My Ares Son-in-Law

Zhou Keying's cheeks instantly turned red, like ripe apples. She glared at Yun Yuyan, both embarrassed and angry, and gently pushed her away: "Shut up! Focus on cooking. If you keep talking nonsense, you'll be punished by eating plain rice tonight!"

Xiao Chen leaned against the kitchen doorway, watching the two playfully bickering in a heartwarming scene. The tenderness in his eyes faded slightly, replaced by a thoughtful expression.

Jiang Xuanxuan, a native of Luocheng, joined Dansheng Group, but at this very moment, she was transferred to the provincial capital, and coincidentally, she was Zhou Keying's best friend... All of this was too much of a coincidence, so much so that he had to be on guard.

He calmly took out his phone, quickly tapped his fingers, and sent a concise message.

Just seconds later, the phone vibrated, and a reply arrived promptly: [Shen Yingying: Received. I will keep an eye on Jiang Xuanxuan's movements.]

After reading the message, Xiao Chen casually put his phone back in his pocket, stepped into the kitchen, and asked in a natural tone, "Need any help?"

"No need, no need!" Zhou Keying quickly reached out and pushed him out, her eyes full of heartache. "You've been busy for two days, go and rest in the living room. The food will be ready soon, you don't need to lift a finger."

Xiao Chen was pushed back two steps by her, and did not insist any further. He stood in the center of the living room, his gaze falling on the two busy figures in the kitchen, and his eyes gradually darkened.

He hoped that Jiang Xuanxuan was simply there to work in the provincial capital and was just Keying's best friend, and that she hadn't come with any ulterior motives.

Two days passed in the blink of an eye.

At the provincial capital's international airport, the arrival hall was bustling with activity, as passengers hurried by, dragging their suitcases.

Xiao Chen stood by the arrival exit and glanced at the time on his phone... The flight arrived on time, and Jiang Xuanxuan should be out in ten minutes.

He moved a few steps to the side, casually leaned against a marble pillar, put his hands in his pockets, and idly observed the passing crowd. He exuded an aura of detachment, completely out of place with the surrounding noise.

"Hey, isn't this Xiao Chen? What a coincidence!"

A smug yet familiar voice came from behind, laced with undisguised sarcasm.

Xiao Chen slowly turned his head and saw three people walking towards him, with Zhou Hao leading the way.

Zhou Hao was dressed in a sharp suit, his hair was slicked back and shiny, and he had a smug smile on his face. He walked with an air of arrogance.

Beside him was Zhou Xiaoyu, Zhou Hao's cousin, who wore a pink suit and had exquisite makeup. Her eyes were full of disdain as she looked at Xiao Chen as if he were something dirty.

There was also a strange man, around twenty-five or twenty-six years old, wearing a custom-made casual suit, the fabric of which was exquisite. He had a noble air about him, and his eyes carried a hint of innate arrogance. His gaze towards his surroundings was distant and condescending.

Zhou Hao strode up to Xiao Chen, looked him up and down, his gaze sweeping over Xiao Chen's simple casual clothes. A mocking smile appeared on his lips as he asked in a flippant tone, "What, here to pick someone up?"

Xiao Chen didn't speak, but just glanced at him indifferently. The indifference in his eyes was like a bucket of cold water, which made Zhou Hao's arrogance subside a little, but he quickly returned to his smug look.

Zhou Hao ignored his silence and spoke up, deliberately raising his voice: "What a coincidence, we're here to pick someone up too. Let me introduce you, this is Lin Chenghai, Lin Chengsen's younger brother, the second young master of the Lin family in Luocheng." He paused, emphasizing the name "Lin Chengsen," then, as if suddenly remembering something, his smile became even more playful:
"By the way, I heard that Young Master Lin got into trouble a couple of days ago? He was beaten up badly by Master Wan's men, so badly that even his own mother couldn't recognize him? Tsk tsk, I wonder which blind fool dared to mess with the Lin family. They must be tired of living."

Upon hearing this, Lin Chenghai's face instantly darkened, and the atmosphere around him suddenly dropped... The fact that Lin Chengsen was beaten was a disgrace to the Lin family, and Zhou Hao's public mention of it was undoubtedly exposing his shortcomings.

However, out of consideration for the Zhou family's reputation, he couldn't lash out and could only suppress his anger, his eyes turning colder.

Zhou Hao was completely oblivious to Lin Chenghai's displeasure and continued to gloat to himself:
"But it's alright. Young Master Lin is the eldest son of the Lin family. If he's been wronged, the Lin family will naturally investigate and give him an explanation. Anyone who dares to touch a member of the Lin family, no matter who they are, will not escape!"

Xiao Chen remained silent, only glancing at Lin Chenghai with a calm and unwavering gaze, yet Lin Chenghai felt a sudden pang of unease... This young man's eyes were too profound, unlike what appeared to be as simple as they seemed.

Lin Chenghai wondered to himself, could his brother's beating be related to this young man?
Seeing that Xiao Chen remained silent, Zhou Hao assumed he was being intimidated by his and Lin Chenghai's status, which made him even more smug. He stepped forward, his tone laced with provocation:

"Xiao Chen, why are you at the airport so early? Who are you here to pick up? Could it be that you're here to pick up Jiang Xuanxuan too?"

Xiao Chen raised an eyebrow, a hint of amusement flashing in his eyes... It seems that Zhou Hao is also after Jiang Xuanxuan.

Seeing his expression, Zhou Hao burst out laughing, his voice exaggerated:
"Haha, really? Xiao Chen, you're not serious, are you? Who is Jiang Xuanxuan? She's a top socialite in Luocheng, a senior executive at Dansheng Group, holding an important position at such a young age. How could she possibly let an unemployed bum like you pick her up when she comes to the provincial capital?"

Zhou Xiaoyu immediately chimed in, her tone sharp and sarcastic, her eyes revealing undisguised contempt:

"That's right! Miss Jiang is a proud daughter of heaven, with a noble status. If anyone should be picked up, it should be a prestigious family like our Zhou family, to show respect."

You're a useless good-for-nothing with no job, no connections, and living off a woman. What makes you think you can possibly accept her? Don't embarrass Miss Jiang, and don't embarrass the entire Zhou family!"

Xiao Chen glanced at her indifferently, his eyes devoid of any warmth, like icicles, instantly making Zhou Xiaoyu panic. She subconsciously shrank back, swallowing back the words that were on the tip of her tongue.

But she still gritted her teeth, stubbornly stared back at Xiao Chen, not daring to show weakness.

Xiao Chen was too lazy to argue with her. He withdrew his gaze, leaned back against the pillar, closed his eyes to rest, as if the two people in front of him were just air.

Seeing this, Zhou Hao assumed he was in the wrong and became even more emboldened, leaning close to Xiao Chen's ear and whispering threateningly:

"Xiao Chen, if you know what's good for you, get lost. Our Zhou family is determined to have Jiang Xuanxuan. Whether it's for the sake of family cooperation or for my own personal sake, I won't let her fall into other people's hands."

Go back and tell Zhou Keying, don't even think about trying to steal her from me, she's not qualified!

Xiao Chen slowly opened her eyes, looked up at him, her gaze calm as water, yet carrying an invisible sense of pressure that made Zhou Hao's heart tighten inexplicably, and the threat that was on the tip of his tongue got stuck in his throat.

Just then, the airport announcement of the flight's arrival came over the loudspeaker, echoing clearly throughout the terminal. (End of Chapter)