Hades, the Urban Legend

Chapter 485: Cold-Blooded and Ruthless

When Yang Chen returned home after delivering the late-night snack, he walked into the living room and saw Guo Xuehua and Aunt Wang sitting on the sofa. As soon as they saw him, both stood up.

"How did it go? Did Ruoxi say anything?" Guo Xuehua asked eagerly, her question laden with meaning.

Seeing his mother's expectant gaze, Yang Chen couldn't help but smile wryly. It seemed these two thought that delivering a late-night snack would make the "Ice Queen" look at him differently. If that were true, then this "ice" wasn't very "solid."

"Nothing much. We just chatted a bit, she ate some food, and then continued working. It looks like she has a heavy workload and might have to stay up late," Yang Chen replied with a smile.

Guo Xuehua and Aunt Wang exchanged glances, clearly seeing disappointment and helplessness in each other's eyes.

"Well, at least she ate something. Miss is really stubborn; she's always working herself too hard," Aunt Wang muttered, then added, "Son-in-law, you shouldn't be disheartened. Sooner or later, Miss will realize how good you are to her."

Yang Chen laughed heartily, "Who said I'm disheartened? We're an old married couple; what's there to discuss?"

"Old married couple?" Guo Xuehua glared at her son. "Don't be so improper. You've been married for less than a year, what's 'old' about it?"

"I was just joking," Yang Chen said with a wink, as he headed upstairs. "By the way, Ruoxi mentioned she'd accompany me on a business trip to France in a few days. It might be for a while. Will everything be alright here at home?"

"What? Miss is going on a business trip with you?" Aunt Wang seemed pleasantly surprised, her face lighting up with a smile. "Of course, it's fine. You take Miss and enjoy yourselves. Back when the old madam was still around, Miss used to go out more often. But in recent years, she's almost always been in Zhonghai, except for a break at the end of the year. We've got things covered here. Zhenxiu and Huilin are sensible kids, nothing to worry about."

Yang Chen nodded, feeling a bit emotional. At least he was giving the elders something to look forward to. Although, going to the romantic city of Paris with Lin Ruoxi, he wasn't sure it would actually be romantic.

If there was one woman in the world who left him feeling helpless, it was this one, who was closest to him.

The next day, Yang Chen discussed some matters with his assistants Zhao Teng and Wang Jie at the company, outlining the final steps for Yu Lei International's star project after he left for France. The tasks ahead were clear: transforming Huilin, who had already won the crown, into the next popular star in China. The specifics of album production and promotional work would be handled by the company team. Yang Chen's main concern was protecting Huilin. Given her pure and kind nature, navigating the complicated entertainment industry was bound to bring unexpected challenges. He was particularly concerned about the manager and assistants assigned to her.

Fortunately, Zhao and Wang, with their rich experience, had made thorough arrangements for everything Yang Chen wanted to address. With no further delays, the meeting ended early.

4o

Upon learning that Yang Chen would be leaving Zhonghai for an extended period and traveling to Paris with Lin Ruoxi, An Xin inevitably felt a bit jealous. However, to avoid showing her jealousy, the mischievous woman made a detailed "shopping list" and placed it in front of Yang Chen.

"What's this?" Yang Chen asked, picking up the entire A4 sheet filled with numerous brands he didn't recognize, leaving him dizzy.

Leaning against the desk, An Xin's curvaceous figure formed a perfect silhouette as she lazily said in a sweet voice, "These are gifts for me. You don't have to buy them all, but at least get a few."

Yang Chen couldn't help but laugh. "Why do I hear a tinge of jealousy in your voice? Whether it was back when the An family was ordinary or now, being one of the top families in Zhonghai, as the An family's only daughter, are you really lacking these things? Just tell me what you want, and I'll buy it for you right now."

"No way, it's only sincere if it's brought back from Paris," An Xin pouted.

Yang Chen grabbed her hand and gently pulled her onto his lap, holding the fragrant woman in her uniform, and laughed, "My dear An Xin, aren't you just making things difficult for me? If I buy these women's items but don't give any to Ruoxi and bring them all the way back to Zhonghai, wouldn't that be provoking Ruoxi's tolerance?"

