Chapter 206 He Hasn't Forgotten Her
Lu You froze, a hint of disappointment flashing in her eyes upon hearing this answer.
"I see..."
She lowered her eyes, her fingertips unconsciously stroking the rim of the teacup. Her gaze seemed to be fixed on the clear sky after the rain outside the window, but in reality, her peripheral vision never left Shang Wu, who was wrapped in a blanket.
The air inside seemed to freeze.
All that remained was Shang Wu's occasional, barely suppressed, slight cough.
“Awu,” Lu You suddenly spoke again, her voice even softer than before, with a cautious probing tone, “I know it’s presumptuous of me to ask these questions, but… besides you, I don’t seem to know who else to talk to.”
Shang Wu finally stopped coughing and frowned as he looked at her.
"Tell me, if all that's left in a relationship is responsibility and habit, but you can't feel any sincerity, is there any point in continuing? Wouldn't that be torture for both of you?" Lu You threw the question back at him.
She seemed determined to get an answer, an attitude, from Shang Wu.
Shang Wu's headache worsened, not only because of the fever, but also because of Lu You's persistent and ill-timed probing.
Her doubts and the impatience she had been forcibly suppressing finally broke free.
Shang Wu lifted her heavy eyelids and looked directly at Lu You, her hoarse voice carrying a sharp edge: "Sister You, I really don't understand."
Lu You was taken aback by her question: "What don't you understand?"
Shang Wu's voice was weak, yet it carried an undeniable sharpness: "I don't understand why you keep asking for my opinion? Regarding your relationship with Lu Rang, these are the most private matters that should be discussed and resolved by the two of you. Why do you think I can give you the answers?"
She paused, noticing the slight change in Lu You's expression, and continued, "What exactly do you want to hear from me? Or... is there some other reason you're testing me?"
Shang Wu's gaze was hazy with illness, yet unusually focused, as if trying to pierce through Lu You's carefully maintained mask of gentleness.
"Sister You, do you have some other purpose for me? Ever since we met, you seem to be deliberately getting close to me and pulling me into your lives. Why?"
She asked the last three words very slowly, with a deep sense of confusion.
Lu You's gentle smile finally crumbled completely.
Her fingers tightened slightly around the teacup, her knuckles turning white as she remained silent for a few seconds, seemingly struggling with something.
Shang Wu turned her head away: "If you're not going to say anything, then leave. Don't contact me again. Thank you for coming to see me today."
Upon hearing this, Lu You's eyes quickly reddened, and large tears rolled down her cheeks unexpectedly.
Shun Shangwu was stunned for a moment, somewhat at a loss.
"Why are you crying?"
"I'm sorry, Ah Wu, I'm so sorry..." Lu You's voice was filled with sobs as she lowered her head, her shoulders trembling slightly.
"I didn't mean to test you, I... I just didn't know what to do..."
She raised her teary eyes and looked at Shang Wu, her gaze filled with complex emotions—guilt, pain, and a hint of desperate honesty.
"Yes, I know you are Arjan's ex-girlfriend. I've known for a long time, ever since before I first met you."
Shang Wu's heart sank.
Lu You sniffed, her voice choked and broken: "I approached you because I couldn't help but care about Ah Rang... he has never truly let you go in his heart."
Shang Wu looked at Lu You in disbelief.
"What did you say?"
Lu You's tears flowed even more fiercely, as if she wanted to reveal all her grievances: "When he's asleep, he'll unconsciously call your name. Several times, I was right next to him listening."
Shang Wu's fingers suddenly gripped the blanket tightly, her fingertips icy cold.
“There was a silver-framed photo of you in his study. He thought no one knew about it, but I saw it by chance one day.”
Lu You's voice was hoarse from crying, "Sometimes when he wasn't feeling well, he would hold onto that photo frame and wouldn't let go."
"Stop talking..." Shang Wu murmured subconsciously, her voice so weak it was almost inaudible.
Her heart pounded wildly, crashing against her chest, bringing waves of suffocating pain.
Those speculations that she had forcibly suppressed and repeatedly told herself were impossible were now laid bare before her, bloodied and raw.
He... really...
I haven't forgotten her.
Shang Wu was shocked and completely unable to process this explosive information.
Then, the studio door, which was slightly ajar, was gently pushed open from the outside.
A tall but somewhat tense figure appeared at the doorway.
It was Lu Rang who left and then returned.
He had clearly tidied himself up, changed into clean clothes, and his hair was no longer messy, but his face still had the pallor of someone recovering from illness, and his eyes showed an undisguised weariness and a hint of unease.
As soon as Lu Rang entered, his gaze immediately fell on Shang Wu. Seeing her sickly appearance, his brows furrowed and his Adam's apple bobbed, as if he wanted to say something.
But the next second, he also saw Lu You sitting opposite Shang Wu, silently shedding tears.
Lu Rang's gaze suddenly darkened. He clearly hadn't expected Lu You to be here, much less that she would be like this.
Shang Wu also saw him. The moment their eyes met, there was still lingering shock and confusion in her eyes.
Lu Rang felt a pang of panic as he looked at the extremely complex emotions in Shang Wu's eyes, and subconsciously avoided her gaze.
