The Golden Cane and the Wild Rose - Chapter 26

Chapter 26

Yun Ran didn’t stay to listen any longer. She turned and left, quietly returning to her room as if she had never gone to look for Jiang Musheng.

Once inside, she closed the door and, ignoring everything else, impulsively opened her wardrobe and took out the wide grey robe she had been wearing on the day she was rescued and brought back to the Jiang family.

On that day, a Filipino maid had helped her change, washed the blood-stained and slightly damaged robe, dried it in the sun, folded it, and returned it to her.

Yun Ran had felt a little embarrassed at the time, but the maid was very respectful to her, probably acting according to the Jiang family master’s wishes.

She took off the sky-blue cheongsam she was wearing. This was a custom-made piece that Jiang Musheng had a tailor measure and cut for her.

As she took it off, she felt a faint sense of reluctance.

She couldn’t help but sigh at the wisdom of her ancestors. It’s easy to go from frugality to luxury, but difficult to go from luxury to frugality. She never thought she would experience the truth of this saying so deeply one day.

She changed back into her wide grey robe. The cuff stopped at her wrist, and Yun Ran noticed that she was still wearing the jade bangle Jiang Musheng had given her.

Should she take this bangle off and return it to Jiang Musheng as well?

Yun Ran adjusted her cuff. The high-quality jade bangle glowed brightly in the well-lit room.

She couldn’t bear to part with it.

So she decided not to. After all, she had spent some time with Jiang Musheng, and she couldn’t leave without taking any compensation. She wasn’t the kind of heroine in a romantic story who would return everything to Jiang Musheng to prove that she wasn’t after his money.

She was a common person, and her initial stay by Jiang Musheng’s side was based on various considerations.

She was willing to stay with him because Jiang Musheng could provide her with a safe haven and a life of luxury.

But now, she didn’t want to continue staying by Jiang Musheng’s side. Perhaps she wasn’t thoroughly pragmatic enough.

Which led her to make such a contradictory choice.

Yun Ran found the new key to her old home in Kowloon Walled City.

Jiang Musheng’s subordinates were very efficient. On the day Old Bean’s body was sent back, they immediately changed the lock on the door and handed the new key to her.

This was good. It made it easy for her to leave gracefully without having nowhere to go.

Yun Ran quietly left the room, bringing only one key and the jade bangle with her.

As she went downstairs on the spiral mahogany staircase, she saw Jiang Xueyu and Alan playing in the living room.

Jiang Xueyu had a little bit of taro-purple ice cream on the corner of her lips. She smiled and asked, “Sister-in-law, come down and have some ice cream. There are several flavors: taro, chocolate, milk, vanilla…”

Yun Ran said, “I won’t. You guys enjoy.”

“Sister-in-law, what’s wrong?” Jiang Xueyu saw that her expression wasn’t right and walked towards her with the ice cream. “Huh? Why did you change your clothes? Did you have a fight with my brother?”

“No,” Yun Ran said. She felt a lie was the only way to get away. “I have something to go out and do.”

“Oh…”

Jiang Xueyu felt that something was very wrong, but she couldn’t stop her. She watched Yun Ran walk out the front door, then turned and ran upstairs to find her brother.

“Brother, what did you say to sister-in-law? She went out late at night.”

Jiang Xueyu rushed into the study and said anxiously.

“A’ran went out?”

Jiang Xueyu took a deep breath, her shoulders heaving up and down. “Yes, and she changed back into that somewhat tattered grey robe. Didn’t you know, brother?”

“I didn’t.”

Zheng Hangyi said, “Musheng has been talking with me in the study. We didn’t see Miss Yun come over.”

“But I just ran into her when I went downstairs for ice cream, and she said she had something to tell you.”

Jiang Musheng instantly understood.

“Ah Ran heard our conversation.”

Zheng Hangyi was a little puzzled. “Did I say something that offended Miss Yun?”

“It was me,” Jiang Musheng said. “I’ll go find Ah Ran.”

Jiang Musheng went straight out to chase after her.

Jiang Xueyu asked, “Brother Hangyi, what did you and my brother talk about in the study?”

Zheng Hangyi roughly repeated the conversation.

“Ah—” Jiang Xueyu frowned worriedly. “No wonder sister-in-law wants to leave.”

After Yun Ran walked out of the living room, before she could be stopped and questioned by the bodyguards, she ran into someone.

Cecilia, who had rushed over, almost bumped into her. It was a little dark, and Cecilia immediately cursed, “Watch where you’re going, you blind thing.”

Yun Ran was long used to the temper of the Governor’s daughter and didn’t take it to heart. She greeted her coolly, “Cecilia.”

“It’s you?” Cecilia heard her familiar voice and sized her up in the dim light. She was first surprised, then her tone became more schadenfreude and disdainful.

“Did Musheng kick you out?”

A faint smile appeared on Yun Ran’s lips. She didn’t refute it.

She said, “I’ll be going now. Please, go ahead.”

Yun Ran walked around Cecilia, who was blocking her way, and walked through the courtyard towards the outside. As expected, a bodyguard asked her, “Miss Yun, where are you going so late? I’ll have the driver take you.”

“No need. I’m going out to do something. I’ve already told Mr. Jiang. You don’t need to send anyone to follow me.”

She said this and left, showing no signs of being insincere. The bodyguard was skeptical but didn’t follow her.

She quickly walked into a shadow where the streetlights couldn’t reach, walking alone in the darkness.

Jiang Musheng chased after her but was stopped by Cecilia in the courtyard.

“Musheng, I have something to discuss with you.”

Jiang Musheng said, “Another time. I’m in a hurry.”

Cecilia tried to grab Jiang Musheng’s arm, but he brushed her away.

