Chapter 215 Do you still remember?
Fu Shenyuan gave a bitter smile, a smile more fragmented than the shimmering waves on the sea, both sorrowful and filled with helplessness.
One day, when he was drunk, he mistook Jiang Ranxing for someone else.
Now, everything has turned around; she's drunk and has mistaken him for someone else.
Everything in this world seems to be a cycle of cause and effect; today it's him, tomorrow it's her, and the twists and turns of fate seem to never stop.
Even though Fu Shenyuan knew that Jiang Ranxing was now treating him like Wen Qingrang, which was why she trusted and relied on him so much, he still couldn't let her go.
Even if he borrowed the tenderness of another man, as long as the two of them are embracing each other now and sharing each other's warm bodies, that seems enough.
Fu Shenyuan stubbornly held Jiang Ranxing tightly, as if he had grasped the most precious treasure in the world to him.
Fu Shenyuan whispered in her ear, as if he were talking to himself.
"You can treat me as anyone you want, as long as you're still by my side, we won't be separated, right?"
Unfortunately, no one could respond to him. Jiang Ranxing was completely drunk and had fallen asleep nestled in his chest.
Looking at the peaceful sleeping face in his arms, Fu Shenyuan revealed a gentle smile that he himself was unaware of.
He held her very, very tightly.
The next morning, sunlight streamed unreservedly into the bedroom, illuminating the enchanting atmosphere and the two people in bed.
Jiang Ranxing moved slightly, but before he could even open his eyes, he felt a splitting headache.
She looked up and touched her head. After rubbing it a couple of times, as she regained consciousness, she felt a heavy pressure around her waist.
Jiang Ranxing slowly opened her eyes and saw the arm resting on her waist. Looking up, a handsome, sculpted face appeared before her.
Jiang Ranxing immediately pushed him away, and then slid a short distance towards the edge of the bed.
Fu Shenyuan was awakened by her movements. He was still sleepy and opened his eyes to see Jiang Ranxing's wary expression.
Fu Shenyuan gave a low, bitter laugh. He withdrew his hand, seemingly still able to feel her touch and warmth, but it was gradually cooling down.
“You were drunk yesterday, and you put your arm around me first,” Fu Shenyuan immediately lay back, not wanting to put pressure on her, “It wasn’t me who forced you.”
Jiang Ranxing frowned, somewhat doubting the credibility of Fu Shenyuan's words.
Jiang Ranxing asked doubtfully, "Is it really... me?"
Fu Shenyuan glanced at her and nodded: "Do you remember how much you drank yesterday?"
Jiang Ranxing clearly couldn't remember anything, probably because she had drunk a lot, which caused her to have a complete blackout.
"Okay, I admit it was my fault, but I still hope you can keep your distance from me next time. I think the right thing to do with someone who's had too much to drink is to leave me here alone and let me sleep."
Fu Shenyuan didn't seem to agree with her.
“You’re right. If it were anyone else, I probably wouldn’t care at all,” Fu Shenyuan sat up and moved closer to her, their noses almost touching. “But if it’s you, I can’t bear to.”
Jiang Ranxing paused for a couple of seconds, because Fu Shenyuan was suddenly too close to her.
The next second, Jiang Ranxing reached out and pushed him down with a single push.
"President Fu, don't try that on me."
Jiang Ranxing wasn't buying Fu Shenyuan's flirting at all. She had no interest in, nor any obligation to, playing along with his games.
Jiang Ranxing stopped talking to her about these pointless things and got out of bed.
"Get up when you've had enough sleep. We still have important business to attend to at the company today."
After Jiang Ranxing finished speaking, he turned and went into the bathroom, where the sound of running shower water soon followed.
Fu Shenyuan then sat up from the bed, his playful expression gone. He looked towards the bathroom and let out a long sigh.
"You've had your fill of hugging and then you dumped me. How could you be so heartless to me?" Fu Shenyuan snorted casually, but the brokenness in his eyes was still obvious.
He also stood up and walked to another restroom in the private room.
Fu Group.
