Chapter 288 Deciding to Make a Comeback
Lu Rang did not start the car immediately, but turned to the side and took Shang Wu's hand.
Don't take those pointless words to heart.
He looked at her, his gaze deep and focused. "You are Freya, Shangwu, and Yuwu's mother, but first and foremost, you are yourself."
He paused, his tone more serious and certain than ever before: "To me, you will always be the best."
Simple words, without any fancy rhetoric, yet more powerful than any comfort. Shang Wu's nose tingled, she squeezed his hand tightly, and softly murmured "Mmm."
It was late at night when I got home.
The villa was quiet, with only a few warm yellow wall lamps on.
Aunt Zhang tiptoed over to greet them and whispered, "Sir, Madam, Miss has just been fed and is sleeping soundly."
The two nodded, changed their shoes, and quietly went upstairs.
The nursery was filled with a faint milky scent and warmth.
Yu Wu was fast asleep on her small bed.
Her pink lips were slightly pouting, and her long, curled eyelashes resembled two small fans.
In her sleep, she unconsciously waved her little fist and murmured contentedly.
Shang Wu and Lu Rang stood side by side by the crib, quietly watching the sleeping little angel.
All the noise and malice were washed away by the beautiful scene at this moment.
Looking at her daughter's pure and innocent sleeping face, Shang Wu felt as if something had gently struck her heart.
A sudden flash of inspiration dispelled the chaos and blankness that had lingered in her mind for days.
The creative passion that had once disappeared surged back.
Shang Wu suddenly grabbed Lu Rang's arm, her eyes shining brightly in the dim light.
"Lu Rang, my sketchbook!"
Looking at her suddenly radiant expression, Lu Rang instantly understood what was going on.
He immediately turned around and went to the study to fetch her sketchbook and charcoal pencil.
Shang Wu almost snatched it, and sat down on the floor under the soft light of the crib.
The pencil moved swiftly across the paper, making a soft scratching sound. Vibrant lines began to spread across the white paper.
It's no longer anxious graffiti, but the power to rediscover oneself.
Lu Rang didn't disturb her; he simply stood quietly to the side, watching his wife, who was immersed in her own world.
He knew.
Freya is back.
Shang Wu painted on the nursery floor, using the warm yellow light, until the sky turned white.
Countless sketches lay scattered at my feet, each one brimming with boundless creativity.
At dawn, Yu Wu's faint sobs brought Shang Wu back to reality.
She put down her pen, rubbed her sore neck, and looked at the design sketches that were beginning to take shape. There was no sign of fatigue in her eyes, only burning excitement.
She gently picked up her daughter, feeling the soft little body nestled in her arms.
After feeding her, Shang Wu handed the sleeping Yu Wu to the nanny and immediately dialed A Ying's number, her tone unusually calm and assertive.
"Aying, notify all partner media and platforms to release a comeback announcement in Freya's name."
Ah Ying on the other end of the phone seemed not fully awake: "Huh? Mr. Shang, we're not going to keep it a secret until the work is finished..."
“No,” Shang Wu interrupted her, her gaze fixed on the brightening sky outside the window. “I want to do it in the most high-profile way. I want to clearly inform everyone that this will be my long-awaited comeback after my pregnancy and childbirth.”
She paused, then spoke each word clearly and forcefully:
"And tell them that this will be the most amazing work of my career so far, without exception."
Aying gasped on the other end of the phone: "President Shang! Isn't this...isn't that a bit too much? What if...I mean, what if, then those people waiting to see us fail..."
"There's no 'what if'." Shang Wu's voice was filled with unquestionable confidence. "Do as I say. Unprecedented publicity efforts. I want to raise everyone's expectations to the highest level before the work is even released."
What she wanted was this kind of do-or-die pressure.
She wanted to push herself and tell the world that becoming a mother was not the end of her career, but the beginning of her journey to greater heights.
The news caused a huge uproar in the design community and beyond.
The news of Freya's comeback was already highly newsworthy, and the arrogant and confident announcement instantly ignited public opinion.
Freya makes a grand comeback after giving birth, claiming her new work will surpass all her previous works!
"Is it confidence or arrogance? Designer Freya has boldly declared war on the fashion world. Freya proves it with her new collection!"
Supporters cheered, hoping she could break down prejudices.
More doubts and sarcasm followed, especially from those who had been humiliated by her before, who were waiting to see her fall even harder.
That afternoon, Lu You went directly to the studio.
