Hades, the Urban Legend

Chapter 513: Hypocrisy

By midday, the fashion show at the Tuileries Garden had almost wrapped up, concluding the presentations of several brands' new collections. Due to the chaos caused by the arrogant woman, Meriel, earlier, the event was delayed, resulting in some unfortunate smaller designers not being able to showcase their work.

After discussing the conference with Sauron, Sauron took his leave. Yang Chen wandered around the venue, had a cup of coffee, and didn't return to his seat to watch the fashion show. His mind wasn't occupied with Thanatos's Sword of Death or the highly anticipated conference. Instead, he was contemplating how to mend his relationship with Lin Ruoxi.

Lin Ruoxi was right. Regardless of their feelings, life had to go on for now. They were no longer the strangers they were when they first met. Back then, they could casually talk about "divorce" and "contracts," but now, that was no longer an option.

Even though they both knew there was a vast gulf between them, possibly as wide as an ocean or as insurmountable as mountains, it couldn't be denied that a separation would significantly impact their lives. At the very least, people like Wang Ma and Guo Xuehua, Hui Lin, and Zhenxiu, would not be able to accept it. Their lives and work, intertwined with various connections, would be disrupted, turning their stable lives into a mess.

As Lin Ruoxi packed her documents into her bag after the fashion show, she noticed Stern and Alice had fallen asleep at some point. Stern held Alice by the waist, and she leaned against her "brother lover's" shoulder like a kitten, her silver hair cascading down. Their expressions were adorably innocent.

Growing up, the most improper person Lin Ruoxi had ever met was Yang Chen, but this trip to France introduced her to an even more peculiar pair of siblings. Initially, she found their incestuous relationship disgusting, but after spending some time with them, she saw that they, as top-tier nobles, had a unique charm that other nobles lacked.

Hesitating, Lin Ruoxi gently tapped Stern's shoulder. "Mr. Stern, you'll catch a cold sleeping like this."

Stern was in a deep sleep and didn't wake up.

"That won't wake them. They're enjoying a cozy dream together," Yang Chen suddenly approached.

Lin Ruoxi looked up at Yang Chen. When their eyes met, her face flushed, remembering their previous conversation. She felt awkward and uneasy facing him again.

Yang Chen smiled understandingly. It felt like a couple's argument, where the woman regretted her harsh words but couldn't bring herself to apologize, and the man didn't know how to broach the subject, so he spoke about something else instead.

"Let me handle this," Yang Chen said, stepping forward. He lifted his leg and kicked the back of Stern's chair.

"Shit!"

The chair tipped forward, causing Stern to ungracefully fall to the ground.

"Who kicked me?" Stern finally woke up.

Such a scene at a fashion event would normally elicit laughter, but the surrounding guests, seeing Stern's awkward state, pretended not to notice and refrained from making any comments. One by one, they began to leave, clearly intimidated by the presence of the mysterious Yang Chen and Lin Ruoxi, fearing that even a laugh might bring trouble upon themselves.

As Stern fell forward, Alice, whom he had been holding, almost took a similar tumble. She quickly steadied herself in her chair and, pouting, turned to glare at Yang Chen, "Mr. Yang, you are being very rude!"

"For the sake of your health, to prevent a cold, I had to tarnish my noble character a bit," Yang Chen said.

Stern stood up from the ground, dusting off his knees, and with a wry smile said, "Considering Miss Lin will invite Alice and me to lunch, we won't hold it against you."

"What? You're inviting them to lunch?" Yang Chen looked puzzledly at Lin Ruoxi.

Lin Ruoxi seemed a bit bewildered herself. Stern hadn't mentioned this before, but thinking about the siblings' financial troubles, she nodded, "Mr. Stern and his sister lost their belongings. It's only right to help them out."

"Help? They belong to the Cromwell family. They won't starve. Besides, everyone attending Fashion Week can freely enter the banquet hall and have a buffet! I'm trying to mend our relationship here, and you two are causing trouble!"

"Buffet? Oh my, Mr. Yang, can you really bear to see us, this unique pair of sibling lovers, being stared at by everyone? We are loyal supporters of Miss Lin. I believe Miss Lin would never treat us so cruelly!" Stern said righteously.

"Stop being shameless! You two never cared about being watched before, and now suddenly you do?!" Yang Chen raised his voice.

Alice suddenly pouted, squeezing out a few tears, and cried to Lin Ruoxi, "Miss Lin, Mr. Yang is too harsh. We are not freeloaders. We will definitely repay you."

Lin Ruoxi was on the verge of losing her mind. Why was Yang Chen so petty about such trivial matters? He clearly wasn't short of money, yet he was being so stingy. Despite being educated, he often spoke so crudely.

