Chapter 262: I'm Not a Child

Under the night's canopy of green shadows, a cold wind rustled, and black-clad bodyguards patrolled the roadsides intermittently, showing the Liu family's seriousness towards the evening's event.

After driving for five or six minutes along the spacious roads of the resort, the car parked in a spot by the roadside. This road was already filled with various world-class luxury cars. Vehicles like the Audi A8 and Mercedes-Benz S-Class, which seemed extraordinarily luxurious to ordinary people, appeared rather dim in this setting.

Yang Chen could clearly feel Lin Ruoxi's body tensing slightly beside him. After taking a deep breath, she immediately calmed down, indicating her unease with such occasions.

"After we get down, don't speak out of turn, and don't wander off alone, understand?" Lin Ruoxi reiterated solemnly.

Yang Chen chuckled bitterly, "I'm not a child."

"You're more trouble than a child," Lin Ruoxi said bluntly.

Yang Chen pursed his lips, unable to retort. He felt a bit belittled.

At that moment, Li Ming, equally on edge, solemnly ran to the rear door and opened it, then stood aside.

Yang Chen smiled and extended his left arm towards Lin Ruoxi.

Lin Ruoxi hesitated for a moment but ultimately knew she couldn't avoid it. She reached out her delicate and jade-like arm and hooked it through Yang Chen's elbow. Since she had decided to try accepting this man, she couldn't revert to her old ways.

The black Rolls-Royce Phantom, even among such gatherings of social elites and business magnates, was not a commonly seen top-tier luxury car. Therefore, when the occupants of the car stepped out, many of the guests outside instinctively looked over.

Yang Chen was the first to exit the car, a completely unfamiliar face that caused all the guests to pause and glance at each other, silently asking who this young master was from which family or if he was a high-ranking official's son invited by the Liu family.

Following him, Lin Ruoxi walked out while holding Yang Chen's arm, like a powerful magnet that attracted almost everyone's gaze. Men looked on with infatuation while women's expressions ranged from admiration to jealousy and complex emotions, but most of all, there was curiosity. After all, Lin Ruoxi had rarely attended such public upper-class gatherings before, making her appearance quite novel.

The cold winter air didn't diminish due to the women's exposed evening dresses, but they all pretended unaffected with modest smiles, trying not to shiver visibly.

3.5

Yang Chen felt that women had it tough. When Lin Ruoxi stepped out of the car and was immediately greeted by a cold gust of wind, she unconsciously moved closer to him. He chuckled inwardly, noting that even ice queens felt the chill.

Following the respectful invitation of the banquet attendants, they proceeded towards the grand entrance of the banquet hall. It was a colossal three-story Baroque-style building adorned with endless rows of neoclassical columns, a testament to the formidable wealth of the Liu family.

As they approached, a middle-aged man in a shiny black tailcoat, with slicked-back hair and a neatly trimmed mustache, accompanied by several attendants of varying ages, strode forward with a welcoming smile. From a distance, he greeted Yang Chen and Lin Ruoxi enthusiastically.

"Truly honored by your presence, Lin Zong actually graces our humble gathering tonight. Welcome, welcome!" he exclaimed.

Lin Ruoxi whispered to Yang Chen at her side, "He is the head of the Liu family, the host of tonight's event, Liu Kangbo."

Yang Chen suddenly realized, "Ah, so this is Liu Yun's father. He must have caused quite a stir among women when he was younger."

The other guests, who had harbored lingering doubts, upon seeing the Liu family patriarch personally welcoming them and addressing Lin Ruoxi as "Lin Zong," quickly surmised Lin Ruoxi's identity. A woman worth billions, commanding an international conglomerate, her presence far more formidable than her appearance!

In no time, Yang Chen and Lin Ruoxi became the center of attention for everyone. Many speculated about Yang Chen's relationship with Lin Ruoxi, knowing she wasn't married and hadn't been linked romantically with any scions of wealthy families.

