Chapter 18 Arrival, Military Compound
Facing Lu Jingyan's deep eyes that seemed to see through people's hearts, Su Wantang slowly and deliberately put the silver needle back into the hidden pocket in her sleeve.
She smiled, her eyes sparkling with a hint of foxy cunning.
"A family-inherited self-defense technique." She shook her wrist; the hand that had just crippled someone was fair and slender, showing no sign of lethality.
"Girls need to have some means of survival when they go out, otherwise they won't even know how they died."
This explanation is the same as no explanation at all.
Lu Jingyan's Adam's apple bobbed.
He certainly didn't believe in any ancestral self-defense techniques. Those footwork and pressure point techniques were fast, accurate, and ruthless; it would take more than ten years of training to master them.
But he didn't ask any further questions; he simply walked forward.
"From now on, I'll handle these kinds of things."
His voice regained its usual coldness, but the burning passion in his eyes remained undiminished.
After saying that, he opened the compartment door and, expressionless, pointed to the person on the ground at the train attendant and police officer who rushed over after hearing the commotion: "You've caught the thief. You can deal with him."
Swift and decisive, leaving no room for compromise.
The atmosphere in the private compartment became somewhat subtle for the rest of the journey.
Lu Jingyan spoke even less, but his gaze always lingered subtly on Su Wantang. He watched her read the newspaper, watched her drink water, watched her pretend to doze by the window.
It was as if he wanted to see right through her, inside and out, with his eyes.
Su Wantang, on the other hand, remained calm and composed, enjoying the possessive gaze with a clear conscience.
She knew that this move not only didn't arouse his suspicion, but instead piqued his even deeper interest.
Men are all the same.
Things that are too easily obtained are not cherished.
A touch of mystery, a touch of wildness, a hint of allure—that's what makes him unable to resist.
...
A day and a night later.
"Waaah—"
With a long, drawn-out whistle, the train slowly pulled into Beijing Railway Station.
The platform was wider than those in Shanghai, and the architectural style was completely different. It lacked the sophistication and hustle and bustle of the old Shanghai, but possessed a more solemn and majestic atmosphere. The air seemed even more chilly, carrying a scent of power in the lungs.
As soon as he stepped out of the station exit, a young guard in a neat military uniform quickly approached him and snapped a salute.
"Commander!"
"Mm." Lu Jingyan nodded.
The guard took the two large suitcases from his hands and quickly led the two to the parking lot.
A black Hongqi sedan was parked quietly in the most conspicuous spot. Its license plate was a string of special numbers; in Beijing, this plate served as a pass that allowed unrestricted passage.
Su Wantang raised an eyebrow.
The Su family in Shanghai was already incredibly wealthy in the eyes of ordinary people, but compared to the spectacle before them, they were nothing more than small-time local tycoons.
The car smoothly drove out of the train station and merged into the wide road.
The pedestrians on the street were generally dressed more simply than those in Shanghai, and their expressions were more serious.
About half an hour later, the car drove into an area with red walls and gray tiles.
The sentries standing guard at the intersection stood ramrod straight, their eyes sharp as eagles. Their gaze swept over the license plate of the "Red Flag" car, and they immediately raised their hands in salute, letting it pass.
This is the Beijing Military Region compound.
The car finally stopped in front of a rather elegant two-story house. The house had a separate courtyard with several crabapple trees, which looked well-maintained.
"Sir, we've arrived." Driver Xiao Li turned around.
Lu Jingyan hummed in agreement and prepared to get out of the car: "Move the luggage inside."
Xiao Li, who was driving, did not turn off the engine. He turned around, his face showing a hint of embarrassed respect.
"Commander, the old commander wants you and...madam to go to the main residence first."
Lu Jingyan's brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.
He wanted to take her back to his place first, so she could catch her breath and adjust.
But he couldn't disobey the old man's orders.
"I understand," he replied casually, then turned to Su Wantang and said, "Let's go see my grandparents first."
His tone was calm, but Su Wantang still caught a hint of displeasure in his eyes.
This trap is unavoidable.
The car started again, drove around several small buildings, and stopped in front of a larger and more imposing compound.
The guards at the gate here are clearly of a higher rank than the sentries we just saw.
Lu Jingyan took Su Wantang's hand and got out of the car.
As soon as Su Wantang stepped into the courtyard, she felt at least seven or eight undisguised gazes filled with scrutiny and curiosity.
The sunlight streamed in from under the large banyan tree in the courtyard and from behind the windows of the nearby buildings.
In the courtyard, several military officers' families, dressed in polyester shirts, were gathered together enjoying the cool air and picking vegetables. Although they were whispering in hushed tones, the air of gossip was clearly audible.
"Wasn't it said that you were talking to Jingyan about Manrou from the Ye family? Where did this come from?"
"Oh, is this the one Jingyan married in Shanghai?"
"She looks pretty, but she's too thin and has a weak constitution. I'm afraid she won't be able to have children."
"I heard she's a capitalist's daughter..."
Su Wantang ignored the stares and comments. She even gave a polite yet distant smile to one of the older women who was watching most intently.
The older woman was taken aback by her gaze and lowered her head sheepishly.
Lu Jingyan held her hand tightly, his deep voice ringing in her ear.
"Ignore them."
Su Wantang looked up at him, her eyes sparkling with a hint of playfulness: "I'm wondering, would this be considered a major disaster of meeting the parents?"
Lu Jingyan was taken aback by her carefree attitude, and the coldness in his eyes melted a little.
The two walked across the courtyard and into the living room of the main house.
A scent mingled with the aroma of old wooden furniture and rich tea wafted towards you.
In the center of the living room, a sprightly old man with gray hair sat in a grand chair. He wore a faded old military uniform without rank insignia, but his eyes exuded an imposing and dignified aura.
He is the pillar of the Lu family, Old Master Lu.
Beside the old man sat a well-maintained elderly woman, none other than Grandma Lu, who had been so critical of Su Wantang on the phone. She had a stern face, her lips downturned, and didn't even glance at the two who had entered.
A young woman was sitting on the mahogany sofa in the living room.
She was in her early twenties, wearing a beige dress made of the finest fabric and in the latest trendy style. She was beautiful, with a slightly raised chin, exuding an innate air of haughtiness.
When Su Wantang entered the room, the woman's eyes held undisguised hostility, scrutiny, and a hint of condescending contempt.
The air in the living room instantly dropped to freezing point.
Lu Jingyan's tall figure blocked most of Su Wantang's view.
He addressed the two elderly men seated at the head of the table in a deep voice:
"Grandpa, Grandma."
The voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable weight.
Old Master Lu raised his eyelids slightly, his gaze sharp, lingering on Su Wantang for two seconds before remaining silent.
Grandma Lu snorted coldly.
Lu Jingyan ignored him, turned his head to look at the woman on the sofa, and said in a flat tone:
"Ye Manrou".
Then, he turned to the side and introduced Su Wantang behind him, his voice completely emotionless:
"This is Uncle Ye's daughter."
Lu Jingyan's introduction was so distant and so deliberate.
This is no longer an introduction, but a demarcation.
Su Wantang looked at the woman named Ye Manrou, whose arrogant expression froze instantly, and then the hostility in her eyes almost materialized.
I understand instantly.
No wonder they were so menacing when they walked in; it turns out the real culprit was waiting here.
A love rival has made his appearance ahead of schedule.
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