Chapter 189 Past and Present
Jiang Ranxing didn't move, sensing the man behind her revealing his vulnerable side without reservation.
His actions actually puzzled Jiang Ranxing, and his seemingly sincere words of pleas for him to stay were quite touching.
This man probably knew his own charm; almost no one could resist him bowing his head like that.
But reality is not like an idol drama; some touching scenes will not happen, and the reality between them is even more direct and cruel.
Jiang Ranxing's expression turned cold. She sighed inexplicably and then said, "Fu Shenyuan, there's no chance between us anymore. Let's not make things difficult for each other. Let's part amicably so that everyone can get by. Why make such a scene? This isn't like you."
In my memory, Fu Shenyuan was always an outstanding person who stood in a position that ordinary people could hardly look up to. He was an extraordinary prodigy, and people who stand at that height never bow their heads.
Jiang Ranxing intended to have a serious talk with him, so she said, "Let me go first, and then we can discuss these issues."
Seeing that Jiang Ranxing's tone had softened considerably, Fu Shenyuan released his grip, but did not let Jiang Ranxing leave the area he was in.
Jiang Ranxing looked at him with a helpless expression, not wanting to get angry with him anymore, as it was pointless.
“Fu Shenyuan, our marriage has come to this point, which is now broken. Perhaps it was destined. We have accepted this outcome, haven’t we? I don’t understand why you are still clinging to the things you have imagined. In fact, you don’t love me. If you loved me, we wouldn’t have separated, at least not so soon. It’s because we no longer have love for each other that we have come to this point. Do you understand? Your so-called awakening, in my opinion, is just possessiveness after regret.”
Jiang Ranxing tried her best to speak in a gentle and polite tone, without letting any unnecessary emotions get in.
As Fu Shenyuan listened to her say so much, the color in his eyes grew darker and darker. He could not suppress the grief and pain in his heart, and he tried his best to make every word clear through gritted teeth.
"Burning Star, it's you who doesn't understand. You probably never understood what kind of person I am. We rarely communicated before, and naturally, I didn't want you to enter my life, so you never had the chance to understand the real me."
Fu Shenyuan pulled Jiang Ranxing's hand and drew her into his arms, forcing her to wrap her arms around his waist.
Fu Shenyuan looked down at her and said, "Give me a chance. Let's get to know each other again and piece together the love we missed. I won't miss a single bit of your love from now on, okay?"
With the two of them pressed close together, Jiang Ranxing had no choice but to look up into Fu Shenyuan's eyes. His eyes were full of intense emotions, while she felt only bewilderment.
Jiang Ranxing murmured, "My...love? When have I ever had any love for you?"
Jiang Ranxing blinked, which made Fu Shenyuan feel a chill run down his spine.
Only then did he begin to examine Jiang Ranxing's condition, and it seemed that something was different from before.
Jiang Ranxing used to reject him and say things like "let's break up," but she never seemed to have that cool and bewildered look in her eyes like she does now.
Fu Shenyuan then began to realize that something was amiss, ever since his two encounters with Jiang Ranxing abroad.
Whether it's appearance, demeanor, way of speaking, or subtle details, it's clearly the same person, but something seems off; those things are different from before.
Fu Shenyuan narrowed his eyes, looking at Jiang Ranxing, and asked in a deep voice, "Ranxing, don't you remember our past?"
After a couple of seconds of blankness, Jiang Ranxing asked, "Is it really necessary to remember those things? They weren't exactly pleasant memories."
What's there to remember about a marriage devoid of love? As Jiang Ranxing thought this, she felt a slight discomfort in her head, a faint tingling sensation flashing through her mind. She shook her head, trying to suppress the discomfort.
Hearing her answer and seeing the way Jiang Ranxing spoke, Fu Shenyuan felt a chill in his heart. He seemed to realize something, so he asked incredulously.
"Do you...do you still remember why we got married? Do you remember..."
Fu Shenyuan didn't finish his sentence. He wanted to ask, "Do you still remember how much you used to love me?" But he couldn't bring himself to ask it at that moment.
Jiang Ranxing held her head in her hands and said impatiently, "Why ask this? It's just a marriage contract that forced us to get married, or something about our parents deciding it. If it weren't for the circumstances back then, I don't think I would have married you."
Jiang Ranxing's words chilled Fu Shenyuan's heart considerably.
What is she saying?
Fu Shenyuan's eyes flickered with panic in an instant. He reached out and grabbed her shoulders, controlling her entire body in his hands and forcing her to look into his eyes.
His words were no longer composed, but filled with panic and confusion; even his hands were trembling.
“That’s not how it is, Ranxing,” Fu Shenyuan’s eyes were filled with tears, “We got married because you loved me, do you remember?”
Jiang Ranxing was stunned for a moment, then pushed him away: "What nonsense are you talking about, Fu Shenyuan? When have I ever loved you? I have never loved you from beginning to end. You, you're not just imagining things, are you?"
Fu Shenyuan's hand froze; he really didn't understand why Jiang Ranxing would say that.
The events that had happened between them flashed through their minds like a revolving lantern, and all the details between them became clearer and clearer.
