Chapter 269 Return to Ye City
As the affairs of Yujia Wharf gradually became more organized, Shang Wu handed it back to Lu You to manage.
After this period of reflection, Lu You has become more composed and capable, and she no longer becomes estranged from Cheng Zhou easily, which puts Shang Wu at ease.
She and Lu Rang set off back to Yecheng, returning to their more familiar lives.
Back in Ye Cheng's design studio, a faint floral fragrance still lingered in the air, a sign that A Ying had taken care of things beforehand.
When Aying saw Shang Wu return, her eyes lit up, and she quickly went to greet her with the organized documents in her arms.
"President Shang, you're back! I've already categorized and archived all the design drafts from your time at the Yu family. The latest autumn collection has also been patterned and is ready for your final review before we can arrange for the new product launch."
Shang Wu took the document, a relaxed smile appearing on her face as she returned to familiar territory: "Thank you for your hard work, Aying."
She walked behind her desk, sat down, and began to carefully check each design draft and photo.
Returning to her beloved work made her feel fulfilled and at peace.
Just as she was engrossed in her work, her phone on the table vibrated, and a somewhat unexpected name flashed on the screen.
Mrs. Cheng.
Shang Wu raised an eyebrow slightly.
She didn't have much of a personal relationship with this Mrs. Cheng; their interactions were limited to the first few times they met, and they lost contact after Cheng Keke's less-than-pleasant experience.
Shang Wu hesitated for a moment, then answered the phone, her tone polite but distant: "Hello, Mrs. Cheng."
On the other end of the phone, a barely perceptible probing tone came from Mrs. Cheng.
“Miss Shang, I apologize for bothering you, but I wanted to talk to you about Lu You.”
Shang Wu understood immediately; it must have been Cheng Zhou's confrontation that day that made this mother unable to sit still.
She responded calmly, "Sister You and I have known each other for a long time. You really should ask me about it."
“Oh…” Madam Cheng drawled, as if carefully choosing her words, “Then in your opinion, what kind of girl is Lu You? Do you think she and our Cheng Zhou are a good match?”
Shang Wu put down her pen and leaned back slightly in her chair.
She knew very well what Mrs. Cheng was worried about.
"Mrs. Cheng, Sister You has a cheerful and generous personality, and she's very decisive in handling matters. She manages the Yu family's wharf business very well, and Uncle Lu relies on her a lot. As for her relationship with Cheng Zhou..."
Shang Wu paused, a genuine smile playing on her lips, "When it comes to matters of the heart, only the person experiencing it knows whether it's hot or cold. But what I see is that Cheng Zhou has become much more cheerful and warmer since he got together with Sister You. He's even willing to go home and manage the business."
"Sister You is a very genuine and outstanding person, much better than those so-called rich and beautiful women you mentioned. I think that someone who can make Cheng Zhou choose her so firmly must have something very remarkable about her, don't you think?"
There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone.
Madam Cheng seemed to be processing Shang Wu's words.
After a while, her voice came again, her tone much gentler, even carrying a faint sigh.
“You’re right. Xiao Zhou has always been a thoughtful child. Oh well, children and grandchildren have their own destinies. Thank you, Miss Shang.”
"You're too kind."
Shang Wu smiled and hung up the phone.
Knowing that Madam Cheng would no longer be an obstacle for Lu You and Cheng Zhou, she breathed a sigh of relief and refocused her attention on the design draft in front of her, continuing her unfinished work.
Busy times always fly by, and when Shang Wu looked up again, dusk had already fallen outside the window.
She rubbed her slightly sore neck and was about to pack her things when her phone rang again.
This time it was Lu Rang.
"Are you off work? I'm downstairs."
His voice came through the receiver, carrying a hint of barely perceptible pleasure.
"Come down right away."
Shang Wu's lips unconsciously curled up as she quickly tidied the table.
As she walked downstairs, she immediately spotted Lu Rang's familiar car.
Shang Wu opened the car door and got in, noticing that Lu Rang seemed to be in an exceptionally good mood today, with a relaxed smile on his face.
"Any good news today?" Shang Wu asked while fastening her seatbelt.
Lu Rang turned his head to look at her and smiled mysteriously: "I'll take you somewhere."
Instead of driving back to their usual apartment and the original villa, the car headed towards a hillside on the coast of Yecheng.
Finally, the car stopped in front of a very elegant detached villa.
The villa was warmly lit, the yard was full of flowers and plants, and streetlights were laid out around it, giving off a faint fragrance in the night.
"What is this?" Shang Wu looked at Lu Rang with some confusion.
Lu smiled without saying a word, took her hand, and pushed open the carved iron gate.
Upon entering the villa, Shang Wu couldn't help but widen her eyes slightly.
The interior design is a modern style that she really likes, and what she loves most is the huge floor-to-ceiling window, which faces the sparkling sea.
The moonlight spilled onto the sea, shattering into a shimmering silver glow.
"Do you like it?" Lu Rang gently hugged her from behind, his voice low and tender. "I remember you once said that you wanted a home with a view of the sea. This will be our home in Yecheng from now on, a home that belongs only to the two of us."
Shang Wu's heart warmed instantly.
She never expected that her casual remark would be so seriously remembered by Lu Rang, and that he would quietly put it into practice.
She turned around and wrapped her arms around Lu Rang's waist, burying her face in his firm chest, her voice a little muffled: "I really like it, thank you, but aren't we buying too many houses? We don't have enough room to live in them."
Lu Rang lowered his head and kissed her hair, then embraced her as they sat down on the soft couch by the window.
"It's okay, we can switch places."
