Chapter 396: Expansion
By the time Lin Ruoxi finished talking and was ready to go down the mountain, more than half an hour had passed. Yang Chen didn't mind the time, but Lin Ruoxi's nose and cheeks had turned red from the mountain wind.
As they walked down, Yang Chen took off his coat and draped it over Lin Ruoxi.
Lin Ruoxi initially declined, but couldn't resist Yang Chen's insistence. She felt a warmth in her heart but still said, "You don't need to do this. It's just a short walk; it's no big deal."
"If you catch a cold, it'll be too late to regret it. Tomorrow is New Year's Eve, and if you get sick, it'll ruin the celebration," Yang Chen said.
They descended the mountain and got back into the car. Suddenly, Lin Ruoxi remembered something and asked, "You mentioned that Zhenxiu started studying again?"
"Yes," Yang Chen replied, surprised that Lin Ruoxi brought it up.
"Is she still living alone?" Lin Ruoxi asked.
Yang Chen understood her intention. "You want to invite Zhenxiu to spend New Year with us?"
Lin Ruoxi hesitated, then nodded. "If she's willing. I think spending New Year alone is too sad for her. Bringing her to our home will make the celebration livelier. Even though New Year is tomorrow, she can help us prepare and cook. I think she'd enjoy that."
"You really are like Zhenxiu's big sister, always thinking about her," Yang Chen joked.
Lin Ruoxi shook her head. "You don't understand. Zhenxiu reminds me of the times I spent with Grandma. When I met her, she was just a little girl with pigtails. I have no siblings, so she feels like a younger sister to me. There's a special bond."
"I didn't object, so no need to explain so much," Yang Chen smiled and started the car.
Lin Ruoxi glared at him but said nothing, taking off Yang Chen's coat and neatly placing it on the back seat.
When they arrived at Zhenxiu's rented apartment, they saw her struggling to carry a large cardboard box up the stairs.
Zhenxiu was wearing an old light orange coat and had her hair tied in a simple ponytail. Her innocent face was smudged with some dirt, and despite the cold weather, sweat had dampened her bangs.
"Hey, girl, what are you carrying?" Yang Chen got out of the car and took the box from her.
Zhenxiu initially thought someone was trying to steal from her. Seeing it was Yang Chen, she breathed a sigh of relief and gave him a radiant smile. "Brother Yang, it's you! It's just some second-hand books for studying."
Yang Chen looked inside the box and saw it was indeed filled with science and English textbooks. It seemed Zhenxiu had just bought them cheaply from somewhere. He laughed, "Even if you're determined to study, there's no need to work so hard right before New Year."
Zhenxiu's face fell slightly, and she forced a smile. "It's nothing. New Year's just a day. Reading and doing other things will make it pass. It's not a big deal."
"If you say that, your sister Ruoxi will be heartbroken. She specifically thought of you and came with me to invite you to our home for New Year's dinner," Yang Chen pointed to the car.
Zhenxiu seemed taken aback. Seeing Lin Ruoxi's gentle smile as she stepped out of the car, Zhenxiu bit her lip, speechless.
"Come on, spend the night at our place. Celebrating New Year together is much better than you being all alone," Yang Chen said. "Don't try to be strong in front of me. We're not outsiders."
Yang Chen's words left no room for refusal. Zhenxiu, feeling the warmth of their concern, nodded. "I'll just put these books away and come right down."
Half an hour later, Yang Chen drove back home, but now with two women in the car.
When they got out of the car, Lin Ruoxi didn't forget to carry Yang Chen's coat inside.
In the living room, Guo Xuehua, Wang Ma, and Hui Lin were chatting and peeling beans together. They looked curiously at the young girl Yang Chen had brought home.
Zhenxiu was the first to notice Guo Xuehua. Having seen her portrait every day at the orphanage, she was stunned.
Lin Ruoxi explained, "Aunt Guo is Yang Chen's mother, and she lives with us now."
Zhenxiu exclaimed, "Aunt Guo is Brother Yang's mother?!"
Zhenxiu never expected such a coincidence.
"Yang Chen, Ruoxi, this young girl looks so delicate and pretty. Whose child is she?" Guo Xuehua asked with a smile, noticing Zhenxiu's shocked expression as she looked at her.
Yang Chen gestured with his eyes for Lin Ruoxi to explain, as this matter was better handled by her.
