Hades, the Urban Legend

Chapter 663: Chapter 666: Virtues

Cai Yan stuck out her pink tongue proudly, "My sister picked out a mynah bird for me. She used to deal with all kinds of flowers, plants, and animals back when she was training in Sichuan. She's really good at picking birds, and this one will learn to talk very quickly."

"You'll need to have patience, though," Cai Ning added.

"Really, sis? Don't you have any faith in your little sister?" Cai Yan said with a pout.

Cai Ning nodded immediately, "No, I don't."

Cai Yan's expression turned sour, pouting in displeasure.

Yang Chen reached out and pinched Cai Yan's cheek, "Stop pouting. Let's go eat. Is there any good food around here?"

"Yes, there is!" Cai Yan nodded enthusiastically. "I know a good Hunan restaurant on the east side of the market. But I'm worried you might not handle the spiciness—the air there is full of it."

"Stop talking so much and lead the way," Yang Chen said, feeling his mood lighten with Cai Yan's liveliness. He let Cai Yan guide them to the restaurant.

When they arrived at the Hunan restaurant, most of the patrons had already left. They sat by a window on the second floor, overlooking a vast view of the flower and bird market. Although the air was filled with various strange smells, it was a unique dining experience.

Yang Chen wasn't particularly hungry but loved food and enjoyed eating to lift his spirits. He flipped through the menu and ended up ordering over a dozen dishes.

"Why are you ordering so much? Are you a pig?" Cai Yan asked, her big, watery eyes wide with disbelief.

Yang Chen rolled his eyes, "Is that any way to talk to your man? Can't you be a bit more subtle?"

"If you waste food, you're dead! I'll make sure to stuff every last bit into your stomach!" Cai Yan huffed.

Yang Chen could only smile wryly. This woman changed moods too quickly—one moment sweet, the next, fierce.

Cai Ning silently sipped the not-so-great flower tea, staying quiet. She seemed to remember something and asked, "Yan Yan, did you buy feed for the bird when you bought it?"

Cai Yan blinked in surprise, "Sis, you didn't tell me to buy feed." Yang Chen was speechless, and Cai Ning also had a strange expression.

After a moment, Cai Ning gently smiled, "Why don't you go back to the shop and get some? The owner might even give you some for free. The mynah needs to eat if you want it to learn to talk."

Cai Yan nodded vigorously, picking up the birdcage, "I'll be back soon. Don't start eating without me!"

"You go by yourself; no need to carry the birdcage everywhere," Yang Chen said, exasperated.

"Hmph, mind your own business. I want to bond with my bird," Cai Yan stuck out her tongue and ran downstairs.

Yang Chen rubbed his face and sighed, "Ning'er, has your sister always been like this?"

Cai Ning understood what he meant and couldn't help but laugh. "You know, my grandfather once said something in front of our entire family."

"What did he say?" Yang Chen asked, curious.

"He said, 'If you throw little Yan into a tiger's den, it won't be long before the tigers become her friends.'"

Yang Chen almost spat out the tea he was drinking, bursting into laughter. "But that's also her charming side. Sometimes she's like a child, yet she chose to be such a tough police officer."

Seeing Yang Chen laugh heartily, Cai Ning's eyes softened. "Feeling better now?"

Yang Chen was taken aback, "How did you know I was in a bad mood?"

Cai Ning smiled gently, "Because it's your mood, I can sense it."

Yang Chen felt touched, reaching out to hold Cai Ning's soft hand, "Ning'er, can you answer a question for me?"

"Sure, what is it?"

"Why do I, with all my flaws, deserve the love of so many of you?" Yang Chen smiled bitterly. "Sometimes I think it's because I can fight, I have money, I have power... but what's the use of all that? I can't give you all a complete love. Each of you could easily find a man who loves you wholeheartedly and has money and power."

"So," Cai Ning interrupted, "are you feeling guilty?"

Yang Chen was speechless for a moment, then sighed, "I do feel a bit uneasy. You know, seeing you two waiting for me at the market entrance gave me a feeling of being wanted, and it felt really good. But I also feel like I'm living too luxuriously emotionally."

Cai Ning gazed at Yang Chen quietly for a while, then wrapped her other hand around his, "You weren't like this before. What's gotten into you today?"

Yang Chen gave a self-deprecating smile, "Maybe it's because I just met a man who seems to live a glamorous life but is actually stuck in the mire. It made me think. The more you have, can you really bear it all? Or will it all gradually slip away?"

Caught in his complicated thoughts, Yang Chen stared blankly at the scenery outside the window, while Cai Ning remained silent as well.

After a long pause, Cai Ning suddenly smiled, "Do you know what your greatest virtue is?"

Yang Chen was stunned for a moment and shook his head, "I really don't know what you all see in me."

Cai Ning took a deep breath and smiled, "I don't know how others view you, but to me, your greatest virtue isn't your strength, your money, or your power. While those things did introduce me to you, they are just a business card. In my eyes, your virtue is that you don't know what your virtues are. That is why I care about you."

Yang Chen stared dumbfounded at the woman in front of him. Her simple words were like sweet, clear spring water, refreshing and soothing.

Yang Chen laughed softly, then leaned over and wrapped his arm around Cai Ning's slim waist, drawing her close, "Ning'er, give me a kiss."

Cai Ning was startled by the sudden intimacy, shrinking her head down, her cheeks turning bright red.

"If you won't kiss, then I will." Ignoring her shyness, Yang Chen kissed her cheeks and earlobes several times, laughing heartily as he let go.

Cai Ning bit her lower lip, her eyes filled with a mix of shyness, joy, and mild anger, "If I'd known, I wouldn't have said you had any virtues."

Yang Chen was in high spirits and was about to tease her further when they suddenly heard a woman shouting from not far below, "Stop, thief! Someone stop him! Stop!"

The voice sounded familiar. Yang Chen and Cai Ning exchanged glances and looked towards the western street. Sure enough, it was Cai Yan!

The flower and bird market was crowded, with numerous shops and stalls, making movement difficult. Yet, in this busy place, Cai Yan was pushing through the crowd, running quickly while shouting to catch a thief!

Yang Chen, with his sharp eyesight, spotted a boy who looked about thirteen or fourteen years old running frantically, clearly the thief Cai Yan had spotted!

The passersby were mostly taken aback by Cai Yan's fierce demeanor. Seeing the boy running away, most people chose to be bystanders, a common attitude, especially since the thief was just a young boy. Even if no one stopped him, he would eventually be caught.

"Sigh, always keeping a police officer's heart to uphold justice," Yang Chen muttered with a headache, signaling Cai Ning with his eyes, and they hurried downstairs together.

Given the situation, they couldn't just leave Cai Yan running around chasing people on her own, worried she might cause a commotion.

In such a public place, it wasn't practical to use martial arts, so Yang Chen and Cai Ning navigated through the crowd as swiftly as they could. While not superhumanly fast, they quickly caught up with Cai Yan.

Cai Yan, having undergone special training, was in much better physical condition than before. The young thief, being an ordinary person, couldn't keep up physically. After running across two streets, he tripped in front of a bonsai shop at the flower and bird market and fell to the ground!

Cai Yan quickly closed the distance, her expression a mix of determination and frustration as she prepared to apprehend the boy.