The beautiful CEO falls in love with me
Chapter 282 - 282 273 270 Life

282: Chapter 273 Chapter 270: Life 282: Chapter 273 Chapter 270: Life “What’s up?

Feeling bored?” Li Ruo leaned in closer.

“It’s okay!” Ye Chen gave a slight smile and said, “I just feel like I don’t fit in with these people!”

“That’s pretty normal!” Li Ruo laughed and said, “They are all part of the circle, and you haven’t blended in!”

“I’m afraid I’ll never be able to fit in!” Ye Chen helplessly shook his head.

“I actually hope you never fit in!” Holding a glass of red wine, Li Ruo said, “Cheers!”

The two clinked their glasses and then drank up.

At that moment, a servant came to announce that lunch was ready.

Everyone immediately moved to the dining room, which was large enough to accommodate over ten people gathered around, filling it just right, neither too few nor too many, as if the dining room were custom-made for the occasion.

Ye Chen didn’t realize that the dining table could be adjusted according to the number of guests, accommodating up to twenty-two people at maximum.

After confirming the number of guests, the servants would make the necessary adjustments.

At the table, everyone behaved elegantly, speaking in a rather indirect manner.

After the meal, everyone said their goodbyes, and all the guests left.

Ye Chen sat down on the sofa.

Mr.

Li Tianya had drunk too much, so he went back to his room to sleep, and Li Cheng was nowhere to be seen; only Ye Chen and Li Ruo were left in the living room.

They snuggled up on the sofa, with Li Ruo resting her head on Ye Chen’s shoulder.

“Tired?” Li Ruo asked with a smile, her cheeks flushed.

“Yeah!” Ye Chen nodded and said, “Now I think about those ladies from the PR department, it’s indeed tough having to accompany all those bosses every day.

Such a life seems painful just to think about!”

“That’s life for you, always something you find painful!” Li Ruo smiled gently and said, “It’s not like life is smooth sailing all the time, right?”

“That’s true!” Ye Chen chuckled, then turned and pecked Li Ruo on the lips.

Li Ruo looked at Ye Chen shyly and said, “I want more!”

“Hehe, then I’ll give you more!” Ye Chen grinned and then kissed Li Ruo on her lips.

…

After leaving the Li Family, Ye Chen went straight to the casino.

On the first day of the New Year, the casino was packed, barely leaving room to move.

Everyone gathered there on that day, even some students crowded in, hoping to get a chance at a coin-operated slot machine.

Unfortunately, some people had arrived early in the morning to claim their spots and sat there all day.

The small-time gangsters maintained order inside the casino.

Some people, growing impatient, immediately went ahead and commandeered others’ slots, which definitely caused disputes.

That’s when the little brothers from the Heavenly Reversal Gang needed to step in.

With the casino doing bustling business, Feng Zhixiao was thrilled.

He thought to himself that if business were this good every day, the Heavenly Reversal Gang wouldn’t need to worry about money anymore.

“Brother Chen, Happy New Year!” As soon as Feng Zhi Xiao saw Ye Chen come in, he rushed over to greet him.

Feng Zhi Xiao was dressed in a brand-new suit, sporting a stylish and flashy haircut for the New Year and wearing a pair of shiny leather shoes.

“Yep!” Ye Chen nodded and asked, “How were the brothers last night?”

“Pretty well!” Feng Zhi Xiao nodded and said, “Da Hei went back to the Southern District early this morning, and Jiang Wei came by in the morning, then went to a bar in the Southern District.”

“That’s good!” Ye Chen nodded and said, “If the brothers have any requests, try to fulfill them as much as possible.

We are all poor people; who else would join the underworld, right?”

“Hmm,” Feng Zhixiao nodded, recalling that he too had lived through such times.

Thus, he understood the hardships.

Ye Chen wandered around the casino, noticing that Liu the Tyrant and the Four Heavenly Kings seemed to have grown accustomed to their current lives, so he left the casino and planned to visit the orphanage that had raised him.

Arriving at the orphanage, positioned in a rather remote area, the place was desolate.

Despite the red couplets on the door and the red lanterns hanging from it, the age of the lanterns was apparent.

The couplets on the walls even bore last year’s dates in the corners, stirring a wave of sadness in Ye Chen.

