Chapter 214: Half and Half

As they reached the ground floor, the building management expressed considerable indignation at Yang Chen's presence. However, with the intervention and explanation from the police, they reluctantly refrained from causing further trouble.

Walking out of the building, Yang Chen spotted Lin Ruoxi heading towards the parking lot. The perimeter lights cast a faint silver glow on her black professional dress, accentuating her graceful silhouette to perfection.

Quickening his pace, Yang Chen caught up and placed a white Hermes clutch in front of Lin Ruoxi. "You didn't even take your bag. What were you planning to do without the car keys?"

Lin Ruoxi turned to accept the bag. "Thank you."

"It seems like you've been quite shaken up, thanking me of all people," Yang Chen chuckled.

"Did I not thank you before?" Lin Ruoxi asked uncertainly, her eyes slightly moist, betraying a hint of vulnerability.

Yang Chen pondered for a moment. "I don't quite recall. Maybe not, but it could be that I forgot."

"But I remember it seems like I really haven't said it before?"

As they walked along the perimeter street and entered the parking lot, a cool breeze swept through the silent space, carrying a hint of chill. With no one around, they could even hear each other's breathing.

After hesitating for a moment, Lin Ruoxi spoke softly, "I'm sorry, I wrongly accused you earlier."

Scratching his head, Yang Chen grimaced. "Can you please stop with the thank yous and apologies? It makes me uncomfortable, not used to it."

Lin Ruoxi halted her steps, feeling remorseful. "Was I too harsh on you before, lacking in warmth and respect?"

"Why would you say that?"

"For example, if in the past, you told me not to say 'thank you,' I would have called you 'obnoxious,'" Lin Ruoxi said earnestly.

Yang Chen grunted. "So, am I really obnoxious?"

"Yes, you are," Lin Ruoxi replied.

Seeing Yang Chen speechless, Lin Ruoxi turned to him with a puzzled expression. "When did you come home? And how did you know I was here?"

Yang Chen casually replied, "I got off the plane an hour ago. When I got home, you weren't there. Wang Mama said you had been out for a while, so I got worried and came to check."

"Just like that?" Lin Ruoxi asked, slightly surprised. "You caused such a mess by barging into Emperor Building at this hour, disrupting the entire place and attracting the police, just because of such a trivial reason?!"

Yang Chen smirked. "Well, what did you expect? Turns out my speculation was correct. You happened to encounter a wolf in sheep's clothing, didn't you?"

"I was also surprised by Gao Guoxiong's sudden move. I was wrong to trust him. But aren't you afraid that your speculation might be wrong? If it were, and you got arrested by the police, many, many people would come forward to accuse you. Do you realize how serious the consequences would be?!" Lin Ruoxi exclaimed, her voice tinged with agitation.

"I know, but I have to," Yang Chen said calmly.

Watching Yang Chen's composed expression, Lin Ruoxi felt a strange flutter in her heart and asked, "Why?"

"Because you're my wife, and I worry about you," Yang Chen stated bluntly.

A certain chord within Lin Ruoxi seemed to be gently plucked, sending shivers of both delight and confusion through her. She felt a mix of happiness, perplexity, shyness, and gratitude. In that moment, the man before her, whose face was not particularly remarkable, seemed much softer and kinder.

However, because of this, Lin Ruoxi suddenly felt a deep loathing for her words in the private room just now. Tentatively, she asked, "When I was in the private room, saying you were my employee, saying you were crazy, were you angry?"

"Not really," Yang Chen replied leisurely as they walked. "Just a bit resigned. But I can understand. Anyone witnessing my actions at that moment would find it hard to comprehend."

The more indifferent Yang Chen appeared, the more guilty Lin Ruoxi felt. After a moment of silence, she said, "In the future, if someone asks, I'll tell them you're my husband."

This statement made Yang Chen stop in his tracks, turning to look at Lin Ruoxi with a bewildered expression. "What's wrong? Didn't we agree to keep it confidential for now?"

"I feel like it's unfair to you. Consider it my way of making amends for misunderstanding you," Lin Ruoxi said softly.

Yang Chen chuckled wryly. "My lovely Ruoxi, the title of husband isn't something to be rewarded with. I don't need you to compensate for your guilt in this way. Actually, I don't blame you. If someone asks who you are to me, I would also say you're my boss, not my wife. So, if you're really going to refer to me as your husband in front of others, then say one thing to me first."

"What's that?"

"Say you love me," Yang Chen said solemnly.

Lin Ruoxi froze in place, her expression changing constantly. In the end, she turned despondently away. "I can't do that."

"Well, there you have it. I can't say it either. So, we don't need to dwell on this matter. Today, I'm doing this for you because I have a legal husband's responsibility to fulfill. As for the emotions caught in between, to be honest, I'm not sure myself. So, you don't have to worry too much," Yang Chen said with a smile.

Although Yang Chen said so, Lin Ruoxi felt a warmth in her heart as she looked at his disheveled appearance. What seemed filthy and unkempt just moments ago now appeared heartwarming from a different perspective.

He rushed here because he was worried about me.

