Chapter 164 Under the Power of Fate, We Are All Pawns
Fu Shenyuan walked over, staring intently at Jiang Ranxing's expression as he probed for action.
He pondered how to get Jiang Ranxing to show even a hint of acceptance towards him.
However, at this moment, Jiang Ranxing really didn't care much about him, no matter what he did.
Fu Shenyuan's eyes were filled with a thick, unyielding cloud of sorrow.
Fu Xingyi gave half of the bench he was sitting on to Fu Shenyuan, and pushed the glass of cold coconut juice in front of Fu Shenyuan.
"Dad, you should have some too," Fu Xingyi said.
Fu Xingyi's face was flushed as she smiled and looked at Fu Shenyuan and Jiang Ranxing.
Fu Shenyuan touched the glass of coconut juice. The icy coconut juice made his fingertips feel cold, as if it could chill him to the core.
Jiang Ranxing then looked up at Fu Shenyuan, her gaze as cold as the coldest spring water under the silent moonlight. Fu Shenyuan would feel a chill run down his spine if he met such a gaze.
She felt disgusted by Fu Shenyuan's actions.
“President Fu, there won’t be another time. I don’t want you to disturb my trip to see my son,” Jiang Ranxing said calmly and clearly.
She had no idea Fu Shenyuan was coming this time, and she couldn't get rid of him anyway.
But she definitely didn't want to see him again next time.
Fu Shenyuan's eyes dimmed considerably, and after a long while, he finally spoke, "You really don't want to see me at all right now? Not even a little bit?"
Jiang Ranxing met his gaze and said coldly, "Yes, not at all."
Hearing the answer that left no room for negotiation, Fu Shenyuan seemed to hear something inside his heart collapse and shatter.
This self-destructive question also made him feel bad.
He clenched his fist tightly, but couldn't come up with any effective response.
What can he do? What can he say? Jiang Ranxing has already been so heartless towards him, yet he refuses to let go of the hand that the other party wanted to leave long ago.
Fu Shenyuan used to not believe in fate, but now he feels to some extent that it is true that fate can play tricks on people.
Before, Jiang Ranxing was always chasing after him, but now it's the other way around. He wants to chase after Jiang Ranxing, but Jiang Ranxing ignores him.
Is it true that they can never walk the same path...?
Fu Shenyuan didn't want the two of them to remain silent, so he changed the subject and asked, "How have you been lately? Are you getting used to working for Ji Shiheng?"
Jiang Ranxing was quite surprised that Fu Shenyuan would be so shameless, something he would never have done before.
"Thanks to President Fu, my life has been great since I left you. I eat well, sleep well, and of course, I'm in a good mood."
Jiang Ranxing didn't want to be so confrontational and sarcastic towards him. She felt it was pointless; the two of them should just not talk to each other when they meet on the street. But Fu Shenyuan insisted on striking up a conversation, which undoubtedly triggered the nasty and sensitive factors within her.
Jiang Ranxing's words successfully stung Fu Shenyuan's heart.
He didn't want to hear those sharp words, especially coming from Jiang Ranxing.
It hurt him so much that Jiang Ranxing was no longer willing to give him any warmth.
"I made you suffer before," Fu Shenyuan said, as if speaking to himself. "I'm sorry—"
"Forget it." Jiang Ranxing didn't want to hear his sour words. "President Fu, you're getting married soon, so you don't need to put on a repentant act in front of me."
"It's pretty boring," Jiang Ranxing thought.
"That's because Xue Sha is pregnant. The doctor said that she saved me years ago and it left her with health problems. She can't keep the baby. Xue Sha's wish is to have a wedding..."
Fu Shenyuan explained, word by word.
Jiang Ranxing was stunned for a few seconds after hearing this, then gave a sarcastic laugh.
She quickly realized that since the doctor said that, it must have been Lin Xuesha's doing on purpose, but Fu Shenyuan was willing to believe everything.
Lin Xuesha never saved him, so how could he have any lingering health problems?
She's the one who really couldn't keep the child.
This absurd reality made Jiang Ranxing want to laugh.
It's quite remarkable that Fu Shenyuan is still being deceived by Lin Xuesha.
She said, "President Fu's wedding shouldn't require me, his ex-wife, to attend, so there's no point in you telling me. I'm not in the mood to send you my blessings."
Fu Shenyuan's explanation was nothing but a bunch of useless nonsense to Jiang Ranxing.
Fu Shenyuan was at his wit's end. Deep down, he hoped that Jiang Ranxing could understand him a little, but on the other hand, why should Jiang Ranxing understand his many difficulties?
The responsibility to care for others and the emotional desires that one truly wants occupy opposite ends of one's heart, creating a constant internal struggle that is unsettling and unsettling.
