Chapter 356: My Life

Upon the invitation of the Municipal Committee leaders and some members of the Chamber of Commerce, Yang Chen had lunch with Lin Ruoxi at a hotel exclusively used for official receptions. Mo Qianni left earlier due to other commitments.

The meeting of the three didn't turn out as awkward as Yang Chen had imagined. Perhaps the two women had reached an unspoken understanding in private. Lin Ruoxi didn't bring up any issues, and Mo Qianni pretended not to notice anything. Without anyone prepared to break the silence, the atmosphere remained undisturbed.

Yang Chen felt a slight relief. For now, he wouldn't be too troubled, but he couldn't predict the future.

Wu Yue had someone send a car, and Yang Chen drove Lin Ruoxi home. As they arrived at the doorstep, Yang Chen noticed a familiar white Infiniti parked there.

He was puzzled. Could it be that woman? But then he thought it might be someone looking for Lin Ruoxi, so he didn't dwell on it.

Lin Ruoxi, however, didn't notice the arrival of guests at home. Just as she reached the door to open it, the door opened by itself.

Two familiar young female security guards, Xiao Wen and Xiao Li, came out first. Following them closely, Guo Xuehua, with a worried expression and swollen eyes, hurriedly approached.

Guo Xuehua had come early to wait for the two to return home. She had heard some noise outside and rushed out immediately.

Both Hui Lin and Wang Ma also came to the door. Wang Ma looked slightly surprised, while Hui Lin frowned deeply, her eyes filled with self-blame and guilt.

"Are you Yang Chen?" Guo Xuehua saw Yang Chen and was momentarily stunned. Not much time had passed since they last met at the New Hope Orphanage. Moreover, Yang Chen's appearance and demeanor gave her a special feeling, which sparked some strange thoughts in her mind. Therefore, upon seeing Yang Chen, she immediately recognized him.

Yang Chen was surprised. He hadn't expected her to be looking for him, not Lin Ruoxi.

Lin Ruoxi glanced at Yang Chen strangely. When she saw Guo Xuehua, she had thought the founder of the New Hope Orphanage had come specifically to talk to her about something. Though they had no prior interaction and had only occasionally met, it still seemed odd for Guo Xuehua to seek out Yang Chen, whom she didn't know.

"Yes, that's me," Yang Chen nodded.

Guo Xuehua suddenly grabbed Yang Chen's arm, ignoring her usual dignified demeanor, and pleaded urgently, "I'm Yang Lie's mother, Guo Xuehua. We met briefly at the orphanage last time! I heard you can save my son. Please, I beg you, save him!"

Guo Xuehua's plea hit Yang Chen like a bolt from the blue, leaving him staring wide-eyed, unable to come back to his senses for a long time.

Yang Lie's mother?!

Yang Chen suddenly realized something. No wonder he felt a sense of familiarity when he first saw a portrait of this woman. No wonder he felt emotional turbulence when they met at the orphanage gate. No wonder...

A bitter smile tugged at the corner of Yang Chen's mouth. He didn't look directly at Guo Xuehua's face and spoke in a low voice, "Do you know why he got injured by me?"

Guo Xuehua's expression turned mournful, and she smiled wryly, "I know. I just discussed the situation that day with Xiao Hui. Lie always liked Xiao Hui, but he isn't inherently bad. He was just anxious and impulsive. He's already been punished now. Can you please save him? If he continues like this, there's really no hope for him to recover!"

Xiao Hui showed a hint of sadness. Although she knew Guo Xuehua, having spent years cultivating on Mount Emei, she was aware of the important figures from the major families in Yandu. Though she didn't particularly like Yang Lie, seeing this woman, who was often praised by the upper class, plead so humbly, Xiao Hui couldn't help but feel immense pity.

Lin Ruoxi finally understood the reason behind everything. She hadn't expected Yang Lie to be Guo Xuehua's son. Since Guo Xuehua quietly founded so many orphanages without seeking any social rewards, her kind heart was evident. She couldn't understand how her son Yang Lie could have such a bad temper.

However, although Lin Ruoxi also felt some sympathy for Guo Xuehua, she didn't persuade Yang Chen to save Yang Lie. Some things were decisions men had to make for themselves.

"Impulsive?" Yang Chen snorted lightly, his voice cold. "In broad daylight, using force to drag a girl who doesn't want to go with him. At the same time, mocking and taunting bystanders who meant no harm. Such a person, with a bit of strength, becomes arrogant and domineering. Instead of letting him recover and continue to make others suffer, it's better if he spends the rest of his life lying in bed alone. With your Yang family's power, even if he can't recover, turning him into a bedridden patient should still be achievable."

