Chapter 255: Definitely Will Agree
"Ruoxi sister!" "Zhenxiu?!"
Seeing the two women immediately calling out each other's names, Yang Chen paused with the dried bamboo shoots in his mouth, glanced between them, and asked, "Do you two know each other?"
Xu Zhenxiu's face turned slightly pale. She forced a smile and said, "It's been a long time, Ruoxi sister."
Lin Ruoxi's face flickered with various emotions. After the initial surprise, she regained her composure and looked coldly at Yang Chen, asking, "The person you wanted me to meet is Zhenxiu?"
"Yeah, I just met her recently. Isn't she lovely?" Yang Chen chuckled.
Lin Ruoxi didn't reply. She turned to look at Zhenxiu, her eyes showing a hint of pity. "Why did you suddenly leave? Do you know how worried the dean was about you at that time?"
"I'm sorry, Ruoxi sister. I didn't mean to worry the dean, but I didn't have a better choice," Zhenxiu said quietly, her eyes glistening with tears.
Yang Chen hesitated for a moment, waved to Lin Ruoxi, "Wife, don't be so cold and intimidating. You're scaring Zhenxiu."
Ignoring Yang Chen, Lin Ruoxi walked closer to the small food cart and glanced at the hot pot and various snacks displayed on top. Then she looked at Zhenxiu's thin face and old-fashioned clothes. "After leaving there, you started selling snacks here?"
Zhenxiu's body trembled slightly, her eyes filled with panic as she kept her head down, unable to meet Lin Ruoxi's gaze directly.
"Why aren't you saying anything?" Lin Ruoxi frowned, her expression tinged with concern.
Yang Chen looked somewhat helpless. He smiled faintly and said to Lin Ruoxi, "What do you think she should do? A girl who relies on her own hard work to live, exchanging every meal with her own sweat. Is there anything worth being uneasy about?"
Zhenxiu lifted her head, looking at Yang Chen with gratitude in her eyes.
Lin Ruoxi's expression softened slightly. She asked Yang Chen, "You seem to know a lot. Do you know where and how long I've known Zhenxiu?"
Yang Chen chuckled, "Do you think I'm that foolish? Zhenxiu, like me, is an orphan. You must have met her at the New Hope Orphanage a few years ago."
Upon hearing Yang Chen mention his orphan background, Lin Ruoxi felt a twinge of guilt on her face. She whispered, "I didn't mean that. When my mother and grandmother were still alive, I saw Zhenxiu at the orphanage. She was very young then. When she was fifteen that year, she suddenly left without a word, causing the dean to worry for a long time. I always thought she had left Zhonghai, but I didn't expect to find her here."
"I'm sorry, but I really couldn't stay there and trouble the dean and grandmother," Zhenxiu said, "Leaving without saying goodbye made me feel so sorry, especially to all the younger brothers and sisters who are much younger than me."
"You still shouldn't have left without a word. Do you know how sad the dean would be because of your abrupt departure?" Lin Ruoxi said with a hint of reproach.
Zhenshuo hung her head silently.
Yang Chen furrowed his brows. "Let's not dwell on past grievances. I brought you here to introduce you to my little sister and for everyone to get acquainted. You two have known each other for years. Reuniting after so long should be a good thing. Why make Zhenshuo cry?"
Lin Ruoxi explained, "I didn't mean to upset Zhenshuo, but she's only eighteen this year, just got her ID. How can I not ask and care about a young girl like her navigating society?"
"You don't seem to care about your husband," Yang Chen muttered.
"Yang Chen!" Lin Ruoxi was a bit annoyed.
"Alright, I'm just teasing. Zhenshuo isn't naive. People grow up through experiences. Poor kids grow up early. Look at Zhenshuo, can you tell she's only eighteen?" Yang Chen chuckled.
Lin Ruoxi looked at the mature-looking Zhenshuo and indeed couldn't see her as an eighteen-year-old high school girl.
"If Lin Ruoxi still remembers how old you are and raises her voice at you for that, it seems she really cares about you. I'm feeling a bit jealous," Yang Chen teased Zhenshuo.
Lin Ruoxi gave him a glare and sat down sulking.
Zhenshuo lifted her head, looked at Lin Ruoxi pouting and Yang Chen winking at her, and smiled. "I really didn't expect, Brother Yang's wife is Sister Ruoxi. But with a good person like Brother Yang, Sister Ruoxi must be very happy."
