A Vacation in the Maldives
When Yang Chen heard Lin Ruoxiâs question, he was so surprised he almost spat his bun out!
Was she asking for private time together to deal with their cold war once and for all?!
He hurriedly covered his mouth, forcing the food down his throat. Finally, as if attempting to please her, he grinned. âOf course Iâm free. My darling Ruoxi, are you asking me out on a date? Donât worry, Iâll behave! Where do you want to go? Iâll be down! Why donât we spend a few days in the Maldives? Would one day be enough for me to express my love for you?â
Yang Chen was thinking about how he didnât have an opportunity to prove himself. So at this point, his brain went into overdrive.
Setting Lin Ruoxi aside, even Guo Xuehua, Wang Ma, and Zhenxiu had their eyes wide in shock. Yang Chen realized that he might have overdone it. Scratching his head, he smiled sheepishly and asked, âWhatâs the matter?â
Lin Ruoxi reddened, badly wanting to laugh out loud. But she was quite upset at him a few moments ago. Laughing now might signal that she lost. Hence she did her best to suppress her laughter. âChrisâ wife, Jennifer, has recently arrived in China too. They want to call for a gathering with their good friends. I used to be his student, but weâre friends outside of that. And I worked with him so Iâll have to goâŠâ
âOh, a gathering for couples?â Yang Chen asked knowingly.
She nodded. âNeedless to say, they will all carry certain statuses. Although Iâd started working before graduating from my doctorate, all those under Chris have become successful. Although itâs a private gathering, everyone wants to network through Chrisâ contacts. There might be around twenty people going. Itâd be best if⊠you came with me.â
Lin Ruoxi hoped Yang Chen wouldnât be as rough as he was normally. It would be embarrassing for her to meet them with his attitude.
She knew that the man knew how to act.? In fact, he was very familiar with their etiquette. The problem was his carefree attitude.
Hence, Lin Ruoxi trailed off not knowing how to continue. She wanted to start the conversation but was worried she might say something awkward to ruin the atmosphere.
Luckily for her, he saw through her awkwardness. âDonât worry. Iâll wear proper clothes and Iâll obey all instructions.â
She pursed her lips slightly before relaxing them. âIâll be back from work before six tonight. Itâll be at the Shangri-la Hotel. Wear something formal.â
Yang Chen was slightly disappointed. He didnât like social events like this. To him, walking through a night market or watching a play would have meant more to him. However, to comfort her, he still agreed.
After breakfast, Lin Ruoxi went to work while Yang Chen brought Zhenxiu to the examination hall.
It was a day of traffic jams and crowds, he didnât feel safe sending Zhenxiu in alone.
Along the way, he played Hui Linâs newly released songs. Ever since she successfully held her solo concert in Beijing, she had been busy with her nationwide tours. At the same time, she was releasing a few English singles so her influence would spread across every corner of the world.
Her naturally soulful voice meshed beautifully with the trendiest beats. With her funding, there was no doubt that she was going to be one of the most famous singers.
Yang Chen wanted Hui Linâs concert in Zhonghai to come quickly. Then heâd be able to bring his whole family to watch it from VIP seats. He imagined it would be a happy day for the family.
He brought Zhenxiu to the exam hall and watched her enter before driving off. He then found a quiet location and took his phone out to call Cai Ning who was in Beijing.
Cai Ning seemed busy, for immediately after picking up she asked, âWhatâs with the sudden call? Whatâs up?â
Even after confessing her feelings, she didnât become any gentler. She was still as mild as always.
âNingâer, are you free?â Yang Chen grinned through the phone. âWould you like to accompany me to the Chuan province?â
âWhy?â
âI want to go to the Tang Sect,â he said.
Cai Ning fell silent, then replied, âI⊠donât really like that place.â
Yang Chen stopped.?
Why did she say that? Isnât it where she used to train? Isnât her master going to be there?
?he thought.
But soon, Cai Ning added, âBut I can go with you. Why though?â
Yang Chen heaved a sigh of relief. Heâd thought she would refuse to go with him. If that happened, heâd have to risk his pride to interact with the people at the Tang Sect. Maybe even with force.
Very quickly, Yang Chen told everything about him wanting to obtain information on different techniques for the people around him to train to Cai Ning.
