Chapter 128 Returning to the Lu Family, Declaring the Final Decision
The next morning, the jeep slowly came to a stop at the gate of the Beijing Military Region compound.
Su Wantang was the first to open the car door, and the morning light shone on her cool profile, giving it a soft glow.
She turned around and instructed Qin Zheng and Wang Ma in the car, "Qin Zheng, take Wang Ma to Tangdixuan to settle in first. Everything is arranged there."
"Yes, boss." Qin Zheng nodded without wasting a word.
Wang Ma was still a little flustered, holding onto Su Wantang's hand tightly: "Miss, I... I can go by myself, you..."
Su Wantang patted the back of her hand and softened her voice: "Wang Ma, be good. Go and get familiar with the surroundings first. From now on, that will be your home in Beijing."
Lu Jingyan got out of the car from the other side, walked around, and naturally took over the conversation: "Listen to her. Qin Zheng, get the person safely delivered."
Watching the car drive away, Su Wantang finally looked away and gazed back at the familiar yet unfamiliar red-walled courtyard.
This is the second time.
Last time, she was a newlywed bride who was being schemed against and was living in fear.
This time, she is "Bai Shu" who has been brought back from the dead, and also "Su Wantang" who has returned.
Lu Jingyan stretched out his large, warm hand and grasped hers tightly, their fingers intertwined.
The warmth from her palm instantly dispelled the last trace of uncertainty in her heart.
He took her hand and led her step by step toward the vermilion gate.
In the living room, Mr. Lu and Mrs. Lu, who had been waiting for a long time, turned their eyes to each other.
When the two elderly people saw that the woman following Lu Jingyan was a stranger who was breathtakingly beautiful, their faces instantly darkened.
"Jingyan, who is this?"
Grandma Lu spoke first, her voice filled with undisguised scrutiny and dissatisfaction.
She still remembered her granddaughter-in-law, whose fate was unknown. How could that rascal bring home such a seductive woman?
Grandpa Lu, sitting in the main seat, didn't speak. He simply put down the newspaper in his hand and looked at Su Wantang.
That imposing aura, even without anger, was more intimidating than Grandma Lu's sharp questioning.
Lu Jingyan completely ignored his grandmother's questioning. His sharp gaze swept over the servants in the living room, and he said in a deep voice, "You may all leave."
The servants, feeling as if they had been granted a pardon, quickly withdrew with their heads bowed.
Only four people remained in the living room.
Then, Lu Jingyan pulled Su Wantang along, step by step, to the two elderly people.
He stopped three steps away, his posture as straight as a pine tree.
This situation made Grandma Lu's heart skip a beat, and she vaguely felt that something big was about to happen.
Lu Jingyan released Su Wantang's hand, then put his arm around her shoulder, keeping her firmly by his side.
He straightened his back, looked directly at the two elders, and spoke with a firm and resolute voice:
"Grandpa, Grandma, there's something I have to tell you."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over Su Wantang's stunning face, then turned and spoke with unprecedented solemnity, word by word:
"She is not Bai Shu."
"She...is Wan Tang. She's back."
Upon hearing this, the room fell into a deathly silence.
Grandma Lu's Buddhist prayer beads snapped with a "crack," scattering the beads all over the floor. She clutched her chest, mouth agape, her face filled with disbelief, as if she had heard something utterly unbelievable.
"What...what did you say?"
Even the usually composed and weathered face of Old Master Lu showed cracks.
His pupils contracted sharply, his body leaned forward abruptly, and his sharp eyes were fixed on Su Wantang's face, scanning her inch by inch from her eyebrows to the corners of her lips, his brain racing.
Yes, yes! Those peach blossom eyes, that aloof yet stubborn spirit, are exactly the same as that girl's!
But... how is that possible? An explosion, river water... how could a living person come back to life?
Under the gazes that seemed to pierce through her, Su Wan, no, Su Wantang, stepped forward and bowed deeply to the two elderly people.
She raised her head, her face showing no fear, only the calm and composure that comes after weathering storms.
"Grandpa, Grandma."
The voice wasn't loud, and it was slightly hoarse, but it clearly reached everyone's ears.
"I'm back."
silence.
A suffocating silence.
