Chapter 346: The Old Cow

As they held hands and returned to the underground parking lot, after getting into the car, Yang Chen didn't immediately start the engine. Instead, he turned his head and silently gazed at Lin Ruoxi, whose face was still flushed.

Lin Ruoxi's heart was still pounding violently, her breath slightly hurried. Being stared at by Yang Chen in the darkness only made her cheeks grow hotter.

After enduring for over a minute, Lin Ruoxi finally couldn't help but speak up, "Stop staring at me, just drive."

Yang Chen pretended not to hear and a hopeful smile appeared on his face. "Wife, let's do something memorable to commemorate that we don't have to divorce and can reconcile instead. Isn't that a good reason to celebrate?"

"Who said we reconciled!" Lin Ruoxi, with thin skin and unwilling to admit it so bluntly, retorted.

"You agreed earlier to let me like you," Yang Chen chuckled.

Lin Ruoxi rolled her eyes at him. "I didn't say I liked you. Why are you so pleased with yourself?"

Yang Chen exclaimed, followed by a mischievous laugh. "It's okay if you don't say you like me right now. I like you, that's enough. Come on, be a good girl, how about a kiss for your husband? Such a meaningful night should involve something more meaningful."

Saying this, Yang Chen leaned in, his lips aiming for the corner of Lin Ruoxi's thin lips, about to kiss her.

Startled, Lin Ruoxi pushed Yang Chen's head away and shrunk back. "Don't do that! If you try that again, I'll get out of the car!"

Although she silently acknowledged their relationship, Lin Ruoxi felt a faint fear about immediately being intimate with Yang Chen. There seemed to be some barrier deep down that prevented her from wholeheartedly embracing her role as his wife so quickly.

Lin Ruoxi found herself perplexed and frustrated. Logically, since she had no intention of divorcing this man and he had loudly proclaimed his affection for her, their marital relationship should be set in stone. Yet, she felt that something was missing, something that kept her from fully committing to her wife's duties. What exactly it was, she couldn't quite figure out.

Yang Chen sighed wryly, "Just a kiss, why do you need to avoid me like this?"

"I... I don't like it," Lin Ruoxi said.

Yang Chen teased, "Could this still be your first kiss? No, it shouldn't be. Ruoxi, darling, who was your first kiss with?"

Lin Ruoxi blushed with anger and shyness. This guy knew very well that all her firsts were with him, yet he deliberately asked, leaving her speechless.

"I forgot," Lin Ruoxi muttered bitterly.

Yang Chen put on a serious expression, "According to scientists, a woman's first kiss is more memorable than her first night. How could you forget?"

Lin Ruoxi gritted her teeth and then coldly snorted, "You act like you're so knowledgeable. Then tell me, why do people kiss?"

Yang Chen blinked, wondering how to respond. Wasn't it the most natural thing when emotions were strong? But his own fervor had been repeatedly cooled by Lin Ruoxi's rejections.

"I don't know," he finally admitted.

"Well, then," Lin Ruoxi said smugly, "in primitive societies, humans learned to kiss. Back then, men and women kissed each other to exchange bacteria and enhance everyone's immunity. Even kissing between mother and child initially served this purpose, like vaccination."

Yang Chen's mouth hung open in surprise. Was that really a thing? How did that relate to wanting to kiss his wife?

Continuing confidently, Lin Ruoxi added, "I see you're healthy, and I'm healthy too. So let's skip the part where we exchange bacteria."

This romantic gesture had turned into something less appealing under Lin Ruoxi's explanation, leaving Yang Chen feeling bleak and disheartened. He sighed, "Wife, tell me honestly, how do you know about this stuff?"

"You think all those books in my study are just for show?" Lin Ruoxi lightly chuckled.

"What good is reading so much? Reading too much and even kissing spreads bacteria. No wonder they say a woman without talent is virtuous, no wonder female PhDs have a hard time finding husbands," Yang Chen lamented to himself, then started the car and headed home.

Lin Ruoxi secretly breathed a sigh of relief. If Yang Chen had insisted on kissing her just now, she wasn't sure if she could have avoided it.

But then she thought, she really owed him. After all, they were husband and wife, yet she kept avoiding him due to those unresolved feelings.

Before she could sort it all out, she decided to indulge in a bit of selfishness. Lin Ruoxi glanced guiltily at Yang Chen driving beside her, silently apologizing.

When they arrived home, they found that Wang Mama and Hui Lin were still downstairs and hadn't gone up to sleep yet.

"Miss, Sir, you're back. Is everything settled?" Wang Mama asked anxiously, as she had been waiting.

"Yeah, it's mostly resolved," Lin Ruoxi replied tiredly. "Wang Mama, I've told you many times not to wait up for me at night. It's too tiring for you."

"What's tiring about it? Hui Lin keeps me company. We were just discussing when you two would come back, whether we should call," Wang Mama said with a smile.

Hui Lin, upon seeing Yang Chen, said nothing and headed straight for the kitchen. "Big Brother Yang, what's going on?"

"Just looking for something to eat, haven't had dinner yet," Yang Chen replied.

Wang Mama was surprised. "How come you haven't eaten yet? Sir, let me reheat some food for you."

But before she could take a step, Lin Ruoxi spoke up, "Wang Mama, I'll go. You and Hui Lin can go upstairs to sleep."