She was dressed in a sharp white suit and went straight into Shang Wu's office.
"A cup of black coffee, please." She instructed A-Ying, who was following behind her, before looking at Shang Wu, who was hunched over her desk revising a manuscript, her brows furrowing slightly.
“My business school designer, you’re in the spotlight now.”
Lu You sat down opposite her, took the coffee Ah Ying handed her, and cut straight to the point, "I saw those announcements you had Ah Ying post. Wasn't that a bit too much of a boast?"
Shang Wu looked up from the design draft, her face showing no surprise, and simply looked at her calmly.
Lu You put down her coffee cup, leaned forward, and said with a rare seriousness and concern in her voice, "I know you are talented, and I believe in your abilities."
But Ah Wu, this circle is all about praising the powerful and belittling the weak; it's the most realistic thing ever.
You're making such confident statements now, raising everyone's expectations so high. If even the slightest flaw in your work is magnified, it will become a weapon for those people to attack you!
They'll trample you into the mud, proving you really can't do it!
Her concerns are not unfounded. This industry is almost cruelly demanding of women, especially mothers.
Shang Wu listened quietly, her face remaining expressionless.
She put down her pen and gently pushed the core design drafts in front of Lu You.
"Sister You, take a look at this."
Lu You looked down with a skeptical expression.
It started as a casual glance, but soon her gaze was firmly drawn to it.
Those lines and structures, those bold combinations, and those vibrant expressions—
Completely different from Freya's style at any other time, it is more restrained yet more magnificent, with a soul-stirring power.
She flipped through the pages one by one, her eyes gradually shifting from worry to surprise, and finally settling into a complex sense of shock.
Seeing the change in her expression, Shang Wu picked up her slightly cooled teacup and took a small sip.
"It doesn't matter whether they seize on the flaws and make a big deal out of it."
“Because this time,” she looked up, her eyes bright, “my inspiration is enough to surpass all the past. The work itself will shut everyone up.”
Looking at the determined woman in front of her, Lu You suddenly realized that she was far more outstanding than herself.
She is a warrior with a truly strong heart and absolute strength.
Lu You's worries vanished instantly, replaced by a sense of pride and honor.
She gently pushed the manuscript back, picked up her coffee, took a big gulp, and laughed heartily.
"Alright! Since you're so confident, then I'll be waiting to see you wow the audience!"
Lu You put down her cup, took out her phone, and said, "I'll tell Cheng Zhou right now that Yu Wu is with me for the next few days, and I'll have his lazy brother-in-law take care of her. You can focus on your design!"
Almost simultaneously, Shang Wu's phone vibrated; it was a message from Cheng Zhou.
"Contact me anytime you need help with the baby. I'm available immediately and will make sure to take good care of Yuwu!"
Immediately afterward, Lu Rang called, his voice coming through the receiver, still calm and steady.
"Just let me know if the studio needs any support. Don't worry about things at home; Aunt Zhang and I will take good care of Yuwu."
After hanging up the phone, Shang Wu looked at Lu You, who was expressing her support, and then at the messages that kept popping up on her phone. A wave of emotion welled up in her heart.
Her family, her support, unhesitatingly chose to support her when she decided to take a desperate gamble.
"Thank you," she whispered, those two words carrying so much weight.
With no worries about the future, Shang Wu fully immersed herself in her creative work.
She practically lived in the studio, leaving early and returning late, sometimes even working through the night.
The design table was covered with fabric samples, the walls were covered with inspiration drawings and structural breakdown sketches, and countless attempts and revisions were scattered on the floor.
Lu Rang would bring Yu Wu to the studio every night to visit her. Sometimes she would just sit quietly to the side and deal with her own work, and sometimes she would hold her daughter and let her see how focused her mother was on her work.
He felt a pang of heartache when he saw the dark circles under Shang Wu's eyes from staying up all night, and the furrowed brows from repeatedly revising a single detail.
"Don't push yourself too hard."
Lu Rang would always find an opportunity to massage her shoulders and hand her warm soup, his tone filled with undisguised heartache.
Shang Wu would lean against him for a few minutes to rest, inhaling his reassuring scent, and then shake her head.
"It's okay, it'll be over soon."
Although her eyes showed weariness, they held an even stronger, almost devout, passion.
A week later, the design drafts were finally completed, and the process of pattern making and production began.
During this period, a well-known art and lifestyle talk show invited Shang Wu to conduct a comeback interview.
After considering it for a moment, Shang Wu agreed.
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