Chapter 184 Confused
Wen Qingrang stood there stunned for a long time, holding the phone, before realizing what had happened. He looked up at the building and then looked away.
He was somewhat shocked that the person on the other end of the phone was actually Fu Shenyuan.
His appearance caught Wen Qingrang off guard for a moment.
When Jiang Ranxing came back, she didn't mention it, so it seems that Fu Shenyuan found Jiang Ranxing's phone number somewhere and then called her without any restraint to disturb her life.
Jiang Ranxing had finally escaped the mire of the past, and she absolutely could not allow Fu Shenyuan to drag her back.
Jiang Ranxing's past was so painful that even he, as an outsider, couldn't bear to watch. He witnessed all the harm that Fu Shenyuan had caused her.
So when Fu Shenyuan called, Wen Qingrang was glad that he answered the phone instead of Jiang Ranxing.
Wen Qingrang scoffed coldly and retorted, "Fu Shenyuan, what am I supposed to explain to you? And why should I bother explaining?"
Wen Qingrang's words were sharp and uncompromising, each sentence severely damaging Fu Shenyuan's already weak psychological defenses.
Fu Shenyuan's eyes instantly turned red, and his fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles cracked.
"Jiang Ranxing is my wife! Do you remember that? Wen Qingrang, didn't I warn you? Stay away from my people. Think carefully about the consequences before you try to lay a hand on her!"
When Fu Shenyuan spoke into his phone, he was practically shouting, but no matter how loudly he shouted, it couldn't compare to the overwhelming and intense collapse and anger in his heart at that moment.
He now desperately wanted to appear directly in front of Wen Qingrang and take back everything Jiang Ranxing and her, so that Wen Qingrang would never get anything from her again.
Unfortunately, this was just his fantasy. He didn't even know where Jiang Ranxing was. The only phone he could use to contact Jiang Ranxing had been taken by Wen Qingrang. No matter how resentful he was, he couldn't hang up the phone at this moment because he knew that once he hung up, he would never hear from Jiang Ranxing again. He couldn't afford to lose even this small possibility. He had already lost too much, and he already felt the fear and helplessness of losing her again.
Wen Qingrang found Fu Shenyuan's words truly laughable, and he laughed out loud, his laughter filled with mockery and disdain.
"Your wife? Have you forgotten that you're divorced? Do I need to explain this to you, Mr. Fu? A divorced wife can only be an ex-wife, and an ex-wife is someone you have no relationship with anymore. Do you understand?"
Wen Qingrang's words pierced Fu Shenyuan's heart, each strike leaving no blood, yet inflicting wounds all over him.
Fu Shenyuan angrily said, "We haven't officially divorced yet! She's still my wife until we get the divorce certificate! We will never divorce in this lifetime, remember that."
Wen Qingrang, however, didn't care at all. Looking at her phone, she could feel the shadow of being entangled with her.
"President Fu, don't think that just because you don't have a divorce certificate, you're still husband and wife. Don't forget, your names are already signed on the divorce agreement. It's a formal legal document with legal effect. Besides, you've already submitted the formalities to the Civil Affairs Bureau. It's just a small document that's missing. What does that mean? Do you still think that you and Ranxing are still the same as you were six years ago?"
Fu Shenyuan's idea was utterly ridiculous.
Wen Qingrang felt deeply uncomfortable with Fu Shenyuan's current behavior. Before he took Jiang Ranxing out of the country, Fu Shenyuan had harassed him at the hospital. Now that so much time had passed, he thought Fu Shenyuan wouldn't be able to hold on, and that he was just acting on impulse out of guilt.
After all, Fu Shenyuan had always been very persistent in his feelings for Lin Xuesha. It was impossible for him to abandon Lin Xuesha just because he couldn't find someone else. Wen Qingrang couldn't quite understand what was going on.
Could it be that Fu Shenyuan has really turned his attention back to Jiang Ranxing, regretting his loss? Or feeling guilty seeing Jiang Ranxing lying in the hospital?
This is ridiculous.
