Chapter 108 Almost Strangled Zhou Yanci
Shang Wu remembered her brother's words and met Lu Rang's gaze for a moment, her mind racing.
She walked over calmly and said, "I went to the prison to see my brother."
Lu Rang took the coat she had casually taken off and asked, "What did you say?"
Shang Wu hesitated for a moment: "I told him everything, everything Zhou Yanci did."
"Is there anything else?" Lu Rang pressed.
Shang Wu shook her head and reached for her water glass: "It's gone."
She turned to get some water, but Lu Rang stopped her.
Lu Rang raised his hand and covered her face with his palm: "Really?"
Shang Wu felt he was acting strange today, and couldn't help but push his hand away: "Are you unhappy...?"
Before she could finish speaking, her body was suddenly lifted into the air.
Lu Rang lifted her onto the desk.
Shang Wu was still holding the water glass, so she could only rest her wrist on his shoulder to steady him.
Lu Rang placed his hands on either side of her legs, a protective yet slightly aggressive stance.
He stared intently at Shang Wu: "You're lying. You mentioned me to your brother."
Shang Wu tried to get down, but before her legs could even touch the ground, Lu Rang stepped forward and pressed himself against the edge of the table.
Shang Wu was forced to spread her legs, and her legs had to be hung around his waist.
The pose was too suggestive, and she blushed slightly, admitting defeat: "I did mention you to my brother. You were the biggest contributor in the Shang family case, how could I not mention you?"
Lu Rang asked, "Why didn't you admit it just now?"
Shang Wu pretended to be naive: "I'm just embarrassed to admit it. I even told my brother that I'm considering being with you."
"Besides this?" Lu Rang pressed, "What did your brother tell you?"
Shang Wu remained silent.
She realized that her brother hadn't been harassed in prison recently because Lu Rang had arranged for people to protect him.
Since he has people in the prison, he must know what she talked about with her brother.
Shang Wu swallowed hard, her eyes darting away. "It's nothing. My brother said he respects my choices. I can be with whoever I want..."
“Your brother told you I’m sick,” Lu Rang interrupted her.
Shang Wu could only nod, avoiding eye contact with him.
She didn't care at first, but she didn't know if Lu Rang would mind being talked about behind his back.
Lu Rang gripped the edge of the table tightly, his eyes dark and unfathomable: "Then do you believe me?"
Shang Wu was stunned for a moment.
Lu Rang said, enunciating each word clearly: "Shang Wu, do you believe I have a mental illness?"
Shang Wu gripped the water glass tightly, feeling completely controlled by him within arm's reach, with no room to hide her thoughts.
She was a very good actress; at least in front of Zhou Yanci and Shen Mian, she never aroused any suspicion.
Lu Rang could always see through her thoughts, making it impossible for her to hide what expression or look she should make to appear natural.
Shang Wu made up her mind and quickly said, "I didn't believe it at first, but when I went to your house last time, you were acting very strangely. After hearing what my brother said, I... did feel that something was wrong with you."
After she finished speaking, she immediately comforted him, "It's okay, Lu Rang. I don't care. I don't care whether you're sick or not."
Lu Rang pressed on, "If you didn't care, why didn't you just tell me from the beginning?"
Shang Wu said helplessly, "I was afraid you would mind, so I didn't want to bring up this kind of thing with me. Why are you turning the tables on me?"
Lu Rang pursed his lips, his eyes conveying an unreadable meaning.
The light couldn't penetrate his deep black pupils.
The sudden exposure of the secret forced him to recall what his psychiatrist had said.
"Your condition seems stable, but you've simply moved away from your original environment and there are no triggering scenarios or objects for the onset of the disease."
“But your identity is different. Your roots are in the Yu family, so you can’t escape it. You can only face the problem head-on, again and again, until you no longer have a stress response.”
"I suggest you truly resolve your psychological issues before trying to build deep connections with others."
Lu Rang looked at Shang Wu's fair and rosy face, her complexion healthy and radiant.
