The second update,

...

This time's birthday banquet was of a very high standard, and the security was naturally top-notch as well. The guests who came to celebrate were all of extraordinary identity, and ordinary people certainly wouldn't have the privilege to enter here.

There were already guards far away from the banquet hall, all stern and iron-blooded soldiers, standing with guns in hand. Their eyes, seemingly immovable, watched ahead, emitting sharp glances that pierced the soul.

Dressed in a resplendent gown, Tang Feifei looked particularly charming and lovely. The fitted dress made her appear like an unopened rose about to bloom, capturing a great deal of attention almost as soon as she appeared.

Standing by her side, Qin Fang, with his strong figure and carefully chosen suit, also radiated the air of a graceful young master. Together with Tang Feifei, they really did look like a golden boy and a jade girl... so complementary!

"Uncle Tang, good..."

Seeing Secretary Tang again, Qin Fang couldn't help being nervous, but fortunately, he hadn't forgotten his manners and promptly greeted him with respect.

As Elder Tang's son, Secretary Tang and his two brothers were naturally the hosts greeting guests outside. Initially, Tang Feifei was supposed to stay there as well, but the old master cherished his granddaughter too much to bear her being overworked, so he let her off to accompany Qin Fang. That's how she ended up arriving with Qin Fang.

"Xiao Qin, you've arrived, good, good..."

Secretary Tang and his brothers were busy greeting each arriving guest. When he heard Qin Fang's voice, a bright smile immediately appeared on his face. He sized up both Qin Fang and Tang Feifei, visibly satisfied as he praised them.

"I'm quite busy here, so I can't keep you company. Let Feifei take you inside; your Aunt Shen has been wanting to see you..."

However, with many guests arriving, Secretary Tang and his brothers were quite occupied. Exchanging a few pleasantries with each person took quite some time, yet they couldn't neglect their guests either, so he immediately had Tang Feifei lead Qin Fang inside first.

Tang Feifei's mother's surname was Shen, hence Aunt Shen as referred to by Secretary Tang, naturally, Qin Fang's future mother-in-law. She was one of the first to know about Qin Fang and Tang Feifei's romance. From the start, she maintained a relatively positive attitude. The mother-daughter bond was very strong, almost like sisters, and Tang Feifei never concealed any secrets from her. This was a crucial reason why Qin Fang and Tang Feifei were able to come together!

Although Qin Fang had always been in Ninghai and had a confirmed relationship with Tang Feifei, he had never had the chance to meet her mother... Tang Feifei did mention a few times the idea of going home for dinner, but Qin Fang had always been indecisive...

This time, it was inevitable even for an "ugly son-in-law" to meet the mother-in-law!

So, as Qin Fang neared the entrance, he also couldn't help feeling a bit apprehensive!

"My mom is really nice..."

Perhaps sensing Qin Fang's nerves, Tang Feifei tightly grasped Qin Fang's hand and whispered softly, seemingly trying to encourage him in this way.

"I'm fine..."

Qin Fang smiled. With such a wife, what more could a husband ask for?

It seemed that Tang Feifei's little encouragement instantly dispelled all of Qin Fang's prior worries. Holding Tang Feifei's hand, the two entered the banquet hall together.

At this point, there was a little bit of time before the banquet officially started, but many guests had already arrived, most of whom Qin Fang didn't recognize at all.

In the center of the banquet hall was a huge 'longevity' character, which was said to be personally written by a famous calligrapher who was on good terms with Elder Tang, also a birthday gift for him.

Below that character was a stage, already set up with all kinds of equipment, and the tables and chairs for the upcoming banquet had also been arranged.

The table closest to the stage was evidently the birthday star's seat, and it was currently empty. Although there were many guests, that table was clearly not somewhere just anyone could sit.

However, the tables nearby were relatively full. One table, primarily occupied by women, was where Tang Feifei immediately pulled Qin Fang towards as soon as she spotted it.

Without a doubt, this group of women must be the Tang family members, among them Tang Feifei's mother, Qin Fang's future mother-in-law...

There were quite a few women at this table, ranging from younger ones around their teens or twenties to older ones in their forties or fifties. They were chatting and laughing when they saw Tang Feifei holding hands with Qin Fang, and they promptly fell silent, turning to size up Qin Fang.

"Mom, let me introduce him, this is Qin Fang..."

It was something to be expected. Tang Feifei led Qin Fang straight to a middle-aged beauty, hugging her affectionately before happily introducing him.

This middle-aged beauty seemed quite young, older than Qin Fang's mother, Qin Qing, by several years, yet she appeared to be around the same age. Faintly, Qin Fang could see that she must have been similar to Tang Feifei when she was younger, both top-tier beauties.

