Chapter 58 No More Playing the Part
Shang Wu's heart trembled slightly, and she opened her eyes.
In the brightly lit hospital room, Lu Rang was the only one.
She let out a weak breath and tried to sit up, but her arms were too weak.
Lu Rang walked over, helped Shang Wu prop up her pillow, and helped her sit up.
Shang Wu raised her hand and grabbed his arm, very forcefully and suddenly.
"I can't wait any longer."
Lu Rang lowered his head, staring intently at her pale face, a restrained emotion flashing in his eyes.
His Adam's apple bobbed as he gently brushed a stray strand of hair from Shang Wu's face.
"What do you want to do this time? I'll do it for you."
Shang Wu paused for a moment, then shook her head with a serious expression.
"I'll come myself."
Lu Rang disagreed, frowning: "Your most important task right now is to take care of your health."
"I'm fine. I have to deal with Zhou Yanci as soon as possible. I can't wait any longer, I really can't, do you understand?"
Shang Wu was frozen, her mind a complete blank from the events of the night.
She felt nauseous like never before and could no longer bear to pretend with Zhou Yanci.
She originally thought that since Shen Mian was pregnant, Zhou Yanci's heart would be devoted to Shen Mian and he wouldn't have the mind to make advances towards her anymore, so she was so careless that she almost lost her innocence.
From the moment Zhou Yanci entered, attempting to have something happen between her and him, the cells harboring the seeds of revenge began to boil, and she still cannot calm down now.
Shang Wu squeezed her eyes shut: "If this continues, I'm afraid I'll go crazy."
Lu Rang looked at her for a moment, and finally compromised: "The doctor said you can only be discharged tomorrow. No matter how eager you are for revenge, you have to get a good night's sleep tonight and get your energy back."
He picked up the medicine on the table and pulled Shang Wu's arm in front of him.
Her arms, as smooth as jade, were covered with scratches from fingernails.
Lu lowered his voice: "Bear with it, applying the medicine might hurt a little."
Shang Wu regained some composure and watched as his long, clean fingers held a cotton swab, dipped it in medicine, and applied it to her arm, where the back of his hand still bore the marks from when he protected her last time.
A sharp pain came from the wound.
She pursed her lips and held back, suddenly remembering that time when they went to Wanhu, it was she who applied the medicine to Lu Rang.
Lu Rangming knew that it was the Yu family's territory, and he knew what the consequences would be if he were discovered, but he still accompanied her to scout the way.
When she fell, he shielded her from being hit on the head by the stone, despite his injured arm.
Lu Rang's arm wasn't fully healed yet, but he appeared just in time when she needed him, taking her all the way to the hospital and carrying her around as if he wasn't tired at all.
At first, Lu Rang seemed aloof, averse to trouble, and difficult to talk to, but at some point he completely changed.
He became the first person she wanted to rely on when she was in danger.
Shang Wu's heart stirred slightly: "Lu Rang, why are you so good to me?"
Lu Rang paused, then looked up at her.
"Why did you come over as soon as I made a phone call? Aren't you afraid of offending Zhou Yanci?" Shang Wu asked bluntly and seriously.
Lu Rang's eyes flickered. He reached out and touched Shang Wu's cheek, gently pressing his thumb against her lips.
Shang Wu was stunned for a moment, then met his deep, dark eyes.
Lu Rang used a little force to wipe a strand of hair from her lips, but his gaze remained fixed on her full, red lips.
"Then why do you think I'm nice to you?"
Shang Wu blinked: "Probably because I'm your boss."
Lu Rang smiled slightly and lowered his head to continue applying the medicine to her.
"Yeah, I'm counting on you to make money for the rest of my life."
Shang Wu smiled too, her complicated emotions dissipating, and her tone became more relaxed: "Have you finished the contract? Are you sure it's foolproof?"
"After you release the jewelry profits this time, you can become the sole shareholder of the division due to the more than tenfold increase in profits. Zhou Yanci will only know the truth after the first quarter financial report. It's basically settled by now."
Lu Rang put down the medicine bottle: "He's beyond saving now, the branch is entirely yours."
Shang Wu relaxed a bit and shook her head: "It's not enough. After I'm discharged from the hospital tomorrow, I'm going to see Mr. Ye Songming."
Lu Rang paused, then reached out and turned off the light.
"Go to sleep first."
In the darkness, Shang Wu was stunned for a moment, then groped for the hem of his clothes.
"Is Zhou Yanci not coming over?"
Her voice trembled with a hint of disgust.
Lu Rang paused for a moment: "I've arranged for people to keep watch outside, so he won't be able to see you."
Shang Wu breathed a sigh of relief and released him.
She was so exhausted that she fell into a deep sleep not long afterward.
In the early hours of the morning, Shang Wu had a dream in which Zhou Yanci had completely shed his former gentle and considerate demeanor, and was now grinning maliciously as he took off his clothes and pounced on her.
She woke up with a start, sitting up with rapid breathing.
The ward was quiet.
Shang Wu felt inexplicably uneasy. She got out of bed and went to the window for some fresh air, only to see someone sitting in the hallway outside the door.
She paused for a moment, then walked behind the door.
Lu Rang sat on a bench, working on his laptop.
He was focused and didn't notice that Shang Wu had already woken up. He fought off his sleepiness and picked up a can of coffee next to him to drink.
Upon seeing this, Shang Wu pulled her coat tighter around herself.
In the quiet ward where she could hear her own breathing, her heart suddenly started beating rapidly like a drumbeat.
...
daytime.
When Shang Wu woke up, she underwent a check-up and found nothing wrong. She was discharged from the hospital and went home to have someone change the locks to ensure that Zhou Yanci could not get in.
