Chasing My Husband! The "Crown Prince" of the Beijing Circle Is Wildly Unruly! - Chapter 27

The winter days were exceptionally short. When Wang Xinghe came to his senses, it was already completely dark. Lu Jingze sat on the sofa on the second floor, showing no signs of leaving. Wang Xinghe glanced at the iron box Lu Jingze had carried up from the first floor, then turned and went into the bedroom to get a change of clothes, intending to go downstairs to shower.

He hadn’t even reached the stairs when Lu Jingze wrapped his arms around him from behind.

“Brother Xinghe, please don’t be mad at me. Your words are like knives, stabbing my heart.” The scent on him was unique, not a heavy perfume but a faint, refreshing fragrance like countless fruits piled together.

Wang Xinghe broke free from his grasp and went downstairs without a word. He locked the bathroom door as soon as he entered, leaving Lu Jingze to face the cold reception. Lu Jingze, who had been emotionally bruised by Wang Xinghe’s words that afternoon, had now recovered and returned to his persistent self from their time together in Qingcheng. It didn’t matter if Wang Xinghe hit, cursed, or pushed him away.

He leaned against the wall, his eyes lowered as he looked at his phone. A message from Wang Shuya had come in.

[Wang Shuya: Brother Lu, happy New Year! It’s so good that you’re back. Do you know how sad my uncle was when Auntie Song had a sudden heart attack and passed away the day after you disappeared?]

[Wang Shuya: I went and knocked on his shop door, but he refused to open it.]

Lu Jingze’s smile vanished as he read the message. He took a deep breath, then replied tentatively.

[Lu Jingze: Auntie Song from the baozi shop next door?]

[Wang Shuya: Yes, I cried for days too. Auntie Song was such a kind person, and she was just gone like that.]

Lu Jingze sent Wang Shuya a large red envelope containing 88,888 yuan.

[Lu Jingze: I heard you’re in college now. Keep this money so you don’t go hungry.]

[Wang Shuya: !!!! Why is it so much? Brother Lu, I can’t accept it, it’s too much!]

[Lu Jingze: Just take it. This isn’t even enough for one of my meals.]

[Wang Shuya: I’m stunned…]

The bathroom door opened. Lu Jingze closed his phone and grabbed Wang Xinghe’s wrist.

“Wang Xinghe, I sincerely apologize to you. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have left without a word, I shouldn’t have hidden my identity from you, I shouldn’t have lied to you, and I shouldn’t have pretended not to know you when you came to see me.”

“I was so conceited, thinking I was doing what was best for you, and I never once considered your feelings.”

Wang Xinghe’s hair was already dry, soft and fluffy. Lu Jingze’s face was reflected in his light-colored pupils.

“I forgive you. Thank you for your sincere apology.” Wang Xinghe had long since stopped being angry with him. “So, can you go back now?”

There was a profound sincerity in his eyes.

Lu Jingze shook his head, replying honestly, “No, I’m not leaving. I’ll stay until the eighth day of the New Year.”

Wang Xinghe knew he was stubborn, but he hadn’t expected him to be this relentless. He pulled his wrist free and said, “Do what you want, but don’t get in my bed. Thank you.” Wang Xinghe went upstairs, burrowed under his blanket with a yawn, and pulled the covers over his head.

Just as he was about to turn off the light, Lu Jingze knelt beside his bed and said pitifully, “Brother Xinghe, in the middle of winter, a person without a blanket will freeze to death.”

Wang Xinghe pointed to the large wardrobe. “There’s a new blanket in there. You can take it and sleep on the sofa. There’s a heater on the wall behind the sofa, so you won’t be cold.”

Lu Jingze pointed to his slippers. “I want to take a shower. Can I borrow your slippers?”

Wang Xinghe rolled over. “Do as you please.” Lu Jingze smiled, took off his shoes, put on the slippers, and went to shower. Wang Xinghe closed his eyes and sank into a deep sleep.

