Chapter 622: The First Meeting Between Father-in-Law and Son-in-Law
Chapter 622: The First Meeting Between Father-in-Law and Son-in-Law
The next morning, Lu Jiaxin woke up to find that Nie Zhan had already left their bed. She glanced at her watch; it was 5:50 am. With a yawn, she got up to freshen herself.
Having left some clothes at the Si Jiu City residence, Lu Jiaxin only packed the essentials like skincare products. As for Nie Zhan, he had already asked the maid to help him pack the night before.
After breakfast, the couple set off. When they reached the port, Lu Jiaxin was bewildered by the number of suitcases her bodyguards were unloading from the car, "What did you bring? Why so much?"
"Food, clothes, and other necessities, mostly for your father," Nie Zhan explained.
A portion was also meant for Lu Jia Guang and Lu Ping, while whether they would send anything to Lu Jia Zong and his family depended on Lu Jiaxin's wishes.
Lu Jiaxin's curiosity grew, "When did you buy all this? I didn't even know."
Nie Zhan smiled, "Your elder sister-in-law helped me buy them. I don't know much about these things, so I asked for her assistance. It looks like a lot, but it didn't cost that much."
It was also a way to save face for himself, Lu Jiaxin thought. "Let's go, we're crossing the border."
With the increasing number of flights, Lu Jiaxin and Nie Zhan arrived in Yang City and, after a brief rest, boarded a plane back to Si Jiu City.
During the flight, Nie Zhan turned to Lu Jiaxin and said, "Jiaxin, let's buy a plane."
A flight attendant passing by overheard his comment and couldn't help but turn to look at him. But upon noticing Qian Xiao Xiao's stare, she quickly averted her gaze and moved away.
Lu Jiaxin had entertained the idea before but abandoned it after learning more about the complexities involved, "It's too troublesome. Let's talk about it in a few years."
While they had the money to buy a plane, Hong City had not yet returned to Chinese sovereignty, making flight routes a complicated matter. For international flights, they would have to purchase routes and navigate the varying requirements of different countries. It was all too troublesome for now, so they decided to hold off on the purchase.
Seeing her lack of enthusiasm, Nie Zhan also dropped the topic.
Upon their arrival in Si Jiu City, Xing Zi Yang and Zhang Kun were already waiting outside with the cars. This time, with a larger group, they had brought six vehicles, creating quite an impressive entourage.
Xing Zi Yang, having met Nie Zhan in Hong City before, greeted them respectfully, "Boss, Mr. Nie, please."
With their fast cars, it didn't take long before they reached their destination. As Nie Zhan gazed upon the vermilion gates, he asked the driver to stop. He then suggested to Lu Jiaxin that they walk the rest of the way.
Having seen photos of the mansion, Nie Zhan knew it spanned approximately 8,000 square meters, making it a true mansion by any standard. But photos could only convey so much; now that he was here, he wanted to take in the full grandeur of the estate.
"Sure," Lu Jiaxin agreed.
Stepping out of the car, Nie Zhan surveyed the five vermilion gates before him, "Is there any particular meaning behind these gates?"
Lu Jiaxin explained, "In ancient times, only royalty and nobles were permitted to have five gates. Moreover, on regular days, they would only use the side gates. All five gates would be opened only for significant events like weddings, funerals, or the arrival of an imperial edict."
Even for weddings and funerals, only the main wife's events would warrant such a display; concubines and mistresses would not qualify. However, Lu Jiaxin saw no need to delve into such feudalistic details.
Beyond the gates lay a spacious courtyard where Lu Jiaxin usually parked her cars. There wasn't much to see here, nor in the first courtyard, which was used for hosting guests and was filled with tables, chairs, and other furniture.
As they entered the second courtyard, Nie Zhan stepped into the house and was amused by the interior decor. "No wonder your sister-in-law said you sleep in an antique house. Where did you find all these furnishings?"
Lu Jiaxin glanced around the room, "I had someone source them for me. I spent over a million on these, more than what I spent on buying and renovating the house."