After a long silence, Fu Shenyuan finally said, "That's right. As long as we don't have that divorce certificate, we're not really divorced. Wen Qingrang, you'd better have some self-awareness and give me back my person!"
Wen Qingrang really had no mood to argue with him anymore: "Then I'm really sorry, Ranxing is no longer yours. You have no right to say these things to me. You are the one who should understand this."
Fu Shenyuan was furious: "Don't you think you're despicable! You can just answer her call like that, what do you think you are, standing between us like this!"
Wen Qingrang was not provoked by Fu Shenyuan's words and said in a very calm voice, "Think whatever you want, but do you really think Ranxing wants to see you now? Have you forgotten what you did? What face do you have to come looking for her? If I were you, I would have given each other some dignity and stopped bothering each other."
When Fu Shenyuan heard Wen Qingrang's condemnation, he naturally knew that he had nothing to refute, because what Wen Qingrang said was true. He had hurt Jiang Ranxing in that way, which led to all the subsequent events. If he hadn't done that, then no one could say such things to provoke him.
He did it himself, and he has no way to deny it.
However, this is not a reason for Wen Qingrang to take Jiang Ranxing away from him.
Fu Shenyuan said, "Give the phone back to her. I want to talk to her, not you."
Wen Qingrang chuckled twice: "Do you think she'd be willing to answer your call? Don't you find that ridiculous?"
Fu Shenyuan was well aware of Jiang Ranxing's current attitude towards him; he simply didn't want to face it.
Just as Fu Shenyuan was about to say something, Wen Qingrang hung up the phone.
When Fu Shenyuan dialed back, the other party was no longer available.
Wen Qingrang looked at the still-flashing caller ID on his phone, then looked up at the upstairs. Jiang Ranxing's bedroom door was tightly closed; she was clearly still asleep in her room and hadn't been woken up.
Wen Qingrang's eyes flickered twice, then he silently hung up the phone, added the number to his blacklist, and deleted all call records, as if nothing had happened.
Then Wen Qingrang walked up the stairs, his eyes lowered, thinking about this matter.
Where did Fu Shenyuan get Jiang Ranxing's phone number? Had they met before and what had happened? Wen Qingrang didn't want to doubt Jiang Ranxing; he trusted her. But he couldn't reasonably predict Fu Shenyuan's actions.
Wen Qingrang was worried that Jiang Ranxing's life had been disrupted by Fu Shenyuan's appearance, even though she was recovering well. He wanted to have an open and honest talk with Jiang Ranxing about this, but he was afraid that this sensitive person and matter would aggravate Jiang Ranxing's health.
Life is peaceful and wonderful now, but Wen Qingrang is always a little worried. Fu Shenyuan's appearance is just the fuse that detonates the time bomb of worry in his heart.
He had previously discussed with a doctor the problems Jiang Ranxing was experiencing with brain and memory confusion.
The doctor said at the time, "Regarding memory, we cannot give a definite result because it doesn't develop the way we imagine. Perhaps in a specific environment or situation, the patient will be stimulated and will remember something. It may get better, or it may develop into a worse outcome. We can't predict it."
The doctor's expression was also very serious at the time: "So, try to let the patient live in a relatively comfortable environment, and don't let her come into contact with people and things that have given her a stimulating or unpleasant experience for a long time. In this way, the patient will not have a source of stimulation, and there is little chance that anything unexpected will happen. Try to keep her in a comfortable environment. No one can say for sure what will happen next. We can only say that we will try our best. It is better to come to the hospital for regular check-ups."
Wen Qingrang remembered the doctor's words very clearly. The things that might stimulate Jiang Ranxing were nothing more than people and things related to Fu Shenyuan, as well as those things in China. That's why Wen Qingrang was willing to let Jiang Ranxing stay in this country and live away from the rights and wrongs of the past, so that he would recover quickly.
But to her surprise, Fu Shenyuan found her so quickly and disturbed her peace that she had finally managed to regain.
