Chapter 212 Blocking Peach Blossoms
While Cheng Zhou was busy harassing Lu You for several days, Shang Wu also moved into Lu Rang's house.
Lu Rang originally wanted to stay in a single-story apartment temporarily, and then move to a villa once he found a suitable place to live.
Next came the renovations and wedding planning.
After careful consideration, Shang Wu objected to Lu Rang buying another villa, saying that it would be too cold and lonely for just the two of them to live in.
Lu Rang was afraid of making her feel uncomfortable, so he insisted on buying a house so that they could switch places if they got tired of living there in the future.
With the law firm on track, Shang Wu also began to frequently participate in interviews to build momentum for her next jewelry design project.
She was busy with work when she received a call from Cheng Zhou during her free time. He invited her to try some new dishes at his restaurant.
Shang Wu went there when she had nothing else to do, and sat by the window, waiting for Cheng Zhou to bring up the new products.
Soon, Cheng Zhou, wearing a clean apron, placed two desserts in front of her, sat opposite her nervously and expectantly, his eyes sparkling.
"These are some newly developed flavors. This one is called Spring Whispers. It uses the latest jasmine tea cream. You should try it."
Shang Wu picked up the small spoon, her eyes showing amazement: "This jasmine tea cream is delicious, not too sweet at all."
Upon receiving affirmation, Cheng Zhou immediately beamed like a puppy that had just been stroked: "That's great! I knew you'd like it!"
He paused, his gaze flickered, and asked seemingly casually, "Um, has Sister You... contacted you recently? Does she prefer something sweeter or milder?"
Shang Wu put down her spoon and looked at Cheng Zhou's expression—clearly concerned but pretending to be calm—and found it amusing.
She said gently, "Sister You called a few days ago and said she's very busy over there, barely having time to breathe. As for her taste..."
She deliberately dragged out her words, and when she saw Cheng Zhou immediately perk up his ears, she smiled and said, "I've only known her for a short time, so I don't know her preferences. But she probably can't stand anything too sweet. What, you want to make her some dessert?"
Cheng Zhou's ears turned slightly red, and he touched his nose: "I was just asking casually. She's so busy, maybe eating something sweet will cheer her up."
He added in a low voice, "I made some cookies and nougat that keep well. When I send them to her later, I'll save some for you."
"Okay." Shang Wu readily agreed, and looking at the man in front of her who was immersed in his crush, she couldn't help but ask, "Did you and Sister You keep in touch after that day?"
Cheng Zhou's face flushed red instantly, and his eyes began to dart around: "It's just like that. She always finds me annoying and tells me to shut up, but she occasionally replies to my messages with a word or two."
As he spoke, his tone even sounded somewhat aggrieved.
Shang Wu suppressed a laugh: "We still need to work harder, keep it up."
She packed several of the new desserts that Cheng Zhou highly recommended, especially the refreshing "Spring Whispers," intending to bring them to Lu Rang to try.
When Shang Wu arrived at the law firm with the exquisite dessert box, the receptionist had already left for the day.
The office area was quiet, except for Lu Rang's office, where the light was still on.
The office door was ajar.
Just as Shang Wu was about to push open the door, she heard a delicate yet somewhat assertive female voice coming from inside.
"Attorney Lu, I really don't understand this clause~ Could you sit closer and explain it to me carefully? If I don't understand it tonight, I'm afraid I won't be able to sleep."
Shang Wu paused, and through the crack in the door, she saw a woman dressed in a designer suit and with exquisite makeup sitting opposite Lu Rang's desk.
The woman leaned forward, her eyes fixed on Lu Rang.
Lu Rang sat in a black leather chair, his brows slightly furrowed, leaning back noticeably to maintain a distance.
His expression was clearly impatient, and his tone was businesslike: "Ms. Li, the terms of this agreement are very clear, and I have explained them three times. If you still have questions, I suggest you have your legal team review it tomorrow."
"Oh dear, the legal team can't compare to you, Attorney Lu!" Ms. Li persisted, even reaching out as if to tug at Lu Rang's sleeve. "I trust you! Look, it's so late, why don't we find a quiet place to have dinner and chat? I know a really good Japanese restaurant..."
Excuse me?
Shang Wu put on a polite and generous smile and pushed the door open to enter.
The woman turned her head and looked at her with a puzzled expression.
"Ah-Rang, are you still busy? I brought over some desserts that Cheng Zhou just made."
Shang Wu spoke gently, her gaze falling directly on Lu Rang. As if she had just noticed Miss Li, she showed just the right amount of surprise. "Oh? A client is here? I'm sorry to bother you."
Lu let his tense body relax and stood up: "Awu, you've come."
He walked directly around the desk to Shang Wu's side, and naturally took the dessert box from her hand and the trench coat she had taken off.
Miss Li's expression instantly turned ugly as she looked Shang Wu up and down with a scrutinizing gaze.
Lu Rang turned to Miss Li: "This is my fiancée, Shang Wu."
He emphasized the words "fiancée" before saying to Shang Wu, "This is Ms. Li, a client of the company."
"Hello, Miss Li." Shang Wu smiled and nodded in greeting.
Li Qian forced a smile: "Your fiancée is really beautiful. I didn't expect Attorney Lu to be engaged so early."
