zhou Fenfang's face turned completely black with anger, and she was trembling with rage, her nails almost digging into her flesh.

She glared at Xiao Chen, lowered her voice, and gritted her teeth as she cursed, "Are you stupid? You clearly... clearly have the ability, why don't you say so? You deliberately let them mock us, didn't you?"

Xiao Chen glanced at her indifferently, offering no explanation, his eyes showing not even a ripple of emotion.

He could easily give any identity he wanted...

Bank presidents, listed company CEOs, or even the heads of some secretive family.

If he wanted, he could rattle off ten or eight identities, each one enough to shut up the group of competitive and sarcastic middle-aged women instantly, or even make them fawn over him.

But what's the point?
Arguing with a group of narrow-minded, gossipy old ladies will only lower your own standards.

He slowly withdrew his gaze and looked back at the tightly closed glass door, a barely perceptible curve appearing at the corner of his lips, a hint of cold amusement in his eyes.

Laugh.

He thought to himself.

How happy you are now, the time for you to cry will come in a few days.

Seeing that Xiao Chen didn't speak or refute, the older women assumed he was ashamed and had tacitly accepted his "useless" status. They became even more smug and continued their sarcastic remarks endlessly.

The curly-haired middle-aged woman leaned closer to Zhou Fenfang, lowered her voice, and spoke with a tone full of hypocritical "for your own good," but in reality, it was all sarcasm:
"Fenfang, listen to my advice, make your niece leave this good-for-nothing as soon as possible."

I know a few good young men, some who own companies, some who work in the government. I'll introduce them to your niece sometime; it's better than her being with this unemployed bum, right?

Zhou Fenfang's face turned even uglier, her chest heaving violently, yet she couldn't utter a single word in rebuttal... She couldn't expose Xiao Chen's identity; once exposed, it would only bring unnecessary trouble to Xiao Chen and Zhou Keying.

She could only swallow her anger and let these middle-aged women mock her at will.

She turned her head and looked at Xiao Chen's still calm and composed face, and her anger surged.

This kid, being called "good-for-nothing" and "a gigolo" to his face, can still laugh? Doesn't he have any temper at all?
She took a deep breath and told herself over and over that now was not the time to be angry with Xiao Chen, nor was it the time to argue with these older women.

The most urgent task is to get back the 8.7 million yuan, which is all her savings and money she borrowed from relatives and friends. She absolutely cannot let it go to waste.

How can I take it?
She'd been shouting slogans here for three days straight, her voice hoarse, her throat practically burning, but to no avail. Those swindlers had vanished without a trace. (End of Chapter)