Hotel Lobby.
As soon as Su Muqiu and her family of three appeared, they immediately became the focus of everyone's attention. Eyes were cast upon them with sympathy, regret, and mostly schadenfreude.
Su Wenchao had already quietly spread information about Xiao Zhan.
So, the guests present were well aware of the kind of man who was about to be engaged to Su Muqiu.
Yet, despite this, they all stepped forward to offer their congratulations.
"Congratulations, Old Master Su."
"Miss Su is a heavenly beauty, and Mr. Xiao is a young talent. The two of them coming together is truly a match made in heaven."
Utter nonsense!
Old Master Su, Su Bingtian, sat at the head of the main table, dressed in an exquisite Tang Suit, leaning on a dragon-headed cane, his expression calm and authoritative without anger.
"Dad, everyone is here."
Su Jianguo approached Su Bingtian from behind, bent down, and whispered in his ear, "We can start now."
"Alright."
Su Bingtian stood up, raised his hand, and the bustling lobby instantly quieted down. He laughed loudly, "Today is my granddaughter Su Muqiu's engagement ceremony. It is my honor that you all could grace us with your presence."
"As you all know, my granddaughter is not only as beautiful as a heavenly immortal but also possesses strong business acumen, making her a rare commercial talent. Therefore, I was particularly careful in choosing a husband for her..."
"In the end, out of dozens of candidates, a young man named Xiao Zhan stood out. I hope from now on, he will treat Muqiu well, and may the young couple live in harmony and have children soon."
Such pretty words, spoken so eloquently, would make those unaware think that Su Bingtian genuinely cared for Su Muqiu, finding her a perfect match and model husband.
Applause erupted from the audience.
But to Su Muqiu, the applause felt like a thorn in her throat, a prick on her back, like a slap on her face, leaving her feeling stifled and uncomfortable.
She lifted her head, looking at the beaming Su Bingtian, biting her lip so hard she almost drew blood.
What a good grandfather!
From childhood to adulthood, Su Bingtian doted on Su Wenchao in every way, while he disregarded her, simply because she was a girl who would eventually marry and couldn't carry on the Su family name.
Especially five years ago, when she had a child out of wedlock, causing the Su family to become the laughingstock of all Quancheng. If not for pitying Su Jiancheng's family, Su Bingtian would have kicked them out long ago.
"Old bastard!"
Liu Hongxiu was furious, cursing under her breath, wanting to stand up for Su Muqiu, but was stopped by Su Jiancheng, who shook his head at her, nearly pleading with his eyes, signaling her not to act rashly.
"Coward!"
Liu Hongxiu gritted her teeth but held back.
"Ladies and gentlemen, please look this way."
At this moment, Su Jianguo, standing behind Su Bingtian, eagerly pointed towards the hotel's back door, loudly announcing, "Next, let's welcome the lucky young man to make his grand entrance!"
The moment had finally arrived!
After nearly two months of secret plotting, Su Jianguo's sole purpose was to cause chaos in Su Muqiu's life and hinder her progress in the Su Group.
Marrying a rapist and a violent man, what good days could she possibly have ahead?
How could she focus on work?
The thought of Su Muqiu's miserable future made Su Jianguo grin from ear to ear.
Click!
Under the expectant gazes of everyone, the hotel's back door slowly opened, and Xiao Zhan walked in, holding Su Xiaomeng in his arms.
In an instant, the guests were dumbfounded.
Their jaws dropped.
What was going on?
He actually walked in holding a child?
Some recognized Su Xiaomeng immediately and began whispering, looking at Xiao Zhan with a newfound respect, thinking, you're something, taking on the role of a father so willingly, and even bringing the little bastard in with you, aren't you embarrassed enough?
Respect to you for being a man!
Su Jiancheng and Liu Hongxiu turned their faces away, quietly wiping tears, unable to bear watching, but Su Muqiu did not avoid it, her desperate gaze fixed on the hotel's back door.
