Chapter 398: Unspoken Words

As night fell, the dining table inside the villa was filled with an array of delicious dishes. Since Guo Xuehua was from the north and Aunt Wang cooked southern cuisine, tonight's menu was particularly abundant.

Since most of the people present didn't drink alcohol, they started eating dinner in earnest.

"Brother Yang, let's set off fireworks," Hui Lin said, blinking with anticipation while eating the New Year's Eve dinner.

Yang Chen, gnawing on a chicken leg, waved his hand and mumbled, "It's still early. Let's eat first. Isn't there a gala later? We'll set off the fireworks after the gala."

"But after the gala, isn't it time to watch TV?" Zhenxiu, who had become more comfortable around the others, chimed in.

Yang Chen laughed, "When the boring segments of the gala come on, we'll go watch the fireworks."

Guo Xuehua and Aunt Wang exchanged a glance and laughed, watching Yang Chen act like a big kid. Lin Ruoxi, as usual, quietly ate her meal. Even on a cheerful New Year's Eve, she didn't show much excitement, though she occasionally helped Zhenxiu with some food.

Zhenxiu felt a bit embarrassed. It made sense for Lin Ruoxi to serve her husband and mother-in-law, but she found it odd to be served herself. Nonetheless, she cherished the feeling of being loved by everyone in this family.

Before they could finish their meal, the Spring Festival Gala started on TV. After the opening dance, the hosts appeared one by one.

Hui Lin, who hadn't had many chances to watch the gala before, watched attentively. Suddenly, she noticed a familiar logo on the sub-stage where two hosts were seated—it was the Yulei logo!

"Sis, isn't that your company's logo? Did Yulei sponsor this year's Spring Festival Gala?" Hui Lin asked excitedly.

Lin Ruoxi nodded, "We've sponsored it a few times in the past, but we spent more this year. This year is crucial because the new materials products are about to launch. We need to increase our brand's visibility several times over across the country."

Seeing Lin Ruoxi talk about work with a proud and ambitious look on her usually calm face, everyone found it quite interesting.

"My daughter-in-law is indeed a strong woman, truly remarkable," Guo Xuehua said with a smile.

"Yes, yes, I think it's amazing that Sister can manage such a large company. Just thinking about it gives me a headache," Hui Lin said sincerely.

Lin Ruoxi didn't modestly downplay it. She had worked diligently over the years to prove her worth and to honor her late grandmother.

"This year, I plan to acquire about ten more factories and purchase over two thousand acres of industrial land. By then, Yulei will have no real competition in the domestic market," Lin Ruoxi said confidently.

"Miss, it's the New Year. Let's not talk about such intimidating things. Two thousand acres and a dozen factories, that's quite scary," Aunt Wang said, patting her chest with a laugh.

"I think even one acre is pretty big," Zhenxiu murmured.

Lin Ruoxi suddenly realized she was at home and not in front of her company's senior executives. Her face flushed slightly. Whenever she talked about work, she couldn't help but get carried away.

Yang Chen chuckled silently to himself. For a housewife like Aunt Wang, it was indeed hard to imagine the far-reaching nature of Lin Ruoxi's daily work. Perhaps it was precisely this that set Lin Ruoxi apart from other women of her age.

Quietly, Yang Chen leaned towards Lin Ruoxi's ear and whispered, "Just make sure nobody comes seeking revenge, saying you ruined their families and homes."

Lin Ruoxi knew Yang Chen was referring to the incident with Yuping Garments. She furrowed her brows slightly, "I have to do what needs to be done. I need to expand and require more workforce. I can't just do nothing out of fear of retaliation."

"True, I just mean that when you go to inspect the factories, take your husband with you," Yang Chen said with a smile.

Lin Ruoxi rolled her eyes at him but felt a bit more secure inside. Perhaps this was what it felt like to have someone to rely on.

After a while, Aunt Wang brought out several plates of dumplings from the kitchen. Although some were slightly damaged, they all looked quite fresh.

"Come, come, it's time to eat dumplings. Miss and Young Master, you really shouldn't buy so many dumplings in the future. We can never finish them, and bringing them back is a hassle," Aunt Wang complained lightly.

Lin Ruoxi pouted, "Aunt Wang, we didn't buy them. They were given to Yang Chen after he participated in a competition."

"What competition? Giving out dumplings?" Guo Xuehua asked curiously.

Yang Chen smiled awkwardly and recounted the story of the eating contest at the dumpling shop. When the women heard that he had eaten eighty-eight dumplings, they nearly dropped their jaws.

"No more eating like that in the future. What if you hurt your stomach?" Guo Xuehua said with concern, mixed with a bit of scolding.

Yang Chen didn't mention that he did it mainly to win a stuffed toy for Lin Ruoxi. He simply said, "I won't do it again."

Lin Ruoxi, embarrassed to admit that Yang Chen discovered she liked the stuffed toy, felt warm inside knowing he didn't want Guo Xuehua to blame her.

After dinner, Yang Chen set off all the fireworks as Hui Lin had requested, marking the end of their New Year's Eve celebration. The women, having cooked a large feast and enjoyed a busy day, were tired despite their happiness.