After his shower, Lu Jingze’s phone kept ringing. He answered it on the first floor.

Ji Yuheng’s voice came through the receiver: “My dear cousin, you’re not at the New Year’s Eve dinner, but you ran off to a desolate place. Let me guess…”

“Wang Xinghe, tsk, tsk, tsk, isn’t that Zhao Yan’s lover?”

Lu Jingze’s voice was frigid. “Ji Yuheng, you’re not a true member of the Lu family. Instead of constantly clashing with me, you should give up on your ambitions early.”

“As long as my aunt doesn’t see me as an outsider, there’s always a chance, isn’t there?” Ji Yuheng’s laughter was sickening.

“It seems my dear cousin can only choose between Wang Xinghe and being the heir of the Lu family. Grandfather despises homosexuality the most. You haven’t forgotten, have you?”

“I can sleep with women, Lu Jingze. Can you? Just touching a woman would probably make you go soft, wouldn’t it?”

Lu Jingze pulled out a chair and closed his eyes. “Do you think this is a TV drama?”

“Grandfather has known I’m gay for a long time. He doesn’t bring it up, and I won’t either. But if he does, I’ll naturally be honest with him.”

“Ji Yuheng, do you know why Grandfather gave the Lu family to me and not to my idiot father?”

Ji Yuheng was silent. “Go on.”

“Because my father is an idiot, my mother is a simpleton, and you’re a brain-dead leech who can’t even see the bigger picture.”

“One last warning: Wang Xinghe is mine. If a single hair falls from his head, you’ll see how crazy I can be. The aunt you’ve been relying on won’t be able to save you.”

Lu Jingze hung up the phone, feeling annoyed.

“Ring, ring, ring—”

The phone rang again. Lu Jingze assumed it was that same annoyance, Ji Yuheng, so he answered.

“Ji Yuheng, are you a pain? If you can’t understand what I’m saying, go to an ENT specialist. Don’t f*cking bother me.”

The person on the other end was as meek as a quail. Wang Shuya’s timid voice came through: “Brother Lu… it’s me…”

Lu Jingze ran a hand through his stiff black hair.

“My apologies, I just handled something. What’s up, Shuya?”

Wang Shuya said, “Brother Lu, I just wanted to call and say thank you. I appreciate the thought, but I’m not accepting the money, hehe. Also… my grandfather asked me to ask if my uncle is doing okay?”

Lu Jingze rested his head on the wooden stool. “His state is very strange…”

Wang Shuya agreed. “Sigh…”

Lu Jingze didn’t understand this, but he could feel that Wang Xinghe’s state was strange.

Wang Shuya continued, “My grandfather said that if there were really immortal cultivators in this world, my uncle would definitely be one.”

Lu Jingze let out a slight laugh. “What are you talking about?”

But then he couldn’t laugh anymore.

Without wants or needs.

That’s right, Wang Xinghe’s current state was simply living for the sake of living. He had no more needs for material things or emotional connection. He was completely without desires.

Wang Shuya sighed again. “To be honest, during the New Year last year, I could feel that my uncle was different. Although his smile was still gentle, there was a light in his eyes.”

“It might have been because of you. You two… were you… a couple?” Wang Shuya chose her words carefully so as not to be too abrupt.

“I like your uncle. I like him very much.” Lu Jingze said what was in his heart. He liked Wang Xinghe very much, and every moment he was with him felt comfortable.

“Books aren’t for nothing. I just felt that your actions and expressions, and even wearing matching red sweaters, tsk, tsk, tsk…” Wang Shuya felt she had uncovered the truth.

She was relieved but also worried. “Then can you be with my uncle forever?”

“My uncle actually doesn’t have much of a sense of security. You can probably tell that he’s a little… closed off.”

“I can. For a lifetime, as long as I’m here, I’ll be with him.” Lu Jingze’s voice was exceptionally firm in the darkness of the night.

Wang Shuya was so moved she wanted to cry. “That’s great. I’m the first one to support you two.”