Chapter 48

(Evening)

Yang Chen and Ruoxi were having dinner while Wang Ma had gone upstairs to do a face mask. No wonder she looked relatively young for her age. It turns out she was keeping her skin in good condition.

After the whole ordeal with Lin Zhiguo a couple of hours ago, Ruoxi was tense. She had the TV on the whole day waiting for the news segment, wanting to find out about Yang Chen's biological parents.

Yang Chen didn't really mind and continued eating his food. 

Suddenly the news segment started playing and it was a very shocking one too.

"Good evening, everybody. I hope all of you are doing okay. We have some breaking news tonight and it involves the CEO of the Soaring Eagle Corporation." The news reporter said with a solemn face.

"We have been given a piece of information from an anonymous source stating that the CEO of SEC was sent to an orphanage at the age of 5 by his biological parents."

"That's not the crazy part either. The parents who sent him to that orphanage are none other than the son and daughter in law of the Patriarch of the Yang Clan. One of the 4 great families of Beijing."

"Yang Pojun the son of Yang Gongming and Guo Xuehua the founder of the New Hope orphanages all around the country. The anonymous source even sent a DNA copy and it is confirmed that it's true. The Yang Clan has not responded to any question regarding this situation but we will try to update you soon as this story develops…"

Ruoxi had a dumbstruck look on her face.

Yang Clan?! Guo Xuehua?! She had met this woman at the orphanage before so it came as a huge shock when she found out this woman was Yang Chen's biological mother.

Ruoxi turned to look at Yang Chen and could see he had an indifferent face while continuing to eat his dinner.

"Dear, don't you want to know the names of your parents?" Ruoxi asked softly.

Yang Chen smiled at her, "Ruoxi, even if I know their names it won't change what I said earlier."

Ruoxi had a conflicted face, "I know, but this woman…I've met her before at the orphanage. We talked for a bit and I even asked her what made her want to start the New Hope project. And you know what she said..."

Ruoxi couldn't help but pity the woman as she remembered her answer and how she had a pained look as she said it.

"To find her long lost son. So she started building orphanages for the ever so slight chance that she can see him again.

Yang Chen sighed and said, "Although that may give people a warm feeling. But what if her child was dead or was suffering by the choice of abandoning him?"

Ruoxi trembled slightly and asked, "Y-Yang Chen..what was your childhood like?"

"Do you really want to know? It could be quite...gruesome." Yang Chen said.

Ruoxi felt her c.h.e.s.t start to ache but she still nodded. She felt she needed to know this.

"Alright but instead of explaining everything since it's kind of hard to handle. I'll show you an image that basically summarizes it. Now close your eyes." Yang Chen said.

Ruoxi was starting to have a bad premonition but still closed her eyes. She then felt Yang Chen place two fingers on her forehead.

Ruoxi was confused until the surroundings changed.

Ruoxi could now see fog circulating around in front of her. All around was pure darkness and she could only see the fog.

Ruoxi started to feel some bad vibes from the fog until she could see something that made her absolutely shocked.

The fog disappeared and a very young boy could be seen. He had messy hair, dirty ragged clothes on, and was barefoot. But the thing that would catch anyone's attention would be the blood around his mouth and the blood dripping down from his fingertips.

You could also see something on the ground beside the boy. It was also a child but this child didn't seem to be moving. He just laid there...motionlessly.

"Yang Chen?!" Ruoxi shouted with a frightened look.

The young boy was, in fact, Yang Chen as a kid.

The boy looked over emotionlessly at Ruoxi as he heard his name being called. He then lifted his hand and started to lick the blood of his fingers. 

Ruoxi's surroundings changed once more. She was now back at her dinner table and could see Yang Chen looking at her.

Ruoxi instinctively hugged him and started releasing tears, "Y-Yang Chen..did you..really go through that?!"

Yang Chen hugged her back and started wiping her tears, "I had to do anything for survival."

After a couple of minutes, Ruoxi looked over at Yang Chen as her eyes softened.

"Can you tell me...everything?" Ruoxi asked gently.

