Chapter 214 The Substitute
When Jiang Ranxing answered the phone, she didn't speak, but listened to what Fu Shenyuan was saying.
Fu Shenyuan was silent for a moment, then said, "Do you need me to help you again, Mrs. Fu?"
Jiang Ranxing immediately understood what Fu Shenyuan meant.
She turned around and saw a figure wearing a black suit.
Without even thinking, she knew that the person was sent by Fu Shenyuan, otherwise Fu Shenyuan wouldn't have asked that question.
Jiang Ranxing smiled, deliberately letting Wen Qingrang see her smiling face.
She said into the phone, "Okay, then come pick me up. I miss you too, darling."
Wen Qingrang felt uneasy upon hearing the eagerness in her voice on the phone.
Fu Shenyuan was stunned on the other end of the phone. While he superficially felt a sense of intimacy, he was also very clear in his heart that Jiang Ranxing was just putting on an act when she called him that.
Fu Shenyuan chuckled softly, his voice equally alluring as he spoke into the phone.
"Wait where you are, my wife."
Jiang Ranxing smiled and replied with an "okay," and the two hung up the phone at the same time.
Fu Shenyuan didn't linger in the villa for a moment. He picked up his suit jacket and keys, got into his sports car, and sped off towards the seaside.
He rushed towards Jiang Ranxing's car in such a hurry that the car body darted across the highway like a swimming fish.
On the other side of the beach, Jiang Ranxing and Wen Qingrang were still standing in the sea breeze.
Jiang Ranxing put down his phone, determined to harden his heart completely this time, realizing that continuing to entangle and exhaust himself would not be a good solution.
"You heard it too, he and I have made up again, so I have to dump you, Wen Qingrang, I don't want you anymore, go away, and let's not contact each other again."
When Jiang Ranxing spoke, every word seemed to be stained with ice shards.
But her trembling hands, hidden behind her back, betrayed everything. When she spoke against her will, she couldn't bear it in the end. Her heart felt as if it had been emptied in an instant, leaving only endless desolation.
Wen Qingrang looked at her in disbelief.
This time, he didn't reach out to touch her.
He stood there, still persistent, and asked, "Jiang Ranxing, did it hurt you when you said those words?"
Does it hurt?
He asked her if it hurt.
Jiang Ranxing's nose stung again, the sharp sensation almost bringing tears to her eyes.
The pain had long since made me numb.
But she still insisted, "Why should I be heartbroken? I'd be so happy to be with Fu Shenyuan after we broke up. I won't be heartbroken at all."
Wen Qingrang remained silent for a long time after hearing this, and then suddenly laughed, a laugh filled with desolation.
But Wen Qingrang didn't blush with anger or scold her at all.
He still had that gentle and refined appearance, but the tears that slid down his cheeks couldn't lie.
"Ranxing, I don't believe what you're saying. This isn't something you would say," Wen Qingrang said silently, wiping away her tears. She looked up at Jiang Ranxing and smiled gently. "If you still insist on your current idea, I can try to understand you. Maybe I can't agree with your approach, but I will respect your decision."
"Ranxing, I'm asking you one last time: do you really want to break up with me and get back together with Fu Shenyuan? If your answer is yes, I will follow your wishes and stop bothering you."
"But if your answer is no, I will take you away immediately, and no matter what we face, I will never leave you again."
Wen Qingrang's words were so sincere that when Jiang Ranxing looked up at him, a tear fell without warning.
Jiang Ranxing's hands, hidden behind her back, were clenched tightly, her nails digging into her palms, and her hands were trembling uncontrollably.
Jiang Ranxing took a long, long breath and looked at Wen Qingrang again.
"Yes... I have to break up with you."
Jiang Ranxing paused for a moment and continued, "Perhaps we just came together by chance and are only destined to have a brief period of fate."
The affirmative answer echoed in his ears, and Wen Qingrang closed his eyes as if he had lost all strength.
After a long while, Wen Qingrang finally revealed his usual gentle smile.
He took off his coat and draped it over Jiang Ranxing.
"Consider this my last chance to care for you. Don't let the cold wind blow on you," Wen Qingrang said with a smile.
Even though his voice was still hoarse and uncomfortable, he never said another word that would embarrass Jiang Ranxing.
Did you drive here? Or should I take you back? Where do you live now?
Jiang Ranxing didn't answer, he just shook his head.
Wen Qingrang didn't press for answers. Instead, he picked up his phone and sent a message to Jiang Ranxing.
"This is the phone number of your attending physician at the hospital abroad. You probably won't need me to accompany you anymore, so remember to contact him regularly. When you need a follow-up examination, don't be lazy like before and skip going to the hospital. Once you've fully recovered, you won't need to go to the hospital anymore."
"Take good care of yourself. If you feel unwell, you can contact a doctor. He's a nice person and will give you good advice."