Cai Ning, who was an expert close to attaining the Xiantian realm herself, was in shock for a completely different reason compared to Rose!
Cai Ning hadnât known heâd attained such unimaginable heights!
To her, crossing into the Xiantian realm was the hardest thing in the world but to his man, it was nothing.
This time, the silence on the phone was longer than before, as if digesting the information sheâd received wasnât an easy task.
After a long time, she finally said, âIâll go with you but in a few daysâ time. Iâve been given a few missions and Iâm still in the middle of an investigation. Perhaps weâll have to do it sometime later.â
âMissions? Are they dangerous?â Yang Chen was privately cursing Cai Yun. He was cold indeed. He wouldnât let Cai Ning have some downtime.
âItâll be fine. Itâs actually about the wife of Premier Ning, Luo Cuishanâs deathâŠâ
âWhat? Luo Cuishan is dead? When?!â asked Yang Chen, confused.
Cai Ning was surprised. âI thought you knew. Didnât her disappearance in Zhonghai have something to do with you?â
He furrowed his brows. He was in America so he didnât keep up with the news. The last time he met her was the rainy day at the alley. He thought sheâd eventually be taken back by the Ning clan, but he didnât expect her to die so suddenly. âLuo Cuishan had a peculiar death. Although the media all respected the premierâs requests and didnât report much about it, according to what we know, there were no records stating her return to Beijing after her disappearance in Zhonghai. Her death might be related to something much deeper. Itâs too bad we donât have any evidence. To avoid provoking the Ning clan, the general could only send me to conduct a private investigation,â explained Cai Ning.
The beggar Crippleâs face suddenly appeared in his mind. Thinking, he said, âIf thatâs the case, Ningâer you should investigate. Be careful. I have a lead for you though. Check to see if there is a crippled youth going to and fro from the Ning residence. If Iâm right, she should have been with the cripple when she died.â
Cai Ning asked curiously, âYou sound like you know of her whereabouts before her death? Youâre not the killer, are you?â Her voice overflowed with worry.
âRelax, Iâm definitely not the killer. Though, I wonder who the culprit is.â
Cai Ning didnât ask any more questions. She was intelligent enough to have already figured out a lot from the conversation. There wasnât a need to make him uncomfortable.
Grinning, he asked, âNingâer, Iâll teach Rose cultivation first. Will you be uncomfortable with this?â
âI wonât,â she declared. âI understand. Drawing on a blank sheet of paper is easier than drawing on a drawing.â
Yang Chen marveled. âYou sisters are smarter than I give you credit for. Looks like I was overthinking.â
They chatted for a bit. He made the solemn Cai Ning happy, enjoying her witty responses and finally, he happily hung up.
Yang Chen found a shady area among the trees and laid there for a while until Zhenxiu was done.
She had combined sciences that morning, then a foreign language paper in the afternoon. Yang Chen was practically playing parent.
When it was almost six, Lin Ruoxi arrived home, punctual as usual.
After taking a shower, she put on a fitting black, slitted dress with a round collar. She exuded an air of elegance. Though simple, it was quite a sight to behold. She wore red heels with a crystal-like texture. Yang Chenâs eyes almost fell out of his head when he saw her.
Yang Chen himself wore a long-kept suit with a red tie. It was a little hot wearing this attire in June. Fortunately, he could regulate his own body temperature so he wouldnât look as pathetic as many men in this weather.
When he saw Lin Ruoxiâs hint of approval towards him, he finally stopped worrying. The event didnât matter to him. The key was making his wife happy.
It was a gathering among familiar people, formal but not grand. Yang Chen was in charge of driving the car out of the garage. A maroon Aston Martin DB9.
The car had cost Lin Ruoxi over four million Chinese yuan. It was quite simply, the worldâs best sports car. It was too flashy to be driven out so unless there was an event, she could only leave it to rot in the garage.
With the wind in his back, Yang Chen wanted to drive faster but was afraid it might make Lin Ruoxi sick. Thus, he carefully drove around a hundred kilometers per hour. It was perhaps even more difficult to drive slow in such a car.
Lin Ruoxi felt it too, that her man was trying his best to please her. She felt a tinge of warmth but she didnât show it. She was grumbling at how he was only deciding to behave now. Then what about the things he had done then? She was waiting to see how long this act would last...