Although she couldn't say she loved this man, and he wouldn't say it either, feeling his concern for her, Lin Ruoxi still felt content.

As they reached Lin Ruoxi's Bentley, she reached into her bag to fetch the keys, but no matter how much she searched, they were nowhere to be found.

"Yang Chen, my keys are missing!" Lin Ruoxi said, a hint of anxiety in her voice.

With a mysterious smile, Yang Chen reached out and shook the Bentley key in his hand!

"Why did you steal my keys?" Lin Ruoxi had a bad feeling about this.

"Tonight, I'll drive your car. Let's ride together, it's more intimate, and it'll help us get to those three words sooner. Hehe..." Yang Chen teased.

"I don't need that! Give me back my keys!" Lin Ruoxi demanded, moving to snatch them back.

But Yang Chen wouldn't let Lin Ruoxi get close. He circled around the car a few times, leaving Lin Ruoxi breathless and unable to catch up.

"I won't get in your car! Give me back my keys!" Lin Ruoxi insisted stubbornly. She didn't want to have nightmares about riding in a car again!

Ignoring her, Yang Chen opened the car door, got into the driver's seat, closed the door, and started the car.

Lin Ruoxi stood outside the car, so angry she almost stomped her feet like a little girl. She glared at Yang Chen with clenched teeth. Any trace of the goodwill and warmth she had just felt disappeared. This man was despicable! Did he think everyone was as crazy as he was, driving at over 200 kilometers per hour in the city?!

Yang Chen, however, "gallantly" opened the passenger door from the inside for Lin Ruoxi, looking at her pouty face with a smile. "Darling, come on in. It's not good to waste gas."

"If you come out, I'll get in!" Lin Ruoxi refused to compromise.

Glancing at the time inside the car, Yang Chen remarked, "Look, it's past midnight. Other couples have already done it three or four times by now. We should go home too. Come on, don't be sulky with your husband. Get in quickly."

Lin Ruoxi had been secretly reading some books about relationships recently, so she understood what Yang Chen meant. Blushing, she said, "Stop being a pervert! Get out now!"

"Why are you so disobedient? I'll count to three. If you don't get in the car, I'll leave without you!" Yang Chen threatened.

With a cold snort, Lin Ruoxi remained still outside the car.

Furrowing his brow, Yang Chen began counting, "One divided by two, divided by two again, divided by two again..."

"Snort..."

Finally, Lin Ruoxi couldn't help but laugh. The pent-up frustration from the evening seemed to dissipate amidst Yang Chen's bizarre counting.

"Hehe, are you happy now? If you are, then get in the car. You can't make me count hundreds of words to find the half of a half," Yang Chen chuckled.

Lin Ruoxi gave him a white glance. Although he felt uneasy, he had no choice but to sit in the car and warn Yang Chen, "Don't drive recklessly, take it slow, otherwise I won't be taking your car next time."

"Don't worry," Yang Chen had no intention of speeding anymore. Lin Ruoxi was already feeling uncomfortable tonight, and he was not someone who indulged in playing recklessly.

After the car smoothly entered the highway, Yang Chen remembered something and said to Lin Ruoxi, "Tomorrow I'm going to attend a friend's birthday party, so I won't go to work. I'll tell you in advance, it's not slacking off."

"Birthday party?" Lin Ruoxi said coldly, "It's a woman outside of you celebrating her birthday. What friends are you talking about? Don't hide it from me like that."

Yang Chen sighed and said, "If I really want to celebrate a woman's birthday, I won't tell you. My friend's name is Yuan Ye, and I don't know if you know him or not. It seems like he's also quite wealthy."

"What? Yuan Ye?!" Lin Ruoxi seemed incredulous, "Is it Yuan Ye from the Yuan family?!"

Yang Chen said uncertain, "I don't know. Anyway, he's very wealthy. He drives an R8 and even forms a gaming team. I'm just familiar with him playing games."

Lin Ruoxi became even more surprised, and suddenly felt that Yang Chen was too charming. "Do you know that the Yuan family is the largest family in China with the highest strength? Yuan Ye is the only son of the Yuan family, and the Xu family represented by Xu Zhihong would not even be worth half of the Yuan family if placed in front of the Yuan family."

"Is that right?" Yang Chen felt a bit curious. "It seems that in the future, we should get closer to that kid more, so that Xu Zhihong doesn't always have trouble."

Lin Ruoxi nodded thoughtfully and said, "Yes, you should play more games with Yuan Ye in the future and deepen your relationship as much as possible. Since he likes to make friends with you, you should seize the opportunity. Having a connection with the Yuan family will be very helpful for your future journey. No, when you go tomorrow, I will send someone to bring you some gifts. When you meet those elders of the Yuan family, you should not be impolite, especially Yuan Ye's mother. I heard that Yan Du, a famous lady from a big family that is many times louder than the Yuan family, must be carefully prepared and leave a good impression."

Upon hearing Lin Ruoxi suddenly plot various interpersonal relationships like a computer, deducing policies for Yang Chen's future career, Yang Chen silently sighed. Brother wanted to play a game, is it easy for him?!