Chapter 141 No Romance

Yang Chen had already guessed that things wouldn't end so easily, but he didn't expect Lin Ruoxi to request to see him so quickly, and with Zhao Hongyan in tow. His heart couldn't help but feel a bit uneasy. Although he hadn't done anything truly intimate with Zhao Hongyan, they had hugged and kissed. He couldn't just wipe his mouth clean and claim he hadn't done anything!

Giving a reassuring smile to the nervous Zhao Hongyan, the two of them left the scene together. As for the Yu brothers, despite their teeth-gritting anger, they had no way to retaliate.

Five minutes later, Yang Chen accompanied Zhao Hongyan to the CEO's office on the top floor. It was Yang Chen's second time in this place, but Zhao Hongyan, although she had been with Yulei for over three years, had never been here before. Although tears still stained her face, she couldn't care less at the moment, glancing around with some curiosity.

"Don't be nervous, just sit over there," Lin Ruoxi said calmly as she walked over from the water dispenser in the office, holding a glass cup filled with freshly brewed green tea, its color delicate and its fragrance wafting through the air, emitting a natural tea aroma.

Before Lin Ruoxi could place the tea cup on the mahogany coffee table in front of the sofa, Yang Chen smiled and stepped forward to take it. "There's no need for that, CEO. I can pour it myself."

Ignoring him, Lin Ruoxi bypassed Yang Chen, leaving him empty-handed, and went straight to Zhao Hongyan, giving her a faint smile, as clear as the sky after rain, warm as spring blossoms.

"This is the new West Lake Longjing for this year. Since you understand tea, I've prepared it for you. I wouldn't do this for just anyone," Lin Ruoxi blinked at Zhao Hongyan and placed the tea cup in front of her.

Zhao Hongyan stood up, pleasantly surprised, her cheeks flushed with excitement or embarrassment, "CEO Lin, you're too kind. I-I'm too embarrassed."

This scene made Yang Chen feel a bit uncomfortable. Why couldn't this woman smile so brightly at her own husband?

Lin Ruoxi gracefully returned to her seat, sitting down leisurely. She didn't seem in a hurry to inquire about today's events, but rather, she looked at Zhao Hongyan with a smile and asked, "Hongyan, if I'm not mistaken, you've been with the company for over three years now, haven't you?"

Sitting on the soft sofa, Zhao Hongyan, hearing Lin Ruoxi's question and recalling Lin Ruoxi's mention of her being someone who understood tea, looked incredulous. "CEO Lin, you know me?"

"As long as you're an employee at the headquarters, I know everyone. Although I can't communicate with you all regularly due to work, I recognize all my employees," Lin Ruoxi said gently.

This statement not only surprised Zhao Hongyan but also momentarily stunned Yang Chen, who had just sat down. Considering there were at least four to five hundred employees at Yulei headquarters, and Lin Ruoxi apparently knew them all, it was astonishing. Seeing how Lin Ruoxi treated Zhao Hongyan today, it didn't seem like she was making it up. It appeared that this woman's inner thoughts, capable of steering such a fashion empire at such a young age, were far more formidable than imagined.

Clearly excited, Zhao Hongyan, like most female employees, also admired Lin Ruoxi. Now that she found out her idol could even call her by name and knew some of her background, she felt as jubilant as a bird, her earlier gloomy mood swept away. She smiled and said, "I never expected CEO Lin to know even us small employees. It seems nothing can escape your notice in the company, CEO."

"You're quite special. Actually, I've seen you before you joined the company," Lin Ruoxi said.

"Before joining the company?" Zhao Hongyan couldn't recall.

After a moment of hesitation, Lin Ruoxi spoke clearly, "Your father, Mr. Zhao, makes delicious glutinous rice balls. I used to buy them often."

Zhao Hongyan looked surprised but also found it unbelievable. "CEO Lin, you like glutinous rice balls?"

She didn't expect the elegant and refined female CEO to enjoy such snacks.

"Is your family running a glutinous rice ball shop?" Yang Chen asked in astonishment.

Zhao Hongyan nodded, somewhat proudly. "Our family's glutinous rice ball shop has been passed down for several generations. The taste is very authentic, considered an old and famous brand of glutinous rice ball shop."

"Mr. Zhao is also a master of traditional tea art. I've tasted his brewed Huangshan Maofeng and Biluochun. His technique and skill are the most orthodox in tea culture. Unfortunately, such traditions are almost extinct in Yanxia nowadays, although they're better preserved in Sakura. It's a pity that people nowadays only focus on superficial tea art and fail to appreciate the true essence of tea culture," Lin Ruoxi said, expressing both admiration and regret.

