Chasing My Husband! The "Crown Prince" of the Beijing Circle Is Wildly Unruly! - Chapter 74

The idea of buying a house had taken root in Wang Xinghe’s mind.

He began checking his savings. When he logged into his mobile banking app, he was stunned to find that in addition to his original balance of several hundred thousand, there was an extra seven million yuan.

Xinghe’s eyes widened. His first instinct was that Lu Jingze had done this. However, when he checked the sender’s name, he was shocked to see Ji Yuting.

His fingertips trembled. That was the name of the classmate who had once dragged him into hell. Leveraging her family’s power, she had smeared his reputation, framed him for plagiarism, and stripped him of the legal right to sign his own creative works. Why would someone like her suddenly be so “kind” as to send him money?

Xinghe didn’t use social media apps, so he reached out to the only classmate he was still somewhat in touch with, Lin Ya. He sent a message via WeChat.

Wang Xinghe: Lin Ya, do you know what’s happened with Ji Yuting lately? Why did she suddenly transfer money to me?

Lin Ya was currently surrounded by a crowd of beauties. He fumbled through a pile of empty liquor bottles to find his phone. Seeing Wang Xinghe’s name, he sobered up instantly.

He stared at the chat box, confused. Did the Crown Prince personally tear Ji Yuting to pieces without even telling Xinghe? Though he didn’t fully understand the drama between them, he answered honestly. He opened Weibo, took a screenshot of Ji Yuting’s public statement, and sent it to Xinghe.

Xinghe opened the statement and was even more astonished. For years, Ji Yuting had thrived by using his old drafts. Why would she suddenly admit to plagiarism?

A flash of realization struck him. He turned his gaze toward Lu Jingze, who was still sleeping peacefully beside him. In the entire country, only Lu Jingze had the power to make a lady from a prominent Kyoto family eat her words and admit to such a scandal.

Another crack opened in Xinghe’s heart, and a steady stream of light began to flow in. He lay back against the headboard and reached out, gently stroking Lu Jingze’s cheek.

Looking at this face in such a cramped room felt wrong to him. Since he now had some money—a portion of which he would save for his young nephew—he decided to use the rest to provide Lu Jingze with a better living environment.

As he was lost in thought, his wrist was caught by a pair of long, fair hands and pulled into a warm embrace. A voice, still raspy from sleep, drifted out: “Brother, it’s not very nice to start a fire and not help put it out.”

Xinghe met those newly opened phoenix eyes. As Lu Jingze pressed closer, his body heat made Xinghe feel a bit flustered. “It’s too hot, don’t do this.”

Lu Jingze pulled him tighter, nuzzling him. His hair wasn’t the soft, fine type, and the prickling sensation made Xinghe try to dodge in discomfort.

“A-Ze, I want to go pay my respects to my parents and Auntie Song today. Do you want to come?” Xinghe wasn’t sure if the sacrificial customs here differed from those in Kyoto.

“I’m going! Please, you must take me with you.” Lu Jingze was now fully awake. He kissed Xinghe’s cheek and hopped out of bed to wash up.

The two of them squeezed into the tiny bathroom. The single mirror was so old that the clips holding its four corners had rusted. The sink was aged and worn, and the caulking around the edges showed signs of black mold. The floor tiles were so old that their patterns had been rubbed smooth by time.

This bathroom had been converted from a small space beneath the stairs. For Xinghe, at 1.8 meters tall, it was cramped; for Lu Jingze, who was over 1.9 meters, he had to hunch over just to avoid hitting his head.

After washing up, Xinghe looked down silently. He thought of their brief stay at Zhao Yan’s villa in Kyoto—the luxury bathtubs, the extravagant furniture, and the paintings in the living room where even the cheapest was worth over a hundred million. Lu Jingze, whose family was even more powerful than Zhao Yan’s, surely lived in even greater luxury.

This pampered young master is suffering too much here, Xinghe thought.

The Cemetery

Xinghe and Lu Jingze carried gold ingots made of paper, joss paper, and offerings. They navigated the familiar path to the tombstone where Xinghe’s parents were buried together.

Lu Jingze lowered his gaze as Xinghe arranged the offerings and lit a fire for the paper clothes and gold. The flames danced with the wind, swirling in a small vortex. Soon, the pile of “gold and silver” turned to ash.

Xinghe knelt and kowtowed. Lu Jingze followed suit immediately. Seeing his actions, a hint of tenderness flashed in Xinghe’s eyes.

“Mom, Dad, this is Lu Jingze. He’s the person I like, and he’s my boyfriend. If your spirits are watching over us, please bless him and keep his path smooth.”

Lu Jingze looked at the engravings on the tombstone and the black-and-white photo of the middle-aged couple. Despite the weathering, he could still see their handsome, refined features. It was no wonder they had children as beautiful as Wang Xinghe and Wang Mingyue.

“Mom, Dad, I am Lu Jingze. Please rest easy; I will take responsibility for the rest of Xinghe’s life.” He added silently that he wouldn’t let the Wang family line end. He would ensure Mingyue and her unborn child were safe, and he would make sure the child took the surname Wang.

Lu Jingze solemnly kowtowed three times and poured white liquor over the ground for Xinghe’s parents. After they finished, they visited Auntie Song’s grave. Filled with guilt, Lu Jingze kowtowed three more times. “Auntie Song, I failed your trust before. But rest assured, I will treat Xinghe well from now on.”

After leaving the cemetery, they returned to the shop to clean up. Xinghe fell into a pensive mood before looking at Lu Jingze seriously. “A-Ze, let’s buy a house.”

Lu Jingze didn’t hesitate for a second. “Sure! Where does Brother want to buy?”

“I have over seven million yuan. That’s enough to buy a large luxury flat nearby. Or, if you prefer a villa, there are some self-built houses in the village area that are quite nice.” Xinghe’s pale eyes were full of sincerity and consultation.

Hearing this plan, Lu Jingze felt a pang in his heart. He reached out, took Xinghe’s hand, and sat him down on a stool on the first floor. He leaned over, gazing down at him.

“Brother… why don’t you try relying on me for a change?”

His phoenix eyes were filled with a gentle tenderness. Xinghe felt as if he were drowning in them. Finally, under that gaze, he nodded solemnly. “Okay.”

The moment Xinghe nodded, Lu Jingze’s heart soared. He leaned down and pressed a light kiss to Xinghe’s lips—he still carried that faint, pleasant scent. Why was he always so fragrant?

Lu Jingze pulled back, his Adam’s apple bobbing. He smiled and extended his hand. “Come on, Brother. Let’s go look at houses.”

Xinghe smiled helplessly and placed his hand in Lu Jingze’s. “Let’s go.”

Lu Jingze looked down at his phone, opening a location and a door code sent by He Zheng.