Chapter 139 I'll listen to you
Wen Qingrang's voice was calm, yet it carried a pain that was not easily detected.
However, even if it meant reopening his wounds, he wanted to keep Jiang Ranxing and prevent her from leaving.
Wen Qingrang spoke in a voice as clear as a spring, slowly recounting her story.
"Many years ago, the Wen family and the Fu family had always been on good terms, for generations. It wasn't until the generation of Mr. Fu Jingshan and my grandfather that domestic commerce began to flourish, and the Wen and Fu families naturally began to make their mark in the business world."
“Our two companies each have their own industry sectors, and we have gradually reached the top positions. The cooperation between the Wen and Fu companies was very successful at the beginning. The two companies were on good terms in private and harmonious and mutually beneficial in public. They were originally a model for various forces and families in City A.”
"However, in the business world, a place of fame and fortune, how many genuine feelings can be openly expressed over time? As their business empires expanded, the Fu family and the Wen family began to intersect and secretly compete in many areas. At this point, genuine feelings were mixed with more interests and disagreements."
“My grandfather knew Fu Jingshan’s character; he was decisive and ruthless, a true wolf in sheep’s clothing in the business world. My grandfather didn’t want to damage the harmony between the two families for business interests. My grandfather valued relationships more than profits, but Fu Jingshan didn’t think that way.”
"In order to expand the Fu family, Fu Jingshan did not hesitate to use any means to annex and even devour the small businesses and people below who were powerless to resist. Countless families were broken apart as a result. Gradually, the power of the Fu family grew and the Fu family business empire gradually took shape. It can be said that the success of the Fu family was built step by step by the bones produced by countless wars without gunpowder."
"My grandfather couldn't do these things, so the Wen family continued to develop at its original pace, remaining below the Fu family. But at that time, Fu Jingshan's ambition was out of control, and he had already extended his reach to the Wen family."
As Jiang Ranxing listened to these words, his eyes slowly narrowed.
She recalled what Zhou Yinxiu and Old Master Fu had said.
Teacher Zhou's parents also passed away indirectly because of Old Master Fu and the Fu family, so it seems that what Wen Qingrang said is probably true.
"What did the Fu family do to the Wen family back then?" Jiang Ranxing asked.
Wen Qingrang could only manage a pained smile as he continued,
"The Wen family's existence at the time did indeed divide this commercial pie. Fu Jingshan's actions indicated that he did not want the Wen family to have such a large market share anymore, so he openly and secretly instructed his subordinates to take action against the Wen family."
"Instantly, the Wen family was embroiled in various maliciously designed scandals, including ordinary employees threatening to kill themselves to demand their 'rights' and inciting protests from lower-class white-collar workers. My grandfather couldn't bear to see innocent ordinary people being used as pawns, so he went to negotiate with Fu Jingshan and was coerced by Fu Jingshan into 'voluntarily' handing over the market in his hands."
"From then on, the Wen family withdrew from the commercial battle in City A, and the Fu family became the sole beneficiary, and the biggest beneficiary. The Fu family's business empire was thus fully formed."
When Wen Qingrang finally revealed everything, the burden he had been carrying in his heart seemed to be lifted without him even realizing it.
He looked at Jiang Ranxing and said slowly, "Of course, if it were just because of this, it wouldn't be enough for me to hate the Fu family. What I really resent is what happened to my parents."
"Although the Wen family had already indicated their withdrawal from commercial activities, the aftermath still needed to be completed. My parents were the representatives responsible for this. The anger of the many people at the bottom of society was difficult to quell because they were the primary victims. My parents spent a lot of effort doing a lot of work, and after gradually doing a good job of comforting and compensating them, they were about to officially withdraw when they had an accident during the last round of work."
"In retrospect, that accident had many loopholes. How could the employees who had received compensation suddenly start making a fuss, and make such a fierce fuss? The so-called accident that caused my parents' deaths did not convince me. Many years later, when I grew up, I went to ask the troublemaker who had been released from prison. He inadvertently revealed that a certain high-ranking official surnamed Fu was involved in it back then."
"As for who it was, no one knows anymore. It was probably either Old Master Fu or someone from his son's generation. At that time, Shen Yuan was as young as me, and his parents had just passed away. He was also kicked out of the Fu family by his second uncle. It was definitely not something that happened in his generation."
Wen Qingrang's eyes were desolate as he looked at Jiang Ranxing's delicate and fair face, and his tone softened.
"However, I harbor resentment towards the Fu family, so I don't want them to have an easy time. Ranxing, I'm despicable, aren't I? I even harbored hostility towards you, Mrs. Fu, back then."
