Chapter 44 The Family Feast Begins

"Holy crap!!!"

Chen Yan jumped three miles, clutching his right foot, and let out a string of expletives.

"No... Liu Ruyan. Don't think that just because you're my boss and you pay me, you can ignore my human rights. Hiss... if you keep doing this... keep doing this... I'll... I'll..."

Chen Yan hopped around, muttering incessantly, looking utterly disgruntled.

Wearing a five-figure suit, yet spouting words like a country bumpkin, the extreme contrast made Liu Ruyan burst out laughing.

However, the smile on her face had barely appeared before she suppressed it fiercely. No, I absolutely cannot laugh. If I laugh, how will I teach this scoundrel a lesson later?

"What will you do? Are you going to ask for more money?"

Thinking of this, Liu Ruyan's expression hardened, and her tone became icy.

"I... huh? What are you talking about? Am I that kind of person...?"

Hearing this, Chen Yan instinctively wanted to refute and deny, but then immediately realized it was about more money!!! The next second, Chen Yan instantly changed his tune.

"But speaking of which... if CEO Liu thinks there's too much money in her card and wants to give me a hundred or two hundred thousand, I wouldn't mind. After all, I'm just an employee."

However, his only answer was Liu Ruyan's expression of utter disdain.

"Pah!"

Liu Ruyan spat fiercely.

"Alright, alright. I'll come clean. She... is not only my schoolmate, my senior, but also my..."

"She's your ex, right?"

Chen Yan's words were cut short by Liu Ruyan.

As her voice fell, the atmosphere between the two became heavy.

"Do you have anything else to say?"

Liu Ruyan said with a strained face, feeling inexplicably upset.

She had only married him to fulfill her grandfather's request and secure her position as the Liu Corporation heir, so why was she so angry when she found out he had an ex? For a moment, Liu Ruyan couldn't understand it.

"She... is not only my ex... she's also... my first love."

Chen Yan didn't know if his brain had short-circuited. The matter should have ended there, but he inexplicably added that last sentence. Now, Liu Ruyan's mood instantly turned from cloudy to a torrential downpour.

"Chen Yan... when you shamelessly insisted on marrying me, didn't you say I was your first love?"

Liu Ruyan was a little frantic, and a sour, bitter jealousy welled up in her heart, though she didn't even realize it herself.

"That's right, you were my first love in society, short for 'first social love.'"

Chen Yan continued to provoke. Little did he know, his punishment was coming.

"Ow!"

This time, it wasn't his foot that was stepped on, but the soft flesh at his waist that was pinched.

"Remember, this is your punishment for deceiving me."

Liu Ruyan said, not forgetting to twist twice.

"Hiss... punishment? Isn't this a reward?"

Chen Yan joked, while complaining about her hand pinching his soft flesh like a built-in GPS.

"You pervert!"

Liu Ruyan glared fiercely, then turned and quickly left.

However, Chen Yan, who was following behind, didn't notice that Liu Ruyan was now blushing. She wasn't leaving in anger, but out of shyness.

"Did I really make a mistake all those years ago?"

In an inconspicuous corner, Xiao Rongyu watched the two leave one after another, muttering to herself, two streams of clear tears rolling down uncontrollably.

Soon, night fell. Liu Ruyan drove Chen Yan to the Liu family's old residence.

The old residence was brightly lit and decorated today. Although it was just an internal family banquet for the Liu family, there were many servants coming and going. Coupled with Old Master Liu's numerous descendants, the place was bustling with families, making it very lively.

"Later... it might be a bit troublesome. Maybe you should still..."

Taking advantage of the parking time, Liu Ruyan couldn't help but speak.

"Still what?"

Chen Yan asked casually while unbuckling his seatbelt.

Liu Ruyan tightened her grip on the steering wheel, her gaze through the windshield fixed on the brightly lit courtyard of the old residence. Her tone carried a hint of complexity: "My relatives... how should I put it, none of them are easy to deal with. Although today is a family banquet, they will definitely try to show off in front of Grandpa. As a matrilocal son-in-law, you'll inevitably be scrutinized by them."

Chen Yan raised an eyebrow: "Scrutinized? Just scrutinized? Are you sure it's that simple?"

"...Of course, there might also be some unpleasant words."

Liu Ruyan turned to look at him, a rare hint of apology in her eyes, "After all, too many people are eyeing my position. They'd love to see me make a fool of myself, so..."

"So I, your contract husband, have to support you today?"

Chen Yan took over the conversation, no displeased expression on his face, but rather a smile, "Alright, taking people's money to solve their problems, I understand that principle."

Liu Ruyan was stunned: "You don't mind?"

"Mind what?"

Chen Yan pushed open the car door and got out, walking around to the driver's side and naturally opening her door, "Isn't it just acting? You acted quite well in the mall this afternoon, didn't you? It's my turn on stage, I can't let you down. Besides, I haven't not experienced this before. If you don't restrict me, I'll just improvise."

Liu Ruyan looked at his outstretched hand and his face, which appeared particularly composed in the night, and a corner of her heart suddenly softened.

She took his hand and got out of the car.

"Let's go, CEO Liu."

Chen Yan released her hand, then naturally bent his arm, signaling for her to link hers. "Today I'm your husband, I have to act the part of a husband."

Liu Ruyan looked at his familiar manner and couldn't help but smile: "You adapt quickly."

"That's right."

Chen Yan straightened his suit, the very one she had picked out that afternoon, "I'm wearing a five-figure suit, I have to live up to the price, right?"

Liu Ruyan: "..."

This person, three sentences can't be separated from money, he's really obsessed with it.

However, with his joking around, the tension in her heart dissipated quite a bit.

The two walked through the courtyard, and before they even reached the main hall entrance, they heard laughter coming from inside.

"Ruyan is back?"

A slightly sharp female voice rang out, followed by a middle-aged woman in a qipao with exquisite makeup who came out to greet them. Her gaze fell on Chen Yan, scrutinizing him from head to toe, with undisguised judgment in her eyes, "Oh, Chen Yan... you're here too!"

That pause was deeply meaningful.

Before her words even fell, they instantly attracted everyone's attention.

Aside from the first branch, of which Liu Ruyan was the only remaining member, there were also the second branch, the third branch, and Fourth Aunt. Everyone's gaze fell on Chen Yan.

However, facing so many gazes, Chen Yan remained calm and composed, then a smile appeared on his face...