Chapter 248: In Your Eyes

The weekend arrived once again, and on this day, Jade International Entertainment Culture Company officially opened its doors in the heart of Zhonghai's city center, directly opposite the Jade Tower. Despite its low-key appearance, the news still garnered attention from several newspapers. As for the press conference, it was handled by Zhao Teng and Wang Jie. Yang Chen, serving as the director, was merely mentioned by name.

At the press briefing, Wang Jie briefly outlined the company's future development plans and announced that some top models from the Jade International Modeling Department had signed on. They would participate in variety shows and film and television productions as artists.

Throughout the event, Yang Chen, the theoretical leader, did not make an appearance. This sparked speculation among the public. While Jade International's employees knew of Yang Chen's existence, those who did found it hard to believe. The guy rumored to be lazy and not interested in his duties was now the director of a new company, a position higher than even the ministerial level within the company.

However, Yang Chen himself showed no reaction, allowing the situation to develop relatively smoothly amid the awkward atmosphere.

Saturday morning rolled around, and Yang Chen, as if nothing had happened, enjoyed a hearty breakfast prepared by Aunt Wang. His healthy appetite delighted Aunt Wang, much to Lin Ruoxi's annoyance.

"Are you a pig? Eating so much, won't you get indigestion?" Lin Ruoxi asked, giving him a disdainful look.

"I'm a pig, and you're the sow," Yang Chen retorted.

Ignoring him, Lin Ruoxi continued, "Have you thought about the company's future? We're about to start implementing actual projects."

"Are you in a rush now? If you were, why weren't you earlier?" Yang Chen chuckled.

"I, Lin Ruoxi, don't regret my decisions. I'm just asking as your superior," Lin Ruoxi frowned.

"I might collaborate with other companies soon for investment, planning some projects. But according to Wang Jie, we need to sign some artists first to expand our resources and gain recognition. So, there's no rush," Yang Chen replied.

"According to Wang Jie? What about your own ideas?" Lin Ruoxi said disapprovingly.

"My idea is not to lose money," Yang Chen replied nonchalantly.

Lin Ruoxi gritted her teeth, her fair face showing signs of impatience. After finishing the last sip of porridge, she turned and headed upstairs.

Yang Chen sighed, "Are you going back to the study again?"

"Why not?" Lin Ruoxi stopped in her tracks, asking irritably.

"It's Saturday today. Look outside. Despite the cold, the sun is shining brightly. Why bury yourself in work in the study when there's so much joy in life?" Yang Chen tried to persuade her.

Lin Ruoxi sneered coldly, "I'm not as free as you. I have many documents to read and many reports to analyze. You go enjoy the pleasures of life alone!"

"Treating your body like this is not good for you. You're still young, but if you keep this up, you'll have health problems in the future," Yang Chen said seriously.

Lin Ruoxi didn't respond and turned to continue up the stairs.

Yang Chen shrugged, left his seat, and quickly followed Lin Ruoxi upstairs. He reached the doorway of her study and blocked her way.

"What are you doing? Get out of my way!" Lin Ruoxi said coldly.

"Ruoxi darling, I think you should stop working. I've eaten a lot and my stomach feels a bit full. I want to go to the gym for some exercise. Why don't you come with me? Working out will make your figure even more beautiful," Yang Chen winked at her.

Lin Ruoxi stared at Yang Chen and said bluntly, "I'm not interested. Move."

Yang Chen sighed, "If you won't listen to me, I'll have to take action."

"Do you want to hit me?!" Lin Ruoxi exclaimed angrily.

"Why would I hit you?" Yang Chen smirked mischievously. Suddenly, he moved swiftly, stretched his arms around Lin Ruoxi's back and knees, and lifted her up horizontally!

Lin Ruoxi was startled. Instinctively, she wrapped her arms around Yang Chen's neck to maintain balance. But then she realized how intimate this position was—her face was close to Yang Chen's cheek, and when he lowered his head, their eyes met!

"You..." Lin Ruoxi was terrified. Since they got married, Yang Chen had never touched her without her permission. Now, he started with such an intimate move, leaving her unable to speak.

