My Ares Son-in-Law

Xiao Chen turned to leave, but Zhou Keying grabbed his hand.

"Thank you." Zhou Keying was very serious this time. She really didn't know what would have become of her if Xiao Chen hadn't saved her.

"You're saying that again. Is there any need for thanks between us? You really don't treat me like one of your own." Xiao Chen smiled and pressed Zhou Keying's hand down.

Zhou Keying shook her head: "Why don't you question me? Why don't you ask me why I went to Baoqiu alone, why I didn't listen to you and insisted on taking that risk? If I hadn't been so stubborn, you wouldn't have had to resort to such ruthless measures. In fact, everything you did was my fault."

Xiao Chen sighed and suddenly flicked her forehead: "What nonsense are you talking about? If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have been able to rid the world of these scourges. If those two guys were crippled, the world would be a better place, and more people would be protected. You probably don't know, but Liu Yanqiu and Huang Dabao have hurt many girls before."

Yun Yuyan smiled and said, "Oh, our little brother Xiao Chen is really a savior of suffering. Don't be too proud of yourself. You should protect yourself and not be impulsive again. You are very strong, but what if you meet someone stronger than you next time?"

Although she was smiling, she was somewhat worried.

"It's just a small matter, sister, please don't make a big deal out of it!" Xiao Chen said.

He knew, of course, that Yun Yuyan cared about him, and he was indeed happy. Moreover, Yun Yuyan's words were not without reason. Although no one in the mortal world could harm him, the powerful members of the Prison Clan could.

“You always speak in this tone,” Zhou Keying sighed, “as if nothing has anything to do with you, as if you’re completely detached. But you clearly… clearly did everything you could, clearly did everything you could to protect me, clearly avenged me, and solved all my problems.”

Xiao Chen touched his nose. Goodness, Zhou Keying's words were too ambiguous. How was he supposed to respond?

Before he could say anything, Zhou Keying continued, "Xiao Chen, what exactly do you feel for me? You're so capable, you could have ignored this trouble, you have more important things to do, so why do you keep saving me and protecting me?"

"Because you are my friend."

Xiao Chen sighed, still pouring cold water on Zhou Keying's hopes. He didn't want Zhou Keying to have any illusions, since there was no possibility between the two of them anyway.

The only person he truly cherished was his wife, Jiang Meng.

Zhou Keying was stunned; the expectation on her face froze instantly. Then, she slowly smiled.

That smile was complex, containing relief, bitterness, a hint of barely perceptible loss, and a kind of inexplicable melancholy, as if it had finally gotten the answer, but it wasn't the one it wanted.

“Friend.” She repeated the word softly, nodded gently, and the light in her eyes gradually dimmed. “Okay. Friend.”

After saying that, she slowly closed her eyes, turned over, and faced away from Xiao Chen, her voice as soft as a breeze: "I'm tired, I want to sleep."

"Okay. Sister Yuyan, please take good care of her. I'm leaving now." Xiao Chen didn't say anything more and turned to leave the room.

"Xiao Chen".

Just a second before stepping out of the room, Zhou Keying's voice rang out again, muffled by the pillow, yet exceptionally clear.

"Hmm?" Xiao Chen stopped but didn't turn around.

"Donating that money to Project Hope...that's a good thing."

“I also think it’s a good thing. If those two guys’ money were used on Project Hope, it would allow many children who can’t afford to go to school to learn a culture.”

The moment the door closed, Zhou Keying could no longer hold back. She buried her face in the pillow, and tears welled up silently, soaking the pillowcase. Yun Yuyan, standing beside her, shook her head helplessly.

She admired Zhou Keying quite a bit. They both liked Xiao Chen, but Zhou Keying seemed braver, which made her a little scared.

She was afraid that if she told anyone, they wouldn't even be able to remain friends.

"Sigh..." He gently patted Zhou Keying's shoulder. "Cry, cry. You and I both know that man is from a completely different world from us. Just think about it and don't get too caught up in it."

……

The next morning, the entire upper-class business district of the provincial capital was in an uproar.

The news that Huang Dabao, the owner of Baoqiu Building Materials Group, and his wife were both paralyzed and that all their assets were donated to Project Hope was like a bombshell that exploded in the business circle, instantly causing a huge uproar and becoming the focus of everyone's discussion.

Throughout the entire provincial capital, discussions about this matter were everywhere, with everyone trembling with fear and talking about it endlessly.

"Have you heard? Huang Dabao and his wife from Baoqiu Building Materials have been crippled!"

A man in a suit lowered his voice, "I heard it's some kind of high-level paraplegia, he can't move anything below his neck, and he'll be bedridden for the rest of his life!"

"I've heard about it! This is too bizarre! Not only were the people crippled, but all their assets—houses, cars, company shares, and bank deposits—totaling over 100 million yuan, were donated to Project Hope. Not a single penny was left!"

Another person chimed in.

"My God! Who has such audacity? Daring to touch Huang Dabao and his wife, and even transferring all their assets without anyone noticing, with all the signatures and procedures following proper legal processes. How much power does that require?"

"Who did it? Has the police found any clues?" someone asked anxiously. After all, Huang Dabao was a well-known figure in the provincial capital's business circle, and his sudden misfortune was bound to cause panic.

"Investigate my ass!" someone scoffed.

"The police searched all night but found nothing! There were no fingerprints or footprints at the scene, and the surveillance footage was completely blank. They didn't even capture a shadow of the attacker. It was as if he appeared out of thin air and then disappeared into thin air!"

"This is outrageous! More than 100 million yuan in assets, donated so casually, and done so flawlessly. This is something no ordinary person could do!"

Suddenly someone asked, "Don't you guys think... the style of this is familiar?" as if they had discovered something special.

The crowd fell silent instantly, all looking at him with puzzled expressions.

The man lowered his voice even further: "Have you heard of that mysterious chairman of the Dansheng Group?"

"You mean... that chairman who has never shown his face, yet can control the Dansheng Group with one hand, and even the bigwigs in the province have to give him some face?" someone asked in surprise, their tone full of awe.

“That’s him!” The man nodded.

"Do you remember what happened in the western region of the New Martial Arts Tournament last time? The president of the New Martial Arts Tournament was killed with a single blow, and his head was hung on the city wall for all to see. None of the more than three hundred martial artists in the western region of the New Martial Arts Tournament could stop him!"
The method was exactly the same as this time—clean, swift, leaving no trace, and… extremely ruthless, giving the opponent no room to maneuver! (End of Chapter)