Chapter 205 "Don't worry, I won't touch you."
What's he doing here? It's a typhoon, why isn't he at the hotel with Lu You?
Shang Wu was shocked and confused. She mustered her courage and walked to the door, looking through the window to confirm again.
Lu Rang was soaked to the bone, his hair was disheveled and stuck to his forehead, his face was flushed an unnaturally under the light, and his eyes seemed somewhat unfocused.
He raised his hand as if to ring the doorbell, but then let it fall limply to the side.
Without thinking twice, Shang Wu flung open the door.
A sudden gust of wind, carrying rain, rushed in, causing her to stumble.
Lu Rang, standing outside the door, seemed surprised when the door suddenly opened. He looked up at her, his eyes watery and blurry from the fever, losing their usual sharpness and coldness.
"Shangwu." His voice was so hoarse that it was almost drowned out by the sound of the wind and rain.
How did you get here?
Shang Wu quickly pulled him inside and shut the door shut, keeping out the raging storm outside.
She turned around and looked at Lu Rang, who was dripping wet and looked unusually pale. "Do you have a fever?"
Shang Wu subconsciously reached out to touch his forehead, then paused.
She had almost forgotten that they were completely unrelated, and therefore such physical contact was inappropriate.
However, just as Shang Wu was about to pull her hand back, Lu Rang suddenly stepped forward, lowered his head, and obediently placed his hand against her palm.
It was scalding hot to the touch.
Shang Wu didn't have time to pay attention to his behavior: "You really have a fever, you're so hot."
Lu Rang turned his head, his voice low and hoarse: "Is there any water?"
"Please sit down."
Shang Wu immediately poured him a glass of warm water and then took out fever reducers from the first-aid kit. "Take the medicine first."
Lu Rang obediently took the medicine and drank the water.
Shang Wu quickly went to get a dry towel and the newly bought men's pajamas.
She still remembered Lu Rang's obsessive-compulsive disorder.
“This is the clothing brand I collaborated with last time. They sent me a few sets of clothes, which are brand new. You should change out of your wet clothes first, otherwise it will get worse.”
Lu Rang took the clothes, his movements somewhat slow, as if he were indeed quite ill.
Shang Wu turned her back, listening to the rustling sounds of changing clothes behind her, her mind a complete mess.
What happened to him? How did he end up here looking like this?
After Lu Rang changed his clothes, Shang Wu went to the kitchen to heat up a cup of milk and brought over some snacks.
"Eat something first."
Shang Wu placed the things in front of him, and seeing his still flushed face, she couldn't help but ask again, "What exactly happened? Why did you come here during the typhoon? Where's Sister You?"
Lu Rang held the warm milk cup, his fingertips trembling slightly, and remained silent for a long time.
Just when Shang Wu thought he wouldn't answer, he spoke in a low voice, hoarse and tired, with an unprecedented sense of powerlessness: "We had a fight."
Shang Wu was taken aback: "With Sister You?"
"Hmm." Lu Rang responded softly, still not looking at her, his gaze fixed on a point in the void. "It's very noisy."
Shang Wu's heart sank suddenly, as if something was blocking it, leaving her with an indescribable bitterness.
So that's how it is.
Was it because he had a fight with Lu You and was in a bad mood that he ran out during the typhoon and ended up here by chance?
She watched helplessly as Lu Rang, who had once been completely devoted to her and would get anxious over the slightest emotional fluctuation of her, watched helplessly as Lu Rang became increasingly anxious.
At this moment, however, he is heartbroken over another woman, even making himself look so disheveled and vulnerable.
An indescribable bitterness spread subtly and gradually.
Shang Wu clenched her fingers so tightly that her nails dug deep into her palms, barely managing to maintain a semblance of calm.
“Even if you’ve been arguing, you shouldn’t have come out in this weather; it’s too dangerous.” Her voice was hoarse.
Lu Rang slowly raised his head, his eyes, moist and blurry from the fever, looking at her.
