Chapter 214 Self-esteem

When Lu You came in, Cheng Zhou was in the kitchen instructing his apprentices on how to process ingredients, and he seemed a little distracted.

Ever since Lu Rang came that day, his words have lingered in Cheng Zhou's mind.

He was indeed attracted to Lu You, but Lu Rang's words forced him to face reality.

Lu You is no ordinary girl; her family background is complicated, while he is just a chef who owns a restaurant and is four years younger than her.

Cheng Zhou suddenly felt a sense of inferiority and uncertainty.

He was afraid that he wasn't a suitable and satisfactory boyfriend for Lu You.

She feared that her experience was insufficient and that her family background was not privileged enough to give Lu You a long-term commitment.

Just as Cheng Zhou was feeling agitated, the front desk manager rushed over, looking somewhat nervous.

"Boss, there's a lady outside who specifically requested that you personally take her order and serve her. She has such a strong presence..."

Cheng Zhou suddenly had a strong premonition.

That's something she's capable of doing.

He took off his scarf, straightened his collar, took a deep breath, and went outside.

Sure enough, Lu You was sitting and drinking tea in the best spot by the window.

She wore a well-tailored black dress with a suit jacket over it, her makeup was exquisite, but her expression carried a hint of fatigue that was barely perceptible.

Seeing Cheng Zhou come out, Lu You raised her eyes, her gaze sweeping over him, and a half-smile appeared on her lips.

"Boss Cheng's business is booming, does he have to make an appointment just to see you?"

Cheng Zhou's heart began to pound uncontrollably, a mixture of surprise at seeing her and a touch of unease and guilt.

His eyes darted away instinctively, and his voice stammered, "Sister You? Why didn't you tell me you were coming back?"

Lu You frowned, her smile fading slightly at his lukewarm response.

She was already sensitive and used to being pampered, so seeing Cheng Zhou's dejected appearance instantly made her unhappy.

She finished dealing with the most troublesome matters over there ahead of time and flew back almost overnight. As soon as she got off the plane, she came here as if possessed. Perhaps deep down, she harbored a desire, which she herself was unwilling to admit, to see this man.

And what happened? The other person wasn't surprised to see her; instead, they seemed guilty and evasive, as if they wanted her to leave as soon as possible.

Lu You's smile instantly turned cold.

A wave of indescribable self-mockery welled up inside her.

Sure enough, all men are the same, especially those who seem sunny and innocent; once the novelty wears off, they lose patience.

It seems all that previous attentiveness and enthusiasm was just an act.

She sneered, her tone becoming sharp and sarcastic: "What? Mr. Cheng, are you not welcoming me? I'm sorry for taking up your time."

After saying that, Lu You picked up her bag, stood up and was about to leave, her movements swift and decisive, without any hesitation.

Cheng Zhou was completely stunned; he hadn't expected her to react so strongly.

Seeing that she was about to leave, he panicked and, disregarding his feelings of inferiority and inner turmoil, rushed forward to try and stop her.

"Sister You, you've misunderstood. I didn't mean you weren't welcome. I'm..."

"What is it?" Lu You shook off his hand, looking at him coldly. "Do you feel you've gone too far in playing the game of flirting, and now that you've realized I've taken the initiative, you want to cut your losses?"

“Cheng Zhou, we’re all adults. If you don’t mean it, just say so. There’s no need to put on this act. It’s unsightly.”

Her words were like knives, each one piercing my heart.

Cheng Zhou was rendered speechless and unable to defend himself.

He watched as Lu You, in her high heels, resolutely left the restaurant. He stood there stunned for several seconds before he suddenly realized what was happening and chased after her.

"Let me explain! Lu You!"

By the time he reached the door, Lu You's car taillights had already merged into the traffic and quickly disappeared around the street corner.

Cheng Zhou stood there, the evening breeze blowing, and he felt a pang of frustration.

...

evening.

Lu Rang's wife, Shang Wu, had just finished dinner and was nestled on the sofa enjoying a rare moment of alone time with him, the atmosphere warm and tender.

