Chapter 96: My Shameless Father-In-Law!

Chapter 96: My Shameless Father-In-Law!

With that said and done, the live band started playing their opening numbers, formal food courses were promptly served, and the guests throughout the room began quietly chatting about the incredibly rushed announcement. I could easily tell from the tense expressions over at the Song family table that they had desperately wanted to say or do something to disrupt the momentum, but George's sudden grenade of a speech had completely squashed any room for interference.

Kim, being the absolute angel she is, immediately traded her seat with Linda so the two of us could sit right next to each other for the main meal. Linda made a big public show of tastefully sharing food from her plate with me, once again signaling her complete willingness and devotion to our upcoming union for the entire high-society crowd to witness.

After about thirty minutes, once most everyone in the hall had some food in them, the guests began rising from their tables to socialize across the floor.

I quietly pulled my uncle Anthony toward a secluded alcove near the edge of the room, my inner man's gossip heart getting the absolute better of me.

"So, uncle," I whisper, leaning in close. "You and Zoe Hong? I have to admit, I was completely surprised to hear about that."

He leans in close to keep his volume down to a minimum, a relaxed smile touching his lips as he explains the situation.

"Did she explicitly mention the arrangement to you?" he asks. "No, it is certainly no secret among the inner circle, and Mei was likely planning to cover it during your formal training anyway. Yup, she is officially my mistress. I would never dream of sending you a guard detail I couldn't trust implicitly, nephew, so my own lover is someone I know with absolute certainty will never betray you or your wives. I do have two children with her, and both have grown into exceptionally capable adults holding highly critical administrative roles directly inside the Hong clan. Do you know the historical reason why our main branch maintains this specific tradition?"

"No clue at all," I admit, shaking my head.

"This is the primary method the subordinate clans utilize to demonstrate their inner status, proving to the public that they belong entirely to the four main households," Anthony explains, his expression turning serious. "So my children operating within the Hong faction will actively work to support me, and I will do the exact same for them in return. Over centuries of time, our primary bloodlines will naturally thin out and this cyclic bond weakens, which is exactly why they are classified as a distant family block now, including the annoying Song and Ning factions. I place my absolute trust in the Hong and the Bai clans for this generation, but this balance too will inevitably change in another hundred years."

I look at him for a moment, processing the cold political reality before asking the one question that really matters. "But... do you actually love her?"

Anthony pats my shoulder firmly, a warm, genuine smile breaking across his face.

"Do I love my personal maid Zoe Hong?" he asks rhetorically. "With all of my heart, Rick. She may not technically be my legal wife under high-society rules, but she and I are still very much deeply in love. Are you currently worrying about the dynamic between you and Mei? Legal marriage is nothing more than a social formality at the end of the day, but true love lasts forever. For us noblemen, accepting a personal maid is viewed as both a sacred duty and an absolute blessing."

"Um," I scratch the back of my neck, clearing my throat awkwardly. "The problem is, I officially accepted Mercy Mu as a personal maid earlier today before I actually understood what the title meant."

Uncle Tang's mouth twitches violently as he fights down a massive urge to roar with laughter, taking in my look of pure dread over accepting a woman's lifelong devotion without having any clue what I was doing. He pats my shoulder a few more times, trying his best to offer some comfort.

"Well, look at the bright side," my uncle chuckles. "You currently have three distinct choices available to handle the situation. First, you can simply fire her from the administrative position immediately and reassign her to function as a standard domestic maid. Second, you can sit her down and explain that you did not clearly understand her cultural intentions when you accepted her oath. Or third, you can just make a genuine effort to get to know her over time and see if the two of you happen to share a real emotional connection. The Mu clan is easily one of the absolute most respected factions out of our sixteen subordinate families, well, at least in my personal opinion."

"Why exactly are they held in such incredibly high respect?" I ask, curious about the history.

Anthony shifts his gaze across the ballroom, tracking the tall, blonde maid where she stands perfectly straight alongside Mei and Zoe near the main entrance.

