Chapter 137 Take what you want, fight if you disagree

Xie Jinghuai gasped, his breathing became heavy, and his blood rushed to his clenched lungs.

He stared intently at Jiang Shiyuan, who stood quietly behind Fu Chenzhou. She was so calm and peaceful, just like always. It was impossible to believe that she had suffered so much torment and narrowly escaped death.

Jiang Shiyuan avoided the man's burning gaze.

In fact, Fu Chenzhou revealing these things in public was not what she truly wanted.

She even wanted to disappear quietly, not wanting to hold any weight in Xie Jinghuai's heart or make him feel any guilt.

She didn't want anything related to Xie Jinghuai—nothing that involved entanglements, conflicts, or burdens.

The entire temple was oppressive and silent, as if a cold wind had swept through.

Just moments ago, the clown seemed to be condemned by a thousand fingers and spat upon by ten thousand people, wishing he could nail the label of slut to Jiang Shiyuan. Now, he was as quiet as a chicken, not uttering a sound.

Tongtong stared blankly towards

Lin Zhixin bit her lip, lowering her eyelashes to conceal the resentment that was about to spill from her eyes.

Jiang Shiyuan, in terms of beauty, talent, and current status, I am in no way inferior to you!

But why are you always so lucky?

Five years ago, I, your old woman, stood by you and helped you, this useless and foolish woman, secure the position of the young mistress of the Xie family. Five years later, just when I was about to completely destroy you, Fu Chenzhou suddenly appeared out of nowhere, and with such immense power!

You're as stupid as a pig, and you can't help Brother Jinghuai at all. How come you always have benefactors helping you along the way?!

Ha, you bastard, just you wait and see.

No one can be so lucky forever!

"Ah-Yuan! My Ah-Yuan!"

The old lady's eyes filled with tears of heartache as she walked shakily toward Jiang Shiyuan.

"Grandma!" Jiang Shiyuan's eyes welled up with tears. She wanted to greet her grandmother, but forgot that she was still very weak and her body swayed suddenly.

"Be careful." Fu Chenzhou's breath hitched slightly as he swiftly hooked his long arm around her slender waist.

He made no attempt to hide his presence in front of Xie Jinghuai, exuding a powerful aura.

Xie Jinghuai clenched his teeth, a feeling of tightness and soreness filling his chest, almost overflowing.

He clenched his fist, unsure of what he was feeling.

He had lived for almost thirty years and had never experienced this feeling before.

The old lady staggered to Jiang Shiyuan's side, her withered hands tightly holding Jiang's cold hands, tears welling up in her eyes:

"Child...you've been wronged..."

Jiang Shiyuan's eyes were red, and she shook her head, "No, Grandma, it's all in the past... I'm fine, everything's alright."

"Mommy...really...has she been kidnapped?" Tongtong's dark eyes widened, and her heart skipped a beat.

Thinking about how he had just yelled at his mother, he felt his cheeks burning and didn't have the courage to face her.

"Kidnapping? What kind of absurd and ridiculous thing is that?!"

Xie Yuexi was about to stir up trouble again. "Grandma, brother, don't be fooled by this man's few words. He's just speaking up for Jiang Shiyuan and trying to clear his name."

Look at Jiang Shiyuan's complexion! He doesn't look seriously injured at all! Zhixin, on the other hand, looks like a patient should!

Lin Zhixin's expression froze, and she wanted to smother her!

At this sensitive moment, staying hidden is the wise thing to do. Xie Yuexi, that big idiot, not only jumped out to invite criticism but also dragged her into the mess. She's a complete liability!

The old lady glared angrily at Madam Xie, "Xuehua, you have truly raised a pair of kind and righteous children for our Xie family!"

Madam Xie's face turned pale, and she gripped the Buddhist prayer beads tightly.

The old lady gripped Jiang Shiyuan's hand tightly, "The eldest is heartless and ungrateful, and the youngest can't distinguish right from wrong! If Changyue were still sober, seeing how you raise your child, you'd be finished if he didn't divorce you!"

Madam Xie was so ashamed and indignant that she almost crushed the Buddhist prayer beads.

"I told you to stop meddling in your brother and sister-in-law's business, but you insisted on jumping out to make your presence known. Now look what happened, you've gotten yourself into trouble and made Mom lose face. Are you satisfied now?" Song Xiewen couldn't help but sneer in a low voice.

Honestly, he felt quite pleased to see the mother and daughter get their comeuppance.

Xie Yuexi almost ground her teeth to powder; she felt like tearing Jiang Shiyuan to pieces!

Xie Jinghuai felt a tightness in his chest and his voice was hoarse. "Grandma, it was really not easy for Mom to raise me and Yuexi. No matter what, you shouldn't embarrass her in front of the younger generation."