Guo Xuehua was shocked and turned pale. Her face, faintly showing crow's feet, seemed to age several years in an instant, looking at Yang Chen with an extremely tired expression.

A sense of reluctance surged in Yang Chen's heart, but truth be told, despite his young age, he had seen many people. Yang Lie's temperament seemed almost predetermined. Once he recovered, he might only harbor stronger resentment rather than reforming himself.

Therefore, Yang Chen hardened his heart and refused Guo Xuehua's request.

Deep down, Yang Chen felt a bitter and unbalanced emotion. Just the thought of this woman coming to him, crying and pleading for that incompetent guy, stirred up a raging frustration and irritability in his heart. If it weren't for his cultivation of the Ninth Layer of the Primordial Qi Scripture, which had strengthened his mental fortitude and resilience, he might have turned and walked away long ago.

"How can you be like this? So what if you're good at fighting? Isn't it enough that our lady came to beg you so humbly?" Xiao Wen, the security guard, couldn't hold back anymore. She had taken a dislike to Yang Chen since their time at the orphanage, and now seeing her lady in such distress and embarrassment, she couldn't help but get angry, despite knowing Yang Chen's strength far surpassed hers.

Yang Chen cast a cold glance at Xiao Wen, and with just a hint of his imposing aura, Xiao Wen's face flushed red, and she dared not say another word.

"You can go back. I won't save Yang Lie. Not every mistake deserves a chance at redemption. If he didn't die by my hand, that's his luck. Not resorting to violence in the future would be luck for others," Yang Chen said coldly, preparing to return indoors.

"Wait!" Guo Xuehua turned abruptly, shouting loudly to stop Yang Chen. Looking at Yang Chen's icy back, a determined expression appeared on her refined face.

"Thump!"

In front of several women, Guo Xuehua suddenly knelt down!

Even though Yang Chen didn't turn to see what happened behind him, he knew something had occurred. It was just too sudden, and he hadn't even thought to intervene!

She actually... knelt down to him?!

Yang Chen stood rooted to the spot, stunned like a nail driven into the ground.

Behind him, Guo Xuehua stopped crying and instead smiled bitterly. "Today, I come to beg you to save my son, not as Lady Yang from the Yang family, not from any high-status family. I come to you simply as my son's mother, sincerely pleading with you. I'm not forcing you or commanding you; I'm genuinely asking. Although I know my son made mistakes he shouldn't have, he shouldn't disregard others like that. But allow me to say something biased: aren't children supposed to make mistakes? If they never did, would they still be children? Parents bear responsibility if their child harms others. Even if, in the future, Lie really does something utterly unforgivable, it's because we failed to raise him properly for over twenty years. I'm not a good mother, but I hope that at this critical juncture in my son's life, I can do everything in my power to save him."

Guo Xuehua lifted her head and looked at Yang Chen's unmoving back. "I kneel here today, regardless of what you ask, I will do everything I can. Please, just don't let my only remaining son be ruined, okay?"

Only remaining son...

"My life truly is a joke," Yang Chen laughed. His shoulders started shaking, and eventually, his laughter turned into a manic "Haha..."

Tears even streamed down his cheeks.

The others present—Xiao Wen and the other security guard, Wang Ma, and Hui Lin—all looked astonished, unable to understand what had happened to Yang Chen.

Lin Ruoxi listened to Yang Chen's unrestrained laughter, but felt a pang of sorrow inexplicably piercing her heart. Though he was laughing, it made Lin Ruoxi incredibly sad, to the point of despair, feeling a sense of loneliness and desolation emanating from this man's back.

Though Lin Ruoxi knew of Yang Chen's extraordinary past, at this moment, she gained a deeper understanding.

A man who laughed like this perhaps really saw too much and became indifferent to many things. After a long while, just as Guo Xuehua was on the brink of complete despair, Yang Chen slowly turned around, expressionless, and looked at the woman kneeling on the ground, at her exhausted face.

"If you want me to save your son, you must agree to one thing."

Guo Xuehua's eyes flashed with ecstasy. "Don't say one thing, anything at all! As long as it's within my power, I can do a hundred, a thousand, even ten thousand!"

Yang Chen shook his head. "I don't need you to do so much, but there's one thing I want you to firmly remember."

Taking a deep breath, Yang Chen spoke amidst the tense gazes of everyone present. "Ms. Guo Xuehua, I hope that from now on, in your life and mine, you never again say half a 'beg' to me. Never again utter the words 'beg you' to me, and never kneel before me! No matter what happens, I forbid you from kneeling to me or anyone else, for anyone or any reason! Don't ask why, just ask yourself: can you do this?"