Lu Rang's fingers were idly twirling Shang Wu's hair, he lowered his head to sniff her ear, and left ambiguous red marks on her neck.

"Again?" Shang Wu gasped. "It's been a week in a row..."

Lu Rang picked her up and carried her upstairs. "I'll try my best to hold on for a year."

Shang Wu's legs went weak: "Is that what I meant?"

Lu Rang lowered his head and kissed her lips.

"I'll assume you are."

No sooner had she finished speaking than the doorbell rang urgently, shattering the tranquil atmosphere of the room.

Both of them were taken aback.

Who could it be so late?

Lu Rang frowned, put Shang Wu down, and got up to open the door.

The doorbell rang more urgently, and Shang Wu, somewhat curious, followed it.

Lu Rang looked displeased. As soon as he opened the door, he saw Lu You standing outside.

Lu You was in a low mood, clearly not in a good mood.

"Sister?" Lu Rang exclaimed in surprise, "Why are you here? Weren't you supposed to be here tomorrow..."

Lu You ignored him and looked directly past him at Shang Wu, who was walking over from behind.

Her gaze fell on Shang Wu's neck, which she hadn't had time to completely cover, and the fresh red mark was particularly noticeable.

Lu You instantly understood what was going on, and a hint of embarrassment appeared on her face.

She immediately took a step back.

"Never mind, it's alright. I just came at the wrong time. You guys continue."

After saying that, she turned to leave.

"Sister You." Shang Wu called out to her, no longer caring about being shy.

She quickly stepped forward and grabbed Lu You's arm.

"Since you're here, come in and sit down. What's wrong? You don't look well. What happened?"

She keenly sensed that Lu You's mood was off, so she forcibly pulled her into the house and made her sit down on the sofa.

Lu You rubbed her temples, looking tired and angry.

Too lazy to hide it anymore, she said irritably, "It's nothing, I just came to tell you all not to mention that cook surnamed Cheng in front of me again! I'll pretend I never knew him!"

Shang Wu and Lu Rang, who followed them in, exchanged a glance, both of them guessing what was going on.

Shang Wu asked tentatively, "Did Cheng Zhou make you angry?"

Lu You sneered: "Does he even deserve to make me angry? He's just seen the true colors of a fickle, heartless man!"

Despite saying that, the anger in her tone and a hint of barely perceptible disappointment were unmistakable.

Shang Wu sighed inwardly, recalling Cheng Zhou's past actions, and got up to go to the kitchen.

She opened the refrigerator, took out a carefully packaged box, and opened it in front of Lu You.

Inside is the matcha mousse that Cheng Zhou made before.

Because she didn't know Lu You was coming back early, Shang Wu froze the food first.

"Sister You, look at this."

Shang Wu handed the box to Lu You, "This is a dessert that Cheng Zhou specially researched for you. He failed countless times before he finally made the best flavor. It's your favorite 30% sugar."

Lu You was taken aback.

"He was too shy to ask you directly, so he kept pestering me to find out your preferences. He was afraid that if it was too sweet, you wouldn't like it, or if it was too bitter, you wouldn't accept it. He was very careful, like a little kid."

"You said he's fickle and can't take a joke, is there some misunderstanding? He did have some feelings for me before, but it couldn't compare to the love at first sight he had for you."

Shang Wu gently persuaded her.

Having probably suffered from misunderstandings and wavering resolve, she couldn't bear to see Lu You and Cheng Zhou acting so awkwardly.

Lu You stared at the dessert, stunned.

Lu Rang walked to the sofa, glanced at the dessert, and said calmly, "I went to see him a few days ago and told him some things about your family background and experience. Maybe he felt inferior and was afraid that he was not good enough for you, which is why he acted timidly and made you misunderstand."

Lu You suddenly looked up at Lu Rang.

Seeing that she seemed to be blaming him, Shang Wu defended her husband: "Lu Rang was a bit harsh, but he just didn't want Cheng Zhou to hurt you."

