Chapter 177 The Distance of Longing
Fu Shenyuan looked up and saw colorful kites hanging in the sky. He stared at them for a long time until a new kite took flight, and his gaze was drawn to it.
For some reason, his heart skipped a few beats with unusual excitement, as if he were approaching something.
In the blink of an eye, as he turned his gaze from the sky to the distance, a flower cart filled with balloons drove past him.
The passing float sent a gust of wind through him, causing his trench coat to flutter wildly. A gust of cold wind blew against his chest, making him feel chilly for no reason.
Fu Shenyuan's gaze finally fell on the balloons on the float in front of him, and he suddenly thought of a moment in the past.
Once, he had to go with Jiang Ranxing to attend the wedding of a younger member of the Fu family. The wedding was like this: the green lawn was filled with all kinds of balloons.
Fu Shenyuan couldn't really remember clearly either. He only remembered that Jiang Ranxing seemed very happy and liked these romantic little things.
But at that time, he didn't care about these superficial things at all, nor did he care about Jiang Ranxing's thoughts and preferences.
Seeing these things now always makes him feel sad. If he had known how to cherish them back then and understood his own heart, he would have avoided so many detours, and things wouldn't have turned out this way between them.
He made too many mistakes, and perhaps even Heaven couldn't bear to watch anymore, so it took Jiang Ranxing away from him.
But he also wanted to tell God that he knew he was wrong, and he wanted a chance to make amends. Even if the road was destined to be difficult and full of thorns, he wanted to walk it without hesitation and see what would happen. He just wanted a chance, nothing more.
As Fu Shenyuan thought this, his heart grew even colder. He turned around behind the balloon float and walked away without looking back.
On the other side of the float, Wen Qingrang and Jiang Ranxing were still embracing. After a while, they both blushed and quickly separated, feeling awkward and unsure of where to look.
In that instant when they embraced and looked into each other's eyes, they both seemed to see some unspeakable emotion in each other's eyes, yet they remained silent, making it clear to each other that neither of them spoke of it.
Jiang Ranxing was mostly shy and embarrassed. She and Wen Qingrang had kept their distance for so long, and Wen Qingrang had never done anything inappropriate to her. So, it was still a bit awkward when they first met.
She glanced at Wen Qingrang twice, but he didn't seem to react. Jiang Ranxing felt a little disappointed, but then her attention was drawn to the balloon float across the street, and she forgot about her discomfort.
Jiang Ranxing's eyes were glued to the colorful and beautiful balloons, so he said as they walked, "Qingrang, let's go look at the balloons and buy a couple to take home."
Wen Qingrang remained motionless for a long time until he could feel a real, steady heartbeat again, then he looked at Jiang Ranxing again.
When the two of them looked at each other just now, he even had an impulse to express his feelings to Jiang Ranxing again. Maybe this time Jiang Ranxing wouldn't reject him like before, but Jiang Ranxing's seemingly indifferent attitude made him give up the idea.
If Jiang Ranxing refuses to accept him, their ending will be the same as before, and he can only restrain his feelings and not disturb her.
He no longer has the confidence to control his unbearable emotions.
Wen Qingrang is considering when the right opportunity will arise to express his feelings to Jiang Ranxing again.
He looked up at Jiang Ranxing, who was already standing next to the float picking out balloons. Seeing her happy expression, Wen Qingrang smiled faintly and walked towards Jiang Ranxing.
Finally, Jiang Ranxing picked out two very cute balloons, and he and Wen Qing each took one. After strolling around the park for a while, they went home together.
When the two of them went back, they strolled around a large shopping mall nearby and bought a lot of fresh ingredients. Wen Qingrang planned to cook a nice meal for Jiang Ranxing that evening.
The two were in the seafood section. Wen Qingrang showed no airs of a rich person and picked out plump, fresh crucian carp from the fish tank himself.
The fishmonger was a middle-aged Chinese woman. Watching Wen Qingrang carefully selecting fish and giving instructions, she couldn't help but sigh, "Oh, young lady, your husband seems to be a really good man. Unlike my husband, a foreigner who doesn't know anything and is clueless about kitchen matters. My biggest wish in this life is to have a husband like yours to help me. Seeing you two so loving makes me envious."
Jiang Ranxing felt a little embarrassed listening to this. She thought it sounded nice, but in reality, they weren't what the boss thought at all.
Jiang Ranxing whispered, "Boss, we're not husband and wife yet, but he really is a nice person..."
Looking at Wen Qingrang, Jiang Ranxing felt a warm feeling slowly flowing through her heart.