Jiang Ranxing didn't want to waste any more time arguing with him, so she glanced at Fu Xingyi and asked, "Yiyi, have you finished eating?"
Fu Xingyi was wiping his mouth with a tissue and nodded naturally.
"Let's go, Mom will take you shopping again."
After Jiang Ranxing paid the bill, she took Fu Xingyi's hand and walked out, leaving Fu Shenyuan sitting alone in the same spot.
He watched Jiang Ranxing's figure and could only sigh.
He knew perfectly well what he was thinking.
If she had known she would regret it today, would she have treated Jiang Ranxing better from the beginning?
That way she wouldn't be so heartbroken, and he would still have a chance.
But he also understood that even if he went back to the beginning, he couldn't ignore Lin Xuesha, who had morally saved him.
He was destined to wrong Jiang Ranxing, as if fate had already written this line, and no one could erase it.
It was as if he was destined to have that heart-wrenching, excruciating day.
Fu Xingyi played in the amusement park all day long, and by the end he was so tired that he kept asking to go home.
Jiang Ranxing originally planned to drive Fu Xingyi there himself. When he returned to the parking lot, he saw that Fu Shenyuan's Bentley had not yet driven away, and there was a figure in the driver's seat staring intently at them.
Jiang Ranxing squatted down to be at eye level with Fu Xingyi and said, "Yiyi, it's time to go home and find your father."
Fu Xingyi rubbed his sleepy eyes and asked, "Mom, would you like to come back with us for a meal?"
Jiang Ranxing shook his head: "Mom isn't going."
Fu Xingyi knew that Jiang Ranxing had been refusing to go back, so he didn't say anything more. He picked up his little backpack and walked towards Fu Shenyuan's car.
Jiang Ranxing kept watching him until she was sure he had gotten into the car safely before getting into her own car and driving away.
Today, she had no intention of having any interaction with Fu Shenyuan from beginning to end.
Fu Shenyuan's gaze remained fixed on Jiang Ranxing until he could no longer see her at all.
Fu Shenyuan glanced at Fu Xingyi, who had just gotten into the car and fallen asleep in the seat, then looked away and drove off from the parking lot, merging into the city's sea of cars.
After Jiang Ranxing returned, he called Wen Qingrang, and the two met and had a meal together.
Jiang Ranxing said, "I plan to have an abortion within the next week. Could you please contact that doctor?"
In this respect, Jiang Ranxing still trusted Wen Qingrang.
Wen Qingrang nodded: "Okay, I'll arrange a time for him."
The two chatted about other things, all sorts of mundane daily life.
Jiang Ranxing realized that she also had something to say, but she just hadn't spoken to Fu Shenyuan earlier.
Then Wen Qingrang tentatively said, "You probably know that Fu Shenyuan and Lin Xuesha are getting married. They invited me, but I declined."
Jiang Ranxing took a sip of purified water and said nonchalantly, "It must be quite a grand affair. You could actually go and take a look."
A wedding that everyone is eager to witness is something the world wants to see.
Wen Qingrang said, "Rather than seeing their so-called happiness, I'd rather have a meal with you."
Jiang Ranxing smiled, but the smile was so faint it was almost invisible.
Wen Qingrang always tried to make her happy.
Wen Qingrang thought of something and said, "After you have your abortion, I'll take you to a resort for a while. It's a good place for you to rest."
Jiang Ranxing thought for a moment and nodded.
"By the way, I heard that the semi-finals of the competition have already started their warm-up phase, and it's going to officially start in a couple of days. How are your preparations going? Do you need any help?"
Wen Qingrang asked, completely oblivious to the astonishment on Jiang Ranxing's face.
Jiang Ranxing asked in surprise, "How could you..."
Wen Qingrang chuckled gently twice: "If I still didn't know you were Ember by now, then I would be a complete idiot."
Wen Qingrang frankly told her, "Actually, I've known your identity for a long time, but I never said anything because you didn't want to reveal it. But now that we're being honest with each other, I don't need to hide it anymore. You're a design prodigy, everyone can see that. It's most reasonable to say that Ember is you; it would be a bit strange if it were someone else."
Seeing that Wen Qingrang already knew, Jiang Ranxing smiled and said, "Alright, we already produced a good work a few days ago, and I've arranged everything at the studio, so there's nothing else for us to do."
Due to health reasons, Jiang Ranxing could only participate in the design phase this time, and the rest of the work, which was actually to rush to produce the finished product, had to be handed over to Mia and the others.
She always trusted Mia to do things, and their collaboration was getting better and better. So Jiang Ranxing simply let the studio staff take full charge of the semi-finals.
