Chapter Seventy-Three: Beset by Emotions

  Jiang Xue'er escaped back home and locked herself in her room. She thought about the many reporters who had questioned her, and recalled their words: "Why did you suddenly become the big boss of Fuhe Group? Did you use some kind of trickery? Is it related to Lence? What's your relationship with Lence? Why did you attend this banquet together?" Jiang Xue'er's tears flowed nonstop. In an instant, she heard Sally's mocking voice again, each word piercing her ears: "Don't think that just because you've become the president, you're so noble. You don't know how dirty things are behind your back. I'm telling you, the president is mine." Jiang Xue'er couldn't help but wonder, Ling Feng, have you really changed? Don't you love me anymore? She also thought about what had happened at noon, which made her feel unbearable pain.

  As soon as the news came out tonight, it spread all over the world and everyone knew about it. Jiang Nanying and Chen Feng in the United States also saw the news and immediately took a plane to Geneva. Even people like Chen Sen in China knew about the news and called to ask about it.

  Ran Lingfeng fell into the whirlpool of love, and for Jiang Xue'er's love, he was unwavering until death. However, when facing his family, Ran Lingfeng was very entangled, thinking about how to resolve his family's views on Jiang Xue'er. That night, after seeing the news report, Ran Jincheng and his wife sat in the living room waiting for Ran Lingfeng to return.

  Ran Lingfeng returned home at 11 o'clock in the evening and saw that the lights in the living room were still on. "Dad, Mom, why haven't you gone to bed yet?"

  Ran Lingfeng walked over to the sofa and sat down. Ran Jincheng asked: "Lingfeng, what just happened?"

  Madam Rong has always been suspicious of Jiang Xue'er. Now that such big news has come out, she's got evidence in her hands, how can she not be thrilled?

  Madam Ruan sneered: "Hmph, I've always said that Jiang Xue'er was not decent. Now that such news has come out, you should finally believe me."

  Ran Ling Feng was extremely anxious, and tearfully said: "Mom, Xue Er isn't that kind of person, why don't you believe in Xue Er? If today you didn't drive Xue Er away, would she go with Lence? Mom, you weren't like this before, what kind of person is Xue Er, don't you know?"

  "You're actually blaming me for her sake? A woman like her who has no shame, don't you understand by now, haven't you accepted the fact that she disappeared without a word five years ago, what was it for, it was to elope with another man. And today, if he had any regard for your face, why didn't he attend the banquet with you together, but instead with another man?" Madam Ruan said sharply.

  Ran Jincheng couldn't bear it anymore, and shouted, "Alright, stop arguing! Snow is already our Ran family's daughter-in-law, can't you be more magnanimous? Attending banquets are unavoidable in business, and Snow and Lence attending a banquet together isn't something to be ashamed of. Why must you nitpick?"

  Mrs. Ruan's eyes widened after hearing Ruan Jincheng's words, and she exclaimed: "What? I'm being taken advantage of! If it's for the sake of her career, then she can't appear in public with other men. She's putting our Ruan family's face on the line. If she's innocent, why couldn't she answer a single question from the reporters? And from now on, stop calling her our Ruan family's daughter-in-law. They're not even officially married yet, so she's not one of us!"

  Mrs. Rang put down the words and left, "Mom, mom" Rang Lingfeng kept calling Mrs. Rang, but she ignored him and went straight upstairs.

  Ran Jincheng saw Ran Lingfeng's sad look and comforted him, "Your mom is just temporarily angry, you don't have to be too stubborn with her either. Xue'er has also suffered a lot of grievances. Tomorrow you go see her, your mom's side, I'll help you."

  "Thanks, Dad."

  Ran Jinchen patted Ran Lingfeng's shoulder and said, "Alright, it's getting late, you should get some rest too."