She suddenly realized that if she hadn't been engaged to Fu Shenyuan and hadn't gotten married before, and if she had met someone like Wen Qingrang from the beginning, perhaps her life would be very different now. The two of them would not necessarily be sweet together, but they would at least be respectful to each other. It would never be like Fu Shenyuan, where the two of them had no feelings for each other and eventually got divorced.
The fishmonger could tell what was going on just by looking at the two of them. She said, "Young lady, if a man like that has a better character, he's still worth marrying. I've been there. If you find a responsible man who treats you well, your future will be easier. Besides, I can see that the young man really likes you. Don't miss out on this opportunity. It's rare to find someone you're meant to be with."
Jiang Ranxing smiled and nodded.
Just then, Wen Qingrang finished choosing his fish, handed the basket to the shopkeeper, and asked Jiang Ranxing, "What are you talking about? You seem so happy."
Jiang Ranxing looked at his face, then looked away, glancing around as she said, "It's nothing, just chatting."
However, Wen Qingrang still noticed the blush on Jiang Ranxing's face. He felt that Jiang Ranxing was shy or something, but he didn't ask because he was afraid that Jiang Ranxing would feel embarrassed.
However, just because he didn't ask doesn't mean the fishmonger wouldn't tell him. The fishmonger continued, "Young man, I think the girl likes you quite a bit. Don't keep her waiting too long. You like this girl too, right? Lovers shouldn't waste time."
Jiang Ranxing was so embarrassed that she didn't know what to say, and turned away shyly.
Wen Qingrang paid the money, took the bag of fish, and, watching Jiang Ranxing's retreating figure, smiled and chased after him.
On the way home, Jiang Ranxing didn't say anything. Wen Qingrang knew she was shy at this moment, so he didn't say anything either and drove silently. Ten minutes later, the two arrived home. Jiang Ranxing quickly went back to her bedroom upstairs, without even listening to Wen Qingrang's words.
Wen Qingrang shook his head, took the various ingredients into the kitchen, and went to prepare dinner.
Jiang Ranxing felt embarrassed and her mind was a bit chaotic, so she decided to look at her work to distract herself from the tension. She opened her drawing board and drew some design drafts. After a while, Mia's video call came in.
Jiang Ranxing took the call and asked, "Mia, why are you calling me so early?"
There is a time difference between the two countries. It's almost evening here for Jiang Ranxing, but it's actually 8 a.m. in China.
Mia was enthusiastically telling Jiang Ranxing about interesting things that happened at work today, and Jiang Ranxing forgot about what had just happened while listening.
When Jiang Ranxing suddenly realized it, he just stood there in a daze.
Mia asked with some concern, "Sis, what's wrong? Why are you suddenly spacing out?"
Jiang Ranxing snapped out of her daze: "Oh, it's nothing. I just suddenly feel like my memory isn't working so well anymore."
Mia understands this all too well: "I've also noticed lately that your memory isn't as good as it used to be. You don't remember a lot of things I tell you, or you always get them mixed up."
Jiang Ranxing hadn't really realized it before, but she gradually found out. However, she didn't tell Mia about her car accident and her long coma, because she was afraid that Mia would worry about her.
So Jiang Ranxing mumbled, "Maybe he hasn't rested well yet. He'll probably be fine in a while."
After all, she had only recently woken up from a coma, and she felt that she hadn't fully recovered yet.
So she didn't take it seriously.
Mia continued, "Then you should rest more, sister. Why don't you postpone your work for now? Even though you haven't revealed your identity, you're still active. Our studio has always been profitable, so you don't have to go to work anymore. You don't need to be so strict with yourself."
Jiang Ranxing understood what Mia meant. Designers who reach her level of fame and recognition can maintain their reputation even if they don't release a single piece of work for several years. This reputation is enough to bring in a lot of income. That's why big designers usually don't release works as frequently after they become famous.
Jiang Ranxing could certainly do that, but she still has certain requirements for herself. She gave up her design career for marriage, and when she returned to the workplace to pick up design again, she also put in a lot of effort to keep up with the current trends and relearn many things. Fashion is like that, changing every day. So many things have changed in six years, so she has to work even harder.
Therefore, Jiang Ranxing now understands that even if he becomes famous, he cannot slack off, and he must also give an account to those who like him and have expectations of him.
Jiang Ranxing said, "I still want to return to the design industry as soon as possible. I don't want to rest anymore. I will take good care of my health, so don't worry."
Jiang Ranxing was comforting Mia, and in doing so, he was also comforting himself.
Mia had no choice but to nod: "Okay, then we won't consider the company you rejected before, sister. I'll have Manager Shen call them later. Do you have any thoughts on the other two companies, sister?"
Jiang Ranxing called today to discuss this: "I've chosen one of them, let's connect with them."