By the time of the next final, her body will have recovered considerably, and it will be perfectly fine for her to go back then.
Looking at Jiang Ranxing's current composed demeanor, Wen Qingrang found it difficult to compare her to a housewife who had been married for six years and stayed at home all the time.
How much potential a person has truly depends on how much of a person has in terms of ideas and how much they can execute.
Jiang Ranxing is clearly someone with immense potential.
Her confident demeanor was also part of what attracted him.
He hoped she would always have this ambition to strive for better, and that she would never again be worn down by anyone.
Jiang Ranxing thought the same thing.
Once everything is over, a new life will begin.
"Would you like me to go with you to the site to take a look?" Wen Qingrang asked.
Jiang Ranxing shook his head: "I'd better not go. I don't really want to see Lin Xuesha and the others."
Last time she ran into Fu Shenyuan and Lin Xuesha, and she'll be in the semifinals again this time. Fu Shenyuan will definitely go with her, right?
Jiang Ranxing didn't want to cause any more discomfort to her eyes and heart.
Wen Qingrang nodded: "That's true. I believe that with your abilities, making it to the final round shouldn't be too difficult."
"I hope so," Jiang Ranxing smiled, but she didn't really care.
Jiang Ranxing is still very confident about this competition. After so much creative work, she has fully grasped the current trends and her works are all impeccable.
So this competition doesn't mean much to her anymore.
I originally intended to use this to negotiate with Grandpa Fu. Now that it's done, there's no pressure on me anymore, so I can do whatever I want.
The name Ember has once again stirred up a huge wave in the fashion world, and her status is now incredibly important.
Jiang Ranxing is quite satisfied with the development of his career.
Now we just have to wait for all this chaos to end.
.
Green Mountain Villa.
When Fu Shenyuan parked the car in front of the villa, someone immediately came to meet him. The butler opened the car door for Fu Shenyuan and Fu Xingyi and asked them to get out.
"He fell asleep, so I carried him inside."
Fu Shenyuan spoke in a low voice, glancing at his son, a snow-white little dumpling, who was fast asleep in the passenger seat. He could even see a resemblance to Jiang Ranxing on his face.
The butler said, "Sir, why don't I carry the young master back to his room?"
The butler couldn't let his master get tired, but Fu Shenyuan didn't take it seriously. He walked around the front of the car, went to the passenger side door, and pulled Fu Xingyi's soft body into his arms. Fu Xingyi's little arms naturally wrapped around Fu Shenyuan's shoulders, and she blinked twice and continued to sleep.
Fu Shenyuan knew he was tired from playing, so he didn't say anything more and carried him into the villa.
Lin Xuesha was still in the living room when she saw Fu Shenyuan return. Just as she was about to pretend to be wronged and cry, Fu Shenyuan made a shushing gesture with his long fingers, signaling her to be quiet.
Fu Shenyuan steadily walked up the stairs, then carried Fu Xingyi in one arm and opened the door with the other, taking Fu Xingyi back to his bedroom.
Then the nanny went in to help Fu Xingyi change his clothes, and he came downstairs and saw Lin Xuesha still standing there waiting for him.
When Lin Xuesha saw him come down, she quickly walked to his side and asked, "Shen Yuan, where have you been? I haven't heard from you all day. Why didn't you tell me where you went?"
Fu Shenyuan felt a headache coming on for no reason: "I took Yiyi to meet his mother."
"Jiang Ranxing! You went to see Jiang Ranxing!" Lin Xuesha shouted uncontrollably, then realized that she shouldn't have been so emotional.
She softened her voice again: "What are you going to do with her? Why didn't you take me with you? I haven't seen Ranxing in a long time either."
Fu Shenyuan sat down on the sofa in the living room, pressed his still throbbing temples, and said, "It's nothing, it's just that Yiyi wants to see his mother."
Lin Xuesha thought to herself, "Fu Xingyi really is Jiang Ranxing's son. Even in this state, he's still thinking about Jiang Ranxing."
Doesn't he know that she will be his mother in the future? This child is so ungrateful.
"So what did you two talk about when you met, Shen Yuan?" Lin Xuesha continued to ask. It didn't matter that Fu Xingyi and Jiang Ranxing met, the key was Fu Shenyuan.
She had noticed that Fu Shenyuan had been thinking about Jiang Ranxing a lot lately.
What if Fu Shenyuan finds out that Jiang Ranxing is pregnant one day? Wouldn't that affect her wedding with Fu Shenyuan?
It seems Fu Shenyuan is unaware of this now. Lin Xuesha thought to herself, "Maybe I should just keep Fu Shenyuan from knowing for the rest of his life."
"It's nothing, you should rest now, Xue Sha, you're not feeling well, you should rest early."
