Chapter 175: Let's Have a Date

The caviar in Yang Chen's dish was full of grains, with a bright and transparent color, even faintly gleaming with a golden hue.

This kind of caviar was definitely not ordinary; premium caviar was called "black gold" precisely because of such characteristics.

Xu Zhihong finally realized that he had overlooked one thing: he hadn't asked Yang Chen which caviar he wanted.

With a hint of anxiety in his heart, Xu Zhihong smiled and asked Yang Chen, "Mr. Yang, the caviar you ordered looks great." Yang Chen was busy stuffing his mouth with a spoonful and washing it down with a gulp of red wine, enjoying the taste immensely as he replied, "Yes, the Caspian Sea beluga sturgeon caviar does taste different indeed. I must thank Mr. Xu for the hospitality, hehe..."

Caspian Sea beluga sturgeon?!

Xu Zhihong's face instantly darkened, reaching the brink of exploding.

You see, to the Faxonians who were most obsessed with and professional in eating caviar, there were only three types of sturgeon roe in the world that could be made into qualified caviar.

These three types of fish were beluga, oscietra, and sevruga. The highest-grade beluga, also known as the Caspian Sea beluga, had a global annual production of less than one hundred, and only beluga over sixty years old could be used to make caviar.

Among them, the Caspian Sea beluga produced between Russia and Iran was the most precious.

This kind of caviar could easily fetch over two thousand US dollars per one hundred grams on the market!

It meant that eating such a luxury food within the borders of Yanxia, counting all the tariffs, storage, and transportation costs, the price per bite was no different from gold!

"Mr. Yang, you truly know how to enjoy life," Xu Zhihong forced himself to hold back his anger, gritting his teeth. If Lin Ruoxi wasn't beside him, he doubted he could resist shutting the door on this guy who repeatedly provoked him!

Damn it! Rogue! Beast! Xu Zhihong screamed in his heart. Spending tens of thousands of dollars wouldn't bother him, but it was precisely for this man, who was an enemy in both appearance and reality! How could he not be angry?

Yang Chen waved his hand, "Oh, Mr. Xu, would you like to have some too? There are still a few left in my dish!"

A few left?! Was he playing with beans?!

Xu Zhihong nearly spat out a mouthful of blood. He forced a smile and said, "No need, Mr. Yang, you can keep it for yourself." Without giving Yang Chen a chance to speak, he directly waved to the waiter, "Bring the dishes! Bring the dishes!"

Xu Zhihong needed to finish the meal quickly and get Yang Chen to leave. Otherwise, he feared he might really lose his temper and pull out a gun.

Seeing Xu Zhihong in disarray, Lin Ruoxi, with an expressionless face, felt somewhat relieved in her heart. After all, she had always strongly opposed what Xu Zhihong had done. Due to work requirements, she could only calmly discuss matters.

Lin Ruoxi vented her frustration, then glanced at Yang Chen with slightly softened eyes. She just felt that if Yang Chen could divert Xu Zhihong's attention to work, she wouldn't have to worry so much.

Lunch was eaten particularly quickly. Xu Zhihong practically hurried the two of them out the door, smiling more like a cry.

Unpredictable! Completely unpredictable! Tens of thousands of dollars were carelessly swindled by this rascal again!

Exiting the hotel, Lin Ruoxi seemed relieved, "What you did was actually quite risky. Xu Zhihong isn't someone who shies away from trouble. If he really turns hostile, things might not be simple."

"Are you worried about me?" Yang Chen asked.

"I just don't want you to keep focusing on how to deal with those people. Why not take the time to learn how to manage instead?" Lin Ruoxi changed her tone.

Yang Chen shrugged, "I did something right this time, didn't I? After all, it was me who negotiated the cooperation with Changlin and Muyun."

Speaking of this, Lin Ruoxi reminded him, "Next Monday, Li Muhua will personally lead the team to visit Zhonghai and sign the final agreement. You are the main person in charge and must be present. Don't be too casual."

"Don't worry, since I've promised you, I'll do it well. Where are we going next?"

Lin Ruoxi thought for a moment, "Get into my car. I'll take you somewhere."

Yang Chen didn't ask where Lin Ruoxi was going. He figured if she needed him to follow, it must be a place where he was needed as a shield.

Before long, the two arrived at the Emperor Building of Zhonghai. This building was renowned as a high-consumption center, with each floor either housing a high-end KTV or a conference center, or being a high-end club.

