Hades, the Urban Legend

Chapter 477: Going Home is Not an Option

In the blink of an eye, the once energetically boundless Cai Yan fell asleep instantly. Yang Chen couldn't help but smile wryly. How was it that just when she had stirred his fire, she had dozed off?

However, this woman had indeed been exercising beyond her limits for a long time, so it was understandable.

With tenderness, Yang Chen lifted Cai Yan off him, covered her with her martial arts uniform, and, after a moment of thought, silently transferred some of his inner energy (qi) to her.

Having accepted this relationship, Yang Chen naturally chose to take it seriously. Although he didn't know what the future held or exactly how to proceed, he knew it was crucial to restore her health. Such an extreme outpouring of physical strength would undoubtedly cause damage, and his true energy from the Primal Chaos Sutra could repair a significant amount of her vitality.

The two of them stayed in the practice room without leaving, knowing that Mo Lin, who had come to see Yang Chen, would naturally come to check in.

When Mo Lin reached the door, he saw Yang Chen holding the sleeping Cai Yan. He was initially surprised but quickly composed himself. Signaling that he would ensure no one disturbed them, he immediately withdrew.

Knowing Yang Chen's past, Mo Lin understood that this was not a time to ask questions. Besides, it wasn't his place to inquire about what had happened.

Yang Chen held the sleeping Cai Yan for over two hours, reminiscing about their moments together since they met. It had only been less than a year, from their initial misunderstandings and conflicts to the gradual, complicated entanglements, and finally, to Cai Yan's confessions. Yang Chen still felt somewhat puzzled by it all.

Unknowingly, this valiant policewoman had carved out a place in his heart. Whether it was because of her abilities or his own lesser resistance to beautiful women than he had imagined, he couldn't say.

Regardless, that was all in the past. The woman in his arms now, having only exhausted her strength and released her emotions, appeared so pitiful and in need of care that Yang Chen couldn't bring himself to reject her anymore. She had clearly made him feel heartache.

Gradually, Cai Yan seemed to have rested enough. Her eyelids fluttered, and she woke up.

Opening her moist eyes, Cai Yan saw that the person in front of her was indeed Yang Chen. Realizing she was lying in his arms, her cheeks flushed slightly before she snuggled in, adjusting to a more comfortable position.

"If you're awake, get up. Who said you could use my body as a mattress?" Yang Chen teased.

Cai Yan pouted, "I need to check if this is a dream, so I decided to stay lying here for another hour."

Yang Chen smiled but didn't force her to get up immediately. He wasn't bothered by her weight. He continued, "You won't mistreat yourself anymore, right?"

"What do you mean?" Cai Yan asked hesitantly.

"Leave this place. You can go back to being a police officer or do something else. This isn't where you belong. I've accepted you, so there's no need for you to keep torturing yourself. I won't allow my woman to practice martial arts all day and neglect her meals," Yang Chen said with a frown.

Cai Yan was silent for a while, then bit her lip and shook her head unexpectedly, "Sorry, I can't promise you that. Everything started because of my choice, and I have my pride. I want to stay here until the training is over."

Yang Chen frowned, "Why? Haven't you had enough?"

"It's not like that," Cai Yan quickly explained. "I'm really glad you care about me, but since I chose this path, I want to see it through. You can rest assured that I will take care of myself, but I don't want to give up halfway. At the very least, I want to complete this training."

Yang Chen said nothing, just stared at Cai Yan for a long time. The woman showed no sign of backing down or hesitation. Finally, he sighed and smiled bitterly, "It seems you're determined to finish the Dragon Squad reserve training. Fine, but let me be clear: I won't allow you to actually join the Dragon Squad, even if you pass the assessment."

"No, I won't. I'm still waiting for you to go to Yan Jing and explain our situation to my parents," Cai Yan said with a sweet smile, showing no embarrassment.

Yang Chen was taken aback, "Our situation? What do you mean?"

Cai Yan said with a bit of complaint, "Even if you don't plan to marry me, you still need to explain things to my parents. I can't just remain single my whole life without a reason, can I?"

Though her words carried a hint of resentment, anyone could hear the underlying joy.

Yang Chen scratched his head. She was right. He had oversimplified things. After all, she was still a young woman, no matter how tough she appeared, and from a prominent family at that. He really should speak to Cai Yun and his wife. It seemed he now had a pair of in-laws to deal with.

"In the short term, it's impossible. I have to go to Paris for Fashion Week in April. After I return, I'll find time to go to Yan Jing with you," Yang Chen said.

"Deal," Cai Yan said happily, lifting her head to kiss Yang Chen.

After this exchange, they found themselves with nothing much to say. They looked at each other silently, as if everything was so dreamy and naturally falling into place.

