Chapter 103: Waiting for You in the Study

The weekend arrived again, and Yang Chen marveled at how quickly time had passed. Tomorrow morning, he would be going to the hospital to bring Lin Ruoxi back home. In the blink of an eye, two weeks had flown by.

Early in the morning, Aunt Wang had already prepared a sumptuous breakfast downstairs. Knowing Yang Chen's large appetite, she habitually made extra portions of every dish and even turned on the TV for him, tuning it to the morning news channel. Her thoughtful care was evident.

At first, Yang Chen had trouble adjusting to this "pampered" lifestyle, but he eventually realized that if he didn't let Aunt Wang do these things, she would feel uneasy and even get upset. So, he had no choice but to go along with it.

"Sir, Miss is coming back tomorrow morning. Should we buy some flowers to celebrate? I'm sure she would like that," Aunt Wang suggested with a smile.

Yang Chen, gulping down his porridge and munching on oatmeal buns, mumbled, "Flowers? What kind of flowers?"

"Carnations," Aunt Wang proposed. "If you want to buy red roses, I think Miss would like those too."

Although he didn't know the meaning of carnations, Yang Chen understood the symbolism of red roses and couldn't help but laugh. "Aunt Wang, with Ruoxi's temperament, if I buy her a bouquet, she'll probably think I'm being frivolous and wasting money."

"Sir," Aunt Wang said with an experienced look, "all women like flowers. Even if Miss pretends not to like them, she will be happy inside. I've watched her grow up, so I understand her thoughts well."

Her words made sense. Although buying flowers for his own wife seemed a bit odd, Yang Chen decided to buy a bouquet before going to the hospital the next morning. Not red roses—they were too sentimental—but carnations would do.

At that moment, the villa's doorbell rang.

Who could be visiting so early in the morning?

Although Yang Chen had lived in Longjing Garden for only a short time, Aunt Wang had mentioned that Lin Ruoxi rarely socialized, and her few close friends seldom visited the house. Thus, few people knew about the villa, let alone visitors.

Aunt Wang hurried to the door and glanced at the camera feed, showing a hint of curiosity before opening the door.

Standing outside was a young man and a young woman. The girl looked about seventeen or eighteen, with a pink headband, exuding a cute yet slightly shy charm with her big, watery eyes. She wore a light yellow short-sleeve shirt and white cartoon-patterned shorts, showcasing her long, fair legs. Her figure was surprisingly well-developed, which contrasted with her youthful face.

As for the man, he wore sunglasses and a suit with a tie, looking serious and standing behind the girl. It was clear he was a bodyguard or someone similar.

"Hello, may I help you?" Aunt Wang asked politely.

The girl smiled sweetly. "Hello, I'm looking for Yang Chen. Is he here?"

Yang Chen, who had just finished his breakfast, walked over to the door. Seeing the girl, he was taken aback for a moment before recognition dawned on him.

"Luo Xiaoxiao? What are you doing here?" he asked, surprised.

Luo Xiaoxiao, a girl he knew from his previous life, grinned widely. "Yang Chen! Long time no see. I came to see you, of course!"

Yang Chen scratched his head, feeling a mix of confusion and curiosity. "Alright, come on in. Let's talk inside."

He led Luo Xiaoxiao and her bodyguard into the living room, where they settled down. As they sat, Yang Chen couldn't help but wonder what had brought her to his doorstep.

When Yang Chen saw who it was, he furrowed his brow. It was the little girl Tang Tang and her silly bodyguard, Xiao Yong, whom he hadn't seen for several days. That day, the people from the Yamata no Orochi Society had caused trouble, inadvertently involving Tang Tang. Afterwards, Hua Yu, one of the eight divisions of the Yanhuang Iron Brigade, had helped send her back, and Yang Chen had decided not to bother with it further. He thought the matter was settled and that the girl had learned her lesson and wouldn't contact him again. But to his surprise, here she was at his door early in the morning!

Not only had Tang Tang not given up on him, but she had also found out where he lived!

"Who are you looking for, young lady?" Aunt Wang asked kindly. Seeing such a lovely young girl, anyone would speak gently.

Tang Tang smiled sweetly, "Auntie, I'm here to see Yang Chen. I have something to talk to him about."

"Looking for our son-in-law?" Aunt Wang was even more puzzled by this girl's identity. She wouldn't think that Yang Chen had found himself another woman, especially such a young girl; her mind couldn't even entertain such a notion.

When Tang Tang heard Aunt Wang call Yang Chen "son-in-law," a strange look flashed in her eyes. She then looked inside and saw Yang Chen sitting at the dining table, eating breakfast.

