Chapter 7: Stain on Life

If it had been half a year ago, when a woman cried in front of Yang Chen, he would have thought she was stimulated by enemy smoke bombs, or perhaps pretending to be in distress to lower his guard, or maybe trying to seduce him with a pitiful appearance... But now, the beautiful woman in front of him, who seemed destined to be connected with him, was clearly crying because of his words.

Involuntarily, Yang Chen felt a pang of guilt. Though he felt that many of his words were not wrong, they were indeed a bit harsh for a modern woman who had preserved her chastity for over twenty years.

"Alright, stop crying... Isn't my apology enough?" Yang Chen said with some irritation, patting his shirt pocket absentmindedly, only to realize it was empty. He had been intending to quit smoking recently, so he hadn't bought any cigarettes.

Lin Ruoxi's tear-streaked face, like raindrops on pear blossoms, evoked infinite pity, but this girl was also stubborn. After shedding a few tears, she took out a tissue to wipe them away, then forced herself to stop crying. However, with red eyes, she stared at Yang Chen and said, "I'll ask you one more time, will you marry me or not?"

"I've made it clear, Miss Lin, why would a beauty like you insist on dragging a man into marriage? I've been very clear—I won't play along with this boring game of yours for three years." Yang Chen sighed, stood up, and prepared to leave.

This time, Lin Ruoxi didn't say anything more. She just looked desolate, her expression numb, and stood up as well, walking towards the balcony on the second floor of the cafe.

The balcony of the cafe was spacious, with several exquisite tables shaded by umbrellas. Various potted plants adorned the balcony, making it fresh and pleasant.

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Seeing this scene, Yang Chen's pupils contracted, and he drew in a breath of cold air. "Miss Lin, you're not thinking of jumping off the balcony because I refuse to marry you, are you?"

Ignoring his words, Lin Ruoxi continued towards the balcony. She slowly approached the edge of the balcony, casually grabbed a chair, and then stepped onto it, moving closer to the railing.

Now Yang Chen hesitated. Could this girl really be so impulsive? Jumping off this balcony would either kill her or leave her disabled if she landed on the stone slabs below...

However, Lin Ruoxi's actions immediately conveyed to Yang Chen how terrifying her determination was...

Indifferently, Lin Ruoxi glanced back at Yang Chen. Her eyes were filled with determination, disgust, pain, and bitterness, as if her entire soul was suffering within this exquisite body, trying to break free...

Their eyes met, and Yang Chen felt his heart skip a beat. He was all too familiar with this look, and it resembled an image deeply etched in his mind, the very image that had led him to break free from the bloody shackles of over a decade overseas and return to his homeland...

But now, looking into Lin Ruoxi's eyes, Yang Chen recalled too much that he had tried to forget but couldn't. In this moment, Yang Chen felt lost.

Seeing Yang Chen standing motionless as if in a daze, Lin Ruoxi felt a pang of bitterness. Even if she jumped off the balcony, that man would remain indifferent. Thinking of her pain from him, the pressures and complications in her life, Lin Ruoxi felt like she was on the verge of collapse... What was the point of living? Maybe death would be a relief...

Just then, as a young waiter carrying a tray of coffee prepared to climb the stairs, he saw the figure of Lin Ruoxi preparing to jump off the balcony.

"Miss Lin! What are you doing? It's dangerous!" the waiter exclaimed.

Before he could finish his sentence, a figure suddenly rushed past him, leaving behind a blur, moving so fast it seemed like a movie special effect!

As Lin Ruoxi, with tears in her eyes, was about to jump downstairs, a pair of strong arms suddenly wrapped around her slender waist, halting her movement.

Everything happened in the blink of an eye. The waiter at the staircase hardly saw what was going on, but he saw on the balcony that rough-looking man, holding the waist of the beauty in his arms. They stood quietly, motionless, on the balcony...

The sunlight sprinkled on the verdant plants on the balcony, casting a faint green light on the young couple, creating an atmosphere that seemed peaceful and ambiguous.

