Chapter 359: Chapter 346: The Lingering Ex-Husband
"I happened to see Qu Min last night and heard her making a call to the Tan Family. I was right, this is what happens between you and Tan Qing," Leng Yan’s deep voice sounded, aching for Wen Nuan, yet with a hint of hidden joy.
That was why he didn’t leave, telling Ji Wei he saw a renowned figure from City E at the banquet, enjoyed the conversation, and had potential collaboration, so he stayed. To prevent Ji Wei from suspecting, he coaxed her for quite a while.
"So, you didn’t leave, stayed to watch a joke?" Wen Nuan withdrew her wrist, slowly turned around, tears brimming as she gave him a dazzling smile.
Leng Yan’s heart was pricked, the veins on his forehead bulged, and he gritted his teeth, "Wen Nuan, you know that’s not what I meant."
He was too late in feeling sorry for her, how could he watch her make a fool of herself? Yes, he was delighted with the Tan Family’s attitude, but he had no intention of mocking her.
"Does it even matter?" Wen Nuan looked at him with an indifferent smile, "Whatever happens between me and Tan Qing has nothing to do with you."
"Just because of the child in Ji Wei’s belly, you’re going to treat me like a stranger?" Leng Yan’s fist clenched tightly. When did his Nuannuan become so unreasonably stubborn?
He knew it was his fault, but she should also know his inner torment. From the incident until now, he had been pleading for her forgiveness again and again, yet she was becoming more doubtful of his sincerity.
"For what else?"
Wen Nuan gave a bitter smile.
If it weren’t for him truly accepting Ji Wei and the child in her belly, she would have loved to tell him she still wanted to be with him, that her health was actually fine, that the doctor in City T was a quack, and that they could also have a baby...
But it was too late. From the moment she saw him with Ji Wei so affectionately, everything changed. Her last shred of hope burned to ashes on that "warm" night of their family of three.
She only blamed herself for being so naive, thinking that Leng Yan really loved her, would withstand all the pressure to love her. If it weren’t for that night, she would have forgiven him again.
"Nuannuan..."
Leng Yan took out a silk handkerchief from his pocket, reaching out to wipe her tears.
"Don’t touch me!"
Wen Nuan moved away from him, wiping her own tears fiercely, a sneer on her lips: "I’ve said it, I’m not your woman anymore, so don’t touch me!"
"Nuannuan." Leng Yan softly called out, his voice gentle yet with a hint of pain.
Not his woman...
She was always so eager to sever their relationship.
As he stepped forward, his phone rang, the soothing music becoming somewhat jarring. Seeing his change in expression while looking at the caller ID, Wen Nuan gave a self-mocking smile, turned and left, tears quickly falling down.
It was Ji Wei.
She knew without thinking – a check-in call, right? Ha, she really wanted to ask, now that she managed to take Leng Yan, how did it feel?
As for Leng Yan, why did he keep appearing before her? He wouldn’t come to mock her, but she didn’t need his pity either.
She felt sad, she felt hurt, but wasn’t this all because of him and Ji Wei?
"Nuannuan!"
Leng Yan hung up the call and chased after her, but a car suddenly stopped by the roadside, and Tan Qing opened the car door, anxiously calling Wen Nuan’s name, "Nuannuan, wait for me."
"Tan Qing?" Wen Nuan’s ears rang, she hadn’t heard wrong—it was Tan Qing’s voice.
If it were yesterday, she would have rushed to Tan Qing. But today, she couldn’t choose either of them.
Just like standing at a crossroads, there were roads, yet none led to her home.
The Tan Family and the Leng Family couldn’t accommodate her at all.
Hailing a taxi, Wen Nuan hurriedly got in and left. Not wanting Tan Qing to worry, she immediately called Tan Qing after getting in the car.
"Nuannuan." Tan Qing answered, his voice anxious and uneasy, "Nuannuan, where are you going? Nuannuan, ask the driver to stop."
"Don’t worry about me, Tan Qing, don’t worry, I’ll be fine, I won’t do anything foolish." Wen Nuan took a deep breath, "Tan Qing, you know I met your mom, right?"
She wanted to avoid Tan Qing, also wanted to avoid Leng Yan...
"Yes, I just saw Qu Min..." Tan Qing said in self-reproach, "Nuannuan, I’m sorry, it’s my fault. I didn’t know my mom came suddenly, I was planning to tell her later... Nuannuan, I’m sorry, I apologize on behalf of my mom..."
"It’s not your fault." Wen Nuan interrupted him with a pained voice, "Tan Qing, never say sorry to me. I’m the one at fault, not you. I shouldn’t have lied to you from the start, I know you genuinely care for me, Tan Qing, don’t blame your mom either, she’s doing it for your good. Everything she said makes sense, I understand..."
She didn’t want her own matters to cause a rift between Tan Qing and his mom. It wasn’t worth it for her, and thinking about it from Mrs Tan’s perspective, she didn’t do anything wrong.
The fault lay with her and Tan Qing, the fault lay in the timing.
If three years ago, she hadn’t met Leng Yan.
If she hadn’t married Leng Yan...
She thought she would have fallen in love with Tan Qing, she thought Tan’s mom would have grown fond of her.
But ultimately, it was a mistake, they met the wrong person at the wrong time.
"Tan Qing, your mom is probably looking for you, don’t let her worry. I’ll find a hotel to stay tonight. Don’t worry about me, you know, I still have my dad, and Pengfei, for them I’ll live well and won’t do anything foolish..." Tears ran down her cheeks, Wen Nuan needed to assure Tan Qing, citing the strongest reasons to prove herself.
"I’m really confused right now, Tan Qing, don’t look for me, let me calm down, okay?" As she spoke the final words, Wen Nuan’s voice quivered with emotion, "I’m really confused, truly."
"Okay, I’ll find you tomorrow." Tan Qing bit his lip, seeing his mom’s number come in on the other line.
"Don’t look for me." Wen Nuan hastily stopped him, explaining, "Tan Qing, until today, I’ve tried very hard to love you. But I still haven’t managed to do so... I think I may never be able to. I’m sorry."
"Nuannuan." Tan Qing furrowed his brow tightly, gripping his phone as if it might shatter.
"I’m at the hotel now, goodbye." The taxi stopped at a hotel, Wen Nuan resolutely hung up the call.
She really tried hard, so hard, perhaps after a while, she might genuinely fall in love with Tan Qing. But she couldn’t say it out loud; she couldn’t give Tan Qing any hope, he couldn’t allow Tan Qing to become a joke in City E’s upper-class society. What’s more, the Tan Family would never accept her. She loved her parents, knew how precious a harmonious family was, she wouldn’t force Tan Qing to break with his parents.
"Thank you, driver." Wen Nuan handed over the money, grabbed her bag, and got out of the car. As she opened the door, she was suddenly embraced. Startled, she struggled, looking incredulously at Leng Yan, angrily whispering, "Let go!"
Her ex-husband, was he haunting her?