Chapter 283: The Scorpion

Lin Ruoxi stood still, not moving an inch since Yang Chen began killing. Now, with his hands soaked in blood and his body stained crimson, he walked into the room as though soaked in blood, causing Lin Ruoxi to instinctively recoil half a step.

Yang Chen raised his head, which had been hanging low, and noticed the slight confusion and panic in Lin Ruoxi's eyes. He gave a bitter smile.

"Did I scare you?" Yang Chen asked in a low voice.

Lin Ruoxi clenched her two pale hands into fists, knuckles turning white, her delicate body trembling slightly. After a while, she shook her head. "Not... not really."

Yang Chen chuckled bitterly at himself. "No need to say it like that. Sooner or later, you would have seen this scene, seen me like this. I used to deliberately avoid it, but today, I don't see the need to hide anymore. No normal person, oh wait, no normal human being, would want to see me like this."

Lin Ruoxi looked at Yang Chen with a hint of shimmering in her eyes. Hearing his words, a pang of pain struck her heart. She wanted to speak words of comfort, but there were too many questions, too many tangled thoughts. When she tried to speak, not a single word could leave her lips.

What kind of person was he in the past? Why was he so cruel in killing? How many people had he killed before? Is he a murderer? An international fugitive? A terrorist? Or something else entirely?

Lin Ruoxi suddenly felt afraid. The man in front of her, who still looked familiar but seemed incredibly distant, smiled at her, but it felt like an insurmountable chasm separated them.

Aside from heartache and fear, there was no hint of relief, even though she had survived by relying on his strength.

Seeing Lin Ruoxi fall into a silent, wordless state, a sense of discomfort mixed with relief welled up within Yang Chen.

In the end, he had to face all of this—punishment and perhaps a form of redemption.

After a moment of silence, Yang Chen gathered his thoughts and spoke sincerely, "Ruoxi, I know right now you probably wish I would disappear from in front of you immediately. Tonight, you're probably going to have nightmares. I'm sorry, I didn't want this either, but what happened to Jingjing today was driven by Zeng Xinlin, but it's also my responsibility. I've done a lot of things that I'm sorry for you about. I've been an incompetent husband, and even now, I can't give up the other women who love me with their lives. Some you know, some you don't, but to me, they're all the same. They're all third parties, but they're also people I care about and cherish. I admit I'm greedy and despicable. I don't want to lose you, but I also don't want to lose any of them. When I saw you running back to your room today, I even began to despise myself."

So, those people just now, even though I could have refrained, I still acted in front of you. If I choose to stay here, then I should tell you who the real me is. These hands of mine, covered in filthy blood, they are my true hands. In the past decade or so of my life, I've lost count of how many lives I've taken. My methods are even more brutal than what you just witnessed."

"Don't say it! I won't listen!" Lin Ruoxi suddenly shouted out, interrupting Yang Chen. This woman, who had always been calm to the point of being mechanical, suddenly became emotional and shouted, leaving Yang Chen momentarily stunned.

"I didn't ask you to speak, so you're not allowed to speak! Who cares how you were in the past? You used to sell lamb skewers! Do you think I'll believe your stories? I don't want to hear it!" Lin Ruoxi turned away, mustering unknown strength to help Wang Ma, who had fainted, onto the sofa. Then she said to Yang Chen, "What are you standing there for? You're so dirty all over, aren't you going to take a shower?"

Yang Chen smiled bitterly. "Ruoxi, I've chosen to be honest. There's no need for you to help me evade. Honestly, I'm grateful that you haven't run away because of how I am. I truly am."

Lin Ruoxi's body trembled slightly as she turned away coldly. "I don't understand what you're saying."

"Whether you understand or not, I've already shown you something I hoped you'd never see. I know you can't accept it. Who could?" Yang Chen spoke softly. "I appreciate that you've tried to accept me, but I think it's time for me to leave now. At least you won't face the threats like earlier because of me."

Upon hearing the word "leave," Lin Ruoxi's face showed a hint of panic. Yang Chen's resolute manner was not mere talk.

"Don't be too arrogant, Yang Chen," Lin Ruoxi suddenly turned around, her eyes cold. "When did I ever say I wanted to accept you? What does your affair with other women have to do with me? Don't think that just because I'm a bit nicer to you, I'm falling for you. Even if it's a cat or a dog, if they've been around my house for a long time, I'll be nicer to them. Yang Chen, let me tell you, our marriage is contractual until the contract ends! I forbid you to leave! Do you hear me?!"

Watching Lin Ruoxi, her eyes red from crying and nearly shouting, Yang Chen stood stunned, unable to utter a word.

"So what if you're good at killing? So what if your methods are cruel? Didn't you hear earlier? Since I took over Yu Lei International at twenty, I've been stepping on the corpses of other businesses, causing countless people to lose their jobs and families to break apart in an instant. Just like when I used you and Qianni last time to conspire against Changlin Media and the Xu family. If we're talking about brutality, am I really any better than you?"

"Just like Xu Zhihong, who wanted to put a gun to my head and make a hole, such people are commonplace in Zhonghai! But so what? This is how I grew up. If I didn't act this way, there wouldn't be the Lin Ruoxi standing before you now. You destroy lives, I destroy competitors in the market, I destroy futures of families. What makes you think you're so impressive in front of me?!"

"Ruoxi," Yang Chen muttered, stunned.

Lin Ruoxi closed her eyes, stopping her tears from flowing due to her excessive agitation. After catching her breath, she remained silent for a while before continuing in a tone tinged with reminiscence.

"Before my grandmother passed away, she told me a story while lying in bed. Once upon a time, there was a scorpion with a deadly sting. It wanted to cross a swift river, but being unable to swim, it asked a frog to carry it across. The frog hesitated, fearing the scorpion would sting him. But the scorpion reasoned, 'If I sting you, we'll both drown. Why would I do that?' The frog found it logical and agreed."

"However, when they reached the middle of the river, the water suddenly became turbulent. The scorpion got scared and in that moment of fear, it stung the frog. The frog was poisoned instantly and began to sink. Confused, the dying frog asked the scorpion, 'Why did you sting me? Now you'll die too.' The scorpion replied, 'I didn't want to, but this is just how I am. Despite knowing the consequences, I couldn't resist my instinct.'"

A jolt surged through Yang Chen's brain, causing his body to tremble.

Lin Ruoxi bit her lip sorrowfully, staring at Yang Chen's face with a cold smirk. "Now, do you understand why I always keep people at arm's length? Do you understand why I'm always alone? Just as you think your instincts might kill me, I fear that mine might harm others. You and I are both poisonous scorpions, living as strange creatures to others, driven by instincts that seem insane and incomprehensible. Neither of us can kill each other, only ourselves."