He Lost Control with Jealousy — What Happened to Being Untouchable? - Chapter 72

“My mother was my father’s second wife. She used to be his secretary before that.”

Sang Wan understood, no wonder he wasn’t much older than Lu Jinxuan.

“And your mother now…”

Lu Tingzhou tightened his grip on Sang Wan’s hand slightly. “She passed away, hemorrhage during childbirth when she had me.”

Sang Wan: “…”

She looked at Lu Tingzhou, unsure of what to say, but simply held his hand in return and leaned closer to him.

“I was raised by my grandmother when I was little. I wasn’t brought back to the Lu family until I started school. At first, things were fine. Although my second brother didn’t like me much, my eldest brother was kind and treated me well.”

“And then?”

Sang Wan knew all too well that a family like his was bound to be rife with power struggles. Those born from the same mother would naturally be closer to each other than to him.

“After that… well, it is what it is. No need to dwell on the past.”

Lu Tingzhou didn’t want to upset Sang Wan. The hardships he had endured were all in the past now.

“Lu Tingzhou, I’ll love you well.”

Hearing the girl’s sudden confession, Lu Tingzhou pressed his lips together. It seemed that playing the victim more often in the future might make the little fox much more proactive.

Meanwhile, Lu Jinxuan was still cheerfully following the old lady around the crowd.

Who knew what the old fox had told him, whether this silly boy genuinely didn’t understand or was just pretending not to know.

After the banquet ended, the old lady insisted they stay.

While Lu Tingzhou was in the study discussing company matters with his uncle, the old lady took Sang Wan and Lu Jinxuan to the courtyard for tea.

Lu Jinxuan spoke up first. “Sis Wan, about you and my uncle… my mom overstepped.”

The old lady immediately understood what he meant. “Jinxuan, though you’re not my great-grandson, you’ve always been a kind-hearted child. Tingzhou has always separated you and your mother in his mind. As for your mother… her thoughts are too…”

Lu Jinxuan’s expression darkened. “Great-grandma, my mother is stubborn. I’ve argued with her before, I’m just not cut out for this. The company should be handed over to someone capable like my uncle. But you know how my dad is… so I try not to oppose her too much. She can think what she wants, and I’ll do what I do.”

The old lady nodded. “You’re a good child.”

Sang Wan remained silent, absorbing much from the conversation between the old and the young. It seemed Lu Tingzhou hadn’t had an easy life before.

“Sis Wan, even though you and my uncle have reconciled, I still feel ashamed. I’ll try to talk some sense into my mom.”

Sang Wan thought of Sun Meixi and felt genuinely uncomfortable. She couldn’t understand why the woman harbored such hostility toward her.

“Jinxuan, has your mother ever said anything to you? Why does she dislike me so much?”

Last time, Sun Meixi had come to see her with Old Master Lu. Sang Wan could sense an undercurrent of hatred from Sun Meixi, even more than the old master, she didn’t want Sang Wan to enter the Lu family.

Moreover, Wang Sheng had also said she would never be allowed into the Lu household. Now it seemed Wang Sheng must have learned something from Sun Meixi.

Lu Jinxuan shook his head. “I really don’t know. I’ve asked her before, but she just said it was Grandpa’s decision.”

“Your grandfather is an old fool! Repaying a debt of gratitude shouldn’t mean forcing your uncle to marry that woman, it’d trap him in a miserable marriage for life!”

The old lady grew angry just talking about it. How could they expect Lu Tingzhou to marry a woman who already had a child?

“With that brat’s temper, even if he did marry her, he’d never touch her, nor would he seek anyone else outside.”

“Then wouldn’t his whole life be ruined?”

Sang Wan saw the old lady getting angrier as she spoke and quickly tried to soothe her, “Grandma, Tingzhou isn’t someone who can be easily manipulated.”

Lu Jinxuan nodded in agreement, “Great-grandma, Sis Wan is right. Don’t be angry. My grandfather didn’t force my uncle.”

Mentioning the old man from the Lu family, the old lady scoffed disdainfully, “That’s only because Tingzhou has grown up now, that old fool can’t control him anymore. I don’t know what my foolish daughter ever saw in him back then. Heartless and ungrateful. Tingzhou suffered so much growing up.”

By the time Lu Tingzhou came out of the study, it was already evening. Spotting Lu Jinxuan, he asked, “Did you find anyone you liked?”

“I thought you were giving me some great assignment, but it turns out you just wanted me to be your shield. Uncle, you’re getting way too comfortable using me.”

“I was giving you an opportunity. If you don’t find someone you like, do you really plan to marry Xu Mingyue?”

As he spoke, Lu Tingzhou sat down beside Sang Wan, his hand instinctively wrapping around her waist.

The old lady watched with delight. When had she ever seen this bratty grandson look so smitten before?

He seemed utterly attached to the young woman.

“Who said I’m marrying her? You don’t need to worry about that. The film company is already sorted out with Sister Wei. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure Sis Wan’s support work is handled perfectly.”

Lu Jinxuan checked the time and decided it was about time to leave. Being in the capital, he naturally wanted to meet up with friends and have some fun.

“Who said you’re continuing with that?” Lu Tingzhou’s voice was calm. “After the handover next month, you’re moving to the marketing department. You’ve been idle long enough, it’s time for some real experience.”

