the rise of the useless son-in-law of a wealthy family

slur

"Lengyi, how could you let him come like that?" Xia Haoran whispered, his anger barely contained.

"I gave him appropriate clothes, Father. I’m just as confused as to why he came looking like that," Lengyi replied softly, trying to stay calm.

"No one will respect our family if he keeps acting like this!"

Xia Haoran stared at Su Jian, who was sitting in the corner of the room with a relaxed expression, seemingly indifferent to all the attention directed toward him.

Meanwhile, Liang Cheng, the eldest son of the Li family, was still dissatisfied with Su Jian’s presence. He had been wandering around the hall, deliberately embarrassing the Xia family with subtle remarks to the other guests.

"Su Jian? Oh, you must be joking. The Xia family even brought a son-in-law who came by taxi to such a big event," Liang Cheng said, drawing a small laugh from some people. He deliberately raised his voice so everyone could hear.

The words spread quickly, making Lengyi feel even more ashamed. Some guests from other families began to look at her with pity, as if lamenting her position as the daughter of the Xia family who had to bear the shame because of Su Jian.

When the event reached the session of family introductions and reports on the achievements of each cultivator clan, the host went up to the stage. A man in a black suit, with a loud voice, began calling each family representative one by one.

"Let’s start with the Li family!" he called out.

Liang Cheng walked confidently to the front. As the representative of the Li family, he proudly showcased their power in producing new talents in cultivation. A hologram video displayed the various achievements of the Li family members, including combat techniques and advanced cultivation skills. Applause filled the air as he finished, and Liang Cheng returned to his seat with his head held high, throwing a mocking smile toward Xia Lengyi.

Finally, it was the turn of the Xia family. As the eldest daughter, Xia Lengyi stood up and gracefully walked toward the stage. Although her face remained calm, there was an undeniable nervousness she couldn’t hide. Behind her, Su Jian only looked on expressionlessly, sitting at the Xia family table as if he wasn’t involved in what was happening.

"And now, the representative from the Xia family," the host announced.

The presentation video of the Xia family began, showing their achievements. However, in the middle of the video, whispers began to spread among the guests. Some guests even dared to speak louder.

"What a pity... The Xia family is actually great, but their name has been tarnished because of their son-in-law."

"Xia Lengyi is perfect, but her husband? He’s really trash."

"I heard he can’t even cultivate. How embarrassing."

The remarks grew louder and pierced Xia Lengyi’s ears. Her face flushed, not from anger, but from embarrassment. Her hands clenched at her sides, trying to suppress the overwhelming frustration. She glanced at Su Jian—he was still sitting there, completely unaffected by the insults thrown at him.

'Why are you just sitting there?' Lengyi thought to herself.

Liang Cheng, who was eager to take advantage of the situation, stood arrogantly from his seat. "Mr. Host," he said loudly, intentionally interrupting, "How about we invite Su Jian, the son-in-law of the Xia family, to showcase some of his skills? After all, he’s now part of our big family, right?"

A small laugh broke out among the guests. Even some of them turned to look at Su Jian with scorn.

"Great idea, Liang Cheng!" shouted one guest, joining in the mockery.

"Yes! We want to see what the son-in-law of the Xia family can show us!"

Xia Lengyi froze in place. She looked at Su Jian with eyes full of concern. "Don’t listen to them. You don’t have to do anything," she whispered almost inaudibly. But Su Jian slowly stood up from his seat.

All eyes were now on him. The hall, which had been lively, suddenly fell silent as Su Jian walked casually toward the center of the stage.

"Su Jian, what are you doing!?"

"Calm down, Miss Xia," he said, a grin on his face.

"He really got up there!" whispered some of the guests.

"Why? To embarrass the Xia family even more?"

Su Jian stood at the center of the stage and looked at all the guests with a calm expression. No nervousness, no anger—just an indescribable calmness.

"My name is Su Jian," he said, his voice clear even though he spoke softly. "I’m not a cultivator like all of you. I don’t have any achievements to be proud of."

The room grew quieter. Even Liang Cheng, who had been preparing to mock him, now just stared in confusion.

"But one thing I know," Su Jian continued, "I will never let your insults or words define who I am. And if you think I am the weakness of the Xia family, that’s your right. However, I have the right to stand here—because the Xia family is my family."

Those words made the atmosphere in the hall feel strange. Some guests were still confused, while others fell silent, as if not expecting Su Jian’s courage to speak before hundreds of important people.

Su Jian didn’t wait for applause or cheers. He simply turned around, walked off the stage, and returned to his seat. Xia Lengyi, who was still standing near the stage, looked at him with a complex expression—part admiration, part confusion.

"What did you do just now?" Lengyi asked when Su Jian returned to his seat.

Su Jian just smiled faintly. "I made them stop talking about you."

Xia Lengyi fell silent. Although she was embarrassed and angry at first, she knew that Su Jian’s words had successfully silenced most of the ridicule. She looked at her husband once again—maybe, this man wasn’t just a burden as people had always said.

Su Jian’s words that day were simple, but his calmness and confidence had changed the perception of some guests. Amid the gathering filled with intrigue and insults, Su Jian showed that he wasn’t someone easily humiliated. Xia Lengyi, who had felt ashamed, began to realize that there was more to Su Jian than she had understood.

"I need to use the restroom," Su Jian said and walked away from the crowd.