"Zhenshuo, which eye saw him as a good person?" Lin Ruoxi said gloomily, silently cursing, How can this guy be so annoying? Why does he always have women praising him for being good? Even Zhenshuo, such a young child, doesn't let him off?
Without thinking much, Zhenshuo said, "Last time at the police station, thanks to Brother Yang..."
"Cough! Cough!" Yang Chen immediately coughed loudly. How could you casually mention something like getting someone into the police station? This girl is still too young and clueless!
Sure enough, Lin Ruoxi cast a cold glance over, her murderous intent surging again. "Into the police station? It seems you really like it there. Tell me what happened."
"Hehe, good wife, you don't care about my petty matters, right? Turn a blind eye, let bygones be bygones, don't linger," Yang Chen casually waved it off.
"I'm not interested in your 'petty matters', but why did Zhenshuo end up at the police station?" Lin Ruoxi questioned.
Helplessly, Yang Chen recounted the incident from that day, only mentioning that some people were intentionally causing trouble, not that they were acquainted with Zhenshuo.
Zhenshuo knew Yang Chen had been covering up his shady past for her from start to finish. Moved and feeling a trace of sweetness, she felt an unprecedented emotion towards Yang Chen.
At Yang Chen's shameless request, Zhenshuo pouted and sent him half-price spicy hotpot, causing Lin Ruoxi beside them to roll her eyes.
"Zhenshuo, listen to your sister. Take some time to visit the courtyard. Even if you don't see those younger brothers and sisters, at least visit the head of the detention center. She brought you up and has always cared about you," Lin Ruoxi persuaded.
There was a hint of dimness in Zhenshuo's eyes.
"It's not that I don't want to go back, I just can't face the old folks anymore."
Yang Chen understood what Zhenshuo was thinking and lightly flicked her fair cheek. "Kid, I'll take you back when I get the chance, per Sister Ruoxi's orders. No escaping for you."
"When did I say I wanted you to take Zhenshuo?" Lin Ruoxi said displeased.
"If I don't accompany her, Zhenshuo wouldn't go, right?" Yang Chen winked at Zhenshuo.
Zhenshuo giggled, grateful in her heart, and obediently nodded.
Lin Ruoxi felt a dizzy spell coming on. Through gritted teeth, she resigned herself to the fact that it was better for Zhenshuo to go back and see the detention center head than for her to stay angry at Yang Chen.
After two bottles of liquor and eating more than a dozen skewers of spicy hotpot, Yang Chen reluctantly bid farewell to Zhenshuo. However, Zhenshuo turned her head in a huff and ignored him.
Back in the car with Lin Ruoxi, who was fuming, she said, "How can you do this? It's not easy for Zhenshuo to make a living doing small business. Are you really okay with her giving you half-price?"
"Silly girl, Zhenshuo was just pretending to be angry and playing around. By doing this, she'll only feel closer to me and trust me more," Yang Chen explained.
"Don't call me a silly girl," Lin Ruoxi was almost fainting. "Zhenshuo is only eighteen, like a high school freshman or sophomore. You can't even let someone that young go?"
"Where are you getting at? I really like this kid, like a little sister," Yang Chen smiled wryly.
"Do you even have a sister?" Lin Ruoxi sneered.
"Hehe, of course. Next month, my distant cousin's uncle's grandson's niece, who happens to be my distant cousin once removed, will come to Zhonghai and may stay with us for a long time. Prepare yourself mentally as my sister-in-law," Yang Chen said.
Lin Ruoxi was dumbfounded, her mind in chaos. "Wait, you said whose niece?"
"Anyway, I have one cousin coming. I'll have Wang Mama prepare a spare room so we won't be caught off guard," Yang Chen said.
"Why should relatives who have nothing to do with you come stay at our house?" Lin Ruoxi said indignantly. "Aren't we husband and wife?"
"Do we act like it?" Lin Ruoxi asked coldly.
Yang Chen pondered for a moment. "Do we have to be lovey-dovey? Alright then, come, let's kiss. After we're lovey-dovey, you can agree."
Lin Ruoxi shrank back suddenly, but strapped into her seatbelt in the car, she couldn't escape immediately.
"No! I agree!"
Seeing Lin Ruoxi reluctantly compromise as he leaned closer with a mischievous smile, Yang Chen laughed heartily. "I knew you'd agree, just like I'm sure I'll take Zhenshuo back to the orphanage."
Lin Ruoxi stared blankly at the man, unable to speak.