Adorable or Horrifying
Chapter 6/9
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On the rail, was a figure swaying unsteadily in the wind, dressed in a light grey dress. The street lights shone upon her slim and elegant calves, causing her fair skin to look particularly shiny.
Her black hair vaguely revealed her face when blown by the cold wind of the night. It was Yang Chen’s first time seeing that woman dressed in such a simple manner, and their first time meeting in a place that they would almost never have had.
“Cai Ning?”
Yang Chen frowned. Cai Ning surprisingly failed to notice that his car was parked behind her, and Yang Chen was walking toward her. That was extremely unusual, but the woman in front of him was indeed Cai Ning.
Cai Ning who was standing on the rail, seemed to have received some form of stimulation. She violently turned around, only to find Yang Chen standing in front of her. In the night, her gem-like eyes were filled astonishment and anxiety.
Surprised at the turn of events, Cai Ning lost her balance and leaned backward, falling off the bridge!
“Hey!”
Yang Chen was shocked. Cai Ning excelled in martial arts and was a member of Group of Eight. He had not expected her to fall just because she was startled for a second.
However, Yang Chen didn’t think she was in any danger. Excitedly, before Yang Chen walked to the edge, Cai Ning utilized her lightness skill and relied on the water surface to kick her weight back up to the bridge.
When Cai Ning landed beside Yang Chen, she was apparently still in shock. Blushing, she asked softly, “W—why are you here?”
Yang Chen let out a bitter smile. “I was on my way home when I thought I saw someone about to commit suicide by jumping off the rail, so I rushed over hoping to save a life. I didn’t think it was you. But what had happened to you earlier? I didn’t conceal my aura. You must’ve sensed my presence already.”
Cai Ning turned around and had her back facing Yang Chen. “It’s nothing. I was a little absent-minded as I contemplated over something, so I didn’t notice.”
Yang Chen wasn’t an intrusive man therefore he didn’t pry further. That woman had always been quiet and mysterious. If it wasn’t because she had come to his assistance a few times before, he wouldn’t have talked to her at all, albeit her being an undeniable beauty.
“Your lightness skill is quite decent, isn’t it? I wouldn’t be able to tap on the water surface and jump back up.” Yang Chen couldn’t think of anything else to say.
Softly, Cai Ning replied, “You don’t need to use lightness skill. You can just fly back up.”
Yang Chen smiled awkwardly. It was obvious that she had been shocked by the battle between Yang Chen and Ares back then. “I want to thank you for Zeng Mao’s matter. If you’re free, how about you let me treat you to a meal as repayment?”
Cai Ning turned her body back. Smiling faintly, she said, “I’m afraid I don’t have the time. I have to go back to Beijing tomorrow.”
“You’re on another mission?” Yang Chen asked gloomily. He thought Cai Ning would always stay in Zhonghai to monitor his activities, although pointless.
Cai Ning held a complex gaze. “You can say so… I have something to deal with in short…”
Yang Chen treated it as a secret in her organization. He then remained in silence as he didn’t know what to say.
As he was wondering if he should bid farewell to Cai Ning or not, she suddenly said, “Can you watch the stars with me for a while?”
“Eh?” Yang Chen doubted his hearing.
“It’s fine if you don’t. It was just a small request,” Cai Ning said expressionlessly.
“I have no qualms with it. I was just surprised that you had such a hobby.” Yang Chen shrugged his shoulders with a smile.
Cai Ning turned around and grabbed the rail with both her arms before raising her head to stare at the night sky. Although the stars were sparse, they looked peaceful and beautiful as ever.
Cai Ning’s hair swept across her face. The contours of her face were fine and calm.
“I didn’t always do this, not back then anyway…”
Cai Ning sounded like she was talking to herself. She then remained quiet.
Yang Chen had no clue what she meant. Since she wanted him to watch the stars with her as she could be bored doing so alone, Yang Chen raised his head and started looking at the endless sky.
Spring had just arrived. The temperature difference between the day and the night was vastly different. As the air was rather moist, the wind was frosty and caused a bone-penetrating pain.
Cai Ning placed her arms closer and tighter to her body, as if she had felt the chill, while her body shrank away a little.
Yang Chen noticed this minute action of hers. He couldn’t help but find it strange. Although the night was cold, Cai Ning could cultivate internal energy. She could simply circulate energy in her body to fight the cold easily. Why would she allow herself to feel the coldness instead?
Could it be one of her interests or hobbies as well?
Yang Chen realized he had lots of questions in mind for that woman.
