Chapter 393: Ganging Up on Me
Driving away from home, Yang Chen noticed the fuel indicator light on his BMW was on. He pulled into a nearby gas station to fill up. As he paid the attendant, he suddenly realized that everything he was using—the money, the car, the house he left from—belonged to Lin Ruoxi.
When he had initially married this woman reluctantly, it was because of a contract. He thought of himself as just an employee and didn't give it much thought. But now, as he planned to walk the future path with her, using her things seemed inappropriate.
It wasn't about pride; Yang Chen didn't care about being called a freeloader. He was thick-skinned enough to ignore such comments. But what about Lin Ruoxi? She had always hoped for him to succeed, perhaps because she felt he wasn't living up to his potential.
Recently, since he had shown more of his true self, Lin Ruoxi had stopped urging him to work hard. However, if others knew about their relationship, they might have opinions. Realizing he had been "kept" all along, Yang Chen couldn't help but laugh at himself. Although he hadn't done it intentionally, he was indeed using Lin Ruoxi's resources while often making her angry, which wasn't fair to her.
Maybe he should discuss with that old guy Ron about finding a few nice things to cheer up his wife? Yang Chen pondered this while driving, but the more he thought about it, the more he realized material gifts wouldn't mean much. Lin Ruoxi wasn't short on money; although not among the world's top billionaires, she had enough to last several lifetimes.
Rather than giving her rare and peculiar treasures, which had little practical use, it would be better to do things that would ease her mind. For instance, achieving some success at work or ensuring he didn't stay out all night without a call.
With these thoughts swirling in his head, Yang Chen, feeling guilty, drove to the Yu Lei headquarters. Being the eve of the Chinese New Year, the building was mostly empty, with only a few people on duty. Yang Chen made his way to the top floor without encountering anyone familiar.
He reached Lin Ruoxi's office and knocked on the door but got no response. "Hey, President Lin, it's Yang Chen. Open up," he called out with a smile. There was still no response.
Frowning, Yang Chen was about to open the door when he heard footsteps behind him. He turned to see a man and a woman walking towards him, chatting and laughing. The woman was Lin Ruoxi's assistant, Wu Yue, whom Yang Chen jokingly called "Airport." The man looked familiar, though Yang Chen couldn't recall where he'd seen him. The man appeared to be in his mid-thirties, handsome and scholarly, without any off-putting air.
"What are you doing here?" Wu Yue asked, looking at Yang Chen warily, as if he were a thief.
Yang Chen felt frustrated. "If you can be here, why can't I?"
"Hmph, sneaking around like this. I thought being appointed director would make you somewhat dignified, but you're still the same annoying thug," Wu Yue said disdainfully.
"Yue, who is this?" the scholarly man asked curiously, glancing at Yang Chen before kindly inquiring with Wu Yue.
Wu Yue, who usually acted like a tomboy, blushed unexpectedly, a rare sight that almost left Yang Chen stunned.
"This is the new director of the entertainment company, Yang Chen. He's not a good person," Wu Yue said softly.
The man was momentarily taken aback, then smiled warmly at Yang Chen. "Hello, I've heard about the two great generals under President Lin—Minister Mo and Director Lin. I've met Minister Mo several times, but this is the first time meeting the elusive Director Lin. Nice to meet you."
Yang Chen shook hands with him, frowning slightly. "You've said all these flattering words, but who are you?"
"Hmph, no manners at all," Wu Yue said unhappily. "This is Mr. Li Minghe, the new vice president sent by Mu Yun Group to our company."
Yang Chen suddenly understood. He remembered hearing about President Lin going to receive the new vice president from Mu Yun Group, who was responsible for the new materials market. He hadn't expected the person to be so young and not the middle-aged man he had imagined.
Looking at the smug Wu Yue and the polite Li Minghe, Yang Chen understood the situation but didn't bother to say more. He turned to open the president's office door.
"Hey, what are you doing? Who said you could just go in?" Wu Yue quickly blocked Yang Chen, like a protective mother cow.
"I'm looking for President Lin. This has nothing to do with you," Yang Chen said dismissively.
Wu Yue frowned. "President Lin went to Yuzong Tower for an inspection. If you want to find her, go there. The president's office is not a place you can just enter."
"Yuzong Tower?" Yang Chen was momentarily stunned. He knew that tower was a luxury department store under Yu Lei, named "Yuzong" because it also sold high-end jade artifacts. Many valuable jadeite pieces from Myanmar, worth tens of millions, were traded and displayed there.