"In the past two thousand consecutive years of recorded history, not a single member of the Mu clan has ever once betrayed their sworn lords or their allies," Anthony states proudly. "Absolute loyalty is an ironclad family motto that is drilled into their children from the moment they are old enough to speak. They are certainly not the physically strongest clan in terms of raw military numbers, but their presence is the sole reason the Lang family has managed to avoid falling from power to this very day. Beyond that, the Mu clan was the exact family that comprised the First Emperor's personal guard detail some thirty thousand years ago."

"Wow, damn," I mutter, genuinely impressed by the lineage.

"Damn right!" Anthony nods firmly. "So now I want you to carefully evaluate those three choices I just gave you, and think about exactly what you want your personal legacy to be in this life. Looking back at your path, which of those options is something you as a real man would actually be happy with?"

I stand there in silence as he walks away. My uncle literally just delivered phenomenal life advice without actually forcing me into a corner or dictating my path. I respect him immensely for guiding my development rather than just ordering me around. Unfortunately, the next guy to approach me functions as the polar opposite.

"Anthony, excellent job getting my new son-in-law completely isolated," a loud voice booms from behind me. "Mind if I cut right in, ha-ha?!"

My uncle simply nods his head with an amused smile, patting my shoulder one last time as he vacates the seat next to me to make room for George Lang.

The Head of the Lang family slides into the chair, immediately scanning the immediate area to ensure no listening ears are nearby before addressing me directly.

"I want to apologize, Rick," George says, his grey eyes turning heavily complicated as he looks at me. "After your father passed away back then, I only made a single, solitary attempt to offer you and your sister any real financial help. The moment you stubbornly rejected my initial assistance, I allowed my own pride to take over and I never tried to reach out to you again."

He exhales a heavy breath, staring down at his glass.

"I completely forgot that the two of you were nothing more than deeply hurting children at the time, and I washed my hands of your entire situation the moment my ego took a minor hit. I am genuinely sorry for that choice. The second thing I need to apologize for is explicitly instructing my daughter and Mercy to completely ignore your existence as well during those years. My pride is incredibly inflexible, matching the rigid shell of a tortoise."

"No, I don't hold any resentment against you for that," I answer honestly, matching his tone. "My sister and I were way too stubborn to let anyone cross our boundaries into our lives anyway."

"No, it goes deeper than that," George sighs, shaking his head. "I was fully aware that trash Scott was physically beating you on a regular basis, and my corporate pride completely stopped me from stepping in to help because I didn't want to upset the Tang family block for the sake of the son of the man who saved my daughter's life. By all rights, you should be completely resentful toward me."

A small smile touches my lips as I realize the guy is carrying an immense amount of guilt but simply lacks the social tools to mend fences properly. I decide to throw him a bone.

"You are only to blame if you were the one who personally hired those assassins to murder my father, or if you were the person who explicitly ordered Scott to bully me in the streets," I note calmly. "Everything else is minor history, and we can easily move past it. Besides, you were the one who technically fired Mercy Mu today, weren't you?"

His grey eyes widen in pure shock for a split second before a look of deep, appreciative understanding washes over his features.

"No, it makes perfect sense that your brain would figure that piece out so quickly," George chuckles, leaning back. "You are who you are, after all! Yes, she desperately wanted to serve you directly, but her Mu family pride and honor made her too bound by tradition to ever ask me for a release. So, I officially let her go under the public cover that it was a decision for Linda's safety. I half expected her to just serve Linda as a personal guard, but my daughter informed me that she chose to serve you instead. How incredibly ironic is it that she chose your household without even knowing who you truly are? The direct descendant of the First Emperor paired with the descendant of the Imperial Guards... it really is pretty funny when you think about it!"

"That's right," I nod, leaning in a fraction. "I actually want Linda to move straight into my main mansion located two plots down from hers. She fully intends to execute the move regardless of whether either of us grants formal permission, but... as a man, I felt it was proper etiquette to at least ask you directly."

All of a sudden, his well-mannered, dignified aristocratic posture completely vanishes into thin air. He plasters a massive, shameless grin across his face that looks exactly like a certain infamous Turtle Hermit from a highly popular anime back on my old Earth.