Yang Chen smiled warmly and asked, "Are you sure? Things can get more ugly."

Ruoxi nodded, not caring about the consequences of hearing his story. 

Yang Chen pecked her lips and said, "Alright then."

Yang Chen was about to explain some stuff to Ruoxi when the doorbell suddenly rang.

Yang Chen frowned at the sudden timing. He then got up from his seat and said to Ruoxi.

"Do you want to go see your 'supposedly in-laws'?" Yang Chen asked sarcastically since he knew who was at the door.

Ruoxi frowned as well. After seeing a part of what Yang Chen had to go through as a child, she honestly couldn't help and start to slowly hate the Yang Clan at sending him away and suffering in that hell.

They both went toward the front door and opened it. 

An old man wearing a red Chinese suit and an old woman wearing a cotton grey clothing were seen on the doorstep.

The old man had an unknowingly smile on his face, showing more wrinkles, as he looked at Yang Chen. 

"You know, elders don't really get up this late but today there have been many surprises." The old man said.

The old woman, on the other hand, had a shocked face as she looked at Yang Chen for an entirely different reason.

"Is that really, what you came all this way to say?" Yang Chen asked with a bored tone.

The old man lightly reprimanded Yang Chen, "Young man, you should respect your seniors."

Yang Chen sneered, "And what if I don't?"

The old man, not bothered by his behavior, said, "First impressions should always be good. Grandpa is slightly disappointed."

"You're annoying." Yang Chen said.

This time, the old man gave a slight frown in dissatisfaction. He then looked toward Ruoxi and revealed a gentle smile.

"Lin Ruoxi. Your achievements are outstanding, to say the least. I'm glad that you can be my granddaughter in law."

Ruoxi would feel really embarrassed hearing these words but now, she only wanted to ask this man a question.

"Why did you abandon Yang Chen?" Rouxi asked coldly.

The old man sighed and said, "Back then was a crucial part for the clan. I was running for the Chairman position for the party committee. His parents had given birth to a child before they were married and it would've caused me to lose.

If I did lose, then our clan would have been heavily affected. So Pojun and Xuehua put my grandson in an orphanage and planned to retrieve him after I had won but...that orphanage closed down and all the children disappeared as well."

The old man had a pained look as he recounted the story. The old woman even wiped her eyes.

Ruoxi didn't feel pity for them but she felt even more angered.

"You have no right to see him so please leave already." Ruoxi said coldly.

The old man wasn't bothered by her cold tone and said, "I will but first…"

The old man then bowed toward Yang Chen and said, "I, Yang Gongming, thank you! If it wasn't for your sacrifice, then everybody would have suffered greatly! Although I shouldn't be bowing as an elder, I and the whole clan owes you this at the very least."

Yang Gongming raised his head and smiled, "This is all I came here to do. Also, you should talk to your mother. She has been searching for you for years. I know, you may hate and resent us but that doesn't change the fact that she gave you life. She may have not raised you but she did give birth to you so you can at least see her."

Yang Gongming, not waiting for his response, started walking toward the front gate.

Suddenly a car stopped in front of a house and a woman in distress hurriedly hopped off. She then entered through the gate and her eyes wandered until they stopped at Yang Chen.

The woman was wearing elegant clothing, panting heavily, and had beads of sweat on her forehead.

When she saw Yang Chen, she subconsciously released streams of tears.

The woman then started walking slowly toward Yang Chen while mumbling to herself but everybody heard.

"My son...I finally found you…"

Yang Chen looked indifferent toward her. You couldn't tell what he was thinking or feeling.

Ruoxi bit her lip. Although she was angry at this woman, she couldn't help but feel a little sorry for her at how she looked.

The woman was now in front of Yang Chen and spoke in a soft tone.

"Yang Chen...mother is so sorry…" She kept repeating this to him while sobbing.

Yang Gongming had stayed when this woman had come here. He then turned to the old lady beside him and asked, "Sanniang, were you able to see what level he is at?"

Yan Sanniang shook her head, "I can't sense his cultivation. This means he's either at the same level as me or has even surpassed me."

