Chasing My Husband! The "Crown Prince" of the Beijing Circle Is Wildly Unruly! - Chapter 111

Time passed in the blink of an eye, and soon Lu Xiangyang had reached the age to enter the family company as an intern. Lu Jingze devoted himself to grooming the boy, hoping to retire early and travel the world with Wang Xinghe.

Xiangyang proved to be exceptionally brilliant and capable, grasping every lesson instantly. In character, he possessed Lu Jingze’s decisive, iron-willed efficiency, yet in his social interactions, he carried Wang Xinghe’s gentle composure. He became the new “Crown Prince” of Kyoto, yet he was unlike the rebellious heirs of the past. This Prince had a sweetheart he had been with since high school; through all the years, his heart had never wavered.

When Xiangyang was twenty-three, he brought the girl home. Wang Xinghe was stunned—both he and Lu Jingze knew her well. She was the young girl adopted by Zhao Yan and He Zheng. As the four parents sat together again, their eyes were filled with the amused irony of fate. He Zheng, especially, couldn’t help but chuckle; after everything, his precious daughter had ended up with the son of his two closest friends.

Since they were already family in all but name, there was no need for formal posturing. They held a grand engagement ceremony, and Zhao Ling’er and Lu Xiangyang became the “Golden Couple” of the new generation.

“A ruthless newcomer named Li Kuo has become quite famous lately,” He Zheng mentioned casually during tea. Lu Jingze and Wang Xinghe couldn’t quite place the name at first.

“He started an export-import company in Southeast Asia,” He Zheng continued. “He was initially marginalized by the locals, but he retaliated by taking down every company and individual that opposed him. Now, he’s like a local kingpin there. We have a few business lines running through that region, and he was actually the one who smoothed things over for us.”

“To become a kingpin in a place like that… he must be a formidable character indeed,” Lu Jingze remarked.

The four of them enjoyed their tea in harmony. Their conversation drifted through interesting stories and occasional business talk. Joining Lu Jingze’s “ship” had been the greatest fortune for He Zheng and Zhao Yan, and they knew it all stemmed from Wang Xinghe’s light. Without Xinghe, they would never have had such luck.

To put it another way: after generations of their families relaying through the stormy seas, they had finally encountered a massive aircraft carrier. If Lu Jingze had been alone on that ship, he might have ignored them, for he knew the world was full of suffering. But because Wang Xinghe was there, a lifeboat was lowered. Under the guidance of this carrier, they sailed faster and further than they ever thought possible.

At twenty-eight, Lu Xiangyang officially took over the Lu Group. The Lu clan was immensely supportive, as the current generation had produced two exceptional talents: Lu Da and Lu Xiangyang. The two were incredibly close, working in perfect harmony—a brotherhood so strong it could cut through metal. The name of the Lu family shone once more.

During these years, other stories reached their ends. Ji Ya (the former Lu Madam) completed her prison sentence. Lu Lixing met her personally upon her release to finalize their divorce. He offered her all his assets, but Ji Ya refused. She donated everything to charity and entered a convent to become a nun. From then on, Ji Ya ceased to exist; there was only Daoist Wenxin.

Lu Lixing grew old, reflecting on a life that had been utterly absurd. In the winter of the same year Ji Ya was released, Lu Lixing passed away in Kyoto from illness. Lu Jingze initially had no intention of handling the funeral, but Wang Xinghe persuaded him.

“Just think of him as a ‘Reverse Bodhisattva’ who tested you,” Xinghe said. “Let this life end properly, so you never have to meet him in the next.”

Thus, Lu Jingze handled the arrangements. It was a modest affair; Lixing’s merits were not enough for Babaoshan, so he was buried in an expensive private cemetery in Kyoto.

Meanwhile, Wang Anning grew into an impressive public servant. Influenced by her mother, she devoted herself to politics and became a powerful voice for women’s rights. At thirty-three, she married the youngest son of the main Qian family, a union of deep affection that became a celebrated story in the capital.

Wang Shuya and Xu Ye both joined Lu Jingze’s company after graduation. Through their hard work and talent, both eventually rose to the positions of General Managers of branch companies. They settled in Kyoto, fulfilling Shuya’s old promise to “work for Lu Jingze” one day.

It seemed all the hardships had finally faded into the distance.

Wang Xinghe and Lu Jingze spent their lives together through wind and rain. In their twilight years, they moved from the grand manor back to the traditional courtyard house where the Old Master had once lived. Looking at the plum blossoms in full bloom in the courtyard, they felt that life had been both incredibly fast and long, yet also too short.

“Brother, paint me one more time,” Lu Jingze said. At eighty-eight, he was old. He was thin, his face marked by age spots, and his once-thick black hair was now a shock of white.

Wang Xinghe remained as gentle as ever. He took Lu Jingze’s hand and sat him in a corner of the blooming courtyard. Holding his brush, he painstakingly and preciousy painted his lover, stroke by stroke.

In his 107th year, Wang Xinghe caught a glimpse of his parents and his sister waving to him in a daze. He knew his time was short.

On a deep winter night, Xinghe held Lu Jingze’s withered, aged hand. “A-Ze, if there is a next life…”

Lu Jingze squeezed his hand back. “In the next life, I hope to find you again, and for us to grow old together just like this.”

Wang Xinghe smiled, his wrinkled face full of the same joy he had carried for decades. He passed away peacefully in his sleep, cradled in Lu Jingze’s arms.

Children and grandchildren from all over the world rushed back upon hearing the news. Lu Xiangyang knelt on the ground, sobbing uncontrollably. He knew that without Wang Xinghe, his life would have taken a far darker path. Xinghe’s grandchildren and great-grandchildren gathered around him, weeping for the loss of a man who had been the embodiment of kindness.

Wang Xinghe had spent his life contributing to national charities, and every painting he ever created was sold for the benefit of others. On a day of falling snow, he was laid to rest at Babaoshan.

Lu Jingze sat in a rocking chair in the courtyard, watching the winter plums. The light in his eyes had gone out. Just after the seventh day of mourning for Wang Xinghe, having settled all the affairs, Lu Jingze followed him. Amidst the blooming plum blossoms, he was buried alongside Wang Xinghe.

As the younger generation organized their belongings, they found Wang Xinghe’s studio filled with countless portraits of Lu Jingze—depicting him from age twenty to one hundred. There were family portraits of Xiangyang, the grandchildren, the great-grandchildren, and the daughters-in-law. There were also paintings of Anning and Mingyue.

The most heart-wrenching piece was a large family portrait hidden in a corner. It featured Old Master Lu, Lu Jingze, Wang Mingyue, Xinghe’s parents, Xiangyang, and Anning… Everyone in the painting was smiling. But Xiangyang knew this was a family photo that could never have truly been taken in reality.

“I found this while organizing my mother’s things,” Anning said, handing a printed manuscript to Xiangyang.

Xiangyang opened it. It was a story written by Wang Mingyue, chronicling the journey of Lu Jingze and Wang Xinghe from the moment they met to the moment they grew old together.

“The two of them loved each other for decades as if it were the very first day,” Xiangyang whispered, stroking the manuscript. “Auntie wrote it so well.”

To find the one true love, and never part until the hair turns white. If there is a place in the next life, may we meet there again.

On the seventh day after Lu Jingze’s passing, a heavy snow fell, covering the graves. It was as if Heaven and Earth were bearing witness to a love of absolute loyalty.

Lu Jingze and Wang Xinghe—never parted in life, together in their silver years, and united for eternity.

[THE END]