Wen Qingrang silently walked to the front of Jiang Ranxing's bedroom. Looking at the door in front of him, he thought for a while and made a decision.
That is, he will definitely protect Jiang Ranxing and prevent Fu Shenyuan from provoking her.
Even though his behavior just now was not gentlemanly, Wen Qingrang was willing to do this ungentlemanly thing if it could avoid some harm.
"Burning Star, you may hate me, but I'm going to do it anyway," Wen Qing thought to herself, determined to keep quiet.
Wen Qingrang knocked on her bedroom door, and a soft, sweet voice came from inside.
"Hmm, come in."
Wen Qingrang pushed open the door, and Jiang Ranxing, who had just opened his eyes, watched him walk in from the bed.
Wen Qingrang sat down on the edge of her bed, smiled gently, and said, "Did I wake you up?"
“No,” Jiang Ranxing smiled and shook his head, “I was going to wake up anyway.”
"I made you some late-night snacks. Are you hungry? Get up and eat something."
Jiang Ranxing did feel hungry. After being pulled up by Wen Qingrang's hand, he sat up and left the room with Wen Qingrang, going downstairs.
Jiang Ranxing's stomach growled twice when she saw the soup on the table. She sat down and prepared to serve herself a bowl, but Wen Qingrang was faster. After serving her the soup, he sat down and watched her, saying, "Drink slowly, be careful it's hot."
Jiang Ranxing nodded: "Okay, you drink too."
Wen Qingrang also served himself a bowl, and then sat facing her, enjoying the tranquility of the night together.
While drinking her soup, Wen Qingrang secretly glanced at Jiang Ranxing, but the words that were on the tip of her tongue just wouldn't come out.
He was tempted to ask Jiang Ranxing if she had met Fu Shenyuan, but then he thought that since he trusted her, he shouldn't ask.
But he was also worried that Jiang Ranxing might deliberately keep quiet, for fear of disturbing their relationship.
Wen Qingrang felt bad if she had to shoulder everything on her own; he didn't want Jiang Ranxing to have any burden in her heart right now.
He wanted to shoulder whatever burden it might be for her.
Jiang Ranxing also looked up at him and saw his hesitation.
"What's wrong? You seem to have something on your mind?" Jiang Ranxing asked naturally. "You can talk about it and we can solve it together. Don't keep it to yourself."
Wen Qingrang remained silent for a while, then shook his head: "It's nothing, I'm just a little tired."
Jiang Ranxing said somewhat embarrassedly, "Are you too tired from taking care of me? You haven't had any rest, have you? You have work during the day and have been taking care of me all night."
You can tell from just one sip of this ginger soup that it's not something that can be made in a short time; it must require a very complicated and time-consuming process.
Wen Qingrang had been taking care of her all along, but she hadn't reciprocated in any way, so she always felt a little guilty.
Wen Qingrang smiled: "No, don't think so much. Taking care of you won't be tiring at all."
Wen Qingrang got up, took Jiang Ranxing's phone from the coffee table on the sofa, and handed it to her: "Don't forget to take it back, in case you can't find it."
Jiang Ranxing took it without paying much attention, and didn't realize that there was anything wrong with it.
"By the way, I'm going to SR next week to coordinate work, but before that, I need to pick up Sylvie. Her boss didn't come today, so there's nothing to talk about. I don't need to give him any face, since we don't even know each other."
Jiang Ranxing said, "Once Sylvie officially submits her resignation, I will go to her company to pick her up and we will go to SR together."
When work was mentioned, Wen Qingrang understood that Jiang Ranxing was indeed unaffected and everything was the same as before. So, there was probably no problem with Fu Shenyuan. Perhaps he was overthinking things.
Wen Qingrang nodded and said, "Okay, just let me know if you need anything. I'll always be here for you."
Jiang Ranxing gave him a sweet and gentle smile.
"Thank you, Qingrang. Having you by my side always makes me feel so comfortable."
Jiang Ranxing really liked Wen Qingrang's peacefulness and gentleness, which seemed inexhaustible.
Wen Qingrang said, "I'm happy that you think that way."
