Hades, the Urban Legend

Chapter 728: Chapter 731: No Reason

The crippled man pondered for a moment, his gaze shifting hesitantly to Yang Chen. After a brief silence, he showed a displeased expression and spoke up, "Hey! What are you looking at? Never seen a beggar before? Keep staring, and I'll beat you up!"

He even gave his cloth bag a threatening shake to emphasize his point.

Yang Chen withdrew his gaze from Luo Cuishan and, with a hint of curiosity, asked the crippled man, "Have you been taking care of her these past few days?"

The crippled man snorted coldly, "What's it to you?"

"Everything," Yang Chen replied meaningfully as he glanced up and down at the crippled man. "Because I'm the one who made her like this."

The crippled man felt uneasy under Yang Chen's penetrating gaze, as if this young man could see right through him, exposing everything hidden in his heart.

"What... what do you mean?" The crippled man's heart raced, but he tried to put on a fearless front.

Yang Chen shrugged, hands behind his back. "It's simple. I want this woman to be left to her fate, but you're feeding her and keeping her alive, which means you're working against me."

Luo Cuishan's entire body trembled, a bitter mixture of despair, resentment, and malice spreading within her. But she dared not look up at Yang Chen, for the terror this man instilled in her was far beyond anything she had ever imagined.

The crippled man glanced down at the trembling woman beside him. His eyes flickered with a range of emotions before he gritted his teeth and stood up straight, saying defiantly, "What's it to you? I like giving her food and drink! What can you do about it? If you've got the guts, break my other leg too! I'll still crawl or roll my way to beg!"

He shouted with all his might, like a scrawny jackal standing up to a powerful lion, refusing to back down no matter the cost.

Luo Cuishan finally couldn't resist looking up at the young, one-legged beggar in front of her. Her eyes were filled with tears as she stared blankly at him.

Yang Chen's interest grew, and he smiled, "Who is she to you? Why are you so determined to protect her?"

The crippled man sneered, "I just like it, no reason needed!"

"Do you like her?" Yang Chen asked, teasingly.

The crippled man's face stiffened, but he stubbornly replied, "What's it to you?"

Yang Chen seemed to understand something and nodded. "I see. Alright then, I'll be going. But let me give you a piece of advice—you'd better be careful. Once you've taken a step forward, there's no turning back, especially since you only have one leg."

The crippled man's heart wavered. "Careful of her? Hmph, I'm giving her food and drink. What, is she going to hurt me? But you—how can you be so cruel to a woman? Even though I'm no saint, I'm not as heartless as you!"

Yang Chen smirked, "I never said you should be careful of her." He pointed at his own nose, "I'm telling you to be careful of me."

The crippled man swallowed hard, mocking, "You think you can scare me?"

"You'll find out soon enough," Yang Chen said as he turned and walked away. "I just want you to know, I don't bluff."

The crippled man watched Yang Chen's figure recede into the distance, only relaxing once he disappeared around a corner. His expression flickered with uncertainty as he turned back to the crouching Luo Cuishan. "Hey, are you okay? That guy's gone."

Luo Cuishan slowly raised her head, looking at the young beggar who was at least twenty years her junior. "Why are you doing this for me?"

"What?" The crippled man looked puzzled.

"Why are you giving me food and drink and standing up for me?" Luo Cuishan's eyes, peeking through her tangled hair, were filled with chaotic thoughts.

The crippled man averted his gaze, "Does it matter? I just felt like it."

"Do you pity me?" Luo Cuishan sneered. "I don't need anyone's pity."

"Pity? Ha!" The crippled man laughed. "I'm a beggar with a crippled leg. Do I look like I can pity anyone? Why would I pity you? You have all your limbs and can speak. I'd have to be bored out of my mind!"

Luo Cuishan was taken aback.

The crippled man scoffed, "You're so suspicious. I just want to be good to you. It's that simple! If I'm in your way, just say so!"

With that, the crippled man seemed quite irritated. He limped out of the alley without looking back, as if he didn't want to spend another moment with Luo Cuishan.

Luo Cuishan remained stunned for a while before reaching up to wipe away the tears that had unknowingly fallen down her face.

Her gaze fell on the dirty white bun that had dropped to the ground earlier. Carefully, she picked it up, brushed off the dirt, and, with trembling hands, took a bite.

Dark clouds hung over the city of Zhonghai, and before long, the drizzle had turned into a heavier rain.

As Yang Chen drove home, he didn't dwell too much on the matter of Luo Cuishan and the crippled stranger. Such characters, whether they lived or died, made little difference to him. In fact, keeping them alive might even lure out bigger prey. At the very least, Yang Chen figured that as long as Luo Cuishan continued living in this state, Ning Guangyao would certainly be uncomfortable. Yang Chen held no affection for a man who could even abandon his own daughter.

His mind kept drifting back to the moments he had shared with Mo Qianni. Her kindness, her ambition, and her dedication had left deep impressions on him. Letting go? How could he possibly do that?

Yet, Ma Guifang's words lingered in his thoughts, making him wonder if he could truly make Mo Qianni happy. Giving her the title of wife wasn't hard—it was simply a matter of changing her nationality and the legal paperwork would follow easily. But the real issue was how others would perceive it. Public opinion could be terrifying.