Zhao Hongyan became even more excited. "I never imagined CEO Lin knows so much about our family. You even know about my dad's affairs."

"That was many years ago. Speaking of which, I'm actually two years younger than you. Back then, when I went to buy glutinous rice balls, I was still in high school. Because my high school was close to your family's rice ball shop, I used to go there often to eat. After becoming familiar, your dad would even brew tea for me. Sometimes, I would see you helping out in the shop. But you probably don't remember anymore, but I've always remembered the scenes in your shop. I felt your family was very happy—your father, mother, daughter, and son, probably your younger brother, all working together in the shop, making and selling rice balls, harmonious and joyful. It felt good," Lin Ruoxi expressed wistfully and sincerely.

Zhao Hongyan also felt a bit nostalgic, smiling gently. "Yes, at that time, I was still in university, so I had time to help out in the shop. But later, after starting to work, I didn't go there often. Actually, at that time, I used to complain to my dad. I clearly didn't know how to make rice balls, but he insisted on teaching me. Now, thinking about it, I'm quite happy."

Listening to the conversation between the two women, Yang Chen couldn't help but admire Lin Ruoxi's conversational skills. At this moment, Zhao Hongyan had clearly relaxed from her earlier tension and began to open up.

"How is Mr. Zhao doing lately?" Lin Ruoxi asked casually.

A hint of sadness appeared on Zhao Hongyan's originally bright face, and she forced a smile. "Not very well. He's been hospitalized since last year."

"Hospitalized?" Lin Ruoxi mused. "Can you tell me more about it? I haven't seen him in a long time."

Zhao Hongyan picked up the tea cup on the table, took a few sips of the hot tea, and then said, "My father was diagnosed with kidney failure and has been undergoing dialysis treatment. His health is very poor, and because of that, the business at home has been handed over to my younger brother to manage, but the business isn't doing very well."

"I'm sorry," Lin Ruoxi said apologetically, casting a glance at Yang Chen subconsciously.

Seeing this, Yang Chen shrugged, indicating that he didn't know about this before and didn't intentionally lead her into such a sensitive topic.

After a moment of thought, Lin Ruoxi asked, "Hongyan, the person who came to the first floor today, was that your husband?"

"Yes, CEO Lin," Zhao Hongyan nodded sadly.

"What was the reason for that?" Zhao Hongyan sighed and recounted the events at the bar last week, naturally omitting the part where she was harassed by Yu Guang. Even though it wasn't her fault, it was still embarrassing.

After listening, Lin Ruoxi turned to Yang Chen and asked, "Yang Chen, is this true?"

Yang Chen nodded.

"But why did you kiss Hongyan?" Lin Ruoxi asked immediately, actually meaning "kiss," but she felt too embarrassed to say it out loud.

"Uh..." Yang Chen was at a loss for words, and Zhao Hongyan beside him blushed deeply. Being asked such a question face to face made her feel extremely embarrassed, but at the same time, she was eager to know how Yang Chen would answer.

Lin Ruoxi's gaze was as cold as a surgeon's scalpel, seemingly telling Yang Chen, "Don't lie to me."

Obviously, publicly kissing Zhao Hongyan in front of everyone had greatly displeased Lin Ruoxi, but she didn't show too much agitation.

Yang Chen grinned sheepishly. "That guy surnamed Yu insisted that I admit to having a relationship with his wife. I said it wasn't true, but he didn't believe me. He was so adamant about it that he generously gave me his woman. I couldn't just say I really didn't want her, could I? That would hurt Hongyan's self-esteem, right? A beautiful woman like her, rejected by her husband, and then her unofficial lover doesn't want her either—how hurtful!"

"So, you kissed her. Have you ever thought about what will happen now that everyone has seen that scene?" Lin Ruoxi was close to losing it. This man's reasoning was beyond despicable!

Yang Chen glanced at Zhao Hongyan, who was blushing profusely, and scratched the back of his head. "What else can we do? Her husband said he wants to divorce her. I can't say I want to divorce her too, can I?"

"You—" Lin Ruoxi was seething with anger but didn't know what to say.

Yang Chen smirked provocatively. "CEO Lin is so concerned about my love life. I'm flattered. On behalf of my wife, thank you for your kindness, CEO Lin."

He did it on purpose! He's deliberately trying to provoke me!