He was silent for a few seconds, then suddenly said in a very soft voice, as if talking to himself, or as if asking her, "This time, she and I may not get married as planned."
Shang Wu's heart skipped a beat, and she abruptly looked up at him.
She thought that Lu Rang had finally found someone he truly wanted to marry, which was why they got engaged so quickly and were preparing to walk down the aisle.
Will Lu Rang, who left her, not be able to find the happiness he desired?
Shang Wu suppressed the surging emotions in her heart, deliberately keeping her voice calm, with a hint of distant admonition: "Lu made you have a fever, don't talk nonsense. Engagement is not a joke. You should communicate and resolve any problems with Sister You."
She paused, recalling the past, and her tone carried a faint bitterness that she herself was unaware of: "Sometimes you are just too stubborn. Once you've made up your mind about something, you go down a dark path and refuse to turn back. Not every woman can bear that. You should also reflect on yourself."
Her intention was to persuade him.
However, these words seemed to provoke Lu Rang.
"Am I stubborn? Am I determined not to give up?"
Lu Rang suddenly raised his head, his eyes, red from the high fever, instantly filled with bloodshot veins and a deep pain.
He suddenly leaned forward, placing his hands on the back of the sofa on either side of Shang Wu's body, trapping her between himself and the sofa.
His hot breath almost sprayed onto Shang Wu's face, and she shrank back in fright at Lu Rang's sudden action.
"Shangwu".
Lu Rang stared down at her, his voice hoarse and broken, "Since you know that once I've set my mind on something, I'll never give up, then why did you abandon me in the first place?"
Those emotions, masked by hypnosis and suppressed by drugs but already ingrained in his very being, were urging him to land, threatening to spiral out of control completely.
Shang Wu was completely stunned, her mind went blank, and she was so shocked by the overwhelming pain in his eyes that she was heartbroken.
"What...what are you saying?"
Did he remember? Or was it just delirium caused by a high fever?
Qianxu was flustered and tried to push Lu Rang away, but his hot hand grabbed her wrist.
Lu Rang stared intently at her, his gaze seemingly intent on devouring her. "Are you doing this for my own good? Or because you think I can't protect you? Or have you never truly believed in my determination to stay with you?"
His questioning relentlessly pressed on.
Shang Wu was filled with doubt and uncertainty, unsure whether Lu Rang was recalling the past or still regarded her as a woman who had wronged him.
All she could do was struggle instinctively: "Lu Rang! You're delirious with fever!"
Looking at her lips, the last shred of reason in Lu Rang's eyes burned away.
He lowered his head and pressed his lips hard against Shang Wu's.
Shang Wu's eyes widened, and she used all her strength to turn her head away, placing her hands on his burning chest and pushing him away forcefully.
Lu Rang was pushed away by her, and his back hit the back of the sofa, aggravating his burns.
He let out a muffled groan and stopped moving.
He closed his eyes, enduring the overwhelming pain.
Shang Wu was at a loss, then belatedly realized that he was still injured: "Lu Rang, are you alright..."
Before he could finish speaking, Lu Rang suddenly reached out and, with an almost brutal force, slashed his thumb across Shang Wu's lips, as if trying to erase something that didn't exist.
Shang Wu's lips stung from his action, and she stared at him in astonishment.
"Don't worry," Lu Rang's voice was cold, "I won't touch you."
He released her, staggered to his feet, and looked down at Shang Wu, his eyes regaining their previous rationality, even more so.
It was as if the image of Lu Rang, who had just been in pain and out of control, was just an illusion.
“You’re right.” Lu Rang forced a cold smile. “I should get along well with Lu You, after all…”
He paused, his gaze sweeping across Shang Wu's face like a knife, each word striking with crystal clarity:
"Not everyone is like you, Shang Wu, who gives up so easily."
After saying that, he didn't look at her again, and even ignoring the raging typhoon outside, he opened the door and left resolutely.
Shang Wu stood frozen in place, the stinging sensation of his thumb still lingering on her lips, his last words echoing repeatedly in her ears.