After around half an hour, Cai Ning turned her head over. Her lips paled slightly as a result of the weather. She said, “I have to return now. As do you I believe. Thank you for tonight.”
“Don’t thank me. You of all people know I am a free man. Watching the stars with a friend is no big deal,” Yang Chen said with a smile.
“Are we considered friends?” Cai Ning suddenly asked while her eyes shone.
Yang Chen nodded. Smiling strangely, he said, “You’ve helped me out so much, while I have saved your life as well. Why wouldn’t we be friends?”
Cai Ning was stunned for a while. She then smiled before saying, “It does seem to be the case. Something would always happen every time we meet. It is actually quite weird when you think about it.”
“Your younger sister is the same as well. Although I have no idea where the much respected Police Chief Cai is now, I’m not very used to not seeing her to be honest.”
“My sister?” Cai Ning was shocked.”I believe you’ll see her very soon.”
Yang Chen was confused about her speech. However, he was too embarrassed to ask as she looked like she wasn’t in the mood to explain.
Having moved here for a year, Yang Chen honestly felt that Cai Ning and her sister Cai Yan had been his ‘warning lights’. Seeing them meant something headache-inducing or a trouble would take place. Now that Cai Yan had gone missing, while Cai Ning was going back to Beijing, Yang Chen believed his life would be simpler from now on.
Cai Ning was going home by foot. Although no one would notice if she had returned using lightness skill, she still chose to walk home regardless.
Yang Chen stared at her slender figure disappear in the dark. He felt an unpleasant and strange, yet unknown feeling. But, he wasn’t willing to ponder further.
Having smoked a few cigarettes on the bridge, Yang Chen went back to his car and headed home at midnight.
The next morning, Yang Chen stayed in bed lazily until 10 o’clock. It was a working day, but he wasn’t monitored by any superiors, being the CEO and all.
He received a call from An Xin. He wondered why she chose to make a phone call instead of wait for his arrival to the office.
The audition of Star of Yu Lei was taking place in the major cities today. Being the hostess for the opening ceremony, she had been busy preparing for the official event. Hence, she hadn’t had time to constantly pester Yang Chen.
“Hubby, save me…” the little vixen An Xin begged. Her voice sounded so pitiful that anyone would melt at the sound of that.
Yang Chen just woke up in his boxers. He suddenly had a biological reaction on his lower body after listening to her voice…
“What are you blabbering about so early in the morning? Get to the point.” Yang Chen helplessly touched his little brother to calm ‘him’ down.
“The empress bullied me. I was almost frightened to death…”
“What are you talking about?” Yang Chen frowned. The empress she was referring to was naturally Lin Ruoxi. “Explain it clearly. Ruoxi isn’t a monster, why would she frighten you? Based on your cunning mind, why are you afraid of her? It makes more sense if you’re bullying her instead. Tell me, how in the world could she have bullied you”
“Elder Sister Lin, she… she suddenly rushed into my office this morning and pulled me out. She told me that she had been practising the doll game we played in the resort earlier. She wanted to compete with me to see who would hit one first. She dragged me to the playground in central park just to play that game…” An Xin said gloomily.
Yang Chen was stunned. The doll game? he thought. He then recalled that Lin Ruoxi had spent thousands in the resort when they came out with Hui Lin earlier, but failed to hit a single doll.
At that time, Lin Ruoxi couldn’t let her pride down after losing to An Xin, so she bought a basket of plastic balls to practise in her room.
Yang Chen thought that she had forgotten about this matter after dealing with the difficulty faced by Yu Lei. However, she proved him wrong! She even secretly practised just to compete with An Xin again!
Yang Chen couldn’t help but feel impressed by his wife’s stubbornness. One would not expect her to bring such a small matter to this level! The lines between adorable and horrifying were starting to blur together.
Yang Chen smiled bitterly. “Then try to say something to please her. Ruoxi might let you go after that.”
“No… Hubby, Elder Sister Lin is now immune to rejections. No matter what I did or said, she would act like she had heard and noticed nothing. She forced me to compete with her. I had tossed more than two hundred balls in one morning. My hand will be crippled soon. I’m now hiding in the public toilet to make this distress call for help…” An Xin almost cried.
Yang Chen was confused. “Wouldn’t the problem be solved if you let her win? Can’t you put up such a simple act?”
This time, tears really dropped from An Xin’s eyes. As she sobbed, she said, “The problem doesn’t lie in whether or not I lose intentionally… It’s… it’s Elder Sister Lin. She had thrown more than five hundred balls… but none of them hit anything… She even… even stared at me to prevent me from leaving…”