An Xin pouted, pretending not to hear anything.

Yang Chen shook his head and kissed her soft, fair cheek. "Stop being petty. I know you're not an unreasonable woman. Ruoxi has already tolerated a lot; you should be content. I'm not the kind of man who starts things and then abandons them. I went all the way to Hokkaido to bring you back, so why would you worry that I wouldn't care for you?"

An Xin blinked her big eyes, fully aware of the situation. She sighed; a woman's heart just liked to complicate things for herself.

Hugging Yang Chen's neck tightly, An Xin murmured, "Come back soon. Otherwise, if I get lonely, I'll fly to Paris to find you. After all, I'm quite familiar with Paris from my days as a flight attendant."

"Alright, alright," Yang Chen said helplessly, patting her back to comfort her.

After work, Yang Chen left the company on time. After all, he had promised Lin Ruoxi that they would go to Liu Yanxi's concert together that evening, and Lin Ruoxi's personality didn't allow for any tardiness.

Liu Yanxi's concert was even grander than Yang Chen had imagined. Although he didn't want to admit it, this Korean woman indeed had an extraordinary charm. The recent news and advertisements had taken up large sections to promote her first concert in China.

As previously arranged, Yang Chen drove into the Yu Lei International headquarters parking lot and headed to where Lin Ruoxi had parked. He saw Lin Ruoxi already waiting with her assistant, Wu Yue.

Lin Ruoxi stood there with a cold expression, indifferent even when attending a concert and meeting the glamorous Liu Yanxi. She hadn't dressed up particularly for the occasion. In the dimly lit parking lot, she looked like a beautiful statue, standing gracefully. In contrast, Wu Yue seemed a bit impatient, making Lin Ruoxi appear even more otherworldly.

Wu Yue, with her flat figure, as usual, didn't have a friendly expression toward Yang Chen. It seemed that in her eyes, regardless of Yang Chen's position, he was always the bad man with ulterior motives towards her boss.

"You're so late. Don't you know our CEO Lin's time is precious?" Wu Yue grumbled in dissatisfaction.

Yang Chen paid no mind and joked, "Ah, Princess Taiping is here too. Why not go on a date with your Deputy CEO Li?"

The Deputy CEO Li that Yang Chen mentioned was naturally Li Minghe, sent by the Xiangyang Sect from Hong Kong. Yang Chen didn't believe that, while he had noticed the ambiguous relationship between Wu Yue and Li Minghe, Lin Ruoxi, with her sharp observation skills, would have missed it.

Wu Yue's face turned crimson, and she glared at Yang Chen, then turned her head away and said, "I don't know what you're talking about."

"It doesn't matter if you don't know; as long as I do," Yang Chen found it amusing. No matter how tough a woman is, she always gets shy about her love life.

Lin Ruoxi furrowed her brows slightly and turned to Wu Yue. "Wu Yue, you don't need to come tonight. Yang Chen can accompany me."

Wu Yue was stunned and asked in surprise, "Why? CEO Lin, didn't you say I was to accompany you?"

"I changed my plans," Lin Ruoxi said plainly and directly.

Wu Yue looked quite aggrieved, but Lin Ruoxi's icy gaze left her with no room to argue. She could only bite her lip and say, "Yes."

After Wu Yue left, Yang Chen got into Lin Ruoxi's Bentley. While fastening his seatbelt, he asked, "Why did you change your plans suddenly? It's not bad to bring Xiao Wu along. After all, it's a form of support from the company."

Lin Ruoxi started the car and slowly drove out of the parking lot, speaking softly, "I don't like hearing you bicker with her."

Yang Chen was speechless. That answer was quite straightforward.

A few minutes later, they were on the highway. Yang Chen thought Lin Ruoxi would, as usual, drive silently to their destination. To his surprise, the unpredictable woman spoke again, "Don't call Wu Yue by that nickname in the future."

