Chapter 469: The Dream of Youth Finally Realized Today!

The news of going to Hong Kong Island put the entire Fuqiang Hutong 23 Courtyard into a pre‑emptive New Year mood.

Lu Xiaoxue became the busiest person in the courtyard; she spent the whole day pulling Jin Hu around the yard, making a round inspection, solemnly greeting every tree, every brick, and even every ant that passed by.

"Grandpa Locust Tree, we're going to Hong Kong Island, you be good, and we'll water you when we get back."

"Little ants, we're going to ride the big ship, you watch over the home, don't let bad bugs get in."

Jin Hu trotted behind her, fully cooperating with the little master's grand farewell to the world, its tail wagging like a high‑speed black propeller.

The rest of the Lu family fell into a tangled mix of excitement, anticipation, and helplessness.

The night before departure, Wang Guilan gathered the whole family, just like a mother sending her children off on a long journey, handing out the items she had prepared one by one, fearing the kids might suffer abroad.

"Lu Qingyuan, your stomach's not good; Mom brought you some fried noodles, stir‑fried in pork lard, fragrant! Have them as a snack if you get hungry on the road."

"Hong, Lu Fang, here's the new layered cloth insoles Mom got for you; it's humid over on Hong Kong Island, don't let your feet get ruined, they're comfortable to wear."

"Lin Yue'e, put this sweater on Xiao Xue for me; I've heard the aircraft's air‑conditioning is strong, like a freezer, don't let my dear granddaughter freeze..."

Lin Yueqiang looked at the two hard‑boiled eggs tied with red string in his hand, then glanced at the bundles of "gear" everyone else carried, feeling as if he were heading for a frontier support spring outing rather than the legendary gold‑strewn Hong Kong Island.

"Mom, second brother is taking everyone to broaden our horizons, not to flee disaster." Lu Qingjun looked at his overstuffed backpack with a wry smile, inside were towels, soap, and even a small bag of salt.

Lu Qingshan watched the scene, only smiling without objecting. He knew his mother's gifts were not items but peace of mind, the unbreakable roots of home wherever they went.

On the day of departure, an unremarkable mid‑size bus whose license plate would make every checkpoint on Chang'an Avenue stand at attention silently stopped at the hutong entrance.

When the Lu family, lugging big and small bags as if rushing to catch a green‑skin train, boarded the luxuriously comfortable mid‑size bus, Lin Yueqiang whispered to Lu Fang: "Brother‑in‑law really is something, with so many people, we could have had the Great Liberation of the Specialty Market deliver it—much roomier—yet we're crammed into this tiny bus…"

Lu Fang looked at his puzzled expression, simply pursed her lips and kept smiling, a hint of mystery in her grin.

The vehicle didn't go to the bustling capital airport; instead it drove straight into the heavily guarded Nanyuan.

When a snow‑white private jet, its fuselage emblazoned with Xinghan Group's gilded star emblem that glittered in the sun, glided in like an elegant swan before the crowd, the mid‑size bus fell into sudden silence.

Lin Yueqiang's mouth opened wide enough to fit a whole egg; he clung to the window, his eyes bulging like a pair of copper bells, as if he'd witnessed a miracle.

"This… this is… our… plane?" his voice, shocked to the extreme, turned sharp, even cracking.

The captain, dressed in a crisp uniform with four stripes on his shoulders, and two graceful, dignified flight attendants, were already lined up under the boarding stairs. When Lu Qingshan stepped off, the three bowed in unison, their movements textbook‑perfect.

"Boss, welcome aboard."

Lu Hua and Wang Guilan stared at the scene; the elderly couple exchanged a glance, each seeing profound shock in the other's eyes. They had lived through wars and seen grand spectacles, yet this capitalist‑era luxury and authority still surpassed their imagination. It was no longer mere wealth; it was a power they could not comprehend.

Lu Xiaoxue was the first to react; she excitedly broke free from Lin Yue'e's hand, fluttering toward the plane like a butterfly freed from a cage: "Plane! Dad's big plane! So beautiful!"

Stepping into the cabin, a faint scent of genuine leather mingled with fresh air greeted them. Inside was as spacious as a moving luxury living room. Soft beige leather sofas felt delicate and warm; a polished mahogany bar displayed various foreign spirits with unreadable labels; there was even a tiny children's play area carpeted with thick wool, holding Xiao Xue's favorite cloth doll.

"Second… second brother," Lu Qingyuan sat on the sofa, feeling as if countless needles were pricking his seat, utterly uncomfortable, "how much does this trip cost? Flying must burn up a small car, right?"

That question voiced everyone's thoughts.

Lu Qingshan handed his daughter a bottle of her favorite orange‑flavored Beibingyang soda, then leisurely sat down, smiling as he watched his family's nervous yet curious faces.

"Don't worry, someone's covering the bill."

"Who? So generous?" Lu Qingjun asked curiously, thinking no one back home had such boldness.

"A European friend," Lu Qingshan said lightly, as if mentioning a trivial matter, "surname Rothschild. He's recently flush, insists on sponsoring our family trip, saying it's to promote China‑Europe friendship; I couldn't refuse."

The plane flew smoothly above the ten‑thousand‑meter cloud layer.

A few hours later, as the aircraft's altitude began to descend slowly, a blue sea and jade‑like scattered islands appeared outside the window, captivating everyone.