This time, Wang Mama didn't say anything further, but a hint of curiosity flickered in her eyes. She smiled warmly and agreed, "Alright."

Thinking neither of them were particularly skilled in the kitchen, Hui Lin offered, "I'll help you, Sister Ruoxi. I'll cook a couple of dishes for you and Brother Yang. He probably won't have enough."

Of course, before you finish, Mrs. Wang pulled Huilin's arm aside and said, "Miss Lin knows how to cook, she's had professional training. Huilin, come upstairs with me." Mrs. Wang kept signaling to Huilin with her eyes.

Huilin immediately understood that Mrs. Wang was trying to create an opportunity for the two of them to be alone, so she followed Mrs. Wang upstairs.

However, Huilin couldn't help but wonder why, after all the cold war and talk of divorce, Yang Chen and Lin Ruoxi were so intimately working together in the kitchen on Yang Chen's first night back. And why was Lin Ruoxi, who had always been reserved, actively offering to help Yang Chen?

Huilin wasn't sure how to feel—she was a bit happy, a bit bitter, and somewhat envious. As she watched the two of them busy in the kitchen, Huilin suddenly found herself confused about her own feelings.

Until the Chinese New Year and the following weeks, which were Yu Lei's holiday, Lin Ruoxi and Yang Chen didn't need to go to work. Of course, if there were important matters, Lin Ruoxi would still go to the company immediately.

After a tumultuous and bittersweet night, when Lin Ruoxi went downstairs the next day and saw Yang Chen slurping porridge and eating buns at the table, her cheeks couldn't help but flush.

Yang Chen didn't feel much different, except that not facing Lin Ruoxi's cold face made him feel less stressed. As for how to gradually harmonize their relationship as a young couple in the future, Yang Chen felt it needed to be done step by step, as long as they didn't wait until the iron tree bloomed.

Thinking of this, Yang Chen smiled at Lin Ruoxi who was coming down the stairs.

Suppressing a smile, Lin Ruoxi glared at him unkindly, "What are you laughing at? Eat your food."

Yang Chen almost choked on his bun. It seemed their relationship hadn't improved much.

At this moment, the villa's door opened. Huilin, dressed in a thin long shirt and sweatpants, had just returned from her morning run, a delicate bead of sweat on her forehead.

Due to her martial arts training since childhood and the lack of outlets in the big city, Huilin often preferred morning runs for physical activity.

However, this time when Huilin opened the door, she wasn't alone.

"Big Brother Yang and Sister Ruoxi are having breakfast. You've come quite early," Huilin said with a gentle smile to the couple who had entered, then shouted into the house, "Big Brother Yang, Sister, there are two guests here to wish you a Happy New Year!"

Wish you a Happy New Year?

Yang Chen held chopsticks in one hand and a bun in the other, looking up in surprise. He hadn't expected to see Yuan Ye and Tang Tang, whom he hadn't seen for a long time.

Tang Tang, dressed in a red coat, seemed to have grown taller and looked more mature. Upon seeing Yang Chen, she joyfully shouted, "Uncle!" and rushed over, ignoring the fact that Yang Chen was having breakfast, and hugged him tightly.

Yuan Ye could only smile wryly on the side. He had now accepted some realities.

"Uncle, I missed you so much," Tang Tang giggled.

"If you missed me so much, why didn't you at least call me?" Yang Chen frowned.

Sticking out her tongue, Tang Tang replied, "I've been busy studying. I have the college entrance exam in the first half of this year. Can't you understand? My mom keeps me on a tight leash. I even find it hard to meet Brother Yuan."

After saying this, Tang Tang immediately turned her gaze to Lin Ruoxi, who was casually dressed in a loose wool sweater and no makeup, and exclaimed, "Sister, you're Uncle's wife, right? You're so beautiful!"

Lin Ruoxi, who had just been a bit reluctant when Tang Tang rushed in thinking she was a "third party," relaxed upon hearing Tang Tang was still in high school. After all, as a junior and a student, she couldn't possibly be involved in an affair with a married man.

But when Tang Tang called her "sister," Lin Ruoxi couldn't help but suppress a smile and looked teasingly at Yang Chen.

Yang Chen's expression immediately became conflicted, almost turning the bun in his hand into a ball of dough.

At this moment, Yuan Ye placed two large packages that looked like gifts in the corner and hurried over. He patted Tang Tang on the shoulder and whispered, "Tang Tang, why are you calling her 'sister'? You call Yang Chen 'Uncle' and call his wife 'sister.' Doesn't that mean Yang Chen has married someone from his daughter's generation?"

Tang Tang shrugged indifferently, "What's the big deal? This 'sister' clearly looks younger than Uncle. Uncle is so cool for going for younger girls."

This remark not only amused Lin Ruoxi but also earned Yang Chen a weird, pitying smile from Huilin. Even Yang Chen himself felt suddenly labeled as "the older generation."

Yang Chen gritted his teeth and took a large glass of milk that Mrs. Wang had prepared for him, gulping it down in one go. He seemed to feel a bit better and pointed towards the door, shouting at Tang Tang, "You brat! Can't you say something pleasant in the morning?! Get out! Get out! I don't want to see you! The old bull doesn't want to see you!"