Suddenly, Wen Qingrang seemed to remember something and asked, almost as if possessed, "Burning Star, may I ask you a question?"
“Of course you can,” Jiang Ranxing replied, looking at him.
Wen Qingrang said quietly, "Why would you be willing to be with me?"
Jiang Ranxing paused for two seconds, lowered his head and thought for a moment, then said, "Hmm... I feel very comfortable with you. You always give me a sense of security, which is something no one else can give me."
Wen Qing's eyes darkened slightly, then she blinked as if nothing had happened.
"What's wrong?" Jiang Ranxing asked.
"It's nothing, I was just asking," Wen Qingrang replied, then stood up to clear the dishes. "Go back and rest, go to sleep early."
Jiang Ranxing originally wanted to help Wen Qingrang clean up the soup bowls, but the other party declined and went upstairs to her bedroom.
Jiang Ranxing didn't hesitate and went back to her bedroom to rest.
The dining table was easy to clear away, and Wen Qingrang finished in no time. When he came out from behind the island counter, he looked up at the bedroom where Jiang Ranxing was upstairs.
He just asked her why she was with him, and her answer was fine.
But Wen Qingrang felt a sense of loss.
Jiang Ranxing liked having him around and treated him very well, but Wen Qingrang could always vaguely sense that the feelings Jiang Ranxing showed towards him now were different from the straightforward and intense love she had shown towards Fu Shenyuan before.
Fu Shenyuan once enjoyed Jiang Ranxing's bright love, but he didn't cherish it. Wen Qingrang felt that this was unfair.
But Wen Qingrang couldn't say anything. Perhaps Jiang Ranxing had changed because of that trauma. That persistent love had transformed into a gentle, everyday affection. Perhaps Jiang Ranxing now loved herself just as she had loved someone else before.
Wen Qingrang let out a long sigh.
He had a lot on his mind today, and he knew why: Fu Shenyuan's appearance had disrupted everything.
Fu Shenyuan is truly a very troublesome person.
Wen Qingrang could only tell himself that everything was in the past and he didn't need to think too much. He and Jiang Ranxing just needed to live their own lives.
As long as the two of them are together, Fu Shenyuan will have little chance.
Thinking this, Wen Qingrang returned to his room and disappeared into the deep darkness of the night.
On the other side, Fu Shenyuan remained sober and silent in the darkness of the night.
He couldn't stop thinking about that phone call, about the accusations he had made against Jiang Ranxing, about how Wen Qingrang and she could be so intimate as to answer her phone, and about what had happened between them during those times when he didn't know about them.
Countless complex, trivial, and distressing emotions were like invisible ropes, binding Fu Shenyuan's heart.
He looked at the number in his hand that he could no longer dial, closed his eyes wearily, and after a long, long time, he silently dialed Tan Shen's number.
"Find her, do everything you can to find her. I'm only giving you three days."
Tan Shen replied from the other end, "Okay, don't worry."
Fu Shenyuan hung up the phone, and his heart suddenly ached again without warning.
There was medicine on the table beside him, medicine that the doctor had specially prescribed for him to treat his heartache. Fu Shenyuan looked down at it for a long time, but in the end he didn't pick it up.
He simply let himself experience this unspeakable heartache, as if he deserved to suffer it.
Fu Shenyuan couldn't help but recall the past. Back then, Jiang Ranxing would often call him. Sometimes he wouldn't see the call and naturally wouldn't answer. Even if he did see it later, he might not reply. Sometimes he would see the call, but when other things happened, he would abandon Jiang Ranxing and choose something else. Was Jiang Ranxing heartbroken back then? Or perhaps, the pain accumulated over the past six years was actually much more painful than what he was experiencing now.
These emotions kept accumulating, and they were about to break Fu Shenyuan's psychological defenses.
He closed his eyes and leaned back into the sofa, feeling uncomfortable.
Just then, his phone vibrated, the sound especially clear in the darkness. Fu Shenyuan immediately picked up the phone and looked at the incoming call number.
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