"Look! It's the sea! Mom, look! It's the ocean!" Lu Xiaoxue pressed her little face tightly against the cold window, shouting excitedly.

The plane finally landed at Kai Tak Airport; at the far end of the long runway lay the glittering Victoria Harbor bathed in sunset.

The plane came to a halt and the cabin doors opened.

A warm, humid sea breeze with a faint salty scent brushed the faces, mingled with the distinctive smell of aviation kerosene.

Below the boarding stairs, a fleet of a dozen black Rolls‑Royce cars lined up like a row of silent steel beasts, their surfaces glowing with deep luster in the sunset's afterglow, waiting quietly.

At the front of the convoy, Wang Yuyun wore a crisp Chanel suit, Liang Zhiwei was in a standard tailor‑made banker's suit; behind them stood senior executives from all of Xinghan Group's Hong Kong Island subsidiaries, a sea of solemn faces.

When Lu Qingshan's figure appeared at the cabin entrance, Wang Yuyun and Liang Zhiwei immediately led, bowing a perfect ninety degrees in unison, their movements flawless and silent.

"Welcome, boss, home!"

That supremely respectful, powerful voice echoed over the open tarmac, causing the Lu family members who had just stepped off the plane to halt their steps, their hearts seemingly clenched by an invisible hand.

Lu Qingyuan and Lu Qinghe exchanged a glance; they finally witnessed firsthand the supreme stature of their second brother on Hong Kong Island. This was no mere triumphant return; it was a monarch surveying his domain.

"Let's go, back home first," Lu Qingshan nodded at Wang Yuyun, then naturally took Lin Yue'e's cool hand, warming the sweat on her palm with his own.

The convoy set off, silently pulling away from the airport and merging into Hong Kong Island's congested traffic.

Outside the window was a scene utterly unlike the Capital City. Dense skyscrapers thrust into the sky like swords, multicolored neon signs flickered temptingly, hurried crowds bustled, and the air was saturated with a suffocating blend of money and desire.

The vehicle didn't go to any hotel; instead it wound up a serpentine mountain road, climbing higher until it stopped at the gate of a massive white estate—Shek O, No. 1 Tai Long Wan Road.

The estate's ornate black wrought‑iron gates slowly swung open to both sides, revealing in front a meticulously trimmed massive lawn as green as velvet; at the lawn's far end stood a white castle‑style mansion glowing with warm lights in the night, like a fairy‑tale palace, behind which stretched an expansive private garden covering 140,000 chi.

A group of servants dressed in English tailcoat butler attire and black‑and‑white maid outfits had already lined up at the gate.

Leading them was an elderly British butler with silver hair, yet spry and upright; when the convoy stopped, he immediately stepped forward, opened the door for Lu Qingshan, and, in a perfect London accent, bowed elegantly.

"Sir, welcome you and your family home."

Entering the villa, everyone was stunned by what lay before them, completely at a loss for words.

From the dome hung a massive crystal chandelier composed of tens of thousands of crystals, lighting the hall as bright as day. The Italian marble floor was so polished it reflected silhouettes; the walls displayed classical oil paintings they could not decipher yet sensed were priceless, and… a huge dining room with white tablecloths that could seat thirty people at once.

Wang Guilan clasped Lu Qingshan's hand, her lips moving as her eyes reddened instantly, leaving her speechless for a long moment. In her whole life, even in dreams, she had never seen such a fine house.

"Mom, this is our home on Hong Kong Island," Lu Qingshan said softly, his voice carrying a soothing power.

He took Lin Yue'e's hand, walked through the vast living room, and pushed open the floor‑to‑ceiling glass doors leading to a balcony facing the sea.

In an instant, Victoria Harbor's dazzling nightscape unfolded unreservedly before them, as if God had tipped over a treasure chest brimming with diamonds.

Across the water, Hong Kong Island's densely packed skyscrapers resembled a luminous forest built of crystal and diamonds, dazzling in the deep‑blue night. On the sea, the Star Ferry trailed a long glowing wake, drifting slowly, its lights interweaving with countless vessels to form a sparkling river of stars flowing across the black velvet of the water.

"Wow…" Lu Xiaoxue let out a pure gasp of awe; her little face was lit by the brilliant lights, her eyes shining like the two brightest stars.

Lin Yue'e stood there, motionless. She gazed at the scene, at the splendor she had only ever seen in dreams and picture books, and her eyes involuntarily grew wet.

She recalled a year ago, in Shanwan Village's drafty, rundown earthen house, Lu Qingshan first spoke to her about the world outside, about Hong Kong Island's night view, saying that one day he would bring her to see it.

At that time she thought it was only an unattainable dream, a boy's comforting fantasy.

But now that boy truly held the entire Star River before her.

Lu Qingshan, from behind, gently wrapped his arms around her slightly trembling waist, his chin tenderly resting in her shoulder hollow, inhaling the familiar fragrance in her hair, and whispered in a voice only the two of them could hear.

"Yue E, do you like it?"

Lin Yue'e gave no answer, only turned her head, tears streaking her cheek, and against the dazzling Star River backdrop, gave him a kiss that exhausted all her deep affection, a gentle kiss.

Behind them, the Lu Family members stood in the living room, watching the two embraced on the balcony, watching the golden‑splendid night view that belonged to them, silent for a long while.

They knew that from the moment they stepped into this manor, their lives, the Lu Family's fate, had turned to a brand‑new page.

And the title of this page was filled with two characters.

Splendid.