He clenched his fist, trying to make his voice sound calm and even deliberately indifferent, and explained stiffly, "I came back to get something; I left something behind last night."
The excuse was so lame that even he himself found it flimsy.
He hadn't forgotten anything; he just couldn't help wanting to come back and see her, to make sure she was alright, and to make sure his actions yesterday had hurt Shang Wu.
He was afraid that she would never speak to him again.
Normally, Shang Wu might have seen through his words but kept quiet, or she might have gone along with his words and given him a way out, maintaining that pitiful, cold distance between them.
But at this moment, she had just experienced Lu You's words and was deeply moved.
Shang Wu looked at Lu Rang's obviously evasive eyes, at his attempt to disguise himself with indifference, and thought of his hurtful words last night, as well as Lu You's crying just now...
An unnamed anger suddenly flared up.
Shang Wu threw off the blanket covering her, and despite her fever and weakness, stood up and looked intently at Lu Rang.
"Take something? Lu Rang, what exactly do you want?"
Lu Rang paused for a moment: "I didn't intend to do anything."
Shang Wu approached him step by step. "You came here last night acting crazy, saying all sorts of nonsensical things. Lu Rang, tell me, what do you want?"
"Don't you hate me? Don't you think I gave up too easily? Don't you want to be with Sister You? Then why did you show up in front of me? Why did you do those things that would cause misunderstandings?"
Lu Rang was speechless at her question, and frowned: "I didn't, you misunderstood, I just..."
"Misunderstanding?" Shang Wu looked at him as he was still trying to deny it, her anger rising even more, along with a kind of inexplicable disappointment and heartache.
She suddenly raised her hand and pointed at Lu You behind her.
"How long are you going to keep lying to me? Sister You has already told me everything. Why did you call my name when you were asleep? Why did you keep my photo frame? You already have a fiancée, can't you take some responsibility for Sister You? Why are you still thinking about me? Don't you care about the harsh words I said to you?"
Shang Wu let his hands hang limply.
Lu Rang froze on the spot, the last trace of color draining from his face in an instant.
His pupils suddenly contracted as he looked at Lu You in disbelief, then at Shang Wu.
She...knew everything?
She knew something.
She knew he was still thinking of her and missing her.
The air was deathly silent.
All that remained were Shang Wu's rapid, labored breathing, a mixture of excitement and exhaustion.
She was panting, her chest heaving with excitement, her eyes red as she stared at Lu Rang, waiting for his answer, or rather, for his judgment.
Tell her that she was just imagining things, then pull Lu You away and never show up again.
Or perhaps...
Or something else, she didn't know.
Finally, Lu Rang slowly raised his eyes.
His eyes no longer held the cold pretense, only an overwhelming weariness.
He looked at Shang Wu, then suddenly curled his lips into a smile and chuckled softly.
"Well, there's no need to pretend anymore."
Before he could finish speaking, he suddenly stepped forward and pulled Shang Wu into a tight embrace.
Caught off guard, Shang Wu's face collided with his chest, which carried a faint medicinal scent and a familiar aroma.
She instinctively struggled, but Lu Rang held her even tighter, as if he wanted to crush her into his own bones and blood.
"Don't move..."
Lu Rang's voice was terribly hoarse, his hot breath spraying onto her head, carrying a fragile, choked sob, as if he had just survived a catastrophe. "Let me hold you for a while, just a little while..."
Shang Wu froze in his arms, her mind blank, only able to feel the rapid heartbeat coming from his chest.
“A-Wu”.
He buried his face in her neck, his voice muffled, filled with immense pain and grievance, "I stopped taking the medication, I stopped a long time ago..."
Shang Wu's body stiffened abruptly.
"I remember now."
"Everything."
Lu Rang's voice was tinged with pain, "I remember how Lu Zheng forced me, how I was tied up and subjected to that damned hypnosis, I remember it all..."
He paused, tightening his grip on her arm as if afraid of losing some precious treasure, but his voice carried a hint of incredulous accusation, "I remember you cooperating with Lu Zheng to choose to make me forget you."
Shang Wu instantly stopped all struggles, her whole body turning ice-cold.
"Why?" Lu Rang's voice was tinged with suppressed sobs, his eyes red.
He loosened his grip on her slightly, cupped her face in his hands, and forced her to look at him.
Shang Wu met his eyes, which were filled with pain and confusion.
"Tell me why?! You helped them choose a path without you, you helped me choose a way of life without you! Ah Wu, how could you do this to me?"
Shang Wu's tears welled up instantly.
The helplessness and heartache that had been building up for so long could no longer be hidden at this moment.
Looking at the man before her, who was in so much pain he seemed to be broken, she murmured, "No, Lu Rang, I'm doing this for your own good."
She shook her head, tears streaming down her face: "My brother asked you for help in my name, but your old illness has relapsed, and you're so fragile. What else can I do?"
"And those grudges, you clearly can't let go of them either. I see you in pain, I see you torn between the two sides, I..."
"So you're going to make the decision for me?"
Lu interrupted her.
He gripped her chin with a bit of force, forcing her to look at him.
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