Chapter 206 Suspicion
The father and son did not answer her, and the question was simply postponed to the next day.
But she was still conflicted, and when she went downstairs in the morning, she stopped Fu Shenyuan again.
"Did you...do something to wrong me in the past?" Jiang Ranxing asked again, her voice tinged with a hint of probing, her eyes fixed on Fu Shenyuan.
Fu Shenyuan's hand holding the porridge trembled slightly. He forced a smile and denied it, saying, "What are you talking about? I just wanted to cook you a meal, Ranxing. Don't doubt my original intention."
“But,” Jiang Ranxing frowned, her tone becoming even more certain, “you look a lot like… the one I made for you before?”
Fu Shenyuan's eyes darted away for a moment before he quickly changed the subject: "When I was abroad, I also cooked for myself. Speaking of which, your cooking should be much better than mine."
Jiang Ranxing didn't respond to him, but just looked at him quietly without saying a word.
Breakfast was eaten in silence. Fu Shenyuan put down his chopsticks and said, "I have to go to the company. There's a meeting today that I need to arrange in advance."
"So early?" Jiang Ranxing asked casually.
"Yes, it's a very important meeting after all, and there's a lot to do." Fu Shenyuan stood up, picked up his coat, and said, "I'll be going now."
He hurriedly left the villa, and Jiang Ranxing watched his anxious back, lost in thought.
Watching Fu Shenyuan's hurried departure, Jiang Ranxing's heart was stirred.
She always felt that something was being obscured, but she didn't know it.
"What exactly is he hiding..." Jiang Ranxing murmured.
She recalled his strange expression last night, the complex emotions that flashed across his eyes, that peculiar look, and now, how he fled as if escaping.
All of these reactions were completely different from the cold and aloof Fu Shenyuan she remembered.
For her relationship with Fu Shenyuan to have developed to this point, something else must have happened.
"Did he really do anything to wrong me before?" This thought lingered in her mind. That inexplicable sense of guilt seemed to be deliberately conveyed to her by Fu Shenyuan, making her begin to examine everything.
She went to the living room and called over the nanny and housekeeper who usually took care of the villa.
Jiang Ranxing called over the nanny, her voice tinged with weariness, "How long have you been working here?"
"Madam, I can't remember either. I was here before you arrived," the nanny replied respectfully.
"Did something unpleasant happen between you and my husband before?" Jiang Ranxing carefully chose her words, not daring to be too direct.
A hint of hesitation flashed across the nanny's face as she lowered her head and said, "Madam, I'm not entirely clear about what happened back then. You and your husband both had your own things to do at the time."
The nanny spoke vaguely, her eyes intentionally or unintentionally avoiding Jiang Ranxing's gaze, "However, the master has always been... very good to his wife."
"Fine?" Jiang Ranxing caught the word and felt even more confused. If he had always been "fine," then why did she feel so much estrangement and doubt?
She then turned to the housekeeper: "Housekeeper, I remember you used to work at the Fu family's old residence?"
The butler nodded and said, "Yes, Madam. We butlers all worked at the old house for a while to learn the rules."
"Then you should know about what happened between my husband and me before, right?" Jiang Ranxing's tone sounded somewhat urgent.
The butler's expression also became somewhat complicated. He sighed and said, "Madam, I'm not at liberty to say much about what happened back then."
He paused and said, "I can only say that the reason he is like this now is because of the past, which he still has a lot to let go of."
"What can't you let go of?" Jiang Ranxing pressed, his doubts growing stronger.
The butler simply shook his head: "Madam, I really don't know about these things. Many things are between the master and mistress, and I can't say anything more about the master's affairs."
The stammering of the nanny and housekeeper seemed to confirm Jiang Ranxing's suspicions.
She began to believe more strongly that something was amiss.
Jiang Ranxing stared at the empty villa, clenching her fists. She couldn't continue to be passive like this. She had to uncover the truth behind the buried past, the secrets that made Fu Shenyuan feel guilty and made her suspicious. She needed to understand why she felt he had treated her badly in the past, and why he was behaving so differently now.
"I must know," Jiang Ranxing made up his mind.
She wanted to take the initiative to investigate and find her own answers.
To dispel the lingering shadow in Fu Shenyuan's heart, and also to resolve the confusion in her own heart.
"Mommy, Mommy!" The child's innocent cry pierced through Jiang Ranxing's thoughts.