The courtyard where she resided was filled with traditional Chinese furniture. The east and west wings housed soft couches and chairs made from golden silk podocarpus wood, purple sandalwood cabinets, and other exquisite pieces. However, the furniture in her bedroom was exclusively made from yellow rosewood.
The antiques displayed on the bookshelf were also genuine, acquired at a high price.
Lu Jiaxin looked at Nie Zhan as he admired the gilded hollow peony vanity mirror on the dressing table and said with a smile, "Stop looking. Change your clothes, and let's go to the hospital."
Gu Xiuxiu wasn't home; she had gone for a stroll at Houhai Lake with Mei Gu, and they would visit later.
Nie Zhan felt that his clothes were fine.
Lu Jiaxin fetched a casual outfit from the box and handed it to him, saying, "We're not going for a negotiation; we're visiting a patient at the hospital. You don't need to dress so formally."
The doctor had previously mentioned that Lu Hongjun was recovering well and could be discharged in about ten days. But he still hadn't been discharged, not because his recovery was unsatisfactory but because he hadn't fully regained consciousness yet.
"I'll listen to you," Nie Zhan agreed.
The two changed their clothes and headed to the hospital. It was already 5 p.m., just in time for dinner. Lu Jiaxin planned to eat out, so she left a message saying not to prepare a portion for them.
Upon arriving at the hospital, Lu Shan was feeding Lu Hongjun dinner. He was surprised to see Lu Jiaxin and Nie Zhan but quickly stood up and called for someone.
Lu Jiaxin was about to say that they had just arrived when she noticed Lu Hongjun staring intently at Nie Zhan, his eyes sharp and assessing. Such a penetrating gaze was unexpected from someone who was sometimes lucid and sometimes confused.
Noticing Lu Hongjun's gaze, Nie Zhan walked forward with the nutritional supplements in hand and apologized, "Uncle, I'm Nie Zhan. I'm sorry I didn't come to see you earlier, but I've been tied up with too many things."
Nie Zhan was dressed in black pants and a white shirt, while Lu Jiaxin wore a water-red dress, making them look like a perfect couple.
Lu Hongjun's expression remained neutral as he said, "My issues are trivial compared to your important matters."
Nie Zhan hadn't expected him to be so confrontational, but indeed, he was in the wrong.
Lu Jiaxin was annoyed by his ambiguous tone. After sending Lu Shan out, she said, "Azhan is in the middle of negotiating a 1.6 billion project. I was already on my way back, and even if he had come, he wouldn't have been of much help, so I asked him to handle work first."
Upon hearing the staggering amount, Lu Hongjun's expression softened considerably.
After sitting down, Lu Jiaxin looked at him and asked, "Why are you pretending to be unconscious and refusing to leave the hospital when you've clearly recovered well?"
She had suspected this before, and his words to Nie Zhan confirmed her speculation. She wasn't angry, just concerned about the extra expense, but she needed to know the reason.
Lu Hongjun dropped the pretense and explained, "I'm afraid that if they know I've regained consciousness, they'll take me back and force me to confess."
Lu Jiaxin was taken aback. "Force a confession? What do you mean?"
Lu Hongjun glanced at Nie Zhan but remained silent.
Understanding his concern, Lu Jiaxin reassured him, "He knows about the antiques. They're currently stored in his family's bank."
Only then did Lu Hongjun relax and proceed to share his experience during the two days he was detained. "They kept asking the same questions over and over, trying to force me to admit to trafficking supplies and national cultural relics. I admit to the former, but the latter is completely false, so naturally, I refused to confess."
At this point, he turned to Lu Jiaxin and continued, "If I had confessed, you would have been implicated as well. I'm an old man with one foot in the grave, so targeting me is pointless. Have you offended someone? Are they trying to get back at you through me because they can't reach you in Hongcheng?"
Lu Jiaxin explained, "It's not that I've offended someone. It's just that Xie Kaixiao has been promoted again, and someone wants to bring him down. But since he's meticulous in his work, they can't find any handle on him, so they're using you as a breakthrough point."
Of course, Lu Hongjun's own misconduct had also played a part in bringing about this calamity.
(End of Chapter)
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