Chapter 10: Stains on Life

If it had been over six months ago, when a woman had cried in front of Yang Chen, he would have thought she was just affected by smoke bombs from the enemy or pretending to let her guard down, or maybe she was trying to seduce him with a pitiful look... But now, the beautiful woman who had spent the night with him was obviously crying because of his words.

Yang Chen couldn't help feeling guilty in his heart. Although he felt he hadn't said anything wrong, it was indeed a bit cruel for a modern woman who had kept her chastity for over twenty years.

"Okay, stop crying... Can't I just apologize?" Yang Chen felt a little impatient as he fumbled through his shirt pocket. But it was empty, and he remembered that he had wanted to quit smoking and didn't bring any cigarettes with him.

Lin Ruoxi's pitiful face made him feel infinite pity, but this girl was also stubborn. After crying two lines of tears, she pulled out a tissue and wiped them away. She then forcefully held back her emotions and stared at Yang Chen with red eyes, saying, "I'll ask you again, will you marry me?"

"Miss Lin, how come there are still beautiful women who insist on dragging a man into marriage? I've made myself clear. I won't play this boring game with you for three years." Yang Chen sighed and stood up, intending to leave.

This time, Lin Ruoxi didn't say anything more. She just looked at him sadly, her eyes full of despair and numbness, and stood up silently, walking towards the balcony on the second floor of the coffee shop.

The balcony was quite spacious, with a few exquisite small tables covered with parasols. There were various potted plants arranged on the balcony, making it look fresh and pleasant.

Seeing this scene, Yang Chen's pupils shrank, and he gasped, "Miss Lin, you're not going to jump off the balcony because I refuse to marry you, are you...?"

Ignoring him, Lin Ruoxi continued to walk towards the edge of the balcony. She casually pulled a chair and stepped on it, leaning against the railing.

Now, Yang Chen hesitated. Could this girl really be so determined to end her life like this? He knew that if she jumped from the balcony, she would either die or become disabled.

But Lin Ruoxi's actions immediately told Yang Chen how terrifying her determination was...

Indifferently, Lin Ruoxi turned her head and looked at Yang Chen. Her eyes were full of determination, disgust, pain, and bitterness, as if her whole soul was suffering in this exquisite body, trying to break free...

As their eyes met, Yang Chen felt his heart seize up. He was all too familiar with this kind of gaze, one that resembled an image deep in his mind that he couldn't erase. It was that image that had led him to break free from the bloody chains of his past in a foreign country over half a year ago and return to his homeland.

But now, looking into Lin Ruoxi's eyes, Yang Chen was lost again, flooded with memories he had tried so hard to forget. In that instant, he was adrift.

Seeing Yang Chen standing there like a statue, apparently unwilling to express any emotion, Lin Ruoxi felt a pang of sorrow. Even if she were to jump off the building, that man wouldn't care. Thinking about the pain of losing her virginity to him, the various pressures and entanglements in her life, Lin Ruoxi felt as though she were about to break down. What was the point of living? It would be better to die and be done with it.

Just then, a young male waiter who had finished preparing coffee and was carrying it on a tray up the stairs noticed Lin Ruoxi's figure, ready to jump off the building.

"Miss Lin! What are you doing? It's dangerous!" the waiter exclaimed.

Before he could react, a figure dashed past him, leaving behind only a faint trail, as though in a movie. Lin Ruoxi, tears in her eyes, was about to jump down when a strong pair of arms suddenly wrapped around her slender waist, stopping her in mid-air.

It all happened in a flash. The waiter at the staircase hadn't even had time to figure out what was going on when he saw the roughly dressed man on the balcony holding the beautiful woman in his arms, both standing motionless on the balcony bathed in the warm sunlight.

As the sun cast a gentle green light on the plants on the balcony, the atmosphere between the young couple was peaceful and ambiguous, inviting various musings.

The waiter breathed a sigh of relief, secretly envying how the man could be involved with Miss Lin, a beauty of such stature. He quietly left the coffee and retreated down the stairs.

Lin Ruoxi felt as though she had just returned from hell to heaven. She didn't know how Yang Chen had moved behind her in an instant, but she no longer had the energy to think about such things. She only felt the hot arms tightly holding her waist, almost to the point of pain, and the man's heavy breathing gently blowing on her sensitive jade back.

"Let me go. If you stop me now, I'll still jump later," Lin Ruoxi's face was flushed, and she was still stubbornly resisting.

Yang Chen took a deep breath, as if savoring the alluring scent emanating from Lin Ruoxi's body. Her fragrance had a faint jasmine scent that surpassed all the exquisite perfumes Yang Chen had ever smelled.

"Lin Ruoxi, I lost. I'll marry you," Yang Chen said softly.

Lin Ruoxi's body shook, then fell silent. Had she won? Why didn't she feel any joy? This man was just a shield for her, taking her virginity when she was still confused. She hated him, how could she love him? Without love, how could she be happy to marry him?

At the same time, many passersby in the square saw the man and woman on the balcony, pointing and whispering with great interest.

"Honey, what do you think they're doing?" a girl asked, holding her boyfriend's arm.

"I can't believe you can't see it. They're mimicking Titanic, so romantic..." the boyfriend replied.

Lin Ruoxi couldn't bear the lustful gaze from below, finally realizing that their actions were extremely ambiguous. She jumped off the chair, breaking free from Yang Chen's embrace, and walked back into the café.

When they sat down again, the matter had been settled, but both remained silent, drinking their coffee in their own thoughts.

After a while, Lin Ruoxi put down her coffee cup, took out two pieces of paper and a pen from her small LV bag, and handed one to Yang Chen.

"What's this?" Yang Chen asked, coming back from his distant thoughts, puzzled.

"A marriage agreement," Lin Ruoxi said, turning her head away again, back to her initial cold face.

Yang Chen smiled, took the pen, and signed his name elegantly without even looking at the paper.

"Are you signing without even reading what's written?" Lin Ruoxi frowned.

Yang Chen shook his head and chuckled. "No need to read it. It's just that I can't enter your room, can't push you down, won't interfere with each other's private lives, and have to play our roles well in front of others. And in three years, you'll pay me back. Right?"

Lin Ruoxi pursed her lips and muttered, "That's about it. Anyway, you've signed it, so you have to abide by it."

"Hehe, but Xiao Ruoxi, if you ever want to have a...you know...with me, what should I do..." Yang Chen teased with a grin.

"You..." Lin Ruoxi blushed with anger. "Hmph! I won't. That kind of thing is a stain on one's life and once is enough..."

A stain on one's life? Yang Chen couldn't help but smile at the fact that something that half the world does every day is seen as a stain on this girl's life. He took a big gulp of coffee, stood up, patted his butt and said, "Okay, I'm going to a friend's place for dinner later. Let's handle the registration tomorrow..."

"Wait, how do I contact you? What's your phone number?" Lin Ruoxi complained.

Yang Chen scratched his head, embarrassed. "Didn't you investigate me? I don't have a phone. Even if I buy one, I still have to pay for the bill, which I can't afford. Come find me at my place tomorrow and just shout my name downstairs." With that, he was about to leave.

"Hey!"

"What else?" Yang Chen turned around.

"You...don't call me that." Lin Ruoxi felt embarrassed just saying that nickname. It was too cheesy!

Yang Chen suddenly realized and immediately said seriously, "Yes, ma'am."

Lin Ruoxi felt like the world was spinning... How was she going to deal with this rascal in the future!?