The banquet after the wedding ceremony was held in a highly restrained festive atmosphere and a hint of tension that was hard to completely dispel. The guests raised their glasses to offer their congratulations, but their smiles were somewhat forced. From time to time, their eyes cautiously glanced around at the noticeably more stern waiters (who were actually plainclothes bodyguards).
Lu Tingchen and Su Wanwan, holding their wine glasses, moved among the guests. Lu Tingchen remained as composed and stern as ever. However, the hand he held around Su Wanwan's waist never let go, silently declaring his protection with an absolute possessive posture. Su Wanwan wore a proper and gentle smile on her face and handled the situation with ease, but only Lu Tingchen, who was right next to her, could sense the slight tension in her body.
Their minds were no longer in the midst of the clinking of glasses and the exchange of toasts.
After a brief social gathering, Lu Tingchen left the venue early with Su Wanwan on the pretext that "his wife needs to rest". As soon as he left the banquet hall, the gentleness on his face vanished instantly, replaced by a cold and urgent look.
"Where's the baby?" Su Wanwan spoke almost simultaneously, her voice filled with uncontrollable worry.
"It's very safe in the safe house." " Lu Tingchen held her hand tightly and walked quickly towards a specially reinforced suite deep in the manor. "Qin Hao is under investigation. There will be a result soon."
In the safe house, Xiao Lu Chen was being cared for by the most trusted nanny and medical team. Just having experienced the commotion outside, the little one seemed a bit frightened, with his little mouth pouted and on the verge of crying. As soon as I saw my parents come in, especially when I smelled the familiar scent on my mother, I immediately opened my little hands in grievance.
Su Wanwan's heart melted instantly. She didn't care about the heavy wedding dress and quickly walked up to hold her son tightly in her arms, gently soothing him: "Baby, don't be afraid. Mom is here, Dad is here too..." "
Lu Tingchen also stepped forward, gently stroking his son's soft hair with his big hand. The coldness in his eyes finally melted a little when he met the child's innocent gaze. The family of three clung closely to each other, and a sense of relief for having survived the disaster filled their hearts.
Soon, Qin Hao knocked on the door and came in. His expression was solemn with a hint of fatigue, but his eyes were sharp.
"Mr. Lu, Madam." He reported in a low voice, "It's out." Zhao Jing confessed that her goal was to create chaos and take advantage of it to send a highly allergenic biological agent into the rest room through an air diffusion system. Her objective was... "Little master."
Su Wanwan drew in a sharp breath and suddenly tightened her arms around her son! Biological agents! For a baby! The poison in his heart is outrageous!
Lu Tingchen's face instantly darkened so much that water could drip from it, and a murderous aura filled his body. "Where did she get the equipment and the means?" "
"It's internal support." " Qin Hao's voice dropped even lower. "We have investigated all the staff who have recently come into contact with the ventilation system and identified one person. They have already been brought under control." According to his confession, he was instructed and lured by a large sum of money by an old subordinate of Yang Zhenhua. Zhao Jing was merely a pawn pushed out to draw our attention."
Yang Zhenhua! Although the chief culprit has been captured, his remaining forces can still cause trouble!
"Clean up thoroughly." " Lu Tingchen's voice had no warmth at all. "Not a single person involved in the relevant chain should be spared." I don't want to see any flies related to Yang Zhenhua fly out again.
"Understood!" " Qin Hao accepted the order and hesitated for a moment, "Then Zhao Jing..."
"Handle it in accordance with the law." " Lu Tingchen said coldly, "Dig up all the intelligence she knows about the remaining forces of the P.P. Foundation, and then go where she needs to go." There was not a shred of old sentiment in his tone; only the coldness and determination towards the enemy.
"Yes." "
After Qin Hao left, only the couple and their baby, who had quieted down, remained in the room.
Su Wanwan looked at her son in her arms, who finally stopped crying and began to play with the crystal on her wedding dress, but a chill ran down her spine. If they hadn't been well-prepared and if the security measures hadn't been taken to the extreme, the consequences would have been unimaginable...
It's all in the past. Lu Tingchen hugged her and the child from behind, his chin resting on the top of her hair. His voice was deep but carried a reassuring strength. "The snake strikes at the seventh inch. After this cleansing, it will be quiet for a long time."
Su Wanwan leaned against his arms and gave a soft "mm" sound. Yes, the storm has passed temporarily. But she knew that as long as the ambitions and greed hidden deeper were not completely eradicated, the shadow would never completely disappear.
However, life must go on.
A few days later, the controversy over the wedding gradually subsided, and the media's focus was directed towards the grandeur and romance of this luxurious wedding. Those discordant notes were perfectly concealed. The share price of the Lu Group even rose slightly due to the strong control and crisis management capabilities demonstrated in this incident.
Life seems to have truly returned to calm.
Su Wanwan began to truly enjoy her newlywed life. She took off her gorgeous wedding dress and changed into comfortable home clothes, devoting most of her energy to taking care of the children and running this small family.
She learned how to make charred cookies, tried to tie a crooked scarf for Lu Tingchen, and would curl up on the sofa at night, watching some boring variety shows with him, and then burst out laughing together because of a funny scene.
Lu Tingchen is still very busy, but he strictly adheres to his off-duty time and tries his best to bring work home to handle. In his study, apart from the documents, there was also a crawling mat for his son. During breaks from official business, he would look up at his son practicing crawling on the carpet not far away and his wife gently encouraging him beside him.
At that moment, all the intrigues and schemes in the business world seemed to be shut out of the window.
That evening, the sun was setting in the west. Lu Tingchen ended a video conference early and walked into the garden. Su Wanwan was sitting on the swing chair, gently swaying, holding her sleeping son in her arms and humming a tender lullaby in a low voice.
The golden afterglow fell upon them, as soft as a painting.
Lu Tingchen didn't disturb. He just leaned against the porch, quietly watching. His gaze swept over his wife's serene profile and his son's sleeping face, and finally settled on the diamond ring on her ring finger, which shone brightly in the setting sun.
A kind of unprecedented, solid and warm sense of happiness gradually filled his once cold and hard heart.
He walked over, sat down beside Su Wanwan very gently, and carefully held her and the child in his arms.
Su Wanwan slightly opened her eyes and saw it was him. Her lips naturally curled up and she leaned on his shoulder with peace of mind.
"Finished?" " She asked softly.
"Um." " He responded in a low voice and kissed her temples. "What are you looking at?"
"Look at the sunset," Su Wanwan's gaze fixed on the brilliant afterglow on the horizon. "It's so beautiful." It feels like... Everything has started anew."
Lu Tingchen followed her gaze and held her and the child even tighter.
"Yeah," he said, "Everything is just beginning."
The gloom of the past may not be completely erased, but the warmth and peace of the present are enough to illuminate every step of the future.
His runaway young wife finally didn't have to run anymore and found her own strong fortress.
And in this marriage that began with a transaction, he also found the only love and home of his life.
The gentle evening breeze brings the fragrance of roses from afar.
The child in the arms smacked his lips and was sleeping soundly.
Lu Tingchen lowered his head and kissed Su Wanwan's lips again. This time, he was tender and affectionate, expressing his silent yet eternal love.
(To be continued...)"