Wen Qingrang hesitated, but ultimately did not mention anything about the memory loss.
Jiang Ranxing is in a good state now, so there's no need to add to her worries.
Wen Qingrang took a step back, creating distance between himself and Jiang Ranxing, before uttering his last sentence.
"Burning Star, I wish you happiness in the future. I... I'm leaving now."
After saying that, Wen Qingrang lifted his foot, brushed past Jiang Ranxing, and walked away from the beach.
Jiang Ranxing slowly turned around and looked at his back. Her tears flowed out like a broken string in an instant.
Jiang Ranxing could no longer hold back her tears, which blurred her vision. She watched as Wen Qingrang walked away little by little through the blur until his figure disappeared from sight.
She crouched down, hugged her legs, and buried her face in her knees, sobbing quietly.
She didn't even dare to cry out loud, as if she could still feel the warmth of Wen Qingrang's presence in the surrounding air, and she didn't want him to hear her crying.
She didn't know how long she cried there. Sitting on the beach, she felt colder and colder. The cold wind was howling, and time seemed to have lost its meaning.
After an unknown amount of time, when Jiang Ranxing had cried herself to sleep, she felt warmth again around her.
She didn't raise her head, but she felt a hand gently stroking the top of her head, approaching her with a certain oppressive aura.
Why are you crying like this?
Jiang Ranxing then looked up at the person beside her. Fu Shenyuan's face was expressionless; he was just stroking her hair while looking at her.
"Your eyes are already swollen from crying, you can't cry anymore."
Fu Shenyuan's fingers slid down from the top of her head to her eyes, and gently touched her eyelids.
Jiang Ranxing no longer possessed the gentle and coquettish manner she had displayed on the phone; her eyes were now filled with a gray, misty haze.
Jiang Ranxing removed Fu Shenyuan's hand, wiped away her tears, and had no strength left to cry. All that remained was an empty and painful feeling in her heart.
Fu Shenyuan said in a low voice, "He left, so he left. I will treat you even better than he did in the future. Stay by my side, and we will start over."
His words were spoken with absolute certainty, leaving no room for doubt about their credibility.
Even though Fu Shenyuan said that, Jiang Ranxing, having just experienced such a huge emotional upheaval, found it difficult to have the energy to deal with Fu Shenyuan.
She was already feeling very tired and didn't want to think about these romantic things anymore.
She lay exhausted on the beach, the only sound she could hear was the crashing waves. The sky above was still overcast, with no sunshine or blue sky in sight, only gray and white.
She lay on the beach for a long time, and Fu Shenyuan sat beside her the whole time without saying a word.
After a long time, a light drizzle began to fall, all of it landing on Jiang Ranxing's face.
In just a moment, Fu Shenyuan took off his suit jacket and stood in front of Jiang Ranxing, saying, "Come back with me. You can do whatever you want. Don't stay here any longer. Wen Qingrang won't be coming back."
A silent smile tugged at the corners of Jiang Ranxing's lips.
Jiang Ranxing said quietly, "Fu Shenyuan, take me for a drink, I want to drink."
Fu Shenyuan propped himself up on his elbow, half-lying down as he looked at her and asked, "Are you serious?"
“Of course,” Jiang Ranxing replied.
"Okay." Fu Shenyuan said without hesitation, then removed the hand that was supporting her head, and Jiang Ranxing's eyes were covered by the suit jacket. Then she felt herself being lifted up by him.
Fu Shenyuan placed her in the passenger seat of the car, then took off the coat he had been using to shield her from the rain, before going around to the driver's seat himself.
Without saying a word, Fu Shenyuan started the car, made a turn, and left the rainy and melancholic seaside.
X Club.
When Fu Shenyuan and Jiang Ranxing walked in, the club manager immediately recognized Fu Shenyuan and warmly stepped forward to ask him questions.
"Give me and my wife a private room, and don't let anyone disturb us."
When the manager heard that the woman next to him was actually Mrs. Fu, he immediately became more attentive and had the most upscale private room in the entire club opened. He then respectfully invited the two of them over.
"Mr. Fu and his wife, what would you like to drink? We have a new bartender. If Mrs. Fu can't drink too much, we have drinks with a very low alcohol content."
Fu Shenyuan glanced at Jiang Ranxing and then said, "No need, just go straight to it, just like before, no need for all that fancy stuff."
Jiang Ranxing slightly curled the corners of her lips, chuckled, and silently walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, looking out at the bustling city lights and traffic.
The waiter quickly pushed in a cart full of wine, all of which were just opened bottles of unopened spirits.
"Mr. Fu, do you need any other services?"
Fu Shenyuan said, "No need, everyone get out."
In an instant, only Fu Shenyuan and Jiang Ranxing remained in the private room.
Fu Shenyuan carried two bottles of wine, walked to the French windows, sat down opposite Jiang Ranxing, and handed Jiang Ranxing a bottle of wine.
