Hades, the Urban Legend

Chapter 681: Chapter 684: The Mole

Face to face, close enough to feel each other's breath.

Yang Chen stared intently, "Mo Qianni, look me in the eyes. If you truly have no feelings for me, then don't be afraid to meet my gaze."

Mo Qianni bit her lip, trying to turn her head, but it was as if her neck was stuck, making it hard to move.

Finally, she shook her head slightly and said softly, "Yang Chen, please, just leave. I'm not worth all this. I'm just an ordinary woman from a small village, with no status, no background. For me, repaying the kindness of the former president and helping Ruoxi manage the company well is already a precious blessing. What happened between us was just a moment of madness. We weren't meant to be so entangled. The more I'm with you, the more guilt and remorse I feel. I can't face those who have helped and cared for me, nor can I face Ruoxi with a clear conscience. The gap between us is too great. You are extraordinary, and I am too ordinary. Cherish those around you and let me go, okay? We can't be together."

Yang Chen scoffed, "Mo Qianni, is that what your love is worth? Ordinary or extraordinary? Ha, if you fell in love with a man who sells lamb skewers, would it be because of his background? You're just looking for an excuse."

Mo Qianni suddenly turned her head sharply, breaking free from Yang Chen's hands. She stood up and looked up at Yang Chen, tears glistening in her eyes, "Love? What is love? For some people, love is important because they don't have anything else to worry about. But some people lose their family, career, and dignity for love, even when they know it's not right. Do you think that's right? You're more naive and romantic than I imagined. If you think a ruthless love fool is more attractive than a real, flesh-and-blood woman, then I will still reject you!"

The air seemed to be filled with a chilling cold, making Yang Chen feel cold to his bones.

Her words were like sharp daggers, piercing his very soul.

Yang Chen painfully looked at her face, seeing the red lines in her eyes. She must not have rested well these past few days.

Yang Chen gave a bitter smile, "I never thought about keeping you by my side at all costs, but why won't you even give me a chance to resolve this?"

"A chance?" Mo Qianni laughed at herself, "Do you know what it takes to give you a chance? That day, after watching the moon with you on the balcony, my mother took a bottle of sleeping pills and told me that if I didn't cut ties with you, she would die right in front of me!"

Yang Chen's face turned ashen, unable to believe that Mo Qianni had faced such a situation that night.

"I was raised by my mother. She spent most of her life alone in that small village, bullied by those once-wealthy people. She's my only family. How could I abandon her for the so-called 'love' you speak of?" Mo Qianni's tears flowed like a broken string of pearls as she weakly covered her face.

Yang Chen stood there, stunned, his expression changing. After a long time, he said hoarsely, "Call me cold-hearted, call me cruel, say whatever you want. I will convince your mother. All I ask is that you don't give up on us first, okay? For me, there are only two kinds of women in this world: those I play with and those I give my heart to. If everything you're saying and doing is to test whether I would change my feelings for you because of these issues, then give it up. I've gained so much in my life that I wouldn't truly feel I've lost something just because a woman I play with leaves me. I'm still here. Isn't that enough proof?"

Mo Qianni stopped crying and looked at Yang Chen with tear-filled eyes, silent and dazed.

Yang Chen grabbed her shoulders firmly and declared, "I can tolerate your tantrums, your coldness, your anger! But if you're a woman who doesn't even dare to try to save our love, who can't even look me in the eye, then why should I keep coming here two or three times a day every day for a week to warm your cold heart with my sincerity? Why should I spend so many days worrying and feeling uneasy for you?! So don't give up yet. Believe in me, okay?"

In the quiet office, only the sound of their breaths could be heard.

Yang Chen's intense gaze made Mo Qianni feel weak and drained.

After a long time, Mo Qianni turned her head and chuckled softly, "You haven't changed at all. Whether it was the first time you confronted me in my office or now, you never back down, even when I want to retreat."

A hint of joy appeared in Yang Chen's eyes, and he smiled, "I never restrict your movements, whether advancing or retreating. But even if you retreat, I will catch you in my arms."

Mo Qianni's tears turned to laughter, "You're good at making people happy. Try to get my mom's approval first, otherwise, you won't get anywhere."

Yang Chen gently wiped the tears from her cheek, holding her soft face in his hands, "Let's not talk about anything else for now. It's almost noon. Let's go out for lunch. You've lost weight, and that's not good."

Mo Qianni pouted and pinched Yang Chen's stomach, "You're not serious for even a few sentences. How can my mom agree to this if you're like this?"

Yang Chen laughed heartily and grabbed her hand, leading her out.

