The Chen Family!
Chen Zhenghe, the patriarch, returned to the Chen Family estate from the wedding venue with a face as dark as thunder. Once back, his fury only intensified.
Chen Changsheng and his wife stood trembling, not daring to take a seat.
Chen Qingdi stood in a daze, still consumed with worry for Dongfang Zijin.
Chen Chang'an and Chen Changping, the second and third sons of the Chen Family, had witnessed that scene at the wedding. They were torn between relief and amusement; didn't Chen Qingdi's actions amount to letting his eldest brother cut off his own arms? Even if their eldest nephew had managed to obtain the patriarch's permission to tie the knot with Dongfang Zijin, the Dongfang Family was miles behind the Shen Family.
At that moment, both the second and third uncles struggled to suppress their grins, their hearts secretly bursting with joy.
Since the second uncle's household had a daughter, he viewed such a spectacle with schadenfreude, more than happy to watch the chips fall where they may.
"Qingdi," the patriarch said, "you have truly disappointed me."
Chen Zhenghe had reached the absolute limit of his disappointment in Chen Qingdi. To oppose this marriage, he had actually stood by and let Dongfang Zijin harm Shen Liuli!
Seething with rage, Chen Zhenghe bristled with indignation. "You want to marry Dongfang Zijin and bring her into this family? Not on your life—not unless I'm dead."
Everyone lowered their heads in silence, not even daring to breathe too loudly.
"Thank goodness there wasn't a single media outlet there today," Chen Zhenghe continued. "Otherwise, do you think it would just be the old Shen Family losing face? The entire reputation of our Chen Family would have been dragged through the mud by you lot!"
Gritting his teeth, Chen Zhenghe spat, "You really are like mud that can't be hauled up a wall."
Sometimes, the greater the expectation, the greater the disappointment.
Sighing heavily, Chen Zhenghe said, "Changping, Qingyang should be finishing up his studies soon, shouldn't he? Call him back and tell him his grandfather misses him."
A wave of wild joy surged through Chen Changping's heart, and he replied, "Understood, Dad."
Chen Changsheng sighed over and over again. He had truly taken a winning hand and completely ruined it through his son's actions—the game was utterly lost!
After Dongfang Zijin was taken away by the police, Dongfang Wenxuan ran around pulling every string he could, but nobody would give him the time of day.
His wife was a pampered young lady accustomed to a life of luxury. The moment she encountered an insoluble problem, she resorted to tears, leaving Dongfang Wenxuan frantic with annoyance. "Crying, all you ever do is cry! What good is crying? Can it cry Zijin back?"
Wiping her tears, his wife snapped back, "Then what do you suggest we do? Why don't you go beg Chen Qingdi instead of barking at me like you've got some nerve! I must have been completely blind to ever fall for a man like you."
Her words served as a sudden wake-up call. By now, his only remaining option was to go seek out Chen Qingdi.
Chen Qingdi was likewise at his wits' end. Since his grandfather was utterly disgusted with him, the resources of the Chen Family were completely out of reach. After turning it over and over in his mind, his only choice left was to beg Shen Liuli to show mercy.
Tanxi Villa!
After finishing their grocery shopping, Jun Chen and Shen Liuli returned home. Shen Liuli stretched out on the sofa to relax and watch television, looking thoroughly carefree. Jun Chen put on an apron and marched off to his personal "battlefield"!
Shen Liuli glanced over from a distance. He certainly looked the part, but she had her doubts about whether he had any real substance behind the pose.
Though the dishes she had requested were simple, they were also the most demanding of culinary skill. She certainly didn't believe Jun Chen could pull off the exact flavor she was craving.
About an hour later, a subtle fragrance drifted out from the kitchen—something Jun Chen had naturally engineered on purpose.
Catching the aroma of the food, Shen Liuli's stomach began to rumble uncooperatively.
Unable to hold out any longer against the sheer deliciousness, she urged, "Are you done yet? Even your son is starving."
"Coming, my queen, right away," Jun Chen called back.
