Chapter 287 Protecting His Wife in Public
Shang Wu leaned against the soft pillows at the postpartum care center.
bright and clean.
Yu Wu was fast asleep in the crib next to her.
Everything was perfect.
But her heart felt like it was stuffed with a wet wad of cotton.
I can't breathe.
The closer I get to leaving the postpartum care center, the clearer this feeling becomes.
She kept scrolling through her phone.
Read industry news.
Check the studio's work group.
My finger slid across the screen unconsciously.
Anxious.
A sense of panic, of being left behind by the world, spread silently.
She wants to work.
Immediately, right away.
She wanted to grasp those flowing lines, to touch those soft fabrics.
That's the real her.
Not just Lu Rang's wife, not just Yu Wu's mother.
When the psychologist came to provide routine counseling, she subtly reminded Lu Rang.
"Mrs. Lu may have some tendency towards postpartum anxiety."
"The root cause lies in the role change."
“She needs to find her own subjectivity, not just her motherhood.”
Lu Rang listened in silence.
He looked at Shang Wu, who was sitting by the window, staring blankly outside.
Her profile was thin and lost.
That evening, after feeding Shang Wu the soup, he held her hand.
His palms were warm.
“A-Wu”.
Shang Wu looked up at him.
"After your postpartum period, you can go back to the studio."
Shang Wu was stunned.
"Leave the jade mist to me."
His tone was calm and resolute.
It's like saying something perfectly natural.
“I work from home, and Aunt Zhang and the nanny help me.”
Shang Wu's eyelashes trembled slightly.
My throat feels a little tight.
"you……"
“I know you want to go back,” Lu Rang interrupted her, stroking the back of her hand with his fingertips. “Go do what you want to do.”
Shang Wu lowered his head.
Tears fell unexpectedly onto their clasped hands.
Warm.
"Thanks."
Her voice was soft, choked with sobs.
Thank you for understanding me.
Thank you for being willing to support me.
The weather was beautiful the day I left the postpartum care center.
Shang Wu took a deep breath of the free air.
They had the driver take them directly to the studio.
She put on her long-unused high heels and pushed open the glass door.
"President Shang!"
Aying was the first to see her and exclaimed in surprise.
Several assistants who were chatting in the break room looked up when they heard the noise, and their faces instantly showed panic.
Shang Wu smiled and nodded, then walked towards her office.
But his steps faltered slightly as he passed the tea room.
The hushed whispers inside drifted into my ears.
"...After getting married and having kids, can you still focus on design?"
"I've heard that women become less intelligent after childbirth, and their inspiration is definitely not as good as before."
"Times change so fast. It's hard to say whether he still has the same glory after not showing up for so long..."
Her heart sank suddenly.
"What utter nonsense are you spouting!"
Ah Ying rebuked sharply, her face turning pale with anger.
The assistants were so frightened that they fell silent. When they saw Shang Wu standing at the door, their faces turned deathly pale.
"President Shang... I'm sorry, we..."
Shang Wu waved his hand.
He still wore a polite smile.
"It's okay, go to work."
She walked into the office.
Close the door.
It isolated them from the outside world.
Sitting at the familiar design desk.
Fingertips brushed across the cool countertop.
The sketch she had drawn before going to the postpartum care center was also on it.
She picked up the pen.
Unfold the snow-white drawing paper.
My mind went completely blank.
Those lines, colors, and compositions that I used to be able to create effortlessly.
They vanished without a trace.
She thought hard.
The pen tip left messy marks on the paper.
It is not formed.
outrageous.
She crumpled up one sheet of paper after another in frustration.
The crumpled paper rolled to the ground.
Like her chaotic mind at this moment.
Could it be... that what they said is true?
Did she lose her charm and talent after having a child?
Is she no longer the dazzling Shang Wu?
This realization filled her with a sense of panic.
There was a gentle knock on the door.
Ah Ying walked in carrying a cup of coffee.
Silently picking up the crumpled paper from the ground.
"Mr. Shang."
She placed the coffee next to Shang Wu.
"Don't listen to their nonsense."
"You've just not touched a pen in a long time, and you're out of practice."
"Have you forgotten how many sleepless nights you stayed up for a series back then?"
"Your talent is ingrained in your very being."
"No one can take it away."
Shang Wu raised his head.
Looking at Aying's determined eyes.
The panic in my heart seemed to have been calmed down a bit.
She picked up her coffee and took a sip.
The warm liquid soothed my tense nerves.
"Aying".
"Get back to me about the designer exchange meeting next month."
I will attend.
That night of the exchange meeting.
Shang Wu stood in the dressing room and took out the black velvet dress she hadn't worn in a long time. The fitted waist accentuated her well-recovered figure.
She put on exquisite makeup, tied her long hair up, and wore simple diamond stud earrings.
The person in the mirror has clear, bright eyes and exudes confidence.
Shang Wu looked at herself in the mirror, a slight smile playing on her lips, and picked up her handbag.
She pushed open the door.
She walked towards the stage that belonged to her.
The designers' exchange was held at a top hotel in the city center.
Crystal chandeliers refracted dazzling light, amidst the elegant attire and the clinking of glasses.
Shang Wu, or rather, a name more familiar to those in the design industry.
Freya
She stepped back into this familiar territory, wearing a beautifully tailored black velvet gown. The hem swayed gracefully as she walked with ease.
Shang Wu wore a perfectly appropriate smile as she exchanged pleasantries with her long-absent colleagues and media.
Aying followed beside her, quickly and quietly reminding her of the people and things she needed to pay attention to.
"Freya, it's been a long time!" A familiar female editor came up to her and gave her a warm hug. "You look great, you can't tell you just had a baby."
"Thank you, Sister Cindy," Shang Wu replied with a smile, "It's good that someone is taking good care of me at home."