"Fantastic!" George beams, rubbing his hands together. "I fully and completely support her decision on that matter. Oh, and there is one more little thing..."

The Head of the Lang family glides his eyes across the room, ensuring his wife is still fully occupied chatting with Linda before leaning in closer to whisper directly against my ear.

"Officially, I have strictly forbidden the two of you from consummating your relationship before the formal wedding ceremony takes place," he whispers, his voice dropping an octave. "Unofficially, however, if my daughter wants to start living like a true wife with you behind closed doors, I am absolutely not going to do a single thing to stop it. And as a piece of unofficial father-in-law advice... the sooner you and Linda manage to produce a baby together, the more secure your final wedding date will be. My wife has a terrible habit of pushing family events off indefinitely. If you actually want that June wedding to happen on schedule, the two of you had better get moving. But, of course, only if that is what my Linda wants."

I stare at him, completely confused by the logic. "I don't get it. Why would she want to push the wedding date off?"

"My wife simply doesn't want to let go of her baby girl," George sighs heavily, rolling his eyes. "It is honestly that simple... she is incredibly stubborn when she gets attached."

"I understand," I answer, a relaxed smile returning to my face. "But I will let Linda make the ultimate decision on that timeline. I have absolutely no intention of forcing her into anything, okay?"

George pats my shoulder enthusiastically, a look of immense relief settling over his face. "Hearing you say that assures me that you truly care for her well-being, so I completely understand. Well, go along now, go mingle with the crowd and enjoy being young, ha-ha."

Following that bizarrely shameless conversation, I stand up from the table and walk across the cleared floor to check in on the other guests.

The exact moment I arrive at Victoria's table, I spot Alex Renaldo actively trying to chat her up. I quietly walk up to take a position right next to James, who is currently sitting in the middle slot between Vick and Ashley.

Alex seems to be aggressively pushing some kind of corporate business topic, his voice carrying an annoyed strain.

"I honestly don't understand why you suddenly chose to pull out of our mutual development deal?!" Alex huffs, crossing his arms. "The strategy was absolutely perfect for both of our firms!"

Victoria completely ignores his corporate complaint, turning her head to spot me standing by the chairs.

"By the way, Teacher Long, I want you to come and cheer for me when I fight this guy," as I was pointing a thumb at Alex without looking away from Vick. "Is that fine with you, Teacher Long?"

Remembering her explicit instruction from last night for me to chase off any unwanted men, a brilliant, knowing smile flashes across her face as she addresses me politely.

"I will always support the academic efforts of my students," Victoria answers smoothly, her voice dripping with clinical professionalism. "So I will gladly show up to support you during your challenge match in two weeks, Rick. If you manage to secure a victory, I will simply have to buy you another nice dinner as a formal victory lap."

Alex Renaldo freezes, his head snapping back and forth between us. He points an accusing finger straight at my face, looking like a child who just realized someone is stealing his childhood crush right out of his corner.

"Vicky, why are you agreeing to go to the match just because he asked," Alex demands, his voice rising in frustration, "but you literally just finished refusing my invitation when I asked you a second ago?"

She reaches up with a calm grace, pushing the frames of her glasses up the bridge of her nose as she delivers a flat, devastating response.

"Mr Tang explicitly invited his new computer instructor to attend the event," Victoria notes calmly. "So it is only proper etiquette for me to chaperone another female teacher and her student to ensure absolutely nothing inappropriate occurs between them during the trip. That is the sole reason."

Operating with the precision of a psychic sidekick superpower, my buddy James chooses this exact microsecond to inadvertently throw a massive bucket of high-octane gasoline straight onto the fire, blurting out his thoughts a bit too loudly for the surrounding tables to hear.

"Wait, Rick!" James gasps, his eyes widening in shock. "You actually invited Teacher Kim Smith to attend the fight as your personal date?!"

