Hades, the Urban Legend

Chapter 650: Chapter 653: Competing Downwards

These two lines of poetry are from Du Fu's "Guest Arrives." Although Yang Chen had never attended school, his photographic memory allowed him to store countless pieces of information over the years, making it easy for him to recall them.

The general meaning is that the host had never swept the flower path for guests, but today, it was swept just for you. The thatched gate had never been opened for guests, but today it is open for you.

The implication for himself was obvious: Yang Gongming was expressing sincerity, hoping he would acknowledge his heritage and return to the Yang family.

Yang Chen had considered the benefits of returning to the Yang family, but he knew he would inevitably have to face Yang Pojun and Yang Lie. He wasn't masochistic enough to try and build a good relationship with those two. If not for Guo Xuehua and Yang Gongming, or Yan San Niang at the time, he couldn't guarantee he wouldn't have killed them already.

Yang Chen suddenly missed Lin Ruoxi, who was far away in Zhonghai. Lin always gave him a clear perspective on family issues, but unfortunately, she wasn't here now.

After staring at the two lines of poetry in the pavilion for a long time, Yang Chen carefully put away the scroll and slowly made his way down the hill, took a bus into the city, and then hailed a taxi back to the Cai family home.

Although he could have used his cultivation to return to the Cai family in an instant, Yang Chen didn't want to do that. He wasn't in a hurry, and he didn't want to constantly appear like a ghost. He believed Yan San Niang would also have chosen regular transportation if it wasn't urgent to prove Yang Chen's identity at the Cai family.

Living in ordinary society, Yang Chen didn't think instant movement was something worth showing off. It would only make him lose much of the flavor of life. Just like a super-rich person wouldn't need to wear clothes worth billions, that's something only nouveau riche people would do.

By the time he returned to the Cai family, it was already evening. The courtyard was bathed in the red glow of the setting sun.

When Yang Chen walked into the living room, he saw his mother-in-law, Jiang Shan, and Cai Yun Cheng talking on the sofa. Feeling a bit embarrassed, he scratched the back of his head. He had already made Jiang Shan furious by being with Cai Yan, and now, having Cai Ning by his side, he wondered if she would chase him with a kitchen knife.

"Yang Chen, why are you back so late? We were worried about you!" Jiang Shan suddenly beamed, her face glowing with a smile, and she quickly walked over to Yang Chen, looking at him with an affectionate expression. "You're not still mad at your aunt, are you? If need be, I can cook you something good as an apology. We're all family, and you're a grown man. Don't be so petty."

Yang Chen was dumbfounded, as if he had swallowed a fly. After a while, he slapped his own face to make sure he wasn't dreaming, then smiled awkwardly, "Auntie, what's going on?"

Jiang Shan rolled her eyes at him, "What's wrong? You made yourself seem like an outsider without explaining things. I was upset you didn't see us as family!"

"Ah?" Yang Chen was even more confused.

Ignoring his confusion, Jiang Shan smiled and said, "Look at you, so silly. You seem quite honest, a bit rough, but an honest child nonetheless. As the mother of Ning'er and Yan Yan, I approve of you. But you must treat them well and not let my daughters suffer, understand?"

Yang Chen was dumbfounded, his mouth agape. Honestly, even if Ares, that brute who only knows how to fight, came to him saying he wanted to 'go straight,' Yang Chen wouldn't be as shocked.

Jiang Shan seemed to grow more fond of Yang Chen the more she looked at him. In the end, she even patted his shoulder in a very parental manner, saying, "I'll go prepare dinner and make some delicious food for you all. Spend some time talking to your uncle."

Watching Jiang Shan leave, Yang Chen almost collapsed with weak knees.

Cai Yun Cheng shook his head helplessly at his wife's departure, then saw Yang Chen's dazed look and sighed, "Are you happy or scared silly?"

Yang Chen swallowed hard, "Both."

"Don't be surprised. When you went out earlier, the Li Xian couple came back and happened to run into your aunt. They said the engagement was canceled, and the military tribunal will handle it properly, so Ning'er won't have any burden. They also mentioned that the two families should get closer in the future. Your aunt knew about your status in the Yang family, which is why she changed her attitude. Ah, I didn't see it back then, and now I can only regret marrying such a woman," Cai Yuncheng said with a look of regret. Yang Chen rolled his eyes, thinking to himself, "So the Yang family status is so useful?"