The old woman ignored him completely, and looked at Fu Chenzhou with gratitude:

“Mr. Fu, you are Ah Yuan’s savior, and therefore my savior. I don’t know how to thank you. Please don’t hesitate to ask if you need anything.”

Fu Chenzhou glanced at Jiang Shiyuan, his gaze deepening. "Madam, you're too kind. As long as Miss Jiang is safe, nothing else matters."

Jiang Shiyuan was slightly taken aback, and for some reason, her cheeks felt a little hot.

The old lady nodded with tears in her eyes, feeling satisfied with the young man's character and appearance. Although it was their first meeting, she felt a sense of warmth and familiarity towards him.

She's a hundred times better than that good-for-nothing grandson of hers!

Even when Ah Yuan stands with Mr. Fu, the chemistry is stronger than when she stands with his son.

The weather was quite cool, and the old lady was worried that Jiang Shiyuan's health wouldn't be able to withstand it, so she pulled her into the car to talk.

Fu Chenzhou's face remained as expressionless as ever. Just as he was about to brush past Xie Jinghuai's shoulder, the man's large hand suddenly grabbed him, his voice tight:

"Fu Chenzhou, let's talk."

Xie Jinghuai led the people directly into the temple and ordered bodyguards to guard the door. No monks or worshippers were allowed to enter until he and Fu Chenzhou finished their conversation.

A solitary lamp and ancient Buddha statue, the distant sound of bells.

Such a cleansing atmosphere could not suppress Xie Jinghuai's murderous aura.

"Mr. Xie, please speak frankly. I need to take Miss Jiang back to the hospital; her treatment is about to start." Fu Chenzhou lowered his peach blossom eyes and lazily glanced at his watch.

Xie Jinghuai's handsome brows furrowed coldly, the candlelight in the temple flickering in his dark pupils:

"Jiang Shiyuan isn't contacting me because you're the one interfering, right? Did you think that by saving her, you could successfully sow discord between my husband and her?"

Give up your unrealistic fantasies as soon as possible.

“Miss Jiang is an adult. I’m not her guardian. What right do I have to control her freedom and interfere with her choices?”

Fu Chenzhou smiled playfully and shrugged. "So, it's her own fault for not wanting to contact you. It has nothing to do with me."

"Can you swear that you have no designs on my wife whatsoever?" Xie Jinghuai's chest heaved with suppressed urges.

"..." Fu Chenzhou narrowed his eyes.

Xie Jinghuai's eyes reddened, and he became anxious, "You really are plotting something!"

"Mr. Xie, don't you think you're being absurd and abstract?"

Fu Chenzhou's lips curled into a mocking smile. "The you of the past would have looked down on it. The you of now is fighting and scrambling."

"If you can't let go of Miss Jiang so much, why didn't you cherish her back then? Are you really that pathetic?"

This Fu Chenzhou is shameless!

"Jiang Shiyuan is my wife. Why should I fight for her?"

Xie Jinghuai clenched his fists, his veins cracking, his eyes cold. "But President Fu, you're always thinking about other men's wives. Standing here in this sacred Buddhist sanctuary, facing a hall full of deities, aren't you afraid of being struck by lightning?"

"Yes, that's well said."

Fu Chenzhou curled his lips into a defiant smile, "Unfortunately, I don't believe in Buddhism. I believe in Taoism."

We Taoists believe in avoiding internal strife; if we want something, we take it; if someone disagrees, we fight. So, Mr. Xie, you can't scare me.

Xie Jinghuai gritted his teeth, "I have never seen anyone as shameless as you."

"So you've seen it now."

Fu Chenzhou yawned elegantly, "If I had known you were going to tell me this, I would never have agreed. It's a complete waste of my precious time."

After saying that, he turned to leave.

"Are you really in love with my wife?" Xie Jinghuai asked, feeling a mix of resentment and apprehension. He couldn't figure out this man.

He hated this ambiguous, uncontrollable feeling.

Whether I like Miss Jiang or not is another matter.

Fu Chenzhou stopped but didn't turn around. "But you, President Xie, don't love Miss Jiang, so why are you so persistent and unwilling to let go?"

The conversation between the two men subtly hinted at probing.

Xie Jinghuai felt as if his throat was on fire, and blurted out, "How do you know I don't love you?"

"Pshaw, you call that love?"

Fu Chenzhou laughed coldly, "If you love someone, you shouldn't be interested in others, you shouldn't even glance at them, and you certainly shouldn't show them the slightest favoritism."

Xie Jinghuai's breath hitched.

"If any one of these traits is present, then it means there is no love."

Fu Chenzhou pushed open the heavy wooden door with a flourish. Just as he was about to step out, he suddenly paused and coldly replied:

"Oh, by the way, I should let you know that today is the anniversary of Miss Jiang's mother's death."

Instantly, Xie Jinghuai felt as if he had been shot, frozen in place, his chest going numb.