Jiang Ranxing and he met when they were teenagers, when they had grown into the most beautiful young men and women of their youth.
Jiang Ranxing's passionate expressions of love for him on campus shone brightly time and time again. Throughout their university years, she maintained the same sincere affection for him. Even after they graduated, got married, and lived together, she never concealed her true feelings.
These things really existed, so how could they be figments of his imagination? And why doesn't Jiang Ranxing remember them?
Fu Shenyuan was so smart that he understood what was going on in an instant.
That car accident...
Jiang Ranxing changed after that car accident. He wasn't entirely sure of the specifics, but one thing was certain: Jiang Ranxing definitely changed because of that accident.
Thinking of this, Fu Shenyuan looked at Jiang Ranxing with concern and asked, "Ranxing, what happened to you while I was away? Why did you become like this?"
Jiang Ranxing naturally didn't understand why Fu Shenyuan asked that question.
“Is there anything wrong with me now? I feel so much better than before.” Jiang Ranxing looked at Fu Shenyuan with the same probing gaze. “What exactly do you want to do?”
She couldn't understand why Fu Shenyuan was talking about this and that, things that were not in her memory, which left her feeling completely bewildered.
Fu Shenyuan felt as if his heart was about to break. Just as he was about to say something to Jiang Ranxing again, there was a knock on the office door.
Glass doors are not as sturdy as solid wood doors, and the knocking from outside was so loud that the door was shaking.
Upon hearing the voice outside the door, Jiang Ranxing's eyes lit up.
"Qingrang." After realizing who was outside the door, she went to open it, but was stopped by Fu Shenyuan again.
Jiang Ranxing looked at him unhappily and said, "What are you doing? Let go of my hand!"
Fu Shenyuan's eyes were filled with pain as he looked at Jiang Ranxing and whispered, "Between him and me, you still choose him, don't you? I'm right in front of you, but you only have eyes for him!"
Before, you only had eyes for me.
Fu Shenyuan couldn't bring himself to tell her those words again, because he knew she wouldn't understand them now.
Jiang Ranxing didn't say anything this time, just stared at Fu Shenyuan. After a while, Fu Shenyuan let go of her hand.
Jiang Ranxing opened the door, and Wen Qingrang appeared in front of her.
Wen Qingrang looked at Jiang Ranxing with a worried expression, and only felt a little relieved when he found that she was alright.
Lin Xuesha came in with Wen Qingrang. Lin Xuesha first glared at Jiang Ranxing fiercely, but she forcibly suppressed the hatred she couldn't hide. Then she walked over to Fu Shenyuan and took his arm.
Seeing this, Fu Shenyuan calmly withdrew his arm.
Lin Xuesha was afraid of losing face, so she stopped insisting on putting her hand on his.
She looked at Fu Shenyuan, whose gaze remained fixed on the person opposite him.
Seeing Jiang Ranxing holding his forehead, Wen Qingrang asked with some concern, "Is your head uncomfortable? I'll take you to see a doctor."
Jiang Ranxing grabbed Wen Qingrang's arm, smiled and shook his head, saying, "It's alright, it's nothing serious. I just had a bit of a headache from thinking about things. It's nothing to worry about."
Upon hearing this, Wen Qingrang looked at Fu Shenyuan. The moment their eyes met, there was a fierce, electrifying clash, as if neither of them wanted to admit defeat.
Wen Qingrang didn't want Jiang Ranxing to stay here any longer. He was worried that Jiang Ranxing's health would be affected. The reason she had a headache must be because of Fu Shenyuan's appearance. In the past, Jiang Ranxing had recovered very well, and he would not let Fu Shenyuan's appearance disrupt everything.
Wen Qingrang looked at Fu Shenyuan with a cold expression and said, "Let's talk about it when Ranxing is feeling better. You probably don't want to upset her, right?"
Wen Qingrang's words were clearly threatening.
Wen Qingrang is fine, but if it really affects Jiang Ranxing, Fu Shenyuan will definitely not want it.
So he said nothing more and let Wen Qingrang take Jiang Ranxing away.
Of course, he wouldn't let it go so easily. This matter needed to be resolved, and he would absolutely not give up on Jiang Ranxing.
After Wen Qingrang and Jiang Ranxing left, only Fu Shenyuan and Lin Xuesha remained in the office.
Looking over, Lin Xuesha could clearly sense that Fu Shenyuan's mind was elsewhere, which fueled her resentment towards Jiang Ranxing.
She couldn't help but question him: "Shen Yuan, what exactly do you mean by her! Have you two gotten back together? Have you forgotten about me?!"
Fu Shenyuan then turned his head to look at Lin Xuesha. She was still beautiful, but what about the heart beneath that beautiful exterior? Was it still the same bright red color?
Fu Shenyuan's voice clearly lacked vitality: "Xue Sha, perhaps there are some things we should talk about."
Lin Xuesha immediately had a bad feeling: "What are we talking about?"
Fu Shenyuan didn't speak directly, but said in a more tactful way, "I will still take care of you in the future. I will never forget your kindness to me in this lifetime, but our relationship may only go this far."
Lin Xuesha looked at Fu Shenyuan in disbelief; she even thought she had misheard.