A full half minute passed before Old Master Lu suddenly slapped his thigh, and an astonishing joy erupted from his usually serious face.
"Good! Good! It's good that you're back!"
He stood up abruptly, took two steps in place, and his hands trembled slightly with excitement.
Who is he? He instantly understood the key point! What do you mean by "resurrected from the dead"? This was clearly his granddaughter-in-law using a clever escape tactic!
That girl, what a clever tactic! What a bold move!
Her feigned death and escape must be linked to a massive conspiracy. At this critical moment, the Lu family must be her strongest and most unbreakable support!
"Old man, you..."
Grandma Lu hadn't fully recovered from the shock when the old man's shout snapped her out of her daze.
She looked at her old man, then at her granddaughter-in-law whom she had lost and then regained. The lines on her face, which had been harsh all her life, softened instantly.
Tears, without warning, burst forth.
"My dear granddaughter-in-law..."
She pushed away the still-stunned Lu Jingyan, staggered forward, and hugged Su Wantang tightly.
"You little brat! You scared your grandma to death!"
"Waaaaah...you've suffered so much..."
Grandma Lu cried as she reached out and punched Lu Jingyan's strong arm twice.
"You little rascal! You bastard! Why didn't you say so sooner! Were you trying to scare us two old folks to death?!"
Lu Jingyan was being hit, but the corners of his mouth kept turning up involuntarily.
He let his grandmother vent her anger, but his eyes remained fixed on Su Wantang, who was being held in his grandmother's arms, filled with tenderness and doting affection.
Now, let's see where you can run now.
Holding Grandma Lu in her arms, Su Wantang smelled the faint sandalwood scent emanating from the old woman and felt the genuine joy and sorrow she felt. A warmth she had never experienced in both her lives combined instantly enveloped her.
Her eyes also welled up with tears.
"Grandma, I'm fine."
"It's alright!" Grandma Lu held her hand, looked her up and down, touched her face and then her arm, as if afraid that she was missing a piece of flesh.
“In the days after your accident, Jingyan was like a madman, his eyes were all red. He practically turned the whole of Shanghai upside down, he almost demolished the military region! My wife and I have been praying to the gods and Buddhas at home every day, just afraid... just afraid…”
When she got to the sad parts, Grandma Lu couldn't help but choke up again.
This lingering fear and heartache are genuine.
The last bit of resentment in Su Wantang's heart completely vanished. She took Grandma Lu's hand in return and gently comforted her, "It's all over now."
“Yes! It’s all in the past!” Old Master Lu made the final decision, interrupting the weeping and wailing of the grandfather and grandson.
He sat down again, regaining his patriarchal authority, but he couldn't hide the joy in his eyes.
“This matter must be addressed. Wan Tang, your current identity as ‘Bai Shu’ is excellent. Powerful, mysterious, and no one dares to provoke you easily.”
The old man tapped his fingers on the table, his gaze distant.
"It's settled then. Bai Shu is your long-lost twin sister, Su Wantang."
"My elder sister tragically died, and to uncover the truth and avenge her sister, I married into the Lu family in her place. It's perfectly reasonable, and no one can find fault with it!"
This explanation not only accounted for the appearance of "Bai Zhu" and gave her a legitimate identity to stay in the Lu family, but also shut up the gossipy women in Beijing who liked to talk behind people's backs.
Absolutely perfect!
Su Wantang looked at Old Master Lu, her eyes filled with admiration. This was truly remarkable; he was indeed a pillar of strength, resolving all her worries with just a few words.
"Grandpa was wise."
"Alright, stop flattering me." Old Master Lu waved his hand, but his face broke into a wide smile.
"From today onwards, you are a member of the Lu family. Outside, you are the decisive and efficient CEO Bai. At home, you are my Lu family's granddaughter-in-law. Anyone who dares to mistreat you is going against me, Lu!"
These words were spoken with great confidence and authority.
"Did you hear that!" The old man glared at Lu Jingyan.
"If you ever let your wife suffer even the slightest grievance again, I'll break your legs!"
Lu Jingyan immediately stood at attention and answered loudly, "Yes, sir! Mission accomplished!"
His appearance made the whole family laugh.
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