Hades, the Urban Legend

Chapter 128: Not a Math Problem

The little secret was unexpectedly exposed, but Lin Ruoxi didn't behave like other girls, shy and avoiding eye contact. Though her face flushed red, she immediately regained her composure, snatching the beautifully crafted "guidebook" from Yang Chen's hands and saying, "What are you staring at? It's not like it's for you."

Yang Chen, with a smile playing on his lips, didn't respond but picked up another book Lin Ruoxi had bought, with a more straightforward title: "100 Rules for Couples' Interaction."

"You..." Lin Ruoxi, caught off guard, bit her lip and snatched it back, tucking it into her arms. "Hurry up and drive, I'll get in first!"

With that, Lin Ruoxi swiftly got into the car like a gust of wind, slamming the door shut with a bang.

Yang Chen rubbed his nose, finding the scene somewhat amusing. He hadn't expected Lin Ruoxi to buy such two books; they didn't seem like her style at all.

On the way back home, Lin Ruoxi resumed her indifferent expression, even colder than when they had arrived. She didn't say a word, unsure of what to say. She just wanted to get home, lock herself in her room, and disappear under the covers.

Seeing her tense demeanor as if facing a formidable foe, Yang Chen couldn't help but laugh and say, "Why take it so seriously? They're just two books about marriage, not forbidden literature. There's no need to hide them."

Suddenly, Lin Ruoxi flicked the turn signal, pulled over by the dimly lit quiet street under the streetlights, and turned off the engine.

Surrounding them was a pedestrian street lined with small shops, now silent in the night, devoid of pedestrians or vehicles, eerily tranquil.

The car lights automatically came on, casting a soft yellow glow on Lin Ruoxi's cold face, adding a hint of haze.

"Is it funny to you?" Lin Ruoxi suddenly asked in a clear voice.

Yang Chen was puzzled by the sudden stop and the question. He asked in bewilderment, "What's funny?"

Thinking he was pretending not to understand, Lin Ruoxi bitterly laughed, "Do you think I'm stupid, that I don't even know how to be a wife, how to get along with a man?"

Yang Chen was taken aback for a moment. He was about to say "no," but suddenly, thinking about their interactions in recent days, it seemed like they weren't getting along well. Yet, Yang Chen didn't solely blame Lin Ruoxi. Instead, being asked this question made him reflect on what was missing between them. Lin Ruoxi assumed his silence as agreement, with a hint of bitterness in her eyes. "Do you know, just now at the bookstore, seeing the elderly couple, although it felt poignant, I envied them. Even though Mrs. Zhao can't even remember her husband's name anymore, Mr. Zhao still accompanies her, setting aside everything to be by her side, accompanying her through her last days. I envy them..."

"You're still young, why think about these things?" Yang Chen said.

"People always grow old, and everyone wants a place to belong," Lin Ruoxi continued, "I'm thinking, if one day I can't move anymore, if my mind becomes muddled, will you still be by my side?"

"Of course, we're married," Yang Chen said with a smile, "I still have that quality."

Lin Ruoxi shook her head, "For now, but what about in the future?"

Yang Chen felt strange, "What do you mean by 'for now, but not in the future'? Isn't it the rule of your Lin family that you can only have one spouse? Are you thinking of changing husbands?"

Although their relationship had always been mediocre, even not so good, if one day Lin Ruoxi suddenly said she wanted to be with another man, Yang Chen felt he would definitely kill that man, regardless of morals or ethics, he just couldn't bear it.

"I've said it before, I'm not a part of the Lin family, that old man has nothing to do with me! I didn't marry you because of that ridiculous rule!" Lin Ruoxi said with some anger, her tone solemn.

Yang Chen chuckled, "You're not using me as a shield, are you? The contract was for two years, I think my usefulness as a shield has pretty much expired."

Lin Ruoxi shook her head slightly, "I admit that I lied to you back then, but that was only a small part of the reason."

"What other reason is there?" Yang Chen asked.

Lin Ruoxi suddenly blushed, pursing her lips, "I... I'm a very conservative person."

