Chapter 226: 225 Destined Fate
Shen Yuting candidly confessed her deep, unrestrained affection for Mo Xiuchen to Wen Ran.
She was upfront about the fact that even if she did love MO Xiuchen, she would not harm Wen Ran or jeopardize their relationship. In other words, she wouldn’t compete with Wen Ran for her husband.
This was a much more benevolent approach than the insults and mockery she had faced from Cheng Jia.
It finally dawned on Wen Ran why she disliked Cheng Jia, but did not harbour the same resentment toward Shen Yuting – both women yearn for her husband’s love.
Despite her own sadness and reluctance to let go of her long-held unrequited feelings for MO Xiuchen, even upon her return to the country, Shen Yuting did not resort to underhanded tactics as Cheng Jia did, to win MO Xiuchen’s heart.
Although Shen Yuting had her own personal desires, Wen Ran found them to be forgivable.
“Ranran, after telling you all this, you won’t laugh at me, right?”
Having poured out her feelings to a girl four years younger than her, Shen Yuting felt a tinge of embarrassment. If Wen Ran hadn’t been her cousin, she wouldn’t have shared these intimate details. She might have even taken some action at the right time, while trying to restrain her selfish self.
Wen Ran, noticing the anxiety on Shen Yuting’s face, reassured her softly, “I was taken by surprise to hear all this, but I would never laugh at you, Sister Ting. I understand that lots of women are drawn to MO Xiuchen because he’s so wonderful. Despite our short time being married, I believe that in his eyes, you stand out in comparison to other women.”
Shen Yuting’s eyes brightened. Staring at Wen Ran, she tentatively asked,
“Really?”
She had always believed that among the women in MO Xiuchen’s life, she was the exceptional one, at least as his friend if nothing else.
Wen Ran showed a slight smile, took a sip of her coffee, held the cup between her hands, and replied with unflinching transparency, “Definitely. In fact, if I’m not mistaken, Sister Ting, you are the only female friend MO Xiuchen has. I remember when Cheng Jia first appeared, claiming that he was her savior, he said he didn’t like her. But he has never said such a thing about you.”
Hearing this, Shen Yuting was touched and slightly stirred. She knew Wen Ran was aiming for comforting her and understood the true meaning of ‘like’ in this context.
Desiring to maintain her status and image in MO Xiuchen’s heart, she resolved to never do anything that would make him loathe her.
Wen Ran’s consoling words made Shen Yuting realise that she needed to let go and move on.
Shen Yuting admired Wen Ran’s clear complexion and intelligence. She could see that Wen Ran understood precisely her intentions and gently guided her away from clinging to futile emotions.
No wonder MO Xiuchen was so deeply in love with her. No wonder even though she had suffered under Fu Jingyi for six years, she ultimately managed to escape.
When Shen Yuting was a child, she was probably a bright and quirky girl. That might be why she managed to leave a lasting impression on MO Xiuchen.
As Gu Kai said, she and MO Xiuchen were bound by the laws of destiny.
Otherwise, how could MO Xiuchen keep agonizing over a little girl for over a decade and even fall in love with Wen Ran at first sight months ago…
Those feelings, which Shen Yuting could never experience in her lifetime, were unmatched, unparalleled.
Wen Ran, who had seen right through her personal desires, yet chose not to point them out, left Shen Yuting feeling ashamed. She excused herself to the restroom to escape her chair at the coffee table.
Wen Ran took another sip of her coffee, then looked out the café window. Across the road was a plaza inhabited by mothers attending to their playful children.
The children, who had just learned to walk or were about two years old, teetered around the plaza radiantly. Their joy brought a tender smile to Wen Ran’s face.
Her mind echoed with the words Shen Yuting had told her during their shopping trip.
She subconsciously touched her flat stomach and suddenly yearned to bear a child for MO Xiuchen. If it were a boy, he would unquestionably be as handsome as MO Xiuchen. If a girl, her refined features would be just as appealing.
When Wen Jin called, Wen Ran was observing a four or five-year-old boy offering a packet of snacks to a little girl who could barely walk. He squatted down, handed the snack to the little girl, and appeared to strike up a conversation.
The little girl accepted the snack, clutched the boy’s shirt, and tipped forward to plant a kiss on his cheek, eliciting a full-faced grin from the boy.
He then took her hand and toddled towards an elderly woman nearby, possibly their grandmother, followed by a young woman with a beaming face, evidently content.
“Brother, I’m at a café across from the plaza. I’ll be home soon.”
Captivated by the adorable siblings, Wen Ran couldn’t resist thinking about herself and her brother, which brought her cheer.
“What are you doing there?”
Concern was apparent in Wen Jin’s voice on the other end of the phone. This morning, Ranran had called him to tell him she was going back to work and that he should rest at the hospital. He had gone to the pharmacy halfway through the day but found that she wasn’t there. His secretary, Li Qian, said she had stepped out.
He felt uneasy, so he called to ask for her whereabouts.
“Ah, I’m here having coffee with a friend, Brother. Let me tell you, I’ve just seen the most adorable siblings.”
“Ranran, I can tell from your voice how delighted you are to see those adorable siblings. What’s going on?”
Wen Jin, feeling the infectious joy in Wen Ran’s voice, chuckled along.
From this side of the line, Wen Ran let out a crisp laugh as she watched the little girl tease her brother about snacks, making the people around them roar with laughter.
“Exactly! As I mentioned, they’re such an adorable pair of siblings. Just now, the little girl tricked her brother. I wonder, Brother, were we just like them as kids? However, it’s a pity that I can hardly recall anything from our childhood.” Her voice was tinged with regret as she cradled the phone against her ear.
“Your lack of memory of childhood is quite normal,” Wen Jin responded gently. Hearing something in his tone, Wen Ran asked casually, “Brother, did we look alike as children? As far as I can remember, lots of people said that your eyes resembled Dad’s and your mouth resembled Mom’s. But somehow, I don’t look like either of them.”
“Ranran, why are you saying such baseless things all of a sudden?” Wen Jin was taken aback and puzzled as to why Wen Ran would bring up childhood appearances all of a sudden.
“I just randomly remembered our childhood and mentioned it. Brother, don’t take it too seriously. It sounds as if you’re implying that I was adopted.” Wen Ran replied with a jovial laugh, her tone returning to its usual playful rhythm..