Chapter 74 Family Banquet

The private room at Suiyuan Restaurant was not large, but its strength lay in its privacy.

A carved wooden screen separated the entrance from the dining area, and the round table was covered with a linen tablecloth, while the warm pendant light overhead illuminated everyone's faces with distinct contours.

Chen Zhonghui sat at the head of the table, with Qu Suping beside him, and the two were whispering about something.

Chen Zhuo was not seated; he was playing with his son on the side.

When Chen Ang pushed the door open to enter, Shen Pianran followed behind him.

Qu Suping had just refilled Chen Zhonghui's tea, but when she looked up and saw a strange woman standing beside her son, her hand paused.

Chen Zhonghui had originally been leaning against the back of his chair, but upon seeing Shen Pianran, he slowly sat up straight.

"Mom, Dad, this is Shen Pianran, my friend. We happened to have some business to discuss today, so we came over to have a meal together." Chen Ang brought Shen Pianran to the empty seat beside him.

"Hello, Uncle and Auntie, just call me Little Shen." Shen Pianran bowed slightly, her movements light and steady.

She removed her coat very naturally and draped it over the back of the chair, her exquisite figure appearing exceptionally soft under the warm light.

Qu Suping's gaze lingered on Shen Pianran for several seconds before she nodded as if coming to her senses, "Please, sit down."

At that moment, she felt her heart beating faster than usual, and it took several deep breaths to suppress the tightness rising in her chest.

The door to the private room was pushed open again, and Wen Huilin stood in the doorway holding Chen Zetian's hand, her smile gentle and proper, "Dad, Mom, there was a traffic jam on the road, so we're late."

She led Chen Zetian to sit beside Qu Suping, while she herself sat naturally in the empty seat between Chen Zhonghui and Chen Ang.

She did not acknowledge Chen Ang, but every move she made was telling the two elders that there were serious problems between her and Chen Ang.

Chen Zhonghui couldn't help but speak up, "Chen Ang, come over here and sit."

Chen Ang was pouring tea for Shen Pianran and didn't stop, "Dad, it's the same wherever I sit."

"Your wife..." Just as Chen Zhonghui spoke, intending to separate Chen Ang and Shen Pianran, he was interrupted by Qu Suping.

"Just sit wherever you like; this isn't the political arena where we need to worry about rank and seniority."

Chen Zhonghui turned and glared at his wife, implying, 'Can't you see that there is something going on between our son and that woman?'

Seeing the subtle tacit understanding between his son and this woman, he already felt that this meal was off.

Qu Suping had sensed a problem from Wen Huilin's unusual display of goodwill today, but because of Chen Ang's repeated reassurances and his emphasis on trusting him, she knew her son wasn't just messing around.

She knew there must be a reason for it, and even though she had doubts and emotional fluctuations, she still silently endured it.

However, ever since his bankruptcy, Chen Zhonghui had been dispirited and had shut himself off, rarely paying attention to other matters, so he was unaware of his son's transformation.

Chen Ang chuckled, stood up, shifted a seat over, and sat down next to Wen Huilin.

Once everyone had arrived, Chen Zhuo also brought his son to the table.

The dishes were served one after another: clear soup with matsutake, crab meat lion's head meatballs, squirrel-shaped mandarin fish, and tea-smoked pigeon.

The cuisine at Suiyuan Restaurant emphasized heat control and precision; each dish was served in a small white porcelain bowl, and the waiter would announce the name and preparation method when serving.

But no one picked up their chopsticks.

Qu Suping observed Wen Huilin's expression for a while, and seeing that there was nothing unusual, she broke the silence, "Where do you work, Little Shen?"

"I opened my own law firm."

"It's very impressive to open your own law firm at such a young age." She picked up a piece of tea-smoked pigeon for Shen Pianran.

Shen Pianran held her small plate with both hands to receive it and bowed slightly; every movement was impeccable.