He didn't want Shang Wu to find out about this.
Perhaps he was destined to be alone for the rest of his life, bearing the heavy burden of his past alone.
But he couldn't control his emotions.
He wanted to help Shang Wu escape the gloom, pull her into the sunlight, and then drag her back into his deep sea.
Lu Rang gripped the corner of the table tightly, his palms stinging, and his voice grew increasingly low: "Your brother is right. You really should think carefully about whether being with someone like me is suitable."
Shang Wu opened her eyes wide.
Lu Rang said in a low voice, "Shang Wu, you only have one chance to escape. Think it over carefully. I won't give you any room to back out later. Even if I have to tie you up, I'll tie you to my side."
He straightened up, lifted Shang Wu down, tugged at her wrinkled skirt, and took his phone to leave.
Shang Wu was taken aback: "Where are you going?"
"Go and bring Zhou Yanci back. If Lu Zheng needs you again, just call me."
After Lu Rang finished speaking, he had already reached the door. He opened the door and went out, then paused and turned back to look at Shang Wu: "You've always wanted to know about my background, now you know?"
Shang Wu nodded.
Lu Rang nodded slightly, without saying anything.
Shang Wu stood blankly at the corner of the table, the warmth of her close contact with Lu Rang still lingering on her legs.
They're leaving already?
No, she didn't even have a chance to say it; she clearly didn't need to consider it.
So what if he's mentally ill? He just locks himself in his house and drinks milk.
At worst, she can find a milk supplier later and guarantee that there will be an oversupply, sending tons of milk to Lu Rang.
Shang Wu immediately took out her phone and called Lu Rang.
Once the call connected, she immediately said, "I've thought it over, I don't mind."
Lu Rang paused for two seconds: "You should seriously consider it."
"I've thought about it seriously, and I really don't mind," Shang Wu said firmly.
Lu Rang: "No rush, discuss it with your family slowly, don't make any hasty judgments."
Shang Wu wasn't in a hurry at first, but now she was really anxious after hearing this: "My family respects me a lot! I really don't mind. You just like drinking milk, right? I'll drink it with you then, but I'm lactose intolerant, so I might get diarrhea."
Lu Rang: "..."
He hung up the phone and tossed a psychological diagnosis report at him.
Shang Wu opened the email, trying to understand the diagnosis results, and unconsciously read them aloud.
"Psychological trauma can trigger mood swings, which can manifest as self-isolation or loss of emotional control."
"Most of the time, they fall into silence, isolate themselves, and repeatedly engage in a particular behavior."
"The onset of the disease usually begins in winter and occurs frequently in spring, requiring patients to overcome their psychological trauma on their own..."
After reading it, Shang Wu took a deep breath and finally understood why Lu Rang wanted her to consider it carefully and why he was afraid of her finding out.
It turns out that drinking milk was just a specific behavior that Lu Rang repeated during his last episode of illness.
Next time, perhaps he will repeat something else.
Or perhaps next time he won't shut himself off, but will instead go completely insane.
After thinking for a few seconds, Shang Wu picked up her phone and solemnly replied to Lu Rang.
[I can accept anything except dancing naked in the street.]
The message was sent, but Lu Rang didn't reply.
Suddenly, a voice sounded from behind.
"Mr. Shang, the content of this message you sent is so lacking in emotional intelligence!"
Shang Wu was so startled she almost dropped her phone. Turning around, she saw A Ying standing behind her, having been there for who knows how long.
She immediately held her phone screen upright, close to her chest.
"You saw everything?"
Aying nodded: "Attorney Lu has a mental illness."
"Shhh."
Shang Wu feigned a fierce expression: "You're not allowed to tell anyone."
Aying laughed: "No, why would I talk nonsense about such things? But Mr. Shang, no wonder people are ignoring you with that kind of reply."
Shang Wu was puzzled and somewhat unconvinced: "How should I reply?"
You can say, no matter what, I will never leave you, I will never abandon you, we will never be defeated by difficulties, I will be with you...
