Chapter 245 The Dust Settles

The Huo family's downfall came faster than anyone expected.

Hong Kong newspapers reported the storm with the most eye-catching headlines. The Fok Group was seized overnight, its bank accounts were frozen, and all its businesses came to a standstill. The once glamorous Fok family members were like stray dogs, taken away from their mansions by police officers, their former prestige completely gone.

When Huo Qishan was arrested, his face was completely pale. He just stared intently at Huo Jingran outside the crowd, his eyes filled with such venom that it was almost tangible.

Huo Jingran, the former second young master of the Huo family, is now cooperating with relevant departments to inventory and take over the Huo family's relatively "clean" assets, acting as a victor.

He knew better than anyone that he was merely a proxy pushed to the forefront by "Miss Dong." From now on, he would replace the Huo family as Bai Shu's dog in Hong Kong, guarding this trophy for her.

When the police rushed into the ancestral hall at the deepest part of the Huo family's old house, a strong smell of burning hit them.

The old patriarch of the Huo family, the man who had dominated Hong Kong for half a century, sat quietly in his armchair, dressed in a neat burial robe. His body was stiff, and he was no longer breathing. Beside him, in a brass brazier, only a few black ashes remained, with a few twisted, burnt metal wires still faintly visible.

He destroyed the chip that contained Su Yuting's memories in the most decisive way.

He chose to end his own life, taking with him the last and most sordid secret of the Huo family.

...

On Hong Kong Island, at St. Mary's Private Hospital, a top-floor VIP ward was completely emptied, with Qin Zheng and his men guarding the outside, absolutely forbidding anyone from approaching.

Inside the ward, Bai Zhu was intently dropping a drop of a faintly fragrant liquid into a bottle of distilled water, gently shaking it to mix. The aroma of the spiritual spring water instantly filled the air, carrying a soothing power.

She walked to the bedside. The girl lying on the bed was pale and had her eyes closed. It was Lu Jingyue, who had been missing for ten years.

Bai Shu helped Lu Jingyue up, used a cotton swab dipped in diluted spiritual spring water to moisten her chapped lips little by little, and then slowly injected the remaining water into her body through a thin feeding tube.

On Nightingale Island, Lu Jingyue was injected with a large amount of sedatives and unknown drugs, and her bodily functions were on the verge of collapse. If Bai Shu hadn't used silver needles to seal her heart meridian in time, she probably wouldn't have survived until now.

Even so, her condition was still far from optimistic. The physical depletion could be slowly replenished with the spiritual spring water, but the mental trauma—the memories and consciousness that had been forcibly suppressed and disrupted by drugs—could not be recovered in a short time.

Lu Jingyan stayed by the bedside, never leaving for a moment.

This man, decisive on the battlefield and as hard as iron in the face of the enemy, had all his sharp edges and corners hidden at this moment. He clumsily and gently wiped his sister's hands and face with a hot towel, again and again.

"Yueyue, your brother has come to see you." His voice was low, with a hint of barely perceptible hoarseness.

"Do you remember when you were little, you loved to follow me around and insisted that I take you up the mountain to raid bird nests? But you couldn't climb trees properly, so you fell down and chipped your front tooth. You cried your eyes out and threatened me not to tell Mom and Dad."

“You were so fierce back then. You said you'd smash my piggy bank if I dared to tell anyone. But when we got home, Mom saw your gap-toothed tooth and realized we couldn't hide anything anymore. We both got a beating.”

He rambled on, recounting childhood anecdotes known only to him and his sister. His eyes were fixed on Lu Jingyue's face, hoping to see a sign of awakening in her slightly trembling eyelashes.

But Lu Jingyue remained asleep, unresponsive to his calls.

The light in Lu Jingyan's eyes dimmed little by little. Ten years. He had searched for ten years, longed for ten years, and now that she was right in front of him, he couldn't even get a single response. The immense joy of regaining what he had lost intertwined with the helplessness of being unable to wake his sister, tearing his heart apart.

Just then, the door to the ward was pushed open.

Meng Wan and Lu Zhenguo rushed over from Beijing.

