Chapter 109 Not in the mood to answer Fu Shenyuan's call
Jiang Ranxing couldn't help but smile when the word "official business" was mentioned.
In the past, when the two of them met, they really only talked about business. Now, when they meet, they almost never talk about business anymore.
They are now truly like friends, having formed this bond simply because they get along well.
Indeed, using such an unfamiliar form of address now seems too formal.
"Then how should I address you? I'm afraid I might offend you."
Jiang Ranxing was actually quite used to being addressed that way, but as a friend, it might feel a bit distant.
Wen Qingrang smiled gently and said, "No, don't think too much about it."
Wen Qingrang thought for a moment and said, "How about this, can we call each other by our names?"
He chuckled softly twice, speaking her name as gently as the warm winter sun.
"Is it okay, Burning Star?"
It had been a long time since Jiang Ranxing had heard someone of the opposite sex address him by his name so openly and frankly.
Although I'm still getting used to it, there's no better way to address it.
Friends should call each other by name, there's nothing wrong with that.
Jiang Ranxing nodded slowly, then slowly said, "Okay, then I'll call you... Qingrang."
Seeing that Jiang Ranxing was actually in a bit of a predicament, Wen Qingrang smiled and spoke up to help her out.
"There's no pressure. It's just a form of address. As friends, we can call each other that."
Wen Qingrang could sense that Jiang Ranxing had long lost confidence in interacting with others because she had been bound by the past for too long and trapped in the so-called wifely responsibilities of Fu Shenyuan and the Fu family.
Wen Qingrang felt that she had more of an unworthy quality about her.
He could certainly guess why.
The influence of her family of origin, her parents' preference for sons over daughters and their exploitation made her life difficult from a young age. She also felt from the bottom of her heart that she did not deserve to be truly loved and was very lacking in love.
It's even possible that after meeting and falling in love with Fu Shenyuan, she might indirectly break away from her original family and seek a kind of filling agent called love in her new family.
However, it is clear that Jiang Ranxing did not find love in her marriage with Fu Shenyuan. Instead, she became increasingly insecure and lacked love.
In this vicious cycle, she must have very little confidence in her interpersonal relationships.
Therefore, Wen Qingrang also understood that if he really wanted to be friends with Jiang Ranxing, he needed to give her a lot of positive feedback so that she would lower her guard and be honest with him.
Jiang Ranxing was somewhat moved when he heard Wen Qingrang say that.
"Okay, thank you."
Wen Qingrang didn't say anything, but just smiled and picked up his chopsticks: "Then I'll start enjoying this lunch."
Jiang Ranxing smiled and said, "Yes, yes, I've been hungry for so long, let's eat."
During the meal, the two talked about many trivial things.
Wen Qingrang talked about some of his grandfather's daily life and said that he could take Jiang Ranxing to visit some of the estates that his grandfather owned abroad when he had time.
Jiang Ranxing then talked about his parents and younger brother when Wen Qingrang asked him.
“I never imagined your parents had such outdated ideas,” Wen Qingrang couldn’t help but feel sorry for her. “Even I can see that your younger brother is not good enough.”
Jiang Ranxing was also quite helpless, but there was nothing he could do to change it.
"There's nothing I can do. I was born a girl. If I were a boy, they wouldn't do this."
Wen Qingrang did not approve of this kind of thing, but no one can control other people's thoughts.
Wen Qingrang said to her, "Although you can't change your parents' minds, you still have many people supporting you, right? We don't necessarily need to gain approval from people who don't approve of us, right?"
Jiang Ranxing felt that Wen Qingrang's words made a lot of sense, and they didn't make anyone feel uncomfortable at all.
An idea suddenly popped into her head, though it was utterly absurd.
For some reason, she thought that it would have been better if the person she met in the first place wasn't Fu Shenyuan, but someone as gentle as Wen Qingrang.
Through her experiences over the past few days and with the advice of Zhou Yinxiu and Wen Qingrang, she gradually realized that her obsession with Fu Shenyuan might not necessarily be called love.
That kind of feeling could be described as an obsession.
During a childhood when one's thinking is not fully developed and mature, they encounter someone who is incredibly talented and become fixated on them, convinced that they are completely in love with them.
Perhaps that obsession is just the stubbornness of a child who lacks love.
