Hades, the Urban Legend

Chapter 70: I Can

"What's wrong? Can't speak? Do you think you're worthless?" Mo Qianni pressed.

"I'm not arguing with you about this. Think what you want. Besides, it's not like I wanted to get married in the first place. Some things can't be explained in just a few words," Yang Chen said nonchalantly.

Mo Qianni gritted her teeth. "I wanted you to be more ambitious. You're clearly not stupid, even smarter than many others, as evidenced by your proficiency in so many languages. But why can't you make something of yourself, like other young men striving in the workplace? Do you really want to rely on a woman for the rest of your life? Even if Ruo Xi is just using you as a cover for other men, there may come a day when she won't need you anymore. What will you do then?"

"It's not bad to rely on someone," Yang Chen nodded thoughtfully. "I'm driving my wife's car and living in her house now. I think life is pretty good. If one day she doesn't need me by her side anymore, I could just go back and sell lamb skewers."

"You..." Mo Qianni was livid. She was trying to help him out of concern, yet he acted so entitled.

After taking a few deep breaths, Mo Qianni felt her chest loosen a bit. But the more she looked at Yang Chen, the more she felt uncomfortable. So she called out to Xiang Sao, "Xiang Sao, bring two bottles of white spirits, the high-proof ones!"

Xiang Sao was busy cooking, but she smiled and acknowledged Mo Qianni's request.

"White spirits? Isn't that sorghum liquor?" Yang Chen wasn't very familiar with traditional Chinese alcohol.

"Yeah, if I don't drink, I'll be suffocated by you!" Mo Qianni glared at Yang Chen.

Xiang Sao apparently knew that Mo Qianni liked spicy food and could handle her liquor, so the dishes she served were all spicy, with red chili peppers as ingredients. The two bottles of unlabeled white spirits she brought over were obviously cheap but strong liquor.

"Do you drink?" Mo Qianni asked as she opened one of the bottles and looked at Yang Chen.

Yang Chen felt a bit dizzy from the strong aroma of the liquor wafting out. He had tried various foreign liquors abroad and often drank wine, but he rarely touched fiery sorghum liquor like this. Seeing Mo Qianni, who looked like she could hold her liquor well, he couldn't help but smile wryly. "I'll drink a little less. I'm not used to it."

"Not manly at all," Mo Qianni sneered, pouring a small cup for Yang Chen.

Xiang Sao had other guests to attend to, so after chatting with Mo Qianni for a while, she went to other tables. It was just the two of them left in a corner of the food stall, eating spicy Sichuan cuisine and drinking fragrant sorghum liquor.

Night fell, and the lights along the riverbank shimmered.

The bright moon reflected in the water in the sky, adorned with stars, the river rippling, like the Milky Way descending to the mortal world. In the gentle breeze, the hustle and bustle didn't seem too harsh. Yang Chen savored the spicy dishes, sipped the tongue-burning liquor, gradually feeling the enthusiasm of the surroundings, yet his heart felt unusually serene, lost in thought.

Wasn't this the life he longed for? There was wine, there was meat, there were people of all kinds bustling around, feeling the wind blowing, the trees swaying, the sound of water flowing, the chirping of insects—everything seemed so beautiful, so desirable.

After a while, Yang Chen snapped out of his reverie and looked again at Mo Qian Ni sitting across the table, and couldn't help but stare.

Mo Qian Ni had already finished a bottle of white wine, easily more than half a kilogram, her cheeks flushed from intoxication, her delicate and fair skin particularly alluring under the lamplight. The woman's eyes shimmered like a lake, quietly gazing at the dishes on the table, yet she didn't move her chopsticks, just holding onto her wine glass, lost in thought.

"Isn't that enough? Have you always drunk so much?" Yang Chen felt that half a kilogram of high-proof liquor was already quite a lot for a woman.

Mo Qian Ni glanced at Yang Chen with a somewhat coquettish expression, obviously a little drunk, shook her head, and slurred, "I didn't have anyone to accompany me here before, I couldn't drink so much alone."

"Don't you have any friends?" Yang Chen asked curiously.

Mo Qian Ni chuckled lightly, like a blooming flower, "Do you think any of the friends of the Director of the Public Relations Department of Yulei International would like to come to a dirty street stall like this for dinner?"

Yang Chen fell silent. Indeed, with Mo Qian Ni's current status, not to mention whether those people she associated with were genuine friends, how could anyone from that circle come to such a noisy place for a meal for no reason? It would only be seen as lowering their status and losing face, right?

"In that case, I'm honored to be the first person to accompany you here for a meal," Yang Chen said somewhat self-deprecatingly.

"And the first male I've personally invited," Mo Qian Ni said playfully, "I don't go out for dinner with other men."

"Thank goodness it's a street stall; otherwise, if I were seen elsewhere, I'd be public enemy number one among men," Yang Chen said.

"Is it bad? I think the food here is much tastier than those five-star restaurants," Mo Qian Ni grinned, looking quite pleased.

