Chapter 22: The Banquet
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Greetings, Father. Greetings, Uncle.”
Su Ran led Chen Fei to stand before Su Xiangwen and Su Xiangwu.
Su Xiangwen looked at Su Ran with deep affection. If not for her return, he might have already lost his position as the future clan leader.
Though Su Xiangwu disliked Su Ran, he could not openly express it. However, when he looked at Chen Fei, his face was filled with disdain. “Don’t bring this useless waste out to embarrass yourself.”
“Uncle, Chen Fei is my officially wedded husband. Speaking ill of a younger generation in front of my father and niece—isn’t that inappropriate?” Su Ran’s expression turned cold.
“Precisely because I am your uncle, I don’t want to see you jump into a pit of fire. Who doesn’t know that Chen Fei is a blind cripple with a destroyed dantian?” Su Xiangwu scoffed.
“Uncle, I can make my own decisions. You need not concern yourself with my affairs.” Su Ran finished speaking and pulled Chen Fei towards the waiting carriage.
“Brother, Yun’er is right. Let her make her own choices. Besides, if Chen Fei were still the genius he once was, he might not even agree to marry into our Su family.” Su Xiangwen chuckled, wary of his younger brother.
“Hmph!” Su Xiangwu snorted coldly, turning to his own son and daughter with a stern glare. “Children are still juniors. How can they not understand respect and hierarchy?”
“Su Teng, Su Wan, if either of you dares to marry a worthless man like Su Ran did, don’t bother stepping into the Su family home again!” Su Xiangwu barked, indirectly scolding Su Ran.
“Yes, Father. We wouldn’t dare,” Su Teng and Su Wan quickly responded.
The surrounding servants, accustomed to such displays, merely looked on. To an outsider, it would seem that Su Xiangwu, not Su Xiangwen, was the true head of the Su family and the next clan leader.
Su Xiangwen forced a smile and boarded the carriage. The two carriages headed toward the City Lord’s mansion.
Inside the carriage, Su Xiangwen looked at Chen Fei with obvious disdain. Unable to suppress his dissatisfaction, he turned to his daughter. “Yun’er, your uncle wasn’t wrong. If only you had listened to me and married Young City Lord Ye Bufan, your uncle wouldn’t dare to be so arrogant in the Su family.”
“Now, all of the Su family’s pressure is on you. Can this waste help you bear it?” Su Xiangwen attempted to pressure his daughter into reconsidering, hoping she would abandon Chen Fei and join Ye Bufan instead.
If Ye Bufan became his son-in-law, combined with his daughter’s extraordinary talent, Su Xiangwen’s status as the true head of the Su family would be unchallenged.
“Father, this is the last time I will say this,” Su Ran’s voice turned icy. “Chen Fei is my husband. As long as I do not despise him, no one in the Su family can bully him.”
Hearing this, Su Xiangwen had no choice but to shut his mouth awkwardly. However, his gaze toward Chen Fei was filled with murderous intent, as if he wished to tear him apart.
Chen Fei remained silent, but his heart was warmed by Su Ran’s public defense of him.
“Chen Fei, is Chen Yang really your elder brother? Will he be attending the founding celebration today?” Su Xiangwen, unable to change his daughter’s mind, shifted his focus to Chen Yang.
If Chen Yang could be brought into the Su family, it would be a great advantage, reducing the pressure on him and Su Ran.
“I have no elder brother,” Chen Fei replied decisively. Chen Yang was merely a temporary identity, and one day, the truth would come to light.
“Useless trash!” Su Xiangwen turned away in frustration, unwilling to look at Chen Fei any longer.
The founding celebration of the City Lord’s mansion had been widely publicized throughout Huangwu City. Only the most prominent figures were invited.
The City Lord’s mansion was adorned with lanterns and decorations, with guards securing the area across two entire streets to maintain order, creating an impressive display.
One by one, distinguished figures stepped out of their carriages, exciting the gathered commoners.
“The eldest daughter of the Su family has arrived!”
“And that useless husband of hers is here too.”
“Wasn’t he supposed to die within three days? Why does he look so lively? Seems like he’s living quite well in the Su family.”
“You must be joking. If not for Chen Yang suddenly appearing and single-handedly suppressing the entire Qin family, this waste would already be dead.”
“Su Ran truly deserves to be one of Huangwu City’s twin beauties. She’s absolutely stunning!”
Su Ran and Chen Fei’s arrival stirred discussions among the crowd.
One was a heaven-gifted beauty, while the other was a blind, crippled man. Seeing them hand in hand, many couldn’t help but mock the contrast.
Ye Bufan, the Young City Lord, personally stepped forward to greet them. His previously radiant smile froze when he saw Su Ran holding Chen Fei’s hand. His eyes darkened with murderous intent.
“That wretched woman! She would rather be with a blind cripple than marry me?”
“You brought this upon yourself. Don’t blame me for being ruthless.”
Suppressing his urge to kill, Ye Bufan forced a smile and led the Su family into the City Lord’s mansion.
“Don’t be afraid. I am here,” Su Ran reassured Chen Fei as she held his hand tightly and whispered in his ear.
“Mm!” Chen Fei responded. He wasn’t uneasy because of the crowd. Instead, he was searching for the City Lord’s warehouse based on the dead assassin’s information.
After the banquet, a dance would take place. During that time, Ye Bufan planned to lace Su Ran’s dress with Bewitching Heart Gu poison, intending to control her mind…
Before the banquet began, the city’s noble families engaged in polite exchanges. Although Su Xiangwen was the Su family’s head, the other noble heads preferred to converse with Su Xiangwu instead, leaving Su Xiangwen as an awkward bystander.
Su Ran, uninterested in socializing, responded to greetings with only polite nods, refusing to engage in deeper conversations.
“Chen Fei, your brother doesn’t seem to be here,” Su Ran observed after scanning the room.
“It’s better this way. No awkward encounters,” Chen Fei replied casually.
“If I were your brother, I would be here to support you,” Su Ran said regretfully. “It seems there are some hidden matters between you two.”
“It’s not that complicated. As I said, if you ever need help, you can go to him.” Chen Fei forced a smile, knowing that Su Ran misunderstood their relationship.
The founding celebration was a rare opportunity for noble families to discuss business and strengthen bonds among their younger generations.
Just as Su Ran thought she could sit in a quiet corner with Chen Fei, a group of young noblemen carrying wine cups approached them, unwilling to let this opportunity slip away.
