Chapter 254 Who Bows Down
The moment the door was gently closed, Shang Wu slowly turned her head, looking at the empty doorway, her eyes slightly red.
She was really exhausted.
After losing her child, she became inexplicably depressed and so exhausted that even expressing her emotions became difficult.
Shang Wu didn't want to attribute these emotions to depression, but she didn't know how to cheer herself up.
...
Lu Rang drove to the law firm, filled with misunderstandings and worries.
Lu You arrived at the law firm a step earlier than him.
She grew angrier the more she thought about it, and stormed into Yan Yue's office.
"Yan Yue, fire that newcomer, Lin Ruan, immediately."
Yan Yue was taken aback by her sudden outburst of anger: "Lin Ruan? What's wrong with her?"
Lu You sneered, "She took Lu Rang back to her house last night and spent the night there. This morning she even used Lu Rang's phone to call A Wu. What's the point of keeping someone with such ulterior motives at the law firm? By the way, what were you doing yesterday? You weren't even on guard!"
Upon hearing this, Yan Yue's expression also turned serious.
"No, Lu Rang wasn't drinking, he was sober, why would he go straight to her house?"
He immediately called the human resources department.
Just then, Lu Rang walked into the law firm and went straight to his office, ignoring Lu You who was coming towards him.
"A-Rang!" Lu You called out to him, "Have you explained things clearly to A-Wu? How is she?"
Lu Rang stopped in his tracks, but did not turn around. He simply replied in a low voice, "It's nothing."
After saying that, he went into his office without looking back and closed the door.
Lu You felt a sinking feeling in her heart when she saw his expression.
This doesn't look like anything's wrong.
Did the two of them have a fight?
As she was thinking, a commotion suddenly broke out at the entrance of the law firm.
Lin Ruan, who was supposed to be expelled, actually returned and rushed in, her eyes red and her face streaked with tears.
She had a clear goal and went straight for Lu You.
"Miss Lu!"
Lin Ruan stood in front of Lu You, her voice trembling with tears, yet filled with a stubborn determination.
Why did you ask Attorney Yan to fire me?
Lu You crossed her arms and looked at her coldly: "Why? Don't you know the answer in your heart?"
Lin Ruan's tears fell, but her tone remained neither humble nor arrogant: "I know! It's because Lu Lu stayed overnight at my house last night, isn't it?"
"But I really didn't mean anything by it! I just panicked and didn't handle it well!"
She took a deep breath: "Besides, I have a boyfriend, and we have a very good relationship. Last night, Lu Lu was so drunk that he was unconscious. My boyfriend helped me carry him upstairs and took care of him. My boyfriend can testify to that!"
Upon hearing this, not only Lu You was stunned, but even the employees who were listening nearby were taken aback.
Lin Ruan pointed to the group photo on her phone screen.
"This is my boyfriend. We've been dating for three years. Even though I, Lin Ruan, am considered pretty, I'm someone who takes relationships seriously and works honestly!"
"You can't assume I have ulterior motives just because Attorney Lu happened to sleep at my house. Judging me by my appearance is so unfair to me!"
After she finished speaking, she burst into tears, feeling wronged.
Looking at Lin Ruan, who was crying her eyes out, Lu You was speechless for a moment.
Do you have a boyfriend? Or are you taking care of her together with your boyfriend?
If what she said is true, then what happened last night might really have just been a false alarm.
Was she overreacting?
Lu You blinked and coughed lightly.
The atmosphere in the law firm became somewhat awkward.
Inside the office, Lu Rang's office wasn't very soundproof, and he could vaguely hear the arguing outside and Lin Ruan's sobbing.
He rubbed his temples in frustration.
At this moment, he had no mind to discern the truth or falsehood in Lin Ruan's words, nor to worry about his inexplicable unconsciousness last night.
His mind was filled with Shang Wu's tired and distant appearance, and her words on the phone, "You're not doing well."
Lu You looked at Lu Rang's tightly closed office door, feeling extremely anxious.
She knocked on the door and went inside without waiting for a response.
Lu Rang was standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, surrounded by a low-pressure atmosphere.
"A-Rang, are you planning to hide here forever?" Lu You walked up to him, her tone filled with reproach and worry.
Lu Rang didn't turn around, his voice hoarse: "Why would I go back? To see how annoyed she is just seeing me?"
"What's bothering her?" Lu You asked, puzzled. "Awu is just feeling down because she hasn't fully recovered. As her husband, shouldn't you spend more time with her during this time?"
"Stay with her?"
Lu Rang smiled bitterly, with a hint of self-mockery, "She doesn't even want to hear my explanation. She even feels that she's not doing well right now."
He turned around and looked at Lu You: "Tell me, if my appearance will only make her more tired and unhappy, why should I go back and bother her?"
Lu You was speechless after hearing his words.
She realized that her brother had gotten stuck in a rut.
The crux of the matter seems to lie not in the misunderstanding last night, but in Shang Wu's overheard remark, "I'm not doing well."
"Did you hear something?" Lu You asked tentatively.
Lu Rang pursed his lips and did not answer, but his expression said it all.
Lu You sighed, knowing that directly advising Lu Rang would be useless.
She thought for a moment, took out her phone, went outside, and dialed Cheng Zhou's number.
"Cheng Zhou, are you free to go see A-Wu now?"
Lu You lowered her voice, "A-Rang is getting a bit stuck on this. He thinks A-Wu doesn't want to see him. Could you help me sound out A-Wu and persuade her to call A-Rang? Even just a text message would be fine. She needs to have a way out."
Cheng Zhou received the call and immediately agreed.