She changed her clothes, washed up, put on makeup, and then went to the Ye family's house.
The maid came to open the door and smiled at Shang Wu: "The old gentleman is practicing Baduanjin in the back garden, so it's not appropriate for you to go directly there. Miss Shang, please wait in the living room."
Shang Wu nodded, gripped the cool jade pendant in her hand, and sat on the sofa to quietly drink tea.
Half an hour later, the old man, who was over eighty years old but still walked briskly and had bright eyes, appeared at the door.
He was dressed in a white, modified Tang suit, exuding an air of authority without anger. He smiled as soon as he saw Shang Wu.
"Ah Wu, what brings you here all of a sudden? It's been about two months since we last saw each other, hasn't it?"
Shang Wu waited for a long time before he finally appeared. Upon hearing this, she immediately stood up and bowed respectfully.
"Sir, I've come to see you today because I have something to discuss with you."
"I know." Ye Songming waved his hand dismissively. "You only visit during holidays and festivals. You wouldn't come to see me now unless it was something urgent, would you? Please sit down. Is there anything I can help you with?"
Shang Wu felt a little nervous and became less composed.
Grandpa Ye and her father had a very good relationship; they were well-known in the industry for their friendship despite their age difference.
After the business ran into trouble, many people avoided it like the plague, but the old man was very righteous and took the initiative to offer help.
At that time, my parents felt that their business was in a mess and that the old man shouldn't be involved at this time, so they didn't let the Ye family do anything.
Even before Zhou Yanci stepped forward to pretend to be their savior, when they were desperate, they tried their best not to trouble the Ye family.
Shang Wu held the jade pendant and placed it directly on the table.
“Sir, I wouldn’t have bothered you if I hadn’t encountered a problem that was difficult to solve.”
"This is..." Ye Songming's eyes darkened as he picked up the jade pendant she had placed on the table and examined it carefully.
"This was a birthday gift I gave to your father. You're taking this out because you want me to do something very difficult, right?"
Shang Wu nodded slightly, feeling a little embarrassed.
"Yes, I want the old gentleman to contact Brother Ye and ask him to join forces with me to set up a scheme."
"Set up a trap? What kind of trap?" Ye Songming frowned, looking at her with a serious expression.
Shang Wu took a deep breath, her eyes burning, and with great difficulty, she stated her purpose for coming.
"Let him go to Zhou Yanci and pretend to cooperate. In the end, I will reap the benefits and take all the money. After it is done, I guarantee that I will give half of the money to Brother Ye. I will definitely not keep it all to myself, nor will I let you help me for nothing."
Upon hearing this, Ye Songming was completely stunned.
He stood up with a look of surprise and doubt, and pointed to the jade pendant.
"You're using your father's things, hoping I'll do you a favor and push Zhou Yanci, who helped you and the merchants back then, into the abyss, causing him heavy losses? Tell me, why is that?"
Shang Wu was slightly taken aback, not expecting Ye Songming to react this way.
But thinking about it, it makes sense.
The fact that Ye Songming was able to defy public opinion and disregard his family's objections to proactively seek help from businesses to resolve the mess demonstrates that the old man is a very righteous and kind person.
Over the years, Zhou Yanci has deliberately cultivated a persona of a devoted lover, promoting himself as a benefactor to the business and a top-notch good man who saved her from dire straits.
This image is so deeply ingrained that the old man has never doubted it and has always praised it highly.
Now that she's suddenly trying to swindle Zhou Yanci out of her money, it's no wonder the old man reacted this way.
Shang Wu smiled bitterly, her eyes filled with melancholy: "I know that in your eyes all these years, I, Shang Wu, am lucky to have met a fiancé who always protects me and the Shang family. But that's just a superficial illusion you have."
Ye Songming slowly frowned.
“My relationship with him is far from that good. He is not the savior of that business, nor is he a perfect person. In fact, you could say that he was partly responsible for the business’s downfall.”
Shang Wu lowered her head and pleaded earnestly, "You know my character and my father's nature. Our Shang family has never done anything immoral or ungrateful. I have an irreconcilable hatred for Zhou Yanci. If it weren't for that, I wouldn't have turned against the man I've devoted myself to for three years. Please help me."
After hearing this, Ye Songming could no longer sit still.
He paced back and forth in the living room with his hands behind his back, finally fixing his gaze on Shang Wu.
Just when Shang Wu thought he was going to agree, Ye Songming waved his hand.
“I can’t just listen to your side of the story. You suddenly came to me with your father’s jade pendant. I can’t just believe you without a second thought.”
Shang Wu's breathing paused slightly, and her eyes gradually dimmed.
Seeing this, Ye Songming explained, "It's not that I don't trust your character, it's just that this matter is too strange, I need some time."
Shang Wu fully understood his meaning, and she also had a vague premonition that things wouldn't go so smoothly.
Now it seems that this was indeed the case.
She stood up and forced a smile: "Sir, you know I am not the kind of person who would betray someone after using them. Please reconsider my request."
After saying this, she bowed deeply to the old man and turned to leave.
After she left, Ye Songming sat on the sofa, squinting his eyes and gradually lost in thought.
The butler, watching from the side, couldn't help but ask, "Does the old gentleman really not trust Miss Shang? I think that given her character, unless there's something hidden, it's impossible for her to suddenly target the Zhou family's young master. He's the one who pulled her out of the abyss back then."
Ye Songming sighed softly, but before he could speak, a servant rushed in.
"A distinguished guest has arrived outside."
Ye Songming raised an eyebrow in surprise: "Who is it?"
The maid lowered her head.
"Attorney Lu."
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