Hades, the Urban Legend

Chapter 507: - The Siblings

"You two are up quite early," Lin Ruoxi said, composing herself and trying to maintain a gentle smile as she walked into the café and approached the Stern siblings. "Is there something you need from me?"

Stern's smile grew even brighter, with a hint of shyness.

"Um, Miss Lin, do you have any money with you?" Stern asked quietly.

Lin Ruoxi was taken aback. If she didn't know that the siblings were not short of money, she would have suspected they were trying to extort her.

"Yes, I do. What's going on?" Lin Ruoxi asked, even more puzzled.

Stern chuckled sheepishly. "Well, my dear sister and I came down for coffee this morning, but after we finished, we realized that all our bank cards and cash were left in the car we were abducted in yesterday. We don't have a penny on us. Could you possibly...?"

Seeing the siblings looking at her with hopeful eyes, Lin Ruoxi almost burst out laughing but managed to nod understandingly. "I see. Consider the coffee on me. But you two should contact your family. Even if you don't recover your belongings, they can send some money over."

"Miss Lin, you are so kind! You are like our Virgin Mary!" Alice suddenly lunged forward, wrapping her arms around Lin Ruoxi's neck and giving her a kiss on the cheek.

Lin Ruoxi, who had never been kissed by a woman before, was left stunned at being called a "saint."

"Baby Alice, I want a kiss too," Stern said, feeling jealous and demanding a kiss from his sister.

Alice laughed and generously kissed her brother twice on the lips.

Lin Ruoxi suddenly remembered that these siblings had an incestuous relationship. She felt a wave of disgust and her cheek, kissed by Alice, began to itch, perhaps due to psychological discomfort.

After paying for the siblings' coffee, Lin Ruoxi was about to say goodbye when Alice seemed to remember something and asked, "Miss Lin, are you going to the fashion week event?"

Lin Ruoxi nodded. "Yes, I'm an invited representative from our company. How about you two?"

"Hehe, I knew it. Yulei International is one of the biggest fashion companies in Asia, so you must be attending," Alice clapped her hands happily. "We're also invited as family representatives, but our car is gone, our driver is gone, and we have no money. So, you see..."

Looking at Alice's bashful expression and Stern's expectant look, Lin Ruoxi found it amusing. Despite their "messy" relationship, the siblings were quite endearing.

"Did you two plan to wait downstairs for me to come out all morning?" Lin Ruoxi teased.

Stern looked alarmed, his eyes widening. "No, no, no! We were just hoping to get lucky and bump into someone we knew."

"Brother!" Alice interrupted, glaring at him and lowering her voice. "Why did you tell the truth?"

Stern scratched his head awkwardly, looking embarrassed.

The siblings' back-and-forth banter was like a comedy performance, lifting Lin Ruoxi's spirits considerably.

"In that case, if you don't mind, you can come with me. I don't have a companion anyway, and we can chat along the way," Lin Ruoxi said. She didn't mind building a connection with the Cromwell family, as it could benefit her company's business in Europe.

The Stern siblings were naturally overjoyed and showered Lin Ruoxi with praise as they followed her out of the hotel.

Goodman had prepared a black Maybach 62 for Lin Ruoxi, as the previous Bentley had suffered considerable damage and was sent for maintenance. The Maybach, being more luxurious and expensive than the Bentley, exuded opulence.

The three of them got into the car, with Lin Ruoxi, as the host, giving the back seat to the Stern siblings while she took the front passenger seat.

Once they had fastened their seatbelts, Lin Ruoxi turned to the driver and said, "To the Tuileries."

"As you wish, madam," the driver's voice sounded familiar.

Lin Ruoxi looked up suddenly and was shocked to find that the driver was none other than Yang Chen, who had recently infuriated her.

Yang Chen, now dressed in a relatively formal suit and tie, had gone unnoticed when they first got into the car.

Just as Lin Ruoxi was about to get out of the car, it started moving, leaving the hotel.

"Stop the car and get out," Lin Ruoxi demanded through gritted teeth. Yang Chen, of course, didn't comply. Instead, he searched for the address of the Tuileries Garden on the car's navigation system, saying, "Dear, we have guests in the back. It's not polite to make a scene."

Lin Ruoxi realized that the Stern siblings were watching her with curious, gossiping eyes, eager to understand why she was so upset with Yang Chen.

Under their scrutiny, Lin Ruoxi had no choice but to hold back her anger, staring angrily at the road ahead and ignoring Yang Chen.