Following Lin Ruoxi into the building, Yang Chen could see that all the staff walking around were either beautiful young women in cheongsams or handsome men in suits and ties, demonstrating the importance of service recipients.

"In the top-floor club here, we've organized a small cocktail party to entertain representatives of major project collaborations. Originally, Jenny was going to represent me, but since I came out early, I thought it would be better to come and check it out myself. Bringing you here, I hope you can interact more with these elites from big companies. It might be helpful to you in the future," Lin Ruoxi explained as they walked, "The agreement signing next week will also take place here. I'm taking you here first to familiarize yourself with the route."

"What's my status when I go in with you?" Yang Chen asked with a smile.

Lin Ruoxi paused for a moment, pursed her lips, and whispered, "As the person in charge of an important project in the company, you don't need to explain too much."

Yang Chen already knew it would be this kind of answer, so he didn't pay much attention to it. If Lin Ruoxi suddenly announced to the world that he was her husband, that would be strange indeed. After all, although their relationship had progressed, there were still many obstacles in between.

When they arrived at the entrance of the top-floor club, Yang Chen was somewhat stunned because the name of this club was "Maple" again! Yang Chen muttered to himself, wondering if it was opened by Tang Wan again. Walking in with Lin Ruoxi, they passed several elegantly designed large indoor potted plants and entered the lobby of the club. By this time, there were already about dozens of people in the lobby, chatting in various groups with champagne and cocktails in their hands. Upon seeing Lin Ruoxi enter the lobby, many people showed surprise, but being experienced in social situations, they didn't immediately crowd around. Only a few people approached Lin Ruoxi to greet her, complimented her, and then started discussing business matters.

Yang Chen's presence didn't attract much attention. After briefly greeting a few people, everyone's attention shifted to Lin Ruoxi, who rarely appeared in public.

On the other side, Mo Qianni, who had been welcoming guests, also noticed Yang Chen entering the venue. She was somewhat surprised, but seeing Lin Ruoxi present, she continued chatting with the guests as if she hadn't seen anything.

Yang Chen was also happy to be left alone. He was about to find a secluded spot to sit and eat some fruit when he saw Tang Wan, wearing a red and black off-the-shoulder floor-length dress, walk out from a small room with a glamorous and dignified smile on her face. "Mr. Yang, we meet again so soon."

Many people knew Tang Wan, after all, she had an undeniable network in Zhonghai, and she was also a wealthy female entrepreneur. As for her complicated background, it was something people preferred to avoid. Therefore, when they saw her actively talking to a stranger, many people began to speculate whether there was some secret between Yang Chen and Tang Wan.

Lin Ruoxi, who had been secretly observing Yang Chen, frowned slightly when she saw this scene.

Yang Chen understood what it meant to be ubiquitous and couldn't help but ask with a wry smile, "Miss Tang, can you tell me how many industries you have?"

Tang Wan was taken aback for a moment, then giggled, "To be honest, I don't even know how many industries I have. I rarely visit many places in a year, so I can't tell you. If Mr. Yang feels tired of seeing me everywhere, Tang Wan can leave immediately."

"How could that be? Miss Tang, if you feel tired of seeing me, that would already make me content," Yang Chen replied. He also knew that he probably didn't have a good image in Tang Wan's eyes.

Tang Wan pursed her lips and smiled, "Mr. Yang, do you still remember what you promised me last time?"

Yang Chen thought for a moment, "To have a meal together?"

"Exactly, but Mr. Yang, you never gave me your contact information until the end. You won't just leave quietly again this time, will you?" Tang Wan said with a hint of grievance.

Yang Chen felt a bit embarrassed and smiled as he took out his phone, exchanging phone numbers with Tang Wan.

This scene immediately raised the guests' understanding of Yang Chen by several levels. Mo Qianni, on the other hand, was so angry she wanted to stomp her feet. This guy, even in front of his wife, he still wants to flirt with other women! And when did he suddenly reach such a level of acquaintance with Tang Wan?!

Lin Ruoxi's eyes became increasingly unfriendly, filled with worry as well.

As the hostess of the club, Tang Wan only made a brief appearance and left the banquet hall shortly after. Before leaving, she gave Yang Chen a meaningful look, clearly reminding him not to forget their appointment.

