He Lost Control with Jealousy — What Happened to Being Untouchable? - Chapter 40

Lu Tingzhou’s tall and imposing figure stood out strikingly as he held a little boy about three or four years old in his arms.

The child was dressed in an exquisite little gentleman’s outfit, his delicate profile as finely carved as jade, utterly adorable, clearly a pampered little prince.

At that moment, the little boy wrapped his arms around Lu Tingzhou’s neck and planted a loud, smacking kiss on his handsome cheek.

A smile spread across Lu Tingzhou’s face, his eyes brimming with unmistakable adoration.

Beside Lu Tingzhou stood a graceful woman.

She wore a stylish beige dress, her long hair slightly curled, exuding a gentle and refined aura.

Tilting her head slightly to look at Lu Tingzhou, her voice was so tender it could melt water: “Tingzhou, Kaikai woke up and kept fussing to see you. I couldn’t refuse him, I hope we’re not disturbing your work.”

After speaking, she reached out with slender fingers and pinched the little boy’s chubby cheeks affectionately, her tone laced with playful reproach: “Kaikai, how many times has Mommy told you? We need to be sensible. You can’t do this again, understand?”

But the little boy pouted, his voice milky and defiant: “I just wanted to see Daddy! Daddy is so much smarter than Mommy. Last night, he built a super tall tower with my blocks, Mommy can’t even do that!”

Daddy.

Last night.

Each word was like a knife, stabbing viciously into Sang Wan’s heart.

Last night, she had texted him. He said he was busy and would call her when he had time.

But he never did.

The “family of three” before her was heartwarming, yet painfully blinding.

Sang Wan watched as they walked side by side through the door that symbolized Lu Tingzhou’s private domain. Only when the door clicked softly shut, cutting off her view, did she realize her entire body had gone weak.

Staggering back a step, her back collided heavily with the cold wall behind her.

The paper bag of afternoon tea in her hand fell to the polished marble floor with a thud. The delicate pastries scattered everywhere, a mess, just like her in that moment.

She wanted to call out Lu Tingzhou’s name.

But her throat felt blocked, unable to produce a single sound.

Thinking back to the woman’s voice on the phone the night before last, along with the noisy background, it wasn’t hard to guess now, he must have been out with them.

She wanted to ask Lu Tingzhou, who was that woman? Who was that child?

What did all the words he had said to her, all the things he had done, even mean?

But her body was frozen, too numb to take even a single step forward.

So, he had a woman. Even a child.

No wonder… no wonder Wang Sheng had said those things back then.

“A man like President Lu, do you really think he lacks women around him? Who knows, maybe he even has kids overseas.”

Wang Sheng’s words echoed in her ears like a curse.

Turns out, Wang Sheng really did know something.

He wasn’t just making baseless claims, he just wanted to watch her make a fool of herself, to see her soar high only to crash into the mud and shatter into pieces.

Darkness swam before Sang Wan’s eyes, her heart aching so fiercely she could barely breathe.

When the elevator doors opened, she leaned against the wall and stepped inside, her fingertips icy and trembling.

Then what was she?

A secret lover? A plaything to pass the time?

She flirted, and he just happened to be free.

Tears surged forth without warning, blurring her vision.

She wiped her face roughly and stumbled out of the elevator, staggering toward the exit.

…

In the office.

Lu Tingzhou placed Kaikai on the sofa, watching as the little boy bounced excitedly on the cushions. A faint smile tugged at his lips.

He reached out and pinched the child’s soft cheek, his tone carrying a hint of solemnity that was hard to detect. “Kaikai, I’m not your dad. You can’t call me that.”

The little boy looked up at him with sparkling dark eyes.

“Uncle Lu, are you really not my dad? Then where is my dad?”

Song Xinran sniffled, her voice choked with emotion. “Tingzhou, I’m sorry. He’s just a child and doesn’t understand. He’s been a little obsessed lately because I told him he’d get to see his dad when we came back to the country.”

Lu Tingzhou’s expression darkened. Song Xinran’s sudden return had caught him off guard.

He hadn’t expected her to resign abruptly and bring the child back.

Moreover, the doctor had said Kaikai’s condition required surgery as soon as possible.

