Hades, the Urban Legend

Chapter 646: Chapter 649: Stopping Her

Everyone present froze for a moment. Cai Yuncheng and Jiang Shan were stunned, while Yong Ye's face turned dark, his eyes filled with suppressed rage. Yang Chen noticed Cai Ning's gaze and, upon hearing her question, felt a weight lift off his chest.

Cai Ning's eyes were exceptionally clear, revealing a strange determination that made Yang Chen subconsciously recall the moment he saved her from the vampire Lilith in the midnight forest. Back then, she had looked at him with the same watery gaze.

"If I tell you not to go, will you listen?" Yang Chen asked, almost instinctively.

"If you have a reason," Cai Ning replied, her voice trembling slightly.

"I have a reason," Yang Chen said with a grin. "The reason is, I don't like it."

Tears welled up in Cai Ning's eyes, but she smiled softly.

Watching the inexplicable exchange, Jiang Shan saw that Yong Ye was nearly fuming and felt things were taking a turn for the worse. She wished she could throw Yang Chen out right then. Rushing over, she grabbed Cai Ning's arm and said, "Ning'er, what's wrong with you? Why are you asking him about your wedding?!"

Cai Ning looked at her mother apologetically. "I'm sorry, Mom, but it seems I can't go today."

"Why not?!" Yong Ye finally lost his composure and shouted, "Just because this shameless guy says he doesn't like it, you won't go with your fiancé to take wedding photos?! Cai Ning! You must give me a reasonable explanation!"

Jiang Shan, too, was furious. "What nonsense are you talking about?! You must go!"

Cai Ning remained silent, biting her lip and saying nothing.

"If she says she won't go, then she won't," Yang Chen stepped forward and pulled Cai Ning behind him, smiling harmlessly. "Auntie, this can't be forced. I think this wedding contract is unreasonable too. If the people involved don't like it, why force it?"

Jiang Shan's chest heaved with anger, her finger trembling as she pointed at Yang Chen. "Are you trying to ruin our family before you're satisfied?!"

"I just don't want to regret it later," Yang Chen said, his smile fading. "Though I'm not sure why, I'm strongly opposed to Cai Ning marrying this guy. I caused this mess, and I didn't think it through at the time, making Cai Ning suffer a lot in Yan Capital. But I'm not someone who needs a woman to shield me. This engagement should be canceled, as I said."

Having said his piece, Yang Chen felt a great sense of relief, as if a burden had finally been lifted from his shoulders.

Cai Ning, standing behind Yang Chen, struggled with her emotions but ultimately closed her eyes, resigned to letting fate take its course.

"You'll take responsibility? How? If you had the capability, Ning'er wouldn't have suffered this misfortune! If it weren't for Yan Yan, I'd throw you out right now!" Jiang Shan shouted, her face red with anger.

Yang Chen shrugged, "No problem. Not only will I leave, but he has to leave too," Yang Chen said, nodding toward Yong Ye.

"Yong Ye is the son-in-law I chose. Who are you?!" Jiang Shan sneered.

Finally, Cai Yuncheng, anxious about the confrontation, stepped forward to support his wife. "That's enough. Don't say such harsh words. The children are all here."

Jiang Shan shook off her husband's hand, her eyebrows raised in anger. "So what?! I've been running around trying to protect Ning'er, and now this shameless guy wants to ruin everything. How can I not speak my mind?!"

Yong Ye, seeing the heated argument and Yang Chen being berated, felt a surge of satisfaction. He suddenly remembered that they were in Yan Capital and he was a member of the Li family. Despite Yang Chen's prowess, he wouldn't dare go against the Li family. Moreover, Cai Ning still had a case hanging over her. Without his family's protection, she would have been imprisoned long ago.

Feeling confident, Yong Ye stepped forward and said with a smirk, "Exactly, Uncle Cai. The marriage has been agreed upon by both families. How can it be so easily changed? We can't let an outsider disrupt things. Uncle Cai, if you support Yang Chen, it will be difficult for our family to accept."

Before Yong Ye could finish, Yang Chen moved swiftly, appearing behind him and locking his arm around Yong Ye's neck, choking him tightly.

"Urgh—"

Yong Ye didn't even have time to react before his airway was cut off, his face turning beet red as he struggled to breathe.

The scene quickly turned from a verbal confrontation to one of violence.

"Ah!" Jiang Shan screamed. She hadn't expected Yang Chen to act so swiftly and aggressively.

