Chapter 88 Don’t Call the Police, Otherwise They’ll Collect Your Body

Qu You was completely dumbfounded.

She felt like a frog thrown into boiling water, forgetting even to struggle until it was thoroughly cooked.

My brain went blank.

What did he say?

He said he was intentionally approaching her?

Three years of secret love, those thoughts hidden in diaries and buried in the middle of the night, those glances that I only dared to cast secretly from behind, just like that... were revealed?

Moreover, in a way she had never dared to dream of.

Looking at Song Ze's serious face so close to her, she couldn't utter a word, and even her breath seemed to be taken away.

Song Ze looked at her panic-stricken appearance, his heart softened, and the burning in his eyes turned into a gentle smile.

A warm big hand fell on her head and stroked it gently, "Don't rush to answer me."

His voice was rich and pleasant, echoing in the small carriage.

"I'm being abrupt."

"I just want you to know that your feelings are not a one-man show without any response."

He paused, retracted his hand, and his dark eyes shone surprisingly brightly in the dim light.

"We...have a long way to go."

These four words, spoken slowly and unhurriedly, were like a reassurance that instantly calmed Qu You's heart that was about to jump out of his chest.

She finally found her voice, although it was as thin as a mosquito's.

"Teacher Song..."

"Um?"

"I... I'm not dreaming, am I?"

Song Ze laughed softly, and the vibration of his chest seemed to be transmitted through the air.

"Whether it's a dream or not, you'll know tomorrow."

He started the car without saying anything else, leaving Qu You enough time to digest this shocking information.

Qu You leaned against the car window, feeling the neon lights flashing outside, his heart still pounding wildly.

Three years of unrequited love seemed to be finally blossoming.

***

On the other side, a black Maybach was driving smoothly in the night.

The car heater was on full blast.

Sang Wan was like a boneless kitten, her whole body sunk into Lu Tingzhou's arms, her head resting on his strong shoulders.

She played with the man's fingers and spoke incoherently.

"Lu Tingzhou, from your perspective as a man, what do you think of Qu You?"

Lu Tingzhou lowered his eyes, looked at the person in his arms, and pulled her closer to him with his long arms.

"She and Song Ze are a perfect match."

The man's voice was calm, but he spoke with certainty.

Sang Wan raised her head instantly, her beautiful peach blossom eyes flashing with gossip.

"You know everything?"

Lu Tingzhou didn't say anything, but just lowered his head and placed a gentle kiss on her smooth and plump forehead.

Then, he spoke slowly, "Song Ze likes Qu You. He said it himself."

“Oh my god!”

Sang Wan cursed out loud in excitement and arched her back excitedly in the man's arms.

"I never expected this plot to happen. An old cadre like Song Ze, who is so out of touch with the real world, would actually admit it on his own initiative."

Lu Tingzhou looked at her vivid appearance, and a faint curve appeared at the corner of his lips.

"I didn't expect that either."

The two smiled at each other, and the atmosphere in the car became even warmer and sweeter.

As Sang Wan was laughing, an idea suddenly flashed through her mind.

She quietly touched the bag beside her. The things inside made her heart beat faster than the gossip about Song Ze and Qu You.

She turned her head and looked up at Lu Tingzhou's angular jawline, her eyes becoming much more serious.

"Lu Tingzhou."

"Um?"

"Have you ever thought about...what will happen to us in the future?"

She paused, as if formulating her words, trying not to sound too pointed.

"Like, where will we travel, when will I retire, when will we... have a child?"

Sang Wan tried hard to hide the anticipation and joy in her eyes, pretending that she was just sincerely discussing every possibility of the future with him.

Lu Tingzhou's originally relaxed expression froze slightly after she asked that question.

He pursed his lips and looked at her deeply.

After a long while, he slowly spoke, his voice low and firm.

"Your future will definitely only be with me."

These words made Sang Wan feel sweet in her heart.

But his next sentence was like a bucket of cold water, pouring chills down her heart.

"But I never wanted to have kids."

The smile on Sang Wan's face froze.

She suddenly sat up straight in his arms, her eyes full of shock and confusion.

"Why?"

"The child is so cute, the fruit of mom and dad's love. Besides, a family is complete with a child, isn't it?"

Lu Tingzhou looked at her anxious expression, and a hint of doubt flashed in his deep eyes.

Why is she so concerned about the child today?

Sang Wan also realized that he had overreacted, and quickly tried to make amends by forcing a laugh.

"Today, seeing Song Ze and You You's secret crush turn into an open relationship, it feels like everyone is heading towards marriage and having children, but we don't seem to have discussed this issue."

She leaned back into his arms again, her tone softening with a hint of coquettishness.

"Someone hasn't said he wants to marry me yet. It seems I'm overthinking it."

Lu Tingzhou curled his lips, "Are you in a hurry to get married?"

"It doesn't matter whether you marry me or not, you can't get away anyway. I'm a little curious now. You just said you don't want children. Tell me why you don't like children?"

Lu Tingzhou was silent for a moment and tightened his arms around her.

"It's not that I don't like it."

His voice was a little tight.

"It's just... the risk of having a child is too great."

With just one sentence, Sang Wan instantly understood the crux of the problem.

Lu Tingzhou's mother died of complications during childbirth.

This incident left a scar in his heart that never healed.

Sang Wan's heart suddenly tightened, and she felt both distressed and guilty.

How could she forget about this and insist on poking at his sore spot?