Before Shang Wu could finish listening, she got goosebumps all over: "Stop, this is fine, I won't say such mushy things."
She urged Aying to go to a meeting.
After Aying left, Shang Wu quickly received a call from Xiao Dong.
"Attorney Lu has brought Mr. Zhou back."
Shang Wu asked, "Is Lu Rang still there?"
"They're gone."
"Okay, I'll go right away."
Shang Wu drove home.
At Zhou Yanci's doorstep, Xiao Dong was waiting.
Seeing her approach, Xiao Dong said, "He was knocked unconscious before he recovered from his concussion and hasn't woken up yet."
Shang Wu clicked her tongue, finding it troublesome.
Xiao Dong asked, "Mrs. Zhou called just now, and I answered for her. She said that the gentleman has gone home to rest and that the doctor will come to see him in a couple of days. She didn't suspect anything."
He followed Shang Wu upstairs: "Should we call a doctor to come and take a look at him?"
"No need, I won't die."
Shang Wu walked to the door of the room and saw Zhou Yanci sleeping on the bed with her eyes closed.
He was thinner, his cheekbones were slightly prominent, there were dark circles under his eyes, his whole face was filled with a lingering weariness, his bangs were stuck to his skin, and his lips were dry and chapped.
Thinking of Zhou Yanci's former flamboyant and eye-catching appearance in a suit, Shang Wu smiled sarcastically.
Do you still think Zhou Yanci is handsome?
Xiao Dong examined him carefully for two seconds: "His natural features are still there, so he's still handsome."
Shang Wu glanced at him: "Did a fly bite your eye?"
Xiao Dong scratched his head: "He... he's like a completely different person compared to before. I hardly recognize him."
"This is what happens when you mess with me."
Shang Wu walked over and stood by the bed: "He hasn't woken up yet, it's causing too much trouble."
A fleeting glimpse of the brother's reddened eyes flashed across my mind in prison.
A surge of hatred rose within her, and she reached out and grabbed Zhou Yanci by the neck.
Xiao Dong was taken aback: "President Shang..."
Shang Wu ignored him and forcefully clenched her fingertips.
Zhou Yanci's body temperature was a little high, and the skin on her neck was burning hot against her palm.
Shang Wu exerted even more force, staring intently at Zhou Yanci's face, which was gradually turning purple, her eyes icy cold.
She covered her hand with her second hand and pressed down hard.
Zhou Yanci's forehead veins bulged, and he broke out in a thin layer of sweat. He shuddered and was suddenly jolted awake.
The moment he opened his eyes, Shang Wu reluctantly let go of his hand.
She smiled and asked worriedly, "Yanci, you're awake. Did you have a nightmare?"
Looking at the woman so close to him, Zhou Yanci felt fear gripping his heart like vines.
He was gasping for breath, his eyes filled with a dark and fearful look. His voice was hoarse and strained as he spoke: "You, you just now..."
Shang Wu interrupted, "You had a nightmare just now, didn't you? You were choking yourself the whole time. Are you alright now?"
As she spoke, she considerately handed her a glass of water.
Xiao Dong was completely dumbfounded.
Zhou Yanci recalled what had happened before she woke up. She didn't go to get the glass of water, but stared intently at Shang Wu.
"Did you have someone knock me unconscious and take me away?"
Shang Wu frowned: "What are you talking about? I was hoping you would get better soon so we could have a banquet together. How could I do something like this? I don't even know who those people are."
She held the water glass to Zhou Yanci's lips.
"Here, have some water."
Zhou Yanci was indeed extremely thirsty.
He quickly took the water glass from Shang Wu's hand, and was about to drink when he suddenly remembered something, his expression changed, and he directly waved her hand away: "I won't drink!"
Shang Wu stepped back, splashing water from her cup onto her coat.
Zhou Yanci pressed down on the edge of the bed, her eyes filled with apprehension and vigilance.
"Shang Wu, did you bribe your father's doctor to poison me?"
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