Chapter 211 Clingy Puppy
After seeing Lu You off, life seemed to be back on track.
On this day, Shang Wu accepted an exclusive interview with the organizers of the previous design competition.
During the interview, the host naturally asked about her work plans after winning the championship.
Shang Wu was dressed in a well-fitting and elegant suit, and the ring on her ring finger gleamed under the camera lights.
She smiled gently and happily at the camera: "Next, I may temporarily slow down my work pace and spend more time with my life and family."
A slight commotion arose from the audience, clearly surprised by the answer.
She continued with a smile, "Of course, the design won't stop. The next jewelry collection is already in the works; it will be related to my loved one and tell our story. I hope everyone can look forward to it."
"Lover?" The host seized on the word and asked in surprise, "So, Ms. Freya, you mean that you are now... in a stable relationship?"
Shang Wu smiled but remained silent, which was taken as tacit agreement.
A murmur of discussion and well wishes immediately rang out at the scene.
The interview has ended.
As Shang Wu stepped down from the interview area and walked out of the hall, she saw Lu Rang waiting for her by the car at the door.
He was dressed in a simple shirt and trousers, with an upright posture and outstanding temperament, attracting the attention of passersby.
Seeing her come out, Lu Rang stood up straight, reached out his hand to her, and smiled gently.
Shang Wu walked over quickly and naturally placed her hand in his palm.
The two exchanged a smile, needing no further words.
The scene of them holding hands and walking side by side towards the car was captured by many media outlets who had not yet left.
The next day, the news that "celebrity jewelry designer Freya is suspected of being in a relationship with an outstanding boyfriend" quietly appeared in the entertainment section.
On the bus, Shang Wu looked out the window and suddenly sighed.
"What's wrong?" Lu Rang asked with concern.
"I'm a little worried about Sister You," Shang Wu said softly. "She's going back alone to face so many things, and I don't know what really happened between her and Cheng Zhou that night..."
She paused, took out her phone, and sent Cheng Zhou a message: [You-jie has gone back to the Yu family. Are you alright?]
After a long while, Cheng Zhou replied with a crying face emoji.
[Oh no! I feel like I've lost the most important thing in my life! How could she just leave like that!]
Shang Wu frowned and replied: 【What do you mean?】
Cheng Zhou: [Literal meaning! She has to take responsibility for me!]
Shang Wu: "..."
She suddenly couldn't understand Cheng Zhou's thought process.
Meanwhile, at an airport thousands of miles away.
As soon as Lu You got off the plane and turned on her phone, a series of missed calls and text message notifications started ringing non-stop, almost all of them from Cheng Zhou.
She raised an eyebrow, about to ignore it, when a new text message popped up from Cheng Zhou.
Where are you?! You can't just take advantage of me and run away! You have to take responsibility for me! I'm already on my way to settle the score! Wait for me!
Lu You looked at the text message, first stunned, then as if she understood something.
She slowly revealed a meaningful and slightly playful smile.
Lu You put away her phone and chuckled softly to herself:
"They actually delivered themselves to our doorstep. How interesting."
Lu You put away her phone, stepped out of the airport VIP channel with a brisk pace, wearing seven-centimeter high heels.
Yu's driver was already waiting respectfully to the side and took her suitcase.
She rubbed her slightly tired brow.
The long flight of more than ten hours, the pile of family troubles she was about to face, and Lu Zheng's questioning made her feel anything but good.
The phone kept vibrating tirelessly, and Cheng Zhou's name kept flashing on the screen.
Lu You glanced at it, immediately muted it, and casually tossed the phone into her expensive platinum bag.
"Miss, shall we go straight back to the old house?" the driver asked in a low voice.
"Hmm." Lu You responded softly, leaning back in the comfortable back seat, closing her eyes, but the image of waking up that morning involuntarily flashed through her mind.
Cheng Zhou's handsome face was full of panic, like a large dog that had been frightened. A tuft of his hair was sticking up from sleeping, and he looked... kind of cute.
She smirked briefly, then quickly suppressed it.
The car drove smoothly toward the Yu family's house.
As soon as Lu You got out of the car, he saw the butler and several clan elders waiting at the door, their faces showing anxiety and a hint of barely perceptible disdain.
They always felt that she, as an adopted daughter, was ultimately an outsider.
Over the years, I have never let Lu You interfere in family matters.
Lu You took a deep breath, and a flawless smile instantly appeared on her face. She greeted him with a slightly aloof smile.
Her battle has begun.
For several days in a row, Lu You was busy dealing with Lu Zhenghe and various thorny matters, keeping her extremely busy.
Lu Zheng remained very calm after hearing about Lu Rang and Shang Wu's affair.
He only said one sentence in the end.
"Let him do whatever he wants, just pretend I don't have this son."
Lu You was happy to have an easier time, but she was still so busy that she could only sleep three or four hours a day.
Cheng Zhou bombarded me with text messages and phone calls every day, initially demanding an explanation, then gradually becoming concerned and caring, and finally turning it into a daily occurrence.
[Hey, have you had breakfast yet? The breakfasts where you live aren't very good, are they?]
Did you have another meeting today? Did those old men give you any trouble?
