Really a Joke
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As guests of the party committee and chamber of commerce, Yang Chen and Lin Ruoxi had their breakfasts at a hotel owned by the government, specially built for hosting people. However, Mo Qianni left early as she still had to get some work done.
The three meeting this time round wasn’t as awkward as Yang Chen expected it to be. It might have been the relationship of familiarity between the two ladies. As long as Lin Ruoxi didn’t point out the obvious issue, Mo Qianni would act ignorant. Both of them were mentally prepared. No one dared to talk about it and spoil the mood.
Yang Chen got slightly relieved. He could relieve himself from headaches temporarily, but it was hard to say if they’d show up in the future.
Wu Yue sent a car over, before Yang Chen took the initiative to drive Lin Ruoxi home. When they arrived outside their house, Yang Chen’s sharp vision instantly noticed a familiar white Infiniti car parked in front of the gate.
Why is the woman here? Yang Chen thought. He guessed that she came in search for Lin Ruoxi, thus dismissing his concerns.
On the other hand, Lin Ruoxi hadn’t yet realized that there were visitors. She walked to the door and wanted to open it, but it was pushed open from the outside.
Two familiar-looking, young, lady bodyguards Little Wen and Little Li walked out, before Guo Xuehua whose eyes were red and swollen walked out as well.
Guo Xuehua had come over early in the morning waiting for them to come home. When she heard some noise getting closer, she immediately ran out.
Hui Lin and Wang Ma came to the door as well. Wang Ma seemed rather shocked, while Hui Lin frowned her brows tightly as her eyes were filled with guilt.
“You’re… Yang Chen?” Guo Xuehua was stunned for a short moment upon seeing Yang Chen. It wasn’t too long ago when they met at the orphanage after all. Moreover, Yang Chen’s appearance and aura gave her an uneasy feeling, which made her think of what to make of him occasionally. As a result, she immediately recognized Yang Chen the moment she saw him.
Lin Ruoxi glanced at Yang Chen strangely. When she saw Guo Xuehua, she thought the founder of New Hope Orphanage specially came over to inform her of something. Although they’d only met once in a while and barely talked, no matter how she thought about it, she didn’t understand why Guo Xuehua came to look for Yang Chen, whom she thought had no relation to this woman.
“Yes I am.” Yang Chen nodded.
Guo Xuehua suddenly walked forward to grab Yang Chen’s arm. Ignoring formal etiquette, she hurriedly said, “I’m Yang Lie’s mother, Guo Xuehua. We’ve met once at the orphanage before! I heard that you could save my child. I beg you, please save him”
Guo Xuehua’s pleading brought about a whirlpool of emotions in Yang Chen’s mind. With his eyes widened, he stood for a long while absentmindedly as he failed to recover awareness…
Yang Lie’s… mother?!
Yang Chen suddenly noticed something. No wonder he felt extremely familiar when he saw her portrait at the orphanage back then. No wonder he felt strange and emotional when they met outside the orphanage…
The corners of Yang Chen’s lips faintly revealed bitterness. He found it hard to look straight at Guo Xuehua’s face. In a deep voice, he said, “Do you know why I injured him?”
Guo Xuehua’s face immediately turned mournful. Smiling bitterly, she said, “I know. I talked to Hui’er earlier this morning to understand the situation. Lie’er had always had an affection for this kid, but he actually isn’t evil at heart. He was just a bit impatient, so he acted rather recklessly. He had received his punishment. Save him, can you? If he stays the way he is, it’ll soon be impossible for him to stand up again!”
Hui Lin looked rather sorrowful. She naturally recognized who Guo Xuehua was. Although she had mostly stayed in Mount Emei to practise cultivation, she was aware of the core people from the few major clans in Beijing. Although she didn’t like Yang Lie very much, she still felt empathetic to see this woman, who had always been in the upper class of people in life, come pleading in this manner.
Lin Ruoxi finally understood the cause of this matter. She didn’t expect Yang Lie to be Guo Xuehua’s son. Since Guo Xuehua had been silently starting and contributing to so many orphanages without asking for anything in return, it was evident that she had a kind heart. She couldn’t understand why her son Yang Lie had such a bad temper.
However, although Lin Ruoxi felt empathetic towards Guo Xuehua’s case as well, she didn’t try to persuade Yang Chen into saving Yang Lie from his pain. After all, there were things that had to be decided by the man himself.
“Reckless?” Yang Chen snorted coldly. “He came in broad daylight, and abused his fighting ability to force a girl to leave with him no matter how much she fought back. At the same time, he treated the others who had nothing to do with him with disdain, completely without respect. He’s this pretentious and arrogant just because he’s skilled to a small degree. Instead of allowing him to recover and cause eventual suffering to others, it’s better he stays on the sickbed for the rest of his life. Even if the Yang clan can’t get him to fully recover, I’m sure that he can stay alive as a patient in bed.”
