The atmosphere turned strange and painfully awkward.
Xu Zhiyuan sat there the entire time with a dark expression, silently drinking one glass after another, while Su Wan forced herself to smile as she went around toasting the guests.
Finally, after several rounds of drinks—
Wang Fang, who had been sitting silently in the corner, suddenly stood up.
Holding a microphone, she slowly walked onto the stage. The banquet hall lights cast harsh shadows across her gloomy face, making her look especially sinister.
“Dear friends and family, respected leaders, old comrades.”
Her voice was hoarse, deliberately soaked in false sorrow.
“Today is my daughter Su Wan’s joyous engagement banquet. Even though… our family has recently suffered many hardships, the old master has been ill, and I, as a mother, have been powerless… I still want to offer this toast to everyone.”
As she spoke, she wiped away fake tears.
The guests exchanged confused glances, unsure what kind of act she was performing.
Suddenly, Wang Fang changed her tone.
Her murky eyes shot directly toward Su Huaijin and Cheng Beitang.
“Speaking of hardships, I can’t help but mention my poor eldest daughter, Huaijin.”
She sighed dramatically, looking heartbroken.
“Huaijin, I know you’re successful now. You’ve become a famous designer and married a ‘hero.’ But as your mother, there’s something weighing heavily on my heart.”
The hall fell silent.
Everyone could smell the coming explosion.
Su Huaijin slowly put down her chopsticks, her eyes turning icy cold.
Meanwhile, Cheng Beitang leaned back against his chair, his long fingers rhythmically tapping the tabletop with soft, measured knocks.
Seeing no one interrupt, Wang Fang grew bolder. Her voice rose several degrees higher.
“Everyone knows our ancestors believed deeply in fate and destiny. Commander Cheng here is famous for his military achievements. But perhaps you all don’t know about the Cheng family background?”
She swept her gaze around the room, speaking in a tone like someone telling a ghost story.
“Cheng family’s three older brothers… all died! The entire Cheng family now has only Cheng Beitang left!”
Gasps spread throughout the hall.
Many people knew Cheng Beitang was a hero, but few realized how tragic his family history truly was.
A vicious smile appeared on Wang Fang’s lips as she pointed directly at him.
“What does that mean? It means his fate is too hard! He’s a cursed lone star! A man born to bring death upon his own family!”
“My father-in-law was always healthy and strong. So why did he suddenly become critically ill the moment Huaijin brought this man home? He almost died! Is that really just a coincidence?”
“He was struck by this evil fate!”
The more Wang Fang spoke, the more excited she became, as if she had finally found the perfect weapon.
“Huaijin, I’m saying this for your own good! Aren’t you afraid? Aren’t you afraid that marrying a man who brings death to everyone around him will one day get you killed too?”
“Aren’t you afraid he’ll destroy the entire Su family?”
Crash!
Someone’s wine glass fell to the floor and shattered.
The entire banquet hall descended into dead silence.
Everyone stared at Cheng Beitang with fear in their eyes.
Although society loudly promoted the rejection of superstition, many older people still deeply feared the idea of someone being “cursed” or “bringing death to family members.” Wang Fang had deliberately connected Old Master Su’s illness to the deaths of Cheng family martyrs.
It was utterly vicious.
Standing nearby, Su Wan watched Su Huaijin’s pale face with growing delight.
As long as they successfully branded Cheng Beitang and Su Huaijin as “bad luck,” who in Beijing’s elite circles would dare associate with them again?
How could Su Huaijin continue doing business?
How could Cheng Beitang continue climbing politically?
“Are you finished?”
In the suffocating silence, a voice as cold as ice suddenly rang out.
Su Huaijin slowly stood up.
The gentle warmth usually hidden in her eyes had transformed into blazing fire.
She didn’t look at Wang Fang.
Instead, she turned toward the man beside her.
Cheng Beitang remained seated.
But the aura around him had changed completely.
It was the terrifying killing intent of someone who had crawled out of mountains of corpses and rivers of blood.
The temperature in the hall seemed to plummet instantly.
Several guests seated near him shivered uncontrollably, instinctively wanting to flee.
Yet he did not explode in anger.
He simply lifted his head slowly, his pitch-black eyes calmly fixed on the clown standing onstage—as if he were looking at a corpse.
That calmness was far more terrifying than rage.
Taking a deep breath, Su Huaijin tightly clasped her husband’s hand, feeling the veins protruding from the force of his restraint.
Then she released him and walked toward Wang Fang step by step.
Her heels struck the carpet with slow, steady thuds.
She stood half a head taller than Wang Fang, looking down at her with naked contempt.
“Wang Fang, I used to think you were merely greedy and selfish.”
Su Huaijin’s voice wasn’t loud, but through the microphone it echoed clearly across the entire hall.
“But today, I realize I was wrong.”
“You’re not just cruel.”
“You’re inhuman.”
“The ‘evil fate’ you speak of…”
“…is the backbone of our nation!”
“The men you claim were ‘cursed to death’ are heroes who shed their final drop of blood on the battlefield so shameless people like you could sit here comfortably spewing nonsense today!”
Su Huaijin suddenly turned toward the audience.
Her voice rang out powerfully, trembling slightly with emotion.
“They exchanged their lives for peace. And in your mouth, they’ve become ‘bad luck’? ‘Cursed stars’?”
Her eyes reddened as she pointed at Wang Fang.
Every word struck like thunder.
“Wang Fang! Feel your conscience and ask yourself if it’s still inside your chest!”
“You eat food bought with martyrs’ blood! You wear clothes paid for with heroes’ lives!”
“And now you dare throw mud at the graves of those very heroes?!”
“You are unworthy of being part of the Su family!”
“You are unworthy of even calling yourself a citizen of this country!”
Her speech exploded through the banquet hall like a thunderclap.
Many guests who had begun wavering under Wang Fang’s manipulation now flushed red with shame.
Several elderly military officers in uniform already had tears in their eyes, their fists clenched so tightly their knuckles cracked.
Wang Fang was completely stunned.
She had never expected the usually gentle and quiet Su Huaijin to erupt with such terrifying force.
“I… I was only telling the truth!” Wang Fang stammered desperately.
“The old master really did get sick—”
“I’d like to see who’s spewing this bullshit!”
Suddenly—
The banquet hall doors were pushed open once again.
An elderly roar exploded through the hall like thunder.
Everyone jerked around in shock.
At the entrance stood an old man with white hair and beard, dressed in a faded military uniform covered in medals.
Supported by two armed guards, he strode into the hall with overwhelming authority.
Though his steps were slightly unsteady, his aura was like a mountain pressing down upon the crowd.
It was Old Master Su.
Wasn’t he supposed to be critically ill?
The moment Wang Fang saw him, her legs gave out.
She collapsed to her knees with a loud thud, all color draining from her face.
“F-Father… why are you here…”
Old Master Su didn’t even glance at her.
He walked straight toward Cheng Beitang.
Before the old general, Cheng Beitang finally rose to his feet, standing ramrod straight before delivering a perfect military salute.
“Grandfather.”
Old Master Su trembled as he reached out and heavily patted Cheng Beitang’s shoulder, tears streaming down his face.
“Good child… you’ve suffered injustice.”
Then the old man spun around sharply.
Pointing his cane at Wang Fang with furious rage, he roared:
“Throw this venomous woman with the filthy mouth out of here!”