Hades, the Urban Legend

Chapter 647: Chapter 650: I’m Sorry

Yang Chen's face turned red, and he stammered, "Uh, didn't I say earlier that... I don't like it."

"Why don't you like it?" Cai Ning pressed.

Yang Chen found it difficult to meet her gaze, which seemed to see through everything. He rubbed his hands together and said, "It just feels uncomfortable."

Cai Ning suddenly smiled brightly and turned her back, her shoulders shaking slightly as she chuckled.

Feeling embarrassed, Yang Chen grumbled, "What are you laughing at? Do you really want to go?"

"I used to think you were fearless, that you had the thickest skin in the world. But it turns out you can be shy too," Cai Ning said leisurely. "Seeing you like this, you look like a young boy in his twenties."

"A young boy?" Yang Chen's mouth twitched.

Cai Ning turned to look at Yang Chen's twisted expression and couldn't help but laugh again. "You're about the same age as Yan Yan, so you're younger than me. Isn't it fair to call you that?"

Yang Chen felt a bit troubled. It seemed he was born too late; if he were in his thirties, he wouldn't be teased by older women so much.

The two stood silently for a while. Cai Ning's eyes softened as she said, "Actually, I feel uncomfortable too."

"Huh?"

"I mean, I don't know when it started, but seeing you with different women makes me uncomfortable." As she said this, Cai Ning's face turned a shade of red.

Yang Chen swallowed hard, unsure what to say—worry, anxiety, fear? No, it was clearly excitement and joy.

Cai Ning brushed a lock of hair behind her ear and continued, "Do you remember that night I was stargazing on the bridge in Zhonghai?"

Yang Chen recalled and nodded, "I remember. That night I had just had dinner with Mingyu's family and was driving home when I saw you on the bridge. I remember you seemed deep in thought, and when I called out to you, you nearly fell off the bridge. Luckily, you used your lightness skill to fly back up. We watched the stars together for a while. You didn't use your energy to resist the cold, and I still find that puzzling."

Cai Ning smiled softly, "Thank you for remembering so clearly."

"Wait, I get it now. That night you were deep in thought because you knew you were going to be summoned back to Yan Capital and punished because of me, right?" Yang Chen suddenly realized. After that, there had been no news from Cai Ning, and he felt he had been slow to understand.

Cai Ning shook her head. "None of that matters now. It's all in the past."

"I always felt like I owed you something, but you're right. It's over. Still, if anyone tries to bother you again, I won't hesitate to escalate things," Yang Chen said seriously.

Cai Ning chuckled, "During that time, I often went out alone at night to watch the stars, even in winter."

Yang Chen was stunned, "And you didn't use your energy to resist the cold?"

In the southern winter, nighttime temperatures are often below freezing, especially on a bridge over the river, where the humidity makes it even colder. Yang Chen looked at Cai Ning in confusion. Did she really enjoy being frozen?

Cai Ning lowered her head and said softly, "I don't know why, but ever since you saved me that day in the Li family's back mountain, I often think of you. Even though I could monitor you anytime and see you, I couldn't stop myself from thinking about you. But I knew it was wrong, and I couldn't control it. Until one night, while walking alone, I looked up at the starry sky and realized that stargazing calmed me down. I wouldn't use my energy to resist the cold because I wanted my body to feel the chill, hoping that the cold wind would cool my heart."

Time seemed to slow to a crawl. Yang Chen didn't know what he felt, but the sharp pain in his heart made him afraid to say a word.

He envisioned the woman before him, alone on the riverbank on those cold nights, looking up at the stars.

Yang Chen understood that emotions are not something you can forget or discard at will; they are the most inscrutable of human instincts.

Perhaps you can suppress it, but you cannot erase the pain it brings.

Yang Chen, reflecting on his discomfort and heartache upon hearing that Cai Ning was going to marry Yong Ye, finally realized that the woman initially sent to monitor him had become someone he cared about deeply.

