Chapter 301: The Day I’m Not Around

Downstairs, Yang Chen composed himself, his face revealing nothing out of the ordinary.

Huilin, who had come back home with Lin Ruoxi, was sitting on the sofa watching television. The TV was showing a music gala, and although Yang Chen didn't recognize the people on the screen, Huilin seemed quite absorbed in the music and dance.

"It looks like a future superstar singer is going to be born in our family," Yang Chen said with a smile.

Huilin's face turned slightly red. "Our family?"

Seeing Huilin's slightly embarrassed look, Yang Chen found it quite amusing. "We've lived together for a while. You wouldn't ignore me as your cousin after becoming a famous singer, would you?"

"Of course not," Huilin replied, a bit embarrassed by the comment.

Looking around, Yang Chen noticed that Aunt Wang was still busy in the kitchen. It seemed that he had come home early today, and Aunt Wang was hurrying to prepare dinner.

Yang Chen sighed inwardly. In the future, this house might return to being a place where only Aunt Wang and Lin Ruoxi lived.

With these thoughts in mind, Yang Chen walked into the kitchen and asked Aunt Wang, "Aunt Wang, do you need any help?"

Aunt Wang smiled warmly and said, "Young Master, you should just keep Miss Huilin company and watch TV. I can manage. Dinner will be ready in half an hour."

"Let me help you this time; I might not get many more chances," Yang Chen said as he moved over to the cutting board, picking up a peeled potato and a knife. He asked, "Do you need this potato julienned?"

Seeing that Yang Chen was serious about helping, Aunt Wang didn't stop him and nodded. "Just slice it however you like. We're family; it doesn't need to be too precise."

Yang Chen nodded, and with a swift movement, the knife in his hand cut the round potato into thin, even strips with precision and speed that was almost imperceptible to the naked eye. In no time, the entire potato had been transformed into perfectly uniform julienne strips.

Aunt Wang's eyes lit up with admiration. "No wonder Miss Ruoxi said you know martial arts. Your knife skills are as good as the chefs on TV."

"I just know a few tricks," Yang Chen said casually. These really were just minor tricks for him. If he hadn't worried about startling Aunt Wang, he could have sliced the vegetables at an unimaginable speed.

While chatting with Aunt Wang, Yang Chen leisurely continued to prepare other ingredients. Various vegetables and meats seemed especially obedient under his knife, quickly and neatly turning into perfectly cut pieces ready for cooking.

Wang Ma was carefully marinating a small bowl of chicken wings, likely to be deep-fried later. Watching Wang Ma meticulously prepare the food, Yang Chen felt a warm sensation in his heart. He had been living in this house for almost half a year now, and he couldn't count how many meals he had eaten that Wang Ma had cooked. If he were to leave in a few months, he wondered if he would find it hard to adjust.

"Wang Ma, your cooking is really delicious," Yang Chen said.

Wang Ma beamed with joy. Although crow's feet appeared at the corners of her eyes, they only made her look more loving. "People who cook love to hear that," she replied.

Yang Chen nodded in understanding and murmured softly, "Wang Ma, if one day I'm not in this house anymore—I'm just saying if—I hope you won't be too sad."

Wang Ma froze for a moment, pausing her actions. "Sir, why are you saying such things all of a sudden?" she asked.

"I was just thinking, if one day I'm no longer in this house, and I go to a place where no one can find me, how would this house be? It would probably be just like those years without me," Yang Chen said.

"Sir, you are being ridiculous. What's there to think about?" Wang Ma scolded playfully.

Yang Chen smiled. "Wang Ma, if that day really comes, you must take care of that foolish woman who only knows how to work. Tell her not to stay up late, not to skip dinner just because she's busy with work. And if she feels unwell, she should go to the hospital immediately, unlike last time when she worked herself to exhaustion before going for treatment. People can't handle that kind of stress. Oh, and if she's in a bad mood, she can go to that glutinous rice ball shop on Wenyi Road in Zhonghai. Just hand her some rice balls, and she'll forget about her troubles. She doesn't like taking medicine, so you can buy her those instead. Although she doesn't say it, she's actually afraid of gaining weight, so she doesn't dare to buy them herself. But with her workload, she won't gain weight easily. Also, if she doesn't come home at night, you should bring a warm meal box to the office. Even if she says she'll eat outside, she's lying. If she refuses to eat, Wang Ma, you can shed a few tears and complain a bit. She has a soft heart and can't bear to see others upset."