"Are you lying to me? Why did you come here if she's not here?" Yang Chen looked at Wu Yue suspiciously.
Wu Yue glared at him, annoyed. "Why would I lie to you? Although I dislike you, I have no reason to deceive you. President Lin came to the company earlier to ask about the year-end sales. She wanted to inspect things personally. Is that so strange?"
Li Minghe nodded in agreement. "That's right, Yue'er isn't lying to you, Director Yang. President Lin did go to Yuzong Tower. I saw her myself earlier. Many companies have peak sales seasons at the end of the year, and Yu Lei is no exception. It's normal for a responsible leader like President Lin to conduct personal inspections."
Yang Chen considered calling Lin Ruoxi, but then he wasn't sure what to say. Instead, he focused on sensing the office's interior. Realizing there was indeed no one inside, he believed them.
Changing his mind, Yang Chen asked, "Why do you need to go in if President Lin isn't there?"
Wu Yue snorted. "Vice President Li needs to check some documents. President Lin agreed and asked me to accompany him."
Yang Chen smirked. "Taking your job as an assistant seriously, staying with the vice president to check documents during the holidays. Don't overwork yourself; it's bad for your health."
Seeing Yang Chen's mischievous smile, Wu Yue felt puzzled, while Li Minghe, more experienced, just smiled calmly.
Yang Chen didn't bother them anymore and left the building.
Driving to Yuzong Tower, he noticed various department stores holding promotional events. The bustling crowds and lively traffic gave Yang Chen a sense of the festive atmosphere, but he was also anxious. What if Lin Ruoxi moved to another location by the time he arrived?
After enduring terrible traffic, it was almost noon when Yang Chen finally reached Yuzong Tower. Following the signs to the underground parking lot, he sighed in relief.
In the past, living abroad, he had never seen such crowded cities. Even in New York, it was rare to see such heavy traffic.
The Yuzong Tower parking lot wasn't too crowded, considering only a limited number of people could afford to shop there. Scanning the lot, he saw about a hundred luxury cars.
As Yang Chen found a parking spot and got out, he noticed a red Bentley parked a couple of spots away.
Wasn't that Lin Ruoxi's car? It seemed she hadn't left yet.
Yang Chen glanced around and was about to head to the elevator when he saw someone coming down—it was Lin Ruoxi, the person he was looking for.
Lin Ruoxi was still wearing the professional outfit she had worn when she left home in the morning. Her usually neat and beautiful hair was slightly disheveled, and there was a slight sheen of sweat on her forehead. Her exquisite face was flushed, indicating she had exerted herself considerably.
Moreover, she was carrying five or six large paper bags in her hands, likely having walked quite a distance with them.
As Lin Ruoxi stepped out of the elevator and headed back to her car, she suddenly noticed Yang Chen standing there with a mischievous smile, staring at her.
Yang Chen couldn't help but smile. The bags Lin Ruoxi was carrying were full of men's clothing from Givenchy, Versace, and Burberry. For most people, buying these would be a significant expense, but Lin Ruoxi casually carried them like grocery bags. Only someone like her, who treated luxury items as everyday goods, would grab several bags at once.
In the morning, Guo Xuehua had casually mentioned buying new clothes for the New Year, not expecting Lin Ruoxi to take it seriously and actually go shopping for him. This warmed Yang Chen's heart, and seeing Lin Ruoxi's flushed face made her look even more adorable.
Lin Ruoxi instantly tried to hide the bags behind her, but they were too many and too large to conceal. Embarrassed, she lowered her head and quickly walked back to her car.
"Why are you hiding? You're just buying clothes for me," Yang Chen said, smiling as he walked up to her.
Lin Ruoxi bit her lip, silently opening the car's trunk and stuffing the bags inside.
"I went to the office to find you, and Wu Yue said you were out on an inspection. I didn't expect my darling Ruoxi to be out shopping for her husband. Wow, I thought you were angry, but here you are, following Mom's suggestion to buy me clothes. How about a reward, like a hug?" Yang Chen joked.
Lin Ruoxi immediately moved aside, still slightly out of breath from carrying the bags, and gave Yang Chen a cold glare. "Try it, and you'll see."
Yang Chen froze, then awkwardly smiled. "No hug, no hug. I just wanted to thank you. Look at this—I eat your food, wear your clothes, live in your house, and now you even bought me New Year's clothes. I'm truly touched and want to do something for you."
Lin Ruoxi sneered, as if she had heard something amusing. "Touched? Thankful? I'd be grateful if you and your mother didn't gang up on me."