Not everyone is like you, giving up so easily.
Overwhelmed by immense grievance and heartache, Shang Wu finally couldn't hold back her tears and they streamed down her face.
He knows nothing.
He knows absolutely nothing, so what gives him the right to accuse her like that?
She barely slept all night. When she woke up the next morning, she felt dizzy and lightheaded, with a dry and sore throat. She had clearly caught a chill, and coupled with her emotional turmoil, she fell ill.
Shang Wu forced herself to pour herself a glass of hot water, then curled up on the sofa on the first floor of the studio. She was wrapped in a thick blanket, but she still felt chilly, weak, and pale.
Just as she was drifting off to sleep, the doorbell rang.
Shang Wu reluctantly got up to open the door, but instead of A Ying, Lu You was standing outside carrying an exquisite fruit basket and tonics.
She was impeccably dressed and had exquisite makeup, seemingly radiant and full of energy at all times.
"Awu? I heard about the typhoon last night. I was worried you must be scared being all alone here, so I came to check on you. You look so pale. Are you sick?"
As soon as Lu You entered, she asked him a series of questions with concern, her tone gentle and warm.
Shang Wu invited her in, her voice hoarse: "It's nothing, I just caught a bit of a cold, thank you for your concern, Sister You."
Lu You put her things down without a second thought, and then very naturally reached out to touch Shang Wu's forehead, her gesture as intimate as if they were longtime friends.
"Oh dear, you have a slight fever. Have you taken any medicine? Do you want me to go to the hospital with you?"
"No need, Sister You, I just need to rest for a bit." Shang Wu turned her head slightly to avoid her touch.
I don't know if it's because of my illness, but my senses have become unusually sensitive.
As Shang Wu watched Lu You bustling around, showing concern for her, she felt a strange feeling stronger than ever before.
From their initial accidental encounter in the wrong meeting room, Lu You showed her extraordinary enthusiasm and friendliness, took the initiative to approach her, and quickly addressed her as a sister.
Is all of this really just a coincidence and Lu You's innate enthusiasm and kindness?
Shang Wu didn't want to assume malice from the person who had always shown her kindness, but as various signs piled up, her suspicions grew uncontrollably.
Lu You seemed oblivious to Shang Wu's silence. She sat down on the sofa opposite her, sighed softly, and looked tired.
“Awu, actually, I came here today not only to see you, but also because I was feeling really stifled and wanted to talk to someone.”
Lu You's voice lowered, tinged with confusion, "There might be something wrong between me and A-Rang."
Shang Wu's heart tightened slightly. She looked up at her but didn't reply.
Lu You gave a bitter smile, her eyes vacant, as if talking to herself: "To outsiders, we are about to get engaged and married, everything is perfect, he treats me very well, he is considerate and caring, there is not a single fault in him, but I always feel that something is wrong."
She paused, then looked at Shang Wu: "Sometimes he's like an empty shell. Everything he does and says fits the standards of a perfect boyfriend or fiancé, but I always feel like I can't feel his real emotions. It's like he's playing a role instead of actually liking me."
Shang Wu's fingers unconsciously clenched the edge of the blanket.
Hollow Man?
No.
When he was with her, Lu Rang always appeared cold, but in reality, he wanted to burn her with love.
Lu You didn't notice Shang Wu's subtle reaction, and her tone became more hesitant: "This relationship makes me feel very tired and unreal. I've even started to doubt whether we should really get married? Maybe breaking up would be better for both of us?"
She suddenly stared at Shang Wu: "A-Wu, what do you think? Do you think... he and I should break up?"
Shang Wu lowered her eyes, avoiding Lu You's probing gaze. Her voice was still hoarse, but it carried a clear sense of distance and boundaries.
“Sister You, this is a very private matter between you and Mr. Lu. As an outsider, I have no position and it is not appropriate for me to express my opinion.”
She paused, then said firmly, "Whether you two are together is your own decision; it has nothing to do with me."
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