Poor Alex could never in a million years have guessed that his ex-fiancée, Kim Smith, was actually going out with his upcoming opponent. How many women in Alex's life are seriously going to cross paths with this scruffy-looking young man? Even his current trashy date and Ana Zi are openly flirting with this punk.

"No, James, Teacher Smith and I are absolutely not dating, brother," I say quickly, waving my hands to shut down the rumor before it spreads. "Don't go accusing me and Kim of something like that. She only requested that I thoroughly beat up Alex during our match, and she mentioned she was going to cheer for me from the sidelines. That is the entire story."

"Really?" James asks, squinting his eyes as he strokes his chin. "I don't know, brother. She was looking at you with a very kind expression a day ago."

I glare at my idiot friend for single-handedly getting me into deep trouble with Vicky, deciding it is time to threaten him into silence.

"Ashley, would it be alright if I physically stitched his lips completely shut?" I ask, looking over his shoulder. "Please?"

Ashley leans down to whisper a single sentence straight into James's ear. His entire face goes completely pale in a millisecond, and he clears his throat nervously.

"Sorry," James stammers, offering a weak chuckle. "I think I am currently on way too much prescription medication and my mouth is completely busted, he-he!"

I glance back over at Victoria, who flashes me a subtle smile that silently tells me she believes my explanation. Phew, crisis averted.

"Rick Lee, you are seriously trying my patience at this point," Alex snarls, stepping into my space with his fists clenched. "Are you purposefully trying to interfere with my love life just to make sure I don't fight well in two weeks? I will absolutely not fall for your petty mind games. Hope is easy to handle, and Ana Xi is nothing more than a gold-digger, so feel free to take them both if you want them. But you had better leave poor Vicky alone. Besides, Tina Feng is officially my future wife, so prepare yourself to lose everything!"

Victoria steps forward, pointing a manicured finger straight at Alex's chest as her voice drops into a firm, icy tone.

"Right there, Alex," Victoria states flatly. "That exact attitude is the reason why I completely canceled my business dealings with your firm. You honestly think I belong to you. I belong to absolutely no man unless I choose to confess my love to him directly, so leave this table right now."

"Vicky, that is honestly not what I meant by that," Alex sighs heavily, his arrogant posture deflating a fraction. He turns his glaring blue eyes back toward me. "Rick, do not lay a single finger on my Kim. She is only temporarily confused right now, and she will be my wife the moment she finally comes around. I am leaving."

Victoria raises a hand to her forehead, rubbing her temples as she grows thoroughly exhausted from dealing with stubborn, entitled men. I get a sudden, powerful urge to pull her into a tight hug right here, but I know I can't break character in front of the crowd. Catching the look in my eyes, she offers a soft smile and tilts her head toward the other side of the room.

"Rick, you should go ahead and greet the Head of the Feng family before Alex manages to make his way over there, fufu," Victoria notes quietly. "We are completely fine over at this table, so go along."

I nod, choosing to listen to my teacher's advice.

I make my way across the floor to the table where Tony Feng, Lane, and Tina are currently seated. I offer them a polite wave as I approach the chairs.

"I am incredibly glad the three of you could make it today," I say, offering a cordial greeting. "And I am genuinely sorry if my presence made things a bit awkward given the conflicting family dynamics in the room."

Tina points a finger at my face, a fierce pout instantly forming on her lips. "If you had gone over to talk to that Sho woman first, you and I would have had some serious words tonight!"

I immediately raise both of my hands in a gesture of total surrender.

"Don't go blaming me for that!" I answer with a grin. "I am only polite if people choose to be nice back to me, and she has never actually done anything bad to me. You do remember that I am actively fighting to win your hand in two weeks and not hers, right?"

Lane looks at her daughter, feeling a bit sorry for how hard she is pressing me, and pats Tina's arm.

"You have teased the poor boy enough for one evening, haven't you, dear?" Lane chides softly. "You are going to make him think you actually mean those threats."

"Ufufu, sorry, Rick," Tina giggles, dropping the hostile act instantly. "I just wanted to tease you a bit for waving at her. But I absolutely loved how you managed to make Jenifer look so embarrassed earlier. Phenomenal job, Rick."