Under Yang Chen's pressure, Yong Ye, who had some martial skills, was rendered completely helpless. Feeling the lethal intent emanating from Yang Chen, he was on the verge of passing out from fear.

Handling Yong Ye like a puppet, Yang Chen maneuvered his body around and faced Jiang Shan. "Auntie, you seem to misunderstand something. The reason I listened to you isn't because I fear you or care about you. It's simply because you're my woman's mother.

When I said the engagement should end, I wasn't asking for your approval. I wasn't posing a question. What I say goes. It doesn't need anyone's agreement.

Because you're Yan Yan's mother, I won't kill you. But this guy has nothing to do with me. Killing him would be even easier than killing Zeng Mao back then."

Jiang Shan felt a chill run through her body when she saw the sharp glint in Yang Chen's eyes. Instinctively, she believed Yang Chen would truly kill someone on the spot.

Cai Yuncheng also became tense, his voice steady, "Yang Chen, don't be impulsive. Killing Yong Ye won't benefit anyone."

"General Cai, whether he lives or dies depends on his choice," Yang Chen sneered, turning to Yong Ye and asking, "Hey, let me ask you again. Do you still want to take wedding photos and marry Cai Ning?"

Yong Ye, feeling his neck on the verge of breaking, struggled to breathe. Marrying or not was the least of his concerns; surviving was paramount. Hoarsely, he rasped, "N-No, I don't want to marry her."

Jiang Shan's face turned pale. She hadn't expected Yong Ye to lack the courage to resist and simply push everything away.

Although she knew Yong Ye wasn't exactly a paragon of strength, she hadn't anticipated that a young man with Li family blood would be so cowardly. However, considering that he was being strangled by someone with a reputation for countless kills, his fear wasn't entirely unjustified.

Despite his obsession with Cai Ning, Yong Ye didn't truly love her enough to risk his life. If he could survive, there were plenty of other women to enjoy. He wasn't foolish enough to die for this.

Yang Chen smiled in satisfaction. "See, if you cooperated from the start, things wouldn't have gotten this far." With that, he released Yong Ye, who stumbled away, too scared to say anything and bolted out the door without looking back.

Jiang Shan tried to call Yong Ye back, but he didn't dare stop.

Cai Yuncheng sighed. "Forget it. This marriage wasn't reliable to begin with. Since Yong Ye himself said he doesn't want to marry, let's pretend it never happened."

"What do you mean 'not reliable'?! You don't understand anything!" Jiang Shan shrieked. "If Yong Ye doesn't marry Ning'er, what will we do if the military tribunal comes down on us? Can you save Ning'er then?"

Cai Yuncheng remained silent, turning his gaze to Yang Chen.

Yang Chen shrugged. "Worst case, I'll just strangle the judge and make him declare Cai Ning innocent. It wouldn't be the first time I've done something like that."

"Hmph, do you think Yan Capital is your playground? Just wait for the Li family's retaliation! When Yong Ye's cousin Li Dun comes, let's see how he deals with you. I've heard Li Dun is back in Yan Capital already!" Jiang Shan sneered, "Yang Chen, don't blame the Cai family for being heartless. You brought this trouble upon yourself. Don't drag us into it!"

"Shut up!" Cai Yuncheng scolded. "When did the Cai family's affairs become yours to decide?"

"And should we rely on a weakling like you?!" Jiang Shan retorted.

Seeing her parents about to quarrel, Cai Ning felt helpless and saddened. She turned away and quietly left the living room, not wanting to stay any longer.

Yang Chen felt a pang of sorrow. Living in such a family, it was no wonder Cai Ning developed her reserved personality. Her father was conservative, and her mother acted recklessly without knowing the full truth. She had to manage everything herself, often sacrificing her own needs to help her father or take care of her sister.

Yang Chen hesitated for a moment, deciding to leave the arguing couple behind and follow Cai Ning.

He walked through the hallway behind the living room to a small courtyard paved with stone slabs, where he saw Cai Ning standing alone under a phoenix tree, staring up at the sky.

Sunlight filtered through the branches, casting warm rays on her face, which appeared serene and detached, like a marble statue bathed in sunlight.

A complex mix of emotions welled up in Yang Chen's heart as he stood behind her for a long time before asking, "Are you alright?"

Cai Ning turned around, unexpectedly showing a faint smile. "Why?"

"Huh?"

"Why didn't you let me go?" Cai Ning tilted her head slightly, asking again.