Chapter 51

Lu Yanshen never expected that Xie Wantiang would apply medicine for him just once; that night, the wounds on his back all scabbed over, and by the next morning he was able to get out of bed.

After getting out of bed, Lu Yanshen's movements were still a bit sluggish, but he could walk.

Afterward, to consolidate his recovery, Lu Yanshen lay prone on the bed again and had Pei Xiao apply medicine for him.

Lu Yanshen

Before discharge, he also went to the pediatric ward to see Dongdong; Xia Meng wasn't there, and Dongdong was handed over to the nanny that Madam Lu had found for them mother and son.

Dongdong grabbed his hand and wouldn't let him go.

After Lu Yanshen coaxed the little one to sleep, he left.

That evening, at the hotel's Ying Yue Can Ting, Lu Yanshen booked a table and invited Xie Wantang's foster parents.

Xie Wantang called Mom and Dad, and he naturally followed suit calling Mom and Dad.

When facing Aunt Wang and Steward Xie, Lu Yanshen was very sincere; he took out all the fine liquor he kept in the wine cabinet and poured it cup by cup for Steward Xie to drink.

Steward Xie loves drinking baijiu, but even so, this fine baijiu was the first time he had ever tasted it.

When Lu Yanshen poured him the first cup, Steward Xie still hesitated to accept it, anxiously glancing at Xie Wantang, who reassured him to drink freely and cautioned him not to get drunk.

Their eye contact and conversation indeed resembled that of a father and daughter.

Moreover, it was the kind of extremely good father‑daughter relationship.

Lu Yanshen found nothing to fault.

Between the two men of different generations, as they exchanged cups, Steward Xie and Aunt Wang both sensed that Lu Yanshen was probing them, and Xie Wantang naturally realized this as well.

Throughout the meal, Lu Yanshen detected nothing unusual.

He only felt that this couple was not quite like the rural folk he had imagined.

They had considerable poise, were quite knowledgeable, and could chat about any topic.

No wonder Xie Wantang has been raised so well.

During this time, Lu Yanshen went to the restroom, and Pei Xiao answered his question: 'Boss Lu, they are indeed Madam's foster parents; the whole family's demeanor should be due to the influence of the Haishi magnate Qin family.'

"The Haishi magnate Qin family?"

"Yes, the couple are both servants of the Qin family, and they have long been helping Madam Qin guard the medicinal garden in the countryside."

"Now I understand; no wonder she could have Qin Muyang come over to handle her divorce lawsuit."

Lu Yanshen finally figured it out.

Pei Xiao quickly told Lu Yanshen another matter: 'Boss Lu, after Qin Muyang returned recently, he had people look into your whereabouts.'

"Hmm, don't bother with him," Lu Yanshen said in a calm tone.

"Yes."

Returning to the table, Steward Xie was already drunk, and Aunt Wang was supporting him as they prepared to leave.

Tonight, Lu Yanshen returned, but the couple refused to stay any longer in the presidential suite with him and his wife; seeing that persuasion failed, he had Pei Xiao immediately go downstairs to book a presidential suite one grade lower than the top-floor suite for them.

Aunt Wang, accustomed to thrift, quickly said, 'Son‑in‑law, a regular room is fine; don't waste that money. My husband and I will be leaving tomorrow.'

"What? How did you decide so suddenly? I haven't even taken you two around Sijiucheng properly yet." Lu Yanshen genuinely wanted them to stay two more days.

He could see that with them present, Xie Wantang's spirits were high.

"No need to go out; there's still plenty of work at home. The master's medicinal garden—Tang Bao's father has been mentioning it for two nights. Son‑in‑law, now that you're well, we'll hand over little… Tang Bao to you; we trust you."

"Thank you, Mom and Dad; I will certainly take good care of Wantang and her baby." Lu Yanshen promised.

Xie Wantang raised her eyebrows: ……

"Good, good, good—then we can rest easier. All right, we'll head back to our room now; your dad's had too much to drink and might get rowdy."

"All right, Pei Xiao——"

Lu Yanshen was about to hand Aunt Wang and Steward Xie over to Pei Xiao to settle.

Xie Wantang politely declined: 'No need for Pei Xiao; I'll stay with them. Mom and Dad leave tomorrow, so I'll spend the night with them and keep them company.'

Xie Wantang expressed her reluctance to part from her parents very well.

This left Lu Yanshen with no grounds to object; he could only agree.

Before Xie Wantang, Aunt Wang, and Steward Xie could leave the private room, Lu Yanshen's phone rang; Xie Wantang stood at the doorway and heard his slightly urgent voice from behind: 'All right, I understand—I'll be there right away.'

Seeing that Lu Yanshen seemed very anxious, when the elevator arrived, Xie Wantang yielded it to him, and Lu Yanshen did not refuse.

Xie Wantang's heart tightened.

……

At two o'clock in the morning, Xie Wantang returned from the downstairs suite to the top‑floor room; the room was utterly silent, with no trace of presence.

Xie Wantang then knew that Lu Yanshen had not come home again this night.

The next morning.

Xie Wantang personally saw Steward Xie and Aunt Wang off to the airport; as they left the hotel, the Lu family elders came especially to see off the two in‑laws.

Lu Wentao and his wife were reluctant, but they came anyway.

Lu Yanze and his wife, as well as Lu Rourou, were all summoned by the matriarch to come together.

They gave Xie Wantang full respect as the Lu family's daughter‑in‑law.

Naturally, the Lu family elders were showing deference to the baby in Xie Wantang's womb.

Even so, Xie Wantang still felt overwhelmed by the favor.

Aunt Wang and Steward Xie felt this even more strongly.

They repeatedly urged the others not to see them off, saying their time was precious and they should get back to their own affairs.

Still, the matriarch knew how to speak, saying that Xie Wantang and the baby in her belly were currently the Lu family's most important concern, while everything else should take a back seat.

This relieved them of any guilt.

Unpersuaded, they were thus escorted by the Lu family's grand motorcade to the airport.

On the way to the airport, Lu Rourou was very dissatisfied: "I really don't get it—two country bumpkins actually made our whole family come out to see them off to the airport; what on earth are Grandpa and Grandma thinking?"

"Since you're here, don't complain." Madam Lu first glanced at her husband, then at her son, before speaking to advise Lu Rourou.

Actually, she shares the same thought as Lu Rourou.

The three of Xie Wantang's family are just like that; they're not worth her spending so much time and effort.

"Big brother, why are you also coming?" Lu Rourou asked Lu Yanze.

"Don't underestimate them; although they're country folk, they're not ordinary country folk—they work for the richest family in Haishi, the Qins."

"The richest family in Haishi, the Qins?" Lu Rourou and Madam Lu exclaimed in unison.

"Exactly. I couldn't figure it out before—why she could get Qin Muyang to help—but now I understand." Lu Yanze narrowed his eyes, looking out the window.

Madam Lu scoffed: "They're just servants after all, Yanze—you think too highly of them."

Lu Yanze remained silent; that couple indeed wasn't worth noticing.

But Xie Wantang is different.

Although she is the adopted daughter of that couple, Xie Wantang actually grew up alongside the three young masters of the Qin family since childhood.

The bond from growing up together is just like that between Xia Meng and the Lu brothers.