She reached out her hand, gently stroked his cheek, and said softly, "Those were all accidents, with very low probability. Medicine is so advanced now, giving birth won't be dangerous."

Lu Tingzhou didn't say anything, but buried his face in her neck, breathing heavily.

Sang Wan knew that he had not yet come out of that shadow.

She no longer forced him, but just held him quietly, using her body temperature to give him silent comfort.

It doesn't matter.

She thought.

She could wait, wait for him to slowly accept it, wait for him to be willing to be with her and welcome a little life that belonged to them.

***

The next day, afternoon.

The sun was shining brightly, and Sang Wan was sitting in the study, concentrating on working on a new design draft.

At this moment, the cell phone rang suddenly.

It’s Qi Qi.

Sang Wan put down her paintbrush and answered the phone.

"Wanjie."

Qi Qi's anxious voice came directly from the other end of the phone, "I just got the news that Uncle Liu and Xu Shiming have been in contact."

Sang Wan's heart skipped a beat.

"Xu Shiming regularly transfers money to Uncle Liu's account, and this has continued for the past few years."

Qi Qi's voice continued, and Sang Wan already felt a chill on his back.

"The most recent one was just a week ago."

A week ago…

Wasn’t that the day when she went to the nursing home to visit her grandfather? Could it be that Xu Shiming called Uncle Liu?

This news exploded in Sang Wan's mind like a thunderclap.

She lost her composure instantly.

"I'll go to the sanatorium right away."

She hung up the phone, not even having time to pack up her drawings. She grabbed her car keys and rushed out the door, heading straight for the Bauhinia Nursing Home.

An extremely bad thought made her hands and feet cold.

Arriving at the sanatorium, Sang Wan opened the car door and trotted in.

There was no one in the room, and Sang Wan didn't see anyone in the yard, so she went straight to the front desk.

"Hello, why isn't Mr. Sang from Room 308 here?"

The nurse checked the entry and exit records and said politely, "Miss Sang, Mr. Sang left early this morning."

Sang Wan didn't believe it. Lu Tingzhou had said that Xu Shiming and the others could no longer get close to grandpa, so why would he leave?

"How could he leave without my consent? Who took him away?"

"He went out on his own. The nurse said he was taking the old man for a walk outside the door and told us not to worry."

Uncle Liu?

He took his grandfather out.

What does he want to do?

Sang Wan felt a black screen before his eyes and a terrible tightness in his chest.

Buzz——

Just when she was about to lose her balance, the phone in her palm suddenly vibrated.

A crisp prompt sound sounded sharp and piercing at this moment.

She lowered her eyes mechanically.

It was a text message from an unknown number.

[Your grandfather is in the western suburbs warehouse.]

The next one is positioning.

Next, comes the third one.

"If I don't see you in two hours, don't blame me for being unkind to the old man. Of course, don't call the police, or they'll have to collect your body."

There was no unnecessary nonsense, every word was harsh and life-threatening, with an arrogance that brooked no room for questioning.

A chill suddenly arose, and Sang Wan bit her lip.

It's a trap.

She knows it better than anyone.

But the person threatening her is the person closest to her in this world.

She couldn't not go.

Sang Wan took a deep breath, suppressed the fear in his heart, and dialed the number that he knew by heart with his cold fingertips.

On the screen, the three words "Lu Tingzhou" are her only hope at the moment.

The call was connected, but no one answered for a long time.

Sang Wan didn't give up and called again.

Still the same result.

She hung up the phone and without hesitation, called Qi Qi.

The call was answered almost instantly.

"Wanjie?"

"Qi Qi, bring people to the western suburbs warehouse." Sang Wan's voice trembled. "I'll send you the address."

…

At this time, in Lu Tingzhou's office.

The air is filled with the rich aroma of coffee.

“Uncle Lu!”

As Lu Tingzhou walked in, a soft child's voice broke the silence in the room.

A small figure rushed over from the sofa and grabbed Lu Tingzhou's straight trousers.

It’s Kaikai.

Lu Tingzhou lowered his eyes and looked at the little one clinging tightly to his legs. Tenderness quietly appeared in his cold eyes.

The cold aura that kept strangers away from him also softened.

He bent down, picked up the child, and held him firmly in his arms.

"Grown taller again."

Song Xinran stood aside, watching this scene, with a gentle smile on her face that was just the right amount.

"Kai Kai was always talking about you at home, so I happened to be passing by and shamelessly brought him here."

After Song Xinran finished speaking, she looked a little embarrassed, and even a little afraid to look into Lu Tingzhou's eyes.

Fortunately, Lu Tingzhou didn't even look at her, but pinched Kaikai's little nose to tease him.

She didn't say that Lu Tingzhou's phone on the desk had been on all the time.

Seeing that Lu Tingzhou and Kaikai were getting along well, she spoke cautiously, "Tingzhou, I...want to open my own studio. I've found a location, but I'm having trouble with the registration and some paperwork. Could you please help me? After all, I don't understand some of the contracts and stuff."

Lu Tingzhou looked at Kaikai's innocent and dependent face in his arms, and the softest part of his heart was gently touched.

He said "hmm" lightly.

"Let Lin Hao help you deal with it."

Song Xinran was delighted, but her eyes were a little sour. How could she bear to give up the man who could cover the sky with one hand?

However, before she could calm down, she heard the man speak without warning.

"When did you and Sun Meixi meet?"