Jun Chen began serving the dishes, bringing out every single item Shen Liuli had ordered without a single omission.
He set out her utensils, pulled back her chair, and beamed with fiery enthusiasm. "My queen, please!"
Shen Liuli sat down, picked up her chopsticks, and began to taste the food.
With a smile, Jun Chen asked, "My queen, are you satisfied with the taste?"
"Hmm, it'll do!" Shen Liuli replied with a nod.
Though her words were dismissive, her body told a different story. Her hands never stopped moving, continuously feeding morsels into her mouth.
Jun Chen smiled with his eyes crinkled.
After the meal, Jun Chen washed the dishes in the kitchen while Shen Liuli rested on the sofa, feeling utterly carried away by how full she was.
At that moment, her phone rang—it was a video call. The phone happened to be lying right within her reach, and without a second thought, assuming it was her own device, she answered the video feed directly.
A girl's voice came through the phone, "Big Brother, Grandpa and I..."
Seeing Shen Liuli on the screen, the young girl's voice cut off abruptly. Realizing something was wrong, Shen Liuli hurriedly hung up the call.
In the Kyoto Jun Family estate, patriarch Jun Zhantian noticed the look of stunned surprise on his granddaughter Jun Lianyi's face and asked, "What is it, Lianyi girl? Did that brat Jun Chen try to scare you again?"
Recovering her wits, Jun Lianyi said uncertainly, "Grandpa, it looked like a woman answered Big Brother's phone just now—a really pretty woman."
Jun Zhantian's face instantly lit up with joy. "Lianyi girl, are you sure?"
After a brief pause, Jun Lianyi nodded.
"Grandpa, why don't I call him back on video to make sure?"
"Good! That sounds like a plan," Jun Zhantian agreed wholeheartedly.
Emerging from the kitchen, Jun Chen saw the flustered look on Shen Liuli's face and asked, "What's wrong, my queen?"
"It's nothing," Shen Liuli said.
With that, she got up and hurried upstairs to mask her panic.
Jun Chen looked completely bewildered.
Just then, Jun Lianyi's video call came through again.
Picking up the phone and recalling Shen Liuli's panicked retreat upstairs, Jun Chen instantly understood what had happened.
The corners of Jun Chen's mouth curved upward in a broad, radiant smile.
He connected the call, and Jun Lianyi's voice sounded from the phone once more.
"Big Brother!"
"Lianyi!"
"Big Brother, where is that pretty lady from just now?"
"She's a bit shy. Well? Pretty, isn't she?"
"Big Brother, so she really is my sister-in-law!"
Nodding, Jun Chen said, "That's right! We just got our marriage license today. You'll probably be an aunt by the end of this year or early next year."
"Big Brother, really?!" Jun Lianyi chirped excitedly. "I'm going to be an aunt! Heehee!"
"Of course it's true," Jun Chen said. "Why would I lie to you?"
Jun Zhantian had heard every word of their exchange loud and clear. Snatching the phone from Jun Lianyi's hand, he demanded, "Are you bratting around and making jokes, or are you actually pulling your old grandfather's leg?"
"I wouldn't dare!" Jun Chen replied earnestly. "You can just have someone run a check, Old Master, and everything will be crystal clear. Nothing I do could ever escape your discerning eyes, could it? We just got our marriage license today, and your granddaughter-in-law is already three weeks pregnant."
Throwing his head back, Jun Zhantian roared with laughter and repeated three times, "Good! Good! Good!"
"When are you planning to hold the wedding?" Jun Zhantian asked. "How can a granddaughter-in-law of the Jun Family not have a proper wedding?"
"You all can decide," Jun Chen said. "Neither Liuli nor I have any objections."
Nodding, Jun Zhantian said, "Right! The granddaughter-in-law's name is Liuli, correct?"
"Yes, Shen Liuli," Jun Chen answered.
With intentional subtlety, Jun Chen cast a glance toward the second-floor stairway. Knowing that Shen Liuli was still up there eavesdropping, he turned his phone's volume up to maximum and raised his voice a few notches.