Hades, the Urban Legend

Chapter 557: Chapter 558: A Different Story

A night of drizzling rain left the lush courtyard, teeming with trees and flowers, feeling particularly chilly. Dew drops clung to the green leaves, and the interwoven grass glistened with moisture.

The main door of the villa was pushed open from the inside. Guo Xuehua, dressed in a light brown sweater and with her hair still unkempt, stepped out and looked towards the large iron gate.

She hadn't slept well the entire night, her face looking tired and bearing dark circles under her eyes. But Guo Xuehua didn't care about that. Yang Chen hadn't come home all night, and no one had informed her of his whereabouts. She was deeply worried.

Aunt Wang emerged from the house, sighing wearily, and said with concern, "Xuehua, I've made some porridge. You should have some. It's cold outside in the early morning; standing around isn't good."

"Yulan, where do you think Yang Chen could have gone? So many people searched the whole Zhonghai for him, yet he still can't be found," Guo Xuehua said anxiously, having no appetite for porridge.

This was her son, lost for over twenty years and just recently found, now missing again. If she weren't mentally strong, she might have collapsed by now.

Aunt Wang wore a bitter expression. "I may not have children, but I understand how hard this is for you. Even though the young master hasn't returned, no one has said anything bad has happened to him. If he comes back and finds you unwell, he would feel terrible too."

"I know waiting like this is useless, but my heart is not just troubled, it's breaking," Guo Xuehua said, her face showing an indescribable sorrow.

Aunt Wang sighed helplessly, "Our family always seems to have these worrying incidents. At least Zhenxiu is staying at school these days. If she were home and saw this, given her bond with the young master, she'd be in an uproar, making the house even more chaotic."

Guo Xuehua paused, frowning. "Right, I was so worried I forgot. Zhenxiu didn't come home last night; is she staying at school?"

Aunt Wang nodded, speaking tenderly, "She called after you left, saying they're intensively reviewing something at school these days, so the whole senior year is staying on campus. I don't know what's up with these schools, always having intense training. They're just students but work harder than adults."

Guo Xuehua forced a smile, "Students preparing for college entrance exams naturally have it tough, but they might fondly remember these times later on. Sometimes when I look at Zhenxiu, I often think if our Yang Chen had grown up at home, gone to school like other kids, I would have been like other mothers, urging him to study and do homework.

Thinking about it, those days would have been meaningful, watching him grow and learn more each day.

But Yang Chen, and my younger son Yang Lie, one disappeared when he was young, and the other went off with his master to learn skills. I never got to take care of them properly. I feel so inadequate as a mother, just wanting to make up for it with the time I have left. At least I saw Lie often when he was young, but I couldn't take care of Yang Chen at all."

"No wonder you treat Zhenxiu like your daughter, filling the gap of never having raised your own children," Aunt Wang joked lightly.

Guo Xuehua smiled faintly, but the worry in her brows remained.

The two watched the gate for a while, not seeing anyone return, so they turned back towards the house. Just as they were about to close the door, there was a knock on the large iron gate outside.

Guo Xuehua and Aunt Wang immediately ran out again. Sure enough, there was a figure outside, knocking on the iron gate.

Seeing this, Guo Xuehua's eyes turned red, tears of joy welling up. The person returning was none other than Yang Chen!

"Young master!"

Aunt Wang was equally delighted, quickly pulling Guo Xuehua to the gate to excitedly open it for Yang Chen.

As Guo Xuehua took a closer look, tears began to flow uncontrollably. Yang Chen looked utterly "miserable" at the moment.

He was wearing a T-shirt and shorts, both stained with grass and mud, still damp in many places. His hair was a mess, resembling a bird's nest, and there were smudges of dirt on his face. His sneakers were caked with mud, and his calves were speckled with yellow mud, likely splashed by muddy water.

This disheveled appearance made Yang Chen, who was never particularly handsome, look like a homeless person or even a mentally unstable individual. Yet, Yang Chen himself seemed completely unfazed, grinning and laughing foolishly at the two elders, his mood exceptionally good.

"Mom, Aunt Wang, I'm sorry. My phone ran out of battery, and then I got caught up in something and lost track of time. Seeing how miserable I look, please don't be mad," Yang Chen said, scratching his head and giving a few playful winks.

Seeing her son laughing carelessly, Guo Xuehua's lips quivered as she hugged him tightly, crying. She then lightly punched him a few times, wiping her tears and saying, "You rascal! What could be so important that you'd forget to come home? You didn't even consider how worried we'd be! Do you know how close I was to losing my mind with worry?"

Yang Chen let Guo Xuehua pound on him, each punch making him feel a mix of guilt and sweetness. The concern of family members was something he both regretted and enjoyed.

After Guo Xuehua vented her emotions and calmed down, her spirits lifted quickly. Having her son home safe and sound was more important than anything else, so she didn't bother asking Yang Chen more questions. She hurriedly pulled him into the house.