  Ran Lingfeng returned to his room, closed the door, and sat down at the edge of the bed. As soon as he thought of Jiang Xue'er, tears began to flow uncontrollably. His mother didn't accept Jiang Xue'er, and now Lence was always hovering around her side. Although Jiang Xue'er had told him that Lence was a decent person who had taken good care of her over the years, he couldn't help but wonder if Lence would take advantage of the situation. But now that Jiang Xue'er wasn't talking to him or responding to his messages, what could he do?

  If their love with Jiang Xue was a magnificent adventure, then the beautiful times belonged to them. Although they are not in the same place now, what does it matter? If heaven destined them to be apart, why did each other's heart still linger in each other's life, was it testing them? Can they last forever, dependent on each other?

  Lence couldn't find Jiang Xue'er from the wine party to now, and it was late at night, so he didn't dare go to Jiang Xue'er's house, afraid of disturbing Xiao Nan and Xiao Qi, making them worry. He also tried calling Jiang Xue'er but no one answered. Lence worried all night. The next day, Lence went directly to Jiang Xue'er's villa, where Xiao Qi opened the door.

  "Uncle, you're here." Xiao Qi looked outside and asked, "Where's Mom?"

  Lence was startled by Xiao Qi's question and asked, "Hasn't Eunice come back?"

  Lance and Xiao Qi entered the room, came to the living room. Lance looked around but didn't see Jiang Xue'er, his heart became even more anxious. "Have you guys checked Eunice's room? Maybe she came back last night when it was too late and you didn't know?"

  Xiao Qi said: "I and Xiao Nan were waiting for Mom in the living room all night, but we didn't see him come back. Xiao Nan was too tired, so I told him to go sleep."

  Lance heard this and became anxious. "Xiao Qi, don't worry, Uncle will go find Eunice right away. You haven't slept all night, go take a nap first."

  "No, I want to go with Uncle." Xiao Qi also ran over.

  Jiang Xue'er, who was in her room last night, cried herself to sleep from exhaustion. In a daze, she heard the sound from the living room, opened her door, and Lence and Xiao Qi heard the noise, turned their heads back to look, and saw Jiang Xue'er right before their eyes.

  "Eunice." When Lence saw Jiang Xue'er, he felt both happy and worried at the same time, and ran over.

  "Lance, how did you get here?" Jiang Xue'er's face was very pale and she said weakly.

  Xiao Qi ran over and said, "Mommy."

  Lence looked at Jiang Xue'er's face and felt that something was off, asking: "Eunice, what's wrong? Why is your face so pale?"

  "I'm fine." Jiang Xue'er walked towards the sofa in the living room, "Xiao Qi, didn't you sleep all night?"

  Xiao Qi nodded pitifully, his face full of worry. "Why are you so disobedient? Didn't Mommy tell you that no matter how late Mommy comes home, you have to take your little brother to sleep? Alright, go to sleep now."

  Lance looked at Xiao Qi who had gone to sleep quietly, then looked at Jiang Xue'er, "Eunice, are you uncomfortable there?" Lance asked with concern.

  At this time, "Dong Dong Dong" sounded from the doorbell.

  Lence opened the door, and Ruan Lingfeng saw Lence as soon as he entered. He thought of what Mrs. Ruan said last night, and a inexplicable anger ignited in his heart. He slapped Lence's face, causing blood to flow from the corner of Lence's mouth. Jiang Xueer immediately rushed over to check on Lence.

  "Lance, how are you?" Ruan Lingfeng's concern for Lance made Jiang Xueer even angrier.

  Jiang Xue'er raised her head and angrily stared at Ruan Lingfeng, "Ruan Lingfeng, what are you doing?"

  Ran Lingfeng heard Jiang Xue'er blaming him for Lence's sake, and sarcastically said: "What's wrong? Did we hit your lover, and now you're heartbroken?"

  "Eunice, I'm fine." Jiang Xue'er cried and ignored Ran Lingfeng, sitting down on the sofa with Eunice.

  Jiang Xue'er went to get some medicine and applied it to Lence. Ruan Lingfeng saw Jiang Xue'er being so meticulous in applying the medicine to Lence, and this reminded him of what Madam Ruan had said: "She disappeared without a word for five years, what was she doing? She was eloping with another man." Ruan Lingfeng thought about this and became even angrier.