She turned around and saw Fu Xingyi rubbing his sleepy eyes as he ran out of the room. His small body rushed into her arms, his soft cheeks rubbing against her neck.
Jiang Ranxing was truly charmed by his son's cuteness, and a warm feeling welled up in her heart. She gently hugged him.
She recalled the fleeting tenderness on Fu Shenyuan's face when he mentioned their son, and her mood calmed down a little.
"Mommy, I'm hungry." Fu Xingyi looked up and mumbled in a childish voice.
"Are you hungry? Mom will take you to have breakfast." Jiang Ranxing responded gently, but she already had a plan in mind.
"I asked Dad, and he said he made breakfast for Mom." Fu Xingyi blinked, looking very serious.
“Yes, your dad made breakfast for your mom,” Jiang Ranxing said casually, a hint of probing in her smile.
"Wow! I want to make breakfast for my mom too!" Fu Xingyi's eyes suddenly lit up as he excitedly exclaimed.
Jiang Ranxing's heart stirred. This was exactly what she wanted. Her son's thoughtfulness towards her made her feel that perhaps she could find some clues from him.
"Really? Yiyi wants to make breakfast for Mom?" Jiang Ranxing feigned surprise, squatted down, and looked directly into her son's eyes.
"Yes! I want to cook the best meal for Mom!" Fu Xingyi nodded vigorously, his little face full of seriousness.
"So, did your dad... often cook for your mom before?" Jiang Ranxing cautiously asked her first probing question.
Fu Xingyi blinked, his little head spinning rapidly. He sensed that his mother's tone and gaze were different from usual.
"Mom, why are you suddenly asking this?" Fu Xingyi asked back, his tone tinged with wariness.
Jiang Ranxing's heart tightened. Sure enough, her son was very clever. She forced herself to remain calm and explained with a smile, "Mom was just curious. You've never mentioned this before. Did your father often take care of you when you were little?"
Fu Xingyi looked at his mother, and the inquiry and a hint of barely perceptible expectation in her eyes made him feel uneasy.
He had a vague feeling that his mother was testing him about something, but he didn't want to talk about it.
And it seems that her probing targets are not only her father, but also him.
“My dad is sometimes busy,” Fu Xingyi said, cleverly avoiding the question instead of giving a direct answer.
"Then, when Mom was sick before, did your dad take care of her?" Jiang Ranxing continued to ask.
“Mom,” Fu Xingyi suddenly became serious. He reached out his small hand and gently touched Jiang Ranxing’s cheek. “You seem a little different today.”
Jiang Ranxing's heart sank. Her son's keen insight surprised her, and she felt somewhat defeated.
"What's different?" She could only continue to pretend to be relaxed.
"Um, Mom, do you want to know something about Dad's past?" Fu Xingyi asked cautiously, his tone tinged with worry, as if he were afraid of touching on some taboo.
Jiang Ranxing's heart skipped a beat. Looking into her son's clear eyes, she felt completely exposed in front of him.
"Mom just..." She tried to find a reason, but found herself unable to speak.
“Mom, I want you to be happy,” Fu Xingyi paused, a hint of childlike maturity flashing in his eyes, “However, I’m afraid you’ll be reminded of some unhappy things.”
He looked at his mother and said, "Dad is treating Mom very well now, and I think that's good."
Jiang Ranxing paused, and remained silent.
"Mom, let's have breakfast!" Fu Xingyi suddenly changed the subject. He didn't want his mother to continue worrying, and he didn't want her to be sad.
Jiang Ranxing looked at her son, letting her know that she couldn't ask him anymore.
She understood that she needed to find the answers herself, rather than getting them from this growing child.
“Okay, let’s have breakfast.” Jiang Ranxing took a deep breath, looked at her son, and made a silent decision.
She was determined to uncover the truth of the past, even if it brought bad things; she needed to know.
Today, she was nicer to her son and tried to get some information out of him, but she discovered that her son was smarter and more sensible than she had imagined.
He seemed to sense something, but was unwilling to say anything.
This made her think more deeply about the subsequent investigation.
On this day, through cautious probing and vague responses, Jiang Ranxing did not obtain any substantial information.
She tried to get information out of her son, but to no avail.
In the evening, Fu Xingyi suddenly ran over and said excitedly, "Mom, Dad got off work early today, we can go pick him up together!"