Lu You pursed her lips, recalling Cheng Zhou's anxious look earlier, as if he wanted to explain but couldn't get the words out, and took a deep breath.

So, he wasn't annoyed, but rather insecure? Or was he withdrawing?

The anger in her heart dissipated considerably, replaced by a complex emotion.

No one was afraid of not being good enough for her and dared not make a move.

Lu You remained silent for a long time before awkwardly humming, "Idiot."

Shang Wu and Lu Rang exchanged a glance, knowing that there was a chance for things to turn around.

Lu Rang raised an eyebrow: "You came here to demand an explanation and disturbed us. Shouldn't you offer some thanks?"

Lu You then remembered what she had interrupted, and seeing Shang Wu's slightly flushed cheeks, she immediately reverted to her mature and sophisticated demeanor.

She raised an eyebrow and retorted, "Oh? It seems I've indeed come at the wrong time, ruining your wonderful experience. Should I leave now?"

Shang Wu's face instantly turned bright red. "Sister You, don't go."

Lu Rang put his arm around Shang Wu: "If you want to go find Cheng Zhou, just say so."

Lu You was taken aback by his words, but she wasn't so angry anymore.

She picked up the box of desserts, her expression still a little awkward, but her tone had softened considerably.

"Who wants to see him? I... I won't talk to him anymore."

Shang Wu leaned against Lu Rang's chest and curled her lips into a smile.

Before she could say anything, her phone rang.

When Lu Rang saw that it was Mark calling, his expression turned sour.

Shang Wu smiled and pushed him away, then answered the phone.

Mark's voice on the phone was as enthusiastic as ever.

"Shang Wu, the studio for tomorrow's interview is all set up. We have a few options for the lighting and background. Would you like to come over and take a look now? Getting familiar with the environment beforehand will make tomorrow's interview even better."

Shang Wu checked the time and then looked at Lu Rang.

Lu Rangyi frowned slightly: "I'll take you there."

He was worried about letting Shang Wu meet that old classmate who was clearly still up to no good.

"Sister You is still here..." Shang Wu said softly, feeling that it wasn't right to leave her newly arrived sister alone at home.

Lu Rang looked at Lu You, but before he could speak, Lu You waved his hand lazily.

She picked up her coat and car keys.

"Alright, you guys go ahead with your work, don't worry about me, I'm going out for some fresh air."

She was still feeling a bit annoyed because of Cheng Zhou's matter and was looking for a place to have a drink.

"Where are you going?" Lu Rang asked.

"A bar. Don't worry, it won't get lost."

After Lu You finished speaking, she turned around gracefully and left first.

Lu Rang was relieved and personally drove Shang Wu to the address Mark had given him.

When they arrived at the studio, Mark was already waiting there.

He saw Shang Wu get out of the car and immediately greeted her with a smile.

"Shang Wu, you've come at the right time... And who is this?" His gaze fell on Lu Rang, who was following closely behind.

"This is my fiancé, Lu Rang."

Shang Wu introduced with a smile.

“Mr. Lu, it’s an honor to meet you.” Mark extended his hand, his smile unchanged, but his eyes held a scrutinizing look.

Lu Rang gave him a light handshake, his gaze sharp, his tone calm yet carrying an invisible pressure: "Mr. Mark, it's a pleasure to meet you. Please take care of my fiancée's work in the future."

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Mark led Shang Wu to see the backdrop and lighting effects, and they began to discuss them seriously.

Lu Rang stood not far away with his hands in his pockets, his gaze fixed on Shang Wu, occasionally glancing at Mark with obvious wariness.

During a break in the discussion, Mark seemed to reach out to help Shang Wu adjust her loose coat, as casually as if they were old friends.

However, before his hand could touch Shang Wu, Lu Rang suddenly strode forward.

He naturally put his arm around Shang Wu's waist and gently pulled her towards him, while subtly separating Mark's hand from hers.

Shang Wu looked up at him in confusion.

Lu Rang lowered his head and, under the gaze of all the staff and Mark, kissed her lips.