Yang Chen carried her and swiftly walked towards the gym. The huge villa already had a gym and a swimming pool, though they were rarely used.

"Just listen to me obediently, and everything will be fine. Why do you make me carry you like this?" Yang Chen shook his head, feeling exasperated.

Lin Ruoxi blushed furiously. She wanted to resist but was afraid of falling. With her eyes tightly closed, she felt Yang Chen's warm arms around her, causing a strange feeling to stir in her mind, making her head spin with confusion.

They finally reached the gym, and Yang Chen gently placed Lin Ruoxi down, whose body had stiffened like a board. She stumbled a little, almost losing her balance.

Yang Chen locked the door of the gym from inside and stood at the entrance with his arms crossed, watching Lin Ruoxi, who seemed absent-minded, with a smile. "Behave yourself. Exercise with some equipment. I'll only let you out when I say the workout is enough."

Lin Ruoxi snapped out of her daze, angrily shouting, "How dare you treat me like this! This is my home! Why should I listen to you?!"

Yang Chen clicked his tongue and sighed, "Looks like you still haven't learned to behave. Do you want me to carry you again?"

Lin Ruoxi immediately took three steps back, watching Yang Chen warily. Her bright eyes were filled with a mixture of grievance and reluctance, yet she felt helpless. Raised with excellent manners since childhood, Lin Ruoxi harbored deep resentment towards Yang Chen but didn't know how to curse at him, so she could only stare at him in frustration.

"Good wife, I'm not asking you to drink poison. Just exercising a bit to keep healthy. Look at all these equipment here, you can work out from head to toe without wasting much time," Yang Chen said, his eyes twinkling. "Or is it, dear, that you don't know how to use these machines? Should I teach you?"

Upon hearing the phrase "hands-on", Lin Ruoxi's heart skipped a beat, and her cheeks flushed red again.

Was this rogue planning something more embarrassing than just carrying her earlier?!

Feeling apprehensive, Lin Ruoxi pouted and, with the airs of a sulking young girl, chose the nearest treadmill and started walking on it.

"Yang Chen, you will regret treating me like this," Lin Ruoxi said, feeling embarrassed but still trying to save face.

Yang Chen paid no mind, walked over to Lin Ruoxi, and pressed the "speed up" button on the treadmill a few times.

The speed instantly increased, forcing Lin Ruoxi to start jogging.

It was the first time Yang Chen had seen Lin Ruoxi jogging. In the heated room, she wore loose white cotton leisurewear. Her dark hair fluttered with each stride, her lips slightly parted as she breathed. Her perfect figure ignited a strange feeling in Yang Chen, making his blood boil a bit.

Normally, he might not have had such thoughts, or perhaps he hadn't given himself the chance to think about it. After all, the most beautiful woman around him, his legal wife, was Lin Ruoxi, whom he saw almost every day.

However, due to various reasons since their first drunken incident, Yang Chen had deliberately avoided and restrained himself from noticing Lin Ruoxi's appearance and figure. Now, watching her jog up close, Yang Chen found himself slightly distracted.

Lin Ruoxi noticed Yang Chen's intense gaze and inexplicably felt a hint of secret joy. Despite her frequent annoyance with Yang Chen, she had long silently regarded him as her husband. For a woman, not receiving her husband's approval was quite painful. Lin Ruoxi had known since childhood how deadly her appearance could be to men, and this moment was no exception.

Yet, despite attracting countless looks outside, she couldn't seem to hold this guy's attention at home. Moreover, he openly sought out other women.

For confident Lin Ruoxi, this was undoubtedly a regret and frustration. However, she would never admit to these emotions, pretending indifference instead. Deep down, she couldn't fully accept Yang Chen and their many unresolved issues required time for reflection and feeling.

Unable to withstand Yang Chen's prolonged scrutiny, Lin Ruoxi eventually pretended not to notice and blushed uncontrollably, unsure if it was from exercise or shyness.

After jogging nearly a mile, Lin Ruoxi was panting, with delicate sweat beads forming on her forehead.

