Hades, the Urban Legend

Chapter 748: Chapter 751: Forgive Me

Yang Chen's casual tone struck Xiao Zhiqing like a bolt of lightning. The man before her seemed even more unfathomable than before.

"Who exactly are you? Even the elders were helpless against my cold poison, yet you managed to remove it so easily?" Xiao Zhiqing asked, her voice tinged with disbelief.

Yang Chen shrugged indifferently. "I don't know anything about your so-called elders. It's not like I actually cured your cold poison. Your condition isn't something that came from the outside; it's an innate cold poison that spreads through your meridians. All I did was remove the accumulated toxins from your body and used some methods to protect your meridians. If it had been before, I probably wouldn't have been able to do it, but now I can suppress it. You won't be eroded by the cold poison. Though it's a temporary fix, it should hold for about fifty years."

"Fifty years?" Xiao Zhiqing's eyes widened in surprise.

"What, is that too short? Be grateful. You were lucky to run into me. No one else would have been able to help you. Actually, I'm being conservative. If nothing goes wrong, you'll probably be fine until the day you die." Yang Chen smirked. "Our relationship was brief, and since you tried to embarrass me and make me lose money, I took your chastity in return and relieved you of your pain. I'd say that's fair."

Xiao Zhiqing barely registered his words, muttering to herself, "You were actually able to suppress my Nine Yin Mysterious Veins... how is that possible?"

"Oh, so that strange meridian of yours is called 'Nine Yin Mysterious Veins'? It's definitely yin enough. I'm guessing the toxins in your body were introduced as part of a cruel 'fight poison with poison' technique," Yang Chen remarked, shaking his head with a smile. "That method is indeed brutal."

Hearing this, Xiao Zhiqing's eyes filled with a deep-seated hatred, as if she wanted to tear someone apart. "Yes, it's cruel."

Yang Chen didn't pay her any mind and instead walked naked into the bathroom. After an afternoon of intense activity, he felt a bit hungry and planned to take a shower before heading back to have dinner with Christine.

Only when Xiao Zhiqing saw Yang Chen enter the bathroom did she snap out of her thoughts. Lying alone on the bed, she turned her head to look at the messy sheets, her cheeks flushing slightly.

It felt like a dream. What she had thought would be a simple operation had ended with her not only being captured but also losing her virginity to this stranger!

She had thought it was all over, yet somehow, this man had unknowingly removed the pain that had tormented her since childhood!

Feeling the unprecedented comfort in her body and experiencing what it was like to feel normal, Xiao Zhiqing couldn't help but be overwhelmed with mixed emotions, her eyes growing misty with tears.

Not long after, Yang Chen finished his shower and emerged from the bathroom. He began to dress, buttoning up his shirt, and said to the still-dazed woman on the bed, "Miss Zhiqing, I'm taking the diamond ring back to give to my woman, but I'll leave you the bottle of wine. After all, I drank most of it. I had a great time today. Goodbye!"

When Xiao Zhiqing saw that Yang Chen was about to leave just like that, she couldn't help but call out, "You're just going to leave?"

Yang Chen turned back with a mischievous grin. "What, do you want me to take responsibility?"

"Of course not!" Xiao Zhiqing quickly denied it, but for some reason, her heart was pounding, and she bit her lip, avoiding his gaze as she asked, "I just want to know how you figured out I was trying to harm you?"

"Oh, you want to understand your mistakes so you can improve for the next time you deceive someone?" Yang Chen laughed. "I don't mind telling you. Actually, there weren't any obvious flaws in your plan."

Xiao Zhiqing frowned in confusion.

"The biggest issue was that you chose the wrong target," Yang Chen explained. "In the morning, you were observing me from the outdoor café near the intersection by Julian's Auction House. I noticed you then. You must have been looking for someone alone and wealthy, someone driving an expensive car, to approach. Since I'm of Asian descent, you probably prioritized me because it would be easier to get close. After you targeted me, you pretended to be in a hurry at the insurance payment counter to see if I had enough money to pay. Once you confirmed I was a buyer, you struck up a conversation with me. You were smart in choosing items to bid on—the bottle of wine was probably the cheapest item, while the diamond ring was the most expensive. Your plan was likely to at least win one item, and for the most expensive one, it would depend on whether I could afford it."

Xiao Zhiqing hesitated for a moment, thinking deeply, then asked, "You were able to detect all that from such a distance? Are you a master from Hongmeng?"

This time, Yang Chen was the one surprised. He stared at the woman for a moment. "You actually know about Hongmeng? That's interesting. But I'm afraid you guessed wrong—I'm not familiar with them. If there's nothing else, I'll be going."

