Hades, the Urban Legend

Chapter 510: "Shut Up"

The shimmering Seine River lay calm and serene. On its banks, a few tall and majestic French plane trees spread their massive canopies. The large leaves, interwoven with green and yellow, rustled as the wind passed through them.

These plane tree leaves often manage to survive the winter, only beginning to fall around spring. At this moment, a few yellowed leaves were blown down by the wind, swaying gently before finally settling quietly near the garden railing.

Yang Chen stared blankly at the leaves falling onto the black soil at his feet. He didn't know how much time had passed; it felt like both an eternity and a mere few seconds. His mind went blank for a moment. After a long while, he turned to look at Lin Ruoxi's indifferent expression and forced a smile, saying, "You know."

"Did you hope I wouldn't?" she asked.

"Actually, I shouldn't be surprised. It must have been Christine, that big mouth, who told you," Yang Chen said with a bitter smile.

"She told me some things, but I want to hear it from you. Of course, you don't have to answer," Lin Ruoxi said.

"It doesn't matter if you know or not; it's just a part of the past. It's like the silly things everyone does as a child; they might be embarrassed about them when they grow up, but what's done is done. Even if you try to forget, someone will always remember," Yang Chen smiled. "Of course, my situation with Seventeen isn't as simple as childish antics. I never tried to forget her. Regardless, I'm glad you learned about Seventeen from Christine. It at least shows you care enough about me to talk to her privately."

Lin Ruoxi remained expressionless, silently watching Yang Chen for a moment before quietly asking, "You still love her, don't you?"

Yang Chen shook his head, looking ahead, "Love? I don't know. We knew each other since we were kids. For the twenty-one, twenty-two years before I returned to China, she was always the most special person to me. She wasn't my friend because our bond was deeper than that. We were willing to risk our lives for each other. She wasn't my lover because we never dated or exchanged tokens of affection. She wasn't my mistress because she never obediently listened to me; otherwise, she wouldn't have left me in the end. She was just a special woman."

Lin Ruoxi listened quietly, watching the mix of smiles and pain on Yang Chen's face. She didn't know why, but her heart ached as if countless needles were pricking her. However, she couldn't tell if the pain was for him or herself.

"If you ask me if I still love her, I don't know how to answer. I never told Seventeen 'I love you.' The sweet words I've said to you in a day are more than what I've said to her altogether. I always felt she was like the other half of my life. Even though I knew my world was dark, being with her made me feel at peace. That's how I feel about her. Does that answer your question?" Yang Chen asked with a smile.

Lin Ruoxi didn't reply but continued, "Christine told me that Seventeen and I look very much alike. Is that true?"

"Yes, your temperament and eyes are very similar to hers. Very similar. But Seventeen wasn't as beautiful as you. Christine only met Seventeen once, during a chance encounter in the States, so she doesn't know much. If she said anything off, you don't have to pay it any mind," Yang Chen said.

Lin Ruoxi's fair hands grasped the railing in front of her, trembling slightly. She calmed the turmoil in her heart before asking, "Am I just a substitute for Seventeen in your eyes?"

Asking this question seemed to drain all her strength, but she stood tall and looked Yang Chen straight in the eyes with a determined gaze.

Yang Chen felt a jolt in his mind, suddenly recalling the strange words Lin Ruoxi had said when they left Liu Yanxi's concert backstage.

"Anyway, in your eyes, I'm just a substitute, right?"

So that's it! She knew about Seventeen's existence back then and realized their similarities. That's why she said those inexplicable words!

Yang Chen found it quite amusing and laughed twice, almost to the point of tears. He sighed and said, "No wonder you said those strange things to me last time, calling yourself a 'substitute.' Ruoxi, my dear, you overthink too much. You are you, and Seventeen is Seventeen. To me, Seventeen is an unforgettable memory. Now, you are my wife.

