Chapter 260: Given Time, Affection Will Develop

Words : 1794 Updated : Sep 29th, 2025

Lu Liang remained silent. He didn't know why he was so calm, perhaps it began when their marriage certificates turned from red to burgundy, or maybe it was from the moment they married in a confused rush. However, one thing Lu Liang could be certain of was that he couldn't bear the thought of Su Wanyu leaving. Over the past year with her, he had experienced feelings he had never known before. The rain of youth described in TV dramas and novels, the unforgettable emotions, ultimately belonged to the few. At least, Lu Liang had never experienced them; he didn't start his first relationship until after he had left school. But that relationship only lasted a little over a year because his partner was transferred to a different place, they were both too busy and rarely in touch, and they naturally drifted apart and broke up. At the time, Lu Liang wasn't overly troubled. It was like two lonely souls meeting in a strange city, whose paths crossed and fit perfectly together for a moment, but then the connection faded, and they gradually went their separate ways. That night, he simply called up Liu Mingxuan, had some drinks, got a foot massage, and woke up the next day to the same sunlight. The things we can't have in our youth often haunt us for a lifetime, be it objects, people, or emotions. "Goodbye." Su Wanyu turned around resolutely. She was leaving, worried that if she didn't go now, she would find it too hard to leave. Searᴄh the NôvelFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Lu Liang grabbed her wrist, and Su Wanyu's body stiffened unexpectedly, unable to turn and face Lu Liang: "She really likes you." At that moment, her heart was in turmoil; on one hand, she wished Lu Liang would make her a promise—even a false one would do—but on the other, she knew Li Manli really, truly liked Lu Liang. She felt that she wasn't as fond of Lu Liang as Li Manli was. "What about you?" Lu Liang set aside his guilt and, no matter what, was determined to keep Su Wanyu with him, but he was not willing to let go of Li Manli either. There's always a way out of a mountain, and a bridge will straighten at its end, he thought. Regardless of what happens later, the goal was to keep her here for now. To like is to possess, and to love is also to possess. Leave the so-called selfless love to those moral saints. Su Wanyu was silent for a long time: "I don't know." "If you don't know, then don't make choices lightly. Give each other a chance," Lu Liang gently persuaded. "...Do you know you're an asshole?" Su Wanyu gritted her teeth and suddenly bit down hard on Lu Liang's arm. She felt so wronged. She had constructed this scenario in her mind a thousand times before and had considered many possibilities. But from the moment she saw Lu Liang, all her preparations turned out to be worthless, a world away from the scenarios she had envisioned. Lu Liang easily held Su Wanyu against him, letting her keep biting his arm without letting go. "Doesn't it hurt?" Gradually, Su Wanyu loosened her bite and looked at the two neat rows of teeth marks on his arm, where the second to last one was almost bleeding. "When I think of how you've felt during this time, it doesn't seem to hurt much," he said softly, reaching out to wipe the tears on Su Wanyu's cheeks and noting the delicate makeup was there to cover the shadows under her eyes. The weight of her sitting on his lap also felt significantly lighter; she seemed to have lost much weight in the past week. He sighed, kissing her cheek, the corner of her mouth, and then her lips. Su Wanyu wanted to dodge but couldn't avoid him. The kissing lasted a long time, starting with Lu Liang initiating and gradually becoming more eager from Su Wanyu, almost enough to break their lips. Just as Lu Liang was ready to go further, Su Wanyu snapped back to reality and pushed him away with a complex look in her eyes. "At first, I thought about how I could keep you by my side," she whispered. "But I thought for a long time and couldn't find a way to do so." "You just take advantage of me liking you to keep bullying me." Su Wanyu clutched her hair, in agony and struggling. How she wished she hadn't gone after him that night, pretending she knew nothing so she could carry on as usual. But she did go after him, and knowing about Li Manli's existence, she couldn't pretend anymore. "I need some time to think things over," Su Wanyu suddenly said. She would accept her advisor's recommendation to go to England for an eight-month student exchange. If time could heal everything, then let it be. Let them be passersby in each other's lives. "Going away to clear your head might be good." Lu Liang hesitated, then put the two sets of real estate documents and the three sets of keys back into Su Wanyu's bag. As long as she had the items, they were bound to meet again someday. Su Wanyu suddenly let out a weak moan, filled with both pain and helplessness, grumbling resentfully, "I really want to bite you to death." Lu Liang held her, soothing her softly, "Next