When Mia saw the one Jiang Ranxing had chosen, she said, "SR Fashion, we discussed it in the studio and thought it was a good company. They suddenly contacted us. Apparently, they didn't really collaborate with outside designers before, mostly using their own internal designers. I don't know why they suddenly became interested in the outside world."
Jiang Ranxing asked in confusion, "Don't they collaborate with outside designers?"
“Yes,” Mia nodded. “This company was actually one of our top choices, but we gave up on it before because we didn’t work with other designers. I didn’t expect them to suddenly realize this now. If you like it too, that would be even better. I’ll have Manager Shen contact them.”
Jiang Ranxing nodded. Suddenly, there was a knock on the bedroom door. Jiang Ranxing hummed in response. Wen Qingrang pushed the door open from the outside, still wearing an apron.
Wen Qingrang said, "Ranxing, let's draw later. Come down and eat first. I made your favorite food."
Mia watched the video with a gossipy expression, but could only see Jiang Ranxing in front of her. Jiang Ranxing nodded and said, "Okay, I'll change my clothes and come downstairs in a bit."
Wen Qingrang smiled and closed the door.
Mia, her face full of expression, said, "Sis, what's going on between you and Qingrang? You two seem like a young married couple..."
"Oh dear, Mia," Jiang Ranxing said, embarrassed by the gossip, "It's not like that at all..."
Mia seemed to notice Jiang Ranxing's shyness: "No? I feel like you two are. You two live under the same roof and spend so much time together, it's inevitable that feelings will develop over time. Tell me quickly, how far have things progressed between you and Qingrang?"
Jiang Ranxing laughed, then asked her in a drawn-out tone, "When did you become so familiar with Qingrang-ge, calling him so intimately, and gossiping about your sister like this?"
"That's normal. You're my sister, and he lives with you, so naturally he's my brother. Maybe he can call me brother-in-law in the future?" Mia teased.
Jiang Ranxing smiled faintly, glanced at the time, and said, "Alright, I'm not going to banter with you anymore. I'm going downstairs to eat. You can go and get busy too."
"Okay, bye-bye sis, see you later." Mia hung up the phone.
Jiang Ranxing got up and took out her usual loungewear from the closet. It was a very ordinary set of gray cotton long-sleeved shirt and trousers. After looking at it, Jiang Ranxing decided to put it back in the closet. She then found a plain dress and changed into it before coming downstairs.
Wen Qingrang was bringing the dishes to the table when he saw Jiang Ranxing's attire and asked, "Why are you dressed up so nicely for dinner today?"
Wen Qingrang didn't stop what he was doing and continued to busy himself at the dining table and in the kitchen. Jiang Ranxing wanted to go over and help, but was pressed down on the shoulder and sat down at the dining table.
"I'll take care of it, you can rest." Wen Qingrang said, and soon filled the table with all of Jiang Ranxing's favorite dishes.
Jiang Ranxing felt somewhat embarrassed. She was ashamed that she had changed into a dress at the last minute, unlike her usual casual style. She just wanted Wen Qingrang to see her in a better state. She was starting to care about Wen Qingrang's impression of her, and Jiang Ranxing could sense that.
When a person starts to care about what someone else thinks of them, it means they've started to care about that person in return; otherwise, it wouldn't matter what that person thinks of them.
Jiang Ranxing smiled with his head down, saying nothing.
After Wen Qingrang finished setting everything down, he took off his apron and sat down at the table opposite Jiang Ranxing. Seeing her still somewhat embarrassed face, he smiled too.
"Alright, stop thinking about that and let's eat."
Wen Qingrang guessed that Jiang Ranxing was already hungry, so she didn't want to say anything more before eating and wanted her to rest first.
Jiang Ranxing picked up his chopsticks and tasted the steamed fish in front of him. It was refreshing and not greasy, while retaining the fish's own freshness.
Jiang Ranxing smiled and praised, "I knew you were a good cook, but I didn't know you were this good. I rarely get to eat such delicious fish."
She didn't hold back her praise; she genuinely thought Wen Qingrang's skills were excellent. As she said this, she thought of the fishmonger's words.
Don't miss out on such a good man; it's rare to find someone you're destined to be with.
Jiang Ranxing paused, picking up food with her chopsticks, and secretly glanced at Wen Qingrang.
Her little actions did not escape Wen Qingrang's eyes. Jiang Ranxing always had many cute moments today, making Wen Qingrang want to tease her for a moment.
"What's wrong? Do you really want to consider me as your partner, like the fishmonger said?"
Wen Qingrang only meant to tease her, but she didn't expect Jiang Ranxing to actually blush. She hurriedly grabbed the cup to drink some water.
"Hey, watch out, it's hot!"
"Ouch—it's so hot—"
Jiang Ranxing didn't notice that the cup still contained freshly boiled water, and after taking a sip, he burned the tip of his tongue.
