Chapter 215 Someone Always Has to Sacrifice for the Family
The kiss wasn't deep; it was just a light touch, yet it was filled with an undeniable sense of possession, lasting for several seconds before finally ending.
Shang Wu was completely stunned, her eyes wide open as she stared at Lu Rang.
She had never seen Lu Rang show affection for his wife in public like this before.
Looking at her bewildered expression, Lu Rang smiled slightly. He gently brushed his thumb across the corner of her lips, his tone as natural as if nothing had happened.
"Okay, you two continue your work talk, I won't disturb you. Call me when you're done, and I'll come pick you up."
He then looked up at Mark, whose face was somewhat stiff, and nodded slightly: "Excuse me."
After saying that, he turned and left.
The studio fell silent for a few seconds, and the atmosphere became quite awkward.
Mark was the first to react, chuckling awkwardly twice in an attempt to ease the tension: "Hehe, Mr. Lu is a man of true character. It seems you're quite wary of me."
His tone carried a hint of self-deprecation and helplessness.
Shang Wu finally snapped out of her shock, her face still flushed.
"That's just how he is, a bit stingy, don't take it to heart."
Mark smiled.
On the other side.
bar.
Lu You sat alone at the bar, ordered a strong drink, and her mind was a mess.
One moment it's Cheng Zhou's silly messages from before, the next it's his evasive gaze and Lu Rang's words.
Is it because of her complicated background that she feels inferior?
It looks more like they're backing down.
Never mind, when has Lu You ever needed to worry about a man?
Lu You drank several cups in a row.
What she didn't know was that this stylish bar was also owned by Cheng Zhou.
Cheng Zhou finished work at the restaurant and came to inspect the store. He immediately spotted the familiar figure drinking alone in silence.
His heart skipped a beat. He hesitated for a moment, but still went over.
"Sister You?" he asked cautiously.
Lu You looked up when she heard the voice, and when she saw it was him, her beautiful eyes instantly ignited with anger.
"Boss Cheng? What a coincidence! Why aren't you avoiding me anymore?"
"I wasn't avoiding you," Cheng Zhou explained. "I was just afraid I wasn't good enough for you and would bother you..."
"So you're not going to bother me now?" Lu You sneered, the alcohol making her words even sharper. "Let me tell you, Cheng Zhou, this is the first time in my life I've ever taken the initiative to set aside time to have dinner with a man, and you're still ignoring me and acting all timid?"
She became increasingly angry as she spoke, and stood up, swaying slightly from the alcohol.
Lu You's finger almost poked Cheng Zhou's chest.
"There are plenty of men chasing after me, Lu You. You're such a coward, I won't even give you a second glance!"
Cheng Zhou was rendered speechless by her scolding. Looking at her flushed cheeks due to drunkenness and anger, he felt both pain and anxiety in his heart.
All his prepared explanations seemed pale and powerless when he saw her like this.
"Sister You, I am..."
"Shut up!" Lu You interrupted him, turned around and tried to leave, but staggered because of the alcohol.
Cheng Zhou instinctively reached out to support her.
This act of helping was like igniting the final fuse.
Lu You struggled to push him away: "Let go! Don't touch me!"
Cheng Zhou looked at her resistant expression, a wolfish glint flashing in his eyes.
Instead of letting go, he pulled her forcefully into his arms, and with his other hand he gripped the back of her head.
To Lu You's astonishment, Cheng Zhou kissed her fiercely.
He forcefully pried open her teeth, swallowing all of Lu You's gasps and curses.
Lu You was completely stunned.
She struggled a few times, but was no match for his strength. The spiciness of the wine and his faint fragrance filled her mouth.
Lu You began to feel dizzy, but she could clearly feel that Cheng Zhou's kissing skills were still immature but carried a kind of reckless madness, as if he wanted to convey all his grievances to her through this kiss.
Under the dim lights of the bar, the air seemed to freeze.
All the surrounding noise faded away, leaving only this sudden kiss.
When the kiss ended, Cheng Zhou released her, slightly out of breath, his eyes still carrying a domineering air and a hint of lingering fear.
His voice was low and firm: "Do you still think I'm fickle and that my feelings for you are just temporary? I just don't know how to face you. I'm afraid that if I take things further, I won't satisfy you, but if I back down, I won't be able to let myself go."
Lu You was panting, her lips were swollen and red, and her eyes were filled with confusion and a hint of trembling.
She stared at Cheng Zhou, who seemed like a completely different person, and her mind went blank for several seconds.
The tingling, stinging sensation and his burning breath still lingered on her lips. Lu You's heart pounded uncontrollably, and her cheeks burned, whether from anger or something else, she didn't know.
She raised her hand, intending to slap this audacious guy.
Cheng Zhou seemed to anticipate her movements and grabbed her wrist: "Sister You, you can hit me or scold me, but let me tell you, I'm not playing around. I now know that you may only have a little interest in me, or you may just think I'm new and interesting."