"I heard it's a little princess? Congratulations!"
"Thanks."
A simple greeting and kind wishes eased her tense nerves a little.
However, not everyone is well-intentioned.
As she walked with her champagne glass toward the area showcasing the works of this year's emerging designers, a few whispered remarks, carried by the air, clearly reached her ears.
"...Freya? She came out so quickly? I thought she was going to stay at home and take care of her husband and children."
"Women, after having children, inevitably shift their focus. Look at her previous Misty Forest series, now... it's hard to say."
"Spiritual energy is extremely fragile; once it comes into contact with the mundane realities of daily life, it's probably..."
The two men speaking were avant-garde young male designers, their eyes filled with a hint of disdain as they looked them over.
Shang Wu stopped in his tracks.
Aying's expression changed, and she was about to step forward, but Shang Wu gently stopped her with a look.
She turned around, still wearing that polite smile, and looked calmly at the two people.
"Designer Li, Designer Wang, it's been a long time."
The two men were taken aback by her direct greeting, and a hint of embarrassment flashed across their faces.
Shang Wu didn't give them time to react and continued, her tone neither humble nor arrogant: "It seems you two are quite knowledgeable about spiritual energy. However, as far as I know, true inspiration comes from all experiences in life, including love and creation."
The experience of nurturing a life, and the resulting perception of its depth and power, is a treasure that some superficial people may never understand.
She nodded slightly, her eyes bright: "As for my new work, I hope you two will give me your guidance when it comes out."
After saying that, Shang Wu stopped looking at their flushed and pale faces, turned gracefully, and walked to the other side.
A few low chuckles and admiring glances could be faintly heard from the surroundings.
Ah Ying followed closely behind, whispering with a sense of satisfaction, "President Shang, you're so handsome!"
Shang Wu took a sip of champagne; her fingertips felt slightly cool, but her heart was warm.
She knew this was just the beginning.
The minor incident seemed to have passed, and the exchange continued.
When Shang Wu talks to people, he sometimes needs to turn to the side or raise his hand to signal.
The velvet dress was originally designed to be fitted at the waist, but because her postpartum figure had not fully recovered, and due to her movements, the fabric on one side would occasionally lift slightly, revealing a small section of her waist.
She didn't care.
Then a slightly shrill female voice rang out, with an exaggerated feigned surprise.
"Oh dear! Freya!"
The sound was quite loud, attracting the attention of many people nearby.
Shang Wu turned her head and saw a woman wearing a sequined miniskirt and with exquisite makeup.
Luo Xue.
The designers who have always disagreed with her and are somewhat competitive.
Luo Xue was pointing at her side waist, her face showing a mixture of surprise and sympathy, but actually schadenfreude.
"These aren't stretch marks, are they?" Luo Xue raised her voice to make sure more people around could hear. "Oh my god, they're so obvious... It's such a waste of this nice dress."
She paused, her gaze filled with undisguised malice as she scanned Shang Wu from head to toe, lowering her voice, yet still loud enough for those nearby to hear clearly.
"Tsk, I wonder if someone like President Lu is still willing to be close to you now?"
In an instant, Shang Wu felt all the blood rush to her head, and her ears were ringing.
The postpartum marks she herself was still trying to adapt to and accept were pointed out in such a harsh way in public, and Lu Rang was also implicated.
Shang Wu's face turned slightly pale, and her fingers gripped the wine glass so tightly that her knuckles turned white.
The surroundings fell silent instantly, with various gazes—some of sympathy, some of curiosity, and others simply watching the spectacle.
Aying was trembling with anger. Just as she was about to speak, a deep and calm male voice sounded from behind her.
"Whether I am willing to be intimate with my wife seems to be none of the concern of outsiders."
The crowd automatically parted to make way.
Lu Rang, dressed in a crisp dark gray suit, walked over with a tall, straight figure and a stern face.
He didn't even glance at Luo Xue, but walked straight to Shang Wu's side, and very naturally reached out to put his arm around her waist, his warm palm covering the side of her waist that he had pointed to.
His actions carried an air of absolute possessiveness and protection.
Shang Wu felt the warmth and strength from his palm, and her frozen heart trembled violently, then was enveloped by a great sense of security.
Lu Rang then raised his eyes, his gaze like a cold arrow, and shot towards Luo Xue, whose face had instantly turned ugly.
“As for the stretch marks you mentioned,” he said solemnly, “they are the medals my wife gave us for bearing our daughter.”
Lu Rang paused slightly, his gaze sweeping over the silent crowd before finally settling on Luo Xue's face, his tone carrying an undisguised sarcasm.
"In my opinion, it shines brighter than any fine clothes or jewelry. It's a real pity that Miss Luo seems to only understand design and not humanity."
"You!" Luo Xue trembled with anger, her face flushed red.
Amidst the disdainful and even mocking gazes around her, she could no longer stay. She stomped her foot angrily and practically fled.
The farce came to an abrupt end.
Lu Rang withdrew his gaze, looked down at Shang Wu in his arms, his eyes softening instantly, and asked in a low voice, "Are you alright?"
Shang Wu shook her head and leaned against his strong arms, all the embarrassment and anger she had felt earlier turning into deep emotion.
He came, and when she needed him most, he defended her in the most direct and powerful way.
Why are you here?
"I'm done with my work, I'll come pick you up." Lu Rang's tone was calm, as if the sharp-tongued person from just now wasn't him.
He took the wine glass from Shang Wu and placed it on the waiter's tray. He nodded to A Ying, then put his arm around Shang Wu and calmly left amidst the admiring or envious gazes of the crowd.
Once inside the car, the outside world is shut out.
Shang Wu leaned back in her chair and let out a long sigh of relief.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com