The Serious and Crazy Woman
Chapter 13/14
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Yang Chen, An Xin, and Hui Lin all enjoyed their barbecue lunch. Yang Chen honestly felt more at home doing menial tasks like this, as he looked much more relaxed than working in the office.
Yang Chen was even considering convincing Lin Ruoxi to abandon Yu Lei International, and follow him to the market to sell mutton skewers. They could even rent a storefront. However, such a beautiful dream was in the end only a dream.
Lin Ruoxi on the other hand tasted nothing in her food.
She was contemplating about a novel she had read. The main actress was a professor who married an officer in the military. Due to the overly large difference in culture, the professor had always felt that her husband was unbearably vulgar, but failed to give up on that man. At the end of the novel, the professor was still with her husband, but she didnât manage to think of a reason to have been able to accept this âvulgarâ husband.
Lin Ruoxi used to feel that the professor was straight-up contradicting herself. Why wouldnât she divorce the man when he was so incompetent? Finally after all this time, she herself has come to the realization. When it came to matters between men and women, logical reasoning was often not the thing to turn to first.
Seeing the half-naked, farmer-looking man sitting on the wooden chair beside her who didnât even bother wiping his oily mouth with a tissue as he used his arm instead, Lin Ruoxi couldnât help but sigh deeply. She took a stack of tissue and passed to Yang Chen. âDonât use your hands. Theyâre dirty now.â
Yang Chen grinned. âIâm used to behaving this way. Even bowls were considered a luxury for me back then, let alone using tissues, so I subconsciously wiped my mouth with my hand.â
Yang Chen received the tissue and vaguely wiped his lips.
Although Lin Ruoxi was curious about the life Yang Chen had lived in the past, she chose not to pry. She only knew a thing or two about him. She felt that Yang Chen would tell her if he felt the need for her to know. It should be mentioned that the fellow was a really talkative man.
Since he hasnât told me about it before, he may feel that thereâs no need for me to know.
Lin Ruoxi lowered her head as she smiled gently. Her goddess-like, elegant face looked particularly touching, but she was holding a half-eaten chicken wing in hand, causing her to look a little strange.
Unfortunately, no one had noticed her smile.
After having lunch, a bunch of passionate servers who had been ready to work came out of nowhere can cleaned all the trash.
Lin Ruoxi fronwed and said to one of the servers, âAsk your manager to stop sending people to follow us. This is no different from being monitored. It makes me feel uncomfortable.â
The server remained quiet for a while in fear. He bowed down and lowered his head before stammering, âBoâboss Lin, please forgive us. Itâs not in our intention to monitor you. We just want to serve you as you almost never come hereâŠâ
Lin Ruoxi waved her hand to signal them to leave. She had to behave in a dignified manner in front of her employees.
âElder Sister Ruoxi is so impressive,â An Xin said softly.
Yang Chen looked at her in a playful manner. âOh is this how you view her as well?â
âOf course,â An Xin said seriously, but the intention to laugh in her eyes betrayed her.
After the meal, Yang Chen put on his outer coat. He actually enjoyed being half-naked while standing in the cold wind. He often did so when on missions in Siberia. During that period, he even had to draw messy lines on his body using black ink, to camouflage himself in the dark forest. Not only did it help him avoid certain beasts, he could also secure a kill in an ambush.
These moments felt like they had just happened yesterday. However, currently, he had gotten a stunning wife and multiple beautiful lovers, not to mention he had become an office worker.
Yang Chen didnât find his current life monotonous, to go to work every day and come home for dinner. He even felt more content this way.
Of course, if wouldâve been perfect if his wife was willing to cooperate by getting along with his lovers.
The four slowly made their way along the lake with the winds sweeping through their hair. It smelt of mud and leaves, but the smile on Hui Linâs face had never dispersed. She described to An Xin and Lin Ruoxi regarding her experiences when she lived in Emei Mountain, so the three ladies were chatting unstoppably.
Judging from the situation, the decision to bring Hui Lin out was right.
There was a small rest station nearby, mainly for weary guests to rest before continuing. The mini store was selling steaming-hot herbal eggs, dried tofu and some beverages.