Wen Qingrang regretted teasing Jiang Ranxing earlier, so she immediately went to the refrigerator to find ice cubes, poured some ice water for Jiang Ranxing to hold in her mouth to cool down.
Wen Qing's face turned red from the heat, but it actually looked quite pretty with its rosy glow.
Wen Qingrang said, "I shouldn't have joked with you just now. I just overheard your conversation with the fishmonger and was just joking. You don't need to be nervous."
Wen Qingrang comforted her, but he was still a little disappointed. Jiang Ranxing's reaction to this matter was still so strong. It seemed that Jiang Ranxing would not be able to accept him for a while.
It's okay, he doesn't want to force her. He'll express his feelings to Jiang Ranxing when she's ready and in the mood to talk about these things.
Although he was joking just now, he did have some truth to it. It would be a lie to say that he wasn't disappointed at all. But Wen Qingrang didn't want to show it and upset Jiang Ranxing, so he could only let Jiang Ranxing eat after the food was no longer too hot.
The ice in Jiang Ranxing's mouth gradually melted, and the ice also helped to calm her mind.
After a while, she picked up her chopsticks and bowl again, silently shoveling rice into the bowl, and whispered, "It's not because of those words, it's because I'm embarrassed."
Wen Qingrang paused for a few seconds, then his eyes gradually lit up: "You mean... you also...?"
Jiang Ranxing didn't speak, but nodded silently, her ears seeming to blush slightly.
Wen Qingrang watched her actions, and as he watched, he smiled silently to himself.
Jiang Ranxing's behavior clearly shows that she is not as resistant to him anymore, which means that he still has hope.
Wen Qingrang was a little excited and wanted to seek answers from Jiang Ranxing again.
But Jiang Ranxing didn't want to get stuck in such a passive mood, so he changed the subject and said, "I just talked to Mia, and I'm planning to contact SR about a collaboration. What do you think?"
Wen Qingrang also tacitly didn't want to make things difficult for Jiang Ranxing any further, so he replied very seriously: "I think it's okay. You can talk to them and then decide whether to cooperate. If things here aren't good, we can go to another country or city."
In fact, as long as Jiang Ranxing is happy, he feels that anywhere is fine and he will not be bound by this issue at all.
Jiang Ranxing said, "I'll talk to them first before making a decision. But what's strange is that they never collaborated with other designers before, but they've set a precedent for me. Qingrang, do you think there might be some problems here?"
After all, Jiang Ranxing had already become wary of Zhan Shuo from last time, and if the person he was going to cooperate with wasn't up to par, the cooperation wouldn't be able to proceed normally.
Wen Qingrang said firmly this time, "No, I've investigated this family's background, and it's quite clean."
Jiang Ranxing trusted Wen Qingrang's judgment, so she didn't say anything more, and the two continued eating.
Meanwhile, in another hotel in the city, Fu Shenyuan felt a sharp pain in his heart as he listened to Tan Shen's report, which still yielded no results.
"There's still no news of your wife. Our people are searching for her as quickly as possible." Tan Shen repeated the same thing, but Fu Shenyuan didn't want to hear it anymore.
Did he miss Jiang Ranxing again? Where is she? Why can't he find her?
Where did the person in that photo go from this place to some place he can't find?
No one knows the answer, and no one can tell him how to get out of the feeling of despair.
Tan Shen saw the intense disappointment in Fu Shenyuan's eyes. Although he felt sorry for him, it was better than Fu Shenyuan remaining depressed and dejected in China.
Tan Shen comforted him, saying, "President Fu, don't be too anxious. Perhaps your wife is still here, but we just haven't found her yet. You can take over the new company while waiting for news from our investigation."
Fu Shenyuan didn't say anything more. He had no other choice but to do so.
The pain and torment of longing had been lingering in his heart ever since the torrential rain that had poured down on Jiang Ranxing.
The rain had long since ended, but the rain in Fu Shenyuan's heart showed no sign of stopping for even a moment.
The cold rain will forever pound on his heart.
Jiang Ranxing was truly like a star that illuminated the mountains and rivers. Once he disappeared, he was gone forever. The mountains and rivers lost their light and color, leaving only darkness and helplessness in the darkness.
Fu Shenyuan felt a sharp pain in his chest, and the bitter, sour feeling in his throat was something he could neither spit out nor swallow, tormenting him like a suffocating feeling in his heart.
Where are you? Can I see you? Even just to see if you're doing well? Fu Shenyuan pleaded, hoping that heaven would give him a little bit of light.
He had no other choice but to keep searching. He was sure he would find her and tell her what was on his mind, how guilty he felt, how regretful he was, and how much he missed her.
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