Upon returning to the house, Wang Ma was making tea for Lin Ruoxi to calm her nerves. Upon seeing Yang Chen walk in, she tactfully chose to leave and let the young couple talk alone.
Lin Ruoxi's high-tied hair was let down, and her luscious long hair accentuated her exceptionally beautiful face. However, her pale and tired complexion made people feel an immense pity for her.
Upon seeing Yang Chen come in, Lin Ruoxi raised her head with a complex expression, but she didn't ask him how he dealt with Lin Kun. Instead, she smiled self-deprecatingly, "You must find it funny, right? Yes, I have such a father, and I have such a ridiculous family. Do you think I'm pathetic and feel sorry for me... I don't need anyone's cheap and boring sympathy, especially yours."
"Who said I sympathize with you?" Yang Chen sneered, took out a cigarette from his pocket, lit it, and savored a puff.
"No smoking in front of me." Lin Ruoxi frowned, annoyed, and used her hand to disperse the smoke in front of her.
Yang Chen ignored her and sprawled on another large sofa nearby, smoking and saying, "I just want to advise you not to act pitiful in front of me. At least you know who your parents are, and you have received love from your elders. Although your home is not very warm, you still have a home. Moreover, you are born beautiful and attract attention everywhere. You have been well-fed since childhood and have everything from luxury houses to sports cars at a young age... You cannot understand what it feels like to have nothing, not even knowing who your parents are or where your home is."
Lin Ruoxi was stunned by his sudden words, and for the first time, she looked into Yang Chen's eyes. The profound eyes revealed a sense of melancholy and loneliness that made Lin Ruoxi's heart contract.
Yang Chen didn't stop and his soft words seemed like he was talking to himself, "I've been alone since I was little. When I was hungry, cold, bullied, or beaten, I was always alone... no parents, no family, no siblings, not even friends... I could fight for a moldy bread and end up with a broken head, eat grass roots and tree bark to fill my stomach, even to the point of bleeding from my gut... nobody cares about my life or death, no one will sympathize with me, because I'm just a lowly life abandoned by this world. Even a dog in someone else's family has a higher status than me..."
Listening to the man's low and hoarse narration, Lin Ruoxi's eyes became red again, but not for herself, but for that humble life.
"I'm sorry," Lin Ruoxi lowered her head and whispered, "I didn't know you had such a hard time when you were young..."
Yang Chen lowered his head and gradually revealed his usual careless smile, "My dear wife, I made it up, and you believed it."
"You..." Lin Ruoxi raised her head, feeling sorry for him, but this rascal said it was made up. She was immediately angry, "Why are you like this?"
"Hehe, look at you. You look much prettier when you're angry than when you were sad just now." Yang Chen praised.
Lin Ruoxi felt warm in her heart, knowing that Yang Chen was trying to divert her attention from being sad, but she couldn't find the right words to thank him. She just glanced at him as if nothing happened, "Since you lied to me, where are your parents? Although we got married under a contract, if your parents suddenly show up, it could mess up everything."
Yang Chen toyed with the cigarette butt between his two fingers and smiled faintly, "I didn't lie about one thing I said earlier. I really don't know who my parents are. I got separated from my family when I was under five years old, and my name is the only thing I remember. I'm an orphan."
When Lin Ruoxi heard Yang Chen casually say that he was an orphan, her heart ached. She suddenly wanted to comfort him, but didn't know how to start. After struggling for a moment, she nodded and remained silent.
After a while of silence, Lin Ruoxi spoke up, "Yang Chen, there are some things I want to make clear to you. After all, you signed a contract with me and have the right to know the reason behind it."
Yang Chen frowned, "Are you talking about your stupid father forcing you to marry me?"
"Do not call my dad a stupid pig..." Lin Ruoxi was a bit annoyed. "If he is a pig, then I am also a pig."
"Hehe, my little Ruoxi is so pretty, even if she's a pig, she's one of those cute little pink ones," the other person teased.
"You're the pig..." Lin Ruoxi rolled her eyes, but she wasn't really angry. "My dad owns 30% of the company's shares, second only to me as the major shareholder. But that's not the point. After all, my grandmother gave me 60% of the company's shares before she passed away, and I have absolute power. However... my dad also has the deed to an old mansion."
"Is that old mansion important to you?" Yang Chen asked in confusion.
"Very important," Lin Ruoxi's eyes revealed a hint of nostalgia and happiness. "I grew up there with only my grandmother and mother. My parents' marriage was a union of money and interest. My dad didn't love my mother and was a playboy, even now..." Lin Ruoxi's eyes showed a hint of hatred as she spoke. "Although he doesn't come home often, he still considers himself the master of the house. Since my grandmother passed away, he has forbidden me from going back there. He also spent a lot of money on his own pleasures and now plans to sell the mansion..."
"What does this have to do with our marriage?" Yang Chen asked.
Lin Ruoxi gave Yang Chen a cold glance. "I want to take back that old mansion from him, but he won't give it to me. I offered to pay him more than the market price, but he still wouldn't sell it to me. He has only one condition, and that is for me to marry the eldest son of the Xu family. He obviously received some benefits from them..."
"To force his daughter to marry someone, he's not a stupid pig, he's a worse than a pig," Yang Chen said seriously.
Ignoring Yang Chen's exclamation, Lin Ruoxi continued, "Xu Zhihong from the Xu family has been pursuing me, but I can't go against the Xu family too much. After all, they are one of the top five big families in Zhonghai. We can't afford to offend them, so..."
"So you want to marry me, cut off the idea of marrying Xu Zhihong, and then figure out a way to get back the property from your stupid pig father?"
"Yes..." Lin Ruoxi nodded wearily. In recent days, she had been busy and stressed with these matters. A young woman in her twenties, burdened with heavy responsibilities.
Yang Chen sighed, "Ah, your method only treats the symptoms, not the root cause. In the end, you still have to face the pressure from the Xu family and your father, who is a despicable person."
"I can't control so much anymore. I'll take one step at a time..." Although her voice was soft, Lin Ruoxi's tone was resolute.
Yang Chen stood up, picked up his newly acquired phone, and silently walked towards the door.
Lin Ruoxi frowned, "Where are you going again?"
"To the bar, to find women..." Yang Chen turned back and said seriously.