Chapter 239: Unraveling the Mystery

"Ruo Xi, darling, are you calling because you didn't have enough for lunch and want a snack? It's unusual for you to call me at this time," Yang Chen joked.

Ignoring Yang Chen's playful banter, Lin Ruoxi went straight to the point, "Can you accompany me somewhere after work today?"

"Where to?"

"I'll tell you when we get there," Lin Ruoxi replied.

"Still playing mysterious with your husband?" Yang Chen teased mischievously.

Lin Ruoxi was silent for a moment, then said, "Just tell me if you're coming or not."

"Of course, I'll be at your designated parking spot after work," Yang Chen knew she was likely feeling shy, so he spoke with a particularly straightforward tone.

After returning to Yu Lei International, Yang Chen spent some time in the office chatting with a few female public relations officers, helping Zhao Hongyan and Zhang Cai with some miscellaneous tasks. He originally wanted to visit the department head's office to flirt a bit with Liu Mingyu, but she seemed to be avoiding him on purpose, perhaps out of shyness. She spent the entire afternoon in meetings with some public relations officers who were handling business deals. Even when Yang Chen brought her a cup of coffee, she didn't even glance at him.

Finally, when it was time to get off work, Yang Chen went to the underground parking garage to Lin Ruoxi's designated parking spot. This was where Lin Ruoxi usually parked her car.

When he arrived at the red Bentley, Lin Ruoxi was already sitting in the driver's seat, clearly not giving Yang Chen a chance to drive.

Yang Chen got into the car and, seeing Lin Ruoxi's indifferent expression, asked with a smile, "Are you planning another date like last time?"

Lin Ruoxi's face flushed slightly. Speaking of dates, she immediately recalled the time at Starbucks when Yang Chen stole a kiss from her under the pretext of wiping off cream. She instinctively started the car, avoiding the topic altogether.

Fastening his seatbelt, Yang Chen looked at the back seat and noticed a large cardboard box. He asked, "What's that?"

Lin Ruoxi, focusing on driving, replied calmly, "It's something for someone. You'll find out soon."

Yang Chen didn't ask further questions, knowing Lin Ruoxi wouldn't reveal their destination or purpose regardless.

After more than half an hour, Yang Chen was surprised to find that Lin Ruoxi had driven to the New Hope Orphanage, a place he had visited once before.

The same slightly old buildings and the same dense trees greeted him, with the only changes being the yellowing leaves and the fiery red maple leaves.

The last time he was here, it was with Li Jingjing. Back then, they were as close as siblings, but now, even if they met, it would be as if they were strangers with nothing to say to each other.

As Yang Chen was lost in these reflections, Lin Ruoxi parked the car and said to him, "Help me carry the box inside. We're going in."

"Are you here to give presents to the children?" Yang Chen asked, puzzled.

"It's getting cold quickly, and it might start snowing soon. I brought some new warm clothes for the children," Lin Ruoxi explained.

Yang Chen looked at her in astonishment, hardly able to believe what he was hearing.

Feeling uncomfortable under Yang Chen's gaze, Lin Ruoxi frowned and asked, "What? Can't I give gifts to the children?"

"It's not that. I always thought you were so aloof and indifferent towards everyone. I never expected you to think about the kids at the orphanage. It turns out our Ruo Xi is a kind-hearted big sister," Yang Chen said with a warm smile.

Blushing slightly, Lin Ruoxi gave Yang Chen a side-eye, "Hurry up and move the box. What are you babbling about? Do you want me to carry it?"

"Call me 'good brother,' and I'll move it for you," Yang Chen teased.

"You…"

Before Lin Ruoxi could erupt in anger, Yang Chen quickly got out of the car with a chuckle, opened the back door, and lifted the heavy box. It seemed to be packed full.

Following a somewhat grumpy Lin Ruoxi into the orphanage, they were greeted by the sound of the director, Mr. Cha, who came out to meet them. Seeing Lin Ruoxi and Yang Chen, he wore a smile of both happiness and curiosity.

"Ruo Xi, you're here! And this gentleman, it's been a while," Director Cha said, smiling kindly.

After Lin Ruoxi exchanged greetings with the elderly director, she asked curiously, "Director, you know Yang Chen?"

"Oh, Mr. Yang visited not too long ago," Director Cha mentioned, deliberately omitting that Yang Chen had come with Li Jingjing. He was wise enough to understand that some matters were best left unspoken, as they might pertain to personal privacy.

Lin Ruoxi glanced at Yang Chen with disbelief and said, "So you do have some compassion," before walking further inside.

Yang Chen chuckled helplessly and winked at Director Cha. "Thanks, Director. You really know how to talk."

"Hehe, Mr. Yang, it's better for men to behave properly. You seem like a good person, so this is the least I can do. But you might still have to handle some things on your own later," Director Cha said with a mysterious smile as he followed them into the orphanage.

Pondering what the director meant, Yang Chen followed them inside. From a distance, he could hear the joyous laughter of children.

As they got closer, Yang Chen suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.

A group of children was surrounding two young women, calling them "sister" and begging them to tell stories and play games.

One of the women was Lin Ruoxi. At this moment, she looked nothing like her usual icy self, who seemed ready to cut with a glance. Instead, she was smiling brightly, as gentle and serene as the sun during the blossoming spring.

