Chapter 200 Learning to Let Go
Shang Wu looked at the figure by the window, and after a brief moment of shock, she quickly suppressed all her outward emotions.
She walked over calmly, sat down opposite Lu Rang, looked directly at him, and spoke in a completely emotionless tone.
"Mr. Lu, I didn't expect Miss Lu's boyfriend to be you."
Lu Rang paused slightly in the hand swirling his wine glass, looked up at her with a detached and indifferent gaze, and asked, "What does this have to do with you?"
His tone was cold, with a clear sense of boundaries.
Shang Wu looked at him in his current state.
Calm and composed, noble and handsome.
It seems that he has long since escaped the quagmire of the past, is no longer troubled by illness, and is no longer burdened by the feud between the two families.
That's fine.
The last vestige of obsession in her heart, which she herself had not even noticed, suddenly dissipated at that moment.
Shang Wu slightly tugged at the corners of her mouth, revealing a faint but genuine smile.
She said frankly, "It really has nothing to do with me. As an old acquaintance, I'm just happy to see that Mr. Lu is doing well and has a new beginning. Ms. Lu You is beautiful and kind, and you are a perfect match. I wish you both happiness."
She spoke sincerely.
Lu Rang's fingers tightened for a moment as he gripped the wine glass.
He stared at Shang Wu, a dark emotion seemingly flashing across his unfathomable black eyes, so fleeting that it was impossible to grasp.
He then returned to his previous cold and silent demeanor.
He didn't respond to her blessing, but instead looked away towards the door.
Just then, the door to the private room was pushed open, and Lu You walked in with a smile.
"Sorry, I got a last-minute overseas call and I'm late. I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."
She naturally walked to the empty seat next to Lu Rang and sat down, smiling at Shang Wu, "Miss Shang, were you getting impatient?"
"No, Miss Lu." Shang Wu nodded slightly.
“I should be older than you, you can just call me Sister You, no need to be so polite.”
Lu You smiled warmly and then naturally steered the conversation toward design, "Perfect timing. I was just thinking about your preliminary competition piece on the way here. I have some questions about the gradient micro-inlay technique used on the feather part."
She didn't seem to intend to introduce Lu Rang to Shang Wu, but her conversation revealed her keen insight into design, and the questions she raised were very professional.
Shang Wu quickly got into the zone, temporarily putting aside Lu Rang on the other side and focusing on communicating with Lu You.
The two chatted about design and found they got along very well.
Throughout the entire process, Lu Rang remained silent.
He ate in silence, occasionally using serving chopsticks to pick up some of Lu You's favorite dishes with practiced ease, as if he had done it a thousand times before.
Lu You would accept it naturally, occasionally returning his smile before continuing her discussion with Shang Wu.
Their interaction was smooth and tacit, revealing a natural intimacy formed over many years.
Shang Wu sat opposite him, taking in all of this.
She maintained the calm expression she had when talking to Lu You, forcing herself to focus all her attention on the conversation with Lu You.
Since you've decided to let go and offer your blessings, you should do it thoroughly.
He was just an important past tense in her life.
Now, she needs to focus on her own design and future.
Soon, the topic of design came to a temporary end.
Lu You wiped the corner of her mouth with a napkin, seemingly casually, but her eyes held a hint of probing.
"Ms. Shang, the hotel security said yesterday that there was a man in your room last night? Apparently, there was a little misunderstanding. Was he your boyfriend?"
Shang Wu was taken aback.
"It seems I disturbed you by inviting you to dinner last night?" Lu You said, smiling apologetically.
The question was asked so naturally, as if it were just a casual conversation between friends.
Lu Rangzheng paused for a moment as he picked up his water glass, then resumed his normal motion, as if he hadn't heard anything. He looked indifferently at the night view outside the window, seemingly unconcerned and completely uninterested in the matter.
Shang Wu's eyes trembled slightly, but her tone remained calm: "Sister You has misunderstood. He's just an ordinary friend who happened to be here for a meeting. He was temporarily staying in my living room because the hotel was full. He's not my boyfriend."
She briefly touched on the topic and didn't want to elaborate.
Just then, my phone rang.
The name "Cheng Zhou" was displayed on the screen.
Lu You's gaze swept over them unintentionally, a slight smile playing on her lips.
As soon as Shang Wu answered the phone, Cheng Zhou's anxious voice came from the other end.
"Awu! Where are you? I didn't see you in the hotel restaurant, and no one answered my phone before. Are you alright?"
He was clearly still shaken by what happened last night and worried that she might run into trouble again.
Before Shang Wu could answer, Lu You across from her spoke up with a smile.
Her voice was neither too loud nor too soft, just loud enough for the person on the other end of the phone to hear: "Ms. Shang, is this your friend? He sounds very concerned about you. Perfect, let's invite him over for dinner, the more the merrier."
Shang Wu frowned slightly, feeling that this was somewhat inappropriate.
But since Lu You had already spoken, she couldn't refuse directly, so she politely asked, "Sister You, wouldn't this... be too much of a bother for you?"
"How could that be? Call them over quickly!" Lu You waved enthusiastically.
Shang Wu had no choice but to say to Cheng Zhou on the other end of the phone, "I'm having dinner with Ms. Lu from the investor. She invited you to join us."
Upon hearing that she was having dinner with investors, Cheng Zhou was surprised but worried about her safety, so he immediately agreed, "Okay, I'll be right there!"