When Meng Wan saw the familiar yet unfamiliar pale face on the hospital bed, she froze. She moved over step by step, each step incredibly difficult.

"Yueyue...my Yueyue..."

She reached out, her hand trembling, wanting to touch her daughter's face, yet afraid of disturbing her. When her fingertips finally touched that cold skin, the defenses of this woman, who had been elegant and resilient her entire life, crumbled instantly.

"My daughter!" Meng Wan rushed to the bedside, pressing her daughter's cold hand against her face. Ten years of suppressed longing, worry, and pain turned into a heart-wrenching cry at this moment.

Lu Jingyan's eyes were red-rimmed. He reached out and put his arm around his mother's trembling shoulders, offering her silent support.

Lu Zhenguo, the renowned and unyielding general who remained calm even in the face of imminent danger, also had tears welling up in his eyes. He looked at his lifeless daughter on the sickbed, then glanced at Bai Shu beside him, who remained calm. He took a deep breath and straightened his uniform.

He walked up to Bai Shu, stood ramrod straight, and then solemnly raised his right hand to give a standard military salute.

"Comrade Su Wantang!"

His voice was loud and solemn, every word resounding.

"On behalf of the Lu family and myself, I express my highest respect and sincerest gratitude to you! This favor is immense! The Lu family owes you a debt of gratitude!"

The title was "Comrade Su Wantang," not "Bai Shu" or "Jingyan's wife."

Bai Shu accepted the military salute without hesitation.

She knew that this ceremony was not only for Lu Jingyue, but also for everything she had done for the Lu family since she transmigrated into the book. From bringing down Lu Wenbo to exposing the traitor, and now to rescuing Lu Jingyue, all the effort and risks she had taken had finally been recognized by the family at the highest level.

“Uncle Lu, you’re too kind,” she said calmly. “We are family.”

The words "family" warmed the hearts of both the weeping Meng Wan and the red-eyed Lu Jingyan.

Lu Zhenguo lowered his hand, his tiger-like eyes filled with admiration and emotion. He had come all the way from Beijing and had already heard Dong Cunshan's report on the entire plan. This young girl, using Hong Kong Island as a chessboard and the Huo family as her opponent, proceeded step by step with meticulous planning and flawless strategy, ultimately luring their unexpected force into the game and delivering the decisive blow.

Such courage, such boldness, such skill—how could a twenty-year-old girl possess these qualities?

He finally understood why his arrogant son was so completely under her thumb.

A woman like that deserves it.

That evening, Bai Shu finished his work and returned to the hotel.

She pushed open the door to the presidential suite, only to find that Lu Jingyan wasn't in the room. After searching around, she finally spotted that familiar figure on the hotel's rooftop.

The night wind was strong, making his clothes flutter loudly. He stood alone on the edge of the rooftop, not smoking, just quietly watching the lights of Hong Kong Island. His tall and straight back exuded an indescribable desolation and loneliness in the night.

Su Wantang slowed her pace and walked over slowly, reaching out her arms from behind to wrap them around his strong waist.

The man's body stiffened slightly, then relaxed. He didn't turn around, but simply covered her hands, which were wrapped around his waist, with his warm, large hand.

"Why did you come up here? It's windy, why didn't you wear an extra layer?" His voice was somewhat scattered by the wind.

"I didn't see you when I came down, so I guessed you might be here." Su Wantang pressed her face against his back, feeling his steady heartbeat. "What are you thinking about?"

Lu Jingyan was silent for a moment, then turned around.

This man, who had never flinched even amidst a hail of bullets, this man who could calmly strategize even in the face of the overwhelming power of the nation, now had eyes filled with a vulnerability and bewilderment she had never seen before.

He said nothing, but suddenly pulled her into his arms with such force that he almost wanted to meld her into his very bones.

Su Wantang felt a little pain from his tight grip, but she didn't struggle. She simply reached out and gently stroked his back.

"Wantang..."

Lu Jingyan's voice was terribly hoarse, with a heavy nasal tone.

"Thank you……"

"It's so good to have you."

He buried his head deep in the crook of her neck, his warm breath spraying onto her skin, leaving it slightly damp.