I've learned a new dessert recipe; I'll make it for you when you get back.
Sister You, please talk to me...
Lu You occasionally sees the message during breaks in meetings or when she is exhausted late at night. She is usually too lazy to reply, but sometimes when she is in a bad mood, she might even reply with "Shut up, it's so noisy".
That day, Lu You finally managed to temporarily resolve the most difficult shareholder issue, and her mood improved slightly.
She returned to her room in the old house that evening and relaxed in the bathtub.
My phone lit up again; it was a photo sent by Cheng Zhou.
A bowl of mango pomelo sago that looks incredibly appetizing.
[Sister You, the restaurant's new dishes were on trial sale today, and it was packed! We saved a bowl for you, but unfortunately you couldn't have any.]
Lu You looked at the bowl of dessert and touched her stomach, which was aching slightly due to irregular eating habits.
She replied, almost as if possessed, "It looks so-so."
Shortly after the message was sent, my phone rang, and it was a video call request.
Lu You raised an eyebrow, hesitated for a moment, and then accepted the call.
Anyway, you can't see anything while soaking in a bathtub full of foam.
Immediately, Cheng Zhou's handsome face appeared in a magnified image on the other end of the video, with the background seemingly his restaurant kitchen.
He wore a scarf, his eyes sparkling: "Sister You! You finally replied to my message! You said it was just so-so? Impossible! My desserts have won awards! Just wait, I'll air-freight them to you tomorrow!"
Looking at his eagerness to prove himself on the screen, Lu You couldn't help but scoff: "Naive, the shipping cost is more expensive than the dessert."
“I’ll give it to you, it’s worth any price!” Cheng Zhou blurted out. After saying that, he paused for a moment, his ears turned red at a visible speed, and his eyes began to wander.
Lu You, being the discerning person she was, immediately noticed his embarrassment and deliberately teased him: "Oh? So generous? It seems your restaurant's profits are quite considerable, Boss Cheng? Or are you this generous to every woman?"
"Of course not."
Cheng Zhou immediately denied it, "Only, only with you..."
"To me?" Lu You leaned back lazily.
The sound of water running in the bathtub filled the air, and her voice, slightly seductive and husky, said, "Why are you being so nice to a wicked woman like me who took advantage of you and ran away? Cheng Zhou, you don't happen to have some kind of weird fetish, do you?"
Cheng Zhou heard the sound of water on the other end of the screen and saw her exposed, elegant shoulders and neck. Realizing something, his face instantly turned bright red, and he didn't know where to look.
"I didn't, don't talk nonsense! I am..."
"What is it?" Lu You pressed on, smiling like a cunning fox.
"I just want you to take responsibility for me," Cheng Zhou said, lowering his head as if he didn't have the courage to ask for an explanation.
Lu You was stunned.
She hadn't expected Cheng Zhou to be so direct.
The bathroom was quiet for a few seconds, with only the steam rising from it.
After a while, Cheng Zhou seemed to calm down a bit, his eyes unusually serious.
He looked at Lu You's collarbone, which was faintly visible on the screen, and said in a slightly lower voice, "Lu You, I know that you took the initiative that night, and it was just an enjoyment for you, but I am not the kind of irresponsible person."
He paused, then mustered his courage and continued, "I know you're the eldest daughter of the Yu family, very capable, and might look down on someone like me who can only cook. But my restaurant is doing quite well, I can support myself, and I can treat you well. Can you give me a chance?"
As Lu You looked at the sincere yet somewhat humble young man on the screen, a hard spot in her heart seemed to be gently bumped.
She was used to being in control, used to being hypocritical, and used to protecting herself with cynicism.
It had been a long time since anyone had expressed their feelings for her so directly and awkwardly.
Lu You remained silent for a moment, and just as Cheng Zhou's eyes dimmed in thought he was about to be rejected again, she suddenly spoke.
Her tone was devoid of emotion: "My situation is very complicated, and I can't finish dealing with it in a short time."
Cheng Zhou immediately said, "I can wait for you!"
"I have a bad temper, I'm picky, and I'm difficult to deal with."
"I have a good temper, I can take a lot of trouble! You can be as picky as you want!" Cheng Zhou hurriedly pledged his loyalty.
Lu You finally couldn't help but laugh.
"How silly," she muttered under her breath, but her tone softened. "Let me finish this first."
Does this mean they've given in?
Cheng Zhou could hardly believe his ears.
"Then I'll wait for you. Take your time with your work, don't overwork yourself, take care of yourself. Tell me what you want to eat, and I'll learn if I don't know how, and I'll cook it for you in the future."
She saw a hint of tenderness flash in Lu You's eyes that she herself didn't even notice.
"Hang up, annoying."
She feigned impatience and cut off the video, tossing her phone aside.
The water in the bathtub rippled slightly, reflecting the faint smile on her lips.
Outside the door, the housekeeper's voice could be heard urging her to come downstairs to answer a work call.
Lu You took a deep breath, instantly suppressing all her emotions and reverting to her impeccable demeanor as the eldest daughter of the Yu family.
But some things seem to have started to change.
At least, in this cold old house, there seems to be a touch of connection from afar, carrying the aroma of desserts.
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