Yang Gongming became shocked and asked, "Can he be using a treasure instead?"

"I don't know." Yan Sanniang replied.

Yang Gongming started thinking seriously before he heard the woman from earlier.

"Son...can I hug you…" The woman asked softly.

Yang Chen didn't respond and kept staring at her.

"Yang Chen, let her. Xuehua has the right." Yang Gongming said from the side.

Yang Chen ignored him and was about to say something until he felt he was being hugged.

Guo Xuehua couldn't resist so she hugged her son and started sobbing softly as she was finally able to hug him after so many years of looking for him.

Yang Chen, hearing her sobbing and feeling her hug, felt…nothing. There was no touching moment for him. To him, she was just a stranger.

Yang Chen then separated from Guo Xuehua and said, "You have found me so now you can leave."

It may have sounded cruel but this is his true feelings.

Xuehua felt her heart rip into pieces. Her eyes weren't able to produce tears anymore.

"Ok." Guo Xuehua said softly before turning back and walking toward her car.

Yang Gongming was angered and shouted, "She is your mother!"

Yang Chen was now getting pissed at this guy. He then instantly appeared in front of him and asked, "Don't you ever shut up? She has found me, good for her. It still doesn't change the fact that she is a stranger to me so stop spouting shit."

Yan Sanniang wasn't able to react in the slightest at Yang Chen's movement. She then quickly said, "Young Master Chen, don't do this."

Yang Chen turned toward her, "Or what?"

Guo Xuehua, seeing they were about to start a conflict, was going to intervene until a military jeep showed up in front of the house.

The car doors opened and out came a tall and muscular man wearing a green military uniform. The other person was a handsome well-built young man with black hair and wearing a jacket.

They both then entered through the gate and Guo Xuehua asked with a surprised face.

"Lie'er, Pojun, what are you doing here?"

Yang Lie was going to respond but he saw his mother had tear stains on his face and he instantly became angered. He then looked over to Yang Chen and shouted.

"You bastard!" 

Yang Lie then rushed toward Yang Chen while cultivating his internal energy into his fist.

Suddenly he felt pressure so horrifying all around his body that made him fall on the ground and start screaming in agony.

Guo Xuehua became anxious seeing her son in pain. She then looked toward Yang Chen and begged.

"Yang Chen, please stop!"

Yang Chen ignored her before he sensed another cultivator was going to attack him.

Yang Chen looked up at the sky and could see an old man dressed in a green robe.

Yang Chen whistled and Chaos, who was in his shadow, rushed toward the man in the sky with great speed.

"What the hell is…" The man that was descending toward Yang Chen wasn't even able to finish before he was instantly devoured by Chaos.

Chaos licked his lips at the great meal he just had before returning back to Yang Chen's shadow. 

No one, not even Yan Sanniang was able to detect Chaos exit and enter Yang Chen's shadow. Yan Sanniang only sensed the cultivator, who was Yang Lie's master, suddenly disappear without a trace.

Yan Sanniang unknowingly became a little worried. She had a feeling Yang Chen was the one behind Yang Lie's master's disappearance.

Yang Chen then walked over to Ruoxi and said to everybody else.

"If you guys don't leave in the next minute, I'll kill the useless guy on the ground."

Everybody's eyes widened. Guo Xuehua's eyes slowly turned red but didn't protest.

Yang Pojun was looking at Yang Chen and gritted his teeth. He only came here, in hope of gaining Yang Chen's favor so he could win the general election that was coming soon.

There will be no chance now. Especially since people will hate him for abandoning a child. This will make him lose without a doubt.

Yan Sanniang then picked up Yang Lie and headed to their cars with others.

When they were leaving, Guo Xuehua looked one more time at Yang Chen before releasing a sad smile. She then left back to her car.

When they were gone, Ruoxi asked gently, "Dear, are you okay?"

Yang Chen smiled and gave her a kiss on the lips "Yeah, but let's head inside. I want to explain some stuff to you."

Ruoxi nodded before clinging toward his arm and going back inside.