time, okay? You're still sick, and an infection at this stage wouldn't be good." "Deserve it," Su Wanyu murmured quietly. It was as if nothing had happened between the two of them, their relationship unchanged, spending time eating, chatting, watching movies... The next day, Lu Liang personally drove Su Wanyu to the high-speed train station. She was going home first to get her parents' authorization, then she would start preparing the documents for studying abroad. She left decisively, not hesitating like she used to, not constantly looking back in reluctance. This left Lu Liang uncertain whether such behavior was childish or mature, but it ultimately didn't matter to him. What mattered most was that he liked her and couldn't bear to let go. "Sometimes, it's better to be simple and direct." Lu Liang took a pill from his pocket and tossed it into the trash, a mischievous smile spreading across his lips. He had switched them for vitamin pills, unsure if this ruse would work twice, but it was a backup plan nonetheless. Eight months from now, regardless of whether Su Wanyu agreed, he intended to bring her back. Even if it meant being the villain, possessing her only in body, he was prepared to do whatever it took. Love can grow over time, especially when there's already feelings involved. "Go to Tongji." Lu Liang contacted the head of Tongji University, investing two million US dollars from a private fund in Xiangjiang to establish an overseas study support program. Purportedly to cultivate outstanding talent for the motherland, the program promised overseas students who met academic standards a scholarship of 20,000 to 50,000 US dollars per semester. Lu Liang also mentioned to university officials that students transferring from the foreign language department over to Tongji with excellent grades and possibly facing life or academic difficulties should receive extra support. Considering the few transfer students from the foreign language department to Tongji, and even fewer with outstanding grades, it was almost as if the support was tailored for a specific individual—like wrapping dumplings for the sake of a single dish of vinegar. Lu Liang viewed himself as both a scoundrel and a cad, yet he would treat her as gently as the spring rain, softly and quietly. The university officials, catching his drift, presented him with several files for review, and Lu Liang lingered long over Su Wanyu's file. The official understood, this girl was a key focus, he could assist, but must never let her know. ... "After a few days of rest, it's time to go out, to avoid giving the impression that I've given up." Back at the company, Lu Liang saw an invitation and slowly smirked, instructing Wen Chao to arrange a trip to Wuzhen. The third World Internet Conference was imminent, and as a co-founder of Douyin and a renowned venture capitalist, he too had received an official invitation. That night, he got in touch with Little Wang, and the next day at noon, they both set off for Wuzhen. "It's miraculous, I thought you'd be home recovering," Little Wang said, his face full of wonder. In his mind, Lu Liang wasn't one to join in on the hustle and bustle, especially such a grand international affair. Among domestic guests, there were founders from top internet companies like BAT, JD, Xiaomi, Qihu, Meituan, while the international guests included a visiting professor from Stanford, an AI era leader named Jason, and the Asia-Pacific heads of global corporations such as Ericsson and Cisco. Not to mention countless homegrown internet enterprises from the second and third tiers like Douyin, Kuai Shou, Douyu, and Panda. And that was just the business community; the number of political attendees was even greater. The organizers in Wuzhen, to ensure the conference took place under sunny skies, had been launching rain-dispersing rockets into the atmosphere since the previous month. The goal was to induce rainfall early, ensuring clear weather for the days of the conference. "Am I not welcome here?" Lu Liang asked, beaming. His presence was not just to take part in festivities; he primarily wanted to chat with Double Ma about business. And perhaps to check out Cisco's progress in vehicular network technology and see if they needed help sharing talent. "Hmph," Little Wang turned his head in a haughty manner, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. Lu Liang's presence truly delighted him, especially attending the World Internet Conference in Wuzhen. Without Lu Liang, he would probably be relegated to the kids' table at meals, but accompanying Lu Liang might just get him into the most elite dinners. "Watch it, or I'll smack you. Don't you dare give me that disgusting look," Lu Liang said, narrowing his eyes menacingly. "You were so cute back then," Little Wang sighed, sending Lu Liang several emojis of his own face. Photos from the NIO new car launch that were screen-captured, showing a ghostly pale and listless expression. Then, Little Wang got hammered.

Chapter 260: Given Time, Affection Will Develop

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