"This pigeon is smoked just right; it's charred on the outside while still tender on the inside. Mom, you should have some too." Wen Huilin also picked up a piece for Qu Suping, then turned her head to look at Shen Pianran, "Does Lawyer Shen cook at home often?"

"Not often, work is too busy."

"Well, you'll have to learn in the future. Chen Ang has a picky palate; he isn't used to ordinary dishes." When she mentioned Chen Ang, her gaze slid across his face; the smile was still hanging on the corner of her mouth, but her eyes looked as if they wanted to scrape something off him.

With that one sentence, she placed herself in the most vulnerable position. Anyone who heard it would think that Chen Ang had abandoned his wife and child for a new lover.

Everyone's gaze turned toward Chen Ang.

Chen Zhonghui's expression turned gloomy; the teacup in his hand paused in mid-air, and without taking a sip, he slowly set it back on the table.

Meanwhile, Qu Suping raised her hand to press against her chest, lowered her head, and took light, deep breaths.

Chen Zhuo took a look, picked up a bottle of Wuliangye, and interrupted, "Dad, let the three of us men have some wine."

However, Chen Zhonghui did not respond to him; he was still staring at Chen Ang, hoping Chen Ang would provide a reasonable explanation.

"Miss Wen is overthinking it. Chen Ang is not a child; he can take good care of himself." Shen Pianran spat the bone of the tea-smoked pigeon onto her small plate and dabbed the corners of her mouth with a napkin.

Chen Ang put down his chopsticks, scanned the room, and meeting his father's stern gaze, he said, "Pianran is not wrong. Just like Huilin—we've been married for seven years, and she hasn't cooked many meals, but I haven't starved to death."

As his voice fell, the private room fell into silence, with only the faint sound of breathing.

Even Chen Zetian and Chen Yijing seemed to sense something amiss, and the sounds of them eating became quieter.

Chen Zhonghui's expression became even deeper, and when Chen Zhuo poured him wine, he didn't accept it.

He looked at Chen Zhuo, then at Chen Ang. An irrepressible feeling of frustration welled up in his heart, along with a sense of powerlessness regarding fate arranging such a similar script for this family.

With a sigh, his hand trembling, he placed his chopsticks across his bowl, making a crisp clinking sound.

Then he turned his head and started coughing; the sound was very dry, as if something was stuck in his throat.

A mournful look appeared in Qu Suping's eyes; she hid her sorrow, turned to the side to gently press his wrist, and said in a very low voice, "Old Chen, try to think it through."

The couple both understood Chen Ang's nature; he had known how to endure since he was young, and unless he had made a decision, he wouldn't say such harsh things.

Seeing signs that Chen Ang seemed about to lay his cards on the table, Wen Huilin was instantly seized by panic; the hand she used to pick up the serving spoon to ladle the matsutake soup trembled, and some soup spilled onto the table.

Her threats were all built on the premise that Chen Ang was concerned about his mother's health; if Chen Ang laid his cards on the table directly, she was destined to end up with nothing.

She couldn't help but think of Lawyer Zhou's advice and realized that she had been impulsive in using Chen Ang's parents as leverage.

Not only had she exposed herself, but she had also made Chen Ang alert.

She understood now. Shen Pianran's presence was an intentional arrangement by Chen Ang specifically targeting her.

However, she had already come this far; there was no possibility of stopping halfway, so she cast her gaze toward her son, who was burying his head in his meal.

Suppressing the speculation in her heart, she picked up her bowl of soup and placed it in front of Qu Suping, "Mom, this soup is delicious, drink it while it's hot."

Then she poured a small bowl of the remaining half-portion of soup for Chen Zetian and pushed it toward the child.

"Mom used to love the dishes at Suiyuan Restaurant, and we haven't been here for several years, so eat more." Chen Ang took over the conversation from Wen Huilin.

Subsequently, he picked up the wine Chen Zhuo had turned toward him and said to Chen Zhonghui, "Dad, worry less; let us father and son have a drink."

At this point, the atmosphere finally eased.

And after doing the surface work, Wen Huilin began to ponder how she should face this situation next.