He paused, his gaze intense, filled with an unprecedented seriousness and persistence: "It's okay. When I'm good enough for you, when you really like me, I'll ask you for a proper title. But right now, don't try to push me away easily, and don't try to define my feelings arbitrarily."
These words were direct, sincere, and a little clumsy in their domineering tone, striking a chord with Lu You's softest spot.
She had seen too much hypocrisy and scheming, but Cheng Zhou's undisguised sincerity and somewhat foolish persistence made her momentarily forget to lash out.
She pulled her hand away from his, turned her face away, and said in a still hard tone, though less sharp than before: "...What nonsense are you spouting! Who's interested in you! I can't be bothered with you!"
Lu You turned and walked out of the bar, her steps unsteady, whether from the alcohol or from her troubled mind, it was hard to tell.
Cheng Zhou immediately grabbed her coat and bag and quickly followed.
"I'll take you back."
This time, Lu You did not refuse.
The car stopped in front of Lu Rang's villa. Cheng Zhou got out of the car, opened the door for Lu You, and carefully draped his coat over her shoulders.
Lu You glanced at him with mixed feelings, said nothing, and turned to walk towards the door.
However, she froze as soon as she reached the door.
Lu Rang was dressed in his pajamas, arms crossed, leaning against the door frame, watching them with a leisurely air.
Clearly, he saw it all.
Lu You suddenly felt a pang of guilt, as if she'd been caught doing something wrong, especially since her lips were probably still a little swollen...
She quickly stepped forward, trying to cover it up: "Ah Rang, why aren't you asleep yet? What are you doing standing at the door?"
Lu Rang's gaze fell on her face, then swept over the car behind them that hadn't yet driven away, and he spoke slowly.
"While handling some work, did you hear the car noises and have some fun?"
Lu You felt even more guilty and grabbed his arm, pulling him into the house.
"What's there to be happy about? I'm exhausted! Come on in, it's cold outside!"
She practically dragged Lu Rang into the house, then slammed the door shut, cutting off Cheng Zhou's view from outside.
Lu Rang, being pulled along by her, raised an eyebrow: "Cheng Zhou brought you back? You two..."
"Why are you asking so many questions!"
Lu You immediately interrupted him, her eyes flashing, and quickly changed the subject, with a hint of deliberate intent.
"But you, didn't you go to pick up A-Wu? Why are you back so early? In the middle of the night, you really let A-Wu and that Mark alone in the studio? I think the way Mark looked at A-Wu wasn't innocent. You're too carefree, aren't you?"
The moment Shang Wu and Mark were mentioned, Lu Rang's attention was immediately diverted.
He frowned, his face darkening. "She's not done with her case yet. I came back to handle an urgent one."
Seeing this, Lu You immediately added fuel to the fire: "Oh? Really? What's more important than your wife than work? What if that Mark takes the opportunity to fawn over you, or uses discussing work as an excuse... tsk tsk, A-Wu is so beautiful and easy to talk to..."
Before she could finish speaking, Lu Rang could no longer sit still.
He originally intended to come back and finish his work before picking them up, but after Lu You reminded him of Mark's previous thoughts, he suddenly felt that he couldn't let them be alone together for even a second.
Lu Rang's face was gloomy as he picked up his car keys and went straight out.
Watching the departing figure in a hurry, Lu You breathed a sigh of relief.
We finally managed to fool them.
She smiled slightly, turned around and went upstairs, feeling inexplicably much better.
However, after Lu You finished showering and was about to go to sleep, her phone rang.
Seeing the caller ID, her good mood vanished instantly.
Lu You took a deep breath, answered the phone, and regained her usual calm tone.
"Dad, is something wrong so late?"
On the other end of the phone, Lu Zheng's voice was unreadable, and he directly gave the order: "Xiao You, there are two suitable candidates here. One is the eldest son of the Zhao family, and the other is the only son of the Xi Li family. Their family backgrounds are comparable to yours. Take a look at their information and arrange a time to come back and meet them."
Lu You blinked.
She suddenly realized that she had recently agreed to a marriage alliance with Lu Zheng, asking him to find a suitable candidate.
Lu You remained silent for a moment, her fingers unconsciously clenching the corner of her pajamas, but her face remained expressionless.
After a few seconds, Lu Zheng asked, "What, you're not going to arrange the marriage?"
"Now that you're in charge of the Yu family, if you don't arrange a marriage to stabilize the family business, I'll have to do everything I can to bring Lu Rang back. You begged me personally not to bother him, you only wanted him to be happy and free, and now you've changed your mind?"
Lu You paused, completely sober.
"Okay. I'll be back the day after tomorrow. You can arrange the time to meet."
After hanging up the phone, Lu You sat on the edge of the bed, looking at the deep night outside the window, and remained motionless for a long time.
The slight ripples that had just arisen because of Cheng Zhou were now overshadowed by a sense of inertia and powerlessness.
A brief moment of indulgence and fleeting infatuation is ultimately nothing more than a mirage.
She took a deep breath, suppressed all her emotions, turned off the light, and lay down as if nothing had happened.
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