After hanging up the phone, the atmosphere seemed to subtly change.
Lu Rang calmly drank his water, his profile tense, as if everything around him was irrelevant.
Soon, Cheng Zhou arrived.
He had clearly taken great care of himself, dressed in a well-fitting casual suit. As soon as he entered the private room, his gaze fell on Shang Wu with concern. After confirming that she was safe and sound, he politely greeted Lu You and Lu Rang, who had his back to him.
"Hello, Ms. Lu, I'm sorry to bother you, this is..."
He looked at Lu Rang's back.
Lu Rang glanced coldly at Cheng Zhou without any expression, as if he were just looking at an insignificant stranger.
Shang Wu could only give a simple introduction: "This is Lu Rang, Miss Lu's boyfriend. Miss Lu, Mr. Lu, this is my friend, Cheng Zhou."
Cheng Zhou sensed the invisible pressure and indifference emanating from Lu Rang. Although he was puzzled, he still nodded politely.
Lu Rang nodded indifferently and stopped looking at him, returning his attention to the food in front of him.
After Cheng Zhou sat down in the empty seat next to Shang Wu, he naturally began to fawn over Shang Wu.
He poured her water, asked her what she liked to eat, and whether she wanted to order some dessert, all in a gentle tone.
Shang Wu felt somewhat awkward, especially in front of Lu Rang and Lu You, but out of politeness, she could only give a simple response.
Throughout the entire process, Lu Rang did not show any particular reaction.
He didn't look at Shang Wu or Cheng Zhou anymore, only occasionally whispering a few unimportant words to Lu You, or slowly eating his meal.
The dinner party ended.
Shang Wu and Cheng Zhou stood up and said goodbye to Lu You: "Thank you for dinner, Sister You. We'll take our leave now."
Lu You seemed to be in a good mood and said with a smile, "Don't rush off, it's still early. I know a really nice private club nearby, how about we go for a drink and sing some karaoke?"
At this moment, Lu Rang, who had been silent all along, stood up.
He reached out and naturally put his arm around Lu You's shoulder, leaned down slightly, and whispered something in her ear, his face showing an air of unyielding authority.
"Alright, you have a meeting early tomorrow morning, you should go back and rest."
Lu You pouted slightly, seemingly in a coquettish manner, but ultimately nodded obediently and smiled at Shang Wu, "Okay, okay, let's meet again next time, Miss Shang. I had a very pleasant chat today."
Shang Wu looked at Lu Rang holding Lu You's hand and the intimate and natural way he whispered in her ear.
Her heart felt as if it had been stabbed by something, a sharp, aching sensation washing over her.
She quickly lowered her eyes, concealing the fleeting emotion that crossed them.
When she looked up again, Shang Wu's face was now only adorned with a polite smile: "Okay, Sister You, goodbye."
She maintained her composure and turned to leave with Cheng Zhou.
Stepping out of the restaurant and feeling the cool night breeze, Shang Wu let out a barely audible sigh of relief, as if she had just finished a grueling battle that had exhausted her.
Inside the restaurant, Lu Rang's gaze was fixed on the direction where she had disappeared, his eyes as deep and unfathomable as ink.
Leaving the restaurant, the cool night breeze eased Shang Wu's tense nerves slightly, but an indescribable sense of unease lingered in her heart.
Cheng Zhou keenly noticed her silence.
He slowed his pace and asked gently, "Awu, are you alright? I sensed something was off about you while we were eating. That Lu Rang... is he...?"
Shang Wu took a deep breath, made no attempt to hide anything, and nodded.
Her tone was calm, with a hint of barely perceptible fatigue: "Yes, it's him."
Cheng Zhou understood and sighed softly: "No wonder... judging from his cold look, I knew you two had no chance. But Ah Wu, let bygones be bygones. Look, he has someone by his side now, so you should move on."
He tried to comfort her in a lighthearted tone, "For example, consider the more outstanding and considerate people around you?"
Cheng Zhou pointed to himself half-jokingly.
Shang Wu smiled helplessly at his words, and the gloom in her heart did indeed dissipate a little.
She knew Cheng Zhou was trying to comfort her in his own way, so she played along and gave a forced smile.
"Stop joking with me. Thank you for today. I'm fine now. You can go back now. I want to be alone."
Cheng Zhou could tell that she needed to be alone, and although he was worried, he respected her wishes.
"Okay, then be careful and call me anytime if anything happens."
After seeing Cheng Zhou off, Shang Wu did not immediately return to the hotel.
She needs some space to process her emotions.
Shang Wu drove along the coastal highway, letting the sea breeze and the speed dispel the chaos in his mind.
Lu Rang must have been deeply hurt by her words to move on to the next relationship so quickly.
Whether he's using a new relationship to heal his wounds or for something else, it's a sign that he's eager to cut ties with the past.
She was also part of Lu Rang's dismemberment.
If we meet now, it would be best if we neither love nor hate each other.
Everything happened naturally.
She should look forward too.
Shang Wu rolled down the car window, and the salty sea breeze rushed into the car, ruffling her hair.
She drove aimlessly, the city lights gradually fading into the distance behind her.
On a viewing platform with a wide view, Shang Wu parked the car and wanted to get some fresh air.
However, she had only parked her car and taken two steps when a loud bang suddenly came from behind her!
"Bang!"
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