Chapter 217 It's My Fault to Her
Until he left, Fu Shenyuan kept quiet about where he was taking Jiang Ranxing.
Jiang Ranxing wasn't really in the mood to ask him anything. After leaving the villa and feeling the wider world and fresher air outside, her mood improved somewhat.
Fu Shenyuan didn't bring Tan Shen along today. Instead, he drove himself and had Jiang Ranxing sit in the passenger seat so that he could keep an eye on her out of the corner of his eye.
Jiang Ranxing barely paid any attention to Fu Shenyuan along the way until the car reached a familiar section of road, at which point Jiang Ranxing suddenly realized where he was going.
How did you know? Who told you?
When the light turned red, Jiang Ranxing turned her head and asked, looking at his handsome profile and wondering.
Fu Shenyuan smiled slightly, glanced at her, and said, "After I learned that you were Ember abroad, I did some research on you, this famous designer."
With just this one clue, and with the information network in Fu Shenyuan's hands, it wasn't difficult to find out that Ember was a disciple of Zhou Yinxiu; in fact, it was quite simple.
Jiang Ranxing chuckled softly, too lazy to bother with anything.
"Mr. Fu, you really do have the leisure to investigate such trivial matters."
Jiang Ranxing made a teasing and slightly sarcastic remark, but she didn't expect Fu Shenyuan to take it seriously.
With a few seconds left on the red light, Fu Shenyuan leaned closer and spoke to her solemnly.
"It's not unimportant. Don't underestimate yourself. You will always be my first choice."
When the green light came on, Fu Shenyuan quickly sat back down, leaving Jiang Ranxing with only a profile view of himself focused on driving.
Jiang Ranxing couldn't quite describe how she felt.
She had already gotten used to Fu Shenyuan saying nice things to her all the time and didn't take it seriously.
But just a moment ago, a strange feeling of reluctance and indifference arose.
It was as if when he said these words to her, she should have felt relieved, as if some long-suppressed emotion had found an outlet.
Jiang Ranxing didn't know why she had these feelings. Lately, she often felt this way. When she was around Fu Shenyuan, she would inexplicably feel some emotions that didn't seem to belong to her.
In those moments, her soul and body seemed to separate, each belonging to different fragments of memory.
Jiang Ranxing shook his head, suppressing the unrealistic thoughts in his mind.
The luxury car drove smoothly and arrived directly at the entrance of Yinxiu Villa.
Jiang Ranxing hesitated for a moment as soon as he grasped the car door handle.
Fu Shenyuan noticed her hesitation and said, "Your teacher won't blame you. Don't be afraid. Go ahead, I'll go in with you."
Jiang Ranxing was naturally looking forward to it. She hadn't seen her teacher in person for a long time, and Zhou Yinxiu treated her like a mother. To put it bluntly, what child wouldn't want to see their mother and return to her mother's embrace?
But at the same time, she was also a little scared. So much had happened in the past six months that she didn’t even know where to begin. If she told the teacher, would the teacher blame her for not telling her sooner?
Jiang Ranxing felt both anticipation and guilt, which is why she hesitated to take any action.
Fu Shenyuan had been observing Jiang Ranxing's expressions the whole time, and he had captured every detail of her facial expressions.
He got out of the car, then walked around to Jiang Ranxing's side and opened her car door.
Jiang Ranxing saw the man in front of her leaning down and extending his hand to invite her to get out of the car. She scoffed, then walked around Fu Shenyuan and got out of the car herself.
Fu Shenyuan was not annoyed by Jiang Ranxing's dismissive attitude towards him.
Instead, having grown accustomed to being ignored, she went to the trunk of the car to get the gift and followed Jiang Ranxing into the manor.
After Jiang Ranxing walked in, she didn't hesitate much anymore. It was time for her to apologize to the teacher. Running away all the time wasn't a solution.
The arrival of Jiang Ranxing and Fu Shenyuan quickly alerted the manor's steward. Upon seeing that it was Jiang Ranxing, the steward came over with great enthusiasm.
"Miss is back. Please come in and have a seat. I'll go upstairs and ask the master to come down."
Jiang Ranxing nodded and sat down comfortably on the sofa in the living room.
