BXBX NOVEL Chapter 429: Where Are They Now?
Chapter 429: Where Are They Now?
Lin Ruoxi indeed wasn't very good at handling emotional matters, but that didn't mean she was insensitive and couldn't distinguish things. On the contrary, because she had been in a high position for so long, she could grasp many subtle emotions and analyze many extended things. Therefore, when she saw these photos and then recalled those few lines of poetry, she could think of much more than what was told to her.
However, some things, even if seen, are not something one is willing to think too much about or explore, let alone believe.
Lin Ruoxi put the photo album back in the drawer and, after a moment of silence, turned her head, her autumn-water-like eyes looking at Yang Chen. "Do you know something?"
Yang Chen had expected Lin Ruoxi to ask this, as he had just tried to stop her from continuing to browse the album.
"Know something about what? I don't even understand what those lines of poetry mean. This question is really out of the blue," Yang Chen said casually with a smile, bitterly sighing in his heart. Even if he did know something, until this matter was thoroughly revealed, he couldn't say anything.
Some things are best left forever sealed or never mentioned at all. Whether true or false, saying them out loud is not a good choice.
Ripples appeared in Lin Ruoxi's eyes, but she didn't continue to question. She wasn't the type to pester endlessly. If Yang Chen didn't want to say, she wouldn't force him.
Guo Xuehua's voice came from downstairs, calling the two to eat. Since she moved into this house, many of Wang Ma's "duties" had been taken over by her.
"Let's go down," Lin Ruoxi stood up first and walked out of the room.
Yang Chen glanced at the photo on the bedside table, sighed softly, and followed her downstairs.
Lunch was as sumptuous as always. Everyone chatted and laughed, and Lin Ruoxi, as usual, ate slowly and gracefully, showing no signs of disturbance.
"Ruoxi, did something happen in the past few days? Did you encounter any trouble?" Guo Xuehua asked this, actually certain that Yang Chen and his wife were hiding something from them. Because in the morning, she had been attacked by an unknown person. Although Qiangwei had saved her and handed the attacker over to the police, Guo Xuehua didn't think it was just an ordinary robber. And targeting Guo Xuehua specifically was unlikely—no one dared to provoke the Yang family, and those who did wouldn't use such a low-level method.
So, the most likely scenario was that Lin Ruoxi or Yang Chen had encountered some opponent who wanted to threaten them by targeting their family. Guo Xuehua clearly remembered that the "postman" used ether to try to knock her out.
Wang Ma and Zhenxiu both put down their chopsticks. They had already discussed this in the kitchen for a long time, concerned about what Lin Ruoxi and Yang Chen were up to outside.
Lin Ruoxi didn't seem surprised. "The company encountered some difficulties, but it's been resolved now. At most, by the day after tomorrow, everything will be settled. I've already dispatched people from the security company, so don't worry, Mom."
"Sigh, it's always about the company," Wang Ma looked at Lin Ruoxi with heartache. "Miss, you've really had a hard time. Ever since the old lady left and handed the company over to you, I haven't seen you have a peaceful time. If it's not one thing, it's another. Now that the company is finally stable and developing, so many troublemakers appear. Being a person, no matter good or bad, there's always someone who wants to go against you."
"Walking on thin ice," Guo Xuehua also looked at her daughter-in-law with pity. "A young girl in her twenties, sitting in such a position, it must be very hard for you."
Lin Ruoxi's expression was somewhat complex as she forced a smile, "I'm used to it, it's okay."
"How can you get used to this? It's pure suffering," Zhenxiu, who always admired Lin Ruoxi, pouted and said, "Ruoxi-jie, why don't you let Brother Yang take over the company? After all, you two are married. Isn't this the kind of thing a man should handle? I see you working harder than I do for my college entrance exams. It's not worth being a president if it's this exhausting."
"You little girl, what do you know?" As soon as Yang Chen heard Zhenxiu's suggestion, he glared at her, chewing his rice and loudly saying, "Do you think you can just hand over the presidency of a multinational company like that? Do you want Yu Lei International to collapse or do you want to see your Brother Yang suffer?"
"Brother Yang, you're so petty," Zhenxiu pouted again, "You don't know how to care for others. And also, I'm not a little girl!"
"Your suggestion really pains me—my liver, my stomach, and my gums all hurt," Yang Chen had just finished speaking when he saw Lin Ruoxi across from him staring at him with a cold, icy look, making him awkwardly smile and continue eating his rice.
Lin Ruoxi, expressionless, said, "Don't worry. Even if you said you wanted to be president, I wouldn't let you, so you don't need to feel any pain anywhere."
Even Guo Xuehua didn't side with Yang Chen this time. Her son was truly something. Did he think Lin Ruoxi would really hand over the presidency to him? He couldn't even say a few nice words to coax his wife. Dissatisfied, she scolded Yang Chen, "Ruoxi works so hard, and you're always so leisurely, making such thoughtless remarks. Is it fun to argue with Zhenxiu over these things?"
Yang Chen felt aggrieved. Who asked Lin Ruoxi to mention handing over the company to him before? He was just a bit paranoid about it.
After eating for a while, Yang Chen was about to get himself another bowl of rice when the old-fashioned doorbell rang, "ding-dong, ding-dong."
"Someone's here?" Wang Ma's expression tightened. "Could it be another imposter?"