Cai Ning, noticing Yang Chen's silence, continued with a self-deprecating smile, "Every time I saw you with another woman, I would warn myself repeatedly that you are a terrible man and that I shouldn't be foolish. Especially when you caused Yan Yan to be so disheartened that she went to join the Dragon Group's selection. I hated you so much then. How could you be so lenient with women like Mo Qianni and Rose but not accept Yan Yan? She is my only sister. Fortunately, Yan Yan ended up with you in the end. When she told me about it excitedly, I was happy, but I also felt a bit uncomfortable. That's the truth."

"Actually, I..." Yang Chen started to explain about Cai Yan's situation.

"Don't talk," Cai Ning interrupted him. "Let me finish."

Yang Chen nodded silently.

"I know you're not someone who loves any beautiful woman you meet. I know all the women around you have had extraordinary experiences with you. But I couldn't help feeling a bit uneasy. Despite that, I kept it to myself because I was an outsider. This time, my parents were very worried. My mother begged the Li family, and I agreed to marry Yong Ye. I thought it wouldn't matter; Yong Ye wasn't great, but he couldn't bully me. We could live our own lives separately, just with a marriage certificate. At least then, I wouldn't be distracted by thoughts of you, and my parents could be at ease."

Taking a deep breath, Cai Ning's eyes turned red as she smiled bitterly. "But now I realize things aren't that simple. Seeing you and Yan Yan come home today felt like my heart was being torn apart. Even though I'm happy for Yan Yan, I can't control my own feelings."

"Do you know, Yang Chen," Cai Ning said, her eyes shining, "our family has only us two sisters. Other uncles and aunts want to take my father's position. I knew from a young age that Dad was under a lot of pressure, so I not only had to be a sister but also help him. I had to excel in everything, whether it was studies or other things. Later, in my teens, I quickly agreed to go to the Tang Sect in Sichuan to learn martial arts. I knew that it would mean almost ten years away from home, living alone, but I never regretted it. Because only by working hard and enduring hardship could our family stand firmly, and Yan Yan could do what she liked, date, and get married like other young ladies."

Cai Ning bit her lip and said, "I always thought I would live my life that way. But earlier, Yan Yan suddenly asked me if I had always lived for others, couldn't I live for myself just once in my life?"

Yang Chen stood frozen, unable to take his eyes off the vulnerable Cai Ning in front of him.

Cai Ning wiped away her tears and smiled brightly. "So I decided to be selfish for once, to try living for myself. Do you think there will be a good ending?"

Yang Chen said nothing. He walked up to Cai Ning, wrapped his arms around her, and pulled her into his embrace.

"This isn't a question because there won't be any ending other than a happy one," Yang Chen whispered in her ear.

Cai Ning's body stiffened for a moment before slowly relaxing. She awkwardly wrapped her arms around Yang Chen's waist, trembling as she held him, feeling his warmth. Tears soaked Yang Chen's chest.

"Clang—"

The sound of pottery clattering broke the serene moment.

Yang Chen and Cai Ning quickly turned their heads. They had been so engrossed in each other that they hadn't noticed anyone approaching!

Standing there, looking flustered and unsure of what to do, was Cai Yan. She seemed torn between leaving and staying, her eyes darting between Yang Chen and Cai Ning. At her feet lay a small flowerpot she had accidentally knocked over while stepping back.

"Yan Yan—" Cai Ning's face turned pale. She immediately let go of Yang Chen and stepped back, her eyes filled with unease.

Cai Yan forced a smile, looking at her sister and then at Yang Chen, saying, "It's okay. I already knew you both liked each other."

Yang Chen felt a bitter taste in his mouth. He had always thought that having a pair of sisters as lovers would be an incredibly enjoyable experience. But now, as it seemed to be within reach, he realized that when genuine feelings were involved, even if the two women were sisters, it was far from easy.

"I'm sorry, I..." Yang Chen found himself at a loss for words. Despite his history of being emotionally entangled with multiple women, each time left him feeling awkward and embarrassed.

Cai Yan, with tears in her eyes, smiled faintly and shook her head. "You don't need to say sorry because love doesn't require apologies."