Chapter 261 A Parting Is Inevitable
The next morning, in the main living room of the Lu family compound.
Old Master Lu sat in the main seat, holding a steaming cup of Longjing tea, but didn't drink a drop. Lu Zhenguo and Meng Wan sat below, their expressions solemn.
Su Wantang and Lu Jingyan stood side by side, and the two of them restored Lu Jingyue's memories and recounted their speculations about "Moonlight Grass" and the Northwest mineral veins in detail.
"So, you mean to let Yueyue stay here and use those blue flowers to stimulate her?" Meng Wan spoke first, her voice filled with a mother's worry and expectation.
Su Wantang nodded to Meng Wan and said calmly, "Mom, the 'Moonlight Grass' is the key. It can unlock Yueyue's sealed memories. But the process may be very painful, and it may also make her recall very terrible things. Sending her to a sanatorium is certainly safe, but it is also equivalent to completely closing this door."
“I disagree,” Lu Zhenguo said in a deep voice.
“Jingyue’s condition has just improved, and we can’t risk her. If the people at ‘Eagle’s Nest’ can send one Granny Mei, they can send a second or a third! No matter how tight the compound’s defenses are, there will always be loopholes. Keeping Jingyue under our noses is just making her a live target!”
Lu Jingyan stepped forward, shielding Su Wantang behind him, and met his father's scrutinizing gaze: "Dad, I understand your concerns. But we've already lost ten years, and we can't afford to lose another ten. Wantang's medical skills are better than any doctor in the sanatorium. Keeping Yueyue at home, with Wantang taking care of her personally, is the best choice."
“You…” Lu Zhenguo felt a lump in his throat as his son confronted him.
“I agree with Jingyan’s opinion.” Meng Wan, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke up, her gaze gentle yet firm as she looked at Su Wantang.
“I believe in Wan Tang. Since Wan Tang came, this family and Yue Yue have become different. Zhenguo, we can’t give up hope just because we’re afraid.”
Lu Zhenguo looked at his wife, then at his son, and finally his gaze fell on Su Wantang's excessively beautiful yet unusually calm face.
Finally, everyone's attention was focused on Old Master Lu, who was in the main seat.
The old man put down his teacup, the bottom of which clinked softly against the table. His cloudy yet piercing eyes swept over everyone, finally settling on Su Wantang's face: "Girl, how confident are you?"
Meeting the old man's gaze, Su Wantang remained composed and dignified: "I am not confident that I can completely restore Yueyue to her former self. But I am confident that I can protect her and help her find herself again in the safest environment."
After a moment, the old man slowly nodded: "Then it's settled. Yueyue will stay at home."
With that final decision, even if Lu Zhenguo still had doubts, he could only swallow them back.
Meng Wan's eyes instantly reddened. She gripped Su Wantang's hand tightly and shoved a thick notebook into it.
"Wantang, this is a record I've kept over the years of Yueyue's daily habits and physical condition... From now on, I'm entrusting her to you."
Su Wantang solemnly accepted it and nodded: "Mom, don't worry."
With the family matter settled, Lu Jingyan immediately turned to Lu Zhenguo, his voice firm and resolute: "Dad, I'm asking for your permission to depart for the Northwest immediately."
"Nonsense!" Lu Zhenguo's anger, which he had just suppressed, flared up again, and he cursed.
"The situation in Beijing isn't even settled yet, and we haven't caught 'Mr. Shadow' in the woods. Are you leaving now? Just send a capable person to the Northwest!"
“Dad, the thing that ‘Eagle’s Nest’ has been searching for for a hundred years is right there, and ‘Mr. Shadow’ himself is very likely to go there in person. That’s the real eye of the storm, the snakehead.”
Lu Jingyan's eyes were sharp as knives. "If you only cut off the body of the snake without striking its head, there will be endless troubles in the future. This time, I must go in person."
The father and son's eyes met in mid-air, neither willing to back down.
"Let him go," Old Master Lu said again.
"In Beijing, there's me, Zhenguo, and Wantang. Jingyan is going to the Northwest to eradicate their roots. This move is unavoidable."
He looked at Lu Zhenguo: "However, Jingyan cannot go alone. You should select the most elite squad from the guard division, break them up into smaller groups, and secretly follow them. There don't need to be many people, but they must be the sharpest of the sharpest blades."
"Yes!" Lu Zhenguo straightened his back and answered loudly. This was an order.
......
Su Wantang did not linger in the living room. She returned to Courtyard No. 1 and immediately dialed Haitang Technology's number under the guise of Bai Shu.
A distinctive, slightly impatient voice came from the other end of the phone: "Who is it? Don't you know I'm busy?"
"It's me, Bai Shu."