The two of them stood quietly in the breeze, neither of them speaking, simply nestled together, enjoying the rare tranquility and warmth.
Looking out the window at the sea under the moonlight, Shang Wu felt a sense of peace and happiness.
However, this tranquil atmosphere did not last long.
A car approached from a distance and stopped outside the villa.
Lu Rang frowned slightly. Who could it be at this moment?
The doorbell rang.
Lu Rang patted Shang Wu's hand and got up to open the door.
Standing outside the door was none other than Chen Chunzhi.
He was also carrying an exquisite paper bag that looked like a congratulatory gift, and a gentle smile was on his face.
When he saw that it was Lu Rang who opened the door, his smile paused for a moment, then returned to normal.
“Lu Lu, I’m sorry to bother you,” Chen Chunzhi said first, his tone polite.
Lu Rang's face instantly darkened. His gaze swept over Chen Chunzhi, then turned back to look at Shang Wu, who had stood up in the room. His aura noticeably turned cold.
He still harbored some resentment because of the misunderstanding and cold war that occurred last time because of Chen Chunzhi.
Seeing this, Shang Wu sighed inwardly, stepped forward, and stood beside Lu Rang.
She asked calmly, "Mr. Chen, how did you find this place?"
Chen Chunzhi saw Lu Rang's reaction and noticed Shang Wu's natural stance beside him, and he understood what was going on.
The smile on his face faded a little, but it was replaced by a sense of relief. He held up the paper bag in his hand and explained, "Don't misunderstand, I heard from A-Ying that you moved to a new house, and I happened to be running errands nearby, so I stopped by to offer my congratulations. This is just a small token of my appreciation."
Chen Chunzhi handed over the paper bag, which contained a set of high-quality tea utensils.
He paused, then turned his gaze to Lu Rang, whose expression remained displeased, and his tone became exceptionally serious.
"Attorney Lu, it seems I haven't cleared up the misunderstanding from last time. Let's take this opportunity to talk it out. Shang Wu and I did have some contact before, but that was limited to our last meeting."
I admit, I did admire Shang Wu, but Shang Wu... only ever had eyes for you, and never gave me any response. All that so-called closeness before was truly just a chance encounter.
Chen Chunzhi's eyes were clear, and his tone was frank and unrestrained.
"Seeing you all doing so well now puts my mind at ease. Best wishes to you both."
He's usually carefree and irresponsible, but since he fell for Shang Wu, he's never been this serious.
Now he understands that compared to being with Shang Wu, taking a step back and not forcing things, offering a generous blessing, would make both of them feel more comfortable.
Moreover, in Shang Wu's eyes, there are never any alternatives, and he will never have the opportunity to be an alternative.
Since that's the case, it's better to let go immediately and clarify the misunderstanding.
Lu Rang's tense expression relaxed considerably.
He looked at Shang Wu, who was also looking at him, and raised an eyebrow.
"See? I told you it was nothing."
Lu Rang smiled, the resentment in his heart finally completely dissipating.
He accepted the gift from Chen Chunzhi, his tone still not particularly warm, but at least it was no longer cold.
"Thank you. I was being too sensitive about what happened before."
Chen Chunzhi smiled, seemingly unconcerned: "I understand. Now that the misunderstanding has been cleared up, I won't bother you any longer."
He looked at Shang Wu and nodded. "Congratulations on moving. Goodbye."
Shang Wu smiled and said, "Thank you."
She saw Chen Chunzhi off.
Lu Rang closed the door, turned around and looked at Shang Wu, his eyes filled with a hint of apology and relief.
Shang Wu stepped forward, took his hand, and said softly, "Now you should believe me, right? My meeting with Chen Chunzhi before was purely coincidental."
Lu Rang grabbed her hand tightly and pulled her into his arms: "I'm sorry, A-Wu, I won't do it again."
Shang Wu leaned against him, feeling his strong heartbeat, and closed her eyes.
"Let's put the matter of the child behind us. I've never blamed you. I just can't accept that the child is gone, that's all."
Lu Rang didn't say anything, he just hugged her.
…
My days back in Yecheng were peaceful and fulfilling.
Shang Wu threw herself back into her design work, busy preparing for the new product launch.
Lu Rang became even busier, often staying in his study until late at night, his expression focused.
Sometimes, when Shang Wu woke up in the middle of the night, he could still see a faint light shining through the crack in the study door.
That evening, after finishing her work for the day, Shang Wu looked out at the deepening night and glanced at the still-closed study door, a sense of worry rising in her heart.
She went into the kitchen, put on an apron, and deftly cooked a bowl of shrimp wontons, which were Lu Rang's favorite.
The wonton wrappers are thin and the filling is generous. Sprinkle with a few bright green scallions, and the aroma is instantly irresistible.
Shang Wu put the wontons into a bowl and carried it towards the study.
Inside the study, Lu Rang was staring intently at the computer screen. Instead of the usual dry legal texts or case materials, the screen displayed something he had secretly prepared.
He was so engrossed in watching that he didn't even hear Shang Wu's soft knocking on the door.
Shang Wu gently pushed open the door and saw Lu Rang looking at the computer screen with a slight frown.
His fingers tapped unconsciously on the table, as if he were troubled by some problem.
Shang Wu walked over quietly and said softly, "Are you still busy? Have something to eat first."
Lu Rang was stunned. He slammed his laptop shut as if he had been electrocuted, almost knocking the mouse off the table.
He looked up and saw Shang Wu's concerned expression. A hint of panic flashed across his face, and his ears turned red at a visible speed.
Lu Rang's eyes darted around, his voice carrying a barely perceptible hint of tension.
"Ah... Ah Wu? How did you get in?"
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