Hades, the Urban Legend

Chapter 678: Chapter 681: Do You Really Want It?

After dinner, Guo Xuehua and Wang Ma continued watching their Korean drama downstairs. Yang Chen felt quite helpless; ever since Lin Ruoxi had introduced them to this pastime, they were hooked, as if trapped in a deep mire, unable to extricate themselves.

Not to mention, even the meals now included various types of kimchi, leaving Yang Chen feeling conflicted. Zhenxiu, on the other hand, loved it. With half-Korean blood, despite her dislike for her relatives in Korea, she had a taste for the food.

Seeing that no one was paying attention to him, Yang Chen slowly walked upstairs, planning to go to bed early.

Just as he reached the door, Yang Chen turned around, surprised to see Lin Ruoxi following him with a complex expression.

Seeing Yang Chen turn, Lin Ruoxi hesitated, her eyes darting nervously, as if she had something on her mind but was afraid to speak.

Yang Chen looked her up and down for a moment before smiling mischievously, "Ruoxi dear, are you following me because you were touched by my actions and want to share the bed tonight?"

"Absolutely not!" Lin Ruoxi quickly denied.

"Then what is it? Just say what you need to," Yang Chen said with a helpless smile.

Lin Ruoxi took a deep breath and asked in a clear voice, "Are you planning to go back?"

"Go back?" Yang Chen thought for a moment and laughed, "Back to the Yang family? Yes, I mentioned it during dinner."

"Not that," Lin Ruoxi sighed softly, "I mean, are you planning to return to the Yang family fully?"

The smile on Yang Chen's face faded. He silently looked at her for a moment before asking, "Why do you say that?"

Lin Ruoxi looked away, speaking in a soft voice, "You used to avoid any association with the Yang family as much as possible. But today, you took the initiative to contact someone from the Yang family. That means you're breaking down those barriers yourself. I can't think of any other reason you would do that."

"You don't seem to like the idea of becoming the matriarch of a big family," Yang Chen said with a half-smile.

"I've never had any thoughts of gaining anything from the Yang family," Lin Ruoxi said plainly.

"Don't be so serious. Nothing is set in stone yet; it's just a preliminary plan," Yang Chen said comfortingly.

Lin Ruoxi shook her head, "I know that once you decide on something, you won't change your mind because of others. I'm just worried that if you go back, Yang Lie and Yang Pojun might react aggressively. Even if the old man supports you, it will cause a lot of trouble. After all, they are blood relatives, and if Mom gets caught in the middle, it will be chaotic and difficult for her."

Yang Chen smiled warmly, "How do you know I won't change my mind? I do consider your feelings."

Lin Ruoxi rolled her eyes at him, pouting slightly, "Don't think I don't know. Once you set your mind on something, you don't listen to anyone. Just like today with the agreement. If you really wanted to divorce me, you wouldn't have needed any agreement; you would have just left. You just play little tricks to coax people, without caring about what they think."

Yang Chen rubbed his nose, smiling awkwardly, "So you figured it out, huh?"

"I only realized it later. It was all a trap from the beginning," Lin Ruoxi said with resentment.

"Don't make it sound so bad. I just wanted you to hear me out," Yang Chen chuckled, walking over to Lin Ruoxi. Suddenly, he opened his arms and gently pulled her into an embrace.

The soft body emitted a pleasant fragrance, making Yang Chen close his eyes and breathe in deeply, feeling relaxed.

Lin Ruoxi didn't pull away as she would have before. Although it felt a bit strange, she didn't reject his embrace. Leaning against Yang Chen's chest, she could feel his warm breath on her ear.

Yang Chen's sigh made Lin Ruoxi feel a bit sad.

In the past, if he had held her like this, Yang Chen would definitely have been handsy, but now, he just held her, doing nothing else.

"I know what you're worried about, and I also know that things might be more complicated than we think," Yang Chen said softly. "But some things will come to us even if we don't seek them out. I won't act impulsively. I'm no longer alone. Like you, I cherish the time we spend together as a family."

Lin Ruoxi hesitated for a moment, then tightened her grip around Yang Chen's back.

After a long while, Yang Chen released her, smiling, "Don't worry about these things. They're matters for the men in the family to handle. Focus more on us. Ruoxi, tonight is beautiful; how about you sleep in my room?"

What was meant as a joke took an unexpected turn. Lin Ruoxi looked at him with a complicated expression, as if making a decision. She bit her lip and asked, "Do you really want it?"

Sometimes, when something you've longed for suddenly appears before you, you can be caught completely off guard!

Yang Chen wondered if he had misheard. Stiffly, he asked, "What did you say?"

With a blush spreading across her delicate cheeks and eyes shimmering, Lin Ruoxi softly replied, "If you really want to, I can try tonight."

Saying this seemed to drain all her energy, and she almost melted into the floor. For someone as conservative as her, this was an extreme way of expressing her feelings. Perhaps it was the time they had spent together, or the emotional highs and lows of the day, or the accumulation of feelings over time, but she no longer felt completely averse to such a relationship.

Yang Chen stared at her for a long time before laughing lightly. "I was just joking. We shouldn't rush this. Besides, looking at you, it's clear you're not ready. I said we'd wait until we're prepared and have a wedding. Otherwise, it'll feel like I'm forcing you, and having a marriage certificate means nothing."

Hearing this, Lin Ruoxi felt a wave of emotion. She lifted her head and, to Yang Chen's surprise, leaned forward and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek! Blushing furiously, she immediately turned and ran back to her room.

Yang Chen stood there, touching the spot on his face where she had kissed him, still warm and fragrant.

"Yang Chen, you're such an idiot. Acting all noble and gentlemanly now," he muttered to himself, shaking his head before heading back to his room.

Originally, he planned to lie in bed and watch some news before going to sleep. But with Lin Ruoxi bringing up such matters, it inevitably stirred some thoughts in his mind.

Yang Chen stood for a moment, then walked out to the balcony. The warm night breeze brushed his face, and in the tranquil night sky hung a slender crescent moon, pure and bright as snow.

As he stood there, his peripheral vision caught a flicker of white. Looking to his left, he saw on the nearby balcony of the Rose family's house, a graceful figure leaning against the railing. It was Mo Qianni.

The lonely woman, dressed in a loose white cotton nightgown that reached her knees, had her hair flowing freely in the wind. Her beautiful profile, bathed in moonlight, looked a bit pale and lost.

Sensing someone's gaze, Mo Qianni turned her head and their eyes met.

They silently stared at each other for a long time, not saying a word. The only sound was the wind whistling through the gaps between the houses.

Eventually, Mo Qianni smiled gently, as if finding the silence amusing.

Yang Chen felt a sharp pain in his heart. Though only ten meters apart, it felt like an insurmountable chasm had opened between them. Just weeks ago, they had been passionate lovers.

Yang Chen wanted to say something to Mo Qianni, but before he could speak, she made a gesture for silence.

Mo Qianni shook her head with a smile, perhaps worried about being overheard by Ma Guifang or thinking there was no need for words. Then, she pointed at the moon and turned back to continue gazing at the sky, lost in her thoughts.

Yang Chen watched her for a while, feeling a mix of regret and helplessness. He smiled bitterly, realizing how difficult even talking had become. He turned back to face the sky, joining her in silently admiring the moon.