She wanted to see what kind of man her husband truly was!
"Mengmeng?!"
Explore the extended edition on p𝑎wre𝑑d.com
At just one glance, Su Muqiu's face changed dramatically, exclaiming in surprise, and then, without thinking, she rushed towards Xiao Zhan.
"Mommy!"
Su Xiaomeng was overjoyed, opening her arms to meet Su Muqiu.
Su Muqiu took Su Xiaomeng from Xiao Zhan's arms, holding her tightly, and after a moment, looked at Xiao Zhan, asking, "You... are you Xiao Zhan? How did Mengmeng end up with you?"
"We just happened to meet downstairs."
Xiao Zhan nodded with a smile, taking a good look at Su Muqiu, then extended his hand, "Hello, Miss Su, it's me. Please take care of me from now on."
To be honest, Xiao Zhan was a bit nervous.
In the past, even when facing thousands of enemies on the battlefield, amidst gunfire, Xiao Zhan had never been nervous. But now, facing a woman who couldn't even truss a chicken, he was nervous.
An indescribable kind of nervousness.
If the wolf cubs in the army knew, they'd probably be shocked.
"Hello."
Su Muqiu responded politely, but showed no intention of shaking hands with Xiao Zhan, instead taking a few steps back, very wary of him.
Xiao Zhan felt awkward.
Su Xiaomeng suddenly pointed at Xiao Zhan and said, "Mommy, this uncle is amazing. He said he knows my dad, and he just helped me teach those little bullies a lesson, and he said he'd help me deal with the big bad guy who wants to be my dad."
"Huh? Where's the big bad guy?"
Su Xiaomeng blinked and looked around.
Su Muqiu was taken aback, looking at Xiao Zhan with a hint of suspicion: You say you know Mengmeng's dad? Who are you kidding? I'm Mengmeng's mom, and even I don't know who her dad is, okay?
"..."
Now, Xiao Zhan felt even more awkward, clearing his throat and avoiding Su Muqiu's gaze, he said with a smile, "Xiaomeng, I was entrusted by your dad to come and protect you and your mom. From now on, uncle is your Ultraman."
"Huh?"
Su Xiaomeng was puzzled, "The big bad guy who wants to be my dad, is that you?"
"Is uncle bad?"
"Not really bad..."
Su Xiaomeng thought for a moment, shook her head, and said, "But my dad is a super invincible hero. You, at most, are a super invincible little hero. As long as you don't try to be my dad, I won't call you a big bad guy."
Xiao Zhan was speechless.
In front of his own daughter, he was defeated by another version of himself.
The surrounding guests were more stunned than Xiao Zhan.
Such a dramatic scene was beyond everyone's expectations. Damn, the script wasn't supposed to go like this, was it? Where's the promised flower on cow dung? Where's the promised tension?
Xiao Zhan and Su Muqiu standing together looked like a perfect match, without any sense of discord.
Come on!
We're here to stir things up, to watch a joke, not to see your family of three show affection and feed us dog food. Could you be a bit more low-key, a bit more tragic, and give us a chance to sneer and mock?
Being too selfish isn't right!
"What is going on?"
Su Bingtian's brows furrowed, equally surprised.
"This..."
Su Jianguo's smile froze on his face, quickly saying, "This guy is smart, talking nonsense, clearly trying to curry favor with Muqiu through Xiaomeng. Dad, don't worry, I'll have Wenchao expose his scheme right away!"
With that, he gave Su Wenchao a meaningful look.
Clap! Clap!
Su Wenchao immediately understood, suddenly clapping his hands and walking towards Xiao Zhan with a sneer, "As expected of the grandson-in-law chosen by grandpa, my brother-in-law is indeed magnanimous. Knowing full well that my cousin was once defiled by another man and has an illegitimate daughter, not only does he not hold a grudge, but he also treats them as his own and wants to protect them. I, as her cousin, am ashamed..."
His voice was loud, echoing throughout the hotel lobby.