"Of course," Cai Yuncheng seemed to seize the opportunity to add fuel to the fire, "You left Yanxia when you were young and don't understand the influence of the Four Great Families. In Yandu, anyone related to the Four Families is not someone ordinary people can provoke. Just take the current members of the Politburo Standing Committee, aside from the Secretary-General, who is always fair and doesn't let people from the Four Families take office, each one is attached to a family. You could say that most of the major decisions in Yanxia are actually made through votes from the Four Great Families. Although your aunt is a woman, she was born and raised in Yandu. She knows very well the weight you'd carry if you were the Yang family's eldest grandson and later inherited the Yang family. Moreover, being at the top of the pyramid, having multiple wives and concubines is not uncommon. After all, the Yang family has always wanted to expand its lineage."

Yang Chen touched his nose, thinking that just the benefit of easing his emotional life was quite tempting. It seemed he really needed to find a chance to visit the Yang family. As for the ease with which Cai Ning's matter was resolved, it was unexpected but good, as it meant no effort was needed.

Just as Yang Chen was about to sit down and chat with Cai Yuncheng, Cai Ning and Cai Yan came out from behind. Seeing how friendly the two sisters looked, it seemed there had been no unpleasantness, which relieved Yang Chen. Cai Yan showed no restraint because of her father's presence. She directly sat on Yang Chen's lap, wrapped her arms around his neck, and said with a playful smile, "Pervert, let's go out to eat!"

Yang Chen awkwardly glanced at Cai Yuncheng, who was frowning, and then at Cai Ning, who was standing by with a smile. He said, "Can't you be a bit more reserved? You keep doing this and I'll get embarrassed. Besides, your mom went to cook, why are we going out?"

"It's such a festive day, of course, we have to go out and have some fun! You don't have any money for dining, right? Don't worry, sister will pay," Cai Yan insisted, standing up and pulling Yang Chen towards the door.

Yang Chen couldn't resist this mischievous girl and turned to ask Cai Ning, "Are you going too?"

Cai Ning nodded slightly, "Yes, Yan Yan said we should celebrate that I've gotten through the tough times."

Yang Chen realized this was a sufficient reason. Cai Yuncheng coughed twice and said sternly to Cai Yan, "Going out to eat is fine, but don't make a mess just because you're back in Yandu."

Cai Yan made a face at her father, "Hmph, it's rare for me to be back in Yandu after so many years. What mess can I make?"

Cai Yuncheng seemed helpless and dejectedly waved his hand, indicating he wouldn't stop them. The three of them went out, got into Yang Chen's car, and Cai Yan quickly took the front passenger seat. Before even buckling up, she said, "Search for 'Yunxiao Building' on G."

"Yunxiao Building? What kind of place is that?" Yang Chen asked curiously. "Is it a restaurant? What kind of cuisine?"

Cai Yan giggled, "It's a place where you can eat, drink, sing, and dance."

Yang Chen realized and rolled his eyes, "A nightclub?"

"Hmm, it's more of a high-end club. You can't get in without a membership card," Cai Yan said proudly.

Yang Chen grumbled, "Then why did you say we were going to eat just now?"

"Dumb, I wouldn't bother lying to you. If I said we were going to a nightclub, Dad would definitely not allow it! Plus, my dad doesn't like girls drinking," Cai Yan said with a bit of reluctance.

Yang Chen thought maybe Cai Yan should be paired with Tang Tang rather than Cai Ning. But after considering that there wasn't anything urgent to handle with the Tang family and that Cai Ning's matter had been resolved well, and Hu Lin had already visited, he figured it was time to head back to Zhonghai. Before leaving Yandu, he might as well relax a bit.

On the way, Yang Chen asked curiously, "What did you two sisters talk about all afternoon?"

Cai Yan smiled, "Do you want to know?"

Yang Chen nodded vigorously.

"Not telling you," Cai Yan wrinkled her delicate nose and said.

Yang Chen felt embarrassed and looked at Cai Ning, indicating her to speak up. But Cai Ning just gazed out the car window, not even glancing at Yang Chen.

Yang Chen immediately grew worried. Were these two sisters plotting how to deal with him in the future? It seemed he needed to take the initiative and find a chance to get them both into bed first.

Lost in these nonsensical thoughts, the three followed the navigation and arrived at the spacious parking lot in front of Yunxiao Building.

To set up such a nightclub in Yandu city, one would need strong connections; otherwise, it would be impossible. Moreover, the parking lot itself was a prime location, indicating the luxuriousness inside.

The car pulled up directly to the nightclub's entrance, where a valet promptly opened the door and took the car to park. Cai Yan seemed to come here often and casually handed a hundred-yuan tip to the valet.

Yang Chen chuckled, "Be honest, Director Cai, you must have embezzled quite a bit in your daily work."

Cai Yan linked her arm with Yang Chen's and said innocently, "Darling, it's not like you wouldn't reimburse the money spent. I'm already yours, isn't that enough?"