I let out a breath, feeling pretty good knowing I am not in any real trouble with my future Feng wife.

"Yeah, I am just so used to seeing her running around in those rigid business suits that I almost mistook her for a completely different person," I admit, glancing over her shoulder. "She actually looked incredibly adorable in that outfit. Why exactly is she wearing a traditional uniform today anyway?"

Tony Feng leans back, pointing a thumb toward a large family table situated a few rows over from us.

"Her father, who functions as the official head of the local branch of the Han family, is attending the event today," Tony explains. "If she were seen wearing anything other than her proper maid outfit, it would cause an immense amount of social embarrassment for their household. They absolutely despise the idea of her dressing up like a corporate secretary when her formal title is a maid. My family naturally doesn't care about those rules, but it is her relatives after all."

"Gotcha!" I grin, a chaotic idea popping into my head. "Then give me one single moment!"

I pull my smartphone out of my pocket, navigating straight to the camera application. I stealthily glide across the floor until I am standing exactly ten feet away from Jenifer's blind spot.

"Jenifer!" I bark out. "Say cheese!"

Flash click. The bright white light illuminates the space the exact second she snaps into a proper, rigid maid pose out of sheer instinct. She stands there completely confused, watching me immediately turn on my heel to walk away. It takes her a few seconds to process exactly what I just pulled, and the moment reality hits her, a massive wave of shame colors her entire face a deep crimson.

I jog back to the table, turning my screen around to show the three members of the Feng family the image. Tina lets out a loud laugh, thoroughly enjoying her maid's completely stupefied, wide-eyed expression.

"Make sure you send that specific file to my phone later tonight, Rick," Tina smiles, wiping a tear from her eye. "I am absolutely going to scrapbook it, fufu."

Before I can answer, Linda walks up to the table, smoothly sliding her arm around my left side to lock our fingers together as she delivers a formal greeting to the family.

"Head Feng, Lady Feng, and classmate Feng, thank you so much for attending our celebration today," Linda says, her voice clear and poised.

Tony Feng tracks her protective posture, a knowing smile spreading across his face. He can easily tell that the adversarial rivalry between Linda and Tina is actually a deep, genuine friendship disguised under layers of high-society banter.

"We came out tonight specifically to show our support for Rick," Tony answers warmly. "You made an absolutely spectacular choice in a husband, young Lang. If the family had chosen to move forward with that trash Scott instead, I would have stayed home tonight, so thank you for having my family."

Linda shifts her gaze, looking between me and Tina before delivering a cool, calculated statement.

"Rick is absolutely going to win his upcoming match, so I have no intention of leaving my fiancée's side," Linda notes. "I hope you don't mind the concept of sharing him over the long term, Tina? Because, as you can see, I am technically here first."

I stand there, keeping my mouth shut. The reality is that Tina was technically the first one, which is a fact that she, Lane, and I know perfectly well.

Unknown to all three of us, Tony is fully aware of the timeline too, leaving Linda as the only person in the entire circle who doesn't actually know the real order of events.

Tina rises from her chair, stepping around the table to stand directly in front of the two of us with a confident smirk.

"Well, Linda, I am absolutely not going anywhere either," Tina counters, crossing her arms. "So you are just going to have to get used to seeing my face around the house, humph."

Just as my women are having a fantastic time putting on a dramatic show for the rest of the gathering, Alex Renaldo spots what he thinks is a perfect opportunity to make a tactical move. Seeing me fully occupied standing between Linda and Tina, he glides up to our flank, his arrogant voice cutting right into our conversation.

"Tina, my love, there are only two weeks left until I officially win your hand in marriage," Alex purrs, executing a smooth, low bow to flex his high-society manners. "Would you do me the absolute honor of sharing this dance with me?"

Before Tina can even open her mouth to reject him, Linda surprises everyone in the vicinity by cutting straight in front of him.