Lin Ruoxi then briefly explained Zhenxiu's situation to Guo Xuehua, who suddenly realized that Zhenxiu had once been at her orphanage. However, she couldn't recall her specifically among the many children she had seen over the years.
"Since fate has brought us together, why don't you stay with us, not just for the New Year? You need to study for your college entrance exams, right? How can you prepare well while running a small stall and studying alone? Why not stay with us for the next six months? Ruoxi and Yang Chen see you as a sister, so you don't need to feel constrained," Guo Xuehua suggested warmly, her compassion for orphaned children rekindling upon hearing Zhenxiu's story.
Lin Ruoxi was taken aback, not expecting such a proposal from Guo Xuehua.
"Oh, by the way," Guo Xuehua realized she had overlooked Lin Ruoxi's opinion since it was her house. "Ruoxi, it's just a suggestion. If you think it's inconvenient, that's fine too."
Lin Ruoxi naturally didn't mind and felt a bit regretful for not having thought of it earlier. She shook her head, saying, "It's no problem. I think it's a good idea."
Zhenxiu quickly shook her head. "I can't do that. I've already received so much help. How can I live in Ruoxi's house? That would be too much."
Yang Chen patted Zhenxiu's head. "You should stay. You can't leave even if you want to. I won't send you back." He thought to himself how the house was getting more crowded with each new addition—Huilin, his mother, and now Zhenxiu, who was like a little sister.
Unfortunately, as the only man in the "girls' dormitory," he could only watch as the dorm expanded.
After much persuasion from the women, Zhenxiu reluctantly agreed. However, she still needed to go back to her small rented room to fetch some essential belongings and study materials, which Yang Chen would naturally handle.
Just as Yang Chen was about to sit on the sofa to watch TV, Lin Ruoxi called out, "Where's your coat?"
Yang Chen remembered the coat he had taken off earlier and casually said, "Just toss it over here."
Lin Ruoxi was a bit annoyed since she had bought that coat for Yang Chen and didn't like how casually he treated it.
"Catch," Lin Ruoxi said, tossing the coat toward Yang Chen.
As the coat flew through the air, a small, shiny object fell out of the pocket and landed on the floor with a "ding."
Everyone froze, looking at the crescent-shaped necklace on the ground.
Huilin, who was closest, picked it up and exclaimed, "Wow, this necklace is so beautiful! Is it platinum?"
Lin Ruoxi also noticed the necklace. The crescent shape was intricately crafted, appearing simple yet elegant, with very smooth lines. It was indeed a fine piece of jewelry, and the platinum material made it even more luxurious.
Realizing that it had been in Yang Chen's pocket, Lin Ruoxi wondered if it was a gift for another woman. Could it be for her? But her gift was the dumpling plushie, wasn't it?
She couldn't help but look at Yang Chen.
"Oh," Yang Chen said. "That's from Zhenxiu. I just carried it around with me. Luckily, it didn't get damaged."
Zhenxiu smiled brightly, happy to see that Yang Chen had kept the necklace she gave him.
Zhenxiu gave Yang Chen a platinum necklace?!
Zhenxiu, living so frugally, had given Yang Chen a platinum necklace?!
The other women didn't think much of it, attributing it to Zhenxiu's strong bond with Yang Chen. But Lin Ruoxi, having seen Yang Chen's many ambiguous relationships with women, and knowing about his mistress, felt a different kind of suspicion.
Despite her efforts not to think about it, the idea that even Zhenxiu, her little sister, might have something with this man made her eyes flash with a cold light. She looked at Yang Chen with discontent.
Yang Chen, feeling a chill down his spine, noticed Lin Ruoxi's angry and dissatisfied gaze and realized what she was thinking. He forced a smile and said, "Ruoxi dear, don't overthink. This is just a token of gratitude from Zhenxiu. There's nothing between us."
Lin Ruoxi was taken aback, her face turning red. She hurriedly turned away and went upstairs, saying, "Who cares what you have."
The other women felt awkward, understanding what the couple was hinting at.
Zhenxiu blushed deeply, feeling embarrassed.
Huilin and Wang Ma smiled, but Guo Xuehua detected a different meaning in Yang Chen's words.
Yang Chen said, "there's nothing between us." Didn't that imply there was something with other women?
Though they had been separated for over twenty years, blood was thicker than water. Guo Xuehua quickly picked up on the special meaning in her son's words. She couldn't help but wonder if her son was a philanderer.
If so, Lin Ruoxi's cold attitude toward Yang Chen and her reluctance to share a room with him might have another explanation.