"When you meet someone you love, of course you should settle down as soon as possible." Lu Rang replied without changing his expression, looking down at Shang Wu with a gentle smile, "What delicious food did you bring?"
Shang Wu opened the box and took out the dessert: "Cheng Zhou's new product, it tastes very refreshing, you should try it."
Lu Rang looked at Li Qian: "Miss Li, would you like some food? Or shall I take you home?"
Li Qian's face turned pale and then flushed, and she could no longer sit still. She grabbed her bag and stood up.
"Since Attorney Lu is busy, I won't bother you any longer. I'll have my legal department contact you about the agreement tomorrow!"
After saying that, she quickly left in her high heels.
As soon as the office door closed, Lu Rang immediately pulled Shang Wu into a tight embrace, resting his chin on the top of her head, and asked with a low laugh, "Thank you for getting me out of this predicament. Even with the sign on the door, it didn't help; there were always one or two people bothering me."
Shang Wu understands.
As a law firm just starting out, we can't afford to offend our clients right away.
Lu Rang never cared about his clients' attitude in Lincheng, but now that he's starting his own business, he has to lower his standards a bit.
Lu Rang asked again, "Were you jealous just now?"
Shang Wu blushed. "Who's jealous! I just happened to come and bring you some food."
She felt uncomfortable when she saw that woman getting so close to Lu Rang.
"Looks like Attorney Lu is quite charming," Shang Wu said sarcastically.
“From now on, I will pass these kinds of clients to Yan Yue.”
Lu Rang readily agreed, put his arm around her, and led her to sit down on the sofa. He took a bite of the dessert and said, "Which dessert shop is this? It tastes very good. If you like it, I'll get you a membership card."
"No need," Shang Wu smiled. "Cheng Zhou asked me to try the new product, so I brought it over specially."
Lu Rang held the spoon, looked up at Shang Wu, his tone casual but with a hint of tension: "Did he specifically invite you over for a taste test again?"
"yes."
Shang Wu didn't think much of it, "He cares a lot about feedback on new products, especially..."
She paused, then, remembering Cheng Zhou's true purpose, found it amusing. "He especially wanted to know if Sister You would like sweets. I think he really cares about Sister You."
"Take it seriously?"
Lu Rang chuckled, put down the spoon completely, and his eyes turned slightly cold. "One second he can be fawning over you, and the next he can use you to find out my sister's preferences. I've seen plenty of men like that who are fickle and have fickle minds."
He picked up his phone and called Lu You.
"Lu Rang!"
Shang Wu quickly grabbed his hand, snatched the phone, and hung up, her brows furrowing. "What are you doing!"
“Cheng Zhou looks like he’s got a quick mind. I told my sister to stay away from him,” Lu Rang said firmly.
Seeing his protective attitude towards his sister, Shang Wu sighed and looked intently into his eyes.
"Ah-Rang, calm down. Their relationship is a matter between the two of them, and they should be the ones to feel and decide for themselves. Is it really right for you to interfere, especially under the guise of doing what's best for her?"
She gripped Lu Rang's hand, her voice soft yet firm: "Think about it, didn't we almost miss out completely because of the opposition and interference of others? Put yourself in our shoes, we finally managed to break free from those constraints, are we going to treat your sister the same way now?"
Lu Rang was suddenly startled, thinking of all the things that had happened in the past.
The coldness in his eyes gradually faded, and he gripped Shang Wu's hand tightly.
Lu Rang said in a low voice, "I'm sorry, I didn't think it through. You're right, I shouldn't have interfered."
To change the subject and lighten the mood, Shang Wu recalled another incident from the day.
She excitedly took out her phone: "By the way, Arjen, I have some good news for you. I received an email today from a college classmate who has now become a very well-known art media person, and his programs have a great influence."
Lu Rang nodded, signaling her to continue.
"He wants to do an exclusive interview with me and also wants to invite me to participate in their special project for the next quarter. This is a great publicity opportunity."
Shang Wu showed Lu Rang photos from Mark's WeChat Moments.
"Look, isn't he handsome?"
Lu Rang took the phone, his gaze falling on the stylishly dressed, confident-smiling man in the photo, before casually swiping the back button.
The phone screen redirects to the chat interface.
He happened to see a few lines of chat history between Shang Wu and Mark.
Mark: [Honestly, Shang Wu, I was immediately attracted to your charisma when I first saw you in the library, but unfortunately you never gave me a chance. Now that we can finally work together, it's truly fate.]
Shang Wu: [Old classmate, please stop joking with me. Looking forward to collaborating.]
Lu Rang frowned slightly.
The other party's words seemed like a joke, but they also revealed a subtle hint of probing and regret.
Men often understand men's thoughts best.
This Mark's intentions go beyond simply wanting to collaborate.
Lu Rang suppressed his displeasure and said calmly, "You've agreed on a time?"
"We haven't talked about it in detail yet. Let's make a phone call later to discuss the specifics."
Shang Wu didn't notice anything unusual about him and took her phone back.
Lu Rang pursed his lips and said nothing.
That evening, they went home together and snuggled up on the sofa in the living room to watch a movie.
Just then, Shang Wu's phone rang.
It was Mark making an overseas call.
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