By the time evening arrived and the banquet ended, Yang Chen and Lin Ruoxi returned to the car together. The car wasn't started yet. Lin Ruoxi, holding onto the steering wheel, remained silent for a long time before saying, "Yang Chen, can you not be too close with Tang Wan?"

"What do you mean?" Yang Chen asked curiously.

Lin Ruoxi took a deep breath, looked at the steering wheel, and said awkwardly, "I admit that I can't accept you immediately, so if you seek other women outside, although I might feel uncomfortable, I won't force you to stop because I haven't given anything, so I don't have the right. But Tang Wan can't, she's not an ordinary woman. You may not be aware of her background, but why do you think such a beautiful woman is always alone? I hope you think about it carefully. Don't treat her like you would other women just because she's beautiful."

Yang Chen smirked, "Ruoxi, you're overthinking it. Tang Wan and I are just acquaintances. Hearing you, it's like I'm some kind of womanizer who thinks about women all day long."

"Yang Chen!" Lin Ruoxi suddenly turned her head, staring at him with a serious expression, "Even if I beg you, please don't have any more contact with Tang Wan, otherwise... Otherwise..."

"Otherwise what?" Yang Chen frowned, never having seen Lin Ruoxi care so much about a woman, and actually lowering herself to the point of using the word "beg" towards him.

Lin Ruoxi whispered, "Otherwise, if something happens, I'll find it very difficult to protect you."

"Protect me?!" Yang Chen didn't understand for a moment. "What do you mean?"

"Tang Wan has offended some people who are not to be trifled with. Even if I use Yulei as a trump card, facing those people might not be easy. If they target you because of Tang Wan's relationship, I don't know what I would do. So, please, even if you want to find other women, whether within the company or outside, I can turn a blind eye. But please, don't get involved with Tang Wan, okay?" Lin Ruoxi's tone was pleading, with deep worry and concern, which left Yang Chen stunned.

As a wife, asking her husband to see other women already gave Yang Chen a headache. It was a lenient and permissive attitude, but wasn't it also because of a lack of intimacy and concern?

While this left Yang Chen feeling somewhat frustrated, Lin Ruoxi's declaration to protect him deeply moved him. From childhood to adulthood, he had always protected himself or others. In fact, in Yang Chen's world, there were almost no people who could protect him. So, from the moment he became husband and wife with Lin Ruoxi, it was ingrained in his subconscious that he should protect this woman, even if she refused to acknowledge him as her husband.

No one had ever said, "I want to protect you!"

But unexpectedly, it had always been in Lin Ruoxi's heart that she wanted to protect him! In Lin Ruoxi's eyes, Yang Chen had no money, no status, no connections. In Zhonghai, he was just a returnee. Although he was good at fighting, four hands were better than two. So, at crucial moments, she needed to step in. From the moment they met and she bailed him out of the police station, Lin Ruoxi had been doing just that.

Reflecting on these days, Lin Ruoxi had also solved various troubles for herself, while constantly urging herself to study and progress. Wasn't this also hoping that Yang Chen could better protect her?

She hadn't seen Yang Chen's strength, and Yang Chen hadn't planned to reveal his extraordinary side to Lin Ruoxi. So, inadvertently, they had formed a situation where they both wanted to protect each other.

Love between men and women can be categorized into three types: passion, friendship, and responsibility. Often, the sweet love between a couple can bring them together, but the only way to grow old together is through "responsibility."

Yang Chen and Lin Ruoxi were different. They skipped the sweet part, couldn't be considered passionate, and went straight to responsibility. Both hoped to take responsibility for each other!

As Yang Chen looked at Lin Ruoxi's stunning and cold beauty, her shimmering eyes reflecting a watery glow, he felt a warm feeling enveloping his heart. At the same time, he also felt a strong sense of family responsibility. As a man, he shouldn't let his woman worry and fear for him.

He took out a cigarette from his pocket, disregarding the fact that they were in the car, lit it slowly, and inhaled. Amidst the swirling smoke, Yang Chen stabilized his emotions and solemnly said, "Ruoxi, I promise you, I will never let the dangerous situation you mentioned happen. And, in the future, don't talk about you protecting me. I swear, I will never let you protect me. It's always going to be me protecting you."

"You still refuse to listen to me, don't you?" Lin Ruoxi said despondently.

Yang Chen smiled and reached out, brushing his finger against Lin Ruoxi's smooth cheek. "Do you have time tonight, my dear wife? Let's go on a date."