Chapter 3

"Hello!" A gentle female voice came from the phone.

"Big Sister Tan, it's Xiaojing. I'm looking for my dad." Lu Jing immediately recognized the voice on the other end as that of Nurse Tan.

Tan is 28 years old and doesn't talk much. Her family has been serving the old man as guards since her grandfather's time. When it came to her, because she studied medicine and the old man trusted her family, he assigned her as a special nurse.

"Xiaojing, the Chief isn't at home! He went out early this morning," Tan said with a smile.

"Oh—, is Mom there?" Lu Jing asked, his right hand trembling. He had already called his older brother's house, but no one answered.

"Wait a moment!" Tan said, placing the phone on the table and going to call Mrs. Luo.

Mrs. Luo is Lu Jing's mother, who has retired from her position as a regimental officer in the military and now focuses on taking care of the old man's life.

"Hello—, is it Xiaojing?"

The familiar voice on the other end of the phone seemed unreal. After twelve years, suddenly hearing his mother's voice, Lu Jing's nose tingled, and his throat became extremely dry, unable to speak for a long time.

"Mom—, it's me," Lu Jing's tears couldn't help but roll down his face, "I'm Xiaojing, Mom."

A man doesn't shed tears easily, but only when he is truly heartbroken.

Thinking of his mother's kindness in his previous life, her meticulous care in daily life, and her tolerance when he made mistakes, Lu Jing finally couldn't hold back his tears.

"Ooh—!"

His mother passed away at the age of 56, suffering from grief after his father's death. At this moment, hearing his mother's calm and affectionate voice again, Lu Jing was overwhelmed with emotion and burst into tears.

It was like a three-year-old child, who, after being wronged, cries loudly upon seeing his mother.

This was the release of all the hardships, difficulties, and grievances he had endured over the past dozen years, a complete release of his emotions after putting down his mask.

"You child, why are you crying? What happened? I'm here!" Mrs. Luo, hearing her son crying on the phone, quickly said. This youngest son was the apple of her and Old Lu's eye. Having him in their later years, they doted on him immensely.

"Nothing, nothing happened!" Lu Jing wiped his tears and snot with his hand, composed himself, and said hoarsely, "Mom, I need to find my brother urgently, but I can't get through to his phone."

Mrs. Luo scolded over the phone, "You child, don't you look at the time? Your brother and sister-in-law are both working. How could they be at home at this time? What's so urgent?" Lu Jing, who had just completed his life reset and was emotionally stirred, clearly forgot this.

Lu Jing sniffed and said, "It's not a good thing, it can't be explained over the phone, I need to see him in person."

Mrs. Luo chuckled, "What's so big a deal for a child? You need to stay calm when something happens. Old Lu went to the battlefield at that age and never panicked. Come to dinner at home tonight. I'll call your brother and have him come over for dinner. Don't cry, you're already 18, how can you still be like a child?"

Lu Jing felt embarrassed about his sudden emotional outburst and rubbed his head, asking, "Is the old man there too?"

Mrs. Luo laughed, "Of course he is. What, you don't miss your mom but think of your old man?"

Lu Jing smiled through his tears, "Not really, I need the old man's help with what I have to say."

After chatting with his mother for a few more sentences, Lu Jing's heart calmed down, and he hung up the phone. He looked at the time; it was only 4:10 PM. Going home for dinner would be just in time for the meal.

Walking out of the majestic gate of No. 4 High School, the four large characters "Dinghai No. 4 High School," written by the famous calligrapher Zhang Dabai, were made into a copper plaque and hung above the gate, shining brightly under the sun, silently watching one face after another enter and leave the school.

During class hours, the quiet Lake East Road in front of the school had very few pedestrians. Lu Jing looked at the Yanzi Mountain to his left, and a blue taxi with a "Vacant" sign was turning from the foot of the mountain. Lu Jing quickly waved his hand to signal it. There was still a distance from No. 4 High School to the old man's current residence, Jin Garden Villa. Lu Jing wouldn't walk back, and with his generous monthly allowance, taking a taxi was no problem.

The taxi stopped at the gate of No. 4 High School, and a young woman stepped out. She had a straight fringe, lively eyes, a slightly round face with a hint of sorrow, wearing a light white short-sleeved shirt, her hair hanging loosely over her shoulders, a silver pendant around her snow-white neck, a charming collarbone, a pair of fair, lotus-like arms, and a delicate women's watch on her white wrist. Her well-proportioned figure was accentuated by tight blue jeans that hugged her straight, long legs, showing a perfect leg shape.

The young woman exuded youthful vitality but had shed the naivety of a high school girl, making her a true beauty.

Lu Jing secretly praised, "What an outstanding beauty."

"Screech—!" A red Ferrari sports car suddenly stopped in the middle of the road, coming from the right intersection. Its excellent braking performance only allowed it to move forward slightly. The friction between the tires and the ground made a grinding sound.

"Hi, beautiful!" A handsome man lowered the window, sticking his head out to greet the beauty. The figure of another woman could be seen faintly in the passenger seat of the Ferrari.

The beauty glanced at the handsome man in the Ferrari with disgust, then glared at Lu Jing, who was staring at her intently, and walked into No. 4 High School with her head held high, her high heels clicking.