Wang Ma's hands froze, her mouth slightly open, looking at Yang Chen, speechless.

Realizing he had said a lot of inexplicable things, Yang Chen smiled awkwardly. "Wang Ma, I was just casually chatting. Don't take it too seriously."

"Oh, good thing you said that," Wang Ma finally relaxed, smiling through tears. "Sir, your words almost tore my heart into pieces like dumpling stuffing. It's like a Qiong Yao drama, even someone my age almost started crying. Sir, you mustn't say such things lightly. If you're not around, our lives would be very hard."

"How could that be? Even without me, Ruoxi has enough money to build a Great Wall. She would live comfortably," Yang Chen said.

Wang Ma sighed, "Money is something you can't take with you when you die. As long as you have enough, it's enough. Having more is a burden and a responsibility. A poor person might not be unhappy, and a rich person might not have a good life. Ultimately, it's best for a family to stay safe and together."

With that, Wang Ma continued to heat the oil and started cooking.

After finishing slicing the last green pepper, Yang Chen arranged the various vegetables and quietly left the kitchen. Hui Lin, who was sitting on the sofa, quickly turned her head away when she saw Yang Chen coming out, pretending to have been watching TV the entire time.

Yang Chen chuckled inwardly. After all, Hui Lin was taught by Yun Miao Shi Tai herself, and had made some progress in cultivating her inner strength. She must have heard everything he said in the kitchen.

Not wanting to expose her, Yang Chen sat down on another sofa, picked up a newspaper, and leisurely began to read it.

Seeing Yang Chen remain silent, Hui Lin couldn't help but ask, "Brother Yang, are you really going to divorce my sister?"

"You heard everything, didn't you?" Yang Chen replied.

Hui Lin pouted, "I think you actually don't want to divorce her, do you?"

Putting down the newspaper, Yang Chen stared at Hui Lin for a moment before saying seriously, "Hui Lin, can you promise me something?"

Hui Lin nodded hesitantly, "Sure, Brother Yang, what is it?"

"When I eventually leave this house, can you stay with your sister? At the very least, don't leave her like I did, and spend more time with her," Yang Chen said solemnly.

Hui Lin looked a bit confused, not understanding what Yang Chen meant.

"Your sister, although she seems very successful, she doesn't even realize how pitiful she really is. There are many things that are more cruel than what she sees," Yang Chen said with a hint of sadness in his eyes. "I can tell that she has some suspicions about your identity. You must understand that you are blood-related sisters. You share many similarities. But she hasn't questioned you much and has treated you with genuine kindness, which shows that she likes you as her sister. So, I hope you can spend more time with her. You know martial arts and get along well with her, making you the perfect person for this."

Hui Lin lowered her eyes, feeling a slight pang of sorrow in her heart. "Brother Yang, I used to think you didn't seem like a good person, so I was a bit afraid of you. But now I feel that you are actually very nice. If you leave my sister, I will be sad about it too."

"Foolish girl, life goes on with or without me. The world keeps turning no matter who is here. Even if I leave, your sister will still be able to live well," Yang Chen said with a smile.

Hui Lin nodded, "I understand. I will keep this promise."

After watching TV for a while, Wang Ma finished preparing the meal. After Yang Chen and Hui Lin helped bring out the dishes, Wang Ma went upstairs to call Lin Ruoxi down for dinner.

A moment later, Wang Ma came back downstairs with a bit of frustration, saying, "Miss is busy with something again and asked me to bring some food up to her. She really doesn't give me a moment of peace."

Yang Chen casually said, "It's fine, Wang Ma. Could you take some food up for her?"

"Sure," Wang Ma had already gotten used to this routine. She quickly prepared some food and took it up to Lin Ruoxi.

After finishing dinner, Yang Chen put on a coat and grabbed his car keys. He said to Wang Ma and Hui Lin, "I'm going out to meet someone. Don't wait up for me. I might be back late." With that, Yang Chen left the house, got into his car, and drove off into the night.