Yang Chen nodded. Although it was spicier, the dishes here had more of a taste of life, which he enjoyed.

As they were talking, Mo Qian Ni's phone vibrated on the table. She elegantly picked up the phone, glanced at the number, her smile freezing momentarily on her face, then she answered the call.

"Mom... Mm... I know, I'll go... Okay... Take care of yourself..."

After calmly hanging up the phone, Mo Qian Ni tossed her phone aside, picked up her glass, and drained the remaining white wine in one gulp.

Yang Chen watched all this unfold, puzzled. "Your mom's call?"

Mo Qian Ni glanced at him and nodded. "Didn't you hear?"

"Is there something urgent?"

"No."

"Do you need any help?"

"No need."

"You don't look so good."

"You're annoying!" Mo Qian Ni frowned impatiently.

Yang Chen awkwardly chuckled. "I'm full. Are you?"

"I'm done. Let's go," Mo Qian Ni said briskly, getting up and grabbing her belongings.

Although Mrs. Xiang repeatedly declined, Mo Qian Ni still paid and even stuffed several hundred yuan bills into Mrs. Xiang's hands, saying it was for her children to buy something to eat. Mrs. Xiang seemed to understand Mo Qian Ni's stubbornness and finally couldn't refuse, reluctantly accepting the money.

The two of them walked back to the parking lot, and along the way, Mo Qian Ni seemed somewhat absent-minded, walking ahead without saying a word.

When they reached where the car was parked, the gravel ground looked serene and empty under the dim streetlights.

Suddenly, Mo Qian Ni turned around, her watery eyes fixed on Yang Chen. In the darkness, her beautiful face seemed a bit weary.

"What's wrong?" Yang Chen felt that something was off with Mo Qian Ni, but he couldn't decipher a woman's mind, so he just stayed silent beside her.

"Can I hug you..."

"What?"

Before Yang Chen could respond, Mo Qian Ni stepped forward, arms outstretched, offering a tight embrace.

Yang Chen didn't have any intention to refuse or dodge. When Mo Qian Ni's cold and smooth arms wrapped around his neck, a sweet scent mixed with the smell of alcohol enveloped him.

After a moment of hesitation, Yang Chen sighed and gently opened his arms, embracing Mo Qian Ni's slender back and lightly caressing it.

In the night, the two of them embraced like a couple in love, cherishing the rare moment alone in the deserted outskirts.

"You can tell me if something's bothering you. Maybe I can help, like I did today," Yang Chen said.

Mo Qian Ni leaned her head against Yang Chen's chest, rubbing it slightly, and muttered vaguely, "Don't say anything, don't ask anything, just let me hug you for a while, that's enough..."

In a daze, the embrace seemed long, but when they parted, it felt like only a moment had passed.

Mo Qian Ni smoothed her hair, her face slightly flushed, and glanced shyly at Yang Chen. "Thank you. Let's go back."

"You're a beauty offering a hug; I just took advantage," Yang Chen teased.

"I know you didn't have any ulterior motives," Mo Qian Ni glanced intentionally or unintentionally at Yang Chen's lower half, "Unless you're incapable."

Yang Chen's facial expression stiffened. In this day and age, it's hard to be a pure man; this woman was too naughty, even noticing his physiological changes!

After riding back in Mo Qian Ni's car to Yulei International, Yang Chen bid farewell to her, then drove to the hospital. Although Lin Ruoxi had completely given up on Lin Kun as a father, he still had to tell her about Lin Kun's madness.

When Yang Chen arrived at the hospital, it was already past ten in the evening. Apart from the nurses and doctors on duty, there was no one in sight. When he reached Lin Ruoxi's ward, he noticed that the light was on inside. He thought Lin Ruoxi might not be asleep yet, but he was wrong.

The bedside lamp was still on, but Lin Ruoxi was already sound asleep, lying on her side against the pillow, holding a book about market economy in her hand. She was wearing loose blue and white striped men's pajamas on her upper body, her messy hair covering half of her face, revealing a soft beauty that was rarely seen in her daily demeanor.

It was hard to imagine that such a young woman could be the CEO of a well-known listed company, bearing the burden of hundreds or even thousands of employees from around the world on her slender shoulders.

Thinking about this, Yang Chen couldn't help but admire his wife.

Feeling that the room was getting a bit cold, Yang Chen saw that Lin Ruoxi had fallen asleep while reading, with her upper body outside the blanket. He couldn't help but worry that she might catch a cold and have a fever again.

After some thought, Yang Chen quietly approached the bedside. He gently lifted Lin Ruoxi's head with his hand and pulled out the high pillow underneath. Then, he let Lin Ruoxi lean against the lower pillow.

Next, he adjusted the blanket, pulling it up to Lin Ruoxi's shoulder, carefully tucking it in to ensure she wouldn't catch a chill.

At that moment, the sleeping Lin Ruoxi groggily opened her eyes, looking at Yang Chen with a complex expression.

Even just silently watching her, Yang Chen could feel the brilliance and depth in those eyes, making him involuntarily frozen in place.