Chapter 176: Chapter 176 An Family Birthday Banquet
Translator: 549690339
The birthday feast arrived.
The An Family’s servants had gotten up early and began to tidy up.
The roads had been washed with clean water three times, not even a speck of dust remained.
The great doors, which had always been closed, were opened today.
It wasn’t even nine in the morning yet.
Guests arriving to offer birthday felicitations had already started to trickle in.
However, the ones arriving now were generally from the smaller families in Zhongdu.
These people gathered in groups of three or five, discussing today’s birthday feast.
“Hey, have you heard? An Yan, the abandoned daughter of the An Family, has returned to Zhongdu!”
“I’ve heard about it long ago. They say she even brought back a man and child!”
“Tsk, tsk, isn’t this an outright slap in the face of the young master of the Chi Family? Who in Zhongdu doesn’t know how deeply Chi Changge loved An Yan?”
“More than that, I heard that An Yan was forcibly taken back, but Chi Changge remained deeply in love. Yet she’d rather die than submit and actually ran away!”
“Heh heh, I reckon today’s birthday feast is going to be quite lively!”
As people were discussing, a Mercedes-Benz G-Class drove up, and brother and sister Chi Changge and Chi Weiyang got out of the car.
Upon seeing them arrive.
The people discussing hurriedly shut their mouths.
What a joke.
The Chi Family in Zhongdu is a top-ranking wealthy family, on par with the An Family.
Who would dare to disrespect them?
“Young master Chi!”
“Miss Chi!”
The greetings continued without end, but Chi Changge, with a face as still as water, took no notice.
In contrast, Chi Weiyang smiled and nodded her head.
Then the two of them entered the house.
With their arrival, the guests offering birthday felicitations suddenly increased, and all of them were from prominent and powerful families.
Luxurious cars filled the area in front of the gate, with elegantly dressed people wearing reserved smiles gathered by their social groups, whispering among themselves.
Meanwhile, in the reception room inside.
Chi Changge sat in a chair with An Chang accompanying him on the other side.
“Where is she?” That was Chi Changge’s first question.
An Chang smiled slightly, “Young master Chi need not be anxious, she will appear when the birthday feast begins!”
At this moment, Chi Weiyang asked, “Uncle, I heard she came back with a man and child?”
“Yes!”
Chi Weiyang sighed.
This was like an inescapable dead end.
At midday.
The birthday feast commenced.
Delicacies from the land and sea were served like flowing water.
But the guests were not there for the food, they merely tasted it and waited for something else.
Finally.
The old matriarch of the An Family, Jin Xiurong, slowly walked out.
Upon seeing her, everyone promptly stood up.
“May the old lady be healthy and hale!”
“Wishing the old lady fortunes as vast as the East Sea, and a lifespan as enduring as the mountains!”
Jin Xiurong smiled and nodded, waved her hand to signal everyone to sit down, and then took her place at the head of the room.
At this point, the younger generation of the An Family began to come forward to offer birthday wishes.
Naturally, the first to take the stage were An Xue and An Chang.
“Wishing mother peace and good fortune!”
After speaking, the two stepped aside to the left and right.
Next up were the younger ones like An Ying and An Meng.
After these individuals finished paying their respects.
Everyone’s heart stirred in anticipation.
What came next… would surely be the highlight of the show!
Indeed.
Outside the banquet hall, footsteps could be heard.
When the bead curtain was lifted, the first to enter was An Yan, who had been away from Zhongdu for four years.
Her appearance stirred a faint commotion among those seated below.
Chi Changge gazed foolishly at An Yan’s silhouette.
Following closely behind her were two well-behaved and lovely little girls.
Upon seeing the two little girls, Chi Changge’s expression couldn’t help but change drastically.
Jin Xiurong, seated at the head of the table, gave an almost imperceptible cold snort.
The last to enter was a man with a tall stature and a faint smile on his face.
Though his attire was plain, his every move exuded an extraordinary aura.
Chi Changge suddenly stood up, staring daggers at this man, his eyes filled with murderous intent.
Xue An noticed Chi Changge’s gaze, but all he did was smile faintly before making his way to An Yan’s side.
An Yan seemed somewhat tremulous under the scrutiny of many eyes.
Xue An gently patted her shoulder.
An Yan gradually calmed down.
However, such an affectionate gesture between the two only caused a quiet uproar among the crowd.
It was then that An Yan approached Jin Xiurong and, with her hands by her sides, said, “Yan’er wishes Grandma a life as enduring as the sun and the moon, and as evergreen as the pine and crane!”
But as soon as she finished speaking, Jin Xiurong slammed her hand on the table, her voice icy as she commanded, “Kneel down before me now!”
This command was like a thunderclap.
The whole room fell into silence.
An Meng curved her lips into a triumphant smile.
No matter how formidable you are, in the face of Grandma, don’t you still have to kneel and accept punishment?
An Yan’s expression turned anxious, then she bent her waist, about to kneel!
But just then, an arm barred her way.
Looking up, An Yan saw Xue An smiling gently at her, “Wife, I’ve said before, from now on, you need not kneel before anyone!”
As soon as this statement landed, it was as if a grenade had been thrown into the midst of the onlookers.
Everyone looked on in shock.
Some sneered in their hearts, thinking Xue An was simply courting death.
Jin Xiurong’s face darkened like water. “You… are you Xue An, the one who lured away my granddaughter, leading her into disloyalty and impiety?”
But Xue An just laughed.
His smile was filled with coldness.
“Lured away your granddaughter? Ha, when An Yan and I were at An Xue, we fell in love, and I even visited your An Family. Why didn’t you mention that?”
“How dare you!” The old steward standing beside Jin Xiurong took a step forward and rebuked him.
Jin Xiurong wore a scornful look, “Four years ago you had nothing, and you thought to reach the skies in one step by marrying my An Family’s daughter. Of course I wouldn’t agree! Four years later, you come knocking again, with two children in tow, do you think… this will make me yield?”
Xue An shook his head, “You’re mistaken, I’ve never thought of making you yield! Because you… are not worthy!”
At these words.
Complete silence fell over the room.
Many regarded Xue An with the eyes one gives a dead man.
In Zhongdu.
Offending the An Family was like seeking death, no different.
Jin Xiurong’s expression shifted slightly, she spoke coldly, “Good! What a proud and unyielding man you are, it’s a pity, even the hardest bones will shatter!”
As her words settled, several elders rose from the corner of the hall.
The leader approached Jin Xiurong, bowing respectfully, “Elder Madame!”
“Kill him!” Jin Xiurong sipped her tea, instructing with a light voice, and the calm tone was as if she was discussing a trivial matter.
“Yes!”
The elder turned and gave Xue An a faint smile, “Young man, don’t blame me for being heartless. It’s your own fault for seeking death.”
No sooner had he spoken, when his eyebrows bristled, and a terrifying aura suddenly emanated from him.
Everyone in the room was startled.
Several martial artists even changed color drastically.
“This is… Golden Leopard, the warrior who once dominated the Martial Arts World, ranked tenth on the Jade List! Is he actually serving the An Family?”
At that moment, Golden Leopard let out a sinister laugh, “To die at my hands is indeed a point of pride for you!”
However, Xue An shook his head, speaking softly, “Too weak!”
“What?” Golden Leopard didn’t hear clearly.
“I said… too weak!” As soon as Xue An finished speaking, he rushed to the man, raising his hand to deliver a punch.