If I truly saw you as a substitute for Seventeen, why would I go to such lengths to hope you accept me? If you were just a substitute, why would I care so much about your feelings?" Lin Ruoxi stared at Yang Chen for a while, then suddenly smiled strangely, "Back in the café, when I asked you to marry me, you refused. But when I was about to jump off the building, you stopped me and then agreed so readily. At that moment, you realized how similar I was to Seventeen, didn't you?"

Yang Chen didn't understand why Lin Ruoxi suddenly brought up such an old event, but he vividly remembered the scene. It was indeed the resolute look in Lin Ruoxi's eyes before she turned around to jump that reminded him of Seventeen's eyes when she left. Undeniably, if not for that look, Yang Chen wouldn't have agreed to the abrupt marriage proposal, and so many things wouldn't have happened later.

"Yes, I said it before, your eyes and temperament are very similar to Seventeen's," Yang Chen nodded. "But that doesn't mean I see you as her substitute! We've been through so much together; we've understood each other's feelings many times, haven't we?"

Lin Ruoxi lowered her head and chuckled, "So, I should thank Seventeen. If it weren't for her resemblance to me, I might have jumped off the building and died, or been killed by that man and Xu Zhihong, or lost everything and become someone else's plaything. I really should thank Seventeen, shouldn't I?"

As she finished speaking, crystal-clear tears suddenly welled up in Lin Ruoxi's eyes and uncontrollably fell onto the grass below. Although she tried hard to hide it, her body trembled more and more violently.

Yang Chen was bewildered. He couldn't understand why Lin Ruoxi suddenly started crying. He thought his answers would reassure her and resolve their emotional rift, bringing them closer. But now it seemed the opposite was happening!

"Lin Ruoxi, what's wrong? Weren't we talking just fine? Why are you crying? I've said many times, you're not a substitute for Seventeen! You're unique to me! You're my wife! Why are you crying? Answer me!" Yang Chen felt things were slipping out of his control. His tone grew heavier, and he directly called Lin Ruoxi by her full name.

Lin Ruoxi didn't reply. She continued to bow her head, with tears streaming down like broken pearls, uncontrollably falling to the ground.

If not for the fact that most people at the venue feared Yang Chen, and Sauron was behind him preventing anyone from approaching, Yang Chen would have been much more frustrated. Who would want others to see that as a man, he made his wife cry while talking?

Eventually, Lin Ruoxi forced back her tears and slowly raised her head. Although her eyes were red, she didn't look as devastated as before. Her light foundation was somewhat smudged by the tears, making this usually strong and independent woman appear like a wilting tulip, delicate and pitiful.

Yang Chen breathed a sigh of relief and asked as gently as he could, "Ruoxi, what's wrong? I don't know what to say when you're like this."

Lin Ruoxi's watery eyes stared at Yang Chen's face. She smiled sadly and asked, "Christine told me that Seventeen was the only woman who got pregnant with your child. Is that true?"

Yang Chen nodded slowly. This was an eternal source of pain for him—Seventeen and the child she carried. If not for witnessing this woman and their unborn child falling into the icy cliffs and sea waves, he wouldn't have come to his senses from his world of killing and desire and returned to China, intending to live out his days in solitude.

Seeing Yang Chen's dazed expression, Lin Ruoxi's smile grew even sadder. She continued, "Let me ask you one last question."

"Go ahead," Yang Chen said, a strong sense of unease creeping into his heart.

Lin Ruoxi enunciated each word clearly, "If Seventeen and the child could come back to you now and you had a chance, would you still choose me to be your wife?"

"Shut up—"

Yang Chen suddenly shouted, his expression turning somewhat ferocious, his eyes bloodshot as he glared at Lin Ruoxi.

"Seventeen and the child are gone," Yang Chen said with a trembling voice, "There's no need to think about such questions."

Seeing Yang Chen's nearly deranged expression, Lin Ruoxi didn't show any fear. Instead, she seemed more at ease and said softly, "I knew it would be like this. Although you say I'm not a substitute for Seventeen, the truth is, from the moment you agreed to marry me, you subconsciously thought of me that way.

In your heart, you never truly separated me from Seventeen. If it weren't for Seventeen, I wouldn't have had the chance to be your wife."