Fu Shenyuan did not answer Lin Xuesha's question, but walked away on his own.
Looking at Fu Shenyuan's attitude, Lin Xuesha became even more convinced that the two of them must have talked about something today, otherwise why would Fu Shenyuan avoid talking about it?
Lin Xuesha's biggest fear right now is that the two of them will rekindle their old flame.
She thought Jiang Ranxing had disappeared, but she didn't expect Fu Shenyuan to start caring about her.
Lin Xuesha hardened her heart and immediately had a wicked idea.
She went back to her room, took out her private cell phone, and made a call.
"Hey? I told you to keep an eye on the Jiang family, how's that going?"
A rough male voice came from across the way: "I've been watching. That kid Jiang Huanchen can't pay back his money, so he keeps borrowing from loan sharks to pay off this one, and when that one is due, he borrows another one to pay off the next. He's robbing Peter to pay Paul. Now he's almost completely out of debt. He's hiding in a dilapidated house in the village and doesn't dare to come out. His mother is scared too and ran away a long time ago. She doesn't dare to contact that kid."
Lin Xuesha smiled smugly and said casually, "Then let these creditors know his location, and they'll come knocking on his door to collect their debts."
"Alright, I'll do whatever Miss Lin says."
Lin Xuesha hung up the phone and laughed triumphantly for a long time.
Jiang Ranxing, blame yourself for being born into the wrong family. Having such a younger brother and family is your fate.
She wanted to use Jiang Ranxing's family to get rid of Jiang Ranxing, this thorn in her side.
While Jiang Ranxing was looking at design drawings in the study of his apartment, he suddenly received a call on his phone from an unknown number.
She never answers unfamiliar numbers immediately, especially since she had her phone on silent mode and hadn't seen the screen light up.
Jiang Ranxing was engrossed in revising a design on her electronic tablet. After finishing the details of the neckline, she reached for her water glass and noticed her phone had lit up.
More than a dozen missed calls were flashing on the screen, all from the same number.
Jiang Ranxing clicked on it with a puzzled look. Just as he was about to call back, he saw a message from that number with a video attached that had a black cover.
Jiang Ranxing hesitated before clicking, and a chilling scream startled her, almost causing her to drop her water glass.
Jiang Ranxing listened carefully and found the crying sounded familiar.
A few seconds later, the screen began to light up, and the scene on it terrified her.
In the scene, Jiang Huanchen was tied up to a wooden beam in a dilapidated house. His body was filthy and covered in blood. His usually clean face was now a bloody mess, making it difficult to recognize his features. Cries and screams filled the air, clearly indicating that he had been beaten.
The text message continued: "Your brother owes us money and isn't paying it back. Why don't you pay it back? Don't even think about calling the police, or he'll be dead!"
Jiang Ranxing frowned as he looked at the various documents that kept being sent to prove that Jiang Huanchen was present, including photos of his ID card, bank cards, and wallet.
Jiang Ranxing knew exactly what was going on.
Jiang Huanchen owes a lot of high-interest loans and can't pay them back now. When the loan sharks come to collect the debt, they almost always use this method.
Jiang Ranxing was unwilling to care about Jiang Huanchen anymore, since he had never treated her well. However, he was still her brother, so Jiang Ranxing couldn't completely ignore him.
So Jiang Ranxing ignored what those people sent and handed over all the information to the police. This was not something a small citizen like her could handle.
The police quickly accepted Jiang Ranxing's case and immediately assigned someone to follow up on what had happened.
Jiang Ranxing's phone was naturally handed over to the police. Jiang Ranxing wasn't in a hurry to use it, so he didn't rush to get it back from the police.
After that, Jiang Ranxing didn't take the matter seriously and just did what he was supposed to do.
Wen Qingrang told Jiang Ranxing online that the doctor had made an appointment for her to have an abortion next Wednesday, which is four days later, and that Wen Qingrang would accompany her.
Jiang Ranxing replied with an "okay" and didn't say anything more.
But things took a little turn on Tuesday.
On Tuesday evening, Jiang Ranxing was working and resting as usual when the police suddenly came to her door.
"Ms. Jiang, we have rescued Mr. Jiang and he is currently at the local police station. We need you to come in person to sign some paperwork so that we can transfer him over for further investigation of these illegal loan sharking institutions."
Jiang Ranxing checked the time; it wasn't too late, and it shouldn't be dark by the time he drove back, so he agreed.
“Let’s go now,” Jiang Ranxing said. “I’ll come back as soon as it’s over.”
The police officer nodded and went downstairs with Jiang Ranxing.
Jiang Ranxing drove his own car behind the police car, heading in the familiar direction.
However, no one expected that something unexpected would happen on this journey with the police present.
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