Chapter 352: Getting Discarded into the Cold Palace
Yang Chen’s incessant shouting wasn’t effective, but instead, it made Lin Ruoxi, Hui Lin and Tang Tang, the three ladies, look at him smilingly. They enjoyed witnessing his suffering.
Yuan Ye walked forward to tap on Yang Chen’s shoulder helplessly. “Brother Yang, what’s there to be mad about? I’m in the same generation with you. If Tang Tang calls you Uncle, doesn’t that make her a generation younger than me as well? I’m never annoyed about it.”
“What’s done is done.” Yang Chen didn’t feel anything when Yuan Ye suddenly called him (Elder) ‘Brother Yang’. Waving his hand, he said, “It seems like I’m not entitled to basic human rights in this house.”
“Oh, you just realised?” Lin Ruoxi said. She then ignored Yang Chen’s gloomy look. Turning her attention to Yuan Ye, she asked, “Are you the grandson from the Yuan clan?”
Yuan Ye appeared nervous when he faced Lin Ruoxi. Forcing a smile, he answered, “Yeah, I’m Yuan Ye. Nice to meet you, Boss Lin.”
Lin Ruoxi smiled faintly. “You don’t have to be this nervous. Since you’re Yang Chen’s friend, that means we’re from the same generation. You’re not my subordinate.”
“I’ve heard about the various deeds that you have done prior to my visit. My father would often talk about your operations strategies as setting good examples for me. I’ve actually always looked up to you. I’m not too business savvy, so I’d often receive lectures from my father. He said if I could be half as good as you, he wouldn’t have to worry about anything for the rest of his life.” Yuan Ye was completely honest about what he said. He didn’t make anything up.
Lin Ruoxi was slightly surprised. Although she had met Yuan Hewei a few times at Liu clan’s banquet, she didn’t expect to be this highly praised in front of his son.
Tang Tang blinked her big, shiny eyes. “Woah, Elder Sister, you’re so impressive. Uncle Yuan rarely praises people!”
“Your father is exaggerating my abilities. I’m actually not that impressive. Since you guys came to visit this early, and we didn’t prepare anything, go sit at the sofa while I make tea for you,” Lin Ruoxi said before going to the kitchen and asking Wang Ma for tea leaves and hot water.
Since no one in the house frequently consumed tea, stuff like the water dispenser wasn’t always ready for use. As a result, they had to boil water when they had visitors.
After Yuan Ye and Tang Tang sat down, Hui Lin came to the table and started eating breakfast together with Yang Chen. Noticing Yang Chen’s irritated look, she said smilingly, “Brother Yang, stop being so petty. Tang Tang is obviously a straightforward girl. When I was outside earlier, she still… still…”
Yang Chen got curious as he saw that Hui Lin suddenly blushed as she spoke. Confused, he asked, “What are you trying to say? Just voice it out.”
“She mistook me… as your wife.” After Hui Lin finished speaking, she lowered her head and didn’t dare to look at Yang Chen.
After listening to her, Yang Chen knew that Hui Lin must’ve thought of the ‘mission’ planned by Abbess Yun Miao. The daoist nun really didn’t bother asking about her granddaughter after throwing her over, which he was speechless about. Smiling, he said, “Don’t overthink and start eating. Do you think I look like someone who’d get annoyed over something this insignificant?”
“Oh…” Hui Lin was rather disappointed.
When Lin Ruoxi walked out with a teapot together with Wang Ma who held a smile on her face, Yuan Ye seemed to have recalled something. Nervously, he asked Lin Ruoxi, “Erm… Boss Lin, can I… can I…”
Lin Ruoxi noticed that his face reddened severely. Cheerfully, she said, “Just say it. I’m not a monster who’d eat you.”
After the iceberg between her relationship with Yang CHen started dissolving, Lin Ruoxi started holding a smile on her face more often than before.
“Can I refer you as Sister-In-Law?” Yuan Ye asked with a stiff smile.
In fact, before leaving the house, Yuan Ye’s mother Yang Jieyu repeatedly informed him to call Yang Chen ‘Elder Brother’ and Lin Ruoxi ‘Sister-In-Law’. Yuan Ye wasn’t particularly comfortable with it, but he just thought his mother wanted him to see Yang Chen as his sibling. Furthermore, Lin Ruoxi was one of the wealthiest women in Zhonghai with enough assets to rival a country. There was nothing wrong with seeing her as his sister-in-law.