What exactly happened to turn Fu Shenyuan into the way he is now?
Lin Xuesha held onto Fu Shenyuan's arm tightly, refusing to let go, and asked, "Shenyuan, do you know what you're saying? We're already getting married, aren't we? No, we've already had a wedding, it's just that you didn't show up at the wedding. You can't just give up on our years of relationship because Jiang Ranxing was in a car accident!"
Lin Xuesha couldn't accept what Fu Shenyuan said at all.
If Fu Shenyuan cannot marry her, it means she will lose the powerful backing of the Fu family. Then the Lin family, or the things they do in secret, will be exposed. It won't just be a simple matter of losing a man; the Lin family might also be targeted because of this.
Lin Xuesha would absolutely not allow such a thing to happen. Moreover, without the Fu family, it would be difficult for other wealthy families to find a suitable match. After all, she and Fu Shenyuan had already reached the point of marriage. If any wealthy family dared to marry her, wouldn't that be openly challenging the Fu family? No one would be that stupid.
Lin Xuesha immediately squeezed out tears, looked at Fu Shenyuan through her teary eyes, and then hugged him tightly.
“Shen Yuan, you must be too tired because you have too many things to do lately. Our relationship won’t be affected so easily. Have you forgotten that we are connected by life and death? Ever since I saved you in the sea when we were kids, I’ve told myself that I will be yours for the rest of my life. You should keep the same promise to me.”
Lin Xuesha tried to persuade Fu Shenyuan, and cried even harder, even losing her balance and pretending to faint.
"Watch out!" Fu Shenyuan swiftly caught Lin Xuesha, who then fell into his arms.
Fu Shenyuan had no choice but to stop talking about it when he saw Lin Xuesha's weak condition. He instructed Tan Shen, "Prepare the car and go back to the hotel."
Tan Shen nodded and left. Lin Xuesha smiled secretly in Fu Shenyuan's arms and then said in a very low and weak voice, "Shenyuan, I came here before I had fully recovered. I miss you so much. Can you stay with me a little longer and not leave me again? I'm so scared. I wake up from my nightmares every night. I really can't live without you by my side."
After Lin Xuesha played the emotional card, she noticed that Fu Shenyuan's expression was no longer as cold as before.
This trick always works. Lin Xuesha knew it because Fu Shenyuan owed "her" a life to survive, and he would feel guilty for the rest of his life. As long as he held onto this debt of gratitude, Fu Shenyuan would always be indebted to "her".
Lin Xuesha was no longer so worried and got into the car back to the hotel with Fu Shenyuan.
On the way home, Wen Qingrang and Jiang Ranxing had already told each other the whole story of what happened that day.
Wen Qingrang fell silent after hearing this. Jiang Ranxing, seeing his expression, assumed he was somewhat unhappy about it. Feeling a little embarrassed, she said, "Qingrang, are you upset that I didn't call you up? I knew you were waiting for me downstairs, but I was in trouble and didn't call you. Are you unhappy about that?"
Wen Qingrang sighed before smiling. He took Jiang Ranxing's hand and gently stroked it, saying, "No, I'm not angry with you. I'm just worried about you. But you have to understand me. On a rational level, I know you have the ability to handle problems, and I believe you can get through this on your own. But on an emotional level, I'm someone who's by your side, and I can't help but worry about you getting hurt, right?"
Wen Qingrang is still shaken. He can't imagine what irreversible consequences would have occurred if Zhan Shuo, Fu Shenyuan, or Lin Xuesha had done something to her that would have caused her to be stimulated again. He is not sure he could have borne those consequences.
If Zhan Shuo lays a hand on Jiang Ranxing and hurts her again, even though he has a good temper, it doesn't mean he won't retaliate against Zhan Shuo.
Fu Shenyuan, however, was an extremely unstable variable that Wen Qingrang had not considered.
His appearance suddenly shattered a well-maintained balance, like a violent tremor beneath a glacier, causing everything on the ground to tremble.
Jiang Ranxing naturally understood Wen Qingrang's concerns: "This won't happen again next time, don't worry, I promise you."
As he spoke, Jiang Ranxing raised his finger to vouch for him. Wen Qingrang couldn't say anything more. He could only tell himself that he must protect Jiang Ranxing better in the future.
Perhaps he should be more careful and try to eliminate any factors that might threaten Jiang Ranxing from her side.
Wen Qingrang smiled at her: "I believe in you. You are much better than you were before."
Jiang Ranxing smiled and said, "You praise me for everything. You're going to spoil me."
The two smiled at each other, and Wen Qingrang asked Jiang Ranxing what she wanted to eat. After thinking for a moment, she ordered a very simple noodle soup. Wen Qingrang then took off her coat and prepared to go to the kitchen to make some noodles.
After Jiang Ranxing finished speaking, he suddenly remembered something and casually asked Wen Qingrang, "By the way, when I was chatting with Fu Shenyuan, he inexplicably said that I had forgotten something."
"I didn't quite understand what he meant either," Jiang Ranxing shook his head.
Jiang Ranxing couldn't quite remember, so he asked, "Qingrang, have I forgotten anything?"
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