Lin Ruoxi clenched her fists in frustration, her hands trembling. If it weren't for Zhao Hongyan being present, she would have picked up anything on the table and smashed this man to pieces!

"Yang Chen, don't speak to CEO Lin in that tone. She's doing it for our own good," Zhao Hongyan suddenly interjected, then looked at Lin Ruoxi with a complicated expression. "CEO Lin, I think it's all my fault. I shouldn't have gone to the bar. I lied to my husband beforehand, otherwise, this wouldn't have happened."

Yang Chen asked in bewilderment, "I've always been curious, why can't you tell that guy why you're drinking at the bar with colleagues?"

Zhao Hongyan fell silent for a moment and said, "Actually, you saw it today too. Yuguang is very conservative, very upright. In his eyes, places like bars, nightclubs, and KTV are all considered 'social parasites,' places where 'loose men and women' go. People from the Yu family are not allowed to go there."

"Isn't his younger brother there too?" Yang Chen frowned.

Zhao Hongyan smiled bitterly, "Yuhui is his real younger brother, while I am just the daughter of a small shop owner that he married. According to the Yu family's perspective, I am just a lowly-born girl. Them allowing me to enter the family is already a grace to me, how could they tolerate me going to nightclubs?"

Yang Chen couldn't help but find it ridiculous, "I never thought there were still people like this in society. It feels like we've regressed to feudal times."

"Yeah, when I first married him, I was very uncomfortable too. I felt like I was a nun, as soon as I got home, I felt suffocated by the atmosphere. It's been a little better this past year, but I'm still afraid to go home, feeling like I can never truly connect with their family, there's too much between us." Zhao Hongyan said with disappointment.

"Why did you still marry him then?"

Lin Ruoxi gave Yang Chen a cold glance, "For your father, right? As far as I know, dialysis isn't cheap."

Zhao Hongyan fell silent, nodded reluctantly, "Yes, my father and Yuguang's father were friends. When my father was hospitalized, although there was insurance to cover some expenses, it wasn't enough. Yuguang's mother took a liking to me at that time, perhaps because other families didn't want to marry their daughters to Yuguang, and their family didn't think much of someone like me with not-so-great looks. In the end, they chose me and promised to help pay for most of my father's medical expenses."

The truth of the matter seemed simple yet tragic, a young and beautiful woman marrying an old-fashioned, stubborn man for her father's medical bills.

"Do you love him?" Lin Ruoxi suddenly asked.

Zhao Hongyan was slightly stunned, then realized who she was asking about, and said with a sad smile, "Ms. Lin, I've never had a romance with Yuguang, not even communication. I just married him. I don't understand him, he doesn't trust me, how could I love him?"

A marriage without love?

Lin Ruoxi glanced quietly at Yang Chen, who happened to be looking at her too. Her heart skipped a beat, hastily averting her gaze, she asked Zhao Hongyan, "What are you planning to do next?"

Zhao Hongyan shook her head blankly, "I don't know. Actually, I've thought about divorcing Yuguang long ago. We are simply from different worlds."

"But what about your father's illness?" Lin Ruoxi asked.

Zhao Hongyan bit her lip, "I discussed it with my brother. We could mortgage the family's shop, take out a loan from the bank. It should be possible to borrow several hundred thousand, barely enough for my father's kidney transplant surgery."

"What if I said, I'll advance you five years' salary and bonuses, and you have to work here continuously for another ten years. Would you accept?" Lin Ruoxi asked again.

Zhao Hongyan suddenly raised her head, her moist eyes filled with incredulity and surprise, "Ms. Lin, are you serious?"

Lin Ruoxi turned and pressed a red button on the office desk, speaking into a delicate microphone, "Wu Yue, come in."

Chapter 145 Successor

Wu Yue, dressed in conservative attire, quickly entered the office holding a laptop and a briefcase, not even glancing at Yang Chen and Zhao Hongyan, directly bowing to Lin Ruoxi before asking, "Ms. Lin, what can I do for you?"

"Help me calculate Zhao Hongyan's performance over the past three years and compare it with the overall performance of the Public Relations Department," Lin Ruoxi instructed.

Wu Yue immediately opened her notebook, her slender fingers tapping rapidly on the keyboard. After a moment, she said, "Zhao Hongyan's performance over the past three years has been 1.56 million, 1.73 million, and 2.1 million respectively. Her salary and bonuses average around 200,000 per year, placing her in the upper-middle level of the Public Relations Department."

Lin Ruoxi nodded, "Draft a contract for me. Zhao Hongyan's salary and bonuses will be halved for the next ten years, and the company will advance her 1.5 million into her account as special funds. You can work out the specific terms and conditions."