Coupled with the time difference, the little boy became hyperactive at night, clinging to him to play, leaving him no time to talk to Sang Wan.

But he didn’t want Sang Wan to know about their existence, not yet. She was happy now, and he selfishly didn’t want to complicate things.

Lu Tingzhou’s voice was cold. “I’m not blaming you. It’s just-”

“I know we’re a burden to you. I already took Kaikai to see Sheng’an this morning, but it’s hard for me to tell him that his dad is lying behind that stone tablet. Please don’t blame the child.”

At the mention of Sheng’an, Lu Tingzhou averted his gaze. “I’ll have Lin Hao take you back. This is a company.”

Song Xinran understood his meaning, she shouldn’t have brought the child here.

Lin Hao, having received Lu Tingzhou’s call, knocked and entered.

“Take them home.”

Though Song Xinran was displeased, her goal had been achieved.

From the reflective wall earlier, she had seen Sang Wan.

It hadn’t been in vain, she and her sister had been tailing Sang Wan’s car, timing their arrival at Lu Corporation perfectly.

Even if Lu Tingzhou was unhappy, with the child here, he wouldn’t do anything drastic.

As Lu Tingzhou escorted them to the elevator, he saw a cleaning lady muttering to herself while sweeping, “Such good food, just left here. Young people these days are so wasteful.”

Lu Tingzhou frowned. Leaving afternoon tea at the elevator entrance? The lack of discipline was getting worse.

After seeing Song Xinran and her son off, he sat back in his office chair and rubbed his temples.

Taking care of them was his promise to Sheng’an, to look after his family.

Remembering how he’d neglected Sang Wan these past few days, he tried calling her. If she wasn’t filming, he could at least hear her voice.

But when he dialed, there was only a busy signal before the call disconnected abruptly.

Confused, he quickly opened WeChat and sent her a message: [Are you busy?]

The message, however, was marked with a red exclamation point.

It wouldn’t go through, he’d been blocked!

Realizing this, Lu Tingzhou was stunned. What was going on?

The girl who had texted him just last night had suddenly blocked him today?

He grabbed his coat and hurried out, only for Lin Hao to knock and enter. “President Lu, the meeting has been delayed for half an hour. The executives are all waiting for you.”

The man’s expression turned icy.

…

In the conference room.

The air was thick with tension.

Lu Tingzhou leaned back in the main seat, his fingers unconsciously tapping the table with a dull thud.

The company veterans seated below exchanged glances, none daring to be the first to speak.

Lu Tingfeng gave his confidant a meaningful look, and the man mustered his courage to say, “President Lu, isn’t this year’s budget for the engineering department a bit too tight? Several projects are waiting for approval.”

With the first shot fired, others quickly followed suit.

“Yes, President Lu, the marketing department also needs sufficient promotional resources, or we’ll struggle to meet performance targets.”

Lu Tingzhou didn’t even lift his eyelids, feeling only the incessant buzzing in his ears, as if swarmed by countless flies.

These old foxes, usually shrewd as ghosts, seemed to have coordinated today to collectively air their grievances.

Who was behind this? It wasn’t hard to guess.

He had cut into his second brother Lu Tingfeng’s slice of the pie, slashing the budget for the money-burning department under his control. Lu Tingfeng didn’t dare challenge him openly, so he incited these “old-timers,” who thrived on the chain of interests, to pressure him instead.

He didn’t want to listen to their whining. His mind involuntarily drifted to Sang Wan, she had blocked him.

That realization was harder to stomach than any deficit on a financial report.

Irritation burned like wildfire in his chest, growing fiercer by the second.

“Finished?” he finally said, lifting his gaze, sharp as a blade, sweeping over everyone in the room.

The conference room fell dead silent, so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

“President Lu, we only have the company’s best interests at heart…” A slightly plump director attempted to smooth things over.

Lu Tingzhou sneered, cutting him off. “The company’s best interests, or your own pockets?”

His voice wasn’t loud, but the authority in it was undeniable.

“Are you all trying to teach me how to do my job?”

He abruptly stood, bracing his hands on the conference table, leaning slightly forward as his icy gaze swept across each face.

