Chapter 305 Going Too Far
Cheng Zhou raised his head, looking at Shang Wu with earnest, even pleading, eyes.
“I know she doesn’t care about these things. Lu You has everything she needs, but this is the last thing I can do for her.”
"Awu, I beg you, wait for me... wait until I'm gone, please take good care of her for me. She's stubborn and impulsive. Sometimes she seems shrewd, but she's actually quite soft-hearted and easily taken advantage of."
"Keep an eye on her for me, make sure she doesn't get bullied again."
As he spoke, his eyes reddened slightly, but he forced himself to hold back and solemnly placed the document into Shang Wu's hands.
Holding the heavy stack of documents, Shang Wu listened to his instructions, which sounded like a final testament, and felt a pang of guilt and helplessness in her heart.
She could barely breathe.
Even at this point, Cheng Zhou's thoughts were still preoccupied with Lu You's future.
How could she continue acting like this? How could she watch him suffer and succumb to this fake terminal illness?
"Cheng Zhou, listen to me, things aren't..."
She was eager to explain.
"I'm tired, Awu."
Cheng Zhou interrupted her again, as if he had exhausted his last bit of strength. He closed his eyes wearily, his voice barely audible.
"I want to sleep for a while, you should go back..."
Seeing his eyes closed and his refusal to communicate, Shang Wu swallowed back all the words she was about to say.
Holding the document bag, she stood there, caught in a dilemma, and could only sigh deeply and tuck him in.
Shang Wu whispered a few words of advice to get some rest, and then left the ward with mixed feelings.
Lu You was nowhere to be seen in the corridor; she must have left alone.
Shang Wu stood in the empty corridor, feeling conflicted.
She originally wanted to use a strong medicine to awaken the deep-seated feelings between the two, but she didn't expect that the medicine would be too strong.
She could no longer hesitate; she had to tell the truth immediately.
Shang Wu didn't go back to the studio; she drove straight home.
Lu Rang was pacing around the living room with Yu Wu in his arms; the little one seemed a bit sleepy.
Seeing Shang Wu return with a solemn expression, Lu Rang handed the child to the nanny and walked over.
"What's wrong? Is the situation at the hospital not good?" Lu Rang asked, noticing that Shang Wu was holding an unfamiliar file folder.
Shang Wu shook her head, then nodded.
She pulled Lu Rang into the study, closed the door, and leaned against it, as if she had finally unloaded a heavy burden, or like a child who had made a mistake.
Shang Wu's voice trembled slightly with lingering fear: "Lu Rang, I did something."
Lu Rang looked at her pale face and panicked eyes, his heart tightened, and he took her hand.
"What is it? Tell me slowly."
Shang Wu took a deep breath, raised her head, looked directly into Lu Rang's eyes, and confessed word by word: "Cheng Zhou's illness... is fake. The leukemia was a lie that the doctor and I conspired to deceive him. He is not sick at all."
"What?" Lu Rang's pupils constricted, his face filled with shock. "Awu, what did you say? How is this possible? The medical report..."
"The test report was forged, and the symptoms were temporarily simulated using some medications."
Shang Wu's tone was full of regret, "I just saw that the two of them clearly cared about each other, but because of pride and misunderstandings, they were on the verge of divorce. I wanted to push them, to make them see their own hearts clearly when they thought they were separated by life and death, and to let go of those disputes. I thought this was the fastest and most effective way."
Her voice trailed off as she spoke: "But I didn't expect Cheng Zhou's reaction to be so intense. It's like he's really heartbroken. He was just giving me his last words, entrusting all his assets to me and asking me to take care of Sister You and Lu Rang. I think I've gone too far. I don't know what to do now..."
After being shocked by his frank confession, Lu Rang slowly sorted out his thoughts, and his expression became serious.
He understood Shang Wu and knew that her initial intentions were good.
Looking at Shang Wu's remorseful and frightened expression, Lu You simply held her tightly in his arms and asked in a deep voice, "Who else knows about this?"
"Besides me and that doctor, there was no one else."
Shang Wu buried herself in his arms.
Lu Rang remained silent for a moment.
The situation is indeed very tricky.
Cheng Zhou was utterly devastated, while Lu You was in despair. This truth must be revealed as soon as possible, but the method and timing of its revelation must be carefully considered, otherwise it may cause further harm.
"This matter must be resolved as soon as possible."
Lu Rang finally made a decision. He released Shang Wu, looked into her eyes, and said in a serious tone, "But we can't just rush over and say it. We need a suitable time and method. First, we need to make sure that both of them are present and that we can make things clear at once."
He rubbed his temples, feeling that this matter was even more mentally taxing than dealing with a multi-million dollar merger.
"I'll contact that doctor first to confirm Cheng Zhou's condition. As for how to tell them... we'll think about it some more."
Shang Wu looked at Lu Rang with reliance, knowing that he was her only support and pillar of strength at this moment.