Fu Shenyuan then came in with gifts. He noticed that the butler and other servants treated Jiang Ranxing like their own young lady or daughter.
Fu Shenyuan suddenly realized that Jiang Ranxing, whom he had ignored and treated coldly, was also seen by others as the most pampered young lady and a daughter cherished in their palms.
At that time, Jiang Ranxing was willing to stay by his side and suffer cold treatment, all because of love.
The more Fu Shenyuan thought about this, the more his heart ached.
What exactly did he do? Why did he only realize he had lost the person he should have treated best?
Fu Shenyuan sighed almost imperceptibly, and when he looked up, he happened to meet Jiang Ranxing's gaze.
Jiang Ranxing looked at him and said as if in warning, "When the teacher comes down later, don't say anything carelessly. The teacher has worried a lot about us, so don't say anything that will upset the teacher."
Fu Shenyuan's expression froze for a few seconds; he was starting to lose face.
"Burning Star, how could I do anything to hurt you?" Fu Shenyuan couldn't help but ask back.
All that he's doing now is nothing in Jiang Ranxing's eyes. The fact that she can ask this question shows that she still doesn't believe in his sincerity.
What could be more embarrassing than making a lot of effort only to have the other person still refuse to accept it, or simply not want to?
"Why can't you try to trust me just once, Burning Star?"
Fu Shenyuan's eyes were filled with the pain of helplessness and struggle.
But Jiang Ranxing didn't feel that she should do anything about it.
“Fu Shenyuan, there’s no point in you saying that,” Jiang Ranxing sneered. “What obligation do I have to believe you?”
An arrow piercing the heart.
Fu Shenyuan felt embarrassed, ashamed, and resentful.
He clenched his fists tightly, frowned as he looked at Jiang Ranxing, and after a few seconds he took a deep breath and put on a relaxed and indifferent smile.
"It's okay, we have plenty of time in the future, and you'll trust me."
It's unclear who Fu Shenyuan was trying to say this to; perhaps he was just trying to hypnotize himself.
In short, Jiang Ranxing felt that she had no reason not to understand Fu Shenyuan.
She believes that Fu Shenyuan is the one who is a bit confused about the situation.
They don't really want to get back together. What's the point of talking about feelings between two people who are bound together by conditions and cooperation?
Jiang Ranxing glanced at his somewhat dejected look, but ultimately said nothing more.
If you don't see eye to eye, there's no point in saying anything more.
There was a noise coming from the stairs. Jiang Ranxing stood up and saw Zhou Yinxiu standing on the stairs. She hurriedly went over and helped Zhou Yinxiu.
"Teacher, I'm sorry it took me so long to come see you. It's Ranxing's fault."
Like a child who had done something wrong, Jiang Ranxing lowered his head and leaned against Zhou Yinxiu, whispering.
Zhou Yinxiu did not blame Jiang Ranxing. Instead, she led her to sit down on the sofa, took her hand and touched it, and then touched her cheek.
"What happened? You've lost even more weight than before. There's hardly any flesh on your hands and face." Jiang Ranxing was already quite slender and tall, so it's quite obvious that she has very little flesh on her body after losing so much weight.
Zhou Yinxiu didn't care about anything else, she only cared about whether Jiang Ranxing was feeling well.
"Is life abroad hard? Why don't you contact your teacher? I can come and take care of you."
Zhou Yinxiu had originally intended to say some harsh words to Jiang Ranxing to scare her, but seeing her thin and haggard appearance, she couldn't say any more lies, only words of heartfelt concern.
Jiang Ranxing kept his head down: "I...it wasn't convenient to contact you at the time, which is why it took so long."
Jiang Ranxing didn't intend to let Zhou Yinxiu know that she had been in a car accident and had been lying in bed for so long before waking up; she couldn't let her teacher worry any longer.
"Before I went abroad, I promised you that I would tell you if anything happened, but I still acted willfully like before. Teacher, will you be angry with me?"
Jiang Ranxing still mustered up the courage to ask.
Zhou Yinxiu's anger subsided quickly. She hugged Jiang Ranxing, who leaned against her teacher's warm, maternal shoulder, feeling a warm glow in her heart.