She stood there defeated. After a while, Zheng Hangyi walked out from inside and asked with a smile, “Cecilia, are you here for ice cream?”

Cecilia nodded. She had to find a reason to stay and see if Jiang Musheng would bring Yun Ran back.

“Xueyu is inside eating ice cream. You can go in and find her,” Zheng Hangyi reminded her.

Cecilia asked, “Aren’t you going in, Mr. Zheng?”

“I have a sin to atone for. You go first.”

Zheng Hangyi also disappeared into the night.

Cecilia stomped her foot in anger. Could it be that both of these men were going to try to persuade Yun Ran to stay?

Jiang Musheng’s villa was built on a secluded hill, with a long winding asphalt road.

Before, she always took a car to get up here, which was fast. Now, going down the mountain on two legs, Yun Ran walked very slowly.

It was a slope, and it was downhill. Although it was not as tiring as going uphill, it was a great test for her legs.

Jiang Musheng’s car quickly caught up to her, with Zheng Hangyi following closely behind.

The car headlights lit up behind Yun Ran, and she also heard the sound of a horn.

But she didn’t turn back and just kept walking forward.

“A’ran.” Jiang Musheng drove the car beside her and stuck his head out the window to talk to her.

She ignored him, so Jiang Musheng could only continue to follow her, not too fast and not too slow.

“Miss Yun, don’t blame Musheng for saying the wrong thing. I was the one who was worried that you would be a threat to him if you stayed by his side, so he only said a few words. If you want to blame someone, blame me.”

Yun Ran still continued to walk forward without a word.

She hadn’t taken Zheng Hangyi’s words to heart. She couldn’t care about so much.

Jiang Musheng stopped the car and got out to walk with Yun Ran. Zheng Hangyi’s car was blocked, so he had no choice but to get out and walk with them.

“Miss Yun, I’m really sorry.”

“Even if you don’t consider me, you should consider Musheng’s leg injury. The mountain road is so steep. How can you bear to have him walk so quickly and hurt his leg?”

Yun Ran paused for a moment, just a moment, and then started walking even faster, even jogging.

Her Old Bean had died. What was there to be merciful about when it came to Jiang Musheng?

The night wind filled her wide grey robe, making her look twice her size.

Jiang Musheng stopped. Zheng Hangyi asked, “Aren’t you going to chase her?”

“She’s still angry at me. If I chase her rashly, something bad might happen. You help me take her down the mountain and see where she wants to go and if she’s safe.”

“Me? Isn’t Miss Yun angry at me?”

“You go.”

Jiang Musheng pushed him.

“Then I’ll drive your car. Your car is parked up ahead.”

“Okay.”

Zheng Hangyi was content to get into the beloved car that Jiang Musheng usually didn’t let him touch and chased after Yun Ran.

Yun Ran was hiding in a dry ditch by the side of the road. Zheng Hangyi used a flashlight and finally found her.

“Miss Yun, you really have a temper.”

“Are you mocking me, Mr. Zheng?”

Yun Ran stood up from the ditch in exasperation, using her hands to climb up onto the road, but it was too high, and she couldn’t get up.

Zheng Hangyi extended his hand to help, but Yun Ran ignored it.

“I’m not mocking you. I’m admiring you.”

“Let me help you, my lady. If I don’t get you down the mountain safely today, Musheng will never forgive me.”

Yun Ran looked at him with a slight surprise before taking Zheng Hangyi’s hand and using his strength to get up.

“It seems Miss Yun still cares about Musheng a lot.” Zheng Hangyi gently let go of her hand after she was standing steadily.

“Where do you want to go, Miss Yun? Mr. Zheng will give you a ride.”

“No need. I can walk on my own.”

“Until daybreak? Your legs will be ruined, and you might even see some… unclean things.”

Yun Ran bit her lip and said, “I’m not afraid.”

Zheng Hangyi laughed. “Miss Yun, I really have no way with you. If Musheng didn’t tell me to do this, I wouldn’t be so kind. You heard our conversation. You should know that I advised Musheng not to keep you by his side.”

This speech from him spurred Yun Ran to open the car door herself and get into the back seat.

“To Kowloon Walled City.” Yun Ran was no longer polite to him at all.

Zheng Hangyi asked as he drove, “Are you really sure you want to leave Musheng, Miss Yun?”

“What if I am? What if I’m not?”

“If you are, a lot of people will be grateful for you vacating the position. If you’re not, I’d advise you to stop throwing a tantrum. Miss Yun, you just have a pretty face, and there are plenty of good-looking people in Hong Kong. There are also countless people who are in a better position than you.”

Yun Ran gritted her teeth in anger in the back. She had never noticed that this man was so infuriating.

“Of course, if Miss Yun leaves Musheng and finds another man, that’s not a bad option either, like that young master from the roast goose restaurant. But, can you really go back to the way things were, Miss Yun?”

Yun Ran didn’t answer, silently looking out the window.

Yes, could she really go back to the way things were?

In less than a month, she had already gotten used to the scenery of this mountain.

She was used to waking up in the morning and eating the food Jiang Musheng made himself, used to Jiang Musheng taking her to various events, and used to going out to play with the Jiang siblings, as if they were a real family and she was Jiang Musheng’s girlfriend.

“Should I turn back, Miss Yun?” Zheng Hangyi asked.

Yun Ran was like a hedgehog, bristling with spines. “Have I ever offended you before, Mr. Zheng?”

Zheng Hangyi said, “No. It’s just that I’ve been friends with Musheng for many years, so I’ll always act in his best interest.”

After saying that, Zheng Hangyi stopped asking questions and sped up, hurtling down the mountain.

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