Yang Chen chuckled lightly, stopped the treadmill, and said, "Well-behaved. Now it's my turn to exercise. Darling, could you assist me?"

Lin Ruoxi was feeling a bit dizzy, but she timidly agreed, unusually obedient, resembling a well-behaved young bride.

"What exercise are you doing?" Lin Ruoxi asked softly.

Yang Chen lay down on a mat on the floor. "Let's do sit-ups. You can help hold my feet down, just apply a bit of pressure. You must have learned this in PE class when you were young, right?"

Lin Ruoxi murmured an acknowledgment. She did know how to do sit-ups. After all, physical education scores were necessary for college entrance exams, so she wasn't completely sheltered as a rich young lady.

However, the thought of using her hands or knees to secure Yang Chen's feet made Lin Ruoxi feel somewhat embarrassed. She hesitated, reluctant to approach.

Seeing Lin Ruoxi hesitating, Yang Chen chuckled inwardly. He found her nervous demeanor at this moment oddly charming, quite different from her usual self-assuredness. Pretending to be displeased, he said, "Ruoxi darling, if you won't help me, then I might as well do it to you. Would you like me to hold your legs instead?"

"No!" Lin Ruoxi immediately knelt down, wrapped her arms around Yang Chen's lower legs, and pressed her knees against his feet. Her cheeks blushed pink, and she shyly lowered her head. "You do it. I won't."

Yang Chen struggled to hold back a laugh. He didn't actually need to exercise; this was purely to amuse Lin Ruoxi and perhaps help her experience more of life, fostering their relationship. Why not have some fun?

"Here I go," he said.

"Mm-hmm."

Yang Chen's sit-ups were deliberate and slow. Up, down, up, down... Each time he rose, their foreheads nearly touched, face to face, sharing each other's breaths.

Lin Ruoxi felt the warmth, and if she tilted her head slightly, she could meet Yang Chen's gaze, seeing herself reflected in his eyes.

With each rise and fall, their faces met and then parted repeatedly. As Yang Chen slowed down even more, each moment of eye contact with Lin Ruoxi prolonged. At first, Lin Ruoxi blushed shyly, but gradually, she became a bit absent-minded.

In her clear eyes, a complex mix of emotions swirled—sweetness, frustration, bitterness, resignation—all intermingled.

When Yang Chen lost count of how many sit-ups he had done, he stopped, his cheek inches away from Lin Ruoxi's. Their eyes reflected each other's faces.

"It's nice to see that in your eyes, there's only me," Yang Chen smiled.

Lin Ruoxi was momentarily stunned, then quickly turned her head away, her breathing becoming a bit erratic. "Are you done?" she asked hurriedly.

"Not yet," Yang Chen replied.

Turning back to him, Lin Ruoxi asked, "Then what about you?"

Before she could finish her sentence, a surge of warmth overwhelmed Lin Ruoxi as Yang Chen suddenly kissed her, his lips capturing hers. He wanted to explore the fragrance of her womanhood with his tongue and kiss her for a whole morning. However, he did not linger. After the passionate kiss, he quickly released Lin Ruoxi's lips.

Lin Ruoxi was stunned, her mind blank. Her eyes looked hollow, everything in disarray.

Without warning, Lin Ruoxi slapped Yang Chen across the face with a loud "smack!" A faint red mark appeared on his cheek.

Yang Chen smiled but remained silent. He had expected this reaction and didn't attempt to avoid it.

Lin Ruoxi's eyes glistened with tears as she slowly stood up, suppressing all her complex emotions and returning to a cold demeanor. "Do you find teasing me amusing? Do you think it's interesting to do this?"

"It's not just that," Yang Chen said with a bitter smile.

"Then what is it?"

"Because—"

"I don't want to hear it!" Lin Ruoxi shook her head forcefully, turned, and ran to the gym door, unlocking it and leaving in a rush.

Hearing the forceful slam of the door, Yang Chen sighed weakly. "Silly girl, it's just a kiss between husband and wife. What's there to be so shy about? If you want to hit me, at least be gentle..."