After everyone had gradually gone upstairs to rest, and Yang Chen had finished watching the Spring Festival Gala, he turned off the TV and went up to his room on the second floor.

As soon as he entered his room, Yang Chen took out his phone and sent a text message to Lin Ruoxi.

Lin Ruoxi had just finished her shower and came out of the bathroom, wrapped in a thin white bathrobe. She was surprised to see a message so late.

When she saw it was from Yang Chen, she was momentarily stunned. Yang Chen had never sent her a text message before, especially not at home and just before bed.

"Come to the rooftop."

Yang Chen's message contained only four words.

Lin Ruoxi frowned slightly. The message had been sent just a minute ago, meaning Yang Chen wanted her to go to the villa's rooftop right now.

The east side of the villa had an empty terrace usually only used for some potted plants.

Should she go or not? Lin Ruoxi bit her lip, hesitating only for a moment before going to the dressing room in her bedroom to change into something warmer. She put on a simple, warm outfit and a light brown mink coat to keep out the cold wind outside.

Although Lin Ruoxi had no idea what that guy was up to so late, she thought that he wouldn't dare to do anything too bold. Feeling uneasy, she couldn't resist walking out of her room. She quietly made her way to the rooftop, careful not to disturb anyone else.

As she stepped onto the rooftop, the cold night wind stung her face. Lin Ruoxi tightened her coat around her and her long black hair fluttered wildly in the wind. Her delicate, ethereal face looked particularly pitiful, like a fleeting flower blooming in the silent night.

Lin Ruoxi squinted her eyes and saw a familiar figure standing by the railing, looking out into the distance, seemingly waiting for her.

"What is it?" Lin Ruoxi asked softly as she approached, feeling a bit nervous. After all, it was their first time meeting on the rooftop so late at night.

Yang Chen didn't turn around. He said slowly, "Look, that's Zhonghai city over there. Tonight, the lights are brighter than ever."

Lin Ruoxi moved to the railing, rubbing her hands to keep warm. "Is that so? I didn't notice."

"That's because you're always so tired from work that you go straight to sleep. You don't have the time or mind to look at the things that bored people watch," Yang Chen said with a smile.

"You watch it even though it's boring," Lin Ruoxi frowned.

"The things being watched are boring, but having someone to watch with makes it all worthwhile," Yang Chen turned his head and gave Lin Ruoxi a mysterious smile.

Lin Ruoxi felt a bit flustered under his gaze. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Honey, can I hug you?" Yang Chen suddenly asked.

Lin Ruoxi's face turned pink, and she glared at him. "Nonsense. If that's what you wanted to say, I'm going back to sleep."

"If you don't let me hug you, I'll jump off from here," Yang Chen said.

Lin Ruoxi pouted, "Go ahead, you're just being unreasonable."

"I'm really going to jump," Yang Chen said seriously.

Lin Ruoxi ignored him and started to walk away.

Suddenly, she heard a few sounds behind her, followed by the noise of something cutting through the air, as if someone had suddenly disappeared!

Did he really jump?

Lin Ruoxi's heart tightened. She quickly turned around and, sure enough, Yang Chen was nowhere to be seen!

"Yang Chen!" Lin Ruoxi shouted in panic, running to the railing. Just as she was about to look down, a figure suddenly leaped up!

When Yang Chen jumped down earlier, he had grabbed the edge of the rooftop. Now, he simply used his arm strength to pull himself back up. While this kind of high-difficulty move might be impossible for others, for Yang Chen, it was as easy as jumping up to the third floor from the ground.

Lin Ruoxi, who had just experienced a moment of terror, was now in a state of shock. In the blink of an eye, Yang Chen was standing in front of her again, smiling at her.

"You..." Lin Ruoxi was on the verge of tears, ready to scold him, but she couldn't get the words out.

Because Yang Chen had already opened his arms and pulled her soft, delicate body tightly into his embrace.

Lin Ruoxi's eyes widened, feeling his strong, steady heartbeat. The familiar scent of him filled her nose, leaving her mind blank.

In the end, she was still held in his arms, tricked into it.

At that moment, the sound of heavy, resonant chimes came from the direction of Zhonghai city.

Was it the city's clock?

Was it midnight already?

Lin Ruoxi only heard Yang Chen's words echoing in her ears, his warm breath making her blush. "Wife, my dear Ruoxi, did you hear that? It's the sound of the year ending. This year, with all our meetings, quarrels, marriage, cold wars, pain, happiness, and sweetness, no matter what, it's ending."

Lin Ruoxi remained silent. She vaguely understood the meaning behind Yang Chen bringing her up here. Unconsciously, her hands reached up and gently wrapped around Yang Chen's waist.

"I want to ring in the new year with you, just like this. And I want to do this every year from now on," Yang Chen's voice grew faint towards the end, as many households in the villa area set off their final fireworks of the night.

The sky was filled with brilliant fireworks, exploding in a dazzling array of colors and deafening sounds that echoed into the heavens.

The radiant glow of the fireworks illuminated the peaceful and gentle moment shared between the two of them.