Chapter 328 Choosing Between Dreams and Men
My daughter has grown up and has her own worries now.
What they need to do is not to rush to find out, but to give her a safe environment to confide in and a hug she can always lean on.
After a long while, Lu Yuwu seemed to come to her senses, turned her head, and forced a smile at her parents in the front seat.
"Dad, Mom, I remember now, today is your wedding anniversary, right? Happy 19th anniversary!"
Her tone was deliberately light, but the lingering anxiety in her eyes couldn't lie.
Looking at her daughter's forced smile in the rearview mirror, Shang Wu sighed softly to herself.
She didn't point it out, but gently replied, "Thank you, darling. But whether you're happy or not, what Mommy wants to know now is why our little princess doesn't seem very happy?"
Lu Yuwu's smile froze for a moment, then she lowered her head, her fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of her clothes, and her voice also lowered.
"I'm not unhappy, I'm just a little tired."
"Did something happen at school? Or did you have a fight with Fu Yan?"
Lu Rang looked over through the rearview mirror, his gaze filled with concern.
Lu Yuwu took a deep breath, her breathing becoming rapid.
She knew she couldn't hide it from them, and she also knew that in this world, her parents were the people she could confide in and rely on the most.
After a few seconds of silence, Lu Yuwu finally raised her head, her eyes slightly red and her voice choked with sobs.
"Mom, I received my master's degree acceptance letter from the Paris National School of Design."
Upon hearing this, both Shang Wu and Lu Rang were taken aback.
The École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris is a world-class art and design institution, a dream school for countless design students.
This was originally great news.
But Lu Yuwu immediately pointed out the source of her dilemma: "The school system is three years."
Three years.
Shang Wu understood somewhat.
She and Lu Rang exchanged a glance, and the carriage fell silent once again.
Three years of separation across borders is undoubtedly a huge test for young people who are deeply in love and have just weathered the storm to confirm their feelings for each other.
"I really want to go. My most admired mentor is there, and there are the best resources and platforms, but..."
Lu Yuwu finally couldn't hold back her tears and they fell. "But it'll be three years. We just got back together and got engaged. I don't know what to do..."
She looked helplessly at her parents: "I can't bear to leave him, and I can't bear to leave you either, but I don't want to miss this opportunity either. Mom, Dad, what should I do?"
Shang Wu turned around with a pained expression, took out a tissue and handed it to her daughter, her voice gentle.
"Xiaowu, this is your life, your dream. This is a rare opportunity, and it would be a pity to give it up."
Lu Rang also spoke, his tone calm: "Don't give up your chance to pursue a better future easily because of anyone, including us or Fu Yan. True feelings should stand the test of time and distance."
He didn't tell Lu Yuwu what to do directly, but instead gave her the choice.
“But what if…” Lu Yuwu bit her lip, not daring to say the rest of the sentence, but her eyes were full of worry.
“There’s no such thing as ‘what if’.” Shang Wu held her hand. “If you give up your dream that’s within reach because you’re afraid of the unknown, you’ll definitely regret it in the future. And you have to have faith in Fu Yan and in all of you.”
My parents' words were like a reassuring pill.
Lu Yuwu's panicked heart calmed down a little, but she was still conflicted.
After returning home, Lu Yuwu spent a sleepless night.
She paced back and forth in the room, biting her nails, her heart pounding with anxiety. She looked at the photo of herself and Fu Yan on the desk, then at the admission email on the computer screen, experiencing an unprecedented inner turmoil.
Even through the wall, Shang Wu could hear her pacing back and forth. She sighed, turned over, and met Lu Rang's teasing gaze.
Lu Rang raised an eyebrow: "Are you that worried?"
Shang Wu coughed lightly: "I'm just worried for her."
"I see."
Lu Rang tucked her hair behind her ears.
"It's okay, leave it to the child. I believe she will make the decision she wants to make."
The next day, Lu Yuwu, with faint dark circles under her eyes, went downstairs and made a decision.
"Mom and Dad, I want to explain my decision to him in person."
Just as Lu Rang was about to speak, Shang Wu pulled him back.
“Okay, invite him over for dinner. I’ll have the housekeeper cook a few more dishes tonight.”
Lu Yuwu nodded, then turned and sent a message to Fu Yan, inviting him to dinner at her home that evening, saying that she had something important to discuss with him in person.
Fu Yan replied quickly, with just one word: Okay.
Fu Yan arrived on time that evening.
He immediately sensed that the atmosphere at the Lu family was somewhat unusual, especially Lu Yuwu.
Although she tried to act normal, her eyes showed tension and unease.
At the dinner table, Shang Wu and Lu Rang, as usual, inquired about his recent situation, trying to ease the atmosphere.
But Lu Yuwu ate absentmindedly.
After the meal, Shang Wu put down her chopsticks and nodded gently to Lu Yuwu and Fu Yan.
"We have some things to take care of upstairs. You young people can chat and watch TV downstairs."
After saying that, she and Lu Rang got up and left in tacit agreement, leaving the downstairs area entirely to the two of them.
Only Lu Yuwu and Fu Yan remained in the living room.
The noisy variety show playing on TV made the silence between the two seem somewhat oppressive.