"Wang Ma, even the dumbest people wouldn't use the same trick twice," Yang Chen laughed.
"Still, be careful," Guo Xuehua looked at Yang Chen.
Yang Chen understood Guo Xuehua's meaning. With all the women here, it was safest for him to go out, and Guo Xuehua also knew he had extraordinary skills.
Putting down his bowl and chopsticks, Yang Chen walked out of the house.
A black extended Cadillac was quietly parked at the gate, attracting the attention of many passersby. The visitors were not strangers but familiar faces.
Yuan Hewei and Yang Jieyu, dressed quite formally, were standing outside the iron gate, smiling and waiting for him to open the door.
Since the last time at the Cai family, Yang Chen hadn't seen Yang Jieyu. Considering that their eldest sister-in-law, Guo Xuehua, had moved to Zhonghai permanently, they should have visited more often. But both were meticulous people, well aware that frequent visits to Guo Xuehua would mean opposing their elder brother, Yang Pojun.
So, they had never come here. According to Guo Xuehua, they only communicated by phone, but today they had come together.
"Judging by your expression, you don't seem too happy to see your uncle and aunt?" Yuan Hewei grinned.
"Yang Chen isn't unhappy; he probably just didn't expect us to come," Yang Jieyu chided her husband.
Yang Chen opened the gate and made a welcoming gesture, "I just moved in, and you managed to find me already. It seems that everything in Zhonghai is under your control."
"Others might not know, but since our dear nephew moved, we had to come see for ourselves," Yuan Hewei said, feigning anger. "Yang Chen, how could you move with your family and not tell us? Did you want us to lose track of you?"
As the three of them walked in, Yang Chen explained, "This house belongs to Ruoxi. It's the elders who moved, and I'm just living in this 'girls' dormitory,' so it doesn't make much difference whether I tell you or not."
While they were chatting, Guo Xuehua had already come out to greet them with a sincere smile. "Awei, Jieyu, what brings you here at this time?"
Yang Jieyu gave Guo Xuehua a light hug, clearly showing the deep bond between them. With a hint of a wry smile, she said, "Sister-in-law, you already know. Yu Lei is facing such a huge crisis, how could we just stand by and watch our nephew and niece-in-law's business collapse? Of course, we're here to discuss matters with Ruoxi."
At these words, both Guo Xuehua and Wang Ma turned pale, looking in surprise at Lin Ruoxi, who remained expressionless.
They had only heard Lin Ruoxi mention encountering some issues, not realizing that the problem was severe enough to potentially bring Yu Lei down!
Seeing Guo Xuehua's reaction, Yuan Hewei and Yang Jieyu realized that she genuinely didn't know. They looked apologetically at Lin Ruoxi.
Lin Ruoxi shook her head, indicating it was fine. "Please come in and sit. We were just having lunch. Have you two eaten?"
The Yuan couple exchanged glances. They were puzzled. The outside world was in an uproar over Yu Lei's struggle against international financial manipulators, yet Lin Ruoxi, the president of Yu Lei, seemed calmly eating lunch at home.
Was she fully prepared, or had she resigned herself to fate?
When everyone was seated on the redwood and deerskin sofas, Wang Ma brought out fragrant red tea for each person, and the atmosphere remained somewhat awkward.
Yuan Hewei looked at his niece-in-law, who was calmly holding a white porcelain teacup, and couldn't help but chuckle. "May I call you Ruoxi?"
Lin Ruoxi lightly nodded. "Sure."
Yuan Hewei, knowing Lin Ruoxi's famously aloof nature, didn't mind her curt response and continued, "Ruoxi, do you know who it is that's preventing Yu Lei from obtaining loans from the banks this time?"
"I don't know," Lin Ruoxi replied honestly.
Yang Jieyu, looking at Lin Ruoxi's serene and beautiful face, felt a bit exasperated. "This child, staying so calm at a time like this. Why do I feel like we're more anxious than the emperor himself?"
Lin Ruoxi didn't respond and took a sip of her tea.
"Do you remember Zeng Xinlin, who died in front of your house?" Yuan Hewei continued, his eyes now turning to Yang Chen.
"I remember," Lin Ruoxi seemed to have guessed something, a gleam of insight flashing in her eyes.
Lounging on another sofa, Yang Chen casually asked, "Could it be that killing the pup has brought out the old dog?"
Yang Jieyu said with a hint of annoyance, "Zeng Mao was once the head of the Zeng family and a senior official in the State Council. Calling him 'old dog' is really disrespectful."
Guo Xuehua, listening to the conversation, was taken aback. "Are you saying Zeng Mao, the elder from the Zeng family in Yanjing? His grandson Zeng Xinlin was... was..."
"That's right, sister-in-law. He was killed right at the doorstep by your precious son, Yang Chen," Yuan Hewei said with a helpless smile, revealing the truth.
This revelation caused Guo Xuehua's eyes to widen, and she seemed a bit flustered, anxiety evident in her eyes.
Yang Chen remained calm and unhurried, not particularly concerned about how the Yuan couple knew about this. After all, being the foremost family in Zhonghai, the Yuan family undoubtedly had extraordinary means. He was more focused on the idea that now that they knew the source of the trouble, perhaps it was time to cut it off at the root. So he asked, "Where is this Zeng Mao now?"