Shang Wu picked up the phone casually and saw that it was her brother calling. She felt inexplicably guilty.

She cleared her throat and answered the phone.

Her voice hadn't recovered yet, and her usual calm was tinged with a slight tremor.

Shang Yun Shen paused, puzzled: "What's wrong with you? You sound a little strange."

"No, brother." Shang Wu feigned composure, her heart pounding. "Why are you calling so late? Is something wrong?"

Lu Rang stood beside her listening, and couldn't help but raise his hand, his fingertips twirling her half-wet hair, wrapping it around his index finger a few times.

The next second, Shang Yunshen's clear voice came from the phone.

"I just wanted to ask how things are going on your end. Mom hasn't been eating or sleeping well these past few days, and she doesn't know where you've gone. She's been wanting me to call you to find out. She's afraid you'll do something impulsive, afraid that you'll elope with Lu Rang because she stopped you from being with him."

Upon hearing this, Lu Rang's gaze darkened, his movements faltered, and his eyes gradually regained their clarity as he withdrew his hand.

Afraid that he would be unhappy, Shang Wu gently grasped his fingertips to comfort him.

She said calmly, "I would never do anything so degrading, and I would never elope with anyone, no matter how much I like someone. Don't worry, I will bring Lu Rang back and present him to Mom in a respectable manner."

“But not now,” Shang Yun Shen interrupted her directly.

“I don’t know what’s wrong, but Mom has a lot of prejudice against him. If you don’t break up with him, I don’t think Mom will be able to calm down.”

"What if there's a misunderstanding? Lu Rang didn't harm his brother, so why can't Mom accept that?" Shang Wu frowned, unable to understand.

She couldn't understand why her mother, who had always been so open-minded and respectful of her choices, would suddenly become unresponsive.

Why is this happening when her mother has never threatened her with severing ties with her before?

Hearing the unhappiness in Shang Wu's words, Shang Yun Shen felt somewhat helpless.

"I guess it's because Mother had some connection with the Yu family before. I only vaguely found out about it today. Anyway, don't rush to bring Lu Rang over as soon as you find out anything. It will be a blow to Mother. She already has a heart condition and high blood pressure."

Shang Wu gripped her phone tightly, unsure of what to say.

After hanging up the phone, she looked at Lu Rang.

Lu Rang's eyes darkened, and he said, "Why don't we break up?"

"What did you say?" Shang Wu almost dropped her phone, her heart sinking. "You want to break up with me?"

She stood up: "Is it because my mother doesn't accept you now?"

“I haven’t finished speaking yet,” Lu Rang interrupted, squeezing her hand tightly. “What your mother wants is for us to break up now, so let’s break up to show her. It doesn’t mean we’re really separating.”

“I think before I explain what happened back then, I need to find out what the relationship is between your mother and the Yu family. I will also ask Lu Zheng about it.”

Shang Wu paused for a moment, then suddenly remembered that her mother's name also contained the character "jade".

Really?

This is just a coincidence and has nothing to do with the Yu family.

Shang Wu was uneasy and nodded slightly.

"Okay, I understand what you mean."

Thinking of the kiss that hadn't continued, she lifted Lu Rang's chin and lowered her head to kiss his lips.

"Go take a shower."

Lu Rang's breath hitched, and he looked up at her with a probing gaze.

"you mean……"

"No, that's not what I meant." Shang Wu's brow twitched as she denied it. "I meant it's getting late, we should wash up and go to bed."

Lu Rang stood up.

"Okay, I'll be right there."

He turned and took two steps, then looked back at Shang Wu, hesitating to speak.

"You rejected me because you didn't want me, or because you didn't want me?"

If you listen closely, you can hear a hint of grievance in his words.

Shang Wu was at a loss for words, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

Why did she feel that this sentence carried a hint of sorrow?

It was as if she were an emperor who favored his concubines.

“Now is not the time. This is an unfamiliar environment, and I… don’t feel comfortable here. It feels strange,” Shang Wu replied earnestly.

The hurt in Lu Rang's eyes disappeared, and he nodded.

"Okay, you get some rest."

His gaze fell on Shang Wu's delicate collarbone again, but quickly looked away.

Upon entering the bathroom, Lu Rang paused for a moment and adjusted the water temperature to cold.

...

Shang Wu slept well that night, a rare occurrence. The next day, he took the Yu family's account book and left before Lu Rang, returning home.

The first thing she did was to go see Nguyen Ngoc Thu.

"Mom, I broke up with Lu Rang."