Lu Yuwu took a deep breath, mustered her courage, and laid out the explanation she had prepared beforehand.
From receiving her acceptance letter to expressing her longing for it, she also talked about the fear of being separated for three years and her determination not to give up her dream.
Lu Yuwu spoke very quickly, as if she was afraid that she would lose her courage if she stopped.
As she finished speaking, her voice trembled as she carefully observed Fu Yan's reaction.
Fu Yan listened quietly, his face expressionless, but his gaze was fixed on her intently.
He remained silent for a few seconds after Lu Yuwu finished speaking.
"good."
There is only one word.
After saying that, he stood up, picked up his coat which was placed to the side, and didn't even look at Lu Yuwu again, leaving only the words: "I understand, I'll go back first."
Fu Yan then walked straight to the door, opened it, and went out.
The door was gently closed with a click, which sounded jarring in the suddenly quiet living room.
Lu Yuwu was completely dumbfounded.
She anticipated that Fu Yan might feel disappointed, try to keep her, or even plan for the future with her.
But she never expected him to react this way.
He left indifferently, only offering the word "good," and then he was gone?
What does he mean by this? Does he agree to let her go, or does he mean he wants to break up with her?
Was he angry? Was he disappointed in her? Did he think she was too selfish, only caring about her own future?
Lu Yuwu's face turned deathly pale instantly. She jumped up from the sofa, spun around twice, and then rushed towards the door in a panic, seemingly trying to chase after someone.
"What's wrong, Xiaowu?" Shang Wu and Lu Rang heard the commotion and came downstairs, just in time to see her looking so distraught.
"Mom! Dad!" Lu Yuwu rushed over as if she had seen a savior, grabbed Shang Wu's hand, and cried incoherently.
"He's gone! He just said 'okay' and left! Does he not want me anymore? Is he angry with me? I... I didn't mean that, I didn't want to break up..."
Seeing her daughter's panicked and helpless state, Shang Wu felt sorry for her and hugged her tightly, gently patting her back to comfort her.
"Don't rush, don't rush, speak slowly. Fu Yan isn't that kind of person. He might just not have thought of how to respond yet."
Lu Rang also said in a deep voice, "Don't scare yourself. Send him a message and ask him what he thinks."
Lu Yuwu quickly took out her phone, her fingers trembling as she sent a message to Fu Yan: "Fu Yan, what do you mean? Are you angry? Or do you not want me anymore?"
The message was sent successfully, and the screen displays "delivered".
Then came the long wait.
One minute, five minutes, ten minutes...
Half an hour passed, and the phone screen remained dark, with no response.
Lu Yuwu's heart sank little by little, and tears streamed down her face uncontrollably.
She curled up on the sofa, burying her face in her knees, like a child abandoned by the whole world.
Seeing her daughter like this, Shang Wu felt bad too.
She knew that Fu Yan was a cold person and sometimes not good at expressing himself, but his lack of response to messages was indeed worrying and upsetting.
She walked over, sat down next to her daughter, gently pulled her into her arms, and gave Lu Rang a wink.
Lu Rang understood and nodded, signaling her to handle it.
"Okay, don't cry." Shang Wu coaxed gently, "Maybe his phone is dead, or he's driving and can't reply to messages. Let's not think about it for now, okay? Mom will sleep with you tonight, and we'll talk about it tomorrow, okay?"
Lu Yuwu raised her tear-filled face and looked into Shang Wu's gentle yet firm eyes, and the panic in her heart dissipated somewhat.
She nodded, sobbing, and leaned against Shang Wu's chest in dependence.
That night, a warm bedside lamp shone in Lu Yuwu's room.
Shang Wu hugged her just like she did when she was a child, gently patted her back, and hummed an off-key lullaby.
Lu Yuwu cried herself to sleep in her warm and peaceful embrace, and her eyes finally closed slowly. However, her brows were still slightly furrowed in her sleep, indicating that she had not completely let go of her worries.
Shang Wu sighed, feeling anxious but helpless.
...
Morning.
Lu Yuwu's eyelashes trembled a few times before she slowly opened her eyes.
When consciousness returned, the image of Fu Yan's indifferent departure immediately surfaced in her mind.
Lu Yuwu felt a tightness in her chest.
She subconsciously reached for her phone on the pillow, wanting to see if Fu Yan had replied, but found the screen was completely black.
My phone ran out of battery and shut down automatically.
Lu Yuwu plugged in the charger and stared at the slowly flashing charging icon on the screen, feeling a chill run through her.
He hasn't replied to my message for half an hour.
Now that his phone is off, does he really not want to talk to her anymore?
Lu Yuwu didn't want to keep thinking like this and passively wait.
Since she has already expressed her stance through silence, she should make her own choice.
She quickly got up, washed up, changed her clothes, and hurriedly ate a few bites of breakfast at the dining table.
As she left, Lu Yuwu vaguely told Lu Rang and Shang Wu that something had happened at school, then grabbed her backpack and went out.
Shang Wu and Lu Rang looked at her hurried, even somewhat rushed, back view, exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with understanding.
They guessed what Lu Yuwu was going to do.
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