“Let me reiterate, the budget is finalized. If anyone thinks it’ll lead to losses or isn’t worthwhile, feel free to cash out your shares anytime. However much you have, I, Lu Tingzhou, will buy every last one!”

“And if I hear even a whisper of dissatisfaction, or catch wind of anyone scheming behind the scenes…”

He paused, his dark eyes locking onto Lu Tingfeng’s direction. The latter guiltily averted his gaze.

“…I won’t hesitate to personally ensure certain individuals experience what it means to sell at a devastating loss.”

Every word was sharp as ice, striking like a hammer.

The room was frozen in silence.

Lu Tingfeng clenched his teeth. The market downturn was real, but Lu Tingzhou’s cuts were too deep, his profits this year would inevitably plummet.

Yet, he didn’t dare confront Lu Tingzhou head-on at this moment.

If this reached the old man’s ears, he’d be in for a scolding.

Lu Tingzhou watched as these “old foxes” instantly deflated, but his irritation didn’t ease in the slightest.

Snatching his jacket from the chair, he strode out without a backward glance, tossing over his shoulder, “Meeting adjourned!”

Lin Hao was already waiting outside. Seeing him emerge, he immediately stepped forward.

“President Lu, where to?”

“Film City.” The two words were laced with suppressed fury.

The car sped toward Film City.

Lu Tingzhou leaned back in the seat, his brow furrowed the entire way.

Finally unable to hold back, he called Luo Zheng.

“Director Luo, is Sang Wan on set today?”

On the other end of the phone, Luo Zheng’s voice carried a note of surprise. “Sang Wan took leave today. She said there was an urgent matter at home.”

Took leave?

Lu Tingzhou’s heart sank abruptly, a surge of intense unease washing over him instantly.

The two-hour drive felt like an eternity.

When he arrived at the villa, the cleaning crew from the housekeeping company was already at work.

Lin Hao hurried forward upon seeing this. “What are you doing here?”

“The family moved out. They hired us to clean up before they left.”

Frowning, Lu Tingzhou stepped into the bedroom. The faint trace of Sang Wan’s usual perfume lingered in the air, subtle, almost imperceptible, yet it pricked at his heart like a needle.

The chauffeur-driven car assigned to her was still parked at the entrance, but the driver was nowhere to be seen.

Had Sang Wan just vanished so cleanly from his world?

Standing in the middle of the empty living room, Lu Tingzhou suddenly recalled the scattered refreshments at the elevator entrance. His pupils constricted sharply.

Had Sang Wan bought those?

She had come to the company, she must have seen Song Xinran and Kaikai.

Lu Tingzhou clenched his fists tightly, the veins on the back of his hands standing out starkly.

The very things he didn’t want her to know, the things he feared she would misunderstand, had been thrust upon her without warning.

That girl, usually so delicate and soft-spoken, was stubborn to the core.

She must have misunderstood. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have left so decisively.

Lu Tingzhou’s chest felt stuffed with cotton, making it hard to breathe.

Noticing his pallor, Lin Hao called softly, “Mr. Lu.”

After a long pause, Lu Tingzhou snapped back to reality and ordered in a low voice, “Check the hotels. Find out where she’s staying.”

Sitting on the sofa, Lu Tingzhou stared at the girl’s photo on his phone, his fingers gently tracing the face etched in his heart.

Yet, Sang Wan seemed to have vanished into thin air, there was no record of her staying anywhere.

Lin Hao watched Lu Tingzhou’s expression, dark enough to drip water, not daring to even breathe loudly.

This time, Mr. Lu was truly desperate.

…

Early the next morning, just as dawn broke.

Lu Tingzhou’s car was already parked at the entrance of the film studio.

Leaning against the car, a cigarette between his fingers, its ember glowing faintly in the morning light, his gaze was fixed intently on every vehicle entering the studio.

He had barely slept a wink all night. His eyes were bloodshot, and stubble shadowed his jaw, a stark contrast to his usually immaculate, refined demeanor. Now, he looked somewhat disheveled.

Finally, Sang Wan’s car approached.

Lu Tingzhou’s eyes sharpened. He stubbed out the cigarette and strode forward, blocking the car’s path.