Chapter 222 Escaping the Cage
Cheng Zhou remained silent, as if he had suddenly been rendered speechless.
Lu Zheng's face was so gloomy it could drip water.
He slowly turned around, his eyes, weathered by time, first glaring fiercely at the pale-faced Lu You before turning to Cheng Zhou.
"Young Master Cheng."
Lu Zheng's voice was devoid of emotion, yet it carried an immense weight of pressure.
"You have some tricks up your sleeve, and some guts. For the sake of my daughter, you didn't hesitate to ruin my Yu family's marriage and embarrass me, Lu Zheng, in public."
He strode forward and stood in front of Cheng Zhou. Although he was old, the pressure from his long-held position was still overwhelming.
"But I'm curious, does your family know about your heroic act today? Does that old fox Cheng Jianming agree to you going to such lengths for my adopted daughter, even at the risk of potentially antagonizing the Li family?"
This is an extremely pointed question that gets straight to the heart of the matter.
Just like Cheng Zhou's silence earlier, he was certain that the Cheng family did not know that Cheng Zhou's return was for this reason.
Cheng Zhou's relationship with his family is common knowledge. Today, he has come to steal the bride as the heir of the Cheng family. If he cannot get the support of his family, then he is just acting recklessly out of youthful impulsiveness.
It's pointless and could even have disastrous consequences.
Cheng Zhou's jawline tightened for a moment.
Of course, Cheng Jianming, the father, had no idea. He even made sarcastic remarks when he learned that Cheng Jianming was closing the restaurant and preparing to return to the family.
His father believed that he had ultimately succumbed to reality and had no idea of his true purpose in returning.
As for agreeing to his relationship with Lu You? That's pure fantasy.
But at this moment, under Lu Zheng's piercing gaze and in front of Lu You, he absolutely could not show any weakness.
Cheng Zhou straightened his back, met Lu Zheng's gaze, and said with a forced calmness in his tone: "This is my own decision, and I don't need his consent. The fact that I can stand here and say those words just now means that I have my own bargaining chips and plans. What I want is Lu You. As for the Cheng family... I will handle it."
"Hmph, well said, 'handled it well'!"
Lu Zheng scoffed, clearly not believing his empty words. "Young man, don't be so arrogant. Without the Cheng family backing you, every word you say today carries no weight. What makes you think I would entrust my daughter to a brat who can't even get family support and only knows how to cause trouble?"
Faced with her father's barrage of questions and seeing Cheng Zhou's stubborn resistance, Lu You felt so suffocated that she could hardly breathe.
She looked at Cheng Zhou.
For her sake, this man put away all his glamour, donned a restrictive suit, and stormed into the world of fame and fortune he loathed most.
He tried to take her away in the most awkward and frantic way possible.
Even though there was no one behind him, he still put on a show for her and endured all the pressure.
She reflected on her life over the past twenty years.
As an adopted daughter, she lived cautiously and diligently, never disobeying her father and always putting the family's interests and her father's demands first.
She was like a canary kept in an exquisite cage, long since accustomed to obedience, and had even forgotten the instinct to struggle.
But at this moment, seeing Cheng Zhou's desperate and all-or-nothing attitude towards her, something deep within her that had been suppressed for a long time seemed to be suddenly awakened.
Why should her life always be arranged by others?
Why should her happiness be used as a bargaining chip for personal gain?
Why... can't she live for herself even once?
Lu You suddenly felt a surge of impulse and courage. Or perhaps, what she had never lacked was courage, which was always in her heart.
Over the years, she had never imagined that she could live another way.
Lu You took a deep breath, then suddenly stepped forward and stood in front of Cheng Zhou.
She faced Lu Zheng directly, a move that stunned both Lu Zheng and Cheng Zhou.
"dad."
Lu You's voice trembled slightly, but her eyes were unusually firm.
"Could you please step outside for a moment? I'd like to speak with Cheng Zhou alone."
Lu Zheng could hardly believe his ears.
His daughter, who always obeyed his every command, actually let him go out at this crucial moment?
Anger flashed in his eyes instantly: "Lu You! Do you know who you're talking to?"
“I know.” Lu You met his gaze without flinching and repeated, “Please step out for a moment. There are some things I need to discuss with him alone.”
The unprecedented stubbornness and composure in her eyes momentarily stunned Lu Zheng.
He stared intently at Lu You, then glanced at Cheng Zhou behind her with a complex expression, finally let out a cold snort, turned around, and strode out of the living room.
Lu Zheng left the two of them alone.
He figured they couldn't possibly cause any trouble.
Once again, only Lu You and Cheng Zhou remained in the living room.
Cheng Zhou looked at the slender back that was blocking his way, and his heart trembled slightly. An indescribable feeling welled up inside him.