Once inside, Guo Xuehua took a look at Yang Chen's "beggar outfit" and frowned. "Did you get lost in some remote mountain? How did you end up like this? Weren't you driving to the airport? Where did you actually go?"

Yang Chen didn't hide anything and said directly, "I was going to the airport, but something came up, so I ended up in a wasteland near the airport and stayed there all night."

"Wasteland?" Both Guo Xuehua and Aunt Wang were puzzled. "What were you doing in a place like that?"

Yang Chen thought for a moment and said, "Honestly, I'm not even sure what I was doing. Someone talked to me about something, and then I started thinking about various things. Before I knew it, the night was over. The car broke down, so I had to jog back home, treating it as morning exercise."

Guo Xuehua and Aunt Wang had no idea what Yang Chen was rambling about. He didn't seem to be lying, but his words made no sense.

"Young master, why didn't you take a taxi? Even if you didn't have money, you could still get a ride," Aunt Wang said, feeling sorry for him.

Yang Chen looked frustrated and said indignantly, "Aunt Wang, you don't know! Those taxi drivers thought I was a beggar. Some even thought I was crazy and refused to let me in their cabs!"

It dawned on the two women that, given Yang Chen's current appearance, no one would dare pick him up. Even if they weren't afraid of getting their cars dirty, they'd worry about encountering a fugitive.

Eventually, Guo Xuehua, torn between laughter and tears, decided not to ask her son what he'd been doing. For her, as long as Yang Chen was safe, that was all that mattered. She pushed him and said, "Never mind that. Go upstairs, take a shower, change your clothes, and come down for breakfast. You must be hungry after not eating for so long."

Yang Chen glanced at the steaming porridge and side dishes on the table, swallowed, and said cheekily, "How about I eat first?"

"No way. You're not eating in this state. You'll get mud all over the carpet," Guo Xuehua said, showing no mercy despite Yang Chen's pitiful look. Some things she wouldn't compromise on, even with the guilt she felt in her heart. Besides, Yang Chen didn't look like he'd faint from hunger.

Yang Chen scratched his head, indifferent, and started to head upstairs.

Guo Xuehua suddenly remembered something and urgently called out, "Oh, Yang Chen, did you know that Lu Min was murdered?"

Upon hearing this, Yang Chen didn't even turn his head. He just waved his hand dismissively, "I know. Don't worry about it. Let them think whatever they want."

Guo Xuehua was taken aback. Lu Min was the person Yang Chen had been insanely determined to kill. She thought that hearing about Lu Min's murder would elicit some reaction from him, especially since those people were clearly trying to frame him. But to her surprise, Yang Chen seemed completely indifferent.

Watching Yang Chen head upstairs, Guo Xuehua pondered for a moment, furrowing her brows. She turned to Aunt Wang and said, "Yulan, don't you think Yang Chen seems a bit different this time?"

Aunt Wang was puzzled. "What's different? The young master has always been like this. Though he can be nonchalant, he's very dependable when it matters. I've told you before, ever since he married the young lady, many problems in our family have been resolved, all thanks to him."

Guo Xuehua shook her head and smiled. "I don't mean it that way. I don't know if it's just my imagination, but I feel like there's something different about him this time. I can't quite pinpoint it, but it's definitely not a bad thing."

Aunt Wang chuckled. "Maybe it's just a mother's intuition."

Knowing Aunt Wang was teasing her, Guo Xuehua rolled her eyes and was about to say something when she suddenly remembered. "Oh dear, I forgot to tell Yang Chen that An Xin is sleeping in his room!"

Aunt Wang was surprised. She had gone to bed early last night and hadn't known. "You let Miss An Xin sleep in the young master's room?"

Feeling a bit embarrassed, Guo Xuehua nodded. "Yes, it was very late, and I didn't have the heart to send her away. Letting her sleep in Ruoxi's or Zhenxiu's room didn't seem appropriate, so I let her sleep in Yang Chen's room."

Aunt Wang gave a bittersweet smile, unsure of what to say.

"It should be fine. Ruoxi is still in Europe, and An Xin should leave once she sees Yang Chen," Guo Xuehua added, feeling guilty. But even she knew it wasn't fair, especially in front of Aunt Wang, who was in some ways a guardian to Ruoxi.

Aunt Wang sighed. "This isn't about one night or a few nights. Even if we don't mention it, the relationship between Miss An Xin and the young master is obvious. Xuehua, first it was Miss Rose next door, and now there's Miss An Xin. I've watched our young lady grow up. I know her temperament well. Once she sets her mind on something, she's as stubborn as a mule. If this continues, how are you, as her mother-in-law, going to handle it?"

Guo Xuehua's mind was a mess. She was happy her son was back, but his lifestyle was becoming a serious issue.

Just then, the phone rang. Aunt Wang naturally walked over to answer it. "Hello, who is this?"

After a moment, her expression turned complicated and somewhat surprised. "Miss? You're home?"