Free Web NovelChapter 194: WHY IS THE CHILD STIGMATIZED?
Xue Mingzhan observed him for a moment before giving a slight nod that carried both permission and expectation.
"Speak," he said.
Liuxian turned toward the courtyard, and in that movement the atmosphere seemed to shift, as though the attention of everyone present was pulled into alignment with him whether they wanted it or not.
When he spoke, his voice carried naturally without effort, not raised, not forced, simply clear enough to fill the space between tables.
"Good evening," he began, his tone calm enough to make it clear he had no intention of engaging in emotional argument. "It seems there are many thoughts and interpretations regarding tonight’s events, so I will address them directly."
He paused briefly, letting the silence settle rather than fill it.
"First, do not compare me to Shen Zihao. We are not the same kind of man, and we are not operating on the same level."
There was no aggression in the statement, yet it carried an undeniable finality that discouraged rebuttal.
His gaze remained steady, not seeking approval, not reacting to interruption, simply continuing.
"Second, I owe my father-in-law and mother-in-law an apology for not visiting or informing them properly. My failure in that regard placed them in an uncomfortable position tonight, and I take responsibility for that."
His eyes shifted slightly as he spoke, acknowledging the weight of the situation without allowing it to destabilize him.
"Lastly, Guiying and I are already married, and you will all receive invitations to our wedding celebration in due time."
There was not a single response from the courtyard.
There was a kind of silence that followed, not respectful, not celebratory, but disbelieving in its refusal to settle into acceptance.
It should have been a moment of acknowledgment, something that a normal family would have marked with at least surface-level congratulations, yet instead the air thickened in a different direction entirely.
Zhou Meilin was the first to break it, her voice cutting through the silence with controlled disbelief that carried more insult than volume.
"Married," she repeated, her eyes fixed on Guiying as though the word itself was an accusation. "Of course you are. That explains why you suddenly feel confident enough to return here without hesitation."
Her expression did not soften as she continued, instead sharpening in a way that suggested long-held judgment finally finding its outlet.
Around her, murmurs began to spread, small at first but quickly gaining structure as others joined in without needing encouragement.
"So that is what this is," someone said from the side, their tone almost conversational. "He disappears and returns once he has secured someone to stand behind him."
Another voice followed with quiet amusement that lacked warmth. "Some people are very good at mistaking protection for importance."
The words layered over one another until they became less like conversation and more like atmosphere, each sentence reinforcing the last until the courtyard itself felt heavier.
The pheromones of several Alphas began to shift unconsciously, not in overt aggression, but in subtle assertion, the kind of dominance pressure that filled space without needing motion.
Guiying felt it immediately
The air around him slowly turned suffocating, all directed towards him like they were trying to show he wasn’t welcomed, or perhaps show their dominance properly.
For a moment, he required more control than usual. His fingers tighten around Liuxian’s hand without realising it.
A man across the table noticed and let out a quiet, dismissive sound of amusement.
"It is interesting," he said, his tone light but cutting, "how even now he still relies on someone else’s hold just to remain composed."
A few scattered laughs followed, not loud enough to be theatrical, but enough to confirm agreement without needing elaboration.
Xue Jiaming finally spoke, his voice calm and detached as though he were discussing something irrelevant rather than a person sitting in front of him.
"Liu Liuxian clearly understands what he has married," he said evenly. "The question is not why he chose Guiying, but what Guiying offered in return that made it worthwhile."
The implication did not need explanation, and it did not receive correction.
Instead, it was allowed to settle, and in that settling it became accepted enough that no one felt the need to challenge it.
An older relative exhaled softly as if tired of the entire discussion.
"People like to believe circumstances do not define a person, but reality rarely agrees. Some beginnings cannot be separated from what follows."
Guiying did not react outwardly, but the pressure of the words accumulated in a place that was not visible.
They were not new thoughts, but hearing them repeated in different voices made them harder to ignore.
Then Zhou Meilin spoke again, quieter this time. "Your mother left you with all of this and disappeared," she said, looking directly at Guiying as though she were offering something factual rather than emotional. "I wonder if she would even recognize what you have become."
Those words hit the bull’s-eye, aimed perfectly with the right phrasing and with the right tone.
Guiying finally turned towards her and for a moment his expression shifted slightly, his brows furrowed slightly and he clenched his jaw, just enough to show how offended he was.
The absence she referenced was not just history to him, but it was a dark void that shaped every understanding of himself without offering any explanations.
Luixian felt the shift instantly. His attention sharpened as he turned to respond, but before he could speak, another voice cut through the courtyard with clarity that immediately changed the atmosphere.
"Enough."
The single word did not rise in volume, yet it interrupted everything.
The entrance doors had opened without most people noticing, and the man who walked in did so without hesitation or announcement, as though he had not arrived late but had simply chosen when the room would become aware of him.
Recognition spread quickly among the older members of the family, and with it came immediate discomfort.
Xue ShangYan.
The younger son of Xue Mingzhan.
The illegitimate child who had never been hidden, never fully embraced, and never ignored either, because his existence had always been too significant to dismiss entirely.
Whispers began almost immediately as people registered not only his arrival but the seat that had been prepared for him beside Xue Mingzhan, a detail that created visible unrest among those who believed hierarchy should remain unquestioned.
ShangYan ignored the reaction completely and walked forward with an unhurried calm that suggested he had no intention of adjusting himself to anyone’s expectations. He took the seat without pause, and only then did he allow his gaze to move across the courtyard.
His expression remained composed as he spoke.
"Interesting," he said quietly. "I arrive and find the entire discussion centered around illegitimate children."
The words were simple, but they immediately removed any illusion that the topic was abstract.
His gaze shifted briefly to Guiying before returning to the table.
"Your nephew, cousin, grandson, whatever relationship you believe applies here, got married tonight, and instead of acknowledging that, this is what you have chosen to focus on."