When Fu Shenyuan and Jiang Ranxing appeared together, it caused an uproar.
The two of them had long since lost their approachable and casual demeanor from the morning; they were now completely integrated into the business environment.
Tan Shen walked over and said respectfully, "Mr. Fu, Madam, the office has been tidied up. Please come in."
Tan Shen had received instructions from Fu Shenyuan that the two of them would be coming to the company together today, and that he should prepare everything. Tan Shen was very good at doing these things, and he arranged everything in no time.
Fu Shenyuan and Jiang Ranxing went upstairs and arrived at the office.
As Fu Shenyuan listened to Tan Shen's report on the group's situation over the past few days, his expression remained cold.
“Since his defeat at the shareholders’ meeting, President Fu Hongkai has been extremely dissatisfied with you and your wife, and has secretly organized other shareholders to oppose you,” Tan Shen said.
Fu Shenyuan snorted and said, "Second Uncle, if you want to object, you need to have the strength and leverage. Has the chairman's appointment letter been issued yet?"
Tan Shen replied, "Today they will be distributed to various departments within the group. You will continue to serve as the CEO of the Fu Group, while your wife will be appointed as the Director of the Public Relations Department. As for President Fu Hongkai, he will remain as the Vice President."
"After going around in circles, we've come full circle," Fu Shenyuan muttered to himself. "It seems our vice president won't be convinced this time."
Tan Shen nodded in agreement: "The vice president seems quite unsettled right now. His men are really restless. But don't worry, our people are keeping an eye on them, and there won't be any problems for the time being."
Fu Shenyuan nodded: "Okay, I trust you to do things."
After Tan Shen left, Fu Shenyuan glanced at the time on his wristwatch. It was still early, and Fu Hongkai wouldn't come looking for trouble at this time.
Fu Shenyuan looked around the office and saw a coffee machine in the break room. He then said to Jiang Ranxing, "What kind of coffee would you like? I'll make it for you."
Jiang Ranxing glanced at him from her desk, somewhat helpless.
"Is this the first thing President Fu does after taking office? Is it something so boring?" Jiang Ranxing felt that he seemed to have changed a lot.
Fu Shenyuan used to be a true career elite, and he probably would never have made coffee for someone in the office.
Where on earth does this leisurely and refined taste come from?
Fu Shenyuan understood what she meant, but he didn't care much about it.
“I’d be more than happy to make my wife a cup of coffee, how could that be a boring thing?” Fu Shenyuan’s tone was much more relaxed, completely unlike the seriousness he had when he was talking to Tan Shen earlier.
Jiang Ranxing saw that Fu Shenyuan had already entered the tea room. His coat had long been taken off and placed on the chair outside. He was only wearing a black shirt, and he was unbuttoning the cuffs and rolling up the sleeves to reveal the well-defined muscles in his arms. Even though his movements in the tea room were not familiar, they could still be described as slow and elegant.
Jiang Ranxing looked at him and could only offer him four words: a beast in human form.
Jiang Ranxing didn't answer him, but soon after, Fu Shenyuan brought out two cups of coffee and placed one of them in front of her.
"It has sugar added, try it."
Jiang Ranxing glanced at it twice, then picked it up and took a small bite. Surprisingly, the taste was quite good.
Thanks.
Jiang Ranxing wasn't in the mood to waste time on these trivial matters and instead got down to business.
"You told me this morning that Fu Hongkai wouldn't give up easily, especially not against the Wen family and other powerful families. What does that mean?"
Fu Shenyuan, holding a coffee cup, leaned against his desk with his incredibly long legs crossed. He glanced briefly at Jiang Ranxing, putting aside other matters for the time being.
“He knows why you and I teamed up against him at the shareholders’ meeting. Since he can’t do anything to you and me for the time being, he will naturally look for other outlets to vent his anger.”
"Is this outlet still the Wen family's anger?"
"Including him, and not just him."
"So, all our efforts were in vain?" Jiang Ranxing said, somewhat displeased.
