In the luxurious villa district of District 2, a sleek Bentley Bentayga glided smoothly past the wrought-iron gates engraved with intricate Gothic designs. It stopped in front of a grand, shadowed mansion whose dark stone fa?ade shimmered faintly under the starlit sky. Across the street, from C?u D?ng’s villa, laughter, shouting, and clattering echoed endlessly. Cars filled the entire road, turning the quiet night into a festive chaos.

  Erion frowned slightly, his gaze carrying a mix of curiosity and arrogance.

  – “So many people… I didn’t expect my masterpiece to draw such a crowd.”

  Chen, still half-asleep, yawned and replied with a lazy grin:

  – “That’s why His Lordship ordered General to reset everything by tomorrow. If this keeps up, the whole plan will fall apart.”

  Trang stretched and rubbed her eyes, having just woken from a short nap.

  – “The apprentice witches will be back soon. Let’s get ready to receive them.”

  Erion’s lips curled into a cunning smile.

  – “Perfect. Tonight I’ll use the Cube. There are still many space-time games I designed but haven’t unveiled yet.”

  The group stepped out of the car. Din, Yin, and a few little imps were already waiting at the marble staircase.

  Erion opened the trunk and commanded sharply:

  – “Carry everything inside! Split the seafood crate — half of it is a gift for my father-in-law.”

  The imps quickly obeyed, hauling massive suitcases and boxes of fresh seafood into the mansion.

  Yin lifted a lid, nodding approvingly.

  – “All premium seafood. Lord Satan himself would love this.”

  Din smiled politely, voice calm and steady.

  – “Dinner’s ready. General and Princess should rest first, then come enjoy it while it’s hot.”

  Trang turned toward Yin, her smile soft.

  – “Mr. Yin, got any ideas for these seafood dishes? Let’s cook a few together and have a little feast.”

  The imps cheered in excitement.

  – “Then we’ll order bubble tea too!”

  Erion gave them a sideways glance, smirking.

  – “Order whatever you want — I’m paying.”

  Before the cheers could fade, two engines roared outside the gate. A black Porsche and a Maybach rolled to a stop. The doors opened, revealing two elegant couples: Lita and Trúc Di?n, Arian and H?ng Nhung.

  Erion clicked his tongue, half-smiling.

  – “That serpent… always arriving at the perfect moment.”

  Din quickly moved forward to greet them.

  – “Please, come in. The General and the Princess just returned — and we’ve got fresh seafood straight from Long H?i fishing village.”

  Trúc Di?n tilted his head toward C?u D?ng’s frozen villa, where misty white vapor swirled in the air, and an entire ocean floated suspended above it.

  – “He really went all out. Unique idea, though.”

  Arian brushed a strand of platinum hair from his face, his icy-blue eyes gleaming with intrigue.

  – “Before his father locked him away in the Infernal Abyss, Erion was known for his insane ideas. But creativity — that you can’t deny.”

  Lita tightened her grip on Trúc Di?n’s arm.

  – “Last time, I was trapped inside a cube he created. I tried everything, but I couldn’t escape.”

  H?ng Nhung glanced toward the living room, her voice calm and graceful.

  – “Let’s head inside. They’re waiting for us.”

  The moment Trúc Di?n stepped into the grand living room, the air shifted — sharp, heavy, tense. Erion’s piercing gaze cut through the space like a blade. He narrowed his eyes, his tone cold and laced with mockery.

  – “Who invited this snake here?”

  Trúc Di?n raised an eyebrow, the corner of his lips curling in defiance.

  – “We’re both sons-in-law of the Satanic Royal Family now. By rank, that makes us family — doesn’t it?”

  Erion shot to his feet, fury blazing in his eyes.

  – “Family? With you? Don’t flatter yourself.”

  Arian slammed his hand on the table, his voice booming like thunder.

  – “You two! Do you have no respect for your brother-in-law? By royal order, you both must call me Elder Brother. And Erion— you must address Trúc Di?n as Third Brother, for he’s your brother-in-law!”

  Erion’s amber eyes suddenly flared crimson, glowing like molten ruby. His voice dropped to an icy snarl.

  – “What did you just say? You dare… give me orders?”

  The atmosphere thickened instantly, charged like an impending storm. Din hurried to step in, his voice breaking the tension.

  – “Enough, calm down! We’ve got seafood to prepare — it’ll spoil if you keep fighting.”

  Behind them, a few imps stifled their laughter, whispering mischievously:

  – “If the General dares call even his father-in-law ‘that old Satan,’ what chance do these guys have?”

  H?ng Nhung smiled gracefully, stepping forward to ease the moment.

  – “Come on, everyone. Let’s start cooking before the seafood goes bad.”

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  Trang nodded, tugging gently at H?ng Nhung and Lita’s hands.