"What are you looking at, never seen a handsome guy before!" The man, unsuccessful in his attempt to chat her up, glared at Lu Jing, got back into the car, and sped off.

Lu Jing frowned. In his previous life, he would have smashed the Ferrari by now.

"Screech—!" The red Ferrari's tires smoked as it made a rapid drift, turning into the private high school opposite No. 4 High School, the Beijing Yinghua International School, the best private school in the city.

"Sports cars are awesome!" The blue taxi driver sighed, "Kid, are you going?"

Lu Jing was still thinking, who could this be? He had been at No. 4 High School for almost two years and was familiar with most of the local rich kids. This person's face seemed familiar, but he couldn't quite place it.

Hearing the driver's urging, Lu Jing got into the car, smiled, and said, "Driver, to Jin Garden Villa." The driver thought he was joking, wondering if he really lived there, as he wouldn't have been scolded by a Ferrari-driving student.

He turned around and smiled, "Kid, that place, my car can't enter. See…."

"I forgot about that," Lu Jing said, "Just stop at Ning Shui Street."

"Alright!" The driver agreed and quickly started the car.

….

Jin Garden Villa is located at the foot of a mountain in the eastern suburbs of Beijing, with a pleasant environment suitable for living and recuperation. The red-tiled, blue-walled villas are grand and dignified, with two guards holding bayonets standing at the gate, silently conveying the authority and power of the place in the night.

Lu Jing took out his pass from his pocket and passed the guard post. The villas were arranged along the mountain and water, hidden in the lush pines. The air in the villa area was fresh, and it was unusually quiet, with occasional cars entering and leaving driving slowly and discreetly. Turning right after entering the gate and taking two turns, one would reach the excellent 5th villa.

"Mom—!" Lu Jing, excited, shouted as soon as he entered. Mrs. Luo's voice hadn't come yet, but a stern voice from the second floor said, "Naughty brat! Come up here!"

Lu Jing was stunned; he hadn't expected the old man to be back already. Normally, he wouldn't return for at least half an hour. The old man's tone was not friendly, and Lu Jing was puzzled.

Mrs. Luo, wearing an apron, came out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on the apron and smiling, "Xiaojing, you're back. Come, let Mom see if you've lost weight this month."

Lu Jing stepped forward and hugged Mrs. Luo, saying, "Mom—!" A thousand words and a thousand emotions, but at this moment, Lu Jing couldn't say a word.

"You child! You've grown up! Alright, Mom still needs to cook. Come, let me see you," Mrs. Luo laughed, pushing Lu Jing away. She was very happy with her son's affection, tapping his head, "Little rascal, your teacher called home. Go up, your dad is waiting. Dinner will be ready soon."

Lu Jing was puzzled, not knowing which teacher had called home, and asked, "Mom, what's going on?"

Mrs. Luo smiled, "What's going on, you don't know? I said I'd set you up for a match during the New Year, but you refused. Now, why are you secretly writing love letters to girls?"

Lu Jing felt his scalp tingle. In his memory, one of the most embarrassing things was writing a love letter to the school beauty, Yang Wanting, in his sophomore year, which was rejected and became a laughing matter at home for a long time.

Seeing her youngest son standing there in a daze, Mrs. Luo pushed Lu Jing with a smile, "Alright, go up! Your dad will tell you. Still pretending to be innocent with Mom?"

Lu Jing made a bitter face, pointing upstairs, "Mom, your dinner better be ready soon, the old man's presence is intimidating!"

Mrs. Luo said, "Don't be afraid!" and shouted upstairs, "Old Lu, don't scare your precious son!"

Lu Jing chuckled. With Mom like this, the old man couldn't keep his stern face. Mom always knew how to handle the old man.

Sure enough, the old man's presence upstairs weakened, and he said loudly, "Let him come up, you've spoiled him."

"Huh—, you have your share of the blame too!" Mrs. Luo retorted loudly.

After saying that, Mrs. Luo nodded and said to Lu Jing, "Son, writing love letters isn't a big deal. Your dad wrote me love letters too."

A warm current surged in Lu Jing's heart. It felt great to be cared for by Mom again. He smiled, "Mom, I'll go up first," and went upstairs.

The old man, who had a life of military service and had survived countless battles, had a presence that was not to be trifled with. When he was angry, standing in front of him made one's scalp tingle. Breaking out in a cold sweat was the least of it. Lu Jing had heard that when the old man was angry, his subordinates would tremble and almost couldn't stand. These were all tough men who had seen blood!

However, although the old man's tone was stern, Lu Jing estimated that the probability of him really getting angry was low. After all, he wasn't teasing a female classmate or bullying others; he just wrote a love letter.

Lu Jing pushed open the door to the study.

An elderly man in a gray Tang suit sat in a large, dark red huanghuali armchair, his hair white, his appearance dignified, sitting upright and composed. This was Lu Jing's 66-year-old father.

The old man sat expressionless, drinking tea. The high-quality Wuyi Mountain Da Hong Pao tea had a fragrant and pleasant aroma.

Seeing this, Lu Jing smiled inwardly.