"Aunt Shen, hello..."

Clearly, this was Tang Feifei's mother, and Qin Fang immediately greeted her very properly.

"Ah, Xiao Qin, you're here. I've been looking forward to this for a long time..."

A radiant smile appeared on Tang Feifei's mother, Aunt Shen's face. Although it was the first time she saw Qin Fang in person, she had already known what he looked like.

Especially the changes in the past six months had made Aunt Shen nod in approval, feeling quite satisfied in her heart.

"Are you Qin Fang?"

Just as Aunt Shen was about to exchange a few words with Qin Fang, someone next to her suddenly spoke up, their voice sharp and seemingly filled with displeasure toward Qin Fang.

"Qin Fang, this is my little aunt..."

Tang Feifei's face changed slightly, but she still introduced her to Qin Fang.

"Nice to meet you, little aunt..."

The speaker was a woman in her forties, and without guessing, Qin Fang knew who she was—it had to be Chen Shijie's mother, Tang Yonghong.

"Please... I can't accept that. Feifei here isn't married yet, we aren't that closely related..."

Just as Tang Feifei had warned beforehand, Tang Yonghong's remarks were indeed unpleasant. From the start, she was taking up Chen Shijie's grievances.

One could say that Chen Shijie became the Tang Family's only privileged young master partly due to her indulgence. Being the youngest sibling in the Tang family and naturally the most favored, her character had grown quite sharp over the decades.

"Heh heh..."

Though Qin Fang was mentally prepared, faced with this situation, he could only force a few dry laughs, unable to say much.

"Little aunt..."

Tang Feifei, not willing to let her loved one be at a disadvantage, immediately resorted to her invincible coquettish charm, grabbing Tang Yonghong's hand and shaking it vigorously.

"Yonghong, it's just some minor spats between the kids. Why are you making a fuss?"

Qin Fang's future mother-in-law obviously stood on his side, speaking up in his defense. She and her sister-in-law usually got along very well, so Aunt Shen was rather blunt.

"Exactly, Yonghong, we're going to be family in the future. Such fuss looks so unseemly. Elder Tang won't be happy with this..."

One could see that the Tang Family members were quite reasonable, even eager to accept Qin Fang; someone else immediately spoke up for him.

"Second sister-in-law, you can't talk like that. Would I be this upset over some minor issues between the kids? My Shijie even ended up in the hospital. The doctor said the trauma was too severe, and if he had been brought in any later, it could have been life-threatening..."

However, these words clearly weren't potent enough, as Tang Feifei's little aunt justified herself righteously.

"Eh... Is it that serious?"

"It can't be..."

"How did it get to this? How is Shijie doing now?"

But with a single statement from Tang Yonghong, many people immediately shifted their perspective, turning their accusatory gaze back onto Qin Fang.

While they originally wanted to keep the peace, if their own family member was involved in something so serious, they inevitably felt uncomfortable. Being women of the Tang Family, their access to information wasn't particularly instant.

"Little aunt, you are really wronging me here... Cousin Shijie and I were just messing around. He knew I practice acupuncture and asked me to help treat some minor issues on his body. The process might have been a little painful, and after someone with an agenda said a few words, it turned into this situation... In reality, he's very healthy now, and even his previous hidden health issues have all been cured..."

Qin Fang didn't know where Tang Yonghong had gotten her conclusions, perhaps Chen Shijie was not giving up his crooked ways and still wanted to use the situation against Qin Fang, but Qin Fang thought it more likely that some others were meddling...

As for who this "some others" might be, Qin Fang had a pretty good idea, though it wasn't appropriate to say it out loud.

"Nonsense! The doctor told me himself, and it's all clearly written on the medical record..."

Hearing Qin Fang dare to "argue," Tang Yonghong immediately erupted in anger, her bellow attracting the sidelong glances of many guests.

"Little aunt, if I dare to say so, it's because I am completely confident. If you don't believe me, I can go to the hospital with you right now, and we can check Cousin Shijie one by one... I'm sure that will prove my innocence!"

Qin Fang immediately said with solemn assurance.

Chen Shijie or some people could, of course, fabricate a story, even bribing the hospital's doctor. With them being young masters and privileged sons, how could a mere doctor dare to go against their wishes?

Even if they wanted to fabricate evidence, it would be difficult to make it convincing. After all, Qin Fang had only given a few acupuncture treatments from start to end; you can't just fake a fracture...

With these reasonable grounds, Qin Fang was naturally fearless. Attempting to use this situation to hold something over him was likely to be an unsuccessful endeavor...(To be continued. If you like this work, feel free to come to Qidian (qidian.com) and cast your recommendation and monthly votes. Your support is the greatest motivation for the author.)

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