Temporarily easing Mo Qianni's worries, Yang Chen felt much lighter. As for convincing Ma Guifang, he would figure it out.

They took the elevator directly to the underground garage and drove Mo Qianni's car to the commercial district in the city center.

To cheer her up, Yang Chen chose a Sichuan restaurant, knowing that Mo Qianni rarely got to eat spicy food at the company.

They ordered a large table of dishes, including spicy fish, smoked duck, and husband-and-wife lung slices, nearly ten hot and cold dishes.

Seeing the table full of red, fragrant dishes, Mo Qianni laughed helplessly, "I can't eat all this. I appreciate your intention, but this is too much."

Yang Chen chuckled, "That's what I'm here for. Just eat what you like, and I'll finish the rest. Nothing will go to waste."

Mo Qianni picked up a piece of fish-flavored shredded pork and held it to Yang Chen's mouth, "Open up!"

Yang Chen quickly ate it, biting down on the chopsticks as well.

Mo Qianni was startled, "Why are you biting the chopsticks? Let go."

Yang Chen grinned and let go, chewing as he said, "Even your chopsticks taste good."

Mo Qianni couldn't help but laugh, tears of laughter in her eyes, knowing he was doing everything he could to make her happy.

After a sweet and happy lunch, Yang Chen paid the bill, and they left the restaurant. With nothing else to do that afternoon, they decided to stroll around the commercial street.

With her worries eased, Mo Qianni felt more cheerful, walking leisurely arm-in-arm with Yang Chen, enjoying their rare time together.

When they passed an arcade, Yang Chen suddenly stopped and looked inside.

Curious, Mo Qianni looked in, seeing all kinds of large game machines—motorcycle racing, flight simulators, shooting games—but nothing particularly special. She wondered why Yang Chen had stopped. Did he want to play?

Yang Chen turned to her, "Qianni, let's go in. I saw something interesting."

Although Mo Qianni wasn't very interested in arcade games, she smiled and agreed, wanting to consider his interests.

After buying some tokens, Yang Chen led her to a corner where an old-fashioned "Whac-A-Mole" game was. This simple game required no skill, just whacking the moles that popped up with a hammer. Many played it just to relieve stress.

Mo Qianni asked, puzzled, "You want to play this?"

"Not me," Yang Chen said, handing her the hammer, "You."

"Me?" Mo Qianni looked at the hammer and the popping moles, blushing, "Why do I have to play this?"

Thinking she didn't know how, Yang Chen moved behind her, guiding her arms as they started whacking the moles together, "Just hit them like this. It's simple."

Mo Qianni turned around and laughed, "Honey, I'm asking why you suddenly want me to play Whac-A-Mole. We're not kids anymore."

Yang Chen hesitated for a moment before giving a wry smile, "I feel like you've suffered a lot recently, and it's my fault for not taking better care of you. So I wanted to give you a chance to vent. If you want, I wish you could slap me a few times. But I know you would say you're fine, so just think of these moles as me. Take the hammer and hit them as hard as you want until you feel better."

Hearing this, Mo Qianni stared at the man in front of her, stunned. Her throat felt choked, as if she wanted to say many things but couldn't.

Seeing Mo Qianni not moving, Yang Chen scratched his head, took the hammer from her hand, and said, "Alright, if you can't bring yourself to do it, then I'll help you smash this bad guy!"

With that, Yang Chen started whacking the moles quickly. For him, this game was easy, but he had to control his strength to avoid breaking the machine.

Standing aside, Mo Qianni watched Yang Chen seriously hitting the moles. She took a deep breath, feeling a lump in her throat.

Suddenly, while Yang Chen was focused on the game, he felt arms wrap around his waist from behind. It was Mo Qianni, hugging him tightly.

"What's wrong?" Yang Chen turned around, seeing Mo Qianni looking at him with a pitiful expression. He smiled awkwardly, "It seems like I'm not doing it right. Do you want to try again?"

Mo Qianni shook her head and pleaded softly, "Don't hit them anymore, okay? I forgive that bad guy. Really, I'm very happy now. If you keep hitting the man I love more than myself, it will break my heart."

Yang Chen showed a sly smile, "Really? Then give me a kiss." He pointed to his lips.

"Here?" Mo Qianni glanced around. The arcade was full of people.

"Seems like you're still mad at me," Yang Chen sighed regretfully.

Mo Qianni rolled her eyes at him, gave a charming smile, and stood on her tiptoes to kiss him deeply.

In that corner, the noise of the outside world faded into insignificance. There was only this couple, tightly embracing and kissing, oblivious to everyone else.