Lin Ruoxi flushed upon listening to the form of address while she got stunned like a deer in headlights. Glancing at Yang Chen who was still eating, she thought, Is this possibly requested by the fellow?
On the other hand, Wang Ma grinned so happily that her mouth couldn’t stay shut. Her eyebrows raised when she smiled. “Yuan clan’s young master, what’s wrong about it? It’s really intimate this way.”
“Hehe, is it?” Yuan Ye foolishly scratched the back of his head. “I’ll call you Sister-In-Law in the future then.”
This matter seemed to have been settled just like that.
Tang Tang murmured something after listening to the conversation. Mimicking Yuan Ye, she sweetly called Lin Ruoxi, “Sister-In-Law!”
Lin Ruoxi had the urge to run out the door. She blushed so much that her ears reddened in front of the two visitors. Even though she felt awkward at heart, she felt a hint of sweetness and satisfaction as well. She couldn’t explain the feeling, but she seemed to like it a lot.
Yang Chen who was having breakfast seemed to have thought of something after listening to Yuan Ye’s form of address. Sorrow could be seen between his brows, but he didn’t say anything and continued having his meal.
Yuan Ye and Tang Tang instantly got familiar with Lin Ruoxi, as if becoming family. Being the sister-in-law, she chatted with the two young fellows and asked them questions like what they usually did, how they got to know Yang Chen, and how their family members were like.
Lin Ruoxi didn’t have many friends to begin with. She suddenly got to know two little friends from the same generation as her who referred her as ‘Sister-In-Law’, appearing immensely intimate. She couldn’t help but to feel elated at heart.
Wang Ma notice the entire situation. Satisfied, she went back to the kitchen to continue preparing food. She must be planning to ask Yuan Ye and Tang Tang to have dinner at the house before leaving.
Yang Chen looked at Lin Ruoxi who was happily chatting with the two kids. He asked, “Dear, are you not going to eat anymore?”
Lin Ruoxi was deeply immersed in the conversation with Tang Tang. She simply answered, “Eat yourself.”
Yang Chen rolled his eyes. It only took him one night to get discarded into the cold palace again.
[TL note: Whenever a (usually) concubine, or anyone else who had fallen out of favor but were not allowed to leave the imperial palace, that would qualify as being in a "Cold Palace" (打入冷宮)]
However, before he opened his mouth to take a bite on yet another bun, the doorbell rang again.
Yang Chen was surprised. “Oh no, how unfortunate. Did someone come to visit again?”
He looked at Yuan Ye and Tang Tang who looked ignorant before asking, “Did you guys partner up with someone else to disturb me from having breakfast?”
“Elder Brother, we’re not that bored.” Yuan Ye smiled bitterly.
Hui Lin stood up and said, “I’ll get the door,” before running to the door and pulling it open.
However, upon opening the door, Hui Lin’s body appeared to have stiffened, as if witnessing something horrifying. Dumbstruck, she wasn’t able to speak a word.
Everyone turned their attention over there. A tall and well-built man with black, short hair and fair skin wearing a black leather jacket, who looked handsome, walked into the house.
The man’s gaze looked incredibly dignified, as if he could look through anyone’s heart with ease. He was just like an extraordinary sharp, peerless sword, which looked particularly dazzling.
More surprisingly, dressed in a light-colored windbreaker, Cai Ning whose hair loose followed the man into the house as well. She looked at the people inside helplessly.
“I’m sorry. I couldn\'t stop him from coming here to find Hui Lin,” Cai Ning said.
The people present all recognized Cai Ning, and knew that she was the elder sister from the Cai clan which had given her an imposing identity. But who was the man in front of her, who made her say ‘unable to stop him’?
“Why did you come here…” Hui Lin looked at the young man and finally said something slowly.
Strong passion emerged in the man’s eyes. “Hui’er, why are you here?”
“What does where I am have to do with you…”
After Hui Lin finished speaking, she turned around and wanted to run away, as if she wasn’t willing to meet this man.
