Chapter 592 That Is A Fact
Bai Hua was upset. “Oh? Why has this been kept from me? Why does everyone else in the family know about it except for me?”
“It’s not like that. Prior to this, Erbao wasn’t careful with what she ate and ended up with food poisoning. But now, she’s all recovered.” Ning Ran tried her best to salvage the situation.
“No wonder she looks a little pale. It’s poison, isn’t it? In that case, she should be treated at once to prevent any side effects from it. Given how young she is, it would be terrible if she has to suffer from any of them!” Bai Hua pretended to be filled with sorrow.
“Thank you, Mrs. Nan, for your concern, but Erbao is fine,” Ning Ran responded awkwardly.
She was unwilling to entertain Bai Hua because she couldn’t feel any sincerity from the latter. To her, Bai Hua was feigning concern.
As an exceptional actress herself, Ning Ran could easily tell when someone was pretending to care.
As Feng Wan emerged, Erbao exclaimed excitedly, “Great-grandma!”
She was clearly closer to Feng Wan than Bai Hua.
Even though children were less aware of what was going on, they could sense who truly loved them.
“Good girl. You look amazing today!” Feng Wan complimented with a smile.
“It’s a must to look pretty whenever I come to visit you.” Erbao giggled.
“Oh, You’ve such a sweet mouth!” Feng Wan laughed in return.
“Grandma, let me know if there’s anything I can assist with.”
Ning Ran felt the need to help instead of just freeloading.
“Don’t worry about it. There’s already someone in-charge. You’ll end up getting in the way instead,” Feng Wan replied warmly.
Ning Ran felt that the elderly had a point. She might be able to handle a daily meal or two, but a feast was an entirely different matter.
“But I feel bad not doing anything.”
Feng Wan smiled in response. “In that case, come chat with me to cure my boredom. How about you share with me what you’ve been through over the years?”
“Sure. Although, I must admit I’m just an ordinary person and barely have any interesting anecdotes. I’m just worried that I’ll end up boring you.” Ning Ran grinned.
“There’s nothing special about any of us. Only those who are sick in the head will think they are different from others. Besides, ordinary stories reflect the realities of life. Come, let’s chat over there.”
With that, Feng Wan led to Ning Ran to the parlour and left Bai Hua hanging.
As she watched their silhouette, Bai Hua’s eyes burned with hatred.
Meanwhile, Feng Wan and Ning Ran took their seats and were served tea by the servants.
Feeling a little awkward, Ning Ran didn’t know where to place her hands.
Given how used she was used to being herself, she was clueless as to the proper way to behave in front of a senior member of the household.
Noticing her anxiety, Feng Wan patted her shoulder. “Relax, I’m not a demon that’s about to eat you. What are you being so nervous about? When I was your age, I was a lot more fearless than how you are now.”
Upon hearing Feng Wan’s words, Ning Ran began to loosen up and wasn’t as nervous as before.
“Your imposing aura makes me nervous, for I’m worried about offending you by making a wrong move,” Ning Ran admitted with a smile.
“Please don’t. Just relax and be yourself. After all, there’s no need to feel anxious in front of family,” Feng Wan reassured her with a chuckle.
“Thank you, Grandma. Were you rebellious when you were young?”
Ning Ran was well aware that the elderly loved to talk about the past. Therefore, it was a great way to make conversation.
Just as expected, Feng Wan’s eyes lit up. “More than you can imagine! In fact, I was even more brazen than how young ladies behave right now, to the extent of being accused of flouting protocol. Hahaha!”
“Is that so? I really can’t tell from the way you look now. With such a dignified aura, I assumed you were a prim and proper lady throughout your life,” Ning Ran laughed.
“Back when I was young, society was more conservative than it is now. Therefore, there were a lot of rules that ladies had to adhere to. In spite of that, it didn’t diminish my rebellious streak at all. Despite the ridicule hurled at me, my husband and I survived the trials and tribulations of marriage just the same. In fact, it was my defiance of society that helped him through many a crisis. Therefore, we shouldn’t obey rules blindly. It goes without saying that rules are different from principles. Rules are made by others, while we dictate our own principles. One is allowed to break the rules, but one cannot abandon one’s principles. As long as one stays true to one’s principles, breaking some rules isn’t a big deal at all. Hahaha.”
Delighted by her own words, Feng Wan chortled.
Ning Ran couldn’t agree more with Feng Wan’s stance, for she was someone equally rebellious. As long as her conscience was clear, she showed no regard for rules at all.
“You’re right, Grandma. I’ve learned an important lesson today.”
Sighing, Feng Wan asked, “Let’s talk about you now. Why didn’t you tell the Nan family that you were pregnant with Nan Chen’s children?”
It was a burning question of Feng Wan’s that she had long wanted to get off her chest.
After all, it was an inappropriate topic to talk about in front of the men. Now that they were alone, the chance had presented itself.
Feeling a burn in her cheeks, Ning Ran felt shy upon hearing the question.
Furthermore, it was a sensitive matter constantly used by others to accuse her of having an agenda.
They claimed that she was worried the Nan family wouldn’t allow her to keep the children. Hence, she gave birth to them in secret and planned to use the children to milk something out of the Nan family.
Now that the matter was brought up, she felt nervous due to the sensitivities involved.
“If you don’t feel like talking about it, we can drop the topic. You do have a choice, you know?” Feng Wan suggested with a smile.
“It’s not that. It’s just that the circumstances are so strange that I’m worried you won’t believe me.”
“How do you know if you don’t tell me?” Feng Wan narrowed her gaze.
“Erm… for some strange reason, I got together with him. Subsequently, I realized I was pregnant. When my dad wanted to force me into having an abortion, I felt overseas, for I couldn’t bear to do it. There, I gave birth to the children and raised them. All this while, I never knew that the children were Nan Chen’s. I assumed that it wasn’t necessary for them to be reunited with their father and I could take care of them alone. As time went by, many things turned out differently from what I imagined. As for the rest, I’m sure you already know.”
When she finished, Ning Ran stared at Feng Wan. “Do you find it unbelievable?”
Feng Wan didn’t reply at once. “What are the circumstances of the strange encounter you had with Nan Chen?”
“My mom was sick, and we couldn’t afford to get her treated. So, my step-sister arranged for me to sleep with a movie director for a huge sum of money, which we can use to pay for her medical bills.
In my desperation, I chose to walk down that path. However, the man I was meant to mean was inexplicably switched to Nan Chen, but I wasn’t aware of it back then. Until now, I have no idea what exactly happened back then. I know it sounds strange, even to me, but that’s the truth.”