  – “Let’s split the seafood into two parts — one for us to cook here, the other to pack for our royal father.”

  Yin exchanged a knowing look with Chen, whispering with a hint of amusement.

  – “I already have a few dishes in mind. Trúc Di?n, why don’t you and the others come help me prepare? The sooner we cook, the fresher it’ll be.”

  Chen caught the signal instantly, turning to the imps with mock authority.

  – “You heard him! Move those seafood crates to the kitchen — now!”

  The imps scurried off, chattering excitedly. Soon, the mansion filled again with bustling energy — laughter echoing through the marble halls, and the savory aroma of an impending royal feast drifting through the night.

  Inside the luxurious apartment, filled with the soft scent of flowers, herbs, and freshly baked cassia blossom cookies, H?u K? turned to Quang with a curious smile.

  – “If you don’t mind me asking… are you two married?”

  Quang smiled gently, his tone calm and polite.

  – “Not yet. I do have a girlfriend, but we’re still getting to know each other better before thinking about marriage.”

  Quan leaned back in his chair, giving a light, almost teasing chuckle.

  – “As for me, I’m single. I need to focus on my career first. I can barely take care of myself — how could I handle a wife and kids?”

  H?u K? nodded approvingly.

  – “You’re right. Finances are important. Before marriage, everything feels simple — you can live on whatever’s available. But once you’re married, if money’s tight, life can become heavy and stressful.”

  Nh? Phu softly added, her voice as gentle as her smile.

  – “For example, when your kids want something and you can’t afford it… or when they crave certain food and you can’t take them out to eat… even paying for extra lessons or hobbies to help them grow — it hurts when you can’t provide.”

  Their daughter, ??i Ng?c, nibbled on a cassia cookie, then looked up curiously.

  – “Does your girlfriend visit you often, Mr. Quang?”

  Quang chuckled and nodded.

  – “Yes, she comes by every few days.”

  Nh? Phu’s eyes softened as she smiled warmly.

  – “Then next time she visits, please invite her over. I’ll soon be launching new lines of essential oils, perfumes, and scented candles — I’d love to hear her opinion.”

  Quang bowed his head slightly in gratitude.

  – “Thank you, that’s very kind of you. When she drops by, I’ll definitely introduce her to everyone.”

  Quan glanced at his wristwatch — the clock hands pointed precisely to eight. He turned to Quang with a small nod.

  – “It’s already 8 p.m. We should get going so your family can rest. You’ve had a long day unpacking.”

  H?u K? stood and shook both their hands firmly.

  – “It’s a pleasure to have you two as our neighbors. And yes — when your girlfriend comes, feel free to bring her over anytime.”

  Nh? Phu handed Quang a small plastic box, her smile kind and sincere.

  – “Here, take some extra cassia blossom cookies. I can tell you both enjoyed them.”

  Quan accepted the gift with a grateful nod.

  – “Thank you so much. You’re very generous and hospitable.”

  Quang added with a light smile.

  – “We’ll be heading off now — still have some work to finish. But if you’re free tomorrow morning, let’s grab a cup of coffee together.”

  The evening air outside was calm and fragrant as the two men left, the faint scent of cassia lingering — a quiet prelude to the storms yet to come.

  After Quang and Quan left, the entire family entered what appeared to be the bedroom — but in truth, it was their secret command center. The interior blended high-tech hacker aesthetics with the ancient sorcery of the Serpent Clan.

  Along the walls, multiple high-resolution screens displayed satellite maps, data signals, and glowing emerald programming codes. Around the room, silver-engraved runes shimmered rhythmically in sync with energy pulses. Tubes of phosphorescent liquid slowly flowed through circuits shaped like the Serpent God’s sigil. The air was thick with an icy, magical current, mixed with the rhythmic clicking of keyboards.

  Sitting in the main chair, L?p Thành’s fingers moved across the keyboard at lightning speed. His voice was sharp and commanding:

  – “The phase of gaining trust is complete. Next, we monitor them — including that girl, My.”

  ??i Ng?c, seated elegantly on a nearby leather chair, her eyes glinting with a cold light, replied:

  – “We must not betray His Highness’s trust. I can sense that Quang is merely a pawn for My.”

  Their father, H?u K?, no longer wore the disguise of a middle-aged man. He now appeared youthful — the very image of a cold, handsome nobleman. His deep, raspy voice filled the room:

  – “The scented pouch contains a tracking chip linked to our main server. We can follow their every move.”

  Their mother, Nh? Phu, had also reverted to her graceful, refined appearance. She smiled faintly, a mysterious glimmer in her eyes:

  – “And the fragrance from that pouch… it’s sensitive to our serpent senses. Other agents of the Serpent Clan will recognize it as a marked target. Wherever they go, they’ll be watched by our eyes and ears.”

