Chapter 364: Distress

The events of the night played out like a farce, leaving Yang Chen reluctant to meet Lin Ruoxi's gaze over breakfast the next morning. It wasn't that Yang Chen was shy; rather, he felt that his actions were quite childish and, to make matters worse, they had failed! He felt too embarrassed to face anyone.

Lin Ruoxi, on the other hand, behaved as if nothing had happened at all, quietly eating her breakfast. Iceberg as she was, her emotions were inscrutable as usual.

The most distressed and nervous was Huilin, caught between the two. Last night, Yang Chen had touched her body and kissed her on the earlobe, leaving Huilin flushed and restless, unable to sleep all night.

Raised under strong traditional values and always intended to become a lifelong nun under Master Yunmiao's guidance, Huilin had never expected to be forcibly placed in this household by her grandmother and pressured to get close to Yang Chen for a lifelong commitment.

Initially, seeing the emotional entanglement between Yang Chen and Lin Ruoxi, Huilin had decided not to meddle. But now, she found it hard not to get involved herself.

Huilin knew that despite saying she didn't mind outwardly, she cared deeply inside. She had grown up under strict traditional upbringing, never having been touched by another man before last night. How could she simply let it go when she had been kissed, held, and touched by her sister-in-law's husband?

But that man was her brother-in-law...

Distressed, Huilin barely ate a few spoonfuls of congee that morning, then pushed her bowl aside, losing her appetite completely.

Wang Mama noticed and asked with concern, "Huilin, are you feeling unwell somewhere? Why aren't you eating?"

Huilin shook her head quickly. "No, Wang Mama, I'm just not very hungry. I'm fine."

"Oh," Wang Mama nodded skeptically, understanding that young people often had various worries and didn't press further.

Just as Huilin felt like her body was stiffening uncomfortably in the chair, feeling extremely uneasy, the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it!" Huilin exclaimed as if she had found a way to escape, rushing over to answer the door.

Yang Chen and Lin Ruoxi exchanged a glance, Lin Ruoxi's gaze as cold as frost.

Yang Chen scratched his nose, deciding it was best not to meet this woman's eyes directly. Perhaps it would take at least a week for things to thaw a little.

"Who could it be so early in the morning?" Wang Mama wondered aloud.

Yang Chen shrugged. "Maybe someone's here to wish us a Happy New Year again."

Huilin gently opened the door, her face initially relaxed with a slight smile. However, upon seeing the two people standing outside, her expression immediately froze. Her small mouth became round, her eyes filled with disbelief.

Outside stood two elderly individuals, specifically an elderly man accompanied by an older woman who resembled a servant. The man wore a thick, crimson Tang suit, paired with black coarse trousers and black-and-white handmade cloth shoes. His neatly combed gray-white hair was adorned with numerous age spots and kindly wrinkles adorned his face. His stature seemed slightly stooped, or perhaps he was naturally diminutive, appearing thin and somewhat petite.

The elderly woman behind him wore a gray cotton coat reminiscent of the Republican era clothing. She too had a kindly expression, her white hair well-kept, and she appeared lively.

Upon seeing Huilin, the elderly man seemed to regard her as a cherished granddaughter. His face lit up with more wrinkles as he kindly surveyed Huilin and asked, "You must be the young lady from the Lin family, all grown up now."

Huilin finally confirmed that she hadn't mistaken the identity of the visitors. She quickly took three steps back, her expression serious with a mix of reverence and excitement, bowing deeply with two consecutive ninety-degree bows.

"Commander-in-chief! Good day!" Huilin's peculiar gesture immediately caught the attention of the other three inside the house. Why was this girl suddenly bowing? Who had come?

The elderly man waved his hand warmly and said, "I retired from that job long ago, don't be like this. I came early today, hope I didn't disturb your breakfast?"

"Just happened to disturb, oh no, no disturbance!" Huilin nearly blurted out the truth, her face flushing red as she anxiously struggled to find the right words.

The elderly man chuckled, "Don't be nervous, I'm not a man-eating monster."

As if Huilin could help being nervous? Although she had spent most of her childhood training at Emei, rarely returning to Yanjing, she had seen this man's face only a handful of times, always following her grandmother. Yet she dared not forget his appearance.

He was one of the architects who helped Yanxia rise to become a world power, a founding father of the nation!

Leaving aside anything else, despite Lin's family being an old and respected clan in Yanjing, they were just second-rate compared to the family that he had single-handedly propelled to the pinnacle.

If not for the era when this man wielded great influence, when internet media was still in its infancy and televisions were rare in Yanxia, his presence would have been as eye-catching as that of a century-old figure!

Unfortunately, times had changed. After his retirement, few young people remembered him, and those who did only recalled vague outlines.

Huilin, after all, was not some recluse or high-ranking figure. She was just a young girl with a simple mind and upbringing. Seeing a figure of this elder statesman's level behind the scenes of the country, naturally, she was both shocked and fearful.

"I may be quite a bit older than your grandfather, but we can consider ourselves peers in conversation. If you find it awkward to address me otherwise, just call me Grandpa Yang," Yang Gongming said with a smile, seeing Huilin unsure how to respond.

Huilin softly replied, "Yes, Grandpa Yang."

After the initial nervousness of Yang Gongming's sudden arrival passed, Huilin reasoned that he must have come to speak on behalf of his grandson, Yang Lie. She anxiously looked towards Yang Chen, seated at the dining table.

However, Yang Gongming simply walked over to Yang Chen with a gentle smile and spoke slowly, "Young man, no need to stare at me. Have your breakfast. I'm a bit impatient, and us old folks wake up early. We can talk after you finish eating."

Yang Chen's hearing was sharp; he had heard Huilin call him "Commander-in-chief." Piecing it together, considering Huilin's position as a granddaughter of the Lin family, the only person she would bow to and address as "Commander-in-chief" could be the Grand Commander of Yanxia.

This position was akin to the Speaker of the Parliament in Sam Nation—less prestigious than the Prime Minister, but crucial in coordinating national policies.

Although Yang Chen kept up with the news, he had never seen this elderly man before. He speculated that he must be the retired Grand Commander. Facing such a senior statesman, who referred to himself as "Grandpa Yang," how could Yang Chen not know who he was?

Looking at the weathered face, the amiable smile, and the unabashedly observant manner as he leisurely surveyed the villa's decor, Yang Chen smiled wryly. There was truly no place to hide. He had thought having a father-in-law who was a military commander was enough of a joke, but now his father-in-law's father turned out to be a national leader.

Having not seen any of his own relatives for over twenty years and only returning to the country a year ago, why were so many important figures suddenly connected to him?

Lin Ruoxi, upon seeing Yang Gongming, was initially puzzled but soon recognized him. Not to mention Wang Mama, who had aged considerably over the years. Even she, with her timid demeanor, couldn't eat anymore, glancing around uncertainly before excusing herself to the kitchen to boil water and disappearing in a flash.

After contemplating for a moment, Lin Ruoxi knew Yang Gongming's background. Combined with the recent events involving Yang Lie and Yang Chen's reaction, she vaguely sensed a significant connection between this dignitary and Yang Chen.

However, the more she thought about it, the more incredulous it seemed. With the same surname Yang, could this man possibly be a member of Yanxia's top families, akin to the founding fathers after the nation's rise?

It couldn't be true, could it? If it were, wouldn't that make Yang Chen part of an aristocratic family, akin to the legendary first-born party after the founding fathers?

Furrowing her brow, Lin Ruoxi discreetly glanced at Yang Chen. He didn't seem much different from when he used to sell lamb skewers.