However, since it was still lunchtime, the rest area was pretty much empty. Only an old man wearing a tank top was left to tend the business.
There was a mini game station outside the store which had attracted the attention of the ladies.
The stairs used as a display were filled with cartoon dolls. It was a game where if the participant managed to hit a doll down from the stairs using plastic balls, it was theirs.
Such a game was basically everywhere in a playground, but Lin Ruoxi, Hui Lin, and An Xin hadnât seen it very often, so this particular one peaked their interests.
At the top of the stairs stood a snow-white, huge polar bear doll which looked incredibly eye-catching due to its round feature.
An Xin wasnât too excited, unlike the child-like Lin Ruoxi and Hui Lin. This was especially the case with Lin Ruoxi. Back then, she had taken a good interest in the dumpling back at the store, which led to Yang Chen taking part in the challenge. Now that she had noticed the huge polar bear, Younger Sister Linâs eyes illuminated.
Yang Chen knew that Lin Ruoxi was too embarrassed to suggest participating in the game, so he said, âThe game looks quite interesting. Since we have time, why not we have a go at it?â
Elation filled Lin Ruoxiâs eyes, but she still remained expressionless. âIâm fine with anything. Hui Lin, do you want to play?â
Hui Lin nodded her head forcefully of course. Thus, they approached the old man before Yang Chen asked, âGrandpa, how much do you charge for this game?â
The old man pointed at a small, wooden signboard. There were words written by a writing brush: Five bucks for two tries, ten bucks for five tries.
âThen Iâll pay 30 bucks for now. Each of you can have five tries,â Yang Chen said as he took out a fifty-yuan note from his pocket.
The old man appeared to be feeling cold. He shivered lightly as he received the money. After giving Yang Chen a twenty-yuan change, he then passed a basket to each of the ladies.
âGirls, stand behind this table to throw. Whether or not you hit one depends on your luck. I recommend you to aim for the small ones, and leave the big ones untouched. Itâs very unlikely that they fall even if you managed to hit one,â the old man advised.
The plastic balls were hollow, so the force that it exerted when thrown was very low. In addition to that, their weight made it so that the wind was able to push it much easier. So, it was quite tough to hit a doll at the seemingly short distance.
Hui Lin was the first one who stood behind the table. She practised martial arts. Although she didnât excel in using hidden weapons, her strength and accuracy were still extraordinary.
Whoosh! The first ball she threw managed to hit a small teddy bear at the center down.
Shocked, the old man clapped and praised, âWow, not bad at all!â
Hui Lin smiled sweetly as she waited for the old man to pass the teddy bear to her. She then threw three more balls, but missed all of them. With her fifth and final ball, she hit a doll yet another time which was a little pony. The grandpa picked it up and gave it to Hui Lin.
Yang Chen could tell that Hui Lin intentionally missed most of her attempts. Softly, he whispered to Hui Lin, âWhy didnât you aim for the huge polar bear? You only had to use a little internal energy to hit it down.â
Out of shyness, Hui Lin blushed when Yang Chenâs hot breath hit on her ear. She carefully glanced at Lin Ruoxi who wasnât paying attention to her, before saying, âIâll leave the huge bear to Elder Sister. She seems to like it more than I do. Also, itâs difficult for the grandpa to take care of a store in such a cold weather. I have the gift of martial arts. I donât want to take advantage of him.â
Yang Chen revealed a so-I-see expression. He simply touched Hui Linâs ponytail and said, âOnly you would be so kind.â
Hui Lin felt that a deer was banging around in her heart after Yang Chen touched her hair. To her, such an action was incredibly intimate.
However, Yang Chen failed to notice her response. He was focused on An Xin who was the second one to play.
An Xin wasnât as strong and accurate as Hui Lin. She failed to hit a single doll after five tries. Pouting, she said to the old man, âGrandpa, I want five more balls,â as she took out a ten-yuan note from her leather purse.
The old man was naturally pleased. After receiving the money, he passed five more balls to An Xin.
An Xin wasnât disappointed this time. She managed to hit the smallest teru teru bĆzu and was satisfied enough, so she didnât plan on playing more.