  Ran Lingfeng couldn't eliminate Jiang Xue'er's affection for Lence at this moment, he thought that as long as Lence was around, Jiang Xue'er would never return to his side.

  Jiang Xue'er went to the kitchen, poured a cup of coffee for Ruan Lingfeng, and placed it beside him. She said: "Lingfeng, I don't know what you came here for this morning, but Lence is just worried about me and came to see me. He doesn't have any other intentions, or is there some misunderstanding between you two?"

  Rong Lingfeng didn't say a word, Lence spoke up and said: "Lingfeng, I know you're Eunice's husband, but what I also know is that the person Eunice likes is you, not me. I won't force Eunice to do anything, however, I won't allow you to hurt Eunice either. You need to remember, if you don't cherish Eunice, then naturally there will be someone who will come and protect her."

  "What do you mean by that?" asked Ruan Lingfeng.

  Jiang Xue'er explained: "Ling Feng, Lence doesn't mean anything, he just didn't want you to misunderstand."

  "Really? But I thought he meant something else?"

  Jiang Xue'er knew that Ruan Lingfeng had seen Lence here early in the morning and thought he had spent the night here. Anyone would be angry, Jiang Xue'er worriedly called out: "Lingfeng."

  Ran Lingfeng grabbed Jiang Xue'er's hand and shouted: "If not, why was he here so early in the morning? Did he spend the night here? No wonder I called you last night and you didn't answer. Jiang Xue'er, I'm asking you, did you disappear for five years just for him, to elope with him, right or wrong?"

  "Ran Lingfeng, let me go." Jiang Xuer was being held by Ran Lingfeng and it hurt a bit, thinking of getting into Ran Lingfeng's hands.

  "Ran Lingfeng, let go of Eunice, you're hurting her, let go quickly." Lance went to pull Ran Lingfeng away, and Ran Lingfeng glared at Lance, saying: "You're also feeling heartache?"

  Jiang Xue'er has been crying all along, now her heart is in great pain. She really didn't expect that Ran Lingfeng had changed, and became someone she no longer recognized.

  "Speak up, why don't you dare speak." Ruan Lingfeng shouted again.

  Jiang Xue'er cried, facing Ruan Lingfeng and said: "Yes, I eloped with him for him, what I yearn for is that in front of him, I can laugh wildly, cry loudly; Can be happy with a smile, angry and unreasonable; Can argue with him rudely, then wait for him to coax... In his heart, knowing my stubbornness and weakness, giving me the care and comfort I need; Clearly understanding all my shortcomings, then using warm and delicate love to tolerate; Even if there are beauties around him, he is not moved, in his heart, only me. And you? You are nothing in my heart, your mother was right, I am that kind of woman who is like a water flower, you leave, go find your Sally, never come looking for me again, I don't want to see you."

  Ran Lingfeng was heartbroken after hearing Jiang Xue'er's words, he had never thought that his Xue'er would say such things to him, at this moment, his heart ached terribly.

  As Rang Lingfeng turned and walked away, Jiang Xueer suddenly fell down.

  "Eunice...Eunice..." Lance supported Jiang Xue'er's body, Ruan Lingfeng heard Lance's calling voice, he knew Jiang Xue'er had fainted, but he didn't turn his head back, he thought he was no longer needed here, his Xue'er no longer needed him.

  Ran Lingfeng couldn't help but laugh at himself. Last night, his father was still talking about Jiang Xue'er, asking him to come see her early in the morning. But he never expected that when he arrived at Jiang Xue'er's house, the first person he saw wasn't Xue'er, but Lence. Was it really because he was too foolish? Ran Lingfeng regretted not listening to Mrs. Ran's words and began to believe what she had said.

  Jiang Xue'er was still thinking about how to explain things to Rang Lingfeng last night, but this morning, Jiang Xue'er really thought that everything didn't need to be explained after all.