Ex-Wife is a Big Villainess
Chapter 420 - 226 I Love This Place So Much

Chapter 420: Chapter 226 I Love This Place So Much

The doors of the study were open, and the night crept in, mingling with the dim glow of a solitary candle within.

Jiang Shouzhong stood outside the door, gazing at the slender figure obscured by the flickering shadows and hesitated for a moment. Ultimately, too embarrassed to step inside, he prepared to leave.

"Say what you want to say."

Ran Qingchen rubbed her pale wrist that was holding the pen and spoke faintly.

The soft play of light danced upon the woman, softening her usual sharp contours to only leave a trace of gentle and delicate beauty.

Jiang Shouzhong gave an awkward smile and entered the study.

"Did Ms. Jiang come by just now?" The man made conversation out of nothing.

"Hmm."

"She... didn’t say anything, did she?"

"What do you think she would say?"

Ran Qingchen set down her fine brush and looked up at the man. Her beautiful eyes held the sharpness of a blade, yet also the softness of autumn water.

"I mean..."

Jiang Shouzhong scratched his head, at a loss for how to start.

Meanwhile, the woman waited, quiet as a lotus, for him to respond.

The candle flame on the desk danced and flickered, casting a hazy veil over the tranquil study.

It was like a gentle breeze brushing between the two, bringing with it a touch of indescribable, subtle emotion, which both deliberately probed yet avoided.

In the end, Jiang Shouzhong said frankly, "I’ve told you before, I plan to take Xia He as my wife. Ms. Jiang might have said some harsh words to you, but I hope..."

"Jiang Mo, do you truly like Xia He?" Ran Qingchen asked bitterly.

Jiang Shouzhong replied, "I really do like her, and as I’ve said before, I want to take responsibility for her. A woman’s reputation is very important, and I can’t be the kind of playboy who leaves after having his fun."

"You two... have already consummated the marriage?"

Ran Qingchen’s eyes widened in shock.

Though Jiang Shouzhong had previously mentioned marrying Xia He, he hadn’t said anything about them being intimate.

This suddenly left the woman’s head buzzing.

Jiang Shouzhong smiled helplessly and nodded. "It was an accident, and I didn’t expect it at the time... Anyway, since it happened, I must take responsibility. But no matter what, I still really like Xia He."

Ran Qingchen was silent.

So it turns out that my man had already been with Xia He.

Ran Qingchen looked at the man before her, seeming familiar yet strangely distant, and moved her pink lips, "Jiang Mo, have you ever... have you ever..."

Ultimately, she lacked the courage to say the words "liked me."

She was afraid.

Afraid of hearing a disappointing answer.

The two remained silent within the room, as silent as the moonlit night.

Just then, a flurry of hasty footsteps was heard; it was Yuan Anjiang and Shan Dongchuan from Qingzhou’s Liushan Division.

Seeing Jiang Shouzhong inside the house, both men paused in surprise.

Ran Qingchen composed herself and said dispassionately, "I was just discussing some official matters with Jiang Mo. Is there something you need?"

Yuan Anjiang didn’t think much of it and said gravely, "We’ve been ordered to investigate the death of Murong Nan."

Ran Qingchen frowned, "Isn’t the Murong Family against our investigating?"

Shan Dongchuan said, "The Murong Family has agreed to let us investigate now. We will go over to examine the body tomorrow morning."

He turned to Jiang Shouzhong, "Master Jiang, could you join us?"

"Alright, no problem."

Jiang Shouzhong was somewhat interested in the death of Murong Nan.

At their last encounter in Famous Sword Villa, although the other had been in a sorry state, he had seemed very much alive and well. How had he suddenly died?

The group pieced together the clues they already had, then went their separate ways, and Jiang Shouzhong didn’t bring up any personal matters with Ran Qingchen again.

Watching the man’s retreating figure, Ran Qingchen’s expression darkened.

...

In the stillness of the deepening night, the moon hung high in the sky.

After bathing in fragrant incense, Ran Qingchen lay lazily on the brocaded couch, her gaze lost on the ornate, empty ceiling above, her thoughts as vast and unfathomable as that boundless expanse.

The candles inside the room were extinguished, leaving only the night and the woman’s thoughts for company.

"Is it ultimately too late?"

Ran Qingchen tossed and turned, her pillow rustling from time to time.

Countless regrets filled her heart.

Without a hint of sleep, she stepped out of her room, looking up to the bright moonlight, reminiscing about everything that had happened between them since they were married...

There were mundane memories.

There were heartwarming memories.

There were unforgettable memories.

She didn’t understand what love was; she only felt that she should cherish these hard-won affections, try to accept them, and attempt to nurture a relationship...

As her sworn sister had said, since it’s all regrets, why give up.

But in the end, it was a missed opportunity.

To say her heart was broken would be too much, but she felt immense regret and pain.

Unwittingly, Ran Qingchen found herself in front of Jiang Shouzhong’s courtyard.

The man’s room still had a light burning.

Ran Qingchen watched silently, suddenly thinking, "Is it still possible to fight for it now?"

She suddenly felt an urge to knock on the man’s room door.

As her hand was about to knock, the memory of his words about taking responsibility for Xia He no matter what stayed her arm in mid-air.

Should she knock or not?

Would knocking make any difference?

Ran Qingchen let her arm fall in despair, her curved fingers caressing the door, then lifted them again with reluctance, placing them gently against it before slowly letting them fall again... repeating the motion over and over, as if her heart was tied up in knots, impossible to untangle.

In the cover of night, the woman tapped lightly with her fingertips, time and again against the cold door, soft as a whisper, fearful of disturbing the person inside.

Eventually, after a long while, she couldn’t muster the courage.

She sighed dejectedly and turned to leave.

——

The next day, a fine drizzle fell from the sky.

The threads of rain delicately and densely descended on the old streets, as if veiling them in an ethereal gown.

The carriage stopped at a secluded courtyard.

Ran Qingchen and Jiang Shouzhong, along with their group, arrived at the main hall. This was the Murong Family’s residence in Qingzhou, and the master of the house was named Murong He.

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