Wu Yue frowned, "CEO, may I express my opinion?"

"What is it? Don't you agree?" Lin Ruoxi asked.

"Yes, as a PR professional, ten years is too long. Few people can continuously increase or maintain their order volume over ten years, especially young women. As they age, it's obvious that their business volume will decline. Such a contract is too risky," Wu Yue calmly stated.

Before Lin Ruoxi could respond, Yang Chen couldn't bear it anymore and laughed, "Hey, Airport, is your brain made of machinery? I used to think your physique was lacking, turns out you've got a piece missing in your brain too? This company isn't yours, and the money isn't yours either. Is 1.5 million a lot for this company? If she doesn't have an urgent need, could she really sign a ten-year contract like selling herself?"

"Yang Chen, stop it!" Zhao Hongyan hurriedly stopped him, touched by Yang Chen speaking up for her, but she didn't want to make things difficult for Lin Ruoxi.

Wu Yue cast a cold glance at Yang Chen, "I'm speaking objectively. I'm only considering the interests of the company and the CEO."

"That's enough." Lin Ruoxi looked at the two with a headache, sighing, "Wu Yue, just do as I said. I trust Hongyan."

Wu Yue didn't say anything more this time, just acknowledging and leaving.

With teary eyes, Zhao Hongyan stood up, solemnly bowing to Lin Ruoxi, saying, "Thank you."

"No need to thank me. I also hope to enjoy Mr. Zhao's glutinous rice balls in the future." Lin Ruoxi smiled, "You probably have a lot to do today, you don't need to work. If the Yu family refuses to let go or wants to make things big, you can contact me, and I'll have the lawyer help you solve these problems."

The greatest kindness is like sending charcoal in snowy weather. When Zhao Hongyan left the office, holding back tears, she looked deeply at Lin Ruoxi, a complex emotion only the parties involved could understand.

Seeing Yang Chen still standing in the office, Lin Ruoxi felt uncomfortable with his seemingly smiling gaze fixed on her, she casually asked, "Do you have anything else?"

"I just didn't expect our Little Ruoxi to have such a kind and amiable side. You were quite adorable today, worth praising." Yang Chen chuckled.

"If you're just going to make idle chatter, please leave as soon as possible and don't disturb my work." Lin Ruoxi couldn't be bothered to deal with him, turning her head to look at the computer screen.

Yang Chen shrugged indifferently, turned and left.

But after a few steps, Lin Ruoxi called him back from behind.

"Yang Chen."

"What's up, reluctant to see me go?" Yang Chen turned around.

"Marriages without love, do they all end up like theirs?" Lin Ruoxi asked, her head bowed, almost as if speaking to herself.

Yang Chen paused, thought for a moment, then grinned, "Not necessarily, at least not ours. If you, my little Ruoxi, want to go to bars or nightclubs, just call me. I'm open-minded, if you want to play, we'll play together."

"You're insufferable..."

After leaving the CEO's office, Yang Chen didn't head straight to work. So much had just happened; if he went to the Public Relations Department, he'd be bombarded with questions. Yang Chen didn't want to suffer, so he decided to wait until everyone's interest faded a bit before explaining.

He was leaving Zhonghai for a while on Wednesday. At this moment, Yang Chen thought about visiting Rose, the woman who willingly became his. He hadn't seen her for quite some time. While he understood that Rose must be busy lately, considering that dealing with the scattered troops of the Western Alliance wasn't something that could be solved quickly, the main reason was that he had very little time to spare for her. He felt increasingly guilty about Rose.

Driving to the Rose Bar, the bar was still quiet and empty during the daytime. A few waiters were dozing off at the tables. When they saw Yang Chen enter, they immediately perked up and greeted him.

Yang Chen waved at them and walked straight to the back corridor. When he reached the central part of the corridor, he found several Redbud Society bodyguards standing guard there.

Surprisingly, a door had been opened in the middle of the corridor. This door was usually seamlessly integrated into the wall, making it difficult to recognize. Yang Chen only noticed it today.

Seeing Yang Chen approach, the guards greeted him loudly, "Brother Yang, hello."

Yang Chen pointed to the dark passage behind the door, "What's in there?"

One of the guards replied, "It's a basement that the president dug out last year to deal with troublemakers and enemies."

This "dealing" naturally wasn't anything good. In simpler terms, it was a place for murder, interrogation, and torture.