Jiang Ranxing was somewhat surprised, but a sense of anticipation welled up inside her. Being able to watch Fu Shenyuan leave work with Fu Xingyi might allow her to observe his state of mind more closely.
“Okay, let’s go together,” Jiang Ranxing replied with a smile.
They arrived at the building where Fu Shenyuan's company was located.
When Fu Shenyuan saw the mother and son, a hint of surprise appeared on his face. He walked over, squatted down, and gave Fu Xingyi a hug. Then he turned his head and looked at Jiang Ranxing, his eyes filled with a barely perceptible tenderness.
Just then, a familiar voice rang out: "Burning Star? It really is you!"
Jiang Ranxing looked up at the sound and saw a man in a suit walking towards them. It was Ji Shiheng, her former suitor.
Ji Shiheng's eyes still held that familiar burning passion and deep affection. He smiled, his gaze lingering on Jiang Ranxing, as if trying to find a trace of the past in her face.
"President Ji." Jiang Ranxing smiled awkwardly, stepped forward, and put his arm around Fu Xingyi from behind.
"Long time no see." Ji Shiheng's gaze shifted to Fu Xingyi, a hint of inquiry flashing in his eyes, before he smiled politely. "And this is..."
"You've met him, he's my son, Xingyi," Jiang Ranxing introduced, trying to keep her tone calm.
Fu Xingyi looked at Ji Shiheng. Although he was still young, his eyes were like those of a well-trained soldier, instantly catching the unfriendly gaze directed at his mother from the unfamiliar uncle in front of him. He keenly sensed that his mother seemed somewhat uncomfortable.
"Mom, my stomach... my stomach hurts so much!" Fu Xingyi suddenly clutched his stomach and groaned in pain.
Jiang Ranxing was startled and quickly squatted down: "Yiyi? What's wrong? Where does it hurt?"
"Yes, right here!" Fu Xingyi pointed to his lower abdomen, clenching his teeth, looking as if he could hardly bear it.
Ji Shiheng watched this scene with a hint of disappointment on his face. He had just looked at Jiang Ranxing and seemed to see an emotion hidden in his eyes. He wanted to go up and chat with him, but he had to stop because of Fu Xingyi's cry of "stomach ache".
"Ranxing, how is your son?" Ji Shiheng hesitated, but seeing Jiang Ranxing's anxious expression, he ultimately didn't say anything more.
"I'm taking Yiyi back, Mr. Ji. We'll talk again next time." Jiang Ranxing didn't have time to say more to Ji Shiheng. He picked up Fu Xingyi and turned to walk towards home.
Fu Xingyi, nestled in his mother's arms, quietly raised his head and glanced at Ji Shiheng. He knew this uncle liked his mother, and he didn't want her to think about the past or feel anything about this uncle. He just wanted to protect his mother and keep her from being disturbed.
Back home, Fu Xingyi's stomach "illness" was gone. He snuggled up to Jiang Ranxing and whispered, "Mom, was that uncle very fierce before?"
Jiang Ranxing looked at her son, feeling a little puzzled. She had wanted to ask him about what had happened before, but now she was stumped by his question.
“He wasn’t fierce. He was just my mother’s boss before.” Jiang Ranxing thought for a moment and tried to explain in the simplest way possible.
"A leader?" Fu Xingyi's eyes lit up, then his little brows furrowed again. "Does Dad know?"
Jiang Ranxing's heart sank. She knew that her son was testing her, but also protecting her. He didn't want her to think about things that might make her sad, especially things related to people from the past.
“Dad knows,” Jiang Ranxing replied gently, though she herself didn’t know if her father really knew, but she didn’t want her son to feel uneasy.
"Oh," Fu Xingyi nodded as if he understood, looking at his mother with earnest eyes, "Mom, I hope you will always be happy. Let bygones be bygones."
Jiang Ranxing looked at her son, her heart filled with mixed emotions. She knew that her son didn't really have a stomachache; he was just using his own way to prevent her from contacting Ji Shiheng and to stop her from touching anything that might hurt her.
She still didn't get an answer that day. Instead, her son's intelligence and understanding made her realize even more that she needed to face and solve everything independently.
She looked at Fu Xingyi, and a surge of strength welled up inside her.
She needs to find the truth, for her own sake and for the sake of those long-buried memories.
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