He instinctively reached out to pull her: "Sister You..."
Lu You avoided his hand, turned around, gave him a complicated look, and said in an unusually calm tone, "Come with me."
After saying that, she stopped looking at him and went straight to her study on the second floor.
Cheng Zhou felt uneasy and could only hurry to catch up.
Upon entering the study, Lu You closed the door behind her.
Looking at her indifferent profile, Cheng Zhou felt an even stronger unease in his heart.
He thought she was going to scold him for his recklessness, or reject him again.
He spoke in a hoarse voice, a slight tremor in it: "Sister You, do you still think I was too impulsive and ruined your plans? Are you still going to stay? Even without the Li family, there will be some Zhang family or Wang family..."
Lu You did not answer him immediately.
She simply walked to her desk, opened a drawer, took out a file folder, and began methodically tidying up some necessary documents, her passport, bank cards, and a slim laptop.
Her movements were quick yet steady, without the slightest sign of panic.
Cheng Zhou stared blankly at her busy work, completely unable to understand what she was trying to do.
Questioning? Rejection? This reaction was completely unexpected.
"Sister You? What are you doing?" Cheng Zhou couldn't help but ask.
Lu You stuffed the last document into her bag, zipped it up, and then finally looked up at Cheng Zhou.
Her eyes were firm, as if she had made a major decision.
"I'm not going to stay."
She spoke clearly, each word resounding with conviction.
"I want to leave here with you."
"What?" Cheng Zhou was completely stunned, his brain seemed to have crashed, unable to process this sudden change.
He was both surprised and delighted, but what followed was more confusion.
"You want to come with me? Why? You're not..."
“I didn’t leave because of you,” Lu You interrupted him, her tone so calm it was almost cruel.
She needed to clarify things, and she needed to make Cheng Zhou understand, "I'm doing this for myself."
She walked to the window and looked at her father's indistinct figure in the courtyard below.
She lowered her voice and said, "I have been a dutiful daughter of the Lu family for more than 20 years and have never disobeyed his wishes. I have tried my best to do my best and to meet everyone's expectations, but I have also lost my freedom."
She turned around and looked at Cheng Zhou, her eyes filled with relief and a resolute determination for a new beginning: "Cheng Zhou, thank you, thank you for your antics today, thank you for barging in without a care and waking me up."
"I'm not eloping with you, nor am I agreeing to be with you."
She emphasized, as rationally as a machine program, "I'm just taking this opportunity to leave this suffocating place and breathe some fresh air. I'll handle the Yu family's affairs online; I won't shirk my responsibilities. But my people must leave first."
Lu You paused, looking at the undisguised love and the current confusion in Cheng Zhou's eyes, sighed softly, and softened her tone.
"As for you and me... Cheng Zhou, I do have feelings for you, perhaps more than just a little, but that's precisely why I can't treat this lightly."
"Relationships can't be maintained by impulse and being moved. I need time and space to think things through calmly and figure out whether my feelings for you are just a momentary thrill or genuine affection."
We can't be together until I've thought it through. That wouldn't be fair to you, and it wouldn't be responsible to me either.
As Cheng Zhou listened to her words, his initial elation turned to slight disappointment, and finally he chose to respect her words.
What he liked was Lu You, who seemed strong and cold, but was actually clear-headed and responsible.
Cheng Zhou suppressed the complex emotions in his heart and nodded: "I respect you. No matter how much time you need, whatever your final choice is, I will accept it. Now, I will take you away from here first."
For him, the greatest victory would be if she were willing to take that step and leave this cage.
Lu You looked at him, and a faint smile and gratitude finally appeared in her eyes.
"Thank you, then... let's go."
Lu You didn't have much luggage, just a backpack containing her important items.
She didn't even look back at her home one last time.
Cheng Zhou protected her, and the two quietly left through the side door, quickly getting into the sports car parked not far away.
With a roar of the engine, the car sped away from the Yu family's old house like an arrow.
When Lu Zheng finally sensed something was wrong and sent someone to check the study, it was already empty.
Only the study window remained wide open, a gentle breeze stirring the curtains, seemingly mocking his control.
Lu Zheng stood in the empty study, his face ashen, and slammed his hand hard on the desk.
He never expected that his usually obedient adopted daughter would actually dare to run off with that brat right under his nose!
Inside the speeding car, Lu You watched the scenery rushing past the window, feeling an unprecedented sense of freedom, her heart filled with mixed emotions.
The future is full of uncertainties, but this time, she chooses to live for herself.
Cheng Zhou focused on driving, occasionally glancing at her in the rearview mirror.
The future of their relationship remains to be seen.
But at least, their story has a chance to begin.
Soon, the two boarded a flight bound for Yecheng and the plane took off.
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