Yang Chen didn't find it particularly surprising, just a bit unsatisfied with Rose's choice of location. It was too close to her bedroom, and constantly killing people inside would create a heavy atmosphere.

"Do you want to go in, Brother Yang? You don't need to inform the president anytime you come. The president has ordered it," one guard asked eagerly.

Yang Chen waved his hand, "No need, there's nothing interesting about killing people."

Yang Chen feared that if he saw a bloody scene, his mind might go haywire again, and he'd end up being knocked out by Rose again. Wasn't that pure masochism?

But the bodyguards didn't think much about it. Indeed, murder wasn't an enjoyable sight, so they nodded in agreement.

However, at that moment, a petite figure in white suddenly ran out of the passage, covering her face with one hand and bowing her head. She rushed out of the door like a gentle breeze, accompanied by sobs echoing down the corridor!

Though it was a fleeting moment, Yang Chen recognized the girl who had just run away in tears—it was Chen Rong, the little sister of Chen Bo. Seeing her crying and rushing away in such a desperate manner, even the guards didn't seem to notice. Yang Chen couldn't help but ask one of the guards, "What's wrong with Rong Rong?"

The guard forced a smile and said, "The president took Miss Chen downstairs today to have her kill some members of the Western Alliance Society."

Yang Chen fell silent. Although he knew Rose intended to train Chen Rong, he didn't expect her to be put to the test of killing people so soon. For a girl who had just come out of the mountains and had little worldly experience, picking up a weapon and killing living people, even if she knew they were not good people, was definitely challenging the limits of human endurance. After all, once you kill someone, there's no turning back.

Feeling a bit disoriented, Yang Chen pondered whether bringing Chen Rong here in the first place was right or wrong, and if it was fair to Chen Bo, who had recently resigned.

After smoking a cigarette in the corridor, Rose finally emerged from the passage. She wore a black fringe dress, her fair skin glowing, giving her the appearance of a queen emerging from the darkness, elegant and majestic.

Although Rose's face showed some signs of fatigue, when she saw Yang Chen standing at the door, her radiance immediately returned. She rushed forward and embraced Yang Chen, completely disregarding the presence of her subordinates, and kissed him on the lips.

"Missed me?" Rose asked, holding Yang Chen's neck.

Yang Chen nodded, "Just finished smoking, don't kiss me, there's a smell."

"A smell of smoke is better than the smell of blood," Rose said with a hint of loneliness and sorrow in her eyes.

Yang Chen reached out to stroke Rose's silky hair, "Even you haven't completely become immune to bloodshed. Isn't it too harsh to involve Rong Rong so soon?"

At this moment, the henchmen and bodyguards around had already left, leaving the couple in private space, with the corridor empty and deserted.

Rose smiled helplessly, "I've asked her many times, and she assured me every time. She's willing to walk this path."

"But killing..."

"Better to kill now than later. When someone doesn't yet fully understand the world and is most vulnerable to the constraints of so-called rules, if we wait a few more years, Rong Rong will find it even harder to act. Right now, she only feels disgusted by killing, feels afraid, but in a few years, she'll see it as a violation of morality and social ethics. If she kills then, she'll be even more shattered." Rose explained.

Yang Chen frowned, "She's already killed?"

"She has, three of them, all low-level leaders of the Western Union Society. I asked her to shoot each person at least three times, and she did it, which surprised me too," Rose said casually.

Yang Chen sighed, "Congratulations, you have a successor."

Rose touched Yang Chen's face, "Husband, do you think I'm cruel, selfish? Sometimes even I feel so brutal, I even just felt that Rong Rong hated me for a moment."

"I can only say that what you've done is far from reaching the level of brutality in my mind. As for Rong Rong hating you, that's normal; otherwise, she'd truly become a female demon." Yang Chen replied honestly.

"She's really outstanding, looks very delicate, but her mind is growing rapidly, gradually becoming stronger than anyone else. She's very clever, I barely need to explain many things; she just understands. More importantly, she's clear about what she wants, and when it comes to important decisions, she won't hesitate. Such a person can lead a gang to keep going."

Yang Chen couldn't help but feel a headache at the thought of the tender Chen Rong becoming a gang leader in the future. He held Rose's soft body tightly against the wall.

"Rose, let's not talk about this. I have a business trip to Hong Kong the day after tomorrow, it might take a week. Today, I'm here to bid you farewell."

Rose murmured softly, "Don't do it here... let's go to the room."

"We'll finish here before going to your room," Yang Chen grinned mischievously as he began to untie the ribbon of Rose's corset dress...