Yang Chen didn't quite understand. "Hmm?"

"Wu Yue is my junior. She sometimes goes too far in imitating me, appearing very cold, but she's not indifferent about her figure. Also, regarding her and Deputy CEO Li, just pretend you don't know," Lin Ruoxi said.

Yang Chen was stunned for a moment, then laughed heartily, "I've never thought my dear Ruoxi was a cold-blooded and ruthless woman, but now I see you have a much warmer heart than I realized. If Wu Yue heard this and knew you secretly cared about her, your image as an ice queen in her eyes would be shattered."

A faint blush crossed Lin Ruoxi's beautiful face. Hearing Yang Chen call her a "cold-blooded and ruthless woman" made her somewhat uncomfortable, even though he didn't actually mean it.

Yang Chen didn't push further. He knew that for Lin Ruoxi, speaking these words in front of him meant she truly regarded him as someone very close. These were things hidden beneath her icy exterior. If he took advantage of the situation to "tease" her further, he might just provoke her.

Several minutes later, the car slowly pulled into Zhonghai Sports Center, where Liu Yanxi's concert was being held. Outside the venue, which could accommodate more than thirty thousand people, a massive crowd of fervent fans had already ignited the atmosphere.

It seemed Lin Ruoxi had already made arrangements with the event organizers. With a group of escorts, their car was directed through a special passage into the working area at the back of the sports center.

After getting out of the car, Yang Chen shook his head, feeling slightly dizzy from the barrage of flashlights they encountered along the way. He remarked in mild astonishment, "That woman really has quite the fanfare. I never would have guessed she had so many admirers."

Lin Ruoxi gave him a sideways glance and said, "Liu Yanxi has the strength to compete with your friend Christine for the Grammy's Best Album. Her capabilities are undeniable. Her private character isn't something the public is aware of, so it doesn't affect her popularity. As the director of an entertainment company, haven't you done any homework on the current global entertainment scene?"

Yang Chen scratched his head and chuckled, "You know your husband only plays games at work. How would I know about anything else?"

Seeing him speak so brazenly, Lin Ruoxi felt a headache coming on but quickly brushed it off. She gestured for Yang Chen to follow her into the backstage work area.

At this moment, the backstage area was heavily guarded. Without the pre-obtained credentials Lin Ruoxi presented, the security would not have given them any leeway, regardless of their arrival in a luxury car.

As they walked through the long corridor, Lin Ruoxi took the initiative to explain to Yang Chen, "Most Korean pop stars undergo rigorous vocal and dance training from a young age, often spending nearly a decade before debuting. This makes them superior in both singing and dancing compared to some of our artists. Liu Yanxi herself is said to have a notable background and is considered one of the most outstanding Korean artists in terms of appearance. But if it weren't for her unique singing and dancing skills, she wouldn't have easily reached world-class diva status in just a few years. So, no matter how much you dislike her, it's best not to openly antagonize her. It's not about whether you fear her, but her influence is too vast and would bring a lot of trouble."

Yang Chen knew Lin Ruoxi was worried about him clashing with Liu Yanxi, hence the detailed explanation. He laughed, "Since my dear wife has gone to such lengths, how dare I act recklessly?"

Lin Ruoxi secretly breathed a sigh of relief. In fact, she brought Yang Chen along, hoping to ease the tension between him and Liu Yanxi. Even though she knew Liu Yanxi probably didn't have a good impression of them, at least reducing the animosity would facilitate future business collaborations.

However, Yang Chen's mind also wandered to another matter. He recalled the scene of Liu Yanxi arguing with Park Jung-hoon outside his house. According to Lin Ruoxi, Liu Yanxi's background was indeed significant. So, was Liu Yanxi connected to the Star Moon Group, which Park Jung-hoon was part of? And if so, could she have any relation to Zhenxiu?

Yang Chen felt there were many intriguing points worth pondering, but with so few clues, he couldn't piece things together.

While deep in thought, they arrived at Liu Yanxi's VIP dressing room.