Yang Chen didn't think it would be easy to take the women he loved to live in another country. The bonds with family, the habits and lifestyle they were accustomed to—all of these would be burdens. After all, the women in his life weren't living solely for him.

Thinking of how Ma Guifang had been slapped by that shrew but could only swallow her suffering, Yang Chen felt a sharp pain in his heart. The thought of Mo Qianni facing similar ridicule one day filled him with an uncontrollable fear.

The sweeter the love, the more bitter it becomes when problems arise.

Before he knew it, he had arrived home. As he opened the door, the rich aroma of home-cooked food filled the air.

Lin Ruoxi, having changed out of her work attire, was wearing a light blue and white striped off-the-shoulder dress with a pink cartoon apron. She was carefully carrying a large clay pot from the kitchen, clearly afraid it might fall.

That apron, by the way, was a DIY product that Zhenxiu had bought one day after school as a gift for Ruoxi. Although Ruoxi had accepted it, she hadn't dared to wear it before. But in the past few days, it seemed her mood had improved enough that she didn't mind Yang Chen and Zhenxiu's teasing looks, and she wore it with a smile.

"Let me help," Yang Chen offered as he stepped forward, taking the clay pot from his wife's hands and setting it steadily on the table.

Lin Ruoxi pouted slightly, "Didn't that burn your hands?"

Yang Chen grinned, "Why don't you blow on it for me, sweetheart?" He teased, holding his hand up to her lips.

Blushing, Lin Ruoxi quickly ran away, her cheeks red with embarrassment. "You're so naughty as soon as you get home. Go wash your hands, it's time to eat."

In no time, Zhenxiu came downstairs as well. The girl only had a few days left until her college entrance exams, and since the school didn't require her to attend, she was taking it easy before the big day.

The meals at home had been especially lavish lately, with no concerns about waste. Every day, Zhenxiu was fed so well that her cheeks had rounded out.

The family enjoyed a lively dinner together. Zhenxiu was the most energetic, often telling corny jokes. Yang Chen would chime in with exaggerated comments, occasionally even making risqué jokes in front of the elders, which earned him a sharp kick under the table from Lin Ruoxi.

Yang Chen relished the growing closeness between him and Lin Ruoxi. Although they hadn't shared a bed yet—something Yang Chen had suggested, waiting until after the wedding—he felt that as the man of the house, he couldn't go back on his word.

Still, Yang Chen couldn't help but wonder how Mo Qianni was having her dinner. Was she eating with Rose and Ma Guifang, the three of them together?

Would he be able to bring Mo Qianni into a family setting like this, where she could join them for a warm and loving dinner?

As he thought about the various obstacles, his mood darkened again. It seemed he had been too selfish. Many times, the women he loved were left alone. Whether they had him in their lives or not, it made little difference.

He had taken so much of their youth and affection, but what had he really given them? The material help he provided to An Xin and Mingyu couldn't fill the emptiness in their hearts.

After dinner, Yang Chen retreated to his room early, claiming he wanted to check out the European Cup matches online. The four women downstairs found it odd, as the tournament hadn't even started yet.

Back in his room, Yang Chen walked out onto the balcony and gazed at the quiet night sky, lost in thought.

A short while later, there was a knock at the door, and Guo Xuehua came in.

Seeing her son standing on the balcony, unusually contemplative, Guo Xuehua sighed softly and walked over to stand beside Yang Chen. "I could tell you were preoccupied during dinner. Do you mind telling Mom what's bothering you?"

"You can see right through me, huh? I guess my acting skills aren't so great after all," Yang Chen said with a wry smile, relaxing his tense expression.

"A mother doesn't see her child with her eyes but with her heart," Guo Xuehua replied, giving him a pointed look.

Yang Chen nodded in agreement. "It's true—you see with your heart."

He then recounted his visit to Ma Guifang earlier that evening and everything that had happened. Finally, he rubbed his temples. "Mom, my mind is a mess right now. I don't know what to do. Have I really been hurting Qianni all this time?"

Guo Xuehua's eyes grew misty. "Sister Ma has indeed had a tough life. It's understandable that she's so against you and Qianni being together. But when it comes to matters of the heart, even as your mother, I can't make the decision for you. Yang Chen, from a woman's perspective, if you're not sure how to give Qianni a future where she can walk proudly in the sunlight, then as Sister Ma said, it's better to endure short-term pain than to let her suffer for a lifetime."

Yang Chen fell silent. Though he had anticipated this conclusion, hearing it from Guo Xuehua still left him feeling disheartened.

"Qianni is different from other women," Guo Xuehua continued earnestly. "She's not like Rose, who's independent and used to the darker side of society, where the rules of relationships aren't as strict. Nor is she like An Xin, who comes from a wealthy family and has a carefree nature, making her less concerned with societal norms. Qianni is just an ordinary girl from a regular family. She cares about how society views her, how others perceive her. Even if she were to be your lover, unlike Rose and An Xin, people would still judge her."

To read the manga version, please click the YouTube link https://youtu.be/GnU613H6xm8

THIS CHAPTER UPLOAD FIRST AT NOVELBIN.COM