Chasing My Husband! The "Crown Prince" of the Beijing Circle Is Wildly Unruly! - Chapter 102

Spring of the following year.

Ji Yuheng was convicted on a multitude of charges: illegal trade of rare earths, smuggling of cultural relics, contraband trafficking, attempted murder, sale of prohibited substances, rape of a minor, and malicious economic fraud against the state.

With his crimes combined, he was sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve and the seizure of five times his illegal gains.

Upon hearing the news, the Lu Madam went mad.

On that same day, the Ji family discovered that the land they had invested 50 billion yuan in was an undevelopable plot. Faced with the collapse of their investment and astronomical compensation claims, the Ji family also descended into madness. They turned their collective rage toward the Lu Madam, who now stood on the brink of a total mental breakdown under the dual pressure of her son’s sentence and her family’s ruin.

Overnight, the Ji family collapsed. As the saying goes, “when the tree falls, the monkeys scatter”—those who had once clung to the Ji family for influence quietly cut ties and fled. People whom Ji Yuting once insulted and ordered around now distanced themselves, blacklisting her. Meanwhile, the members of the Lu clan who had conspired with Ji Yuheng waited in trembling anticipation for their judgment.

In Iceland, Lu Ting, who had been recovering from his illness, saw that the timing was right and booked a flight back to China.

Upon his return, his assistant carefully pushed his luggage while whispering, “President Lu, the Ji family has fallen.”

Lu Ting looked slightly surprised, though it quickly faded into an expression of “as expected.” His eyes regained their usual calm. “How many years did Ji Yuheng get?” Lu Ting hadn’t caught up on the domestic news yet.

“Death with a two-year reprieve,” the assistant said, wiping sweat from his brow.

Only a year ago, the assistant had been furious at himself for following the “wrong” leader. Now, he realized that the seemingly “unambitious” Lu Ting was actually the smartest among them—the first to see through the chaotic fog of the Kyoto elite circles.

“That heavy?” Lu Ting sucked in a breath of cold air.

“And… that project you gave up on? The state issued a ‘Red-Headed Document’ declaring it a non-development zone,” the assistant remarked in awe. “President Lu, your foresight is truly extraordinary. With a two-year reprieve, even with a commuted sentence, Ji Yuheng will be looking at life imprisonment—at least twenty-five years. He’s finished; he’ll never walk out of there alive. The Ji family is done for.”

“What about the others who worked with him?” Lu Ting was curious to see just how ruthless Lu Jingze had been.

“The collateral Lu relatives involved were kicked out of the main clan. Only one member of the inner family was involved, but Lu Jingze hasn’t dealt with him yet—he’s been too busy with the wedding.”

“Wedding? He’s actually marrying that beautiful man?” After all, the story of a man giving up his industry for love only to kill his way back for that same love had made Wang Xinghe’s name even more famous than Lu Jingze’s.

“Yes. Not only that, during this year’s ancestral rites, Wang Xinghe was officially recognized by the Lu family and entered into the register as Lu Jingze’s husband.”

The assistant’s words made Lu Ting stop dead in his tracks. A look of absurdity flashed in his eyes. Has my old man gone senile? But knowing his father’s character, he began to wonder. “What kind of person is this Wang Xinghe?”

To gain the approval of the Old Master was no easy feat.

“He’s beautiful in photos, but the man himself is mysterious. I haven’t seen him in person,” the assistant replied truthfully.

Meanwhile, Lu Jingze had resumed control over the family affairs while simultaneously preparing for his wedding to Wang Xinghe.

At the Lu Manor, amidst a sea of complex design drafts, Wang Xinghe and Lu Jingze finally settled on pure white suits. The choice of white symbolized their commitment to “growing old until their hair turns white.” The left and right chests of their suits were to be embroidered with silver silk thread in the pattern of Jian (mythical one-winged birds). When they stood together, the patterns would align to form a pair of birds spreading their wings to fly as one.

The entire manor was a whirlwind of activity, being renovated from top to bottom to suit their shared tastes. Many of Wang Xinghe’s favorite plants were being planted in the gardens.

One spring day, as flower petals drifted in the air, Wang Xinghe was playing in the garden with Xiaoyang. His sharp eyes caught sight of a small, yellow Chinese rural pup that had somehow snuck onto the lawn.

“Papa, look! A puppy! There is a yellow dog,” Xiaoyang said in fluent English. The boy could now speak English and French as fluently as he spoke Chinese.

Wang Xinghe smiled. “Yes, this is a yellow dog.”

“It’s so cute,” Xiaoyang said, his eyes sparkling as he looked at the pup. “Papa, I want to raise it.”

Wang Xinghe stroked his soft hair. “Alright. But for your health, Papa must make sure the puppy is healthy before we can keep it. Is that okay?”

Xiaoyang hugged his father’s face and gave him a loud kiss. “Thank you, Papa! I love you, Dad!”

“I love you, too.” Wang Xinghe handed Xiaoyang to the nanny.

He stepped forward to check the pup. Its soft yellow fur shivered, looking piteous and small. He handed it to the butler. “Take him to the pet hospital for a full check-up. If he’s healthy, give him a bath and his vaccinations before bringing him back. If he has any illnesses, treat them first.”

“Understood, Mr. Wang,” the butler replied with a smile.

After washing his hands, Wang Xinghe hugged Xiaoyang again. “Be good in your lessons today. Papa has to go out to do some sketching.”

“Okay, Papa. Xiaoyang will be good,” the boy said solemnly.

Wang Xinghe knelt to his level. “If Papa loses track of time while painting, you have dinner with your sister and aunt, okay?”

“Okay!~”

Wang Xinghe drove out in his Maybach, the trunk filled with canvases and paints. A car of bodyguards followed behind him, providing all-around protection. The spring breeze in Kyoto was gentle and refreshing. He drove without a destination until he reached a small suburban park where the peach blossoms were in full bloom.

He set up his easel on a flat piece of ground while the bodyguards dispersed into the surroundings to scan for security risks. Wang Xinghe became completely immersed in his work. By the time he put down his brush and checked his watch, it was already 11:00 AM. He looked at the finished painting with satisfaction.

Ring, ring—

His phone rang. It was Lu Jingze.

“Hello, A-Ze.”

“Brother, are you not coming home for lunch?” Lu Jingze’s voice was full of tenderness.

“I’ve finished. I’m just packing up to head back,” Wang Xinghe said as he loaded his gear into the trunk.

“Good. Let’s meet at home.”

“Alright.”

After hanging up, Wang Xinghe drove back. Nothing unusual happened until the car began to leave the more populated areas and head toward the manor.

His eyes caught sight of a black Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon parked by the side of the road. Standing next to the massive vehicle was a tall, handsome man who matched the car’s height. The man—Lu Jingze—was waving toward his car with a roguish grin.

Before Wang Xinghe could even feel a rush of joy, he spotted something else. On the intersecting road, a red Aston Martin was accelerating toward Lu Jingze’s side.

Wang Xinghe’s face turned pale instantly. Almost instinctively, he slammed on the gas, swerving past Lu Jingze’s position to shield him.

BOOM—

The sound of the massive collision caused Lu Jingze’s ears to ring.

“WANG XINGHE!!!” Lu Jingze screamed, sprinting toward the overturned car…

The scene dissolved into total chaos.