Luis pondered this and found it was probably true. Although his father-in-law wasn't home much, he did provide for his daughters adequately. Luis had genuinely never heard of Arthur striking any of his girls.

"If she did something wrong, you could have talked to me, or to your mother-in-law. But you actually raised your hand to her? I couldn't bear to lay a finger on her myself..." As Arthur spoke, Darlan was immediately filled with profound shame. Gritting his teeth, he said, "Brother Arthur, this is my failure in disciplining him. Our Zester family may not claim the finest traditions, but beating one's wife... that is truly shameful..."

As he said this, he stood up abruptly and began silently unbuckling his belt.

Seeing this, Daniel panicked. "Dad, no, don't! I was wrong, I admit I was wrong, isn't that enough? I apologize, I'll apologize!"

"You apologized at the police station, and then you still came and ruined my mom's birthday party, destroying the surprise we had carefully planned for her..." Nancy interjected at this moment, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"If there was a misunderstanding, you could have picked any other time. But you specifically chose my mother's birthday... wasn't it just to ruin our reputations...?"

Hearing this, Darlan fell completely silent, his movements becoming even more swift and determined.

Before he could pull his belt free, Luis quickly stepped forward, positioning himself between the enraged old man and Daniel, and said with a smile:

"Uncle Darlan, my brother-in-law isn't a child anymore. We must save some face for him, especially in public."

Nancy, who had been stoking the flames hoping for a major spectacle, was momentarily taken aback that Luis was now playing the peacemaker.

She was a little confused for a moment.

Luis's thinking, however, differed from hers. It wasn't that he wanted to protect Daniel. Rather, Daniel's designated 'character tag' had already been successfully applied, and now Luis simply wanted to test how effective it was.

Arthur also chimed in, "In-laws, if you need to teach the child a lesson, do it at home. You have to leave some dignity for the child."

Although Darlan was furious, he restrained himself. He refastened his belt and sat back down, his face full of remorse as he said, "My apologies, in-laws. It's entirely my failure in raising my son properly."

"Not at all, children are always a source of worry," Arthur replied.

The two middle-aged men sighed together. Daniel breathed a huge sigh of relief and shot Luis a grateful look, one that also carried a hint of something more profound.

Luis felt a slight chill, remembering the 'homosexual' tag in Daniel's persona settings. He thought to himself, if this little bastard has turned completely gay, he might actually have designs on me.

"Brother-in-law, come, let this uncle propose a toast to you."

Darlan raised his glass again, sighing as he said, "I won't lavish praise on your youthful success. If only Daniel could be as sensible and filial as you are, I would consider our ancestors truly blessed."

"You flatter me too much," Luis responded with utmost respect.

He stood up to clink glasses, supporting the base of his cup with one hand and lowering his own glass slightly below the other's, observing all the proper etiquette perfectly.

After downing his drink, Darlan couldn't hide his admiration. "Old brother, your family has a great eye. This son-in-law is truly exceptional. It's rare to find young people these days who are neither arrogant nor impatient."

"Haha, he's passable, I suppose!" Arthur actually swelled with pride.

Darlan then shifted his tone, saying, "Not like my own useless son. I hoped he'd mature after marriage, but he's still the same."

"Sigh, perhaps becoming a father will improve him." The usual pressure to marry had now become pressure for grandchildren. Darlan probably suspected his son had some issues, so he didn't dare speak too explicitly.

Luis stood up to pour wine for everyone, smiling warmly. "Uncle, that's not entirely fair to say. People always say once the child starts school, your worries are over."

"Then once the child gets a job, your worries are over. Once the child marries, your worries are over. Once the child has their own children, your worries are over."

"When are parents ever free from worry? To put it bluntly, even after you die and your portrait is hung on the wall, if you have a disobedient son, he'll still be asking for your blessings from beyond, demanding your ancestors intervene. You're still worrying even after death."

"After all, the child is your own responsibility..."

This remark struck a perfect chord. Both Arthur and Darlan burst into hearty laughter.

Arthur laughed and said, "The words are crude, but the reasoning isn't. It's true, even after you die, they'll be hoping for smoke to rise from your grave as a sign of blessing."

"Exactly! What's the point of finding a prime burial site after death? It's not about you becoming an immortal; it's about hoping you'll watch over and bless your descendants."

Darlan clapped Arthur on the shoulder, laughing approvingly. "Old brother, you are fortunate. This second son-in-law of yours truly understands the hardships of being a parent. He knows how to show care and compassion."

The seating at the modest round table was also arranged with purpose. Arthur was given the seat of honor. To his left sat Darlan, and to his right was Daniel, responsible for keeping the drinks flowing.

According to Nancy, the reason Darlan hadn't resorted to his belt immediately was probably because there was someone sitting between them. Otherwise, with her father-in-law's explosive temper, he would have just slapped him instead of fumbling with a belt.

Naturally, Nancy sat beside Daniel. No matter how much the young couple argued, it was more appropriate for them to sit together. Further along sat Luis.

Suddenly, Nancy's face changed. Luis had lifted her skirt. She was wearing a dress today without stockings, and her long, beautiful legs were stunningly pale and flawless.

Her brother-in-law's left hand had already reached up and was caressing her snow-white, tender thighs.

Nancy didn't dare move away, could only glare at Luis, her face flushed. She never imagined her brother-in-law would be so bold as to take advantage of her at a time like this.

She was currently eating elegantly, trying to subtly stir the pot, but didn't dare make any sudden moves. She shot him a sharp, warning look, but was met only with Luis's lecherous, grinning face.

"Brother-in-law, let you and I have a drink!" he said, one hand stroking his sister-in-law's captivating, snow-white legs, the other raising his wine glass.

From this angle, the two older men definitely couldn't see. But under the tablecloth, if Daniel just turned his head, he would see everything. Nancy felt her brain short-circuit, her hand holding the chopsters beginning to tremble slightly.

This was far too brazen.

If Daniel were to explode over this, she wouldn't know what to do.

Daniel picked up his glass with some reluctance. But when he turned his head, his whole body went numb. He was utterly stunned.

Not just him; even Nancy felt her heart was about to explode. The two older men couldn't see, but her husband's line of sight confirmed he had seen everything.

Most crucially, at that moment, Luis, who had been smiling all along, directly slipped his hand inside her skirt.

While Nancy was still dumbstruck, Luis's hand was already stroking her pubic mound over her panties. Nancy immediately clamped her legs tightly together, blocking her brother-in-law's outrageous and appalling advance.

In her panic, Nancy's legs clamped together with firm, resolute force, preventing Luis from invading further. Luis didn't seem rushed; he just continued gently stroking her vulva over the fabric of her panties.

Seeing that her brother-in-law wasn't pushing further, Nancy didn't dare relax her guard, keeping her legs tightly shut, afraid that any slackening would give him an inch he'd take a mile.

The moment she raised her head, she nearly lost her mind completely. Her husband, Daniel, was staring wide-eyed, watching his brother-in-law's hand moving under her skirt. Even though he couldn't see the exact actions, in this moment...

Madness... Nancy's brain had completely short-circuited...

"Daniel, have a proper drink with your brother-in-law. Learn from him. Even if you can't be that successful, at least don't cause trouble," Darlan urged.

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