She gave Yang Chen a reproachful look and said gently, "Don't mind him. What would you two like to eat? I'm not familiar with Paris, so I'll let you choose."

Alice immediately raised her hand, "I know a great Italian restaurant on the Champs-élysées. Miss Lin should try it."

"Whatever Alice wants to eat is what I want to eat," Stern shamelessly echoed.

Yang Chen, frustrated, rubbed his face and shot a disdainful glance at the shameless siblings, but they pretended not to notice and began thanking Lin Ruoxi.

Lin Ruoxi, noticing nothing unusual, said calmly to Yang Chen, "Let's go. We need to be back for another show this afternoon."

"You really work hard," Yang Chen said helplessly.

"I'm here to work," Lin Ruoxi said, displeased with Yang Chen's nonchalance.

Yang Chen sighed and followed Lin Ruoxi's lead. The four of them got into the car driven by Yang Chen and soon arrived at the world-famous Champs-élysées.

Once out of the car, Stern and Alice, like joyful birds, quickly dispersed, while Yang Chen and Lin Ruoxi followed them slowly, stepping onto the boulevard.

Under the dense canopy of French plane trees lining the Champs-élysées, the leisurely and romantic Parisian lifestyle was evident in the various boutiques, fashion stores, and cinemas along the street. The street's opulent, elegant, leisurely, and beautiful ambiance had become synonymous with its name.

Although Yang Chen had visited here numerous times, it was the first time he truly appreciated the street's leisurely elegance. Lin Ruoxi, as a leader in the fashion and cultural industry, was naturally captivated by the diverse expressions of style along the avenue.

Among the passersby, some were elegantly dressed, some simply but neatly attired, some youthful and exuberant, others casually relaxed, all without a hint of pretension or affectation.

Watching Stern and Alice in front of them, singing, dancing, and occasionally kissing passionately, Lin Ruoxi couldn't help but cover her mouth and chuckle.

Yang Chen, walking beside her, noticed and smiled, "What, envious of their relationship? You don't have to be. I wouldn't mind if you kissed and hugged me."

"Crude," Lin Ruoxi said, throwing a reproachful glance at him.

Yang Chen laughed heartily, "Whether crude or refined, does it really matter? Look at Stern and Alice; probably very few people in the world understand them, but they still live their own wonderful lives."

Lin Ruoxi's eyes sparkled with a fleeting glimmer. After a moment of silence, she said, "Did you know the Champs-élysées has another name, 'Avenue of the Elysian Fields'?"

"Hmm?" Yang Chen blinked, "I didn't know. What does it mean?"

"Elysian means 'paradise.' To the French, this is their paradise," Lin Ruoxi said thoughtfully.

Yang Chen nodded, "When you put it that way, this street does look even more beautiful. But it's a pity..."

Hearing Yang Chen's pause, Lin Ruoxi turned back in confusion, "A pity about what?"

"Pity that, in my eyes, this street has a bit of imperfect beauty," Yang Chen said, frowning with a regretful expression.

"Why?" Lin Ruoxi, intrigued, rarely asked a follow-up question.

Yang Chen turned his face, showing a slightly mischievous smile. The next second, he reached behind and grabbed Lin Ruoxi's free left hand.

Feeling her left hand caught by Yang Chen's rough, warm hand, Lin Ruoxi blushed and tried to pull away, but couldn't.

"What are you doing?" Lin Ruoxi was flustered. She was not used to being held like this in public.

"Holding hands. Don't you see all the couples around us walking like this?" Yang Chen gestured to the couples walking by on either side.

Lin Ruoxi bit her lower lip, her breathing slightly rapid as she kept her head down, not daring to face the crowd passing by on the street. Though no one was impolite enough to stare at them.

"For me, holding your hand and walking down this street makes it truly a paradise," Yang Chen's deep voice reached her ears. Lin Ruoxi's face turned even redder. She knew Yang Chen was indirectly expressing his feelings, but she could only pretend not to understand.

After a long silence, Lin Ruoxi muttered, "Hypocrite."

Yang Chen could tell that Lin Ruoxi said it with a smile, so he didn't mind and laughed heartily, pulling her hand gently. "Let's hurry. That shameless brother-sister duo is waiting for us up ahead. Do you want them to laugh at us? Besides, what are we afraid of? We are an old married couple."

"Who's an old married couple with you?" Lin Ruoxi finally lifted her head, her big, bright eyes wide open, pouting adorably.

Even a goddess has her cute moments, but only for someone special. Substitutes or not, this afternoon, she decided to let it go, Lin Ruoxi silently thought to herself.

Hand in hand, the two caught up with Stern and Alice, and after a few minutes, they arrived at the Italian restaurant the siblings had mentioned.