âGood luck Elder Sister Ruoxi.â An Xin didnât forget to put up an act to encourage Lin Ruoxi when she came down from the platform.
Lin Ruoxi hummed in acknowledgement. She wasnât bothered to reply An Xin. Taking a deep breath, she took her basket and came to the table, looking rather nervous. Her huge, watery eyes were fixed on the huge polar bear at the highest spot.
âElder Sister is really serious,â Hui Lin said.
An Xin walked over and said softly, âHer gaze doesnât look like she wants to hit the polar bear door, but shows her bloodlust for polar bears instead. Sigh⊠she looks more and more like a little girl.â
At this moment, Lin Ruoxi had finally finished preparing her combat emotion. Taking out a plastic ball, aiming at the polar bear, she released it with all her strength!
Whoosh! The force was sufficient, but her ball flew to a different direction.
Lin Ruoxiâs cheeks instantly turned as red as a mature apple. Evidently, missing her attempts in front of her love rival, husband, and younger sister was something embarrassing to her.
Lin Ruoxi chose to avoid looking at the expressions of the people standing around. She took out yet another ball and forcefully threw it at the polar bear.
Unfortunately, after throwing all of her five balls, none of them even touched the polar bear, let alone hitting it down.
Without hesitation, she took out a fifty-yuan bill from her purse and gave it to the old man. âI want 25 balls.â
The old man happily accepted her money and gave her what she demanded before keeping the bank note into the pocket of his tank top.
With a basket full of balls, she continued throwing the balls forcefully at the polar bear. Unfortunately, no matter how she threw them, the balls either headed to the left or the right instead of the center. She didnât even manage to hit any other dolls.
Having thrown all 25 balls, her face wasnât red anymore, but appear a little pale instead. Her gaze revealed a frightening gaze of bloodlust toward the polar bear.
âGrandpaâŠâ Lin Ruoxi called. Her voice was enough to freeze a person completely. Even if the weather was already cold, the old man felt the air around him fall ten more degrees .
âGiâgirl⊠are you actually asking for more?â The old man was actually astonished. He had never seen such an unfortunate customer before. Lin Ruoxi didnât even manage to hit the smallest doll with any of her 30 balls.
Lin Ruoxi took out a hundred-yuan bill from her purse and said, âGive me 50 balls.â
The old man didnât know whether to cry or laugh. âGirl, Iâm starting to feel embarrassed seeing you throw like that and Iâm not even the one thatâs playing. Why donât you keep your money, and Iâll give you a small one. Please donât get mad, just treat today as your bad day.â
âNo way!â
Lin Ruoxiâs face was freezing-cold when she yelled. She stared right into the old manâs eyes, which caused him to be horrified.
âI donât believe I canât even hit a small doll! Why is it that they can but I canât? Grandpa, donât talk about giving me one. I want to hit one myself!â Lin Ruoxi said in an agitated manner as she pointed at Hui Lin and An Xin.
Yang Chen smiled bitterly. He was well aware of Lin Ruoxiâs personality, otherwise she wouldnât have worked so hard in Yu Lei just to prove that she was capable to lead the company.
Today, Yang Chen noticed he had underestimated Lin Ruoxiâs desire to win. The girl was so determined just to get a small toy.
When one thought about it, Lin Ruoxi mightâve started treating An Xin as her enemy. She wasnât willing to lose to An Xin in any aspects. Moreover, she had never liked to admit defeat. She wouldnât give up so easily in getting the polar bear she liked.
The pitiful old man was dumbstruck. Judging from her gaze, she looks like she wants to murder someone instead of getting dolls!
However, there was not much the old man could say. Furthermore, it was more money for him. Thus, he gave Lin Ruoxi two huge baskets containing 50 balls in total while shaking his head.
Lin Ruoxi placed the two baskets in front of her as she continued launching attacks at the polar bear. She was basically firing cannons as she unstoppably tossed the colorful plastic balls.
Unfortunately, no matter how hard Lin Ruoxi tried to aim, or how much strength she exerted, the balls failed to hit the dolls.
âGirl, please donât focus your attention on the big bear anymore. It looks like an easy target, but itâs also the furthest one from you. Why donât you try aiming for the small ones? Theyâre closer and easier to get,â the old man suggested. He wasnât willing to see the beautiful girl throwing tantrums anymore.