Guo Xuehua was astonished. Her face, which had vague lines of crow's feet, looked like it grew a few years older, while her exhausted eyes stared at Yang Chen.
Yang Chen felt moved. But honestly speaking, although he was young, he had met countless people, allowing him to be full of rich experiences. Based on Yang Lie’s temper, he knew that it was almost guaranteed that he would only seek revenge once he recovered, instead of changing his ways.
As a result, Yang Chen ruthlessly denied Guo Xuehua’s request.
Deep down his heart, Yang Chen felt a wavering, sour emotion. Seeing that this woman cried to this extent as she begged him to save the worthless fellow, anguish surged in his heart. If it wasn’t for the ninth level of Endless Resolve Restoration Scripture which had strengthened his endurance, he might’ve failed to hold himself back from walking away.
“What’s wrong with you? Do you think you’re very impressive just because you know how to fight? Madam came over to beg you this sincerely. Is it still not enough?!” The bodyguard Little Wen couldn’t stand it anymore. She took a dislike towards Yang Chen ever since they met at the orphanage. Currently, she didn’t think that Yang Chen was stronger than her anymore when she witnessed her madam in this much torment.
Yang Chen gazed upon Little Wen coldly as he exerted a slight pressure of his aura, instantly causing her to shut her mouth as her face reddened.
“You should go. I won’t save Yang Lie. Not every mistake deserves a second chance. Consider it fortunate that he has not died by my hands, while it’s the fortune of others that he can’t practise martial arts anymore,” Yang Chen said before walking to the direction of the door.
“Wait!”
Guo Xuehua suddenly turned around and shouted at Yang Chen. Staring at Yang Chen’s desolate and cold back, resolution could be seen on her face.
Thump!
Under the attention of the few ladies, Guo Xuehua suddenly knelt down!
Without looking back, Yang Chen knew what happened behind him. However, it was so sudden that he couldn’t react on time to stop her!
She… knelt before me?!
Yang Chen stood in disbelief, stunned, as if his feet were nailed to the ground!
Behind him, Guo Xuehua wasn’t crying anymore, but let out a pathetic smile instead.
“I came here today to beg you to save my son, not with my identity as the mistress from the Yang clan, not as an important figure, but solely as a mother… I’m not forcing you, nor am I giving you an order. I’m merely asking for your help from the bottom of my heart…
“Although I know that my son had made a mistake that he shouldn’t have, and he shouldn’t be so arrogant, but please allow me to say something selfish… Aren’t children supposed to make mistakes? Will they still be children if they don’t make any mistakes? When a child makes a mistake, their parents are the ones to be blamed. In the future, if Lie’er really does something wrong or immoral again, it’ll still be our fault for not properly educating him for the past twenty years.
“I’m not a good mother by any means, but I hope that at the very least, I can try my best to save my son when his life is hanging by a thread…”
Guo Xuehua raised her head to look at Yang Chen’s figure which still rooted in place. “Today, I’m begging you as I kneel. No matter what you ask of me, as long as it’s something in my power, I’ll do anything. But please don’t allow the life of my only son left be ruined… can you?”
Only son left…
“My life really is a joke…” Yang Chen started laughing, shaking his shoulders. His laugh made him sound like a freak.
He laughed so hard that even tears flowed out from the corners of his eyes.
The other people around, the two bodyguards, Wang Ma and Hui Lin all confused and shocked. None of them knew what happened to Yang Chen.
As Lin Ruoxi listened to Yang Chen’s insane laughter, her heart ached faintly. It was unknown as to why Lin Ruoxi felt incredibly sorrowful when Yang Chen was in fact laughing. The back of this man turned from sorrow to despair, loneliness, and desolation, was hard to be dismissed.
Although Lin Ruoxi knew that Yang Chen had an unusual past, at this moment, she understood a lot of things…
Everything must seem so mundane, to a man who held a laughter like this…
After a long time, before Guo Xuehua felt completely hopeless, Yang Chen slowly turned around and emotionlessly looked at the woman who was kneeling on the ground. Seeing her wan and pallid face, he said, “If you want me to help save your son, you have to promise me one thing.”
Elation swept across Guo Xuehua’s eyes. “Let alone one thing, anything, as long as it’s something I can do, I can promise you a hundred, a thousand, or even ten thousand things!”
Yang Chen shook his head. “I don’t need much from you, but there’s one thing that I want you to remember firmly in your mind…”
Taking a deep breath, being stared at the nervous gazes of the rest, he said, “Madam Guo Xuehua, starting from today, never again are you going to say the word ‘beg’ in front of me, never again are you going to say to me ‘I beg you’... Never again… never again are you going to kneel before me!
“No matter what happens, I don’t want to witness your kneeling towards me, or anyone else! I don’t care who it’s for, or what it’s for!!!
“Don’t ask why. I’m only going to ask you this. Can you promise me?”