She nodded, but her heart was still filled with unease and guilt.
I just hope that when the truth comes out, Cheng Zhou and Lu You will be able to withstand this huge reversal and will not hate her because of it.
When the lawyer called, Lu You was locked in her apartment, trying to numb herself with work, but she stared blankly at the computer screen all morning.
Over the phone, the lawyer formally informed her that all the divorce-related documents, including the property division agreement, that Mr. Cheng Zhou had entrusted to handle had been prepared, and asked when it would be convenient for her to sign them.
Listening to the lawyer's calm voice, Lu You felt a surge of unease, as if those few thin pages of paper were the thing that severed the last connection between her and Cheng Zhou.
She gave a few perfunctory replies, saying she would consider the time, and then hurriedly hung up the phone.
The room was eerily quiet, and the air seemed to still carry the lingering smell of alcohol from the previous night.
Lu You slowly exhaled, unable to stay any longer. She grabbed her coat and car keys and decided to go out for a walk.
She wanted some fresh air, at least to escape this suffocating space.
Lu You drove to a wetland park on the outskirts of the city.
The air was crisp and cool in the early spring afternoon, and the lakeside had a desolate beauty.
She walked slowly along the lakeside boardwalk. The cold wind on her face cleared her mind and dispelled some of her dazedness.
As Lu You stood by the lake, gazing absently at the lake surface covered with a thin layer of ice, a female voice sounded behind her.
"Sister Lu You?"
Lu You turned around and saw Cheng Keke standing not far away, wearing a thick down jacket, her face reddened by the wind, and her eyes filled with worry and a hint of hesitation.
"Cheng Keke?" Lu You asked, somewhat surprised. "What are you doing here?"
“I…I heard you might come here to relax.” Cheng Keke stepped forward, nervously twisting the hem of her clothes with both hands. “I came in place of my brother.”
Lu You's heart sank slightly, but her face remained expressionless.
"Why did he send you here? To tell me not to feel guilty and to get a divorce as soon as possible?"
Cheng Keke hurriedly explained, "I wanted to come and talk to you myself."
She paused, mustered her courage, and looked up at Lu You, her eyes slightly red. "Sister Lu You, I know I did a lot of immature things in the past. My brother did many wrong things, and so did my mother. They caused you a lot of pressure and hurt, but now he's like this..."
Her voice choked with sobs: "The doctor said his condition is not good, and he himself has little will to live. Sister Lu You, I beg you, please promise my brother that you will divorce him and then go to Mr. Fu to start a new life."
"My brother truly wants you to be happy. He doesn't want to be a burden to you. If you let go, maybe he can feel more at ease..."
Cheng Keke's words were earnest and humble, a plea from the bottom of her heart.
She genuinely felt sorry for Cheng Zhou, and naively believed that as long as Lu You left according to her brother's wishes, Cheng Zhou would have less to worry about and suffer from.
Lu You listened quietly, feeling a tightness and pain in her chest, as if something was blocking her heart.
Even Cheng Keke came to advise her to let go.
It seems Cheng Zhou is determined to push her away.
Looking at the girl in front of her, who had once been her nemesis but now pleaded for her brother with tears in her eyes, a deep sense of powerlessness welled up in her heart.
Lu You shook her head, her tone weary yet resolute.
“Coco, thank you for telling me all this, but whether to get a divorce or not, and who I’m with, is my own business. It shouldn’t be decided by your brother’s illness, nor should anyone make that decision for me. I’m very confused right now and need time to think things through.”
Seeing Cheng Keke's disappointed and helpless expression, she finally softened.
"I'll visit your brother again when I have time. You should go back now; it's cold outside."
Cheng Keke opened her mouth, wanting to say something more, but seeing Lu You's clearly distant attitude of refusing to talk anymore, she swallowed her words in the end.
She said softly, "Okay, take care, Sister Lu You."
After saying that, she left, turning back every few steps.
After seeing Cheng Keke off, Lu You lost interest in taking a walk and turned to go outside to get her car.
However, it seems destined that she will not find peace today.
Cheng Keke returned, supporting someone as she came over.
Another person she least wanted to see at that moment.
Mrs. Cheng.
Mrs. Cheng had clearly been waiting for her here on purpose.
Compared to Cheng Keke, her attitude was more direct and even carried a touch of habitual assertiveness.
“Lu You,” Madam Cheng called out to her, getting straight to the point, “Let’s talk.”
Lu You stopped and looked at her patiently: "Mrs. Cheng, I think there's nothing more to talk about between us. I will handle the divorce."
“I’m not here to urge you to get a divorce,” Mrs. Cheng interrupted her, looking at Lu You with a complicated expression. “I’m here to apologize for what happened before.”
This surprised Lu You. She raised an eyebrow but remained silent, waiting for Madam Cheng to continue.
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