Chasing My Husband! The "Crown Prince" of the Beijing Circle Is Wildly Unruly! - Chapter 73

Seven full days had passed.

Lu Jingze and Wang Xinghe had purchased a great deal of supplies, essentially refurbishing the entire second floor. On the first floor, every bowl, pair of chopsticks, pot, and pan in the noodle shop had been replaced with brand-new ones. Even the sign at the entrance, “Yi Yi Sliced Noodles,” had been taken down. In its place hung a new sign made of rosewood-colored wing-celtis wood: 【Beef Sliced Noodles】.

Lu Jingze rolled up his sleeves and worked tirelessly alongside Wang Xinghe. As they stood at the entrance looking at the newly secured sign, smiles broke out on both their faces.

“Xinghe?! You’re back?!”

The voice belonged to Brother Lin, the son of Auntie Song from next door. Lu Jingze and Wang Xinghe turned in unison to see Brother Lin stepping out of a black BMW X5. Red ribbons were still tied to the wheels—a clear sign that it was a brand-new purchase.

“Brother Lin,” Xinghe greeted him, before turning to Lu Jingze. “This is Auntie Song’s son, Brother Lin.” Then, he introduced Lu Jingze with natural ease: “And this is my boyfriend, Lu Jingze.”

Brother Lin was momentarily stunned, but a smile quickly replaced his surprise. “Ha! So my mom really did give you a bad setup for that blind date back then. If I’d known you didn’t like girls…”

Lu Jingze was slightly surprised. Having lived in this small town for two months, he knew the local customs were simple and traditional. Such simplicity often came with conservative or feudal mindsets, so Brother Lin’s immediate acceptance was unexpected.

Mentioning Auntie Song brought a flicker of sadness to both Brother Lin and Xinghe’s eyes, but two years had passed. While the pain remained, it was no longer a forbidden topic.

Lu Jingze stepped forward and extended his hand. “Hello, Brother Lin.”

Brother Lin shook it with a smile, offering a protective, elder-brotherly warning: “Take good care of our Xinghe. I’m like a brother to him; if you ever dare to bully him, my fists won’t be so friendly.”

Lu Jingze smiled warmly. “Don’t worry, Brother Lin. That day will never come.”

As they shook hands, Wang Xinghe watched the scene with a smile. See? he thought. Admitting I love Lu Jingze isn’t actually that hard.

“I’m planning to rent out the shop,” Brother Lin said with a touch of melancholy. “When I signed the demolition papers, I just didn’t want to cause trouble for the village. It’s a stroke of luck that the mysterious businessman was willing to preserve this street.”

He continued honestly, “I kept it for two years as a memento of my mother. But seeing it sit empty year after year affects the surrounding businesses. We’re all old neighbors; I can’t be that selfish.”

Xinghe nodded. “Who is the prospective tenant?”

Screech—

Before Brother Lin could answer, a white Toyota Prado braked sharply and pulled up right in front of the shop. A middle-aged man with high spirits stepped out, removing his sunglasses. His polished black leather shoes caught the light.

The man, who initially carried the air of a self-made boss, was first struck by the incredible looks of Lu Jingze and Wang Xinghe—two people who looked entirely out of place in this small town. Then, he took a closer look.

Good heavens! This… this was the God of Wealth!

The man’s sunglasses clattered to the ground, but he didn’t even bother to pick them up. He rushed forward, his face wreathed in a fawning smile. “God of Wealth! You’re here too!”

Brother Lin and Wang Xinghe were baffled. Brother Lin asked awkwardly, “You know him?”

How could the man not know him? His car! His money! It was all thanks to the God of Wealth! This man had descended like a deity on an auspicious cloud and practically thrown over a million yuan at him!

“You’re renting Auntie Song’s shop?” Lu Jingze looked at him with a faint smile.

“Yes, yes! May I ask, are you a relative of Sister Song? You’re the wealthy businessman who bought this whole street, aren’t you?” the man babbled. “I mean, who else would spend hundreds of millions to buy a decades-old commercial street like this?”

It was Brother Lin’s turn to be shocked. His eyes widened.

Lu Jingze put a finger to his lips. “Don’t go spreading rumors.”

The man nodded frantically. Brother Lin finally realized that Lu Jingze was far more than he appeared. He felt a bit sheepish, remembering he had just threatened to punch a man of such immense stature.

“Brother Lin, you two go ahead and talk. We have things to do, so we’ll head inside,” Lu Jingze said, taking Xinghe’s hand and leading him into the noodle shop.

The owner of the computer shop (the man in the Prado) stared after them. “Those two…”

Brother Lin had no intention of gossiping about someone’s private life. He changed the subject immediately. “We’re old neighbors. Twenty thousand yuan a year for rent is fine.”

The computer shop owner was still buzzing with excitement. “Do you know he’s from Kyoto? The day I drove him out of town… I’ll never forget that scene for as long as I live. A Rolls-Royce leading the way, followed by dozens of luxury cars. A crowd of bodyguards in black suits—obvious professionals—came down just to welcome this God of Wealth home.”

Brother Lin was stunned. He had sensed Lu Jingze’s extraordinary aura, but he never imagined it reached that level. He looked at the shop owner. “Uncle, don’t go talking about this outside. Xinghe is introverted; it wouldn’t be good to cause him trouble.”

The owner looked a bit embarrassed. “Don’t worry. I was just too excited.”

Brother Lin trusted him. The man had a good reputation in the village—a hardworking family man whose daughter was at a top university and whose son was a star student in high school.

“Still, you really lucked out because of that Wang kid,” the shop owner added enviously. “I kept wondering why a ‘kind-hearted businessman’ would buy this street. Turns out, it was all for Xinghe.” He was grateful; even though his own shop had been “demolished” in the paperwork, he had been compensated so well he now had his dream car and hundreds of thousands in the bank. Life was good.

Inside the shop, Lu Jingze led Xinghe upstairs. “It’s time. You need to take your medicine.”

Lu Jingze expertly set out the pills and handed a glass of water to Xinghe. Because of Lu Jingze, Xinghe no longer resisted the treatment. He swallowed the handful of pills in one go. The only downside was the side effect—the medication made him incredibly drowsy.

Fearing he would fall asleep before tending to Lu Jingze’s wounds, Xinghe pulled him toward the bedroom. “Come on, let’s apply the healing gel first. We don’t want you to have scars.”

Lu Jingze followed obediently, his gaze lingering on the slender hand gripping his own. A smile played on his lips. He removed his shirt, revealing the large area of scabbed-over whip marks on his back. Xinghe squeezed the gel into his palm, his heart aching as he gently spread it over the wounds.

The cool gel made Lu Jingze’s back sensitive, and the warmth of Xinghe’s fingertips made his Adam’s apple bob.

“Brother, you’d better hurry up,” Lu Jingze said, his voice laced with a playful hint of desire.

Xinghe already knew what he was thinking. Without changing his pace, he replied firmly, “Behave yourself. Until these wounds are healed, don’t even think about touching me.”

Pouting like a spoiled child, Lu Jingze muttered, “Heartless brother…”

As Xinghe looked at the injuries on Lu Jingze’s back and then at the cramped dimensions of his small room, a thought began to take root: he needed to buy a proper house. This man, born into jade and gold, had given up everything to come here. He couldn’t let Lu Jingze squeeze into this tiny, aging room forever. It just wasn’t right.