"Uncle!" Tang Tang called out happily, waving her hand.

Yang Chen suddenly felt like he wanted to dig a hole and crawl into it. Why hadn't this little demoness given up on him yet? But she was being friendly, and as the saying goes, you can't hit a smiling face, so he got up and walked over, asking, "What are you doing here so early?"

Tang Tang pouted, looking very delicate, "I was almost scared to death last time, and you didn't even call to comfort me afterwards. You haven't contacted me for days. Can't I come to find you?"

"I'm not your father. How can I take care of you so much? And it's not like I was the one who got you into that trouble," Yang Chen said impatiently, still chewing on his bun.

Seeing that Yang Chen didn't want to talk to her, Tang Tang's initial happiness turned into full-fledged grievance, her eyes welling up with tears.

Seeing such a beautiful little girl looking so pitiful, Aunt Wang's heart softened, and she quietly advised, "Sir, the young lady is so considerate. Don't speak to her like that; she's about to cry..."

Cry? She didn't cry when she drove her Porsche into my BMW! Yang Chen wasn't about to fall for it.

"Hey! Our young lady came all this way to see you. You should feel honored and speak nicely!" Xiao Yong said angrily.

Yang Chen glanced at Xiao Yong and then back at Tang Tang, who looked like she was about to burst into tears. He sighed, feeling a bit helpless. "Alright, alright. Don't cry. Come in and talk. But make it quick. I have things to do."

Tang Tang immediately brightened up, her tears vanishing as quickly as they had appeared. She walked in cheerfully, and Xiao Yong followed closely behind, still glaring at Yang Chen.

Once inside, Tang Tang looked around the villa with great interest. "Wow, Uncle, your place is so nice! I've never been to such a cozy home before."

Yang Chen was slightly taken aback by her comment. Given her family's wealth, she had to have seen plenty of luxurious places. "It's just an ordinary home," he said nonchalantly.

Aunt Wang, seeing that the atmosphere had lightened, smiled and said, "Miss, would you like something to eat? I can make you some breakfast."

Tang Tang shook her head politely. "Thank you, Auntie, but I'm not hungry. I just came to see Uncle."

Yang Chen sighed again. "Alright, Tang Tang, what exactly do you need? I'm quite busy."

Tang Tang pouted again but quickly shifted to a more serious tone. "Uncle, I wanted to thank you for saving me that day. And I wanted to invite you to my birthday party next week. It's going to be a grand event, and I really hope you can come."

Yang Chen was taken aback. A birthday party? He hadn't been to one of those in ages. "I'll think about it," he said noncommittally. "If I have time, I'll come."

Tang Tang beamed. "Great! I'll take that as a yes! I'll be waiting for you, Uncle."

With that, she handed him a beautifully designed invitation card and, after a bit more small talk, finally left with Xiao Yong.

Yang Chen shook his head, feeling a mix of amusement and exasperation. This little girl was really persistent. He pocketed the invitation, deciding to deal with it later. For now, he had more pressing matters to attend to, like preparing to pick up Lin Ruoxi from the hospital the next day.

Seeing Tang Tang's pitiful expression, Yang Chen sighed deeply, feeling a mix of irritation and resignation. The weekend mood was thoroughly ruined by this unexpected visit. "Alright, don't act like you've been dumped by a man. Just tell me why you're here."

Tang Tang pouted and sniffled, looking at Yang Chen with big, pleading eyes. "My... my dad wants to meet you."

"Your dad wants to meet me?" Yang Chen felt puzzled. "What for? I'm already married. Does he still plan to consider me as his son-in-law?"

Tang Tang blushed and shook her head. "No, because you saved me last time. My dad has always wanted to thank you, but he's been too busy with work. Today, he specifically asked if you could come over and meet him."

Yang Chen scoffed, "If your dad wants to thank me, it's not me who should go to him. He should come to me. Why should I go out of my way to see him?"

Tang Tang struggled to find words, realizing it was indeed a bit unreasonable. Her bodyguard, Xiao Yong, arrogantly added, "Don't take yourself too seriously! Our master wanting to meet you is an honor. Most people don't get that opportunity."

"I'm not most people, and I'm not interested in meeting him," Yang Chen said dismissively, waving them off. "I'm on vacation today and don't feel like going out. You can leave now and don't come back."

Xiao Yong's face turned red with anger. "Don't be ungrateful! You were lucky to save our young lady, but it was just a coincidence. Our master is benevolent to agree to meet you. Who do you think you are?"

Yang Chen yawned, genuinely disinterested in arguing further. "Just leave. I need to finish my breakfast."