The atmosphere in the car instantly became ambiguous. Yang Chen suppressed a smile and pretended to be serious as he asked, "Uh... I didn't quite catch that... could you say it again?"

Lin Ruoxi gritted her teeth, annoyed by this man's antics once again. Summoning up her courage, Lin Ruoxi decided to go all out.

"I said it! I'm a conservative woman!" Lin Ruoxi raised her voice, each word clear, "My grandmother taught me from a young age to be faithful to one person. I can't bear to give my first time to a stranger!"

Yang Chen laughed, looking at the woman who was now fuming, "There's nothing to be ashamed of. You could have just said it earlier."

"Don't pretend to be understanding. You must think I'm a foolish woman," Lin Ruoxi said softly, "In this day and age, I still care so much about the so-called first time, but I just can't help it. I can't ignore everything that happened, even if I later found out you were a skewer seller... I still wanted to marry you."

Yang Chen fell silent, looking at the woman who seemed crestfallen, he asked, "Do you regret that decision?"

Unexpectedly, Lin Ruoxi shook her head, "At first, yes. You were crude, a ruffian, not ambitious, and your speech wasn't proper... completely different from the partner I had dreamt of... but since the day you rescued me from the warehouse at the port, I had already decided to spend my life with you."

"Being tied up in that warehouse at the port, I thought to myself, maybe this is the chance given by fate for me to make a choice. If you were timid and hadn't found a way to rescue us, then everything for me would have been lost, and even Qianni wouldn't have a good outcome. So I made a bet with myself. If you came, then I wouldn't dwell on regrets, no matter how you treated me in the future. As long as you didn't divorce me, I would walk through the rest of my days with you. If you didn't come, then it meant my life was destined for such tragedy. Anyway, my life wouldn't have much meaning, it would be bitter and exhausting..."

"What do you mean life wouldn't have meaning? You have such a big company, so many employees who adore you, you're more beautiful than anyone, just a glance from you can make a man ecstatic, you're wealthy, how can you say life has no meaning?" Yang Chen asked with emotion.

Lin Ruoxi gave him a cold glance and said softly, "When I was young, it was just my grandmother and my mother at home, none of the men in our family wanted us. By the time I went to college, my grandmother left me, and later, my mother left me too. Only Wang Ma was left in the house to accompany me. I didn't finish college and dropped out to start managing Yulei. These years, there hasn't been a single day where I could sleep peacefully. And that's not all, my biological father even teamed up with others to come after me, cursing me... What's the use of having money? What's the use of being beautiful? Envious people only think I achieved what I have by trading my body, they only focus on my appearance and ignore my hard work. You know, even after my birthday this year, I'm only twenty-three. Girls around my age are still studying in college, having fun, dating, reading romance novels, watching Korean dramas, dreaming of being the female lead... and me? I can't play when I want to, can't wear what I want. Every day I'm facing an empty office, looking at reports filled with data and dense text, attending meetings with a group of conniving company executives, and paying thousands of employees... When the stock market is good, I have to urge the people below not to slack off; when sales are down, I have to pretend to be calm and encourage them not to lose heart..."

The lights in the car had automatically dimmed, in the darkness, Lin Ruoxi's expression couldn't be seen clearly, only two lines of tears seemed exceptionally vivid.

Yang Chen slowly reached out, intending to wipe away her tears, but Lin Ruoxi immediately turned her head away, wiping her tears herself, leaving Yang Chen's hand hanging in the air.

"You don't need to pity me, I know what I'm doing. My grandmother told me that women shouldn't rely on men. That man abandoned my grandmother, so she founded Yulei International and built it to its current scale. I don't expect you to treat me well. I know I might be a competent company manager, but definitely not a good wife. If you don't like me, I won't resent you," Lin Ruoxi said.

"Who said I don't like you? Would I marry you if I didn't like you?" Yang Chen frowned.

Lin Ruoxi fell silent for a moment, "You don't understand me. Even if you like me, it's only for my appearance. But it doesn't matter. Although I don't know how to be a good woman or wife, I can read, I can learn. I believe that one day, I will become a good wife."

