Almost simultaneously, Su Chen could feel the murderous gazes from both of them, causing cold sweat to pour down his back. After getting married, having children is a given. However, what was truly alarming was the suggestion of letting the aunt raise the child. This suggestion escalated the tension to an alarming degree. Su Chen anticipated that if he had suggested letting a nanny raise the child, it would seem insensitive and not fit his persona of being devoted.
"Let's talk about the wedding," Su Chen quickly changed the subject, trying to defuse the situation. "Indeed, marrying too soon isn't ideal. Let's wait until Qixi Festival, which is an auspicious day." He continued, "You are currently busy with your career, and I shouldn't disturb you." Using this tactic, Su Chen subtly moved away from the tense topic. Moreover, there was still some time until the Qixi Festival, giving him a brief reprieve.
In any case, he was grateful for his sister's timely intervention. Lin Qingyan, surprisingly, agreed without hesitation. This left Su Chen puzzled, but he didn't dwell on it. The banquet that seemed like a comedy had finally ended, but the happenings during the banquet were significant enough to astonish many. News of the evening's events quickly spread throughout the elite circles of the capital city. Lin Qingyan's actions left many stunned. Most could not believe that this reserved goddess would genuinely fall in love with Su Chen. The notion seemed absurd. After more than a decade of indifferent responses, she suddenly wanted to marry Su Chen. It felt almost impossible for such a drastic change to occur without some hidden agenda.
Elsewhere, although the banquet had concluded, another feast was taking place in the Su family's living room. Su Chen had just taken his seat at the dining table when he noticed the unmistakable joy in his father's eyes. "Now that Lin Qingyan has agreed to marry you, why would you refuse? Isn't this what you've always hoped for?" Su's father asked, his eyes twinkling, but his face remaining expressionless as he ate. Faced with this question, Su Chen was at a loss for words. He couldn't just admit that he felt unworthy of her. "Dad, there's no rush. Qingyan genuinely loves me. Even if we marry later, it's okay. I want her to focus on her career, and I can't let her love go to waste," Su Chen replied, trying to sound serious.
Over time, it would be untrue to say he had developed no feelings for her. In the future, he'd tragically die from a gunshot in Qin Yu's scheming. In retaliation, Su Long would almost bring ruin upon the entire Su family. Sadly, this was the predictable pattern in action novels. Antagonists and side characters inevitably met with disastrous fates. Fortunately, Su Chen had a plan. Even if he met his demise, he was determined to ensure the Su family's survival.
Su Long's eyes shifted slightly, and his brow furrowed at the same time. He nodded, saying, "Don't you think Lin Qingyan was acting strangely today?" In his eyes, while his son excelled in many aspects, he had a glaring weakness when facing Lin Qingyan.
Lin Qingyan wasn't as simple as she appeared on the surface. Her underhanded tactics behind the scenes were ruthless. The waters surrounding Lin Qingyan were too deep, and Su Chen felt he couldn't grasp them.
"I heard what you said during the banquet," Su Long said with a very serious expression. "You mentioned starting a business of your own. You should go to the company tomorrow. With Xian'er assisting you, I'll be at ease." He believed that Su Xian'er was the one who could help Su Chen stand against all formidable foes.
Su Chen, taken aback, replied with a surprised look, "Dad, I think you were right about Lin Qingyan changing. I've experienced it once before, so it's not surprising." He whispered, "Haven't you noticed that Su Xian'er has changed too? Could she be plotting something, being so concerned about me?"
"What are you talking about? Xian'er is your sister, how can you say such a thing?" Su Long said, looking displeased. Su Chen retorted, "Dad, after all these years, don't you understand? Seeing her being so friendly towards me today, I sense a major problem. Dad, I haven't finished speaking. Why are you leaving?"
"I don't want to hear it. It's annoying," Su Long replied curtly, leaving Su Chen behind as he went upstairs. Not wanting to further the issue, Su Chen also retreated to his room.
On the other side of the hall, Su Xian'er, with her sweet appearance and beautiful eyes, leaned against the wall. Her stunning face showed signs of helplessness and turmoil. Ever since her rebirth, she had been trying to win over Su Chen. However, her small gestures of care seemed to have unintentionally alarmed him. She lamented, "Why can't he understand?" It wasn't really Su Chen's fault, considering how she had previously been so antagonistic towards him. Nonetheless, she already had a plan in place, and thinking of it made her cheerful. With light steps, she returned to her room.
The night was destined to be sleepless. Lying in bed, Su Chen pondered over the upcoming plot. If events were to follow the original storyline, Su Chen's engagement banquet tonight would end in humiliation, revealing a jade pendant with a missing piece. This pendant was a crucial clue in the original story, setting off a series of conspiracies. Qin Yu held the missing piece of the jade, from which he had derived his skills. When Qin Yu saw Su Chen's pendant, he became eager to acquire it, wanting to understand its magic.
In the progression of the story, Qin Yu would send his strongest mercenary, Zhao Menghan, to personally investigate the matter. As one of the leading female characters, Zhao Menghan deeply admired Qin Yu and was immensely talented. A significant reason for Qin Yu's rise to power was the support of Zhao Menghan.
But now, the story wasn't following its original path. Qin Yu hadn't seen the jade pendant.
Su Chen held the jade pendant with a missing corner from around his neck, examining it in his hand. There was nothing magical about it. It was just like any other jade pendant with no special qualities. Su Chen sighed, "It's truly the treasure that runs through the entire story. I guess only the protagonist can unlock its power." He decided to wait and see.
When he first arrived in this world, he approached it with a playful attitude: to romance the female lead and change the plot. Yet, he had suffered many penalties for his actions. As he tried to restart the plot multiple times, the punishments became more severe and the story became more distorted. Staring up at the ceiling, Su Chen pondered on what his life would entail next. Unable to come up with a solution, he slowly drifted off to sleep.
In Kyoto's most luxurious hotel, Qin Yu clenched his fist, his expression fierce. Clearly, the unexpected events at the engagement banquet had taken him by surprise. Even for a War God like him, he was not recovering easily from the shock. "Zhao Menghan, I have a task for you," he said, anger evident in his eyes.
"Are you asking me to kill Su Chen?" Zhao Menghan's voice was cold, devoid of any emotion.
"No, Su Chen can't die yet," replied Qin Yu, angry yet rational. He understood that now was not the time to kill Su Chen. If he did, his plan to use the Su family as a means to achieve his ambitions would fail. Qin Yu snapped, "I want to disgrace Su Chen, you know what to do."
He wasn't sure why Lin Qingyan had suddenly changed her attitude towards Su Chen. But deep down, Qin Yu believed that if news of Su Chen's involvement with other women was leaked, Lin Qingyan, with her proud personality, would never agree to their marriage.
"Yes!" Zhao Menghan replied, her eyes still void of any emotion.
Qin Yu looked at the petite woman before him with amusement. Over the years, he had been tempted multiple times to completely conquer her. However, due to his cultivation, he couldn't break his vow of chastity and had to find all the jade pendants. Naturally, Zhao Menghan was also someone he was always wary of, as he had once defeated her father, the previous War God, using cunning strategies.