Chapter 243 Saying One Thing and Meaning Another
As Shang Wu gazed at the darkening sky outside the window, a mix of emotions swirled within her, leaving her unable to make sense of it all.
She never expected that things would turn out this way between Lu You and Cheng Zhou.
A seemingly perfect man quickly took his place next to Lu You.
Lu Rang noticed her low spirits and gently pulled her into his arms.
His voice was gentle and deep: "Don't think too much about it. That's Sister You's own life. Your most important task now is to rest well and keep a happy mood. The doctor said the first three months are the most critical."
He paused, then said, "The hospital environment is too noisy and not conducive to rest. Let's go home and I'll take care of you."
Shang Wu thought about it and felt more comfortable at home, so she nodded in agreement.
Lu Rang made efficient arrangements for Shang Wu's discharge from the hospital. He even managed to get a smart electric wheelchair from somewhere, carefully lifted Shang Wu into it, and pushed her away from the hospital.
The car drove smoothly into a tranquil and secure top-tier villa area.
Looking at the unfamiliar scenery outside the window, Shang Wu asked with some confusion, "Isn't this the apartment we used to live in?"
"Um."
As Lu Rang steered the car through the gate of a grand villa, he explained.
“That apartment is small and doesn’t have an elevator, so it’s inconvenient. I’ve already bought this villa, and it’s perfect for you to move in now. It’s more suitable for you to rest during your pregnancy and for the baby to play in the future.”
The car came to a stop, and Lu Rang carried Shang Wu out of the car.
As soon as Shang Wu stepped into the spacious and bright living room, she was taken aback by the sight before her.
There were two neat rows of people standing in the living room.
On the left are two middle-aged nannies in clean uniforms with smiles on their faces.
On the right are three seemingly professional and capable caregivers.
Standing in the middle was a gentle-looking woman wearing glasses, who introduced herself as a professional maternity nurse.
There was also a nutritionist who was holding a preliminary pregnancy diet plan, ready to give a presentation.
It's practically a small medical and nursing team!
Shang Wu stared at Lu Rang in disbelief, her eyes asking: Did you arrange all of this?
Lu Rang looked completely at ease, even with a hint of seeking praise.
"The more people there are, the more thorough the care will be. Don't worry, they were all carefully selected and are absolutely professional and reliable."
As he spoke, he picked up the velvet box on the table, opened it, and handed it to Shang Wu.
Inside the box lay a set of top-tier, limited-edition jewelry, complete with a necklace, earrings, and bracelet, shimmering under the light.
"Pregnancy must be tough, this is a gift for you."
"I'll give you one every month from now on."
Everyone around was stunned.
Looking at the priceless jewelry set and then at the large group of staff members standing ready, Shang Wu felt a chill run down her spine.
She knew Lu Rang was acting out of concern, but this was just too much.
She's just pregnant, she's not unable to take care of herself!
"Wait." Shang Wu quickly pressed Lu Rang's hand, pushed the box back, and pointed to the row of people.
"I appreciate your kind gesture and I'm very touched, but there really wasn't a need for so many people!"
"With so many people moving into my house all at once, I feel a lot of pressure and I'm not getting enough rest."
She grabbed Lu Rang's hand and shook it, starting to coax and plead with him.
“We’ll just leave one caregiver to help with my daily life and recovery, and a nutritionist to manage my diet. That’s enough. We don’t need a nanny. I prefer a quieter home.”
Lu Rang frowned slightly, somewhat uneasy.
"Please, please? Otherwise, I'll start to have prenatal anxiety from being around so many people every day," Shang Wu continued to plead.
Lu Rang frowned, feeling that there were too few people and it wasn't safe enough.
“But your foot injury hasn’t healed yet, and you’re pregnant. You need someone to take care of you all the time.”
"Having you by my side is enough!" Shang Wu quickly flattered her, "You make me feel more at ease than ten caregivers, and the doctor also said that I need to move around appropriately and can't rely on others for everything."
After Shang Wu pleaded and begged for a while, Lu Rang finally reluctantly agreed to leave only the most experienced caregiver and the nutritionist.
The others were paid generously to leave temporarily and remain on standby.
After seeing off that large group of people, Shang Wu finally breathed a sigh of relief, feeling that the air in the house had circulated much better.
She was about to complain to Lu Rang about his emperor-like treatment when the doorbell suddenly rang.
Lu let go and open the door.
Standing outside the door was none other than Cheng Zhou.
He was carrying a beautiful baby gift box, with a forced smile on his face, but his eyes were somewhat evasive and dim.
"I heard you were discharged from the hospital and moved to a new house, so I came to visit."
Cheng Zhou's voice was a little hoarse, "I bought a small gift for... for the baby."
Lu Rang stepped aside to let him in. Shang Wu was about to greet him when her gaze suddenly stopped.
Behind Cheng Zhou, there was surprisingly a timid-looking Cheng Keke.
Lu Rang's face instantly darkened, and the air pressure around him suddenly dropped.
He glanced coldly at Coco.
He never forgot the suffering Shang Wu endured at the service area last time.
Cheng Zhou immediately sensed Lu Rang's anger and quickly pulled Cheng Keke back.