Yang Chen's facial muscles twitched, glancing at Cai Ning, who seemed to be holding back a smile, and said, "Ning'er, why don't you hold my other arm? It's the same amount of money spent anyway."

Cai Ning, however, couldn't bring herself to make such a familiar gesture. She pursed her lips and went ahead into the building.

Unexpectedly, just a few steps in, a man's voice called out urgently from behind:

"Wait! Wait! Let me come in with you!"

Hearing that familiar voice, Yang Chen felt a headache coming on. He turned around and said, "Why are you always lurking around?" The newcomer was Li Dun, dressed in a seemingly average shirt, looking far from high-end. The young man, as always, wore a silly grin and said, "I just went to the Cai family to look for you, intending to invite you for drinks tonight. When I found out you were coming out, I chased after you. Heh heh, Yunxiao Building is so upscale; I need to save my pocket money to pursue Tang Xin, so if someone's treating, I naturally have to stick close."

Yang Chen had seen through Li Dun's stinginess and was too lazy to deal with him. Cai Yan, however, recognized Li Dun and said coldly, "If Young Master Li wants to eat, drink, and have fun, all the fees are waived for you. No need to use our Yang Chen's hard-earned money."

Yang Chen almost fell over. Well, now his money had become "hard-earned money."

Li Dun, with his thick skin, showed no reaction. "I heard Cai Ning managed to break away from my useless cousin and ended up with a good match. Of course, I have to come to celebrate."

Seeing him supporting Cai Ning rather than Yongye's brother, Cai Ning felt a bit embarrassed, her usually calm face showing a hint of blush.

Once inside, instead of going to a private room as Cai Yan intended, they went straight to the largest dance hall on the ground floor, planning to find a spot and enjoy the night's lively music and dance.

Cai Ning obviously wasn't going to dance, but perhaps due to her usual tasks, she was accustomed to such places and seemed unaffected.

As the four of them walked past the dance floor and reached a light-blue sofa area, many men and women cast curious glances. The main reason was, of course, the Cai sisters' beauty, which stood out even in a high-end club filled with gorgeous women.

However, when some high-profile youths realized that the man following them was the rarely seen Li Dun, their attention shifted from the women. Many of them, knowing that opportunities to meet the second young master of the Four Great Families were rare, started to prepare to approach him, trying not to displease him. As for Yang Chen, who was unfamiliar to everyone, many speculated that he might be a young scion from a prominent family in another province.

Once seated, Cai Yan swiftly ordered a large amount of food and drinks and then eagerly ran to the dance floor, joining the young men and women dancing energetically.

Seeing Yang Chen's dazed expression, Cai Ning smiled and said, "You should know that Yan Yan is very energetic. When she's in Zhonghai, as a police officer, she can't go to dance halls because of concerns about public opinion. She's always held back, so every time she returns to Yandu, she makes time to come to nightclubs."

Yang Chen was slightly distracted but soon allowed Cai Yan to enjoy herself. Looking at the table full of drinks, cakes, and fruits, he patted his empty stomach and began to eat and drink heartily.

Li Dun was even less reserved, pouring himself a glass of whiskey and ordering a steak from the waiter. The noisy party atmosphere around him didn't affect his dining experience at all.

Cai Ning quietly nibbled on grapes, remaining silent and not joining in the fun, as if she was in another world.

Yang Chen, chewing on cake, looked at her and said, "Ning'er, why don't you go down and join your sister? It's boring for us two men to eat here while you're just watching."

"I won't," Cai Ning shook her head.

"What's so hard about it? Just dance a bit randomly. Look at Yan Yan's moves, she looks like a clumsy bear. With your lightness skills, you'd look better even if you just did a few moves," Yang Chen said with a smile.

Cai Ning still shook her head, her expression calm and indifferent.

Yang Chen sighed, "Actually, I've wanted to say this before. I'm already aging faster than I should. How come you look even older than me, almost like an old granny? If you keep this up, you'll be outshined by your sister."

Cai Ning asked in confusion, "What do I lack compared to Yan Yan?"

"Well," Yang Chen said with a grin, "you should be confident about such matters."

"Isn't that so? Am I less beautiful than Yan Yan, less good-looking?" Cai Ning looked somewhat unhappy, clearly displeased at Yang Chen's comparison with her younger sister.

Yang Chen said, "At least there's one thing Yan Yan excels at that you completely lack."

"What?" Cai Ning blinked, asking.

Even Li Dun, chewing on his steak, looked up curiously, licking his lips, eager to hear what Yang Chen would say.

Yang Chen put down what he was holding, leaned closer to Cai Ning's ear, and whispered, "Darling, can you be coquettish?"