Xiao Zhiqing felt uneasy, but she had no reason to call him back. She could only watch as he left and closed the door behind him.

When the room finally fell into silence, the woman let out a long sigh, staring at the ceiling with a look of melancholy.

After resting for a while, she was about to get up and wash off the sticky mess on her body when her eyes caught sight of something on the nightstand.

Her eyes lit up as if she had spotted a treasure, and she flashed a seductive, fox-like smile.

Outside the hotel, the lights were already bright, and a crescent moon hung high in the sky.

As Yang Chen walked out of the hotel, he felt the cool temperature of the evening air, which seemed to recharge him, putting him in a great mood.

As for Xiao Zhiqing, although he liked her soft, cold body, he didn't feel any regret about leaving her behind.

No matter what her background or origin, he had approached her with a purpose from the very start, and there were no real feelings involved.

Moreover, Yang Chen could vaguely sense that Xiao Zhiqing probably had a lot of trouble following her, and he didn't want to get involved in something that didn't concern him.

As for the fact that he had taken her virginity, Yang Chen didn't care much. If she hadn't tried to poison him first, he wouldn't have forced her. It wasn't like the first time with An Xin, where she had willingly chosen him. Xiao Zhiqing had come after him, so he didn't feel guilty at all. He didn't bear any psychological burden.

Returning to his blue Porsche, Yang Chen started the car and glanced casually at the rearview mirror. A faint smile tugged at his lips before he drove off towards the main road as usual.

Summer Heat, Yandu City, Ning Family's Study.

Ning Guangyao stood by the desk, his hand gently resting on a delicate white jade lion paperweight, as he listened to the report from a subordinate of the family.

The square-faced man in a black suit stood cautiously at the doorway, carefully elaborating.

When he had heard enough, Ning Guangyao interjected, "So, you're saying that all this time, Madam has been staying with that little beggar?"

"Yes, Madam's three meals a day are provided by that beggar, and it seems that Madam had two bouts of fever, during which the beggar took care of her," the man in the suit replied.

A flicker of complexity flashed across Ning Guangyao's usually calm face, and his eyes narrowed coldly. "That beggar, what background does he have? Have you found out?"

"He's just an ordinary poor boy from a family. A few years ago, he failed the college entrance exam, and then his parents passed away. Also, that beggar is a cripple with no welfare support, so he's been wandering outside. According to some beggars near Zhonghai, the cripple has a good reputation among them because he's literate and often helps other homeless people."

Ning Guangyao nodded. "Has Madam contacted anyone at home or anyone else?"

The man in the suit shook his head. "Madam has been very depressed and hasn't reached out to anyone, except for that cripple. Oh, by the way, Yang Chen, the eldest grandson of the Yang family, had one meeting with Madam, but he didn't stay long."

Hearing the name "Yang Chen," Ning Guangyao suddenly gripped the white jade lion tightly, as if trying to embed his fingers into it.

But soon, Ning Guangyao's expression returned to calm. In a cold voice, he asked, "How about the three beggars I asked you to deal with?"

"Rest assured, Master. Those three dogs have already been fed to the fish," the man in the suit replied with a cold smile.

"Good, keep it clean."

"Yes, Master. But, why haven't you allowed us to bring Madam back yet? And that cripple, he should also be one of the dogs to be slaughtered."

A flash of pain and ruthlessness crossed Ning Guangyao's eyes. Finally, he made up his mind and said decisively, "Madam is no longer part of the Ning family."

"Huh?" The man in the suit looked up in confusion, as if he didn't understand.

"Find a time to bring Madam and that cripple back to Yandu. Make sure it's clean, and don't let any civilians notice. If anything goes wrong, don't bother coming back alive," Ning Guangyao said darkly.

The man in the suit seemed to realize something, and a deep fear and helplessness flashed through his eyes. In the end, he nodded heavily, "Rest assured, Master. For the Ning family, I would sacrifice my life!"

"Good. I know your loyalty. This matter concerns the Ning family's hundred-year honor. It can only be handled by our own people. Remember, don't let the eldest young master find out," Ning Guangyao sternly instructed.

The man in the suit acknowledged with understanding. Seeing that Ning Guangyao had nothing further to say, he quietly retreated.

Once the door was closed, Ning Guangyao walked alone to the other side of the desk. Lowering his head, he looked at a framed photo standing on the desk.

In the photo, there was a beaming couple—himself and Luo Cuishan.

Ning Guangyao's face showed a mix of sorrow and barely concealed anger. With a bitter smile, he muttered, "Cuishan, forgive me."

Smack!

With one strike, the frame fell face down on the desk, shattering!

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