The rich worry about securing beautiful, sexy, seductive women; the poor cry over having enough food to fill their bellies and warm clothes to wear.

Ye Chen entered, and the children were playing in the yard, each dressed in new clothes.

They looked forward to this day all year long, not only for new clothes but also for the delicious food.

Therefore, they were happy.

The inner world of children is entirely different from that of adults.

They were content simply to have a tasty meal and new clothes to wear.

Lingzi’s mother was busy cleaning up the dining utensils while the children played games with other staff in the yard, all of them having a great time.

When Ye Chen entered, the children stopped and curiously watched him.

Ye Chen immediately greeted the group, “Kids, come over and wish me a happy new year, and get a red envelope!”

The children were stunned and then crowded around, each shouting, “Uncle, happy new year!”

“Good!” Ye Chen immediately took out several red envelopes from his pocket and handed them to the children, each containing two hundred yuan.

Although it wasn’t a lot of money, what mattered was the sentiment—spending a few tens of thousands in total.

Lingzi’s mother, hearing of Ye Chen’s arrival, quickly wiped her hands and came out.

Ye Chen looked at the increasingly aging Lingzi’s mother and said, “Lingzi’s mother, happy new year!”

“Xiao Ye, happy new year!” Lingzi’s mother quickly pulled out a red envelope and handed it to Ye Chen, saying, “This is your New Year’s red envelope, it’s not much.

Please take it!”

Ye Chen was taken aback, memories of past New Years at the orphanage gradually coming back to him.

Every New Year, Lingzi’s mother would hand out red envelopes, each containing only twenty yuan, but even that was a significant expense for the orphanage.

Clutching the wallet, with tears in his eyes, Ye Chen said, “Thank you, Lingzi’s mother!”

“Come in and sit for a while, it’s cold outside,” Lingzi’s mother urged Ye Chen into the house.

The house was rudimentary.

The heating relied on hot water heated from the kitchen boiler, with pipes running through the room, emitting waves of heat once the water was heated.

Fortunately, the pipes were hung high, preventing accidents.

Although there was heating in the room, it still felt very cold.

The orphanage, trying to reduce costs, kept the heating at a low temperature.

Ye Chen and Lingzi’s mother chatted about old times.

Ye Chen’s memories were somewhat hazy, but he could still recall some things about the orphanage.

However, he had forgotten other things.

For instance, he seemed to remember a woman named Yun Qi…

“Sigh, I wonder how some of the kids from the orphanage are doing now!” sighed Lingzi’s mother.

“Xiao Ye, besides you, no second person has ever come back to give us a glance!”

As soon as Lingzi’s mother mentioned those days, tears involuntarily fell.

“Perhaps, everyone has their own reasons,” Ye Chen remarked thoughtfully.

“I have even forgotten some past events!”

“Yes, they might never come back.

I don’t expect anything in return; I just want to know how they are doing out in society,” Lingzi’s mother said as her tears trickled down her wrinkles.

Ye Chen handed her a tissue, and she continued, “This society is just too cruel.

They grew up here without any support, without background or experience, then went off to work when they were old enough.

I don’t know if they are hungry or if they have clothes to wear!”

Ye Chen sighed, amazed at Lingzi’s mother’s vast compassion.

Despite her own precarious situation, she still thought about those children who had never returned since stepping into society.

Fighting back emotion, Ye Chen insisted, “Don’t worry, they must be doing well!”

“I hope so,” Lingzi’s mother nodded, wiping her tears.

“I just hope, if they are hungry out there, they come back to the orphanage because at least they won’t be hungry here.”

Finally unable to hold back, Ye Chen quickly turned his head away, afraid Lingzi’s mother might see his tears.

Biting his lip, Ye Chen vowed, “If one day, I see them, I will make sure they come back for a visit!”

“Yes,” Lingzi’s mother nodded.

After a brief conversation, Ye Chen said his goodbyes.

Shortly after, he returned to the Xin Hai Apartment.

It seemed the first day of the Lunar New Year had just passed like this, with the streets eerily quiet.

Most migrant workers or people who came to Jianghuai City for work had gone back to their hometowns, making the city feel almost empty.

New Year’s is about the atmosphere, the spending, and the exchange of gifts when visiting friends and relatives.

Gifts used to convey affection, but now they signify competition.

Government officials rejoice; company staff suffer.