"I am incredibly sorry, Mr Alex Renaldo," Linda states, her expression completely flat. "But my fiance was already in the middle of offering Miss Feng a dance on the floor, so you will simply have to wait for the man of the hour to finish his turn with your supposed love. Personally, I don't like the arrangement at all, but Tina did technically request his time first, so I will allow it for now."

I stare at her, completely stunned. All three members of the Feng family look thoroughly impressed by the sheer volume of absolute bullshit flying out of her mouth. I wasn't aware of it at the time, but Linda had completely mastered this specific technique from her mother, learning how to execute a line of open, bold-faced, completely shameless defiance right to an adversary's face without breaking a sweat.

Tina catches on instantly, pointing a finger toward the open dance floor with a victorious laugh.

"I absolutely need to dance with Rick right now due to him being the number one choice," Tina mocks, looking down her nose at Alex. "So number three can just stand there and wait for him to be entirely done with me first. After that, I will see how I feel about the situation, fufu. Come along with me, Rick Tang, and I will show you exactly how a real woman handles a dance floor!"

Linda's left eyebrow twitches violently at the jab, but for the sake of preserving the inner harmony of the harem, she forces herself to suck it up, stepping back to watch from the sidelines.

Alex tracks Linda's unhappy glare, desperately trying to find a way to fluster my line and salvage his dignity. He turns a greasy smile toward Linda.

"Miss Lang, in that case, would you give me the distinct honor of sharing this dance instead?" Alex asks, offering his hand.

"I will only ever dance with Rick, my fiance," Linda answers instantly, her voice turning razor-sharp. "So no, never. And oh, by the way, my Rick currently has a loaded firearm concealed on his person packed with heavy rubber slugs. Should I go ahead and inform him that you wanted to touch his woman?"

Alex tries his absolute best to hold onto his arrogant smile, but his face contorts into an expression that makes him look like he desperately needs to use the restroom. Realizing he has been completely outmaneuvered on every front, he turns on his heel and exits the area. In fact, he storms completely out of the entire event hall, with Hope running frantically right after him through the double doors, screaming for him to stay.

Linda watches them disappear, a satisfied smile returning to her face when she notices that Tina doesn't actually try to embarrass anyone on the floor, dancing with the absolute grace of a proper young noblewoman. Her lingering anger from earlier completely evaporates.

With Alex leaving the venue in a fit of pure rage and Hope chasing him into the night, the entire rest of the engagement party passes in a quiet, completely uneventful atmosphere.

However, I was completely unaware of a highly critical conversation that took place near the exit doors between a father and his daughter right before we prepared to depart.

George Lang was standing near the coat rack, saying his formal goodbyes to his loving daughter when he lowered his voice to address her.

"Linda, from this day forward, you are effectively Rick's wife in my eyes," George notes, his grey eyes fixed on her. "Because of that, I want you to carefully think about one small strategic detail..."

Linda maintains her perfect, straight-faced composure as she responds. "Thank you, father. And what exactly do I need to think about?"

He glides his eyes across the lobby, tracking the members of the Feng family as they file out toward the parking lot before turning back to his daughter.

"In exactly two weeks, Rick is going to win his challenge match, and I am absolutely certain the Feng household will fast-track their formal union to capture his momentum," George warns. "That means Tina Feng is most likely going to make an aggressive attempt to get pregnant with Rick's very first child. That is all I wanted to say to you. Good luck, my lovely daughter. Father is genuinely glad you managed to pick the exact man you wanted for your life. Live long and love fiercely."

The Head of the Lang family turns away, heading back toward his wife with a completely shameless, satisfied smile plastered across his face.

Linda stands in the quiet lobby, fully processing the underlying political weight of her father's words. She slowly reaches down, pressing her palm firmly against her abdomen as a determined look settles into her eyes.

"Less than two weeks," Linda whispers to herself, a soft smile breaking through her icy mask. "And then that timing would easily allow me to give birth before the next university academic year even begins. This makes me incredibly happy. I can finally live as his true wife, and I will manage to beat Tina at something for once."

Women really are a million times craftier than anyone gives them credit for, while men just keep jumping headfirst into traps that they can clearly see waiting for them in the dark, sigh.