Lu Jinxuan frowned instantly. “Uncle, this is kicking the ladder away after climbing up, slaughtering the donkey after it’s done grinding. So, you’ve had your eye on Sis Wan all along, and I was just a convenient tool for you.”

The old lady and Sang Wan watched the uncle and nephew banter, laughing heartily.

Lu Tingzhou pressed his lips together. “The Lu family has a share for you too. It can’t all fall on me. Your second uncle keeps throwing obstacles in my way. If you won’t help me, it’s like you’re siding with him.”

Lu Jinxuan immediately backed down, muttering, “Why would I ever side with him?”

He didn’t like his second uncle, too shrewd, always smiling on the surface while scheming who-knows-what underneath.

“I’ll follow your arrangements,” he said reluctantly, then bid farewell to the old lady. “Great-grandma, I’ll take my leave now. I’ve got plans with friends.”

The old lady waved him off. “Go on, go on. It’s been hard on you, keeping me company for so long.”

Watching Lu Jinxuan leave, the old lady turned a beaming smile toward Lu Tingzhou. “You’re not going anywhere. Stay and have a proper dinner with me tonight. Your aunt is away on business, and it’s just me and your uncle at home, too quiet.”

“You’re staying the night! The guest rooms are already prepared for you both!”

Without waiting for objections, she took Sang Wan’s hand, her affection unmistakable. It was clear she had already accepted this “future granddaughter-in-law.”

After dinner, they chatted with the old lady for a while before heading upstairs to the guest rooms.

Seeing Lu Tingzhou following her closely, Sang Wan’s face grew warm.

She stopped and gently tugged at his sleeve.

“Go to your own room.”

After all, they were at his grandmother’s house. If they stayed together like this, what would his uncle and grandmother think of her?

Lu Tingzhou looked at her flushed cheeks and the resolve in her eyes, understanding her thoughts perfectly.

“Alright, as you wish.”

He paused, his gaze intense as he studied Sang Wan, a playful smirk curling his lips.

“Will you be able to sleep without me?”

Sang Wan rolled her eyes at him, obviously, she already had insomnia, and this was an unfamiliar environment to boot.

But sleeping with him? She still couldn’t bring herself to do it.

Pushing open the guest room door, she gently closed it behind her.

With a soft click, she shut the man out.

Sang Wan threw herself onto the large bed, hugging the blanket and rolling over once. Suddenly, she felt an emptiness in her chest.

Even though she had righteously sent him back to his room, now she was the one who couldn’t adjust.

She pulled out her phone and tapped the screen. The sudden brightness stung her eyes in the dark.

Hesitating, her fingertip hovered over Lu Tingzhou’s chat for a long time.

In the end, she couldn’t resist typing out a message:

[Going to sleep soon?]

Sent.

Almost instantly, her phone vibrated.

[Mm.]

Just one word. Cold.

Through that single character, she could almost picture his aggrieved expression.

The corners of her lips curled up involuntarily, the hollowness in her chest filling with a hint of sweetness.

Her fingers flew across the screen as she sent another message:

[Tonight… sorry for making CEO Lu suffer. I’ll let you hold me when we get back.]

After sending it, she buried her face in the pillow, her ears burning uncontrollably.

Buzz.

Her phone vibrated again.

On the screen were just four short words, yet they carried a scorching intensity:

[I want to now.]

Sang Wan’s cheeks flushed completely.

This old man!

She tossed her phone aside and buried her head under the blanket, trying to calm herself.

She had been the one teasing him, yet now she was the one suffering.

Unbidden, images of his deep-set eyes and…

Tossing and turning like a pancake on a griddle, Sang Wan finally sat up, needing a distraction.

She picked up her phone again and logged into her JC Weibo account.

The password had been changed, but the real mystery was how her saved images had vanished into thin air.

Who could it be?

Who had hacked into her private account so precisely and deleted that photo?

If she hadn’t kept the original file, she would have had no way to defend herself this time.

Still, the organizers’ decision had been fair. There was no denying that her later revisions had indeed enhanced the work.

Disqualifying her had effectively saved her career.

Sang Wan’s fingers slid across the cold screen as she scrolled through her sparse contact list.

A familiar profile picture suddenly jumped into view.

This person often commissioned work from her, and she never asked what they used it for.

Once the job was done and payment received, there was zero further communication.

Could it be Song Xinran?

Sang Wan’s gaze turned icy.

She had been abroad all this time, it wasn’t impossible.

As doubt crept in, Sang Wan searched for Modo’s women’s collections from the past two years. Many looked familiar, unmistakably bearing traces of her style.

Sang Wan bit her lip. Everything lined up.

It really was that woman.

Her eyes sharpened as she opened Song Xinran’s profile, took a screenshot, and sent it to Su Mo.

[Momo, get someone to track the IP address of this account for me.]

After sending it, she finally exhaled deeply, though the knot in her chest remained.

Setting her phone aside, she got out of bed and headed downstairs for a glass of water.

The night was still and quiet.

The ancient house exuded a serene beauty under the moonlight.

The living room was pitch-black, with only the cold glow from the window outlining the faint silhouettes of the furniture.

Groping her way to the bar, Sang Wan poured herself a glass of warm water.

She had just taken a sip, not yet having the chance to swallow.

A pair of strong arms abruptly encircled her waist from behind, pulling her in tightly.

A broad, warm chest pressed flush against her back.

“Mmmph!”

Sang Wan was startled, nearly choking on the water in her mouth. Her gasp was swiftly and precisely muffled by a large hand.