Chasing My Husband! The "Crown Prince" of the Beijing Circle Is Wildly Unruly! - Chapter 98

“President Lu, North America’s John has sent an invitation to a banquet. Shall I confirm your attendance?” He Zheng handed over the formal invitation.

Lu Jingze examined the card. After all, an invitation from a major family of a North American financial consortium carried significant weight. If Lu Jingze attended, he would not only be representing the Lu Group but also the international face of the nation’s economic system.

Currently, the John family maintained a leading, semi-monopolistic status in arms and chemicals. Lu Jingze did not dare treat the matter lightly. Seeking counsel, he returned to the ancestral estate to find Old Master Lu.

As Lu Jingze stepped into the drawing room, his eyes lit up when he saw the painting Dawn hanging prominently on the eastern wall. With a deepened smile, he handed the gift of aged wild mountain ginseng to the family’s domestic helper.

The Old Master was at his desk practicing calligraphy. His brushstrokes were powerful and disciplined, showing an extraordinary mastery that contained the profound depth of a lifetime’s experience.

Once the Old Master finished the final character of the phrase “A Nation Has Its Backbone,” he pressed his red seal onto the paper and set the stamp aside. Only then did Lu Jingze speak up.

“Grandfather, your calligraphy is sharp and fluid. The ink has truly penetrated the paper.”

“A-Ze is here,” Old Master Lu said with a smile.

The helper handed him a clean, damp towel. The Old Master wiped the ink from his hands, traded the towel for a pair of Imperial Green jade hand-rubbing spheres, and began rotating them in his palm, letting them clack softly against each other.

“Grandfather, I’ve come to ask for your guidance.” Lu Jingze handed over the invitation.

Old Master Lu scanned it and let out a light chuckle. “Conflict over whether to go?”

“Yes. I haven’t fully taken over the Lu family yet. If I attend merely in a private capacity, it seems inappropriate.” Lu Jingze hadn’t come for power; he simply felt his current standing might not be the right fit for such an occasion.

“Go, and go with confidence. Don’t let other countries have a reason to laugh at us,” Old Master Lu said, handing the invitation back.

Lu Jingze no longer hesitated. “Very well. I’ll arrange the itinerary immediately.”

“Grandfather, I came in a hurry today and didn’t bring Xinghe. Otherwise, he could have kept you company.” Lu Jingze knew the Old Master’s heart better than anyone; since Dawn was hanging in the main hall, it was clear he was extremely fond of it.

The Old Master gave him a playful, exasperated look. “It’s not too late to call him now. The wood hibiscus and green chrysanthemums are in bloom in the courtyard; have him come over to do some sketching.”

Lu Jingze’s metaphorical tail wagged instantly. “You got it!~”

Wang Xinghe, who was currently holding Xiaoyang and making little Anning laugh, was a bit dazed when he received the message to have lunch at Old Master Lu’s.

He hung up the phone and handed Xiaoyang to the nanny. “Papa has to go to a lunch meeting. Will you be good at home?”

“Okay~ Papa busy~ Xiaoyang be good~” Xiaoyang grinned, revealing his tiny white teeth.

Wang Xinghe gently stroked the boy’s face before turning to his sister, Wang Mingyue, who was shaking a rattle for baby Anning in the crib.

“Sister, I won’t be home for lunch. I have to eat at Grandpa Lu’s.”

Wang Mingyue nodded. “Go ahead. Don’t visit an elder empty-handed.”

“I know,” Wang Xinghe smiled.

He returned to his own manor to change into appropriate attire and, following Lu Jingze’s suggestion, gathered his easel and painting supplies. When picking out a gift from the underground storage, he carefully selected aged mountain ginseng as a health tonic.

A driver took him and his equipment to the Old Master’s residence. The high, vermillion gates with golden studs and the presence of armed guards spoke volumes of Old Master Lu’s extraordinary status.

Creak— The heavy gates opened.

The first thing Wang Xinghe saw was Lu Jingze’s beaming face. Lu Jingze took his hand. “Brother! Grandfather missed you, so he told me to call you for lunch!~”

Wang Xinghe felt a mix of pleasant surprise and bashfulness. He nodded. “I brought some mountain ginseng for Grandfather. I hope he likes it.”

“Hahaha, Brother, we’re truly soulmates! I brought mountain ginseng too!~”

Lu Jingze leaned in to nuzzle his cheek against Xinghe’s. The guards and the driver remained like statues, their expressions cold and professional, not showing even a hint of a reaction.

At the dining table, there were two dishes that Old Master Lu specifically enjoyed, several that Lu Jingze liked, and the rest were all the dishes Wang Xinghe had eaten the most during his previous visit. Wang Xinghe noticed this and was deeply moved.

He handed the gift to the helper and gave a gentle bow. “Grandfather.”

The smile on Old Master Lu’s face broadened. He beckoned him over. “Good child, come and eat.”

Following the rule of “no speaking while eating,” the three finished their meal in silence. Afterward, the Old Master looked at Lu Jingze. “You go back to your business. Xinghe can stay and keep me company.”

Lu Jingze looked at his grandfather with mock grievance. “Grandfather, it’s only one o’clock and you’re already chasing me away?” He pouted piteously.

Wang Xinghe hadn’t expected to be left alone with the Old Master and suddenly felt a wave of nerves.

“Brother, I’ll pick you up after work!~” Lu Jingze said a few more words to the Old Master, waved to Xinghe, and departed.

Only Wang Xinghe and Old Master Lu remained at the tea table. Beneath the table, Xinghe nervously gripped the hem of his shirt.

Old Master Lu didn’t seem to mind. He simply said, “The flowers in the courtyard are in full bloom. Paint a picture of the garden for this old man.”

Wang Xinghe looked up. Hearing it was about painting, he relaxed and nodded. “Yes, Grandfather.”

The painting supplies had already been set up in the garden pavilion. To ensure he wouldn’t catch a chill, screens had been erected and a small coal stove was lit. A teapot sat atop the stove.

The garden was meticulously maintained. Wang Xinghe bowed slightly to the elder. “Then, Grandfather, I shall begin.”

“Go on, child.”

Facing the Old Master alone was nerve-wracking, but facing a canvas, Wang Xinghe felt completely at ease. The autumn light was crystal clear, gilding the shadows of the flowers. As he began to sketch, his emotions settled. He forgot where he was; his eyes saw only the garden, and his heart held only the flowers.

Old Master Lu stood on the nearby covered walkway. A special assistant standing beside him caught sight of Wang Xinghe’s silhouette and inadvertently lost himself in the scene.

Is this what the Old Master meant by a ‘pure soul’?

To be honest, looking at photos of Wang Xinghe only suggested he was exceptionally beautiful. But seeing him in person—that clean aura, that absolute immersion and relaxation while painting—it was truly difficult to look away.

“This child is a rare find,” Old Master Lu whispered, a look of admiration in his eyes. “In Wuxia novels, they would call this ‘entering a state of Samadhi’ (meditative absorption).”

The assistant finally understood why a simple painting like Dawn could make someone feel such profound joy and peace. This was exactly what the Old General had described: a pure soul.

It turned out that such a person truly existed in this world.