“President Bai!” Zhou Jimin’s voice immediately perked up. “You wanted to see me? Is there another new project? Let me tell you, the analysis of that ‘Moonlight Grass’ from last time is finally complete, that thing is simply…”
“There’s an even more important project.” Bai Shu interrupted his rambling abruptly. “I need you to immediately launch a new research and development program, sparing no expense, to overcome the artificial cultivation technology of ‘Moonlight Grass’.”
"Artificially bred?" Zhou Jimin's voice rose eight octaves.
"President Bai, you're not asking me to grow vegetables, you're asking me to create a miracle! We can't synthesize that core trace element at all; we can only extract it from ore! Without raw materials, how am I supposed to cultivate it?"
"I will take care of the raw material issue," Bai Zhu said calmly, without a trace of emotion.
"I will have someone send you enough 'Singing Sands' ore. I don't care what method you use, whether it's environmental simulation or gene induction, I just want the results. I will give you the highest authority and unlimited funding for this project."
There was silence on the other end of the phone.
For a tech fanatic like Zhou Jimin, the words 'unlimited funding' and 'highest authority' excited him more than anything else.
"Let's do it!" After a long pause, he roared, "President Bai, just you wait and see! As long as there's enough raw material, I refuse to believe that I, Zhou Jimin, can't grow a single blade of grass! Once we succeed, that 'Mr. Shadow' will be crying! We can grow as much as we want and crush his hopes!"
After hanging up the phone, Su Wantang stood by the window, looking at the bright sunshine outside.
Everything is ready, except for the east wind.
Night has fallen.
In the small building of Courtyard No. 1, Su Wantang was helping Lu Jingyan pack his luggage. A few changes of clothes, a first-aid kit—not much stuff, but she had to pack it several times.
Lu Jingyan wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, rested his chin on her shoulder, and greedily inhaled the fragrance of her hair.
His chest was hot, and his strong muscles pressed tightly against her back, creating a reassuring sense of pressure.
"I didn't bring enough," she said softly, as if talking to herself.
"I'm going to war, not on vacation." His deep voice vibrated in her ear, and his warm breath tickled her earlobe.
His hands began to wander, slowly moving upwards from her waistline, tracing her breathtaking curves through the thin fabric.
"When I get back, I'll fatten you up a bit." He placed his large hand on her flat stomach and rubbed it with dissatisfaction. "You've gotten so thin, it feels rough to the touch."
Su Wantang's body went limp, and she almost lost her balance, but he caught her firmly. This man always managed to stir her heart in the most primal and direct way, even in the most tense moments.
She turned around, stood on tiptoe, and kissed his lips.
The kiss, which began gently and tenderly, quickly turned intense and possessive. The air grew warmer, and an ambiguous atmosphere filled the room. He picked her up, strode towards the bedroom, and hooked the door shut with his foot.
A passionate and exhilarating encounter.
Su Wantang lay on his sweaty chest like a lazy cat, listening to his heartbeat like a war drum.
“Lu Jingyan,” she suddenly said, “I won’t allow you to get hurt while I’m not by your side, not even a single hair on your head can be missing.”
Lu Jingyan tightened his arms, pulling her into his embrace, his voice hoarse: "Okay."
He paused, then added, "Stay home and wait for me. Don't go out on any more adventures alone. Otherwise, when I get back, I'll make sure you can't get out of bed for three days and three nights."
That bastard!
Su Wantang was both angry and amused. She gave him a light bite on his firm chest muscles, which earned her a muffled groan and an even tighter hug.
"Be careful while I'm gone." His voice was low and slightly hoarse. "Qin Zheng's men must be with you 24/7. If anything goes wrong, prioritize your own safety. Nothing else matters, understand?"
"Okay, okay, stop nagging," Su Wantang replied sullenly.
He chuckled softly, and then he kissed her.
The kiss was devoid of any lust, yet it was filled with domineering possessiveness and deep affection, as if it wanted to brand his mark on her.
After a long while, their lips parted.
He pressed his forehead against hers, his voice filled with deep affection. "Wait for me to come back, everything will be alright."
Before dawn, several jeeps with military license plates had already started up silently at the entrance of Courtyard No. 1.
Su Wantang stood by the second-floor window, not going downstairs to see him off.
She glanced at Lu Jingyan's tall figure one last time, then resolutely opened the car door and got in. The convoy slowly drove out of the compound, quickly merging into the pre-dawn traffic, and finally disappeared at the end of the street.
Su Wantang stood quietly for a long time until the sky began to lighten.
She felt reluctant and worried, but more than anything, she felt an unprecedented determination.
Lu Jingyan went to the Northwest to open up a new battlefield.
From now on, she will be in charge of guarding this network in Beijing. She will not only guard it, but also weave it even tighter and stronger, leaving no opening for any enemy.
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