He bought some fruit and light snacks and went to Shang Wu's house.
Shang Wu was somewhat surprised to see him when she opened the door, but she still invited him in.
She looked more haggard than a few days ago, and her eyes were a little swollen, clearly indicating that she hadn't rested well.
"Sister You asked me to come and see you."
Cheng Zhou put his things down and carefully looked at her face. "Are you alright?"
Shang Wu forced a smile: "I'm alright, just a little listless."
The two sat in the living room, the atmosphere somewhat silent.
Cheng Zhou carefully considered his words before speaking: "Awu, actually Lu made him very worried about you. Last night was an accident, and we haven't found out the truth yet, but that assistant has a boyfriend, so it was all a misunderstanding."
“He was afraid you would get angry. He saw that you didn’t want to talk today, so he didn’t dare to bother you and went to the law firm instead.”
Upon hearing this, Shang Wu lowered her head, fiddling with the hem of her clothes as a feeling of grievance slowly welled up inside her.
"I'm not angry."
Her voice was soft and nasal, "I didn't suspect him. I just felt a little tired, physically uncomfortable, and a bit depressed. I just didn't want to talk."
She looked up at Cheng Zhou, her eyes slightly red: "Why does it seem like it's my fault? I didn't do anything, and I didn't misunderstand him, so why should I be the one to take the initiative to make peace? Can't he understand how I feel right now?"
Cheng Zhou was speechless and felt very uncomfortable.
He completely understood her feelings.
Both the miscarriage and the emotional sensitivity required time and patience to recover.
At this very moment, Lu Rang became sensitive because of a careless remark.
“I understand, Awu, this is not your fault.”
Cheng Zhou quickly comforted him, "Lu Rang just cares about you too much, that's why he's overthinking things. He's a fool, don't take it to heart."
The words of reconciliation were on the tip of Cheng Zhou's tongue, but he swallowed them back.
He knew that it would be unfair to ask Shang Wu to back down at this moment, and it might even backfire.
He thought for a moment and changed his approach: "Keeping yourself cooped up at home all the time isn't good for your recovery. How about going out for a walk to clear your head and get some fresh air?"
"I happen to have tickets for the opening exhibition of a friend's gallery. The environment is very quiet and there aren't many people."
Shang Wu did feel stifled at home, hesitated for a moment, and then nodded: "Okay."
She needs a change of scenery to sort out her chaotic feelings.
In the afternoon, Cheng Zhou accompanied Shang Wu to an art gallery in the city center.
Just as he said, the opening exhibition was not crowded and the environment was quiet, making it a good place to calm down.
Looking at the paintings on the wall, Shang Wu felt a little more at ease.
Just as they stopped to admire the view, a gentle male voice, tinged with surprise, came from the side.
"Shang Wu? Is it really you?"
Shang Wu turned around upon hearing the sound and saw Chen Chunzhi, whom she hadn't seen for a long time.
"It's you?" Shang Wu was also a little surprised, and a genuine smile appeared on her face. "Long time no see."
Chen Chunzhi looked at her, his gaze gentle yet carrying a hint of barely perceptible concern: "Yes, it's been a long time. You look like you've lost a lot of weight. Take good care of yourself."
The two exchanged pleasantries.
Cheng Zhou still remembered the competition with Chen Chunzhi, and felt embarrassed. He wisely stepped aside.
He pretended to look at the painting, giving them space.
Chen Chunzhi looked at Shang Wu, his tone somewhat wistful.
"Actually, I saw Lu Rang appear during the final of the last jewelry design competition. At that time, I guessed that your fate was not over."
He smiled, a hint of relief in his smile: "So I stopped bothering you after that. I knew that once he showed up, there was no hope for anyone else."
Shang Wu didn't expect him to bring this up, and smiled a little embarrassedly.
"Don't misunderstand, I didn't mean anything by it." Chen Chunzhi quickly explained, "I just noticed that you don't seem very happy right now, and I'm a little worried. Have you encountered any difficulties? Of course, it's okay if you don't want to talk about it."
Shang Wu sighed softly, not going into details, but said in a low voice, "It's nothing, it's just that some things have happened recently, and I'm a little tired."
Chen Chunzhi nodded knowingly, without asking any further questions, but gently comforted him, "Don't put too much pressure on yourself, everything will be alright."
The two stood in front of the painting, talking in hushed tones.
From a distance, the posture appears quite practiced.
Cheng Zhou watched from the side and felt that the atmosphere was just right. He thought this was a good opportunity for Lu Rang to come over and make peace by chance.
He quietly walked to a corner of the gallery, took out his phone, and sent a message to Lu Rang:
[Ah-Rang, stop being so stubborn! Come over here, Ah-Wu is taking a walk to clear her head! I've given you a chance, come over and talk to me properly!]
Upon receiving Cheng Zhou's message, Lu Rang grabbed his car keys and left the office without hesitation.
He rushed to the gallery, parked his car, and hurried inside, searching for Shang Wu.
Soon, Lu Rang saw her in a relatively quiet exhibition area, and the anticipation on his face slowly disappeared.
He saw Shang Wu standing with a man whose back was to him.
The two were standing very close, talking in hushed tones.
Shang Wu tilted her head slightly, listening to the man speak, her profile showing a relaxed expression that she hadn't seen in a long time.
That man was Chen Chunzhi.
Was he the one Shang Wu complained about on the phone, saying he was "not doing well"?
She didn't want to hear any explanations and was distant and cold towards him because she already had someone else who could comfort her.
Lu Rang's fingertips curled up, and he left without looking back.
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