HBWnovel Chapter 558 - 559: Don’t
Chapter 558 - 559: Don’t
Chapter 558: Chapter 559: Don't
Aunt Wang's exclamation, "Miss?" stunned Guo Xuehua who was standing beside her.
Lin Ruoxi was home? How could she come back at this particular moment?!
Guo Xuehua had calculated everything but hadn't expected Lin Ruoxi to return home now. Wasn't she supposed to be in Europe for another couple of days? No matter how often she advised her daughter-in-law to not overwork, Lin Ruoxi never listened. Why did she wrap up early this time?
Was this what they called karma? Despite all her experience in dealing with people, Guo Xuehua had little experience being a mother-in-law, especially with such a "troublesome son." She now understood the saying, "Even a just official finds it hard to resolve family matters."
"Alright, Miss, take your time. Breakfast is ready for you. I'll come open the door," Aunt Wang responded before hanging up the phone and exhaling.
Guo Xuehua hurriedly asked, "Yulan, is Ruoxi back? Didn't she say she'd be back the day after tomorrow?"
Aunt Wang, seeing Guo Xuehua's anxious look, couldn't help but smile, though she tried to keep a straight face. "Miss said she'll be home in about ten minutes. The work in Europe wrapped up early, so she changed her flight and came straight back. She also asked me to prepare breakfast for her so she can eat before heading to the office."
"Just got off the plane and going straight to work?" Guo Xuehua was taken aback, shivering at Lin Ruoxi's inherent workaholic nature. She laughed bitterly, "Not to mention the Yang family, even Ruoxi herself couldn't spend all her money in several lifetimes. I don't understand what my precious daughter-in-law is thinking. At this rate, when will I ever have a grandchild?"
"Forget about the grandchildren for now. I think you should focus on how to explain Miss An Xin's presence when Miss Ruoxi comes home. We can't exactly drag Miss An Xin downstairs and throw her out now, and it might already be too late," Aunt Wang said, looking troubled.
Guo Xuehua averted her eyes, unable to face Aunt Wang. She had no idea what to do and could only blame herself for being so careless.
Meanwhile, upstairs in Yang Chen's room, the two younger individuals had no idea what the elders downstairs were fretting over.
An Xin had fallen into a deep sleep around dawn, exhausted and unaware. When Yang Chen entered his room, he was stunned to find An Xin lying in his bed. In her sleep, her brows were lightly furrowed, as if troubled by a bad dream.
Yang Chen quickly understood the situation and didn't bother heading to the bathroom to wash up. He walked to the bedside, crouched down, and quietly watched An Xin's delicate face. She looked innocent and lovely, less glamorous than usual and more like a young girl, sweet in her sleep.
Yang Chen smiled gently, his eyes full of tenderness. Despite the rocky relationship with his legitimate wife, his bonds with the other women in his life were growing deeper. He didn't know whether to feel sarcastic or happy about it.
Instinctively, Yang Chen reached out and adjusted the blanket over An Xin, worried she might catch a cold since she had fallen asleep in her clothes.
However, this slight movement was enough to wake An Xin.
As if sensing his presence, An Xin's eyes fluttered open just as Yang Chen pulled up the blanket. Seeing Yang Chen, she thought she was dreaming. She rubbed her eyes with her delicate hands, only to realize that he was really back!
Without paying any attention to his disheveled appearance, An Xin sprang up from the bed and threw herself into Yang Chen's arms.
"Husband!"
She cried out, wrapping her arms tightly around Yang Chen's neck and clinging to him like a snake, wanting to merge into him.
Yang Chen, enveloped in her fragrant, warm, and soft body, was momentarily at a loss.
Eventually, he had no choice but to gently pat her back and comfort her. "Silly girl, I haven't been missing for years. You're acting like I'm some heartless man."
An Xin, still sobbing, whispered, "I...I was worried something happened to you."
She wore the sunglasses to hide her fatigue from the company employees.
Lin Ruoxi was supposed to return the day after tomorrow, but after hearing Yang Chen mention that An Xin had some issues and he needed to return to Zhonghai urgently, she lost interest in finishing her work in Paris.
She told herself that An Xin's problems had nothing to do with her and that she shouldn't care about what Yang Chen was doing for An Xin. However, despite thinking this way, she couldn't control her thoughts, which kept drifting back to Zhonghai from Paris.
Lin Ruoxi even wondered if something was wrong with her mentally, constantly thinking about irrelevant matters. Yet, there was a nagging thought in her mind urging her to return to Zhonghai quickly to see what Yang Chen was doing and why he had left her alone in France to rush back home.
What was he going to do for An Xin? What trouble could An Xin possibly be in?
She didn't ask Yang Chen directly why, and she couldn't explain why she didn't. It was as if her own stubbornness, which she despised, prevented her from opening her mouth.
Regardless of the reason, Lin Ruoxi had her ticket changed and packed simply, returning a day early.
The journey back was lonely, having gone from traveling with two people to being alone, but Lin Ruoxi was used to facing many things alone. It didn't bother her much.
However, thinking about what might have happened in Zhonghai along the way, Lin Ruoxi felt increasingly uneasy.
Lin Ruoxi was familiar with Yang Chen's temperament. He was often dismissive of even the most dire situations. Problems that many found overwhelming were trivial to him.
Given this, whatever had caused him to rush back to China couldn't be a minor issue. This thought gave Lin Ruoxi a vague sense of unease, which gradually magnified into a heavy psychological burden, even a profound sense of guilt.
She hated herself deeply. Despite caring for him, she couldn't bring herself to express it. Why did she stubbornly cling to behaviors that hurt both herself and others? If she could just lower her pride and ask Yang Chen what was going on, he would surely tell her. After all, he had mentioned his need to help An Xin.
Throughout the long flight back to China, Lin Ruoxi's self-recrimination left her exhausted, both physically and mentally. She began to ponder if it was time to let go of certain things.
She was, after all, just a woman. Despite Yang Chen's many flaws, he was able to protect her. They had shared the bond of marriage; could holding onto her grievances ever lead to a good outcome?
Step by step, Lin Ruoxi approached the house. At that moment, the front door opened, and Guo Xuehua and Aunt Wang came out to greet her. They had been watching from the window and saw her the moment she got out of the car.
"Miss, you're back," Aunt Wang said, taking Lin Ruoxi's bag with a warm smile, showing no sign of her internal conflict.
Guo Xuehua also smiled warmly, "Look at you, how exhausted you must be. Your lips are so pale. You haven't slept for almost a whole day and night, have you? It makes my heart ache. Come inside quickly."
Hearing Guo Xuehua's concern added to Lin Ruoxi's guilt. Her mother-in-law genuinely cared for her and wished for her and Yang Chen to improve their relationship, but she had been stubborn, avoiding meaningful communication. Wasn't this unfilial?
"Mom, I..." Lin Ruoxi was about to say that she was fine and not to worry when suddenly, from the direction of the balcony on the second floor, came a woman's cry.
"Ah! Honey, don't... oh..."
That voice was An Xin's!
Lin Ruoxi's head jerked up, and what she saw drained the remaining color from her face, already pale from fatigue. She froze in place, like a statue, unable to move.
Guo Xuehua and Aunt Wang, meanwhile, covered their mouths in shock, exchanging horrified glances. Given their age and experience, they didn't need to look up to know what was happening upstairs.