Chapter 54 Third wheel

Blue Bay Hotel, a 5-star hotel completed only two years ago, was located on the east side of Zhong Hai beside a holiday resort, nestled on a river bank. The entire building had a refreshing and lightly elegant color palette. The dense and sentimental Scottish design makes many of the upper-class businessmen enjoy coming here to negotiate deals.

Once she got out of the car, Lin Ruoxi walked to Yang Chen's side and hooked her arm over Yang Chen's elbow. She dully said, "Let's go."

Yang Chen smiled.

"Calm down a little, Ruoxi. If you want others to think our relationship is intimate, you have to at least smile. With this ice-cold expression, people will think that we are not in love with each other."

Lin Ruoxi heard that, and she was trying very hard to change her expression, still unable to bring out a smile. The truth was, to even grab onto Yang Chen's arm was considered a huge challenge to her.

She felt so uncomfortable and self-conscious. She must be afraid of having skin contact with a man.

Seeing her act like this made Yang Chen realize that he needed to be more understanding and patient with her.

He knew that forcing her to display affection would only make her more uncomfortable.

"It's okay, Ruoxi. You don't have to try anymore. Just be yourself. I understand that our contact may make you uncomfortable."

Lin Ruoxi looked at Yang Chen. She saw that he really didn't blame her or expect her to change. Lin Ruoxi felt a sense of relief wash over her.

"I am really sorry, husband."

Lin Ruoxi said it with a soft voice.

"I am the one who asked for your help, but this is all new to me. I have never been in a relationship before, so it's all very overwhelming."

Even though they married on a contract, they didn't feel bad about marrying each other, so Lin Ruoxi wanted to learn and adapt to being in a relationship with Yang Chen.

Maybe they could just forget about the contract and—have a real marriage.

Lin Ruoxi shook her head when she thought about that.

"I understand, even though you are the CEO of a very big company. There might still be something that you are not good at. Let's take things slowly. Nothing will happen because I am here with you."

Yang Chen smiled at Lin Ruoxi. His smile made her heart flutter with warmth. It was in that moment that Lin Ruoxi realized that their marriage, whether contractual or not, had the potential to blossom into something beautiful and genuine.

She couldn't help but think about the Korean drama that she usually watches, where the lead characters started off with a contract marriage but eventually fell deeply in love. Lin Ruoxi wondered if their story would follow a similar path, filled with unexpected twists and turns, leading to a happily ever after.

"Let's go. We can't let them wait for too long."

Yang Chen then led Lin Ruoxi inside the hotel. She just let him do whatever he wanted. She wasn't good at acting, but right now. They looked more like a couple than just a contract-bound pair.

Lin Ruoxi couldn't deny the growing warmth in her heart as they walked close to each other while her arm was hooked to his.

…

On the path to enter the hotel, both sides had ancient Greek columns and goddess statues. After entering the hotel, the sides were instead filled with various western artists' oil paintings of many different sceneries.

The imposingly grandiose decorations, which created a fashionable yet classical fusion, filled the whole Blue Bay Hotel with an air of honor; even the guests that came and went were exquisitely dressed, with arrogant expressions on their faces.

Yang Chen looked at Lin Ruoxi. While holding onto Yang Chen's arm, Lin Ruoxi was slowly appreciating the artwork on the alley, looking back at him with a small smile.

"I like oil painting. It makes me feel like I'm in a different world."

She whispered softly. Yang Chen smiled back at her. Even though he didn't like oil painting much, he knew how to keep his mouth shut and let her enjoy her moment.

After that, they were led by two neatly dressed 'Etiquette ladies'. They walked towards a private booth facing the lake, and while raising his head, Yang Chen noticed that the private booth's strongly religiously styled "Judas.".

The milky white-decorated wooden door opened, and a man wearing a black Hugo Boss suit entered. This man had curly hair and a rugged beard, and he wore a simple smile.

Upon gesturing, he said, "please enter" with his hands.

"Welcome, Miss Lin; our family's young master has been waiting for you."

It was evident that the man excluded Yang Chen, who was holding Lin Ruoxi's hand, from his welcome gesture and did not even take one look at him.

Lin Ruoxi normally wouldn't think about it, but now she feels angry that the man ignored Yang Chen and only acknowledged her presence.

Yang Chen saw that she was angry in his place and couldn't help but speak.

"It's okay, wife. An uneducated person often makes mistakes. This one is also the same. You don't have to worry about it."

The man heard every word he said, and he felt very angry, but before he could say anything to Yang Chen, a magnetic voice came out of the booth.

"Ruoxi, I finally get to meet you."

The speaker wore a blue dress shirt, had a head full of neat short hair, and had a pale, handsome face. He possessed the rare temperament of reverence from the inside out; this type of temperament cannot be nurtured by an average family.

Expressionlessly, Ruoxi nodded her head. She still feels angry, but Yang Chen gave her a signal so she wouldn't do anything out of place.

"Boss Xu, I'll be troubling you."

Facing Ruoxi's cold indifference, Xu Zhihong wasn't even fazed. Still having the appearance of a mature man, he wore a face full of smiles.

"I've invited you quite a number of times, and it's quite rare for you to be free. Your father has talked to me about you for quite some time, saying how you've been really busy at work. As a matter of fact, I do not mind; the fact that you were willing to come and join me for dinner alone makes me feel content."

It was hard to think that a general manager of a huge company, who was also the eldest heir for one of Zhong Hai City's 5 greatest families, would welcome a woman with so much affection. "To come and join me for dinner makes me feel content." With these words, what kind of effect will they have? It's unknown how other women would react, but Lin Ruoxi was unfazed, and with great difficulty, she only said a few words.

"You're too kind."

Xu Zhihong too did not feel anything was wrong as he personally pulled a chair and invited her.

"Come, please sit, Ruoxi."

At this point, it was up to Yang Chen to do his duty as her husband. He smiled gently and said,.

"You're too kind, Mr.Zu; I can't let you be trouble with my wife, right? Ruo'er, please sit here."

Yang Chen called her Ruo'er, and it made Lin Ruoxi's heart skip a beat. She couldn't help but look at Yang Chen. Now she could smile, unlike before. Yang Chen pulled out a chair for her, and then she sat down gracefully.

The two looked like a nice married couple, with Yang Chen taking care of Lin Ruoxi's needs and making her feel comfortable.

As they sat together, the atmosphere became more relaxed. Xu Zhihong looked at both of them, and he felt like he was the third wheel. He couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy as he observed their genuine connection and affection for each other.

'It wasn't supposed to be like this. He should be the third wheel. Not me!"

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