"Liu Chairman, you're too kind. We are just younger generation, no need for such formalities," Lin Ruoxi responded calmly with a gentle smile.

Liu Kangbo waved his hand modestly, "Women are just as capable as men. I've always said this during President Yulei's tenure. Now that Yulei is under Lin Zong's leadership, she has become the undisputed queen of the summer fashion industry. We old folks respect successful businesswomen by coming out to greet them."

Lin Ruoxi remained silent, simply nodding with a smile.

Liu Kangbo casually turned to Yang Chen, "May I ask who this is?"

Before Yang Chen could speak, Lin Ruoxi interjected, "He is my husband, Yang Chen."

Yang Chen turned to look at Lin Ruoxi in surprise. He knew she had brought him here today to publicly acknowledge their relationship, but he hadn't expected her to be so straightforward and composed about it.

Liu Kangbo appeared momentarily stunned, and the surrounding guests who overheard also showed surprise. In an instant, Yang Chen became the envy and focus of everyone's attention.

Yang Chen awkwardly scratched his nose and chuckled, "Chairman Liu doesn't know me, but I do know your son."

Liu Kangbo quickly regained his composure and asked warmly, "Mr. Yang knows my son, Yun? Are you perhaps classmates?"

"Not classmates, just acquaintances with a few minor disagreements," Yang Chen casually remarked, adding to himself, "If stealing your daughter-in-law counts as a minor disagreement."

"Haha, then it must be a case of 'no pain, no gain.' Please, both of you, come inside," Liu Kangbo, wise and shrewd, chose not to pursue the topic further until he understood more about Yang Chen.

Lin Ruoxi glanced at Yang Chen with slight puzzlement, wondering how he knew Liu Yun and had encountered conflicts with him. However, it wasn't appropriate to ask in this setting, so she kept her thoughts to herself.

As they entered the banquet hall, Liu Kangbo whispered to a man beside him, "Immediately look into that man's background."

The man nodded and swiftly departed, while Liu Kangbo's face lit up again as he went to greet other important guests.

Although the venue was spacious, it was densely packed with socialites and wealthy ladies, most of whom were gossiping amid the hustle and bustle of waiters. News from outside about the arrival of Lin Ruoxi, the enigmatic young CEO of Yulei International, accompanied by her husband, a man named Yang Chen, spread like wildfire through the hall, stirring up a whirlwind of curiosity. Thus, as soon as Yang Chen and Lin Ruoxi entered, they felt a wave of intentional and unintentional gazes upon them.

Lin Ruoxi effortlessly became the center of everyone's attention, dressed in a black silk evening gown complemented by a set of cornflower blue sapphire jewelry. Her elegant and ethereal appearance, akin to a tulip blossoming in the night, exuded a charm that was both noble and captivating, leaving both men and women struggling to resist its sudden allure.

Yang Chen felt uneasy. He had known he shouldn't have come. Sure enough, he was now under everyone's scrutiny.

Lin Ruoxi, on the other hand, seemed unfazed, as if accustomed to being the most dazzling figure in the crowd. She gracefully accepted the champagne offered by a waiter and, hand in hand with Yang Chen, walked into the center of the room.

Many self-proclaimed successful male entrepreneurs and heirs of prominent families looked at Lin Ruoxi holding Yang Chen's hand with a mixture of envy and disdain. In their eyes, this unremarkable and unfamiliar man surely couldn't measure up to their so-called elite status. Lin Ruoxi, still young and perhaps blinded by love, had failed to choose someone worthy of her.

Men's thoughts could be quite irrational at times. At this moment, these men were unwilling to consider whether Lin Ruoxi, capable of managing a vast business empire, might have a mind sharp enough to assess a man.

Therefore, several well-dressed men with impressive educational backgrounds, strong family backgrounds, and substantial wealth unconsciously gravitated towards Lin Ruoxi.