The child regarded Fu Shenyuan as a ray of light in his life and vowed to follow that light forever.
It wasn't until she matured and thought things through that she realized that even if that ray of light went out, other beautiful things would still be projected into her life—perhaps dew, perhaps morning mist, or perhaps just a warm, everyday dinner at this moment.
In the past, when she was with Fu Shenyuan, they would have dinner like this, but she only believed that the scene was warm and cozy in her own mind.
But after experiencing it firsthand and getting along so comfortably with Wen Qingrang, she finally understood what warmth and comfort truly meant. She realized that every moment she spent with Fu Shenyuan was a moment of almost hypnotic brainwashing for herself.
As he gained a clearer understanding and could think things through more clearly, Jiang Ranxing suddenly smiled and responded to Wen Qingrang's words.
“You’re right, I can’t look at things the way I used to.”
Jiang Ranxing thought for a moment and then said, "Thank you, Qingrang. It's really comfortable chatting with you. You've given me a lot of encouragement, which I didn't expect."
They had little interaction before, having only met a few times; who could have predicted they would become friends?
Seeing that Wen Qingrang had almost finished eating, Jiang Ranxing suggested that the two of them leave so that he could go back and rest earlier.
"Wait a minute." Wen Qingrang stopped her, asking her to sit down for a while longer.
Jiang Ranxing asked, puzzled, "What's wrong?"
The waiter knocked on the door, and Wen Qingrang responded before the waiter came in.
"Are you Mr. Wen from this private room? This is something someone delivered; please accept it."
Wen Qingrang politely thanked the waiter and then placed the bag in front of Jiang Ranxing.
Jiang Ranxing looked at the bag from above, then reached out and took it out to examine it.
The bag contained ointment and bandages.
Wen Qingrang said, "It's your foot that's injured, so it's not convenient for me to apply medicine to it. Remember to disinfect it and wipe it well when you get back; it can reduce inflammation and scarring."
So thoughtful of him, Jiang Ranxing was momentarily stunned before she came to her senses.
"When did you buy it? I didn't even realize it."
Wen Qingrang smiled and said, "I had someone bring this over from the road where you were injured, in case you didn't take it seriously and forgot to apply the medicine."
Jiang Ranxing blushed slightly, feeling somewhat embarrassed; she had indeed almost forgotten about this matter.
This kind of thing sometimes happens when you wear high heels; she's already used to it.
In the past, when she attended family banquets with Fu Shenyuan, she often had to wear high heels, and it was common for her feet to get blisters.
She never expected that Wen Qingrang would care so much about her minor injury.
"Thank you," Jiang Ranxing said.
Looking at the expression on her face, Wen Qingrang found it rather amusing.
So he joked, "I don't know what's going on, but you always seem to get hurt whenever you run into me."
Wen Qingrang muttered to himself, "It seems I'll have to keep a close eye on you from now on, so you don't get hurt again while I'm around."
Jiang Ranxing responded with a smile.
The two chatted for a few more minutes, and Wen Qingrang escorted her to her apartment building before leaving.
Wen Qingrang said goodbye to her, "I'm relieved to see you're alright. You should rest well and take care of the wound on your head. I'll come to see you again when I have the chance."
"Okay, be careful on the road." Jiang Ranxing replied with a smile, then waved and turned to walk towards the apartment building.
Jiang Ranxing went upstairs, took a shower, and looked at the bag of medicine on the living room table.
A thought struck her, and she sat down on the living room sofa, opened the medicine, and began to treat her wound.
After the medicine was applied to the wound, it felt cool and refreshing, without any discomfort, just like Wen Qingrang himself, who was like a cool breeze on a summer night, making him very comfortable to be around.
Jiang Ranxing gave a faint smile.
The tranquil atmosphere was broken by the sound of a bell.
Jiang Ranxing picked up the phone, and after seeing the name on it, her face instantly turned several degrees colder.
She had long since changed her personal ringtone, so she didn't immediately realize it was him calling.
Jiang Ranxing wasn't in the mood to answer the call, so she hung up.
She continued to treat the wound on her foot.
But the other party called her again. Jiang Ranxing stared at the caller ID on the screen, knowing that the other party was not going to give up, and then she answered the phone.
"Is there something you need from me, Fu Shenyuan?"
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