Zhou Yinxiu stroked Jiang Ranxing's hair gently.
"Silly child, what mother would truly hold a grudge against her own child? It's good that you're back, it's good that you're back. Stay with me for a while, I'll have someone help you recover. You need to eat more nutritious food."
Jiang Ranxing was so moved that tears welled up in her eyes. She quietly wiped them away before smiling and looking up at Zhou Yinxiu, embracing this "mother" who was truly good to her.
Zhou Yinxiu looked at her, her eyes also turning a little red.
Jiang Ranxing nodded: "I want to eat fish maw chicken. I'm going to stay here and wait for dinner."
Zhou Yinxiu was amused by her.
"You've loved this since you were a child. Don't worry, you don't want the fish maw flavor, right? I'll have someone stew it for you in a bit. Besides, this is your home. You can stay here as long as you want, it's perfectly natural."
Zhou Yinxiu also smiled, looking at Jiang Ranxing with affection, when she suddenly realized something.
"Where have you been living since you returned to China? Have you been living with that kid surnamed Wen, or in your old apartment?"
Upon hearing this, Jiang Ranxing paused for a moment, glancing in Fu Shenyuan's direction.
Fu Shenyuan stood aside watching the interaction between the master and disciple, which resembled that of a mother and daughter. He remained silent, his heart filled with mixed emotions.
He was very happy to see Jiang Ranxing being loved and cared for.
Then he thought that the reason they hadn't seen each other for so long was because of him, and he felt a pang of sadness.
How much did he owe Jiang Ranxing? If you count carefully, there are too many things he owed, both known and unknown.
Zhou Yinxiu then noticed the other people besides Jiang Ranxing, and the only other person was Fu Shenyuan.
Zhou Yinxiu's face instantly turned angry.
"What's he doing here?" Zhou Yinxiu looked at Fu Shenyuan and then at Jiang Ranxing.
"You two..." Zhou Yinxiu didn't finish her sentence, waiting for Jiang Ranxing's reply.
"No, we have no intention of getting back together. We're only together now because of some unavoidable circumstances, and we won't get back together."
Jiang Ranxing said with absolute certainty, "I promised you, I will not turn back, I will not break my promise."
Hearing Jiang Ranxing say that, Zhou Yinxiu was relieved: "That's good. Don't do anything foolish, child."
Jiang Ranxing nodded solemnly: "I have no intention of getting back together with him, so you can rest assured."
"What about you and that Wen family boy? I saw you two appear together at an event abroad before, and you looked very well-matched. You said that boy is nice, so you might consider giving him a try?" Zhou Yinxiu asked with concern.
Jiang Ranxing was stunned; she had no intention of hiding it from Zhou Yinxiu.
"Teacher, he and I... have already broken up. We were probably destined to be apart."
The regret in Jiang Ranxing's tone was hard to miss from Zhou Yinxiu's ears.
"Xiaoxing, tell your teacher the truth, you don't want to be separated from that child, right?" Zhou Yinxiu asked Jiang Ranxing to confirm.
When this matter was mentioned, Jiang Ranxing could no longer suppress the turmoil in his heart. In an instant, it was as if a hole had been torn open, and a torrent of undercurrents surged within him.
At this moment, Fu Shenyuan, who was standing to the side, was also waiting for Jiang Ranxing's answer.
Even though he already knew Jiang Ranxing's answer, he still hoped that Jiang Ranxing might have considered him for even a moment.
But Jiang Ranxing wouldn't consider him.
Jiang Ranxing nodded and affirmed, "Psychologically, we definitely don't want to separate, but there's nothing we can do. There are always times when we feel helpless in this world."
Jiang Ranxing has been thinking a lot these past few days.
Perhaps nothing in this world is perfect. Having experienced happiness and having received it is a blessing in itself. She cannot ask for too much. Perhaps in the script of fate, she and Wen Qingrang can only walk together for a while before they must part ways.
As for the pain in each other's hearts, perhaps it will gradually fade with time. Jiang Ranxing doesn't know what the future holds.
Zhou Yinxiu was older, so she naturally understood the helplessness Jiang Ranxing spoke of even more.