An embarrassed and helpless expression appeared on his face: "Lu told you not to get agitated! Listen to me! She's not here to cause trouble. She's leaving next Monday to register for a school abroad. All the formalities are done. She just wants to come and apologize to Shang Wu before she leaves. Really! I promise she'll leave right after she says that!"
Cheng Keke was also terrified, her face turning pale. She hid behind Cheng Zhou and whispered, her voice trembling with tears, "Sister Shang Wu, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I know I was wrong. I'll definitely change in the future. You and the baby have to be well..."
Her apology sounded more sincere than ever before, filled with fear and remorse.
Shang Wu looked at the scene before her with mixed feelings.
She didn't expect Cheng Keke to come, and she certainly didn't expect her to actually leave. It seems that Cheng Zhou has really made up his mind this time.
"Forget it, let bygones be bygones. From now on, focus on your studies and don't cause any more trouble."
Lu Rang frowned.
Upon hearing Shang Wu's words, Cheng Keke felt as if she had received a pardon.
She bowed quickly, her voice still choked with emotion: "Thank you, Sister Shangwu, thank you so much. I will definitely do it. I wish you and your baby good health and safety."
After Cheng Keke finished speaking, she glanced cautiously at Lu Rang, whose face was still icy cold.
After receiving a urging look from Cheng Zhou, he lowered his head and quickly left the villa, as if staying even a second longer would cause him to explode.
After Cheng Keke left, the atmosphere in the living room remained somewhat tense.
Seeing that he looked noticeably haggard and with a heavy, melancholy expression on his face, Shang Wu felt a pang of sadness.
She gestured to the sofa.
"Please sit down, Cheng Zhou."
Cheng Zhou shook his head, forcing a smile that looked worse than crying.
"I won't sit down. I just came to deliver something and check on you all. Seeing that you're all doing well puts my mind at ease."
He paused, his voice lowering, "I should go too."
"Cheng Zhou," Shang Wu called out to him, hesitated for a moment, but decided to speak up anyway.
"There's something I think I should tell you. Sister You has been in contact with a Mr. Fu recently. I met him yesterday. Mr. Fu is indeed a very nice person. He's mature and steady, comes from a good family, and seems to have a very gentle personality."
She carefully observed Cheng Zhou's reaction.
Cheng Zhou's body stiffened for a moment, and his hands, which were hanging at his sides, suddenly clenched, the veins on the back of his hands bulging.
But he quickly forced himself to relax, only lowering his head even further.
A suffocating silence fell over the living room.
After a long time, so long that Shang Wu thought he wouldn't respond, Cheng Zhou slowly raised his head, his eyes filled with desolation.
He forced a smile, his voice hoarse: "Really? That's good. Mingyuan is indeed a very good catch. Youjie will probably have a much easier time with him than with me."
Cheng Zhou took a deep breath, as if using all his strength, before continuing, "That's fine too. My family has been pressuring me to get married recently, and I'm under a lot of pressure. Since that's the case, I'll try to be more open-minded. Maybe I should go on some blind dates."
His tone was eerily calm, devoid of complaint or resentment, only conveying a sense of resigned weariness.
Seeing him like this, Shang Wu felt a sharp pang of bitterness in her heart.
She opened her mouth, as if she wanted to say something, but in the end, she only let out a soft sigh.
"It's nothing," Cheng Zhou tried to appear nonchalant. "Really, it's nothing. I'm leaving now. Take care."
He turned abruptly and fled the suffocating place.
Watching Cheng Zhou's dejected figure leave, Shang Wu sat in her wheelchair, lost in thought.
A marriage alliance?
Cheng Zhou's words sounded like he had given up completely.
But given his personality, would he really accept his fate so easily?
Shang Wu felt something was wrong the more she thought about it, so she immediately took out her phone and dialed Lu You's number.
The phone rang several times before it was answered.
Lu You's voice, sounding somewhat busy, came from the other end.
"Hey? Ah Wu, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
"Sister You, I'm fine."
Shang Wu paused for a moment, organizing his thoughts.
“I just saw Cheng Zhou; he came to visit us at home.”
Lu You on the other end of the phone paused for a moment, her tone seemingly becoming less enthusiastic.
"Oh? He has time to come to your place? Is something wrong?"
"Yes, he said Cheng Keke is leaving the country next week and he came to say goodbye."
Shang Wu carefully chose her words, cautiously revealing the key point: "Also, he told me that his family was pressuring him to get married, which put a lot of pressure on him. Now that you've found a good match, he's planning to take it easy and is going on blind dates."
A longer silence followed on the other end of the phone.
Shang Wu could even hear a faint sound as if something had fallen onto the table from Lu You's side.
Several seconds later, Lu You's voice came again, sounding even more indifferent than before.
"Really? That's great. It's a good match, and it's a good way out for the Cheng family, saving him from making a fuss all day long."
But she spoke too fast, and there was even a slight, barely perceptible tremor in her voice at the end.
Shang Wu had a general idea of what was going on, but she didn't expose it; she just agreed.
"Yes, that's what he said too. Well then, you can go ahead and get busy, Sister You."
Okay, bye-bye.
Lu You hung up the phone almost immediately.
Hearing the busy tone from her phone, Shang Wu gripped it and frowned slightly.
Lu You's reaction seemed to be a bit more intense than she had expected.
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