"You know, if I had given myself to you like I did just now from the start, we might have avoided so many detours and been together much sooner," Cai Yan teased suddenly.

Hearing such straightforward words, Yang Chen could only helplessly stroke his chin, pretending to be serious, "What nonsense. Do you think all men are driven by their lower halves? Just because we did it once doesn't mean I would just abandon everything."

Cai Yan looked at him with disbelief, giving him a sidelong glance before slowly sitting up from Yang Chen's embrace and shakily standing up.

Noticing some discomfort below, Cai Yan frowned slightly but quickly returned to her usual self.

"If it hurts, don't move too much," Yang Chen said, feeling a bit guilty. He hadn't been considerate earlier, completely forgetting to be gentle, especially since it was her first time.

Cai Yan, while adjusting her martial arts uniform to cover herself, said irritably, "I'm not that delicate. This little pain is nothing. Besides, if I suddenly take leave or something, people will notice something's up. I don't want to be laughed at."

Yang Chen chuckled awkwardly and got up to straighten his clothes, feeling a bit bewildered. He had come to check on the training progress, and somehow ended up in a whirlwind with Cai Yan. Indeed, when life gets too comfortable, one's desires can easily be aroused—something to watch out for.

After the afternoon break, Cai Yan ate a simple meal and rejoined the training, while Yang Chen inquired about the current training progress and toured the facility to make his presence known. Before he knew it, it was already evening. As he prepared to leave the training base, he considered asking Mo Lin to keep a special eye on Cai Yan but decided against it, not wanting to offend her pride.

Just as he was about to drive home, his phone vibrated. It was Wang Ma calling from home.

"Wang Ma, I'm on my way back. I'll have dinner at home tonight," Yang Chen assumed she was just checking on his plans.

Wang Ma's voice on the other end was anxious, "Sir, it's not about that. There's a bit of a situation at home, and I was wondering if you could come back a little earlier."

"What's going on?" Yang Chen frowned. Could someone be causing trouble again? No, with Rose living next door, any dangerous situation should be handled by her people.

"There's a young man who seems very imposing. He came specifically to see Zhenxiu, saying he's a relative. But you know Zhenxiu's temper. She's usually well-behaved, but when it comes to such matters, she can't control herself. I didn't know what to do," Wang Ma explained.

"A relative of Zhenxiu's?" Yang Chen was puzzled. Zhenxiu had mentioned her mother had passed away, and her father abandoned them when she was a child. Could it be her estranged father? But Wang Ma said 'relative,' which meant it wasn't clear exactly who he was.

"Wang Ma, I'll be home immediately. Don't let Zhenxiu do anything rash," Yang Chen said quickly.

"They're at the door with a group of people. Zhenxiu has been crying non-stop. I don't know what to do," Wang Ma's voice was worried.

Yang Chen frowned, hung up, and immediately started his car, speeding home.

In just twenty minutes, he reached the outside of his home's courtyard. As he got out of the car, he saw three black Mercedes S600s parked outside, guarded by at least six black-suited bodyguards, all of whom were sternly surveying the surroundings. The gate was already open, indicating that someone had already entered the house.

As Yang Chen was about to walk through the gate, two bodyguards stepped forward to block him.

"Sir, please prove your identity," one of the bodyguards said.

Yang Chen noticed that the bodyguard spoke Korean. On closer inspection, their demeanor indeed seemed to be that of genuine Koreans.

Yang Chen smiled easily and responded in Korean, "I am the master of this house. Am I not allowed to return home?"

The bodyguard was clearly taken aback, surprised by Yang Chen's fluent Korean and skeptical about his claim.

"Step aside and let the gentleman in," a magnetic male voice called from within the courtyard, also in Korean.

The bodyguards immediately moved aside, gesturing for Yang Chen to proceed.

Yang Chen felt a bit annoyed at being treated like he needed permission to enter his own home.

Entering the courtyard, he saw a young man in a casual suit, with ear-length hair and gold-rimmed glasses, stepping forward to greet him. The young man's smile was gentle, his fair skin and calm demeanor giving off an air of peace in the evening sunlight. Next to him was a man who looked like an assistant, but Yang Chen immediately recognized him as a skilled bodyguard, given the gunshot wound on his hand.

The young man extended his hand to Yang Chen from a distance, "You must be Mr. Yang. It's a pleasure to meet you. I am Park Junghoon, Xu Zhenxiu's cousin. I've been waiting for a while."

Park Junghoon spoke fluent Chinese and looked genuinely pleased.

Yang Chen shook his hand briefly, feeling puzzled. The day had started normally, but by evening, he had been through an intense moment with Cai Yan, and now Zhenxiu's cousin had shown up out of nowhere. What a strange day.