"Okay, but don't be discouraged. Sometimes things can turn around at the next point in time. Just live your life well and take care of yourself. There are many possibilities in the future. I believe that child also wants you to be happy."
Jiang Ranxing thought of Wen Qingrang's last words to her, which were the same as what Teacher Zhou had said.
"I will. I will take good care of myself for the sake of those who love me."
Jiang Ranxing felt much better, stood up, and said, "I'll go show off my skills to the teacher. I learned a new dish abroad, and I'll make it for you to try."
"Okay, you go ahead, I'll make a call back."
After putting on an apron with the housekeeper, Jiang Ranxing entered the kitchen and chatted and laughed with the chef as they cooked.
Zhou Yinxiu made a work call to her employees, and only after she finished speaking did she notice that Fu Shenyuan had been standing next to the sofa.
Her impression of Fu Shenyuan was extremely bad.
She has no reason to give a kind look to a man who does such immoral things to his daughter.
Zhou Yinxiu asked him, "Did you bring Xiaoxing here?"
Fu Shenyuan's attitude was unusually humble: "Yes, the three of us are living together now. She's been in a bad mood lately, and I thought I'd bring her over to see you so she might feel better. It seems I should bring her over sooner rather than later."
Zhou Yinxiu felt disdain for his somewhat ingratiating manner and snorted.
"Are you putting on an act for me? There's no need for that. Just tell me what you mean."
Fu Shenyuan did indeed intend to please Zhou Yinxiu, just like men usually try to please their mothers-in-law, so that they would feel at ease entrusting their daughters to her.
Clearly, Zhou Yinxiu should have known about his relationship with Jiang Ranxing from the beginning.
As for trying to please, that probably won't work.
Fu Shenyuan also became serious and said, "I am serious about Ranxing. This time, I will not let her be sad again. I will cherish her and protect her."
Zhou Yinxiu watched him make his solemn promise, but she was not moved.
"Stop bothering Xiaoxing. Have you forgotten how you treated her before?"
Thinking about this, Zhou Yinxiu could have a list of accounts to tell Fu Shenyuan, but she didn't intend to go through it item by item.
Zhou Yinxiu said directly, "Xiaoxing was originally a very lively and positive child. Her talent and hard work in design are unmatched by ordinary people. If such an outstanding person had devoted herself to her career at that young age, her achievements would be no less than mine, no less than anyone else's."
"But back then, Xiaoxing, who was just a little girl, told me that she didn't want to work or do design anymore. She wanted to marry you, love you properly, and build a good relationship and marriage with you. Do you know how long I tried to persuade her? But that little girl was determined to work hard for love. No one could match her courage in love."
“I explained all the pros and cons to her, but she was not afraid of the risk of shedding tears; she was looking forward to happiness.”
"Do you know why she was so hopeful? It's because her family of origin never gave her love, and she has never been loved by anyone. But there is a seed of love in her heart. She is willing to burn herself to create happiness. She wants to bring this happiness to you, who also lacks love. She knows that you also yearn for love. Maybe you are too similar. She can't save herself, but she thinks that maybe she can save you."
"But what did you do to her...?"
As soon as Zhou Yinxiu spoke, Fu Shenyuan's face drained of all color.
He had never heard anyone tell him about Jiang Ranxing's past before, and now that he had, it was like a slow, agonizing torture to his heart.
What did he do...?
"She met you and saw your loneliness and helplessness. She probably also saw herself as a child who was never loved. So, she was willing to hold an umbrella for you even though her own wounds had not yet healed."
"It's a pity that Xiaoxing is probably not destined for happiness. After following you, she was hurt both physically and mentally until all her strength was exhausted before she was willing to let go. Only then can she finally live a more carefree life."
Zhou Yinxiu stared at Fu Shenyuan's increasingly pale face and asked firmly, "What makes you think you can bring Xiaoxing happiness? Can you? Do you even deserve it?"
Fu Shenyuan couldn't utter a single word. All the pent-up emotions were stuck in his chest, and he was speechless with pain in his heart.
He could clearly feel the metallic taste of blood rising in his throat.
Fu Shenyuan tried his best to control himself, but his eyes turned completely red and were bloodshot.
He managed to utter a single sentence.
"It's my fault... I'm sorry to her..."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com