"How much do you want to drink today? I'll drink with you to the very end."
After Fu Shenyuan finished speaking, he picked up the wine bottle, poured himself a glass, and drank it all in one gulp.
Jiang Ranxing poured herself a glass, shook it, and slowly drank it, her eyes looking out the window, making it impossible for Fu Shenyuan to see what she was looking at.
Jiang Ranxing let the slightly spicy wine slide down her throat, and at that moment she was still thinking about Wen Qingrang's instructions to her.
"Don't drink too much alcohol, it's bad for your health. I'll make you some herbal tea, it'll warm you up."
Such concern seems to still echo in my ears, but in the blink of an eye, it's all just an illusion.
Sitting in front of her was that domineering man, who was not gentle and was somewhat domineering, and who would do these indulgent things with her.
Jiang Ranxing felt as if the two of them had gone through many twists and turns.
No matter how they went around in circles, they eventually ended up back together.
If this is fate, then what kind of fate is it? Two people who don't love each other are entangled together. When will it end?
As Jiang Ranxing watched Fu Shenyuan drink one glass after another with her, she said, "Should I thank President Fu for deigning to join me?"
Fu Shenyuan stopped and looked at her, his eyes hidden in the shadows under the light.
"I'm willing to stay with you."
Jiang Ranxing chuckled softly, not wanting to say anything more. Her mood today was definitely not good; it was extremely bad. If it weren't for the sturdy glass protecting her, she even suspected that in this state of utter despair, she might have fallen off the high-rise building under the influence of impulsive hormones.
The private room was only lit by a dim light near the door; the entire room was still quite dark, with only the moonlight from the window providing some illumination.
Jiang Ranxing leaned against the French windows and drank her wine. Gradually, she lost track of how long she had been drinking, and her consciousness was slowly numbed by the alcohol. After finishing her glass, she put it down and never picked it up again.
Jiang Ranxing got drunk while leaning against the window.
Seeing that Jiang Ranxing had stopped moving, Fu Shenyuan put down his wine glass, but his eyes remained clear.
It wasn't that he had a high alcohol tolerance; it was probably because subconsciously he was still thinking about taking care of Jiang Ranxing, so he didn't dare to get drunk and thus didn't really get drunk.
Fu Shenyuan looked at Jiang Ranxing's face by the moonlight. She had a clean and comfortable appearance. She was neither aggressive nor weak. Just looking at her gave people a sense of security. It was a magical feeling that had nothing to do with her appearance.
Fu Shenyuan moved closer to her, brushed aside the hair that was covering her face, and casually ran his fingers across her cheeks, over the places where tears had flowed.
Fu Shenyuan put his arm under her legs, picked her up again, and carried her to the inner bedroom.
He placed Jiang Ranxing on the soft bed, then lay down beside her, wrapping his arm around her from behind.
The soft body in his arms seemed to still radiate warmth. He lowered his head and gently kissed the back of her neck, a kiss that seemed to be filled with endless tenderness.
In the darkness, he murmured silently, "Burning Star, stay by my side. I will treat you well for the rest of my life. Don't leave me again."
As if sensing something, Jiang Ranxing turned around and faced Fu Shenyuan.
However, her eyes were still clearly filled with intoxication, and she was not in a clear mind. When she heard these words, she thought that Wen Qingrang, who had already left, had returned.
She smiled, revealing a smile Fu Shenyuan had never seen before, a smile as radiant and beautiful as the most beautiful flower in spring, enough to melt away all the ice.
Jiang Ranxing smiled and moved closer to him, whispering in his ear, "Okay, I'm willing to be with you, for as long as it takes."
Fu Shenyuan's eyes widened suddenly, his heart pounded faster, and he excitedly turned her body around to look at her.
"Really? You mean it?"
Fu Shenyuan was somewhat excited; even in the darkness, his eyes shone with excitement.
Jiang Ranxing seemed to be looking at him as well, and after a while she said, "Really, really, I've wanted to come back to you for a long time. We can be together again and live that happy life like before. Wouldn't that be wonderful?"
Fu Shenyuan excitedly hugged Jiang Ranxing. Such a promise was too beautiful, and he was eager to hear it.
"Burning Star, please tell me again, okay? Tell me you're willing to be with me, and only with me."
Jiang Ranxing was quite drunk, but she still processed the instruction-like statement, provided that she was willing to accept it.
Jiang Ranxing moved a little slowly, but still managed to wrap her arms around the broad back and feel the warmth.
She opened her mouth and said slowly, "I... I want to stay by your side forever, to be with you. I want to, Qingrang..."
Upon hearing this, Fu Shenyuan froze, his previously excited emotions instantly extinguished as if doused with a bucket of cold water.
He was mistaken by Jiang Ranxing for Wen Qingrang.
None of those promises and willingness were actually spoken to him personally.
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