If this was done to protect the Wen family from harm, then Fu Hongkai is still targeting the Wen family, which would be a net loss.
Fu Shenyuan knew she was overthinking it, and quickly explained, "It's not as serious as you think. The Wen family is a large family after all. Without the Fu Group backing him up, Second Uncle might not be able to do much more for the Wen family. All he can do are things that can't be brought to the table."
"For example?" Jiang Ranxing asked.
"It's fine if you don't know about those methods; they're not exactly honorable. I've already sent someone to inform Wen Qingrang, and they'll be prepared."
Fu Shenyuan watched as Jiang Ranxing breathed a sigh of relief, and his heart tightened.
Are you really that concerned about Wen Qingrang's safety?
Could I take a look at him too...?
Fu Shenyuan ultimately didn't reveal what was on his mind.
He also realized that he was increasingly affected by Jiang Ranxing's every move, but it was not as if it was under his control.
“However, if we want to eliminate this threat in the future, the best approach is to make the beast lose its fangs,” Fu Shenyuan said, regaining his composure.
Jiang Ranxing glanced at him, and their eyes met, and they understood each other's thoughts in a tacit understanding.
"You want me to help you find your second uncle's weaknesses and bring him down," Jiang Ranxing said calmly.
Fu Shenyuan nodded: "This is clearly our common goal, right, Burning Star?"
Jiang Ranxing knew that Fu Shenyuan was right.
Fu Hongkai has too many uncontrollable aspects. If he didn't have these henchmen, he wouldn't be able to cause any trouble.
Jiang Ranxing's initial motivation for getting involved in these matters was to repay Wen Qingrang for his kindness. Now that she had started down this path, she should continue on it to the very end.
If there's anything in this world she still wants, it's probably only this one thing.
Fu Shenyuan asked, "Have you thought it through? Are you willing to come with me?"
Jiang Ranxing nodded firmly.
Fu Shenyuan knew in his heart that she was doing this for Wen Qingrang, but when he heard her say that she was willing to work with him, he still felt a pang of sadness.
It's good to be able to walk the same path, at least we're still standing together.
Just as the two finished speaking, there was a knock on the door of the new office.
Tan Shen's voice rang out from outside the door: "President Fu, the Vice President has arrived."
"Come in." Fu Shenyuan concealed all his emotions and sat down on the other side of the desk with Jiang Ranxing. Both of them looked towards the door.
Fu Hongkai was invited in by Tan, and his expression was noticeably heavy and unpleasant.
Fu Shenyuan first gestured for Fu Hongkai to sit down: "The vice president wants to see me because there's something work-related he wants to discuss?"
Fu Hongkai said with a forced smile, "You just got back and you've already put on such an embarrassing show for your second uncle, Shen Yuan. Isn't it a bit inappropriate for you and Ranxing to do this?"
Fu Shenyuan didn't stand on ceremony and retorted, "What are you talking about? Personnel appointments are all decided by the chairman. When I was transferred to the overseas company, the vice president notified me directly in the same way, didn't he? I remember, without even asking for my opinion."
With precedents to follow and Fu Shenyuan's words being so direct, Fu Hongkai couldn't very well retort directly.
"However, you were invited overseas because you made a mistake and tarnished the group's image, which is why you were transferred. I didn't do that, did I?" Fu Hongkai didn't hold back and retaliated by hitting Fu Shenyuan's sore spot.
Fu Hongkai glanced at Jiang Ranxing and then smoothly steered the conversation towards her.
"I remember that Director Jiang was ill at the time and was lying in the intensive care unit. It's really pitiful that Ranxing was forced to such a state by you, Shen Yuan and Xue Sha."
Fu Hongkai feigned regret, but secretly observed Jiang Ranxing's expression.
He caught a glimpse of hesitation and confusion on Jiang Ranxing's face, and his wrinkled eyes immediately broke into a sly smile.
Jiang Ranxing really didn't understand what Fu Hongkai was talking about.