Seeing Yang Chen about to close the door, Tang Tang quickly stepped forward and hugged his waist, her voice desperate. "Please, Uncle! My... my dad really wants to see you. He can't come himself, so he asked me to bring you to him..."

"And why can't he come himself?" Yang Chen asked, noticing Tang Tang's helplessness but trying not to be too harsh.

"Because it's not convenient for him..." Tang Tang's eyes filled with tears, looking truly pitiful. "Please, Uncle, just go see him. I never ask anyone for favors, but I'm begging you because you're my favorite uncle..."

Yang Chen sighed again, feeling a bit softened by Tang Tang's sincere plea. "Fine, I'll go meet your dad. But just this once."

Tang Tang's face lit up instantly. "Thank you, Uncle! Thank you so much! My dad will be so happy to meet you."

Yang Chen nodded reluctantly and went back inside to finish his breakfast, while Tang Tang and Xiao Yong waited outside. After a quick meal, Yang Chen changed his clothes and followed them to Tang Tang's father's place, curious about what this meeting would entail.

Yang Chen couldn't stand two things the most. The first was the tears of innocent girls, and the second... he hadn't thought of yet.

"Are you sure you're not acting? You're looking like a freshly dewed little white flower on a cliff, not like yourself at all," Yang Chen lamented, rubbing his head in frustration.

Tangtang's expression became even more innocent and appealing, almost like a powdered rice dumpling with sesame filling. She murmured, "Uncle, please come with me. If you don't, Dad will definitely think I've done something to upset you again. He might even confine me, cut off my pocket money, and leave me all alone at home..."

Even Wang Mama, who was standing by, was nearly moved to tears. She nudged Yang Chen, "Young master, the little girl is so pitiful. Just go with her; it's not a big deal. Maybe her family really can't make it convenient for her?"

With even Wang Mama saying this, Yang Chen felt embarrassed to let Tangtang cry in front of him. He could only nod, "Alright, let's go for a walk. But stop making that face."

Upon hearing this, Tangtang's previously tearful face instantly brightened, as if the dark clouds had dispersed in an instant, revealing her charming dimples. She grabbed Yang Chen's arm and said coquettishly, "I knew Uncle, you're the best! You'll definitely come with me!"

With this appearance, there was no hint of sorrow at all! She was just like a little fairy!

Yang Chen finally realized his own shortcomings. He didn't even know if this girl was an adult or not, yet she had completely manipulated him!

Damn it!

Tangtang was brought in a black Audi A8, which seemed to have undergone some modifications. At least Yang Chen could be sure with just one glance that the car had been bulletproofed. It seemed that Tangtang's father was also afraid.

Xiao Yongge sat in the front passenger seat, while Yang Chen and Tangtang sat in the back. Two other black Passat sedans were arranged in front and behind, each containing several black-clad bodyguards.

Yang Chen was somewhat surprised. It seemed that Tangtang's family background was indeed exceptionally wealthy. Just this team of bodyguards alone could rival some small countries' heads of state, apparently due to fears of kidnapping and sudden attacks.

Thinking back to when Zhou Dongcheng confessed that he had ordered the attack at the Maple Grove Leisure Center, Yang Chen felt that these measures were indeed necessary. After all, Zhou Dongcheng represented Dongxing. Getting the underground little emperor of the East Sea District to personally send people was enough to cause a lot of trouble.

After the three cars left the downtown area of Zhonghai, they headed towards the southeastern coastal area until they reached a leisure villa area close to the beach. They slowly pulled into a mansion by the sea.

Under the brilliant sunshine and salty sea breeze, with the boundless blue sea in the distance, stood the entire Western garden-style architectural complex. The round towering roofs, low ancient Roman-style columns, dotted with red flowers and green leaves, white houses with fancy balconies, and many vines with yellow flowers hanging high.

Yang Chen followed the proud Xiao Yongge and others, walking into the villa hall with Tangtang. They found that there were at least a dozen bodyguards in the hall, standing solemnly as if preparing for a violent attack at any moment, with vigilant expressions.

Just as they reached the staircase, a man in a dark blue short-sleeved shirt, with an expressionless face, came down. Short hair, thin lips, sharp features, he seemed to be carved out of cold stone, with eyes as sharp as swords.

"The master is waiting for you in the study. Follow me," the man said coldly, giving Yang Chen a disdainful glance. Without waiting for Yang Chen to catch up, he turned and walked back upstairs on his own.

Faced with the commanding tone and disdainful gaze of the cold man, Yang Chen frowned and stood still, unmoved.