The Tuileries Garden, once a private royal retreat, lies between the Louvre and the Place de la Concorde, and is home to numerous statues, earning it the nickname of an open-air museum.

Adjacent to the world-famous Seine River, the garden offers a quintessential Parisian experience with its large pond, open-air cafés, and a cup of rich Blue Mountain coffee.

Chestnut trees, lime trees, and vibrant flowers bring tranquility to the Tuileries Garden, while bronze sculptures add a touch of grandeur. The overall neat and refreshing landscape design is a hallmark of French gardens.

Due to Fashion Week, the garden was busier than usual, with a significant police presence ensuring the safety of the esteemed guests attending each show.

After Yang Chen parked the car in the VIP parking area, the four of them headed towards the garden entrance.

Before they even reached the gate, polite security personnel approached, requesting their invitations and other credentials. They were then searched by male and female security officers for any dangerous items.

Alice pouted, dissatisfied with the female security officer touching her body. "It seems the Paris city government was scared by those kidnappers. There weren't this many checks at last year's Fashion Week."

"For the sake of safety, it's necessary. We can't afford another wave of kidnappers, right, darling Ruoxi?" Yang Chen smiled and winked at Lin Ruoxi, who remained expressionless.

Ignoring Yang Chen, Lin Ruoxi entered the garden first after the security checks.

Stern, intrigued, approached Yang Chen and said, "Mr. Yang, did something happen between you and Miss Lin? I'm quite experienced with relationship issues. You can tell me about it, and I'll give you some advice on how to resolve it."

Yang Chen was not surprised by Lin Ruoxi's reaction. He had anticipated it and was well-prepared mentally, thanks to numerous past "cold wars."

Hearing Stern's words, Yang Chen smiled and patted his shoulder, "Brother, I don't think your experience with relationships will be of any use to me. Our lady here is not my biological sister."

Stern rubbed his chin and asked, "Is there a difference?"

"A big difference," Yang Chen replied earnestly.

Stern pondered seriously, "I should look into this in my spare time."

"Do you want to meet Satan, Stern?!" Alice suddenly burst into a rage, grabbing Stern's cheeks with both hands and pulling hard. "If you dare to experiment with other women behind my back, you're finished!"

"No, no! I only love you, my dearest sister Alice," Stern quickly shouted, begging for mercy.

The scene immediately drew the attention of many nearby guests, who began whispering amongst themselves. Some of their voices reached Yang Chen and the others.

"Aren't they the infamous incestuous siblings from the Cromwell family?"

"That's them. Such a waste of good looks."

"Ugh, so shameless, tarnishing their ancestors' name."

"A disgrace to nobility."

Hearing these comments, Yang Chen grinned, "It seems you two are quite famous."

"Of course," Stern replied proudly, holding Alice's arm as they walked towards the garden, completely ignoring the onlookers.

Yang Chen, who never cared about others' opinions, followed the siblings and caught up with Lin Ruoxi. The four of them arrived at the fashion show venue.

The morning sun was warm and bright, with a faint floral scent in the air. Guests and servers bustled about, making the open-air venue busy yet orderly.

Rows of white chairs lined the stage, meticulously arranged from front to back. The most prestigious guests sat in the front rows, while ordinary business representatives and celebrities took the seats further back.

After showing her credentials, Lin Ruoxi was led by a white female attendant to a seat in the front row, close to the stage. Though not in the very center, it was still a top-tier position.

Sitting in the front row seemed to surprise the Stern siblings. Alice exclaimed, "I heard that Yulei International's new materials have taken the world by storm this year, but I didn't expect it to be this significant. Miss Lin, you are truly an outstanding entrepreneur, and so young too. It's impressive."

Everyone loves compliments. While Lin Ruoxi was accustomed to being praised for her looks, which she was born with and didn't value much, she was genuinely pleased when praised for her professional achievements. Smiling, she said, "Thank you," and politely asked, "Where are your seats?"

Stern pointed to the seats next to Lin Ruoxi, "What a coincidence, right beside you, Miss Lin."

Given the Cromwell family's influence, it wasn't surprising to Lin Ruoxi that they had front-row seats. She smiled and nodded before sitting down.

As Lin Ruoxi's "tag-along," Yang Chen didn't enjoy such preferential treatment. Following the attendant's instructions, he sat in the row behind Lin Ruoxi, playing the role of an assistant. Yang Chen didn't mind; his main priority was to stay close to Lin Ruoxi and find a chance to ease her displeasure with him.

However, just a few seconds after they sat down, several unfamiliar figures suddenly approached Lin Ruoxi and stopped in front of her.