Yang Chen chuckled, "This isn't a math problem, reading books won't solve it, right?"

"Then what should I do?" Lin Ruoxi frowned, feeling somewhat lost. This question was much more complex for a young female CEO than financial issues.

Yang Chen spoke with earnestness, "Let's not talk about that for now, Ruoxi. You said you're willing to walk with me because I went to save you that day, but that's not a good reason. The only reason I want my wife to be with me is because she loves me, loves me so much she can't bear to leave. Your reason isn't love, it's gratitude towards me. I don't need your gratitude. I saved you because you're my woman, do you understand?"

"I'm not a little girl. I make judgments very rationally," Lin Ruoxi defended.

"Because you are rational, that's why it's wrong! There's no rational love, only rational responsibility!" Yang Chen retorted.

Lin Ruoxi remained silent, seemingly pondering the meaning behind his words, but her pitiful love cells couldn't grasp these matters at all.

Yang Chen continued, "Just like today, when you saw Mr. and Mrs. Zhao, that elderly couple, lifelong companions who never left each other, you felt envious and longing for that kind of love, sparking your desire for married life. This is a good thing, a common human sentiment. Actually, I also hope to spend my life with you, as you said. Perhaps I like your appearance, or maybe I feel responsible towards you, to be a good husband. I'm not entirely sure myself.

But I am certain that even if our contract marriage expires, as long as you don't leave me, I won't leave you voluntarily, not in this lifetime. That's a promise from the man I can be to you.

Just now, when you said you wanted to be a good wife, I was glad, but the method you chose, learning how to be a wife from books, is quite absurd. Do you think Mrs. Zhao or Mr. Zhao lived their lives according to theories from books?"

Lin Ruoxi shook her head. She also felt that it was not very realistic and asked, "Then what should I do?"

"Follow your feelings. There's no theory in love."

"Feelings? How do I know if I have feelings?" Lin Ruoxi began to feel a headache again.

Yang Chen chuckled, "Love, between us, is a peculiar situation. Usually, men and women fall in love first, have passion, and then there's marriage, and responsibility. But what about us? We had marriage and responsibility first. You have to be responsible for your life, and I have to be responsible for my actions. Perhaps there's a responsibility of spouses between us, but lacking the love between a man and a woman."

"Love... falling in love?" Lin Ruoxi's ears burned upon hearing the word. "I... I don't understand how to fall in love..."

"Well... actually, I don't understand it either..." Yang Chen scratched the back of his head. He really didn't understand. His previous women were all brought to him, and the women around him now didn't mention having boyfriends or girlfriends, only lovers.

Lin Ruoxi sighed, "Then why did you say so much? It's all nonsense."

"Well, there might be a way..." Yang Chen whispered, glancing at the woman in front of him and enjoying the unique fragrance emanating from Lin Ruoxi's body.

"What way?" Lin Ruoxi asked curiously.

Yang Chen cleared his throat and carefully chose his words, saying, "I think... we should seek the love between a man and a woman from a primitive perspective. What do I mean by primitive perspective? It's the physical contact between bodies, the idea of 'I am in you, you are in me'... the harmony of yin and yang, the blending of spirit and flesh... For example, right now, in this car, there are some things we could do... um... Ruoxi, you understand what I mean, right..."

Gradually, in the darkness, Lin Ruoxi's breathing became suppressed, and a cold gleam flashed in her watery eyes...

"You pervert!"

Lin Ruoxi seemed quite enraged, scolding him, and immediately started the car, shifting into sport mode, and slamming on the accelerator!

"Whoa!"

The Mercedes-Benz darted off like a small cannon!

"Hey! Hey! Don't get excited! Why are you driving so fast?!"

"Mind your own business!"

"Sister, did I say something wrong? Can you slow down a bit? We're going to crash!"

"I'll crash and kill you, you lecherous scoundrel!"

"If you crash and kill me, could you at least release the handbrake first?"

"I don't need you to tell me!"

"Damn it! You're the real road killer!"

The crimson taillights traced electric arcs through the night, disappearing at the end of the dark road.