Lin Ruoxi bit her lip as her eyes looked resolute. âNo, I have to hit the big bear!â
At this moment, Lin Ruoxi had used up all her 50 balls. Thus, she took out 200 yuan from her purse and said, âGrandpa, I want 100 balls!â
The old man felt helpless, but there was nothing he could do. Therefore, he delivered a hundred balls to her.
It wasnât easy to finish throwing a hundred balls. Lin Ruoxi took a short break each time after throwing around ten balls. The cycle soon lasted for more than half an hour.
Hui Lin and An Xin almost cried during their wait. They found it unbelievable. Even if one had their eyes closed, wouldnât they have at least hit something, anything?! Even the closest ones would have been struck
When Lin Ruoxi finished throwing her balls again, she took out 400 yuan from her purse to ask for 200 balls. However, the old man was so terrified that he paled.
âLittle Girl! I beg you. Iâll give you the big bear and all the other dolls. All of their values combined total up to less than 400 yuan!â the old man confessed. He was petrified by Lin Ruoxi. Why must there be such horrifying customers in this world?! he thought.
âRuoxi, do you want me to help you? Treat it as a gift from your husband,â Yang Chen said after approaching her. If he allowed her to play again, the sky wouldâve turned dark before they could return to the resort.
Lin Ruoxi looked at Yang Chen with disdain. âWhat is it? You donât believe that I could hit one as well? An Xin could hit one, so why canât I? I refuse to lose.â
Yang Chen rubbed his face as he felt speechless. He couldnât just say something like, âBut youâve already lost,â could he?
This time, Lin Ruoxi basically snatched 200 balls from the old man. She placed them all on the table, forming a little mountain.
Lin Ruoxi stretched her arms before continuing to cause the balls to fall like rainâŠ
Nothing is absolute in the world. Just like how a man may survive a rain of bullets, Lin Ruoxi had failed to hit a single doll after four or five hundred balls.
In this season, the daylight hours werenât very long. After Lin Ruoxi finished throwing all 200 balls, the sun had started settingâŠ
Lin Ruoxi looked sombre. A horrifying aura exuded from her gorgeous face, especially from her black pupils which looked like they could shoot fatal blazes.
The old man had hidden himself in the store. He wasnât willing to take any money from her anymore. He only hoped that the girl could leave as soon as possible.
Yang Chen saw that both Hui Lin and An Xin had started daydreaming together. This had to stop now. He walked forward and pulled Lin Ruoxiâs arm. âLetâs go, thereâs no need to play anymore. Who gets this pissed over a toy on a trip?â
Although Lin Ruoxi was still unwilling to give up, she knew that she had gone over the line. She stared at the unwavering polar bear angrily before nodding. âWait for me.â
Soon, being gazed upon by Yang Chen, Lin Ruoxi walked to the store and placed ten bucks on the table before saying to the old man who dare not stare her in the eye, âGrandpa, Iâll use ten bucks to buy ten of your plastic balls.â
âAh?â
The old man doubted his hearing. He cried, âGirl, why are you still here? Iâm an old man who may get a heart attack from your antics!â
âNo, I want to buy your balls and go back to practise. Iâll come again after Iâm done practising,â Lin Ruoxi said strictly. âKeep the big bear for me. I will get it no matter what.â
This time, not only the old man was astonished, even Yang Chen, Hui Lin, and An Xin were all dumbstruck.
An Xin drew a cross in front of her and said softly behind Yang Chen, âHubby, I will behave myself in the future. I donât want to compete with a crazy woman like this for a man⊠Sheâs this horrifyingly serious just to get a toy, if I snatch her husband away, someone is going to die and that person will be me.â
Dissatisfied, Yang Chen complained, âWhat âcrazy womanâ are you talking about? Donât say it like that.â
An Xin stuck her tongue out before pouting her mouth. Evidently, she didnât feel guilty for putting it this way. She secretly glanced at Lin Ruoxi who was carefully choosing plastic balls. It was the first time heartfelt fear had surfaced in her eyes.