As the waiter breathed a sigh of relief, he secretly envied how this man could have such a relationship with Miss Lin, a beauty. He quietly placed the coffee down and left the scene.

Lin Ruoxi felt like she had instantly returned from hell to heaven. She didn't know how Yang Chen managed to move behind her in that moment, and she didn't have the mental capacity to think about it. She only felt the warmth of his arms tightly wrapped around her waist, almost to the point of discomfort. The man's heavy breathing gently sprayed on her sensitive jade back.

"Let me go. If you stop me now, I'll still go and die later," Lin Ruoxi's cheeks were flushed, but she remained stubborn.

Yang Chen took a deep breath, as if enjoying the enticing fragrance emanating from Lin Ruoxi's body. Her scent had a faint jasmine fragrance, and to Yang Chen, who had smelled too many high-quality perfumes, this scent surpassed them all.

"Lin Ruoxi, I give in. I'll marry you," Yang Chen sighed softly.

Lin Ruoxi's delicate body trembled slightly, then fell silent. Had she won? But why did she feel no joy at all? Right, this man was just a shield for her. He took her chastity when she wasn't in a clear state of mind. She hated him, so how could she love him? And if she didn't love him, how could she be happy to marry him?

At the same time, many passersby in the square had seen the pair on the balcony, and many of them were pointing and gossiping.

"Honey, what do you think they're doing?" a girl asked, holding onto her boyfriend's arm.

"I can't tell. Maybe they're reenacting Titanic, quite romantic..." her boyfriend replied.

Unable to bear the intense gazes from below any longer, Lin Ruoxi finally realized how ambiguous their actions appeared. She hurriedly got off the chair, broke free from Yang Chen's embrace, and walked back into the café.

Once they were seated again, the situation had already come to a conclusion, but both of them fell into silence, sipping their coffee in their own thoughts.

After a while, Lin Ruoxi set down her coffee cup, took out two pieces of paper and a pen from her small LV bag, and handed one of the papers to Yang Chen.

"What's this?" Yang Chen snapped out of his distant thoughts, looking puzzled.

"An agreement. A marriage agreement," Lin Ruoxi turned her head away again, not bothering to look at Yang Chen, returning to her cold and distant demeanor.

Yang Chen chuckled, took the pen, and stylishly signed his name on the line without even looking at what he was signing.

"You're signing without even looking at what it is?" Lin Ruoxi frowned.

Yang Chen shook his head and chuckled, "No need to look, I already know. It's nothing more than not being allowed into your room, not allowed to push you down, not interfering in each other's private lives, putting on a good show in public, and getting paid after three years. Am I right?"

Lin Ruoxi pursed her lips and muttered, "Close enough. Anyway, you've signed it, so you have to abide by it."

"Hehe, but Little Ruoxi, what if you actively want to do that thing with me... What should I do?" Yang Chen teased with a playful smile.

"You..." Lin Ruoxi's face flushed with anger and embarrassment. "Hmph! That won't happen. One stain on my reputation is enough..."

A stain on reputation? Yang Chen couldn't help but laugh inwardly. To this girl, something that half the world does every day was considered a stain on reputation. He couldn't deny it, so he just chuckled, finished his coffee in one gulp, patted his buttocks, and stood up. "Alright, I have to go to a friend's house for dinner later. Let's handle the registration tomorrow..."

"Wait, how do I contact you? What's your phone number?" Lin Ruoxi complained unhappily.

Yang Chen scratched his head awkwardly. "Didn't you investigate me? I don't have a phone. Buying one would mean paying for the phone bill, and I don't have the money. Just come to my place tomorrow and shout downstairs to find me."

"Hey!"

"What else?" Yang Chen turned back.

"You... You're not allowed to call me like that," Lin Ruoxi felt too embarrassed to even say that term of endearment. It was too cheesy!

Yang Chen suddenly realized, then immediately said with a serious face, "Yes, ma'am."

Lin Ruoxi felt like the world was spinning. How was she supposed to deal with such a rascal in the future?!