Fu Hongkai said very considerately, "Ranxing, you don't forget, do you? It's surprising enough that you could attend the shareholders' meeting with Shen Yuan, and even stand on his side to support him. Compared to what Shen Yuan did to you, it's really hard for me to understand."
Fu Shenyuan understood what Fu Hongkai wanted to say and immediately stopped him.
“Vice President, don’t talk to her about these things. If you don’t have anything important to say, I’ll have someone ask you to leave.”
Fu Shenyuan subconsciously didn't want Jiang Ranxing to remember those things from the past.
Jiang Ranxing sensed something was amiss. It seemed to overlap with something she had suspected before, and the fog before her was about to be lifted.
Jiang Ranxing stood up and stopped Fu Hongkai.
"What did Fu Shenyuan do to me?" Jiang Ranxing asked directly.
Fu Hongkai knew he had hit a very important nerve, so he deliberately kept quiet and didn't say it directly.
“You may not remember those things, but Shen Yuan remembers them very clearly. I’m getting old and I’m afraid I can’t explain them clearly. You should ask him.”
After leaving the problem behind, Fu Hongkai left the office, letting the two men begin to disintegrate from within.
Fu Hongkai was well-versed in military strategy. No matter where you are, there is always a way to do something when there are two opponents.
Especially with a pairing like Fu Shenyuan and Jiang Ranxing that shouldn't be standing together in the first place, it's really too easy to find fault with them.
Fu Hongkai paused briefly at the doorway, glancing at the instantly tense atmosphere between the two. He smiled, understanding everything perfectly.
Jiang Ranxing had long harbored doubts about this, and although the matter had been suppressed, Fu Hongkai's mention of it now only fueled his suspicions.
She approached Fu Shenyuan step by step and asked, "What are you hiding from me? You remember things that I don't, don't you?"
Fu Shenyuan's eyes narrowed slightly, and he said in a cold voice, "If I told you, would you believe me?"
Fu Shenyuan hadn't expected Fu Hongkai to be so direct. If he had known, he wouldn't have let Fu Hongkai appear in front of Jiang Ranxing.
Jiang Ranxing stared intently at him and tentatively said, "If it's true, I can try to believe you."
As if he had made up his mind, Fu Shenyuan moved closer to Jiang Ranxing, and their breaths seemed to intertwine, adding a lot of ambiguity to the scene.
He said, "We've had feelings for each other during these six years of marriage."
Jiang Ranxing stared into Fu Shenyuan's eyes, seemingly drawn into his dark pupils that contained endless emotions.
Fu Shenyuan continued, "During those six years, you always loved me, and I... loved you just the same."
Jiang Ranxing was suddenly taken aback by this statement.
She smiled, looking at him with disbelief.
"Fu Shenyuan, do you take me for a fool? If we love each other, why did we separate and get divorced? And why is Lin Xuesha by your side now?"
Jiang Ranxing was certainly not fooled by Fu Shenyuan's few words.
"Besides, I don't remember ever loving you."
Jiang Ranxing knew that she didn't have any romantic feelings for Fu Shenyuan, nor did she have the same feelings of gratitude she had for Wen Qingrang.
Fu Shenyuan smiled, but a bitter feeling gradually rose in his heart.
"I'm not lying to you. Your love for me didn't just start on our wedding day; it started long before that."
Fu Shenyuan made up his mind. He wanted to try, to test whether simply reminding Jiang Ranxing of the beautiful feelings she once had would lead to a relatively good ending for both of them.
Jiang Ranxing still didn't believe it.
"What makes you say that? Do you think I'll believe you just because you say a few words?"
Jiang Ranxing took Fu Shenyuan's words as just casual remarks.
But to his surprise, Fu Shenyuan took out something that she recognized from her memory, and a vague, hazy memory surfaced in her mind.
Fu Shenyuan took out a covered painting from the cabinet. When he lifted the canvas, he saw a slightly immature profile, just like his own.
This youthful profile, painted under the shade of a tree, appears clear and beautiful, brimming with the essence of youth.
"Burning Star, do you remember this? You drew it yourself and gave it to me as a gift."
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