However, the man’s arm grapsed Hui Lin’s tightly in a lighting-fast manner. “Hui’er! I won’t let you leave me again!”
“Yang Lie! Who are you to to control me?!” Hui Lin seemed infuriated as she used all her strength to struggle away from the man called Yang Lie.
However, Yang Lie’s hand was just like the mouth of a tiger. No matter how much force Hui Lin used, she wasn’t able to get away from him.
It should be mentioned that Hui Lin had been practising martial arts since young. Although she wasn’t the best in fighting, she was still personally taught by Abbess Yun Miao. If she cultivated internal energy, the strength of ten ordinary men would still pale in comparison. However, this strength was still powerless in Yang Lie’s hands!
“You’re the woman I, Yang Lie, like. Of course i should be the one to control you!”
Having said something so commanding, he turned his attention to the other people present, looking down at them disdainfully, as if he was the creator of lives.
“Regardless of who you are, or how you’re related to my Hui’er, I must bring her away today.” After he finished speaking, he planned to immediately bring Hui Lin away.
Hui Lin knew that she wasn’t able to escape. She turned her head to signal Yang Chen for help. Her gaze was filled with melancholy and worry, appearing immensely pitiful.
Yang Chen sighed. Originally, he merely thought that the guy called ‘Yang Lie’ was rather weird. However, he wasn’t able to think about anything else at the moment. He interacted rather well with Hui Lin after all, and she was Lin Ruoxi’s blood-related sister. He wouldn’t allow ‘a man who likes her’ to simply take her away.
If this happened to Lin Ruoxi, wouldn’t all the guys on the streets want to bring her with them?”
“Let Hui Lin go,” Yang Chen said to Yang Lie who was about to step out of the door.
Yang Lie stopped moving. He turned his head to look at Yang Chen, while Hui Lin looked delighted. She knew that although she couldn’t deal with Yang Lie, Yang Chen was a being above all.
“What makes you think I’ll listen to you?” Yang Lie asked scornfully.
Yang Chen put down his bowl and chopsticks. Frowning, he stood up and asked, “Do you really believe that you’re so powerful and no one can stop you from doing what you want?”
“Isn’t that the—”
Before Yang Lie finished speaking, he suddenly felt an enormous pressure engulfing all the meridians of his entire body. The horrifying pressure made his aura become disoriented!
This is…
Before he could analyze what it was, instinctively, he let go of Hui Lin’s arm and cultivated all of his internal energy towards the front to block the oncoming force!
However, the result proved to be ineffective!
A seemingly gentle force could be felt sweeping across his body. Yang Lie got pushed out of the door forcibly by a mass of air!
Yang Lie continuously spun for a few rounds, which forced him to unleash all his strength to stabilize himself. Cold sweat dripped from his forehead. When he raised his head again, the man could be seen standing at the place he was previously standing at, with Hui Lin behind him under his protection.
Having broken through the ninth level of Endless Resolve Restoration Scripture and achieved its full cycle, his strength couldn’t be compared to that of before. Cai Ning was dumbfounded by the horrifying force. Although she wasn’t able to understand just how strong Yang Chen was, it was evident that he was much stronger than when she previously saw him launching an attack!
However, Cai Ning finally believed that she was inferior to Yang Lie. If it were her who was blocking the attack earlier, she was certain that she couldn’t remove the overwhelming force.
Unfortunately, so what if that was the case? Facing the man whom people called ‘God’, all his opponents could do was to look up to him.
“Who the heck are you? How is there someone like you in Zhonghai…” Yang Lie refused to believe what he just witnessed. He then turned to look at Cai Ning who had remained silent all this time. “Flower Rain, who’s this fellow?”
“He’s the one whom you felt was ‘unworthy’ and ‘famous but useless’...” Cai Ning replied.
Yang Lie squinted. “So it’s you… I heard that you helped Dragon Group a lot in Tibet. The fellow Sky Dragon kept talking about how strong you were. It sure seems like you have a trick or two indeed.”
Yang Chen was rather surprised as well. Yang Lie seemed to be able to feel just how much he was inferior to Yang Chen, but he didn’t look the slightest afraid. Yang Chen didn’t understand if he was ignorant, or had something he could rely on.