  ---

  At the Gothic Mansion, the air was thick with the aroma of freshly cooked seafood. Each dish had been meticulously prepared — the presentation rivaled that of a five-star restaurant. When the feast was finally set, the table gleamed with vibrant colors and exquisite detail.

  Yin stepped out to call Erion and Trúc Di?n to dinner. But as soon as she entered the living room, the tension was palpable — the atmosphere crackled like a drawn bowstring. The two men sat across from each other: Erion’s eyes glowed a fiery crimson, burning with heat and fury, while Trúc Di?n’s eyes were a cold emerald, slit-pupiled like a serpent’s, radiating icy disdain.

  The others quietly gathered behind Yin, unwilling to interfere.

  Din shook his head and whispered:

  – “Those two never got along… and now they’re both sons-in-law of the Lord himself. This won’t end well.”

  Then Arian strode forward, his pale-blue eyes glowing faintly:

  – “Fate has bound you two as family. That cannot be changed. Now get up and eat — or are you planning to starve everyone waiting for you?”

  Erion coughed lightly, smirking:

  – “I’ll eat. I’m hungry anyway. As for this snake… we’ll settle things later.”

  Trúc Di?n smirked in return, his tone dripping with arrogance:

  – “Whenever you decide how to deal with your brother-in-law, I’ll be waiting.”

  At the dinner table, Erion and Trúc Di?n had calmed down somewhat, yet the air still hung heavy with tension. The little imps, however, remained cheerfully oblivious — each holding a beer-steamed crab, happily cracking the shells as they praised the food. One of them muttered between bites, dipping crab legs into spicy seafood sauce:

  – “The food’s amazing, but the General keeps frowning. Even heaven spares those who are eating, you know.”

  Trang gently placed a grilled salt-and-chili shrimp into Erion’s bowl, her voice soft and caring:

  – “Eat while it’s still hot, love. Once seafood goes cold, it starts to smell.”

  Lita did the same for Trúc Di?n, handing him a tamarind crab claw while frowning slightly:

  – “Eat quickly. Why do you have to pick a fight everywhere you go?”

  Din couldn’t hold back a laugh, covering his mouth:

  – “If he doesn’t argue, he wouldn’t be the General we know.”

  Despite the teasing, Erion and Trúc Di?n continued glaring at each other, chopsticks unmoving. Yin, looking at the steaming, fragrant dishes, spoke with a mischievous glint in her eyes:

  – “It took a lot of effort to prepare this feast, especially from the Princesses — they wanted to cook something special for their men. But sadly, no one seems to appreciate it.”

  At that, both sons-in-law instantly picked up their chopsticks. Erion bit into a piece of spicy grilled octopus, savoring the heat as he looked at Trang and said admiringly:

  – “You made this perfectly. I’ll have to eat as much as I can.”

  Trúc Di?n, tasting the fragrant grilled fish, smiled at Lita:

  – “When you’re the one who cooked, I can’t skip a single dish.”

  The little imps stopped eating, wide-eyed at the sudden change in tone. One of them whispered:

  – “How did they flip moods faster than grilled rice paper?”

  Arian’s wife quickly covered her mouth to hide a laugh, not wanting to embarrass the two royal men:

  – “They’d better eat. If my two sisters get angry, not even I can protect them.”

  Laughter filled the room, breaking the tension. The two royal sons-in-law kept their “I’m-still-mad-at-the-world” faces, but deep down, even they feared the power of their wives. The sight made the little imps bow their heads, shaking with suppressed laughter.

  ---

  Meanwhile, inside Mr. Tài’s mansion, the atmosphere was alive with the warmth of a homecoming celebration. Everyone gathered in the cozy kitchen, preparing dinner to welcome their beloved daughter home from Canada after years away.

  M? Linh, carrying a steaming bowl of Xanh Chua Cá S?a (Vietnamese sweet and sour fish soup), smiled brightly:

  – “My daughter’s been away for so long — she must’ve missed this soup.”

  Mrs. Nga placed a pot of Cá Lóc Kho T? (caramelized catfish) on the table. As soon as she lifted the lid, the rich, savory aroma of the fish and golden sauce filled the kitchen:

  – “You can’t have sour soup without caramelized fish. These are the true flavors of our homeland.”

  C?u D?ng laughed as he arranged crystal glasses on the table:

  – “Tomorrow, I’ll give you both money for the market — let’s make Bún M?m (fermented noodle soup) for everyone!”

  Mr. Tài, carrying a salad bowl, laughed heartily:

  – “It’s been ages since I last had Bún M?m! I can’t wait!”

  Their laughter mixed with the sounds of ladles and chopsticks clinking against porcelain bowls. The aroma of simmering fish, the tang of sour soup, and the steam from freshly cooked rice blended into a familiar harmony — the irreplaceable scent of a Vietnamese kitchen on a night of family reunion.