“At the time, I thought that you are Fu Shenyuan’s wife and the wife of the current person in power. If I start with you, it should have an impact on the Fu family.” Wen Qingrang lowered his head, and there was a clear choked voice in his voice when he said this.
"But I didn't expect that your life in the Fu family was not at all like the pampered rich lady I imagined."
Wen Qingrang looked up at Jiang Ranxing and said with pity, "I saw with my own eyes your hopeless struggle within the marriage, and how you desperately tried to save yourself. From beginning to end, you were all alone."
“Even when I saw what your mother and brother did to you, and you had no one to rely on and were fighting alone, I began to waver in my belief in you.”
This is the first time Wen Qingrang has sorted out and expressed his feelings about Jiang Ranxing.
He felt sorry for Jiang Ranxing.
After hearing this, Jiang Ranxing gave a wry smile.
She said calmly, "It's alright, it's all in the past now, I don't want to think about it anymore."
Wen Qingrang nodded and asked her again, "Ranxing, I almost directed my hatred at you. Later, I thought more than once that I was truly despicable towards you."
After listening to these words silently, Jiang Ranxing shook her head seriously.
“If I were you, I probably would have made the same choice,” Jiang Ranxing said.
All of Wen Qingrang's actions could now be explained. Moreover, he hadn't understood her situation before, and she could understand his hostility towards her as Mrs. Fu.
If she were the one in question, she might not have been as patient and restrained as Wen Qingrang.
Wen Qingrang gave a wry smile and said, "Thank you, Ranxing. I hope you can believe that I have absolutely no ill intentions towards you. In fact, I might even have..."
Jiang Ranxing seemed to already know what Wen Qingrang was going to say, and interrupted him first.
“I understand,” Jiang Ranxing thought carefully. “Actually, I can’t blame you entirely. It was Lin Xuesha and Fu Shenyuan who did those things to harm me. Even without you, Lin Xuesha would still have found an opportunity to use other means against me, and the result might have been even worse.”
Hearing Jiang Ranxing say that, Wen Qingrang managed a weak smile.
He cautiously asked, "So, are we still friends, Burning Star?"
Jiang Ranxing did not answer immediately; she sighed.
The word "friend" was such a distant and unapproachable word to her.
However, Wen Qingrang still wanted to maintain this connection with her, and even brought up that past, which was tantamount to Wen Qingrang reopening his wounds.
The passing of his parents must have been a significant blow to Wen Qingrang, and he probably didn't want to talk about it.
But in order to keep her, Wen Qingrang told her everything.
Perhaps Wen Qingrang was sincere towards her, but Jiang Ranxing had some self-doubt. Did she still dare to accept him? Could she still accept him? Did she still have the energy to treat him sincerely?
She was hurt so badly by Fu Shenyuan that she was still hesitant to deal with romantic relationships for a while, which was a kind of post-traumatic avoidance and obstacle.
Jiang Ranxing knew that she was no longer as fearless in her feelings as she used to be.
Seeing that Jiang Ranxing remained silent for a long time, Wen Qingrang understood her concerns and did not want to force her.
"Burning Star, it's understandable that you don't believe me right now, but I can prove it to you slowly. I hope you won't condemn me to death because of this. Let's take it slow, okay?"
Wen Qingrang gazed at her tenderly, asking her questions as if guiding her.
Jiang Ranxing looked into his eyes, thought for a moment, and slowly nodded.
Wen Qingrang finally smiled brightly and said to Jiang Ranxing, "Thank you for giving me the opportunity to spend time with you. I will cherish it."
Wen Qingrang looked at her carefully and asked, "Ranxing, may I hug you, if you're willing, as a friend?"
Jiang Ranxing paused, her eyelashes fluttering slightly, and then nodded again.
Wen Qingrang gently opened his arms and put his arm around Jiang Ranxing's shoulder, carefully tightening his arms as if afraid of disturbing Jiang Ranxing.
His movements were as gentle as if he were handling a lost and found treasure.
Jiang Ranxing did not move, nor did she reciprocate the hug.
Time flowed slowly, and she seemed to hear the man's suppressed sobs, and she felt Wen Qingrang's body trembling.
He must be very sad right now, Jiang Ranxing thought, and she reached out and gently patted Wen Qingrang's back.
She said,
"Don't think about it anymore. Let bygones be bygones. We all need to learn to forgive ourselves, right?"
Wen Qingrang paused, gradually tightening his arms, and uttered a low, restrained note.
He replied, "Okay, I'll listen to you."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com