Another person was none other than Li Jingjing. Li Jingjing was dressed in a light pink bolero, her hair tied in a ponytail, and she wore light makeup. Although she was not as stunningly beautiful as Lin Ruoxi, her gentle and homely demeanor made her more approachable to children.

When Li Jingjing saw Yang Chen walking into the courtyard carrying a large box, her gaze briefly sharpened, and she pressed her lips together, but her expression didn't change much, as if she didn't recognize him at all.

Lin Ruoxi didn't notice anything unusual and instructed Yang Chen, "Put the box over there. I'll hand the gifts out to the children."

"Sister Ruoxi, are those presents for us?" a cute girl with braided pigtails asked.

"Yes, they are new clothes. Wearing them will keep little Ying warm in the winter," Lin Ruoxi said as she gently pinched the little girl's cheek, showing that she remembered the child's name.

Li Jingjing seemed to snap out of her daze and smiled while patting the heads of two children beside her, "Sister Ruoxi, is that person your husband?"

Lin Ruoxi's expression became slightly awkward, as if she found it difficult to talk about, but she still nodded, "Yes, since you kept pestering me, I brought him here today to meet you. His name is Yang Chen. I heard he has been here once before, but seeing how carefree he is, it's hard to believe."

A hint of sadness flickered in Li Jingjing's eyes, but she forced a smile and said, "He looks reliable enough; how could he be carefree?"

Hearing Li Jingjing's compliment, Lin Ruoxi smiled slightly and turned to Yang Chen, saying, "Yang Chen, her name is Li Jingjing. She's a good friend I met here. I brought you today mainly to meet her because she's been curious about what you look like."

Yang Chen smiled bitterly inside, realizing that Li Jingjing had chosen to pretend not to know him. Naturally, he wouldn't give Lin Ruoxi any reason to notice anything strange. He kept a straight face and said, "It seems your good friend has better taste than you, seeing at a glance that I am a reliable and good man."

"Stop talking nonsense in front of the children, and stand further away," Lin Ruoxi said disapprovingly.

Li Jingjing watched their simple interaction with some envy in her eyes, but she didn't let Lin Ruoxi notice.

Yang Chen shrugged and said no more. He knew that if he spoke too much to Lin Ruoxi now, it would only make Li Jingjing feel worse.

Yang Chen suddenly felt a pang of regret. If he had known that Li Jingjing would be here, he wouldn't have come.

A group of children looked at Yang Chen, seeming to recognize him somewhat, but since he hadn't interacted much with them during his last visit, and with the time that had passed, they didn't remember him well. Moreover, with Lin Ruoxi and Li Jingjing present, they all chose to ignore Yang Chen, sparing him the need to say much.

Soon, Lin Ruoxi and Li Jingjing began happily distributing new clothes to the children, while Yang Chen stood silently in a corner, lost in thought.

Director Cha slowly walked up to Yang Chen, smiling as he said, "Mr. Yang, it seems something happened between you and Jingjing before. I'm getting old, so allow me to be blunt. Since you've married such a beautiful wife like Ruoxi, you should rein in your heart a bit, or else it might seem too greedy."

Yang Chen nodded, "Yes, sometimes I do feel greedy. But I've already made an agreement with Jingjing's parents not to interfere in her life."

"That's a somewhat neutral outcome," Director Cha nodded, saying, "But I never expected that Ruoxi's husband would turn out to be Mr. Yang."

Yang Chen asked in confusion, "Director, my wife seems very familiar with this place. She even knows the names of the children. Does she come here often?"

"Yes, hasn't Ruoxi mentioned this to you?" Director Cha wondered, then chuckled, "I thought at least she would have told her family about this place. Ruoxi used to come here often with her grandmother and mother when she was young. Later, both her grandmother and mother passed away, and she started coming here alone. She really likes the children here, often bringing them gifts on holidays and playing games with them in her spare time, telling them stories. The children adore her, and so do I. In today's world, people like her, from good backgrounds and with genuine kindness towards these poor children, are truly rare. Some people donate just for publicity, but Ruoxi has never sought any recognition for her contributions here. I know she's the CEO of Yulei, but her quiet kindness is truly remarkable."

Yang Chen finally understood why Lin Ruoxi would often leave without any apparent reason in the past, wearing flat shoes. He had never understood where she went, but now he realized she came to the orphanage.

So, when Li Jingjing told him about meeting a beautiful sister who became her good friend, that person was actually Lin Ruoxi?!

Just as Yang Chen was unraveling these mysteries, Lin Ruoxi, surrounded by a bunch of giggling children after distributing the clothes, called out to him, "Yang Chen, I won't be going home for dinner tonight. I've already called Wang Mama. If you don't want to wait, you can take a taxi back first."

At this moment, Lin Ruoxi was unable to easily break free from the children around her, so she couldn't manage Yang Chen.

Finding the scene somewhat amusing, Yang Chen chuckled, "Then you play with the children; I'll head back first."

He truly didn't want to stay longer, especially because Li Jingjing occasionally looked at him with a faint, melancholic gaze. Though brief, it made Yang Chen uncomfortable.

After bidding farewell to Director Cha, Yang Chen walked out of the courtyard alone.

Li Jingjing silently watched Yang Chen's departing figure, his back receding without turning, her face growing paler but with a hint of determination in her eyes.

However, all of this went unnoticed by Lin Ruoxi, who was completely absorbed in the joyous atmosphere of playing and laughter with the children.